Happy Birthday to an Angel

I'd like to give my friend Angelbaby a gift to commemorate the 2nd Anniversary of her site, Your Caring Angels. She's a real great sport and truly an angel in all respects. Check out her site and you will know what I mean. Hats off to you and thank you, Angelbaby for all the great stories that you have shared with us. I am indeed grateful for your friendship and hope we can continue to share from across the miles.

Over here, we have the finest pewter ware and I thought it befitting to present you with this pewter angel for your Birthday. Happy Birthday and Have fun, my friend. You so deserve the best!

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Tops Sites Tuesday 35# - Three Things You Are Thankful For

Sometimes we just don't know how blessed we are. Our expectations are high and what we have never seem enough. We are always striving to do better, to do more, to achieve more in our quest to bring the best for ourselves and the family. The grass is always greener on the other side and we sometimes tend to forget what really matters. It happens to most of us and each time we let ourselves slip into that mode, we lose a little happiness. Like I always remind myself in the little quote I display right at the top of my blog, Happiness comes from appreciating what we have, instead of being miserable about what we don't. So, it is good for us to pause every now and then and have a reality check, count our blessings so to speak. So I think this week's theme is just great to remind ourselves what is really important and be thankful for them.

I am thankful for life itself, just the opportunity to exist and experience life. It is a journey so filled with every emotion imaginable, how can we ever not be thankful for it.
I am thankful for having family and friends in my life, people who make my journey in life joyful and fulfilling every day. I can't imagine life without them.
And I am thankful for good health without which I would never have been able to savor all that life has to offer.

Of course, there are a thousand other things to be thankful for and we are being very frugal here with three. But I know that if I focus on these three, all other things will fall in place.

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Tops Sites Tuesday 34# - Two random things about yourself

Just two things and I have trouble picking which one I want to share. I guess I'll share a little something serious and personal and something else on the lighter side.

Well for starters, I'm a sticker for principles and I have very little tolerance when it comes to injustice of any kind. I believe in standing up for what is right and I have no qualms speaking my mind and making sure that I am heard if the situation warrants it. I hate discrimination, unfair treatment, and manipulation of any kind that exists in people or in the system. I believe it is good to be able to stand up for your rights and to take a position rather than be a fence sitter just because you are afraid of repercussions to yourself. I believe that we are all here to make the world a better place, for ourselves and our children, and if we are not prepared to lift a finger to change it, then who will?

Second thing - I'm house proud and I love spending time making the house a home, a cosy one for the family. I'n glad the kids have followed after me in this respect. That makes buying stuff for the home so much more fun as we seem to be in sync on a lot of things. Plus its always nice when you put effort into the house and it gets noticed and appreciated by all in the family. Recently, we were at a gallery and it was so strange that amongst so many paintings, our attention zoomed in on a particular set of painting. Strangely enough, we all also sort of knew exactly which part of the house those paintings would fit nicely. So we've booked those and I can't wait to show you once its up. I'm glad I have more time on my hands to indulge in the home now, a luxury I could ill-afford when I was working (in my line of work, I do keep some rather crazy hours). So go on and try doing something nice for your home today. It need not be anything expensive or fancy - recycle stuff, rearrange things around etc. Its quite therapeutic actually, besides cooking that is.

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Wishful Wednesday

Okay here's my own little meme for Wednesday. Mid-week is always a great time to wish for something. You are half-way through the week and know how its turning out. If its not turning out the way you want it, there's always a chance for it to change for the better with some wishful thinking . Then work your plan and keep your fingers crossed that your wish will be granted and the week will turn out fine for you. So what's your Wednesday Wish? What does it take to perk up the week for you and your loved ones. For starters, my Wednesday wish is that I can get all my 'to-do list' done by this week so that I can have a couple of days rest next week, enjoy the kids' Speech Day and then leave for a much deserved holiday!

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Top Sites Tuesday #33 - Board Games

Apparently this weeks theme at Top Sites Tuesday has been brought on because when it’s cold outside everyone looks for something fun to do inside. Well, it isn't cold outside for us but it sure is rainy. So...board games, anyone? Admittedly, the kids would much prefer their PSP, PS2, Iphone and computer games, Facebook, and chats on the Internet anytime if given a choice. But for want of a balance in play time, I have always put a cap on all this IT gadgetry and try to steer them towards some good old-fashion fun - classic board games like Monopoly, Game of Life, Scrabble, Boggle and Chess. Imagine, having to persuade them to have a board game! During my time, we'd be feeling so lucky and thrilled if at all there is a board game to play with in the first place! So yes, the kids nowadays have it all. I recall how I would hurry over to Toys R Us right after work, to get toys for my eldest one - just the right type of toys for every stage of his development through childhood. Sometimes, coming home late from work does make one feel guilty and we tend to over-compensate by coming home with a surprise each time. I love the look of joy in his face when I do that so yes, I do get overboard sometimes. But in a way, I am glad that all those hours of browsing for appropriate toys for him paid off because say what you want, toys have their value in child education and we just can't under-estimate their worth. I've seen how much my kids benefited from all that play.

Coming back to board games, being the toy die-hard that I was, I most certainly offered my kids all the board games available, just so that they could have a feel of them and decide which they liked best. I would say, Monopoly, Party Scrabble, Uno and Chess topped the list. Well at least they are still being played till today, despite all that hype with the electronic toys. Recently, we've even added Mahjong to the list. (not exactly board games but a game nevertheless which is quite fun to play as a family especially during Chinese New Year). Personally, I myself spent quite a fair bit of my childhood playing Monopoly with my sisters and cousins. At that time, I remembered thinking how the game lasted like forever and playing Monopoly at my cousin's almost always assured me of a sleepover! Of course, being the youngest, I almost always lost too.

I believe the board games at that time was also of much superior quality especially the tokens.
This classic game from Parker Brothers has certainly evolved tremendously over time and now Monopoly comes in so many different variations and different type of editions - Monopoly City, Here and Now World Edition, Disney Edition and Monopoly Electronic Banking to name a few. The world’s most popular property board game also comes in a Malaysian version; based on most popular locations & streets in the country enabling us to have classic family fun in a local context.

As a matter of interest, here are some Malaysian Board games - Sahibba first Malaysian crossword game in Bahasa Malaysia and Saidina, a version of Monopoly in Bahasa Malaysia.

Will board games be a thing of the past with the new generation of children moving forward? I don't know. What do you think?

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Fruiting Plants

Some time ago, my neighbor gave me a papaya from his plant. It tasted so sweet and the flesh so smooth that we decided to use the seeds to plant our own. The plant has borne us many fruits and buying papayas from the fruit seller has become a thing of the past. I was having breakfast this morning and noticed that the plant is again very heavily laden with fruits. So is the coconut tree which was planted when we first moved in. Can't help taking some snaps of them.





It's a nice feeling being able to just go out into the garden and pick fresh fruits. We've gone on to plant vegetables and other spices as well...wish I have more land to do all these cultivation. Hmmmmm....me thinks I should re-organize the garden landscape and reclaim some land for more productive use.

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Frugality and Decor - Why not?

A friend over at Moms The Word drove home the point that just because she decided to be frugal, doesn't mean she cannot decorate her home nicely. She got a very good bargain when she bought herself a baker's shelf and decorated that corner with really cute ornaments such as a bird house and a mini gazebo. Totally agree with her, with a little creativity, making your home cosy and nice really need not burn a hole in your pocket. And when done with lots of love, it will certainly be something everyone in the home will appreciate. So go on and decorate your home with love, and be amazed at what a little effort can do to the beauty of your home. For instance, fill up empty little corners like these below, with ornaments that you may have gotten during your travels or just stuff that you have in the garden or even old stuff that is no longer being used for the purpose it was bought in the first place. I did that and each time I pass the area, it brings back memories of good times we've had with the kids. They make good conversation pieces too when we have guests.

Got these from my hometown in Penang during one of our trips back home. The kids were very small at that time and they had a great time pretending to be lion dancers with these. Now the lion mask and its long trail could hardly cover their bodies but it sure makes a nice decor feature during Chinese New Year.

Some bargains from our trip to Chiangmai and Bali which managed to brighten up an otherwise empty staircase landing.




Fresh bird of paradise flowers picked from our garden add a touch of color to our entrance foyer.

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New Technique to Rob - You've been warned

This is the latest technique used by robbers. It seems feasible so take heed.

Warning to all the ladies out there; and men please inform your significant other. (And, hey, it could happen to the
guys!)

The Latest Scam: Robbing Females using the restroom/'ladies'/bathroom at a Shopping Mall...

The way the scam works, a man slips into a women's rest room and sneaks into a unit. He waits
until there is only one woman in the restroom in a neighbouring unit/stall.

The criminal then stands on the toilet seat and points a hand gun
into the next unit/stall, demanding the woman's valuables. After getting her cash and jewellery, he demands
that she removes all of her clothing and kicks them out of the unit/stall. The thief tosses the
clothing into a shopping bag, hangs an 'out of order sign' on the restroom door outside, and slips back into the mall.

The 'out of order sign' ensures no one will soon come to the woman's rescue. It usually takes an hour or two for
the woman to work up the nerve to leave the rest room in the nude, giving the criminal ample time to make his get away.
The woman is left naked humiliated in a mall full of strangers.


The best defence, says police, is to never go into a shopping mall restroom alone,
as only women who are by themselves are targeted.

This has so far been a nearly perfect crime, as none of the perpetrators have been caught.

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Clean Start

The kids sure had a great time yesterday. Fats had his fill at a Holiday Villa High Tea, which was the school's annual year-end party for Prefects. I decided to arrange for him to follow a friend for this event as I much prefer to be at another event in town together with Alien. And it sure was a good decision as I thoroughly enjoyed myself. It was the launch for a new skin care product range for teens by Dermalogica.


Alien decided to register himself together with some of his friends for want of a better thing to do. Plus, given his ultra-sensitive skin, I also thought he needed some help in that area! Held at the center in KLCC, the launch event promised some good clean fun for teens. This included

o a red-carpet walk and a photo session for all participants (the photo of which was framed later on and included in the door gift as keepsake)
o a hands-on session where the teens had a chance to experiment with the products under the guidance of Dermalogica's Intertnational Corporate trainer, brought in from Australia especially for this event.
o a hip-hop dance demonstration
o a Mr and Miss Clean Start (Best Dressed)
o a catwalk by Mr and Miss Clean Start
O and refreshments as well as attractive door gifts for participants.

There were laughs and shrieks of excitement as the kids tried the products amidst cheers of encouragement and applause from the floor when they finished each clean start step successfully. It was an educational experience with lots of fun. Despite having to wear a head cap, the kids were not in the least daunted and immediately immersed themselves into the task at hand. Take a load of these pix.





After the skin care session, the guests were invited to a hip-hop demonstration.




After which the kids gamely joined in.









As it turned out, Alien won the Mr Clean Start title for the event. He decided to go with a hoodie which carried splashes of color consistent with the trendy colors of the product and the theme for the event. A black hat complemented the look and a dose of attitude did the trick. The prize was three retail-sized bottles of the three-step skin care and a complimentary facial. Not bad at all considering he did not put much effort in dressing up for the event.


Above, a very pretty Miss Clean Start, though I don't think her outfit was in keeping with the colorful theme.
Mr Clean Start, putting on his winning smile.



But the killer for him was when he had to hit the catwalk, first on his own, then together as a pair. The Miss Clean Start winner was clearly an aspiring model and took to the the catwalk with gumption and poise.





Our dear friend, on the other hand, had to put on his boldest front and braved the catwalk cheered on by the supportive audience. At every step he took, I could see he was cursing himself - Shit! Shit! Shit! How did I get myself into this. It was a first for him (probably not to be repeated ever again in his books) but he did it sportingly and with lots of attitude, nonetheless. It was really hilarious to see my son model for the first time.






We hung around a little longer after the event, talking to the trainers and checking out the products. On leaving, they each were given a door gift comprising a starter kit (miniature bottles of five different skin care products), a Tshirt and two complimentary movie passes. Not too bad. Check out this awesome and trendy packaging from Dermalogica.

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So Not Into Pretend Play

This week's theme at Mommy Moments is about Pretend Play. My three boys, were not very much into pretend play. For the most part, their pretend play centered around action figures. and even that was for a very short stint only. The Korean Boy has always been rather grounded and mature for his age. When he was in Kindergarten (around the age of 4 or 5), pretend play has never been his cup of tea. And so when its time to play pretend stuff like London Bridge or anything of that sort, he would be the first to opt out, refusing to go under the bridge no matter what his teacher says. He'd be asking stuff like "Do I really have to do this?" or "How long more to we have to do this?", "When is this going to end?" or "Can we move on and do something else teacher?" So while pretend play may be child's play for some and an important part of their childhood, some kids just much prefer living in real time. Haha!


No way, I am going to have any part of this pretend play.

Psst....teacher! Any idea when all these is going to end?

"London Bridge is falling down and they still want to go under it!"

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