Lost in laughter!!!

This is a post i was suppose to do long b4 CNY but its always the same excuse ~ no time la, too busy la, CNY preparations, blah blah blah! But this really deserves a place in a blog cuz its hilarious ... well for me and diane , that is!! I still laugh about it even now LOL and then we laugh till we start to cry! Hahahahaha...... sniff, sniff! So silly!
It was the weekend b4 CNY and we had some last minute shopping to do. Actually the man of the house had decided that he needed MORE new pants , and he loved the ones he bought at point B in Summit. So we made our way there and it was a good day of shopping.
After the shopping we went for this little "exhibition" if u can call it that. Its called the lost city , and it was suppose to be about the ancient wonders of Egypt and the Mayan cultures but i didnt see much of that. It could be cuz the exhibition was about to close down but they had extended the duration for a wee bit more. So by the time we went to view that , most of the stuff there had been removed.
All i remember seeing was a mummy ( fake one , of course) and some minor artifacts that weren't memorable. We walked thru a structure that looked like this ....
the moment we walked into total darkness, the Daddy started to scare us with his usual teasings!!!! So i walked behind him, holding his shoulders and Diane was behind me! We had to wear those 3D glasses and it made us a bit disorientated!!! The glasses brought out 3D images on the dark walls. There weren't anything really Egyptian about the stuff on the walls , maybe we were just too cautious about the blackness to really bother! I didn't see much that was interesting at all, there were lots of loud noises to scare us and ropes hanging over our heads for us to dodge and untangle from. At one point there was this loud voice that boomed out to warn us about going any further. It was like Leave now, or live to regret it ... something to that effect , lah!! At that point i am sure it was meant to make everyone feel like some Indiana Jones ( if u are a male) and a Lara Croft ( if female!)
we moved forwards and came to this room that was not really dark. And we remembered that we were told not to open any doors cuz it would be opened for us. We stood looking at a door and the room was small and i was like Dont open the door! Is this over though? ??? Then i felt diane hitting my arm like a hundred times but she did not utter a word. I turned to her look at her on my right and she was scurrying from my right to hide behind me and all this while she was just hitting me!!! i was like What! What??? i saw a terrified look on her face and i was like what??? why??? where??? By now diane was hiding behind her dad and i but i was still blur!!! I turned to the direction she was staring at and i saw this dark robe with both arms outstretched in front of me. At that point i think everyone's reaction would be to scream! So i did the expected! Boy did i freak out!!! i opened my mouth and let out the longest and highest pitch scream my lungs could handle!!!! It made Dad jump too!!!! And then the dark robe figure (probably deafened by my deadly expression of fear LOL) walked past us and reached out to open the door. By then we had gotten over our silly antics LOL so diane and i were too busy laughing hysterically !!! i admit i did feel silly LOL
we stepped on a bridge and it was shaking all over and diane refused to budge! I told her that if she doesnt walk down the bridge the other door wouldnt open , so she had better walk. Thru out all this we were still laughing , and we wobbled across the shaky bridge and came to a larger room filled with "treasure" . It was suppose to make us feel like some Captain Sparrow but we were still laughing hysterically from the earlier episode .
the little adventure ended and we had tears in our eyes LOL from all the laughter!!! days after that we still sit and talk about that , and it still makes us laugh ourselves silly!!!!
Its the Lost City alright .... we lost our sanity there!!!!
E-gyptian laughter

REST IN PEACE ....

OBITUARY

1996 - 2008

Maximillian McArthur Kenneth aka Max passed away peacefully on 16th Feb 2008. Deeply mourned and missed by 2 surviving sons, 1 godson and human family.

Wife : Nil aka Mummy Girl (AWOL)

Sons : Dougie & Fai

Daughters : Candy & Fei Fei (both deceased)

Godson : Shaggy

You will remain in our hearts forever. We will meet again someday.

... our heart is the greatest Cemetery for our pets.

F

how fast time flies

happy chinese new year.... happy valentine....... happy friendship day........... January came and gone. We are now into mid February and very soon March will be slipping in....... Cant imagine time flies so quickly.

January for me was not a very good month with untoward events happening, loss of personal items and spending unnecessary money. But I am of course thankful to God, everyone around me, family, friends and work related are fine. Perhaps, God is testing me........

Anyway, come March, our group of 4 will be down size to 3. As the missing person in our blog (she has never contributed though) will also be missing from us and will be working some where not to far, accessible via air but we cannot have our regular session of what we do every "friday" or over the weekend anymore.... SObbbbb........ The only consolation is we will have a place to stay for free.. when we do make a trip there and perhaps some free meals thrown in as well since the person will be earning like many more times than us every month. Lucky for her. All the best to her.

Chinese New year came and gone. Nothing much, the same boring routine, visiting, eating, eating and eating. Perhaps, we have come to a stage where we have done it all and nothing much to look forward to except for the eating lah.... :-). for the younger ones, wahhhhhhh... collection of monies load and tons of it.... and of course, eating and drinking to no limit and of course, new clothings to wear and of course the long holidays from school. During our time, mana ada so loooooooooong holidays. We only get 2 days off and then back to school liao... so unfair..... Younger generation now are the lucky ones. those days, we also "gong gong" lah... dont know how we survive through... we still make it through.

Airasia recently had promotion of 300,000 free tickets to anywhere they flies. Soooooo excited over it but end up not booking any ticket at all. Too kind and gong. Should have book 1st and those who dilly and dally, make to pay for xtra. &^%%$$@... well have to wait for the next round of freebies.....


borinnnnnnggggg......... arghhh.......

S

Making a difference ?

There are people who seem to be filled with compassion. They willingly reach out to help strangers without expecting anything in return. Perhaps God has placed burdens in their hearts, to help the needy, care for the sick or merely, to love the unloved? These people, like angels in disguise, bring light to a world that’s been darkened by violence, calamities and all kinds of evils. They offer a glimpse of hope to those who had given up. These people are a blessing and a precious gift to humanity. Their efforts to make the world a better place should be commended, encouraged and worthy of support. Through them, many believed that there really is a God who cares and that they are not alone in this world.

It would seem that God in His wisdom, places different burdens into the hearts of different individuals; that none will be left unattended. Some have an affinity with children and orphans, others, the elderly or the sick. Yet, there are others whom God has entrusted a deep love for animals. Are these people less noble because animals are of lower specie than mankind? What is so different whether you are on a crusade for man or for beast? The bottom line is, you are aiding the weak and the helpless.

I do not claim to be noble or good. It may sound shocking but I am often unmoved by sights of war torn refugees or victims of catastrophes. With all the tragedies going on day after day we often become inure to cries for help. Call me cruel if you will but I cannot feign an emotion I do not feel.

There is yet another tugging in my heart. One that I cannot ignore. I do not know if it’s a God-given mandate but at least I know my heart is not totally unmoved.

Many fail to understand this particular kind of calling. We are often misunderstood, derided and thought to be eccentric. We seem to have our priorities wrong because we treat animals far better than people. Needless to say, it is often a thankless task. You save a dog from hunger for a day, a week or even a year but one day it disappears and you may never know what’s become of it. And none of the strays rescued will ever be able to repay you. Not in the monetary sense, anyway. But a mere wag of its tail, or a tongue licking your hand is often all the thank you need.

I pray that God will provide enough, such that I may carry on doing what my heart feels so strongly about. Long after I am gone, I know God will continue to plant seeds of compassion into other individuals to care for these hapless creatures, just as He will for man.

"One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed a boy picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean. Approaching the boy, he asked, “What are you doing?” The youth replied, “Throwing starfish back into the ocean. The surf is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them back, they’ll die.” “Son,” the man said, “don’t you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish? You can’t make a difference!” After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it back into the surf. Then, smiling at the man, he said…”I made a difference for that one.”

Ah Kee with the dogs in her care in Kamunting

F

Response to CARE ~ from guest blogger too!

This is a reply to Fong’s last post ~ Care. It was an interesting one and I have way too many things to comment on. It wouldn’t fit in the comment column so I had to do a new post on that.
It’s so typical in Asian culture to not express love and affection. Its felt but not shown. I guess it’s like an act of weakness to be so affectionate. The men are probably the worst offenders!! But Chinese women are just as bad, especially the older generation.
Take my family for instance, I was brought up in a very typical Chinese family where birthdays were hardly celebrated. I don’t think I even had a birthday cake at all until I was 19 when my sis came back from UK and bought me one. We have the usual ang pows handed to us and I hate to say this but my dad would shake my hand and wish me a happy birthday!!! I think I received more outwardly shown affection from my friends than my parents!!
When I had kids of my own I made it a point to be really expressive! It came very naturally to me. I mean I love my babies to pieces so it was not a problem showering them with tons and tons of love!!!! Hugs and kisses, and constant reminders of “I love U” filled the household. Kids learn very quickly and they soon passed that on to their grandparents as well. But even then the old folks only became affectionate towards the kiddies.
It took a major health issue in the family to change that. My dad’s kidney failure was a rude awakening to all of us, mostly on himself. He realized that we do not say how we feel often enough. Thru out the illness he kept going on and on about his love for all of us. And from then on, the older generation was more generous with their show of affection, even with us older children!!!
It’s true we shouldn’t wait for special occasions to let our loved ones know they are appreciated. A simple gesture like a hug, or a pat on the back, an arm around one’s shoulder or a kiss on the cheek or the forehead…. A kind word, a compliment… it can’t be that hard! So start now!
I am so glad I instilled that quality in my kids. Not a day goes by without someone uttering some form of affection. Even the man of the house is an affectionate one, we are so blessed.
But let this not just be confined to one’s family. We have friends we care about as well and they are just as important to us. Our lives intertwine so here’s to all my friends and family ….. MOAHS!!! HUGS! I love u!!!!

Attached is also an excerpt from one of my kids’ emails. She wanted to have her 2 cents worth after reading F’s post too. So here it is from our guest blogger ~ No2!

I read aunty F’s post!! . I understood immediately what you meant bout us being the total opposite of what she mentioned. Our family compared to others is quite different in the sense that we do constantly profess our love to one another. I don't know why but while I was reading the post, I remembered when I was a kid, you made us a little mail box to keep and every once in awhile you would write sweet little notes or letters as you may call it and put it in our mail box and we (your kids) would reply the same way. In a way it helped us with our writing skills and it helped breach any boundaries between us. It’s the little things that mean the most. I always loved that line because it really is what it says. Leaving little notes around the house or just the simplest physical act of love such as a hug or a ruffle of the hair or a pat on the back is enough to make someone's day. I remember you, making cards for all 3 of us (your daughters) for no reason at all. Just to say u love us, you cared and that we mean the world to you. And doing that meant the world to us. The fact that I can still remember that to this very day, that I still keep that card and that I can remember what you wrote in it proves it all, doesn't it? You’re proud of the fact that there's no generation gap between us. I am too. And I know that all this is possible only because of you. You taught us how to share our feelings and emotions, how to open up and love freely. The little things that you do for us, is what brings us closer together.

Thank you mum for everything.
For teaching us how to love.
For all the little thoughtful gifts that you give to us.
For the times together that we laughed and cried.
It brought us closer together each time
thank you for all the things you've done.
And most of all thanks for being my mum.

love u lots =D
hugs and kisses,
~No.2~

E-xpressions of love please!

Care

I contributed the following article to my church’s newsletter years ago. It certainly looks as though I was a better writer then than I am now or perhaps, I was a basically a nicer person then? Still I would like to share it with you and at the same time, remind myself not to be guilty of neglecting my loved ones.

“Someone once said “ We never truly realize how much something means to us until it’s no longer by our side.” How true! All of us have, at one time or another experienced this – taking something or someone for granted, failing to appreciate what we have until it’s taken away. Only then do we begin to realize how precious that something or someone truly was.

You know, there is a saying “A rose to the living is more than sumptuous wreaths to the dead.” Isn’t it a bit late to buy flowers for the dead merely to lay it on their graves? Will the dead ever begin to appreciate flowers, however lovely their fragrances? But to one who is living, a single stalk of rose can mean an awful lot.

Just for a minute, reflect on those around you, your family members, friends and other dear ones. Have you ever told them you love them or how much you care? Don’t you think they deserve to know? Why do we always wait for special occasions like Birthdays, Valentine’s Day, etc. to shower our loved ones with flowers, gifts and cards? Sure it’s nice to receive flowers on those days but it’ll no longer be a surprise then, will it, especially if one is already accustomed to receiving flowers on such occasions. But, what of ordinary days? Don’t we tend to take each other for granted then? Deep down, each and every one of us needs to feel loved and appreciated. No one is isolated in this case. Ordinary days are ordinary days but they can become memorable days when someone makes an effort to turn those ordinary days into special days just by doing something nice. And it doesn’t really require much effort.

Why can’t we learn to show our appreciation for one another? How often do we neglect to show our care even though we may truly care? Oh sure, we Malaysians are an inhibited lot. Still, it is said that the love in your heart is not love till you give it away. How about taking time to care? Give your friends a hug, surprise someone with a small gift; brighten someone’s day with a rose, a smile or even, just a kind word.

Jesus has commanded us to love one another and love is not inactive. It is doing something for someone else unconditionally, without expecting anything in return. That’s love. Matt. 5:16 says, “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” Let us therefore, be living proofs of God’s existence by spreading His love. How else will people tell us apart except, as the song goes “ .. and they’ll know we are Christians by our love…”

P/S Incidentally, since we’re on the subject of flowers. We have fresh roses for sale on Valentine’s Day. We provide free delivery (Klang valley) for a minimum purchase of ½ dozen stalks. Please call 31686440 to place your order now!

F

What melts a hole in your wallet!???

After such a serious post from F, i had a hard time trying to come up with a good topic for a new post! But i am not such a serious person , so its a bit susah for me la!!! i will stick to what i know and what i am !! And even tho i have said that i will NOT blog about this particular topic again .... for fear that i may be labelled as a PIG, its almost impossible for me. So here is the one with the wiggly piggy tail .... and now , with an equally piggy tummy and butts to match!
Last Saturday we went for a seafood lunch and somehow the topic of ice creams came up. I don't know how it started cuz i was not listening to F and my SIL . Suddenly i heard my SIL say that she was going to take us for desserts. And the magical word Haagen Dazs came up! I have tried Haagen Dazs before but never at the outlet itself. Its the ones in tubs and on sticks.... and once at an ice cream parlour that supposedly uses Haagen Dazs ice cream but sure as hell didn't taste that great!
Anyway we made our way to the Aeon BT mall and headed straight to HD! One look at the menu , i think our eyes went @@!! i am sure my SIL , Pauline was accustomed to the prices there but the rest of us were like ..faint faint!!! F was also busy trying to get the pronunciation of HAAGEN right! I was a bit too bloated with seafood so Diane and i decided to share the ice cream. We ordered a double scoop with brownies and i don't know what Pauline ordered . It had a double scoop too but came with a wafer. F, not being an ice cream person , just ordered a latte. Diane and I asked for water which we found out was FREE! So F had that too LOL and Pauline asked for iced lemon tea.
OK i have to admit that the ice cream at their outlets are way much better than the ones u get from the tubs purchased at supermarkets!!! I suppose it fresher! And OK la , i also have to admit that it tastes better than Baskin Robbins but the scoops are a lot smaller tho! When the bill came , wahhhhhhhhhhhhh pengsan pengsan! let's put it this way , if we had ordered an ice cream each ( meaning 4 sundaes la) the bill would have been more than the seafood one !!!
i think its best we stick to normal ice cream! We know ice cream melts at room temperature, but it sure as hell can melt a hole in your wallet at any temperature!!!
Some info about Haagen Dazs ~ They do have an All-u-can-eat buffet that costs RM39.90++ for adults. But its only for a certain period of time. Last year it was in October i think. And another interesting fact about HD is that even tho it sounds terribly Danish..... its origin is American. They only used the name to tipu Americans i suppose! HAHAHAHAHA! But it did well!
E-xpensive