My Red & White party

Its been 2 years since i had my last line dance party and my "students" were bugging me to organize another. I had dragged it for half a year and finally succumbed to the pressure! So i chose a date , picked a venue , decided on the theme and printed the tickets.


It was basically a one man show but i managed to pull it thru. I was aiming for 30 people but in the end , more than 60 showed up. The Watsons sales came on time and i managed to get 60 door gifts at a very fair price. And the prizes for the night were also from Watsons.

The venue was an easy choice as i like the ambiance it provided. The Botanic Resort Club is easily accessible and beautifully designed. And the management was nice enough to provide a reasonably presentable backdrop with a choice of 40 characters free of charge. They also provided a music technician to handle the audio system.

The food left much to be desired as they seem to provide less than what we had paid for. They said that they will top up once the food is eaten up but they were slow. It was a good thing that i persuaded them to allow me to bring in some outside food . Our portions were a lot more satisfying that the ones the resort was handing out!! I think the dancing was satisfactory and we all had fun. ( i know i did!) But most of all , i am just glad its over! Phew!
E-asy Peasy party

More Thai Food

Dunkin Donut in Thailand
Pretty Donuts
Pork Chop in Sizzler's
Yummy pork
Fish yummy too :)

Thai Food !!

Dec 3rd was a day i was longing for since my girls went back to their faraway Universities. It wasn't really planned very much in advance. We had wanted to take a trip to some other places like Taiwan and Hanoi came to mind but Airasia was not giving very good fares for the dates we wanted to travel so it was back to the regular haunt in the south of Thailand.

Hatyai is a place we never get tired of going. The shopping is good, the hotels are comfortable, the local tuk tuks make every food haven and shopping complex easily accessible and the food is to die for!!!! And to prove that last point, here are pics for u to drool over!


Duck noodles










Tom Yum Kung and below it : Grilled Mackerel














Sotong with delicious sauce and below : Salad with fire burning chilli sauce

Blessings ...

Do you remember me blogging about my 2 kailuis and how much more blessed my life has been due to their presence? Did you know it was exactly a year ago when I posted that topic? (to the date) Such a coincidence… What do you think is the significance?

A year later I have another reason to rejoice as my no.2 kailui, Percy, gave birth to little Alex on 17th Nov. He wasn’t due till the 19th but I guess he was impatient and couldn’t wait to join the rest of us out here.

That Tuesday morning, imagine the joy I felt when Chris called to inform me that his wife had delivered. The thing that touched me most was that he called me almost immediately after Percy delivered and that I didn’t have to "hear it through the grapevine." You can imagine how silly I looked grinning from ear to ear as I announced Alex's arrival to Penny, Joyce and Ah Lee. I felt even sillier when they asked me if it was a natural birth or Caesarian, what time she delivered and how heavy the baby was because through all the excitement I forgot to ask questions one is supposed to pertaining to a new born babe.

When the congratulations came pouring in, it really seemed as though I had truly been upgraded to position of “granny” and this time it isn’t being grandma to puppies but to a human baby!

There is a saying that life is an unopened book just waiting to be read.

As I think back of the time I watched Percy walked down the aisle. It dawned on me then that a new chapter had begun for her and for one poignant moment I wondered if I would be part of that chapter, or merely a forgotten page.

I don’t think Percy realizes how much it mattered to me knowing she cared enough to ask Chris to include me in the ‘must-call’ list. And so, grateful that I am, I thank Percy and Chris for sharing this special moment with me. I am grateful that at the start of this new chapter when they begin their roles as parents, they allowed me to be a part of it. Whatever happens from here on, even if I do not appear in future chapters, I will remember and cherish this moment forever.

Grandma welcomes you to this world Alex…. Don’t be naughty!

old songs rendezvous!

Good afternoon Fems! Its a Monday and i hope u are all ready to kick start the week , esp after that great de-stressing night we had on Saturday. Its been ages since we got together for our usual session, what with everyone so busy with their weekend activities and social obligations. But we managed to gather at least 4 heads together and had a nice time.

Paranormal Activity was the first side line entertainment we had. I think no one was interested in that but I really wanted to see what all the hype was about. I have to admit that I dare not watch this movie alone and I needed the Fems' support! So thanks, ladies!

After the movie ended, that was when the fun part began. I had the radio on and they were playing really old songs. We sang along and had a hard time trying to figure out the titles and singers! Names like Lulu and Cilla Black, bands like CCR and Everly brothers and songs from way back when came to mind. It was a nice stroll down memory lane :)

So when's the next session , Fems? 50 sen for each correct song title and singer! How bout? HAHAHAHA!!!
E-vergreen songs

2012

Of late there’s been a lot of hype surrounding the topic “2012” … Friends are going on and on about it, my sisters are too and if you don’t know what I’m referring to, I don’t know where you have been hiding yourself. Knock knock hellooo, are you there? Oh …and it’s not the movie I’m raving about. Incidentally 2012 the movie is slated to be the next blockbuster after “Paranormal Activity” and “This Is It.”

2012 refers to the Mayan calendar’s prediction that Dec 21st 2012 is when the world will come to an end! Doomsday, Armageddon, call it what you will. Whether one chooses to believe or disbelieve it is a different matter entirely but it doesn’t stop one from talking about it.

As has been occurring quite frequently in recent days… no matter what subjects we were chatting about earlier, the conversations would ultimately finds its way back to 2012 and its implications. This morning’s brunch with SP, AB and Pen was no exception.

Today we have unanimously decided (among the 4 of us that is-la) that since it has been a tradition to hold a Christmas party at my house at this time of the year, we will do it on 21st Dec in the year 2012. This way if the prediction comes true, we can at least all die together!! Friends in life and in death… How sweet and yet how morbid the thought…?? (oxymoron noted here.)

No one knows if this event is supposed to mark the “total” destruction of humankind, or just partial. So if by chance we survive the catastrophe, my house is best as it is near Tesco - in case we need to stock up. (We either loot the premises if no man is manning it or buy the foodstuffs if we have to).

Anyway, you are all invited to our farewell party… If nothing happens … well at least you’ll all get to enjoy a nice meal … you know for a fact that food is never lacking in any of our gatherings!

Please R.S.V.P by 15th December 2012.

For the FEMS ~ RIP!

Rest in Peace , Femstuff Blog!

The L word!

Now what L word are u thinking of!?? We all know that there was a drama series where L was the word! But my L word is not that L word! Mine is the Manglish L word , the little one with a huge purpose! Yep, its the LAH!
We use it too often and in too many versions. I looked it up in Wikipedia and they have it there. They say that its an "ubiquitous word" used at the end of a sentence. It can also be described as a particle that simultaneously asserts a position and entices solidarity. Whatever, lah!!
So, what about its usage? Again, in Wikipedia , they said that "'lah' is used to change a verb into a command or to soften its tone, particularly when usage of the verb may seem impolite." I say , Yes, meh?
The reason i am doing this post today is not cuz i want to be some expert on the L word. Today the L word appeared in my email as a way to express rudeness, annoyance and sarcasm! It comes after a polite word called Thanks. So here starts the story:
I have email contacts in my address book of people i do not really know. They are the middle people who open emails and then calls out to the people i know to come look at materials sent! These middle people are usually the spouses (always the males) or the kids ( always the teens!) . These people i know ( always the middle-aged females) are not very tech savvy people. They know what emails are , but they don't have their own personal email accounts.
I don't send these ladies fwd mails since they aren't the ones to check them. But they want me to send them dance sheets and video clips of dances I have taught them. That's part of my job and what i am paid to do.
Somewhere along the way , a couple of these middle people will eventually include me in their mailing list. I have no complaints cuz its as easy as a click away if i do not want to read the mails. But yesterday i got this one fwd email that i have seen being circulated over the years. And it had this huge bold question that goes " AMAZING! HOW DOES HE DO IT? " Usually i just hit Delete and forget about it. Yesterday however was a very very boring and slow day for me , and i very very Kaypo hit the Reply button and explained that Mr Copperfield wasn't all that magical nor amazing in 3 short lines.
What came back to me this morning in an email was the L word! It was typed in a font that's bold and black , size 24 , accompanied by a THANKS! ( with a LAH! ) Now if u read it in bold and big , it goes :





So u tell me , does this soften the note? I saw it and went OUCH!
E-mail slap!

My many little jobs !

I just completed a 3 month stint and got paid yesterday. This year has landed me many different jobs that has paid well. Basically i am a line dance instructor who teaches 3 classes a week. Every once in a while i conduct English courses for adults in the corporate world. This year's course was a long one that lasted 6 months. It was too long and grueling for me as i prefer shorter terms cuz they keep me on my feet with interest !! When i was midway thru this course i was asked to teach these young ladies some fitness class as well. They are obsessed with lean slender bodies and wanted to lose fats that they don't even have!!! Some of them wanted to learn line dance and some wanted hard core workouts. Finally the majority won , and i had to teach them aerobics with weight training as well. That was not difficult as i knew all the routines but the hard part was getting them lots of varieties. The distance i had travel was the part i hated most! It usually took me 30 min to get there on a good traffic day but coming back was always an hour's drive! But the money was good so i stuck to it for 6 months but finally considered it quite a hassle esp since it cuts into my Friday nights . So now i have my Friday nights again and ready to PARTYYYYY!
Another new job this year is the K&B Recognition Awards survey. I was asked by a friend who was offered this job but she didn't want to do it alone , so now we do it together. We are given questionnaires that are like 5 or 6 pages long , and we have to make appointments with the CEOs or Directors of several companies dealing with Kitchen and Bathroom products. They are big guns from big companies like TEKA and Rubine, etc. So it is a fun job too with its perks :) The money is good as well , and it has got me a bit more knowledgeable in that department. Special cooker hoods and appliances are now more meaningful to me !! This job is still on going till the end of the year when the Awards end.
The most interesting job this year is the one i just completed. And that's the dance training sessions i had to do with an engineering company that wanted their staff to perform during the annual dinner. It was very fun and i had a good time. But i have pics and videos to show for that , so i will make that another post in this blog.

E-xtra money

something to yak about..how bout ?

i can't believe its been over a month since I last posted. Im not sure if anyone still reads (hard to "still read" when nothing new is posted). One of my friends who watches our blog has commented that nothing or no one is blogging anymore......

Guess, femps must be procrastinating, because in truth, I just don't know what to post about and its really tough to blog when our mind is either busy, empty or too lazy to write ??

We have just added a new member to our blog, P. P... mentioned that she is not a person that likes to write. Same with M as well. So that just leave F, E, and S to contribute to our dying blogsite. P.... just a few sentence also is acceptable.

These last two months was hectic as too many happenings, good, bad and sad. Two of ship crew died while on duty. Typhoon, land slides, earth quakes, bombing... ...... what else ?? Is the world coming to an end ?

I enjoyed my last trip to cambodia with 6 other friends, three of which are sisters. All 7 of us had so much fun eating, visiting places of interest, walking, climbing and buying stuff at bargain prices. Looking forward to our next trip in year 2010.

Over to you other FEMP members...... C ON T R I BU T E....

s......

Farmer E

I have been away for a very very long time! Its not that i had nothing to blog about . On the contrary i had a zillion things on my mind~ things to rave about , ideas to share, Happiness to spread around, but time and my sheer laziness did not permit me to log into this site. Instead when i sit on this chair , facing the PC, my first click on the mouse brings me to the latest of online craze , the famous Facebook . To be more specific , let's put all the blame on virtual farms! They seem to sprout like daisies in a field and now there are way too many applications.
this is my Barn Buddy! >>
I started out with Barn Buddy and its a very simple application , which doesn't take up much of one's time. Then i received many urgent invites to join another farm game called Farmville.

And this is my Farmville>>Apparently this one relies on the fact that u have to invite more friends to join in order to expand your farm. So i got endless pleas from my friends and eventually i became their "neighbours" . it didn't take me long before i got addicted as well . ( i think "SUCKED in" would be the more appropriate phrase here!!) It got very competitive and soon i found that i spending way too many hours farming ! I had to calculate and select what seeds to plant to advance to the next level as quickly as i could! Unlike the Barn Buddy one, the crops can wither if u do not harvest them on time! So its plant plant plant, harvest harvest harvest, plow plow plow and its goes on and on !!
Another farming application cropped up as i was indulging in Farmville , but i am adamant about not getting sucked in again. Farm Town is a more complex one where u can interact with other "farmers" online and get them to help u out in your farms. But i am staying away for now! I am all farmed out!
E-farmer

updates

Hi all.... its been awhile since anyone of us from the FEMS circle has update or posted anything in our blog. E was busy the last couple of months with her two older girls back from overseas (summer holidays). Phew... how time flies!!! Both girls came and left. Like the saying goes... time really flies when you are having fun. E.. lets start blogging.. how bout ? Anyway, with the two girls back to UNI, E has adopted another "daughter" to care for. P. The story line is P is E's sister in law (hubby side). P went for holidays with her group of friends and while bathing, P fell and fractured her ankle. P created much drama as ambulance came n pick her from her hotel to hospital for medical attention. P couldnt do much for the rest of the tour and came back hopping back home via "Now everyone can fly". P is now recuperating at E's and hopefully early next month, P will be completely cure.

F is busy with her new addition member to her extended family. She got "Mong Mong" as a gift from her younger sister. Understand from F, Mong Mong has grown so much that she is almost catching up with Storm (E's son).

As for me, well, I was also kept busy with lots of things one of which was, I also adopted a "son" named Renji. I had him for almost a week. Both my children adored him and with much regret, had to let Renji go as my mum cant cope with the extended family. I thought Renji would be a good therapy for mum to relax but alas how wrong I was. Sadly, we had to give away Renji to another family. My son was devasted over this but luckily he got over it. Maybe next time, we will try to have another extended family when both of them are older.

S..... Sad but surviving.

P/s... girls please continue to keep our blog alive.

Yasmin Ahmad 1958-2009

- Read tributes to Yasmin on www.thestar.com.my


Published: Saturday July 25, 2009 MYT 3:06:00 AM
Award winning director Yasmin Ahmad dies
By NURBAITI HANIM and ZALINAH NOORDIN
KUALA LUMPUR: Award winning film director Yasmin Ahmad has died from massive bleeding in the brain at the Damansara Specialist Hospital.
She died at 11.25pm yesterday following a surgery due to her collapse at the Seri Pentas on Thursday.
Yasmin never regained consciousness after being admitted into the intensive care unit. Burial is scheduled for today expected to be before zohor.
The 51-year-old creative director was famed for her advertisements and films capturing the essence of racial harmony in Malaysia.
Family members, relatives, loved ones and friends, including artists had gone to the hospital on hearing about her death.
Fatimah Abu Bakar, an actress and a close friend of Yasmin, and Media Prima International chief executive officer Datuk Seri Farid Ridzuan acted as the spokespersons for the distraught family.
Fatimah’s daughter Sharifah Amani Syed Zainal Rashid had acted in Yasmin’s two famous movies Sepet and Gubra.
Yasmin will be buried after Zohor prayers although at press time the location of the burial has yet to be determined.
Her body will be taken to the SS19 Mosque in Subang Jaya for prayers before that.
A large group of luminaries from the local movie and television scene gathered at the hospital the moment they heard about the death of Yasmin.
Although distraught, those present paid tribute to the award-winning director. “We would come cross a few great people in our time on earth. Yasmin was one of them.
“She wasn’t an easy person to live or work with, but that was only because she was so talented. “She had a big heart and vision that we usually don’t understand. That was why people misunderstood her. But she never intended any malice,” said Fatimah.
She added Yasmin’s films had always been about love and forgiveness because that was the way she was brought up by her parents.
Sharifah Amani looked distraught as she stood by at her mother’s side. She refused to talk to the press.
Fatimah and Farid acted as the spokespersons for Yasmin’s family to announce her death and details of her funeral.
TV host Aznil Nawawi, said he had always admired Yasmin’s work although he never had a chance to work with her.
“She possessed the knack on how to capture the essence of Malaysia through her movies and commercials.
“I last saw her when she was promoting her movie Talentime at Radio Era office,” he added.
Suria FM chief executive officer Engku Imran Engku Zainal Abidin described Yasmin’s death as a great loss – not only to the entertainment and movie industry, but to the nation as a whole.
“Her movies are watched by all races because they can all relate to the messages conveyed. “We have lost a great, intelligent and creative director,” he added.

Will be missing her movies and advertisements....

S...

Sunday at Mid Valley

Eating is my forte! I love food with a vengeance LOL so when i was desperately in need of a pair of workout shoes, i knew i had to go to the Sports shoe outlet in Mid Valley mega mall to look for a new pair. My friends at the gym were there a week ago and they had bought several pairs at very reasonable prices.
So Sunday morning arrived and we made our way there. Looking for a parking spot was not all that impossible. Maybe it was cuz we were not that late. I went and hunted for my shoes and found a black pair with bright pink trimmings. Diane's choice was a nice Reebok too in red blue and white :) and then we found some that were incredibly cheap , so we bought 2 more pairs .
Our tummies needed attention after that , so we went looking for food. In the Mid Valley Mall one gets spoiled for choice. So it was not easy making up our minds. I am always looking for japanese food, its like a craze for me these days! But i decided to give that a rest. Since we could not make up our minds at all , we roamed into the Food courts and were quite impressed with the food there. I mean the choices were pretty good so everyone can have what they crave for ! I noticed that the servings are quite huge. So i let the rest order what they want while i nibbled on theirs.
We had Korean grilled saba fish with rice and KimChi , and the soup was nice and simple too. Diane ate the fettucini carbonara which was not too cheesy. And i ordered 2 temaki rolls :) i cant run away from my japanese food craze! After all that , when we thought we had enough we could still swoop down a waffle with peanut butter / strawberry jam and vanilla ice cream.We walked around for a bit , and had to get some USD from the money changer. I got tired after a bit and decided to come home but not before i laid my eyes on this small corner snack shop called The Beard papa. Its a japanese snck shop and serves cream puffs filled with vanilla custard :) and they have other choices of filling as well like green tea (yuks!) and chocolate ( yummy!) . You can also opt for the coronet if u dont want to have the cream puff. Its a longish cylindrical croissant, also filled with custard :) And then there is the supposedly best chocolate dessert ever thats like a mini mud cake . So we bought one of each! The choc one looks quite solid but its all gooey inside , a choc haven for choc lovers like me !

Adam Lambert ~ my idol !

Adam Lambert is the true American idol even tho Kris Allen won!!!

Kris Allen in shock and he knows that Adam should have been the winner!

Shocked and stunned but i am almost over it!

The American Idol 2009 results show was a shocker but the amount of news coverage and blog comments that overflowed in abundance online goes to show that the people have not gotten over the shock! I am almost over it , accepting defeat LOL graciously. Hahahaha! Although i spent all morning still reading comments about the results!!

Kris is a good singer but Adam ranks way above him in all other aspects. Both are good but we know who rightfully deserves the title! Career wise tho i am sure Adam will excel and prove to the world that he is star material . Kris can never ever compare with Jason Mraz even tho he is likened to the singer! Ok i am biased ...... and my American idol is still ADAM LAMBERT!

Because You loved me

My days are not as easy going as they used to be. My posts in this blog site are few and superficial. It wasn't cuz i had nothing to write about . In fact i always have a ton of stuff on my mind and at the tip of my writer's tongue! But time was the main issue here. Tonight however i feel i need to write. Its a spur of the moment sort of topic but always dear to my heart.
First of all , i am now kept on my toes with a number of new tasks at hand. I have taken on yet another English training session. This time it isn't the usual short stint of a week or a fortnight. This one is 6 months long , tho its only 2 sessions a week. I am exactly midway thru it now , and have 3 more months to go.
For most of the Listening and Speaking modules i have to download certain video clips to help with the training. And the one particular one for my session this week is about a Filipino girl called Charice who sings like an angel at the tender age of 16. And her dream is to sing with Celine Dion. Oprah found her and she performed a song in Madison Square Gardens with the celebrated singer. Nothing really extraordinary about that for most of you, even tho she has a wonderful voice. And my post isn't about her spectacular voice or about how dreams can come true!
It was the song she chose to sing and who she dedicated it to. The first few notes that came thru her lips were beautiful. She is a very amazing singer but from then on , tears welled up in my eyes. At the start of the song, the 16 year old girl had said that she was singing this song for her mother who was in the audience. And the song she chose was Because you loved me.
Her words touched my very heart as i listened to the lyrics. I am what i am today all because of my mother! I love u , Ma...... i always will . Happy mother's day!
PS: i tried i million times to upload the video here but keep getting the error message so if anyone wants to view the clip, its here :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WilGCuT8LlM

E-very day i love u

power coup within .....

its been a horrible and stressful week for me and my other colleagues as well especially all the HOD. It is just like in the movies and those chinese dramas that you have watched many and many times over and over again. Never thought that me and others would really got the chance to experience ourselves 1st hand...... wow... it is reallly very tiring and stressful for us.. what more those who are directly involved !! We are in the office "Coup" power hahaha.... eh... tis is for real.. no joke wan ah !! Family fighting each other for the ultimate ... the power / hot seat !! Actually, only two involved as the rest is just back benchers. It's either me or him..... u vote him.. i opt out and vice versa. Macam drama minggu ini. One will paint bad pictures about the other causing uneasiness among the family.. dragging the man of the house as well. Poor man.... one side son, the other side also son.... so how ..??

Advise to those voting.......to vote the Policeman... catch bad guys but able to bring in any business ??? wherelse, businessman... bring in business and able to maintain the sales n uphold the company..... Which one would you vote ??

its gonna be a very stressful weekend ahead..

S..tress..

Of Lice and Lies ...

I don’t know if any of you remember her but her name was Bhavani. (or something to that tune) She was the first person I was friends with at St. Anne’s.

The first few days of school, I was feeling lost and alone. I didn’t know anybody. Prior to Std 1, I did not attend kindergarden or nursery classes; the closest being Sunday School, if that counted at all.

That particular day, some of the girls were crying uncontrollably in spite of the fact that their mums were standing just outside the classroom, peering through the shutters, shushing and uttering “tiam” in their various dialects. The sight and sounds of kids crying made me feel worse. My mother wasn’t there. There was no one to console me had I contributed to the barrage of tears.

As I sat in class trying to be brave, she approached me and made a great show of pretending to cry. That broke the ice. I knew she was mocking the girls. I laughed. I’ve found a friend.

Bhavani was as puny as I was and we were both equally scruffy. Her uniform was crumpled all the time. Perhaps her family didn’t own an iron? Maybe they didn’t even have electricity at home? Mine were often crumpled too cos’ I tended to take naps wearing my pinafore. I wear the same pinafore throughout the whole week and only change blouse daily. Dirty-leh..

That we were of a different race didn’t matter. We managed to communicate even with the smattering of English that I spoke. We giggled over silly things and were soon friends with the other girls, including the cry babies. Recess times would find us playing “catching”, skipping ropes and 5 stones, which I never mastered, even to this day.

Children are usually affiliated with innocence but they can often be cruel as well. Young as we were then, there were already snobs amongst us. And there were the troublemakers too.

One day, someone (try as I might, I cannot remember who that someone was, maybe it has been blocked out to protect the culprit??) shouted, (why do kids shout rather than speak?) “Don’t friend her .. she got kutu-one! See her hair got white white one. After you near her the kutu fly to you. My mother say if got kutu, must cut botak head and then must put kerosene wash the head.”

After 40 years I still wonder if there’s any truth to that statement. Did Bhavani have lice on her hair and if you were infested, do you really need to wash your shaven scalp with kerosene?

All eyes were upon her and I could sense her discomfit. She looked at each of us in turn, her eyes imploring for someone, anyone, to go to her defense.

I would have you believe I was the heroine who stood up for Bhavani that fateful day or called the accuser bluff or that I had taken her by the hand and scuttled off somewhere else to play.

Bhavani looked at me with eyes that spoke volumes. I stared back. That’s when it happened.

At the age of 7 I committed my first act of betrayal. I chose to walk away.

From that day onwards, I did not speak to her. Perhaps I was ashamed of myself or perhaps I was angry with her for arousing such emotions within me?

As the days passed, the remorse I had felt dwindled to nothing or so I thought. Some years later an article with a similar theme appeared in the Reader’s Digest. I remember crying while reading that article. The feelings of contriteness and shame which I thought had dissipated so long ago, resurfaced.

Many years have past since I last thought of Bhavani but last year I read “The Kite Runner”. There is no connection whatsoever between that story and mine but I found myself identifying with the character Amir. Reading that book made me recalled that incident in school as well as the times I had opted to take the easy way out and in doing so, betrayed or had been disloyal to a friend.

Amir wasn’t a bad person but sometimes it’s so much easier to let others take the blame; to follow the crowd; to keep quiet rather than to stand up or speak up for someone whom you know in your heart is right. And if you miss your chance to do right at that moment, it’s gone forever.

Maybe this story isn’t so much about Bhavani but my own weaknesses rather? Little did I know that this act of cowardice had left a scar and even though the years have rendered it almost invisible, it will always be there.

F

the value of friends

I was reading through yesterday's papers this morning and chance upon this article which I would like to share.

Life is incomplete without friends......

Many people walk in and out of our lives but the ones who remain closest to us are our true friends. And friends have often proven to be more valuable than family and partners because they care and share in our joy and pain. Those who leave footprints in our hearts are our best friends. Making friends and maintaining friendship is part of our life's support system because without them, our lives would be empty, dull and dreadful. In short, our whole life depends on our ability to get along with others and developing friendship because our time spend outside our home is with friends. Our friends are vital because they are one of the most reliable sources of happiness, joy, support and intellectual development. While some friends are for keeps, some drift apart from us. In the course of friendship, sometimes we may get hurt or be betrayed and find it difficult to trust someone any more. But we should understand that bumps in a relationship are a means for us to know and understand the friend better, building trust requires quality time and is a life long process.

I have a childhood friend with whom I shared the same plate, cup and bed in our younger days but we have grown apart owing to our work and a change in his lifestyle and beliefs. Although we have not seen each other over the years now, my friend still remains special to me because of values, sorrow and fun we shared.

Good friends are those you can count on when you are in difficulty even though you have not met for some time. It is not necessary for your best friend and you to meet daily, weekly or monthly because a strong friendship is beyond distance and regular meetings. Friendship involves an internal connection.

They love you but they are not your lover.
They care for you but they are not from your family
They are ready to share your pain but they are not your relation
They are friends
True friends scolds like a Dad, cares like a mum, teases like a sister, irritates like a brother and finally loves you more than a lover.

Comparing friendship to our eyes :
They blink together, move together, cry together, see things together and sleep together
Though they never see each other, friendship should be just like that because life is hell without friends.

Life is incomplete without friends and no one can go through life without friends.

I thank God for the wonderful friends.................

S.

hi.... its me again.....

firstly, the whole office is in a mess. Can you imagine at this time when all you hear everywhere - world wide about bad economy and bad times, our office is doing renovation. Yup.... renovation. Somebody is thinking to bring up the image of the office in old dusty pandamaran. Who would imagine a "corporate office" in old dusty pandamaran. what the ^&%$#... does it really matters who cares about this sh@##$. Show us the money... dont show us the so call "corporate image office"..... so what if the office looks like corporate but the management is still "china" thinking. Any difference and does it matters.....?? We have been told all the time, times are bad, we should cut cost but what puzzles... renovation means cost cutting, meh ?!

The whole day today... all we hear is kok,kok,kok,kok..... aiyoo... the sound of laminated flooring being laid on the old carpet flooring. Told the HR dept to prepare and standby 1 box of panadol...... the worst is yet to come. The flooring will probably takes another 3 days to complete.

The wind just now blow in some alarming news... all of us will be watched by CCTV in the office. Can you imagine, while working and having the uneasiness that someone or something is watching you behind your back while working. Even damn thing you do, every word you say and every sound you make, be it your fart, sneeze or cough, you will be heard !!!!!! Not forgetting the number of times you visit the pantry and nature calls. Wonder if they will time how long we stay in the toilet or would they keep track how many times we used the toilet ??!! Can I call this invasion of privacy or do we have a choice, the employee as a minority. If the management does not trust the staff, please replace us but please dont put all of us under surveillance.

S.... sad and surprise.

24/7

The other day, while snoozing and dreaming in my own world... suddenly my mobile phone rang.... repeating the name of the caller, XXX 88. The name of one of the six tugs that I am managing. The call came in at about 2.30 am. Yea... i wrote it correctly and yes.. you read it correctly, too. Took the call, which went like this :

Me : yea, slamet malam...
Capt : Slamet pagi...Buk
Me : Oh ya... slamet pg..
Capt : Ada problem, Buk...
Me : Aduh.. apa problemnya Capt ? (Mind running wild... kena tahan by immigration kah or kena stop by Marine)
Capt : Kita alami kerosakan Buk, mungkin pada main shaft...!! Lagi 10 nautical mile untuk sampe muara sungai...
Me : Sh...t... Oh.. No.... Ok.. Nanti XXX 18 akan kesana bantu balik ke jetty.

As informed by the Master, the main shaft (like our car steering wheel) has probably gave way and may need to dock for replacment. While talking to him, my sleeping mind suddenly awaken... sHxt..i have urgent shipment that need to move out soon and this has to happen. So i called another tug to SOS XXX 88 back to base. After my third attempt, finally the sleepy Captain answer my call. I tried to go back to sleep but feeling unease over the whole incident. An hour later, I called the SOS tug and yes confirmed he is on the way towards XXX 88. Phew.... great relief !!. The next morning would be another of those days.... bloody monday..?! I have to source for a replacement as shipment is urgent. Ding.... dong... ding... dong.... finally managed to secure a replacement. then another !@#$ shipment pulak got problem... aiyooooooooo.....

So,,,, on call 24/7.....??

S = S@#$?

Friends for a season..

Our blog has been stagnant for a while and its mainly thanks to E that it did not fade away into obscurity. Even with lots of encouragement from her, I don’t seem to have a topic. Moreover, for the past 10 days or so, I have been working half a day everyday which doesn’t leave me much time to blog as I would have to do proper work whilst in the office. (however little there is-lah)

In the twinkling of an eye, a third of 2009 has passed us by.

The current economic slowdown has triggered off a series of flashbacks of what had transpired during the previous recession which occurred back in the mid 80’s and lasted till the early 90’s. My family’s business suffered, so did we and what we went through, given a choice I would prefer to erase from my memory. But can you ever forget?

It is at times like these that you begin to wonder and you hope and pray that you would never have to go through what you had experienced the last time. The hopelessness you felt, the humiliation, the fear, the anger.

I suppose I could start another post and call it “skeletons in the closet”? All those deep dark family “secrets” … but I didn’t start this post with an intent to blog about such a depressing topic. Funny how your thoughts tend to stray…

Thankfully, in the midst of such dark recollections, I am also reminded of God’s goodness; His mercy and His compassion. I am grateful that when all seemed lost, He provided.

There was an email circulating and part of it goes “People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime..”

In my greatest hour of need God sent people like Vicky, Anne Lim, Tien Hooi, Grace Tan, Dr. Gan, Jenny and several others. They helped and guided me through that difficult patch in my life. They were like embers that eventually ignited the little spark of faith I had left in God. I don’t think any one of them realized how great a role they played then or how I appreciated their many gestures of kindness,their prayers, their support. Their presence and encouragements gave me strength and rekindled hope when I had all but given up. After being so close during that short span of time, it is strange that we do not keep in touch anymore. It must be true then, that God sent them to me just for one season for a reason..

I do not know where some of them are today but I pray that should any of them be caught in a similar situation where I was, that God would do the same for them. May He send them an angel; that ‘special’ friend who would appear just for that one season for a particular reason.

As for me, may I too, be sensitive to His prompting to be somebody’s friend for that season when it is required of me.

F

Easy beef noodles soup!

Today i ransacked the freezer and found a packet of thinly sliced beef , lots of chicken bones, a knob of Szechuan pickled veg and i decided to cook my very own beef noodle soup! I always enjoy the Vietnamese version but i don't have all those herbs at hand. So i just made up this simple recipe all on my own with some recollections of different noodle soup i had in several places.
I started out by boiling the chicken bones in a big pot , adding slices of crushed ginger and lots of crushed pepper seeds too. A pinch of salt was added and some pork stock too that i bought from Thailand :) very yummy ! As the soup was boiling i sliced the Szechuan veg into thin strips and then dumped them into the stock as well. 2 more pieces of chicken breasts were also added cuz i wanted to have some chicken meat in the noodles too.
When the stock was tasty enough, i removed all the bones and sliced the 2 pieces of chicken breasts and kept that aside. I dropped the slices of beef into the soup and then shredded lots of dried black seaweed into the soup as well. And that was it!When it came time for lunch, i boiled Maggi mee noodles and blanched some veggies as well. then Diane and i sat and ate the yummy beef noodles together !!! Slurp!!!
I wanted to take a pic but i was so eager to eat my noodles , i only remembered about taking a snapshot after i slurped the last drop of soup! Isnt that always the case with us when we go anywhere to eat and say we want to blog about the food!!!????? TYPICAL !!!!

E-asy 2 cook!

an eye opener!!

I had been meaning to contribute in here. A ton of ideas crop up each day but if i don't put my thoughts into words immediately , the inspiration just fades away, never to surface again! And since today is a relaxing one, after the crazy hectic one i had yesterday , i am taking this opportunity to sit in front of the PC and type something.
My life was in turmoil at the end of last year , and although the tragic news of my mum brought me closer to God, the November disaster shattered all that. I asked questions that no one could answer. I was in doubt and my faith dissipated to nothing. I stopped praying every night like i used to. I just distanced myself from God and found strength in family , friends and myself.
As i settled back into my home , and started to live my life normally again, i try to keep myself busy and enjoy the good things in life with new vigour! Life is too short for worries ....
i think i have changed , become stronger, tougher and more appreciative. But thru all the changes, deep inside i am still the same me. And the old E would still pray and continue to believe in God. So last night i went to bed and started to pray ..... and i was stunned that i got stuck in the middle of the Lord's prayer !!!! i couldn't remember a small part ,...give us ??????? our daily bread!!! I went thru it many times in my head and guessed it was DAY but what comes b4 day!!!! So finally i gave up and just talked to God! When i was midway thru it , suddenly it came back to me ..... and i realized that it was " give us THIS day our daily bread"
Wow it was an eye opener! I had neglected to pray so much so i had forgotten the prayer!!! My mum would be so disappointed in me! So i am going back to my night prayers from today onwards!
E-very night I'll pray!

chosing the right friends....

Hi all. I know its been quite a while since I last blog. Errrrggg.. since..... ehhhhh.... hehehe.... longest time lah. Sorry ah,,, F n E. Both of you have contributed much to keeping our blog alive. Phew... so far so good ! Well actually, there are too many incidents or happenings till dont know which one to blog about or even some forgotten already. Anyway, I better blog something today before we meet up tis evening, otherwise sure kena @#$%^&* from you all (E & F).... hahaha... (i know you wont lah... just say only mah).

Lets talk about my juniors. (what else would mothers talked about... besides......) Well, new term has commenced since January 2009 and i thought things in school are going well for both Sab & Wil. I finally managed to get them to take school bus back to my mums place after school. All this while, I have been driving them to (sometimes) and fro from school everyday...(at times, i have to rush from my appointment to pick them)and its been 5 1/2 years (primary) and kindergarten (3 years) = 8 1/2 crazy years. Mid last year, my aunt introduce an Indian uncle (her neighbour who has since retired) to ferry them back from school everyday @ per month RM50.00 / child - one way). Well, i was soooooooo happppy that i was relieve of this crazy rush. I still have to send them to n fro for their additional tuition class (kiasu parents, ah ??)but this is only thrice a week. So it's not so bad. So this uncle took up the responsibility to ferry them for almost six months last year. THen come December (almost to school re-open), he had a mild stroke.... alamak.. there goes my "honeymoon" sob... sobb....We visited him at home in December but not sure if he will recover in time even though he is very keen to continue to ferry them.

Just two weeks back, I received a phone call from school. My heart would miss a beat everytime the school number appear. Before I answer the call, my brain would be thinking of some negative response... like one of them is hurt or sick or.....! Wil Junior class teacher on the line. Conversation sounds something like this (in Mandarin - of course translation lah in English) :

Teacher (sounds upset) - He has NOT been doing his homework and of course never seems to pass up his homework. Everytime giving excuses, didnt bring to school, left at home.

Me - Wat... how come.. coz i asked him and her everyday... boy,,, how many homework today and girl wat about you ? Oh.. yes,,, ah... what are the subjects...

Teacher - Well, i am telling you.. he didnt do his homework at all !!

Me - oh boy,,, my apologies to you....

Teacher - I have advise him many, many times and yet there is no improvement from him. (upset again)

Me - OK,,,, when he gets back I will confront him on this. Sorry again, ah...

Teacher - if this persist, this year UPSR i oso dont know how ??

Me - yeah... so sorry.. to trouble you.

Teacher (cool down abit) - you have to think of some ways to make sure he do his homework. Maybe you have to put him in day care centre and get some one to monitor him.

Me - errr..... Ok.. Ok... i will do something.... sorry again... but thank you for your concern.

Wah, after this conversation, i was "boiling" inside and no mood to work. Cant wait to confront him. That same day, fetch him to tuition and question him in the car. He look blankly at me and i was @#$%^. Finally, he admitted, yeah a few homework he didnt do. So, i told him when you came back from tuition, please make sure you complete doing them. I cant whack him as he is already in year six. So, I have banned him from his activities till year end.

Some of his other friends is also not doing their homework... 1 gang. So I also forbid him to mix with that group, too. Dont know if I am doing the correct thing but bad influence is one of the key that leads to laziness. So, far,,, so good lah...until the next call from his class teacher (which i hope no more to come) !!

S

The V day !

Valentine's day came and went and i don't really think much about it anymore. I am no longer the young love struck partner who demands some show of affection for that one particular day. Instead i prefer the 365 days of constant love and caring! I admit i am not as romantic as i used to be but u cant blame a wife of 23 years and a mum of 3 to be that into romance. As it is, time seems to fly by with 2 winks of an eye! There doesn't seem to be enough hours in day for me to complete all the tasks i set out to do nor any of the pleasures i hope to indulge in!

This year i was asked the same question by the man of my life .... "Do u want anything for Valentine's day? " Now , when one is asked such a question , do we get right to the point and say , "Yes i want lots of cash deposited into my bank account , i need a diamond ring, and maybe a Porsche to match! ... and the list can go on and on....! " Or do we politely say, " No, dear , u don't have to get me anything at all cuz i don't want to get u anything as well ! We have the kids future to think of and loans to pay, blah blah ,blah!!!" Hahahaha, but honestly , genuinely from my heart, i really do not want anything at all. Its a day like any other and i don't want to be loved and remembered for just ONE day. I don't get disappointed if i don't get anything but i did say that a dinner would be nice. But the dinner will have to include the baby of the family too LOL so yeah that again goes to show i am not such a die hard romantic anymore LOL i am just a practical wife and mother now LOL

This year's Valentine's Day brought a few surprises though ...... and very pleasant ones too. Times have changed and the V day is no longer just a lover's proclamation day , its generally a day for everyone to show their loved ones they care, be it friends, parents , siblings , pets, etc. So this year i did get flowers from my dear loving friends and especially one nice sis in law :) u all know who u are :) So , thanks and lots of virtual hugs for u 2.

I loved the flowers so much that i took pics of them ,......... i really appreciate the friendship that we share, and i thoroughly enjoy the times we spend together every weekend, no matter what we do together. I LOVE U ALL ............... FEMSPUFF!!!

These are the flowers given to me ............. and Diane :)And a few days later i still cherished them so i placed them in a vase !

E-verlasting friendship forever!

GANG of 14

Then ...





Now ...

Once a year our gang (of 14) meets during CNY for dinner. This year was on Feb 6th at V-Garden, Klang.

Our gang doesn’t always add up to 14 members actually. Some years we have more, some years less. It depends if someone has drifted apart from the rest of the group, or if another is being ostracized due to 1 member hinting “she comes, I won’t come” sort of thing, you know? And of course certain members have more say on who gets invited or who, to leave out. Obviously I, being the organizer for the CNY reunion for the past 17 years or so, have a lot of say in this matter. It seems I am supposedly the petty one as I have more than once decided to axe somebody!

Along the way, someone brings in a new friend whom she thinks the rest of the group would be able to get along with and thus, the membership grows. Recent members are my 2 kailuis - Percy & Abby and Carol and Christine aka “Tai-Lap Poh” because of the obvious, … haiyah, her surname Poh-la. But incidentally, she’s quite busty really. Even though they are considered “new” members, Percy, Abby & Christine have joined us for the past 6 years (?) and Carol, 2.

How did our club begin?

Tiay, Callie & I met in 1990 as my company had dealings with theirs. One night Tiay initiated a gathering at Metro Club and that was when I was introduced to Grace, Penny, Michelle, Hui Min and a couple of others. (who are not in the group)

It’s strange how with some people you hit it off straightaway !! Almost immediately more outings were arranged. New friends were brought in … it was like networking. Some stayed, some didn’t and finally other than the 1st group, we had regulars like Karen, Irene, Ah Yong, Ah Tan and Anna. By the time Espy joined us, she was no. 13…

At that time EVERYONE was single so we were meeting very, very often. We went clubbing, pub-ing, karaoke-ing etc. You see, I was actually quite a late bloomer. (ahem). This group brought me out of the shell I was under. We frequented pubs like Camberwell, Kelab Syabas etc discos like Betel Nut.. We made trips to Melaka, Genting, Frasers, Cameron Highlands, PD, Penang, Langkawi etc… We organized games such as squash and more recently, futsal, where the highlights of these sessions were the huge dinners thereafter. Hmmm .. Those days were really fun. Just thinking about them makes me want to laugh all over again.

But sigh… all good things must come to an end…. Life isn’t just about having fun and eventually we all had to grow up (we can’t all be like Peter Pan) as we took on more responsibilities; be it family or work related.

Our gatherings have since taken a back seat and we do not meet that often anymore except for a select few. The rest meet on special occasions like weddings, house-warming parties, children’s birthdays (which I try to avoid), sometimes at funerals and as a rule, I host a Christmas party for them each year at my villa.

Year after year I complain because I have to organize our CNY reunion. But the fact is I am aware that despite their tight schedules, everyone tries their best to attend and this thought alone humbles and encourages me. Based on the ‘taruhing’ I receive each time I ‘pretend’ to forget to organize this event, I can sense their eagerness to meet and catch up on old times, even if its just for 1 evening each year. So I may complain and complain but I will still be doing it next year and the next… (I wouldn’t be ‘me’ if I didn’t complain, right?)

I believe we all have happy memories of the past; yet the fact that this same group of friends were there to offer support during our bad times brought us even closer together. Whenever we meet, there’s no uncomfortable silences and in fact we never seem to run out of topic to talk about. I suppose that’s what friendship is all about, isn’t it? That we are able to pick up from where we left off, every time, any time.

I believe therein lies an urge in each of us to rebel every once in a while. Each time responsibilities & burdens get too heavy or when the pressure of life gets too overwhelming, I for one, do harbour wishful thoughts of going back and re-living the past. No responsibility, no worries just fun, fun and more fun!

Everyone is laughing at Christine’s bawdy joke and she is telling it with such gusto. As I look around the table, each face seems to evoke a different memory within me.

Ah Tan is here tonight after ‘missing’ for so many years, since she got married actually. Did she defy ‘his’ orders not to attend tonight’s gathering?

Callie coined the term “sian see kee”. (for television)

Irene – how I made her cry due to some work related issues.

Grace – how the two of us chatted the whole night (till morn) atop Irene’s car in the porch cos we were locked out as Irene and hubby were probably drunk. (Hmmm maybe I talked and Grace listened…)

The memories are countless... I could go on and on but maybe some things are best kept within your own heart?

F

zzzz .....

zzzzzz .....

It has been more than a month since I last blogged! It's not that I have been bogged down by work.. Far from it.... things are so quiet in the office you can hear your own heartbeat... Of course I am exaggerating .. cannot hear heart beat la.. pin drop maybe can hear-la..

Sadly, the economy downturn has effected us all. (although our government is in denial). For the past few months, we probably work about 2 full hrs per day. (speaking for myself that is...) The rest of the 6 hrs are 'free and easy' which would give me plenty of time to blog but if life has been uneventful what is there to blog about?

E says I am chatty and can talk about anything and everything so I am going to talk about nothing; a post that will simply blow a lot of hot air!

The one good thing that came out of this slowdown was that my boss decided to give us Saturdays off. (maybe as consolation for worse news to come??) The shipping industry has been badly affected.... Quite a few have closed down, retrencing workers, cutting pay or offering VSS to their staff. We have been fortunate that so far my company has not reached that stage. Hmm .. No need to hope for increment this year, I suppose? There goes my Saga ... sigh ...

Sometime last year I was introduced to Facebook ... Thank God for Facebook ... At such a quiet time, I am kept entertained. There's Pathwords, Scramble etc... Initially, I could only wonder how the Quays reached the top of the ladder in the various games? Hmmm... how they do it??Now I am top at 2 of the games BUT it is no big deal when you can play for 6 hrs straight every working day... It's not doing my eyes any good though... my eyes nowadays very cacat. Brain and speech also cacat... (and I am only 27 eehhh type wrong, 47 this year!)

Anyway... yehhh I blogged! ... (and its back to Pathwords.... )

F

MISS CALL me!!!!

I am E , and i am publishing a new post today. As i sit here and start to ramble on i realise that the reason i am doing this post is cuz i am a grouch again , venting out in here! So bear with me. If u know me well online , u will know that i have a Facebook account. And in today's Update status i have posted a comment about getting "missed calls" !!!

There are many scenarios on who makes these kind of calls and why they make them. There are many many valid reasons for making such calls. My kids do a lot of that , i think for a fact a lot of youths do that. i dont blame them and i have given mine the permission to impose on me mainly because they arent in the super income category yet. Heck, they dont earn a single cent at all , and all the money they are spending now is mine!!! So they do have a valid reason to miss call me when they choose to do so.

Another situation where "missed calls" are accepted would be to let the receiver know that we are where we should be at this very minute. It saves alot of time and talking power !!! For instance u make an appointment to meet at a certain place , and u arrive there and then "miss call" the other party who will then scurry out of her car or building to meet u. It will be a lot safer for her to wait in a building or her car , rather than stand in the open waiting for u to arrive. And with the bad traffic these days no one ever arrives at their destination on time! So Missed calls are useful here!

So its not uncommon to hear some one say " i will miss call u jsut b4 i leave" or " i will miss call u when i get there." And better still, " i will miss call u when i have arrived home safely." I want my kids to do that . They have to "miss call" me when they arrive at the mall , or if they are boarding the KTM train bound home so i know their estimated time of arrival.

But the one 'Missed call" that i abhor is the one thats made intentionally so bovious that u do not have a choice but to call them back and ask them what they called u for!!!! Its NOT an " i am safe at home now " call nor is it a " Hey i am right in front of your office now " call. Its a clear cut " call me back now cuz i dont want to use my phone credit " kind of call!!!! And thats very very irritating!!!!

I know one particular person who does that ALL the time. He doesnt do it to me cuz he isnt MY friend LOL but he does that to some one close to me! And this someone never fails to call him back to ask him what he wants!!!! Geez!

well, if u are a sucker u get sucked in! Being too nice and too sweet makes one a sucker!!!! I was one , been there , done that ..... now i resist the suction! ( IF i Can!!)

E-lectronically sucked in!