Accident spill early early morning.

On the last day of school before it breaks for CNY, there was quite an accident spill of black ink from korkor's tote for the short lessons day. It was already time to be out from our house, and the ink was dripped all over the place! The more we wipe it off, the more it spreads out and make the place messy. I couldn't bring myself to leave the mess and home like that to be cleaned up after dropping the kids off so we scurried and hurried to clean the place. I was major stressed, the bag, the books, the pencil box... it was disastrous!

Anyhow, we managed to get the cleaning up done quite fast and be in school before ... I don't know! What I do know is we are not the ones to be the last walking into the school. I really wonder, when does the last student arrive everyday at school actually? Cos it does seems that however late we are, there surely ARE some others who are later than us!

Korkor puts on a very sorry face, and remarkably, I didn't scold at him AT ALL! Though I did, admittedly, complained and whined and groaned while cleaning up, I didn't have the heart to scold him, as it was an accident. I just told him to take it as a lesson and always, Always, put the jar in black ink in a plastic bag. Hopefully he remembers that.

That was a major leap for me too in self controlling my temper.

the day i cried.

It's like releasing all the hurt I felt in the heart. so painful.

And then, as I've stopped, I needed to look for distractions for my weary self and started looking at my phone book to see who I can call. But hell, there's really noone to talk to at that point of time. Not advisable as well, as I might just break down and cry over the phone making the one on the other end feeling lost and awkward. It felt just so lonely. Furthermore, I don't think anyone likes to hear the same old boring story over and over again, like "oh well, did we already hear this before??", are there?

case in point, point in case, I am so defeated and deflated. And it seems when I'm at the pit bottom, even the kids want to bully me too and shove me another hurtful kick of theirs. Not good for mother-children relationship. Even the washing machine is turning its back on me!

Little Miss Chatterbox.

The other day, meimei came home and told me that her teacher changed her seat. I asked her if she had been naughty and she immediately put on her defense mode and yelled NO! She added convincingly that the same happened to some other children. Well, ok, not that it matters much.

When she brought up this subject again, I asked her if A and B changed seats too and she said no. I wondered why. After much coaxing, she finally admitted sheepishly that she was too chatty till the teacher had to change her seat! But yet, she still made it a point that she's NOT the only one.

Finally when A and B were made to change their seats, she came back and jubilantly reported to me about it. This girl! Sometimes I feel very frustrated with her that she's more sharp-tongued than her brothers and certainly more rebellious too. And now she's also the chatterbox in the class! Hope this won't turn into a big issue, man! I have enough in my hands now.

CNY just a week away??

For some unknown reason *twilight zone mujik in the background*, I don't have any mood for CNY. AT ALL!!! And whaddaya know, it's only about a week away!

What do the chinese folks need to do in preparation for CNY? Let's see...spring cleaning? junk clearing? stock up on food? decor up the home? stock up jars of cookies? make junk food for entertaining guests? sew new year clothes? prepare for reunion dinner and the meals thereafter? and for those who pray, clean up the altar? WOW! That's a LOT of work there! *stress*

For me, since every year the home is left vacant for balik kampung, I don't do junk clearing, spring cleaning or decorating it up for the festive season. After the week off, the whole home would be dusty anyway! And decors for whom to see? The junks in the stores are always making me sick and hub wouldn't want to throw away ANYTHING, probably he would just shift some stuffs from location A to location B, so what's the point?

Food? Oh, there would be abundant of food when we get home, so don't bother. *grin*

Year in, year out, we'll just get some stuffs as gifts when we visit our relatives, and get new angpows and new notes. This year, we still YET to shop for even these minor stuffs! Well, there are some new year clothes, for the kids. I have a couple of them while the hub have NONE! Haha!! poor guy!

The school will be shutting down way too early before the Year30thnight's reunion dinner. And I'm wondering what the fart we go home so early for! I DON'T WANT TO DO ANYTHING FOR PRE-CNY! *bawls*

Every year, I had been able to "sim" after our wedding. The first year had been a pregnant year, then after that, yearly I would be busy taking care of the kiddo, then pregnant again and yet again and even busier running around chasing after them. 10 years I had been excused conveniently to help with WORK! Last few years, the excuse was kids' schooling! What the heck, this year there would be no more excuses! Can someone help me quick?? Think of one for me!

In any case, even though I'm not in the mood, here's wishing you all happy chinese new year and may the year of the rabbit brings you good luck, good cheer and good fortune.

Karaoke in the car

It was a rare occasion that day I was driving in the car with the kids, fetching them to their various classes, I forgot what now. We were all listening to the song "forget me" and go oh-oh-oh and shhh.... and why, why, why (in rising pitch) together, laughing silly to ourselves.

Car ride like that is much bearable that way instead of the usual bickering, shouting, kicking and monkeying around. I always tell them it's very inconsiderate for them to make noise at the back of the car, in that enclosed little space which is cramping all of us in, creating stress to the driver who's already very stressful chauffering them around, avoiding an accident, careful of cars in front, coming from sides and at the back, changing traffic lights, reckless motorists, king-of-the-road pedestrians, stray dogs and birds and bees...

And that would usually shut them up. Not all the time, but that one time.

So when that doesn't work anymore, I will play the "forget me" song and we'll go oh-oh-oh again...

Bukit Merah and Lost World of Tambun

When we returned from Taipei, we drove back to our parents' home in Ipoh to collect the kids. As promised, we took them to Bkt Merah for a night's stay. My good friend, CK and his family were already checked in for the night before and waiting for us.

When we arrived and dumped our bags into the room, we were whisked to a coloring competition. I mean, the kids. They were not very willing and happy to be doing coloring when all they wanted was the water theme park. Anyhow, we forced them to. oops!

Some kids were really pro, fully equipped with crayons and desks. The rest are given a box of 12 color pencils. Among the 6 of us, 2 were chosen to be consolation prize winners and given 50bucks each to be deposited into their very own account which is to be opened at that time with that particular bank. And all of us haven't heard of that bank before.
The jetty to Orang Utan Island. It was a very very long wait for the boat. Roughly 1 hour, I think.


And whilst waiting, the kids all joined their heads together to discuss something REALLY important!!!

Hi~ goolypop! ~ Careful on that rope now, mun...

After visiting the island of Orang Utan, we came back to shore and on to EcoPark. There was an animal show just about started and all of us hurried over. It was similar to the one we watched in Bird Park to me.

The EcoPark is pretty cool, I would say. Saw some mighty huge crocodiles which didi is afraid to go near to even though it was dozing away and locked up well in a cage. The pythons and fat long snakes are the ones which send shivers down my spine. yikes! Don't like.

Then we moved on to the free chairlift ride that comes along with the package we bought. It goes above and across the water theme park, giving us an aerial overview of it.

Didi was very excited and happy!

Silhouette of my dad and korkor up in the air.

That's something we haven't seen before in Sunway Lagoon and Bkt Gambang.

The kids were very unhappy that we skipped the water theme park and were getting notorious. We promised yet again that we would take them to a more happening one in Ipoh the next day. Tried to pacify them with the hotel's pool which was soooo crowded with people! The water was chilling cold but nevertheless the kids still enjoyed themselves... I think.

Went on to Taiping for dinner after that.

The next day we woke up early to depart to Ipoh and called their grandparents for breakfast together. After a hearty breakfast i Ipoh Gdn, we excitedly made our way to the Lost World of Tambun.

And yet again, it was people mountain people see! Too crowded, too crowded!

We bought the tickets, smuggled some food in, settled our stuffs in a locker and went over to find a spot to put our other stuffs. The kids were getting very restless whilst we were walking around doing all that before making the dash to the pool and then I gave them the green light for them to do so BEFORE I remembered to smoother sunscreen lotion all over their body and limps.

They were all wet when I finally put the lotion on myself.

It was an extremely HOT day!

After sometime at the wave pool, (where the waves are so UNexciting), we took the kids to check out other places.


The hot springs is SO COOL! Well, maybe cool is not quite appropriate the description. Albeit a little weird under the hot weather spell, but nevertheless, still GOOD! We all loved the hot tubs and hot reflexology for our feet and agreed this is an attraction of Lost World which is not available in other water theme parks, certainly differentiating it from the rest.

Then we went on to the thrill rides, while hub's dad, who followed us along though he didn't go into the water, directed us where to go next and where to wait etc. Like a tour guide.

At the queue waiting for the rides, we need to leave our 8-shaped floats aside as it's not allowed in. We expect noone would be so rude to just take them away. While Q-ing for the 2nd time, didi and hub went on to check out other places and the floats were missing when we came down from the slides.

All of us were so mad with that bugger and CK went off to look for them while the rest of us stayed around just to keep a lookout for those floats and hoping it will be returned to that spot.

Suddenly I saw didi standing in front of me, I was surprised. Looked up and around searching for his dad and he was nowhere to be seen! So I asked where his dad went and what happened. He looked forlorn and lost and worried slightly, and didn't answer me. Guessing he might be scared I would scold him I told him it's ok and gave him a hug and that I won't scold him.

He then told me he couldn't find papa after he went over to another spot to play. I was so grateful that he knew the way back in search for me and that THAT missing float incident was really a blessing in disguise after all! Had to thank that bugger! And then, miraculously, the floats were also back in that same spot where we left them! We all went back to our 'camp' happily and munched on our snacks. mmm... so yummy!

Hub came back after a long while and I admonished him for being so careless. It was a huge place after all and didi could be wandering around on his own if we left that spot earlier. It's not a familiar place to him and I'm sure I would freak out major if I find him missing, by himself!

Anyway, all was good, and we were happy campers. I did not want that to spoil our day which was going on pretty well. And I thanked the angel who was looking after didi. I'm sure there is one.

A few hours later, dipped in the water under the hot weather, we moved on to the "dry" park.

Didi showing you the map of Lost World Tambun

Surrounding the pools and slides, I found out there are other attractions apart from them.

Tigers, boating, petting zoo and a very nice view of a pond with the backdrop of limestone cave. I was mighty surprised and delighted to find that awesome place. It looked so surreal and like an untouched natural beau. I think everyone should visit that place at least once, support local tourist attraction!

House of snakes. You would be able to see snakes above you. Not for the faint hearted.

And that was our last league of the 2010 year end school holidays. Had a nice dinner with family and headed on straight back to KL at 9pm. Hub was AWFUL sleepy driving that journey home. Fortunately we arrived home safe and sound, in 1 piece.

Crisis

I suppose, in this life's current stage I'm in, issues could range from money to infidelity to health problems. I suppose I should be glad I'm not dealing with the latter two. This year have to tighten belts, I think. And making an effort so stay-at-home would be fun.

That first day I met him.

It should be in May 1994.

He walked in the QA room and I was standing at the opposite end of the room, turning round to observe him while he shook hands with his colleagues after coming back from a business trip to the US of A.

He was short and chubby and cute. Cute as in having a babyface look, not that kind of HAWT cute. Just the way his colleagues described him, the youngest and cutest engineer in Motorola Penang. Not as cute as I thought though, but well, yeah, passable cute.

And that was the very first time I met my hub.

Songs in a CD

I'm at a phase of making my own CD for my favorite songs to play in the car or stereo in my room when I feel blue.

From taio cruz to rihanna to colbie cailat to BEP to air supply to carpenters to kenny rogers to barbra streisand to janice wei lan to jay chou to emil chau....

Any recommendations? Drop a note. I like to revive the memories of the chinese songs I listened to in the 91 to 95, while I was in USM but I do not know the song titles.. shiats!

Movies movies and more movies

I admit, to say that last week I had been off the screen to spend quality time with the hub in the evenings, was not totally true. That's cos he was away in a business trip and wasn't at home.

So what did I do after I tucked the children to bed at 9? Well, I had been watching movies. A number of them, in fact!

1. Devil (that one was with hub over the weekend. Everytime I go into a lift now, I freak out a little! OMG!)

2. Going the distance and had a fuzzy nice feeling with the usual nice endings love story.

3. The Other Guys, and had a good laugh watching it myself. But hub couldn't get the jokes!

4. Inception (that was last night and I dreamed about being in one!)

And over the weekend, we had 2 movies in 1 day! Tron Legacy and Little Fockers, FOC! Nice! I wanna watch Tourist, mainly the sexy Angeline, before it ends. Who want to accompany me? Only for morning shows when the kids at school, ok?

Developing a new routine for 2011

Last week had been a very fruitful week for me - I stayed off my pc for almost the whole week!

That was quite something, considering I spent a good amount of time in front of the screen, and I had been hearing comments that I had been very active online. I guess it made me feel insulted a bit, like I'm so free liddat??!!

OK, so it wasn't more of the insult but the guilt in me that I ought to be spending more time, more QUALITY time with the kids, and also with the hubs when he comes home from work in the evenings. So that was roughly a rough resolution for me to change my online behavior.

Now that we are starting the new year, I am hoping to make it good, and working on developing a new routine for the kids and myself.

The traffic to school is still somewhat not quite settled yet. If we make it out of the door at 7, we would be stuck on the road for around 30m to 1 hour, that's worst case scenario when it rains! Gosh! This new year really started off with lots of rain, didn't it?

So, we try to rush out off the house before 6.50am and it would be ok. I would be back home at 7.30 and honestly, speaking, I'm suddenly overwhelmed with so much free time for myself! In fact, so much that I do not know what to do first! And I don't even need to cook lunch as well since I ordered food catering from the canteen for them while they wait for me and for the traffic to disperse after dismissal.

It feels nice to be eating out by myself for the past 1 week, I can suddenly indulge in the local fare again, eating what I like to eat! Boy! I think I'm sick of my own cooking too! Then again, judging from the rate I'm eating, I would be gaining weight than losing them! Not a very good piece of news for me.

When they are home, first thing to do is for them to have a nice clean shower, smelling clean and fresh. Then, maybe some TV time, and by 3 or 3.30, I would remind them that they need to do homework. First week of school, do they have homework already? Not for meimei, but the 2 boys had them at the later part of the week.

When they are done, I would tutor them in their BM a bit, trying very hard to develop this habit of at least an hour a day to inject some BM new words into their heads, so we need not panic when exams are near. In fact, the exams are scheduled in Mar! Why? Why? Why?

But I figured today that they are very very tired and exhausted by that time and almost nothing, NOTHING goes in! So, we have to do some adjusting to the schedule.

Let's try and slot in a short nap after their shower and see how things go. I actually cut that short nap away because I feel it's much better for them to sleep before 9 and wake up refreshed and sharp minded during the morning at school. It gonna need a lot of balancing work...

1. sleep from 9 to 6, sharp in the morning and exhausted after school or...
2. sleep from 10.30 to 6, blur in school, naptime after and fresh for revisions at home?

Ideally, I would want the former, and just let them laze around at home doing nothing after school or just play! or just read story books. Or just watch TV. Or do some exercise. *eyes closed in dreamland*

But with the pressure that everyone else are moving so far ahead, unless I don't really mind that they slack in their studies and slip way way down the hill, I think it's not so possible at the moment. Have to guide them in their work so they would be maintaining their average positions, if not better. At least they don't have to rush here and there for tuition all day.

Last year's Taipei stint

As we had visited the few nice places in Taipei before, we didn't have the interest to revisit them during the recent trip.

To name a few favorite places I would recommend anyone visiting Taipei are:

1. Hualien Taroko National Park. Though the journey is longer, it's totally worth it. I had been there twice but I think the more memorable one was the first one we had with JM. We were blown away with the beauty of the scenic gorge.

2. Yehliu. Natural rock formations. Been there twice or thrice too, can't remember. Uniquely different and awesome.

3. Chiufen.

4. Yangmingsan.

5. Tanshui.

I have a few favorite food I absolutely love too, but not the street fare type. I just can't find the appetite for them, not 10 years ago, and not last year too.

The last trip, hubs asked me what I wanted to eat to revisit those taste buds. I gave it a long thought, and listed a few things I wished for. Bubble milk tea, which can be obtained anywhere at all, yien-shu-ji (a type of fried chicken bites stirfried with dried chilli), ting kwa kwa fried chicken drumstick, salty pepper prawn, and, I can't remember now.

In the end, I had a cup of bubble milk tea each day, had yien-shu-ji and ting kwa kwa, but not the salty pepper prawn, which is a bit hard to find.

We went to Shihlin night market on our first night for dinner and shopping. Can't find anything much to loot home, as comparatively I think things are rather pricey there.


The highlight for me was visiting Taipei International Flora Expo, while the hubs was away visiting his client. I arrived after 3pm and paid for the reduced entrance fee of NT200 from 300. It was so crowded with people. I didn't really survey before what the highlights of the Expo and just went in, playing by ear.

Saw a long Q to an exhibition hall, and I was told it would be roughly 30 mins wait to come to its entrance. Thought it would be rather silly to waste 30 precious mins waiting in a Q line, especially in the very nice chilly weather to be enjoying the outdoors, smelling the flowers.

So I took a long big walk around 1 of the 4 BIG areas. The Expo took up an area so big that there are 5 entrances and shuttle buses ferrying visitors between the areas.

Nevertheless, it was a HUGE garden with lots of different variety colorful flowers to admire. I felt so happy and contented. But I wanted to cover as much as 2 areas as possible, so I had to walk rather briskly, not really stopping to enjoy each and every display in detail. More like touch n go.

It was a very fruitful time for me indeed, and by the time I made a big loop from where I began, I saw the line to the first exhibition hall had disappeared! Everyone were at the Q in another hall instead, where bright lights and lasers were the highlight.

I went into that first hall, and there were displays of competitors for flower arrangement and theme settings. What an eye opener indeed! Every display and artwork is just breathtakingly beautiful.

It was evening by then and hubs SMS-ed me to get my ass back to the hotel room to have dinner with him.

Dinner was at Taipei 101. A free shuttle bus took us from the nearest MTR station, driven by a skinny dressed Santa Claus. The whole bus was decorated elaborately to give a vibrant lively Xmas feel, and it worked! I felt so thrilled riding in it! Definitely raised the mood up 1 notch higher!


Went on the Maokong Gondola, and as you can see from the picture above, a few of the gondolas have glass as the base where you can see the view below. The fare is the same as normal gondolas, but the Q for the ride up is roughly 30 mins, as these gondolas are few. We took a normal one up and this one down, for there wasn't a need to wait for that on the return journey. But to cater to the demands, we need to ride in 5 in each car, so there wasn't much privacy. As you can see, there were the legs of a couple in the pic.

Maokong has not much to offer to tourists, but we could have seen more venturing on the few hiking trails available, if given more time. As we were rushing off to Tanshui to meet a friend of hubs, we just walked a bit on the top of the hill and came back down not long after.

In Tanshui, the friend dropped us off at a hot springs center while she continued on her work at her office nearby. This centers are so convenient for people to sneak out quietly for a rendezvous, paying at the guard post, and driving straight in to a garage which is opened when paid. After parking in the garage, we just need to press for the button to lower down the shutters and walk up the stairs to the room which is fully equipped with four poster bed, large plasma TV, adjacent restroom with a big jacuzzi for hot springs like above and ... movies to "arouse" the senses!! What a romantic and sexciting room. Some rooms are equipped with karaoke units too, if you so wished. 3 hours in this room costs something like NT3000. Our friend paid for our un-romantic time, since we are already "loe fu loe chai" *sigh*

And that was how our Taipei 4d/3n itinerary looked like. Not much going on, but it was, as my blog title aptly put, simple yet sweet.

If there's ever a next time visiting Taiwan, I think I would want to go for the famous sunrise at Alishan and the few cities apart Taipei. Then again, I don't think there would be a next time for a long long time.

How the first day of school went.

On the last day of school holidays, we took the kids to Gold Coast... Morib Resort, which deserved to be a post on its own. Then again, there wasn't much to tell other than a tutorial on flying a kite in the vast beach.

After spending a whole afternoon with a nice breezy cloudy weather, didi and meimei slept in the car on the way home which journey took almost a whole hour and slightly more.

And that was why these two couldn't sleep until pretty late, though I got them to bed by 9.

I myself was so exhausted that I knocked off at 11, thereafter awoke with a bad tummyache at 2am and had to hurry to the loo. Went back to sleep again pretty soon but again, had the urge at 5+, which was about the time to wake the kids up anyway.

The morning was smooth sailing, traffic was expectedly chaotic, but I would say, it's not as bad as last year, same time, same occasion. Meimei was rather upbeat for her first day of school, smiling and yakking away. The other 2 boys were entirely the opposites. Being in the traffic snarl slowly inching to the school for 2km or so, I was getting a bit impatient too.

As usual, I would just relax listening to Hitz FM, but meimei was really interrupting the whole works! It gets much annoying to one point, so I told her to sit quietly for awhile. Then again, I felt bad for attempting to spoil her upbeat mood. *pout*

Finally reached the school after 45 mins, which would have taken 5 mins under no traffic condition (just for a comparison), and dropped the kids off at school's backside. I was thinking of just driving home straight but then I saw that I could park the car at the roadside somehow. Seeing noone around to tell me no cars were allowed there, I parked, got down hurriedly and went to check on the little girl.

When I got to her classroom, she was standing outside, trying to figure out her next step for the rest of the Pri 1 were already in the school hall. I should have just peeped and see what she would do, but I just impromptu showed up and smiled, took her hand to lead her to where her gang was.

All the parents later were shoo-ed out from the school hall, and seeing no point staying around anymore, I went on home to enjoy my peaceful morning finally.

Fast forward to near school dismissal time, I went earlier to beat the crowd. Of course there was already a crowd, but there was still ample parking space. Went in and met a few parents, chatted while we wait together. The sky was turning dark and soon, it was pouring!

I had no umbrellas with me so I thought might as well, let the kids just eat their lunches at the canteen while we wait for the rain to subside. Meimei's ballet friend's mom was around too and I suggested to her that she wait for me with the kids at the basement carpark while I take my car and then I would drive her and her kid to her car which was parked much further away. She was so happy that she agreed immediately, cos I think she too felt uncomfortable walking in the rain with her dotter in the wet narrow road full with cars.

When I went to take my car, bugger, I was so ripped off! A malay guy was standing at the parking entrance, collecting so to say, carpark fees! THREE bucks!!! I was so so blardy pissed. First, there's no signboard saying we have to pay, which if there is, I would NOT have parked there. Then, it's blardy hell 3 bucks!!!! What is that? Daylight extortion!!!

But it was raining, and the cars were moving slow and I was afraid of him! So, I paid ever so unwillingly and cursed like mad. Cursed at the land owner, if it's real, or cursed at that malay guy, who might just be a hoax and grab the opportunity to make some real easy money.

Anyway, I told myself, no way I'm going to park in there again, unless it's confirmed that it's FREE and I just treat it as a sedekah for a beggar! May him drown in pee if he's really a hoax!

Traffic was mad crazy, as the Q was still so long even after 1 hour after dismissal time. I could imagine the frustrations. What a first day of school for parents! Totally not fun at all dealing with a rainy weather. To the kids, they are still sulking holiday time is over!

1.1.11 comes once in our lifetime

My blog has seen through a few HNYs now, and I was looking through my archives reminiscing what went in my head those few times. Not much, I would say. Most notably the kids are getting bigger and I'm getting older. Life's still simple, yet so sweet.

It's good to read back on some old posts, revisit those old memories and remember how joyful my life is so far. Thanking my lucky stars.