A short trip with friends.

Summary of a short nearby holiday trip with a friend and family:

Fun. Frust. Packed. Heartpain. Relaxing. Simple. Merry. Noisy. Easy. Uneasy.

So many different feelings all cramped in a 4d3n period. How to handle each and everyone of it? But right now, I'm feeling a little bit of emptiness and post-holiday depression. I guess it's the symptom of a great trip afterall. Lazy to deal with anything. Lazy to clear up the mess. Lazy to have a post mortem.

Some sharing.

My hub was out the whole day on Sunday, after we got back from Genting and the movie 2012 the day before. He was invited by his school friend to attend a preview seminar. The speaker conversed in Mandarin and focused on Chinese business entrepreneurs with numerous case studies.

He came home pretty late, as he had to travel to Putrajaya as well to handle some work matters. When he came home, the children were asleep and we chatted on how the seminar had been.

Some stories he shared with me from the seminar:

1. Chinese are so competitive that in a talent search program whereby the organisers invited people to send in their business proposals, it came in as thick as 3-4 inches each and the number of proposals received was a whopping 250,000!! The judges had no choice but to randomly choose 3000 out and the participants were given 3 mins to present their proposal in person.

100 came out as winners, the first one were given a big lump sum of money to realize their business, with the rest being given significantly reduced but still considered big sum of money for them to kick start their business.

And to think what kind of lapsup talents' shows we have...

2. A smart person, also a Chinese, in a city unknown, bought a big piece of land, like the size of Brickfields probably, built 30 buildings and an exhibition center right smack in the middle and invited 100 business owners to operate their business from there, with rental FOC for 20 years!! So how would he make money?

Smart thinking he is that he would only ask for 1 condition from these business that is to make a deposit of RMB100k with a certain bank only, and the bank would also provide OD facilities for 3times the value, making this business deal look like a win-win-win solution for all. Imagine with the "accumulated power" he has in his hands, banks would also treat him like king!

Furthermore, he just need to control the logistics of all the businesses in the vicinity, and perhaps build a few hotels around the area, there's a whole lots of revenue which can be earned from. As simply put it, build a platform like Google, provide everything free, and earn revenue from the things around it. Pretty ingenious.

Smallsized business success depends on the leadership and ability of the boss. Medium sized depends on the management team, and big ones depends on the business culture. Something to ponder about.

With the culture and competitive edge, hardwork and creativity from that country, I suppose we can all learn more than a thing or two from them and buckle up ourselves to keep that edge.

Spoon story.

For some unknown reason, didi has a favorite spoon to scoop his rice during meals, unlike the other 2 who are not so particular in such a simple routine. He was frantically searching for it today at lunch while we were busy eating hungrily already.

Under different circumstances, my reaction to his weird habit would be:

1. (When I'm in a bad mood) Yell at him to stop creating such a ruckus and eat his meal, else that would be taken away from him that very minute. Result: he would cry and sob like who-and-who died.

2. (When I'm in a good mood) Get up and help look it for him, then hand it over in a killer stare look with that hoe-mm-gum-yun eyes. Result: He's happy and fast fast eat his meal, but me, very the mm-gum-yun lor.

Today, I didn't use both ways. I let him continue with his search and see what he would do next when he can't find it still. He looked all over the place, very determined to find his favorite spoon, but still failed, and he asked me where it is. I said I do not know, maybe his granny is using it?

He went out to check, as granny was having her lunch while watching her favorite show on Astro WLT, and came back to say it's not with her either.

He then asked me to look it up for him, I told him, sorry, I'm busy eating my lunch already. So he sat there and began to sulk.

I then suggested what's his Plan B. He asked what Plan B is. I explained that in life, when Plan A fails, then you would need to think of a Plan B, and if that fails, then Plan C... all the way until you find a solution. Korkor asked me what if Plan Z also fails? I said, then it's back to Plan A, until you find a way out, no matter how.

So I told him to think about it and what he wants to do next. Does he want to sit there and sulk? Does he want to use his hands to eat? Or perhaps he would like to use another spoon???

There.. he thought for awhile and decided he has to use another spoon..

And the episode ended without him crying his eyes out or me feeling mm-gum-yun. Both sides happy. Tee hee!

Bunking in and out.

When korkor came into our lives, he has been sleeping beside me in a playpen-made-babycot till he was 1. After settling in Brunei, he slept in a double bed mattress on the floor beside ours. Can't wait to move him to his own room, we made him unreluctantly slept by himself in another room when he was about 3. We wanted him to move over so that when didi came along, he won't be awakened by the baby's cries in the middle of the nights. He didn't want to sleep all alone, and it took sometime to make him settle down and accept the change.

Poor boy, there was once I saw him standing at the door of my bedroom in the middle of the night, quietly sobbing and calling me. He didn't dare to come over for I told him fiercely I would scold him if he still cries to come to our room. I went over to him and felt his shivering, immediately sensing he has fever at that time. I honestly felt very sorry for him, I still remember that moment like forever.

So, there was a time, 3 of us in 1 room while only korkor was the only one in the other room. And he was only about 3+. Looking back, he was still just a little baby at that time and it seemed so awful to chuck him aside on his own for the nights.

Didi was an easy baby to handle, and very soon, he has to move over too when meimei is about to come into the picture. It was easier this time, for he has a brother to accompany him and korkor was more than happy to have a company too. He was 1+ only. So, from then on, both the brothers slept on their own in their room while meimei sleeps with us, even till now. And she's already coming to 5 in 2 more days. Definitely the most fortunate one.

It's a nice fuzzy feeling watching them sleep. Meimei would make herself comfortable on our bed until papa retires for the day and carry her to her own mattress right beside us on the floor. Sometimes when she's still not asleep when he wants to sleep, he would tell her to go back to her own bed. And she would crawls and drops over.. very the cute.

Somehow, I don't have the feeling of urgency to move her out of our room this time. In fact, on the contrary, I would tell the boys to come over and camp with us once in awhile and they would happily bounce in, cheering shouts of hooray. The boys love it even though it's just a makeshift bed of a thin comforter, I wonder why. Perhaps they still love the closeness of sleeping near to us. Especially didi. I wonder if it's because we moved him out at the youngest age. He always pleads with me to let them sleep over. And my heart would go weak and say ok..

When papa goes away for work for days, I would tell the kids, everyone in 1 room, and they would be so thrilled. Meimei and didi would fight to sleep on the bed with me, and I have to settle their little fights, fairly telling them 1 for each night. As for korkor, he has no chance because he always kick me till I wakes. Tee hee! It's such a blessing to hug them to sleep right beside me.

The younger little 2 are still sleeping in cute poses and watching them gives me sheer pleasure. I would plant a wet kiss on their cheeks before going to bed myself and tell them I love them in their ears. Waking up early in the morning and watching meimei comfortably in slumber is just the perfect way to start off the day. It's even cuter to see her rising up and semi-dazed answering me when I call her name. Kids. Last time I always wish they would grow up soon, but now I am missing those days when they are just babies and cute adorable toddlers.

Alarm turned to OFF

Yay! Tomorrow no need to wake up at 6+. It's the start of the school holidays, 1 day earlier than predicted. One good thing about school holidays is definitely the morning part, can sleep until own self says enough for the night, not the alarm. I hope these 6 weeks can cure the dark rings round my eyes and make me look not so charn. Of course, it still won't help if I don't sleep earlier.

We'll be heading for a short break tomorrow, and I have also bought tickets to watch 2012 at the cine on Sat evening. Kind of looking forward to it. The kindy taught them about earthquakes and tsunami this week and I hope that they would be interested watching this movie too.

Gosh! Simple stuffs like these are giving me a holiday mood already.

Year end school report

The day before we left KL for our homecoming reunion, we stopped by at the kids' preschool for the last parent-teacher meeting of the year.

Our first meeting was with meimei's teacher, and she has every nice things to say about meimei. She gave her a "Interpersonal intelligence" award, which is described as friendly, nice, always sharing and that makes her quite a favorite among her classmates. I was really beaming with pride hearing all these nice comments from someone who sees her every morning for almost 2 years now.

As for her development, she has been able to relate what has happened to her teacher in proper sentences, with a flow, and even able to provide some suggestions or solutions at times. In other words, I suppose she's qualified as a 8-kwa-mui or a nga-jim-jui-lei-mui. Tee hee! I like.

Academic wise, there's a lot of room for improvements, but to me, no hurry. Let her enjoy her childhood first. Then again, her assessment in the different subjects has been encouraging so I'm not too worried. Although she might seem not to be as good as her brothers in this area.

We then popped over to didi's class after waited for sometime, like patients waiting to see the doctor in a clinic. One good thing about the teachers here, they are pretty chatty about the children's development, always relating to the parents what they do, how they behave and initiating in constructive suggestions to us on how to further develop and guide them.

Didi is observed to be an intellect person, always thinking ahead of the rest, just for an example, when the teacher was telling about a rocket, he was already thinking about the space. She said he's not interest in simple questions, always challenging her with tougher questions when she asks him on the simple ones. She gave him the description "Logical Mathematical Intelligence" award, but emphasizing to us that it's not the only area he's good in, but the best, to her knowledge.

Quite co-incidentally, that's what my elder brother observed and told me too during the few days we were together. He suggests to us that he has potential and it is a pity if he's not exposed to brain development courses to further develop him. I'm not quite sure, is there any reliable and good brain development centers actually?

Though didi is ok in the academics, I am pretty sure about that observing him since young too, but he's definitely not very in good in controlling his own emotions or behavior. In fact, I'm very concerned on this more than anything else, and there had been various suggestions like letting him release his energy into sports or other activities. My brother suggested that things too simple might be boring him, and thus making him restless. But he noticed that when he's exposed to something new or interesting, it can hold his attention and make him very eager to keep trying in perfecting some new skills or learn new things.

Nevertheless, he's still like a little baby, in need of attention and love. His teacher says that he would be jealous when the teachers showers another boy with more attention. And she noticed that he behaves better when he's given some "responsibilities" or "tasks", like being a teacher assistant, helping her to keep check on his classmates behavior. My brother relates to me that he seems to like it too when my sis in law chats with him and asks him questions without anyone else around. He suggests I should probably be spending one on one time with him everyday for about an hour or so, which is really not the first time I hear of. I think I ought to work on this harder. OK, next year's resolution.

Sometimes I feel I really have not enough time and energy for all 3 of them, but I think I could do try harder. Each of them has their own weaknesses and strengths, and equally deserves for attention and love. Just that every one of them needs to apply a different strategy and method, and I think I'm still using the try and error method, as it changes too in the different phases of growing up. But I'm not complaining.

Weekend homecoming

We went home for the weekend to meet up with my elder brother and his family. A nonstop chattering dinner with some relatives, an afternoon at the Camerons and another round of yumcha with the same group of relatives again summed up those few days.

But the smiles on both my parents', there were no words for it. Can see how so very happy they were. Though the days were hot and wet, it didn't dampen our moods, as we braved the wind and rain to overcome the winding and narrow road to the tea plantation, pick fat juicy strawberries to the children's delight, ate Tuck Kee fried noodles even though it was pouring. I enjoyed myself very much.

On the Monday early morning, 6am to be precise, I was awakened by dad's morning fix, and went along with him to walk up the pathroad on Kledang Hill. When we arrived, ours was only the 3rd car, quite a contrast to my expectation where I remembered last time we can't even find a good parking spot near the foothill. It was so dark and silent, it was freaking the hell out of me. But it would disappoint my dad too much to request him to turn back, so I had to keep telling myself 'ding tit lei, ding tit lei..."

My dad kept talking to me while my mind kept imagining gory situations. I kept flashing the torchlight around, and behind and hoping the sun would come up soon soon soon.. my! that was not what I expected to be. Because ah.. last last time, it is like a partay up at Kledang Hill, many people hiked up and down at those hours one.

Fortunately, nothing of my wild imaginations took place, and we came back down happily. More people were seen when we were descending and I could breathe a little easier. I can see my dad was very happy to have my company though. That really made my day.

And I felt really mm-seh-tuck to leave that afternoon. We had such a great easy time together, I just wish we could have these kind of gatherings more often.

Holidays and new year resolutions.

There were many tasks meant to be done yesterday morning sessi, like, go to wet market la, check out the new kindy somewhere nearer la, get some toys for my nephews and niece for this weekend la, and some others la... but in the end, the whole morning was spent in front of my pc, furiously hitting on the reload buttons on the AA website.

Ya, I wanted to get those free tickets too. My bro called me as I was about to be out of the house to the wet market, so instead of shopping for chicken and fish, I was shopping online for free tickets. But alas, I didn't get any good deals, so there goes my holiday break for next year.

But I did get some toys for my elder bro's kids. It's so damn hard to find what toys to get for them. For yo 10+ kids, I suppose they are not very interested in toys anymore liao. Furthermore, they have quite a good collection of toys themselves from their parents, relatives and friends. So, pening pening. I would not want to get them books though, as I always think books as gifts are so boring. Not from their gugu anyway. Oh yes, in the end I bought them toys. Don't care.

These days, I keep seeing holiday programs and holiday camps leaflets everywhere. It's the season to make money from us parents. The programs don't come cheap. It's almost like courses for adults. I am very eager to send them somewhere for the mornings so I can go for my yoga routine. But just can't find anything peang-leang-jeang. Until today, that is.

As I've mentioned, I wanted to check out a new kindy for meimei, somewhere nearer for both of us. Then fat-yin-ji-kan, I also got to know that the current kindy is opening up a new branch, also nearer to us. So, right now, in a dilemma. Either this new branch or a totally new school for her.

The school system and environment would be almost the same, but the teacher and the friends would also be new. My friend, Jessy, advised me it's not so advisable to change in her last kindy year, as she's so used to how things work around there. I'm also kinda freaking out for little meimei, imagining everything is totally new around. Then again, I think children do have a great ability in adapting to new environment. But that doesn't mean I decide on the new school yet. I just feel a little bit mm-seh-tuck as I've grown to love the school myself, after being such a loyal customer for all my 3 kids.

Ah, back to this holiday program, as I was enquiring with the principal of the new kindy, I asked her if there is any holiday program coming up over here. And she let me on with an arts and crafts workshop for 5 days, 3 hours a day in the morning. Just what I was looking for. But hang on! What's the price first? She told me it's RM120 per person. I just can't believe my ears! My mind quickly calculate the rate for per day, per hour... dem! this is affordable, alright! And I lalalum register all 3 of them. Happynya.... can go for 1 week yoga still during the holidays. Now, have to find other alternatives for the rest of the 3 weeks.

Heiz.. this year, there is NO, NIL, NOTHING in the holiday bags for us. Sien moe? I think we are too pampered, each year would sure go somewhere far for holiday, least criteria must be riding airplane one. This year, I think we can just go Genting and ride those little airplanes that go round and round. But consoling myself, ok la, the flu bug H1N1 is still out on the loose, stay at homebase la, good also.. (sour grape!)

Apart from making some changes in meimei's routine, I had been thinking about next year for didi and korkor too. Pondering if I should be back as the driver for the boys, since it would be double fees to get a driver to send them home. Those fees could be very well better used for their extra curricular activities like sports or their area of interests. Should I? Should I not? Heiz... dilemma, dilemma.

Then I'm also thinking if I should check out a new music center for them to attend class at the same hour. As I've been started on individual piano lessons at home for them just recently, I have this gutsy feeling that a group study learning is probably really better.

Meanwhile, this week had been pretty cool with our home tuitions. In fact, I'm also beginning to enjoy myself as well, being able to learn how to control my temper, seeing korkor a slight change in attitude, albeit slightly, seeing the kids getting the hang of home learning, instead of moesorsisi all the time or watching tv saje, seeing a mark improvement in my own teaching, being able to go progressively, systematically and orderly. (Now, this is NOT the kind of good essay writing format you should follow, korkor!)

And hey, how cool is that, korkor came home and told me he is advancing to another class next year on. From no.7 to no.5 class. Not bad, eh? (All from his own ability wor, not good meh?). Oh, there are 7 classes altogether, btw. (He was in the 7th class because he was transferred over from another school this year, well, not that I care if you think he's that char, but it's a sharing of information jek... dun mispaham.. *grin*)

But next year on, we are going to make him improved. Talking about this, my mom actually said that I didn't care on his schoolwork, as she sees it. I wanted to say, "Ma, last time you also didn't care also wor". But of course, I didn't say that. Ya, it's true. I do think Primary 3 jer mah, need to be so worried on his studies meh? Last time I only seriously started to "flip the books 1 day before exam" when I was Std 4 and my position jumped from 30+ to 10+. Of course, I'm not saying I'm doing very well now. But at least I'm not dead. Meaning to say, char at school also doesn't mean need to die lor.. (smelling sourish grape again)

It's time for some serious studying.

Korkor's exam results are back and sad to say, it's not very good. *tau tap tap*

Don't misunderstand. I don't have high expectation from him. I always tell myself, as long as he doesn't fail in any subjects, it's fine for me, better still, more than 80 marks. Or even more than 90, why not, huh?

Then, when he came home and showed me his BM paper, only 60 and 58 in 2 papers, jeez.. that's not so good, kan? Like it's dangling on the dangerous fence between FAIL and PASS. And instead of scolding and whacking him, I felt awfully guilty myself for not assisting him in this VERY difficult subject. Tuitions?? Nooo... I'm a child-friendly person (read: kiamsiap!), I don't like to see kids who are already spending half the day at school and the other half buried in school books.

I remember I spent my childhood half the day in school, the other half playing with my cousins and the kampung kids around my granny's neighborhood. My brothers and I never had tuitions until we were in secondary schools, like Form 5 or 6. We were so happy.

But then again, how many kids are sent to tuitions those days? I suppose with the standard hovering around the same, we had no problem catching up and facing those exams. These days, I guess most of the kids go to tuitions somehow or rather, like facing their STPM paper, or, I can understand, parents working and can't help sending them to tuition cum daycare centers. That solves their headache to check their homework or catching up with the syllable.

But me being a full time mom and an educated person myself *clears throat*, I am sure I can guide him, except for mandarin. The last test he had, I promised myself to really "bersungguh-sungguh menjadi guru tiushen". But I didn't.

This time, I really need to. Still not late for that, right? Else, he really would be struggling in this subject even more, just like the time I did when I was at his age.

Thus, I went to the bookstore that very next day, and bought a big pile of books, consisting of BM, English, Science and Maths for both korkor and didi.

And this holiday, there would be a time everyday for the books and exercises to do. I'm throwing in some lessons or two in learning Art as well. "You can draw meh?" I heard you ask. Well, not bad gah.. (who cares!) I'm sure I can do it. I promise I will. I can... I will... can... will... can... can.........

The soft hearted side of korkor

My eldest son seems to be a big bully at times, barking at his little siblings when they kacau him, or complaining when they cari gaduh or when meimei fought with him for her favorite channel when he most wanted to watch his favorite show.

But there are times he showed the soft side of him and those moments gave me a very warm fuzzy feeling. And before I forget what they were, I would put it down for them to remember how nice a brother he is when the siblings were in hot soup.

1. I think the bestest warmest fuzzy feeling he gave me was when he was about 6 months old. He was a very difficult baby, always crying, before he goes to sleep, after he wakes up etc. My hub and I took turns to rock him to sleep all the time, carefully putting him down on the bed after really sure he was in deep deep slumber.

Then came the time, I was pregnant, but was told that the fetus didn't have a heartbeat on my 2nd visit. I was so heartbroken, but hub still need to go back to work in that afternoon and I was left alone with my bb at home, fending my own sadness my own self. He was very tired then, and he would be taking his afternoon nap. Usually I would need to "tham" him to go to sleep, but that time, we both lied on the bed, I was crying, he was looking at me with sympathetic eyes and dozed off to sleep without any fuss. And I thought what he did, though might be unconsciously, was so warm.

2. Fast forward to a few years later when didi is here. Didi was just about 2-3yo and we were making the move back home after being abroad for few years. I was very busy with the house hunting and renovations of our new home, at some times, I had to ask for the favor of a friend's mom to help me keep an eye on them for a few hours. There was this time, she was trying to soothe didi's cries and said nonchalantly "I'll ask the police to come and take you away hoh, if you don't stop crying". The korkor totally freaked out, and he cried himself, begging her not to ask the police to take him away..

3. Last year, during my birthday's at the hotel, we were walking to our car at the carpark basement. It was quiet and there didn't seem to be any cars around, so I didn't hold meimei's hand as would be usually, but still alert of any incoming cars' sound, and making sure she's close to me. When I turned round, I saw korkor holding her hand to ensure she's ok, which was a pretty nice sight. That is because he normally feel shy to hold her hand when I told him to. Aww... that was really quite a sweet thing to do, without me asking him to.

4. Not so long ago, I was punishing meimei for she didn't want to do her homework, and I suppose because I rarely punish her, the boys felt sorry for her. She cried like so "yuen-wong" and kernian-ly, that after awhile, I saw korkor handed her a cup of water (again, without me prompting!) like telling her to "drink this water, stop your crying laa, else mommy would be crazeeeee again laaa...."

5. Yesterday night hoh, this time didi kena punished. For spoiling suk-suk's swinging kitchen door by pushing it too hard. Actually, everyone was saying how naughty he is by breaking people's things one after another, but really, I don't think that was considered naughty laa.. It was not something to be encouraged, but he was just being too active without realizing how fragile things could be. Not like he purposely go and swing it too hard to break it, right? Anywayz...

Papa wanted to cane him, so we were all in the room, and he asked him how many canes he wanted and where he wants to be caned. Of course, didi said no and begged for leniency. I was there to see how things progress. Then papa has the smart idea to say "ok, 4 canes from each of us, and we decide where to cane you!". So, starting with meimei, she was so eager and happy to be the enforcement officer, she even happily shouted "pet pet"! And smack! 1 cane on the pet-pet for him.

Came to korkor.. what do you know! He at first seemed uneasy to be holding the cane, then papa told him to cane anywhere la, he fiddled for awhile, then passed the cane to me and said "nah.. I let mommy cane twice la". In my heart, I think he just can't do it for he really do love his little brother. You tell me, isn't that just soft-hearted he was?

But that little meimei ah... she was so happy to be doing that task on behalf of korkor! And even smack him on the pet-pet with a big grin on her face! (Jeez! I wonder he would have his revenge on her later anot, reading this anecdote from me here?)

So, my eldest son, though sometimes he makes me really frust, remembering these little details reminds me he's actually a very nice and soft hearted kid inside. I love him!

Trick or treat? treat la, of coz, come, stimbot...

We had a "trick or treat" party here at my home on Saturday. "Trick or treat" as in "halloween", as in "shucks! I don't even celebrate Halloween"

What am I crapping here?

The little party we had was planned much earlier, without even knowing it's Halloween season around. I was just thinking of a chit-chat sessi with my girlfriends while steaming over a steaming-boat. That would be so "hot".

Some boys came in trying to scare me and make me piss in my pants...

Of course, they look so darn funny and cute, I was controlling my laughter and trying to "act" scared shit.

We bought all those stuffs and get the soup cooked after breakfast, after hubby came home from his business trip for a week. Boy! It seemed so long he was away.


The guests arrived one by one and we "started fire" around 7.30. I guess everyone ate a hearty dinner that night, we had clams, crabs, thinly sliced pork, among the other usual stuffs. The women just enjoyed yak and yak and yak..

I won't mind doing this another time, it's nice, I love it. But, can someone take the kids away and engage them in some games, leaving us to make the noise ourselves? Kids! They are soooo noisy. *hugs them all*