Bummer!

I wrote a good post earlier but it failed to be published and wasn't saved either. too bad....

*walk back to cave*

Home is 6 years old.

I'm relieved we have bought a new second hand washing machine which replaced the old one. The spoilt one was here since the day we moved in, left behind by the previous owner. Not sure how long it had been used before us. At least it served us for these past 6 years.

Then again, with the old age this home is, everything else seems to be falling apart. The bathroom door in our master bedroom can't be closed, the walls on the side of the doors to our rooms have cracks, the skirting has some parts falling out, the kitchen cabinets are old and worn, the aircons don't quite produce cool air, the curtain railings dangling, wardrobe door has been ripped apart by didi years ago, paints on the walls are stained, main door can't open properly, dining chairs becoming rocking chairs, dining table visibly tortured, plants dying, microwave oven san san dei, pressure cooker also san san dei, clothes hanger has some loose screws, some electrical points switches can't be turned off, and to add on to this already long list, last saturday evening, the water tap in the laundry area burst open and flooded the whole area! We are so screwed.

With this long list of repairs that need to be done one day, I think we got to move out to get it all done. In the interim, IF we do move home, we can finally sort out the junk that had been accumulating in the store rooms. Out goes the junk, not to the new home, please. IF we do move to a new home. Can't wait for that to happen though. A new breath of air would do us some good, I do hope.

Their favorite subjects in school.

When school started, I learned that the syllabus for the pri 1 students has changed from this year and all the books are different from past year. That meant the books which I had bought for didi, are all non relevant to meimei anymore. What a bummer! I was thinking of saving some money finally by passing some books from one to the other.

Looking at the progress of schooling for meimei, I think she really has it easy. Not that I'm complaining. Whatever it is, I am glad that the BM seems not to be as tough as before. They are learning from the basics, expanding their vocab in everything around them. It does seem more like kindy stuffs, but I'm happy! Really, BM should be taught in a more structured way than before, rather than just expecting the kids to know how to make a sentence or understand a whole paragraph. Or probably I'm just lazy.

Comparatively, (not that I intended to compare), meimei seems to have more affinity to BM and Maths rather than Chinese whilst didi's subjects are Mandarin and Maths. Korkor's favorite subject, no doubt has always been science. He would be the geek.

How old are you?

Meimei developed a knack of asking everyone around her how old they are. It was harmless initially, but when it gets too overboard, it began to irks them and me.

My mom was around for the last few days, and whilst in the car, she asked her how old she is (for the uncountable times we know of). So both of us just ignored her and pretended we didn't hear her. She then started to answer her question herself with another question, like "51?"

Wanting to just quickly shut her up and changed the subject, I replied "yeah, you are right!".

She then pondered for awhile and said "Can't be!". I asked why? She said "You are coming to 40 already mah.. how can y-poh be 51? It's too close!"

I was taken aback and humored that she has that notion. And I wondered if she knew why she can't be 51 if I'm turning 40. I tried to probe her further but she can't give me the answer.

Very much a logic person she is. But of course, she couldn't yet tell that y-poh would have been 11 when she gave birth to me. The boys wouldn't have had the same conversation at that age. They would just probably accept it, and as history shown, they weren't quite interested in this topic anyway.

Doing exactly what I said not to do.

I went to bed at around midnight on Sat night after a great night's out alone with 2 hottie mamas, while hub watched the last episode of his addictive tvb series. I was furious he woke me up at 3am when he climbed into bed finally.

On Sunday, he was, naturally very tired and slept in till very late. The kids went very hungry till we were up and about to have our brunch at 11+. The afternoon was spent mostly at home after that while the hub just snoozed away on his comfortable bed. By the late afternoon, the kids were nagging non stop for a swim downstairs and I told them to get their dad off the bed to take them down while I prepare dinner.

He finally was dragged out from the bed, and was very cranky and irritated. Barked at didi for his sloppy done homework and demanded that he does the corrections there and then before getting down. That made didi crying his eyes out, as he had been very very patiently waiting for the time to go to swim.

I ordered the hub to just take them down, pointless to be telling him to rework his homework when he ought to have done it during his naptimes. And I reprimanded him for staying up so late every night, going beyond control more and more, and taking it out at the kids for his tiredness, when he should be spending more quality time with them instead.

Dinner served and done, we spent some time reading a couple of library books and off they went to bed.

The same night, I turned on the movies, after days letting hub have the TV all to himself.

127 hours, a whole movie made on just an ordeal a hiker had to go through while he was trapped alone in a canyon. Pretty boring in the beginning, but later on, it was quite a good watch, I would say. Though very gross too.

As it ended before midnight, I turned to another one, intending to watch a bit before calling it a night, and in the end, I cried my eyes out all the way till the end, climbing into bed at 2am. I have to eat my own words! Damn!

Have you watched "Aftershock"? It was so so so so sad. I think the best tearjerker I ever watched!

Knowing her classmates is not so fun.

What is it with girls demanding everyone of her family members to know all her friends in her class? Or is it just mine?

Last year, she would come up with this crazy quiz whenever we were in the car and asked questions like "OK, who can tell me the names of my friends that start with letter A" If didi shouts it out, then she'll say, "You are CORRECT! You get 1 point!". This gets to a stage where it was very irritating and annoying the heaven out of korkor and he would purposefully NOT answer her. When that happens, she would demand and demand till they succumb to her own personal delight.

This year, in fact, it's today, that I am "tested" by her with the names of her classmates, again! (sort of). She told me the names of the girl and boy who starts the Q everyday outside their class and it goes on till... I don't know! And she demands that I remember them all! Today she tested me, that little bugger! And I'm supposed to answer her all correctly! I told her mommy's getting old and don't have a good memory anymore and she would sarcastically imply I'm suffering from Alzheimer. Surely she didn't use that word, but it sure hurts!

Maybe next time I ask her to write the names down instead. Sigh... the torture I'm getting from her at this young age already!

1 reason why it didn't work out.

One of the reasons I broke up with my ex-boypren in uni time, I told him, was that I always at the losing end when in an argument with him, coz we converse in Mandarin! Can you imagine? Me? Saying wo-ai-ni when I actually wanted to say 'get lost'? It was a lousy excuse for breaking up, I know.

Didi's 8th birthday

I had almost forgot to jot down our birthday celebration for didi we had for this year. What a bummer.

He turned 8 just before we went back to hometown for CNY. On that day itself, he was a happy little boy, joyfully telling his teacher of his birthday and everyone in class sang a birthday song to him. He beamed in delight with sparkling eyes when he told me. So cute.

The day was rather busy with those tuition classes the kids have till 9+, as such we didn't get to eat out at a place of his choice. I bought a cake for him and we sang for him that night when papa came home.

The next day we were back in Ipoh and I promised him we'll get a bike as his bday gift. I still yet to deliver that promise. Not good, not good. I'll get that done for him by this week.

Last Sun night, when we were done with groceries in the evening, we would have gone somewhere simple to have our dinner when didi said he wanted to eat at Chillis. Papa said let's go, since we promised him we would take him somewhere of his choice. And THAT was the dinner hub told me to "treat" as Valentine's celebration as well!

Happy 8th birthday, my little honey.

CNY happening at KL

Last Saturday, we had a full day. Hub went off for a meeting with a visitor from B'desh with his colleagues, whilst I took the kids later for their classes. At 5pm, we dropped by at one of my old friend's home when I realized the rest of the gang already left. yikes!

After a short while, we headed straight to hub's colleague's home where they were having a community dinner with Ong Tee Keat as guest of honour. It was partly potluck and catered. We had more than enough food on our table. That followed by firecrackers and fireworks litting up the beautiful cool crispy night.

The kids had a wild time playing with fireworks and I don't know what else, coz the adults were busy at the 21 cards' table, drinking and talking cock away. It was so so fun! I won half a hundred away when later I lost it all again. But the happiness of getting a few black jacks was enough for me. So easy for me to be satisfied! We left at 1.30am. That was a new record for us all!

Valentine's Day 2011 and after.

1 bad thing for me about having a public holiday is staying up late the night before, like seriously very very late.

I was up till 2am on Mon morning, after an extremely enjoyable dinner at a close friend's home with meimei playing happily and quietly with her similarly aged dotter. We came back about 12 and after everyone settled down in their sweet slumber, the night was peaceful and quiet, except for the sound that came from the tv which hub was watching his drama series.

I browsed on the internet, looking for pre-loved songs to download (still!) and was really happy to find more of those 80s and 90s songs. It's obvious, though it didn't quite occur to me that obviously before, that those 80s are more cantonese while the 90s are more mandarin.

Coming to those 90s mandarin songs, I listened a lot of them during those varsity days and learned a lot of chinese words by leaps and bounds. I couldn't write, but I could speak and recognize quite a number of them. Those days, I would ask my friends (who are mainly chinese educated) for the lyrics and ask my dad when I was back home then, to read the words to me and explain what it means. It was a good bonding time with my dad as well, I would say.

When I finally stumble across an album which I listened to quite a LOT those times, I was overwhelmed with ecstasy and happiness. How magical it is listening to songs can transport you back to a certain time, or flooded with certain memories, is really beyond me.

Now, this album. It has a story.

During my first year in USM, before the 2nd semester ended, I moved out of the hostel (not kicked out) to stay with a bunch of 15 crazy insane friends in a semidee, just a few steps away from the side gate's guardpost. (I was the only sane one)

Came our first christmas, we had a little party and we did some gift exchange. Earlier, we drew names from a ballot box, girls drawing from a boy's and vice versa, so we know who to buy a gift for and everyone would have a gift during the party.

I received this tape and it accompanied me lots when I was walking, studying and idling all around campus and home. So, those songs just got drilled into my head. Never know then that my friend, didn't just give me a tape for that christmas all of us housemates of 26 Lengkuk Sg Dua had, it was so much more.

So, back to that night. It was Valentine's night. I got nothing, which is expected. Hub said to treat the night before's dinner at Chillis as valentine celebration. *roll eyes*

And we climbed back into bed at 2am and he gave me a massage. After an hour, he was sleeping soundly while I desperately wanted to sleep but can't because something was itching. It wasn't sex. It was very annoying! I finally drift into sleep around 5am. And got up at 9+. I was very cranky the next day! That was why public holidays are not good for me.

Love. Before and now.

Guilt overcomes me whenever I'm in a heated argument with my hub in front of the kids. Korkor would tell us to just stop arguing and tell his papa to just say sorry to me. Poor kid! I hope it doesn't make any negative impact in the little head of his, making him stay away from women for the rest of his life.

If only he had known how in love we had been way before. During those courting days, all the years up to marriage, onto the parenting bandwagon, but along the way, we seemed to "lose" the romance gradually.

We started dating end 94-early 95, in a love so hot, that we can't NOT see each other for a day. Those days, our meetings would last till the early hours of the morning, like 2-3am and then the next day, he would have to go to work while I continue snoozing on my bed, totally forgotten about classes! Where his energy came from, he himself scratched head.

He loved (note the past tense) holding my hand everytime we went out, and he once told me he would hold mine until we grow old. It was so sweet then. Now? It seems like we are on the same polarized magnet end and would repel each other, as far as we could.

Since the existence of mobiles, he would be talking on the phone more often than not. Half the time it would be business related, which I can't be so unfair to be angry over him for, but some are just chat calls (with guy friends, I hope).

He claims he doesn't love me less just because he doesn't show it like he did before. He claims our love has matured, and we are on an understanding level. In other words, we are just like loe-fu-loe-chai.

Fine. I understand. I really do. But I have to admit, I so feel the tinge of jealousy when I see old couples like us, still holding hands and showing their love, albeit in a matured, understanding way. (Maybe a new bag would help)

After school hours' activities.

Ever since school started, the extra co-curriculum has started in the middle of last month as well. As korkor is compulsory to join 2 activities, one a uniformed group and the other a secret society, I had since then registered the other younger 2 in some paid ones as well so I do not need to make 2 trips to and fro to pick them up.

It's not very expensive for those activities, so we had discussed the options and I insisted that they learn something non-academic, as long as it's not class settings. Didi insisted on retaining his badminton classes and managed to be persuaded to join the gymnastics amidst the warnings from his korkor that he would be surrounded by all girls.

As for korkor, he was also kind of "forced" to join the gymnasts and when he learned he was the only guy in the whole 40+ of girls, he freaked out and went off to the scouts' teams on the first day. Served him right, since he always complained about being out under the scorching hot sun last year. He wanted to be in the library, just to enjoy the cool air-conditioning. What can I say! I say, no, he must go out and run around, hot or not hot. So, eventually he succumbed to my persuasion to try the gymnastics. He did on the 2nd day and he came home and told me he felt like being stuck in a girl's toilet! *evil laughter* I retorted that he should be soooo enjoying the privilege! Wait till you are older, I said.

Meimei loves the art classes, since she always begged me to let her join the extra art lessons after school hours last year at the kindy. But that time, it was sooo blardy expensive. Now it's much more affordable and I let her be. After her artwork, she should be scooting off to do some gym poses, it's a good stretching exercise for them young ones, me think.

The first day was chaotic, as expected. The gym teacher was missing and meimei was left roaming around on her own with her other friend.

The 2nd time when I went over to spy if they had settled down yet, I saw her roaming around still in her tees outside the lobby! I quickly took her to find her art class and then, find out where the gym is and settled her in. These poor little 7yos. I bet she's not the only one who's so lost. Her other friend didn't join her olympiad maths class too and went to the wrong gym class. I took her hand and went around to ask where her class should be and showed her around too.

For the boys, no problem. Didi seems to enjoy himself playing badminton and then, running round, doing somersaults, bending, stretching and scooting round with the other girls. Lucky there were 2 other boys with him too, so being with almost an all girls' troupe didn't seem to bother him as much as korkor.

Hope meimei has no problem finding her way around and settled down to their stayback schedule so I would have a longer time of freedom soon.

Friends gathering at chor 3.

Every year, well, almost every year, I would meet up with my sixth form school friends ever since we knew each other. That time, we would go door to door, wishing all our moms gong xi fa cai and receiving angpows. And then, we would hang out till the cows come home at night. Those were such fun times.

Eventually, the group gets smaller and smaller, but yet, we maintained meeting up, I think I would be there almost every year. From receiving angpows, we are giving out angpows now to the groups' little ones. What a long way we'd been!

Meeting in one of the guy's home, it's like I had almost grown accustomed to his family as well. I know his parents and his sisters like how I know him and they would seemed so happy to see me. It makes me very happy seeing their happy faces.

Every year, I would be there alone leaving the kids with my inlaws with their papa. This year, I brought them all along and it felt great, showing them off. Didi received praises on how charming he is. The kids just clicked almost instantly, playing scrabble and chess. And then out of a sudden, we heard a loud glass breaking sound coming from where my hub was seated and everyone turned instantly to look at what happened. He had broken 2 window panes from the vibrating massage chair he was sitting on! Oh shit!

Message from the teacher.

When I think that things are going on smoothly for myself and the kids, and for didi, so far, this evening I had a shock. I opened up didi's message book and in it, his teacher wrote that one of the classmate's parents want to talk to me. And she asks me for permission to let them have my number. Am I worried, you think?

I interrogate didi what he does with that boy and just like usual, he didn't reveal much except that I get the hints both of them are not exactly the kind of good buddies where the kid's mom wants to befriend me for that whatsoever reason. *big sigh*

I don't know what it is that they want from me but I do not want to sound defensive and nonchalant about it either. So I wrote back to the teacher to ask if she could find out what they want first and let me on a bit before revealing my contact to them. I guess this sort of thing would give me some head-on first, instead of a heart attack or ambush that comes suddenly without any sort of warning at all?

Here I am, imagining some unreasonable, ah-long style parents calling me to ask for settlement to "issues". I don't want this kind of confrontations. But yet again, I am dead curious what the issues are and what they want to talk to me about. Should I just tell the teacher to "bring it on"? Sigh... I hope I can sleep well tonight.

I need this new diet to work!

I stepped onto the dreaded weighing machine after the yoga and dance classes back to back yesterday and darn! I can't believe my eyes! The needle went to another number higher than the record high after last year end's holidays! HOLY COW!

This calls for some drastic immediate action! I am so determined to bring the needle back to where it should be. Food, no, no, no.

I went on hunger, going on a piece of bread, (which I know is not too good as it contains carbo, but that's not the worse) with a piece of dried meat (THAT'S THE WORST!) and an apple. Surprisingly, I didn't die! Seriously. I thought I would. I thought gastric would kill me, if not hunger. I am so wrong.

Today, I survived salad for lunch. Chopped 4 leaves of cabbage, shredded carrot, cucumber and added raisins in coleslaw. Yum yum. It was quite nice. Until half the bowl gone, I had pretty enough. But I left it on the table and went over to scoop a spoonful into my mouth and off I go again. Satisfying, don't you agree?

Oh dear, I hope I can stick to this new diet and cut some weight away soon. And fast. I am becoming a pig!

"Simplicity in life" in todays' the Sun.

I love reading a short article on the Sun paper today titled "Simplicity in life". It's almost the same as my blog title, which is all about my life in this current phase.

It says "Simplicity is an attractive quality. Those who remain simple and clear in how they think, interact and live their lives attract others to be the same. Greatness is revealed through being simple.", written by Bridget Menezes.

Extraction of the short column, "In simplicity, there is inner beauty, purity and clarity. Truth is always simple and profound. The words and actions of a person who treasures simplicity are straight-forward and transparent and such a person becomes a model for others to emulate. He is unswayed by shallow desires and hence, free from greed."

I always like to remind myself of that. And hopefully, my kids to understand and practice that as a virtue.

However, my hub is not quite thinking at the same level. He thinks, when one is contented and happy at the comfort zone, then he would only be remaining at that while the rest of the people rise above him, and in the end, poor becomes poorer while rich becomes richer. He's also influenced and pressured very much by his peers and the status that they achieve judging from the cars they drive, homes they live in and social status they are in.

I am torn at the middle, unsure how I should balance keeping to my simple ideology of a simple life, yet being the supportive wife I should be (morally) so my hub could attains more, without being too pressured and struggling too hard to live happily.

I need a new camera, you think?

I have no pictures of CNY 2011 AT ALL. *sob* I am itching to show off some pics of our CNY 2011 like my friends in FB *SOB*.. then again..

And why I have not taken any pictures this year? Not because of my PMS-ing mood.

Both my cameras are dying flat on me. One is at the service center waiting for me to claim it back, while hub had decided we shouldn't be spending RM350 to fix it, hence I don't have the urgency to make that long trip and take it back home again with a faulty screen, what's the point, right?

The other is having a problem of only detecting flat batteries even when I bought them new and come in good brand names. I have to drive all the way to Shah Alam to its service center to find out the cause and I suspect it won't be just an RM10 to solve the hiccup. So, I have no mood to make the trip there as well.

As such, I have no digital cameras to play with and I am dying to get my hands on a brand new quality one to take pictures of myself the kids. Do I have a good valid reason to buy a new camera? What kind of camera should I get? Decisions, decisions...

The CNY week that was.

Technically CNY is still around for another few more days, but unofficially, it's over today. School resumed, work resumed, routine is back. I really like this daily grind more.

We were back in kampung few days early before CNY eve this time, and basically, stuffed ourselves full and did nothing else. Played a few rounds of mahjong over the few days and lost some money. Did yoga once and took the kids to swim once. Went out for lunch date with some girlfriends and that's it!

Somehow, this year's annual festival seemed to be rather quiet. Didn't meet up with many people, relatives and friends included. And I didn't quite have that upbeat cheery mood either. Then again, when did I ever have that for CNY? But yet then again, I guess this year's mood seems to be more apparent down. Maybe it's PMS. Who knows!

My elder brother came home with his family and we spent the time together during CNY chor1 night and chor2. Happy feasting on those fresh juicy delicious prawns and their other dishes in Tg. Tualang again. I think we would be going there pretty often.

My sis-in-law couldn't make it home for the 2nd consecutive year and she was truly heartbroken. Of course, I dared not say "lucky you". Though I felt bored to death staying there for one long week, nevertheless, I so feel happy that the old folks are happy and we can spend another CNY together.

Glad we made it home in 3.5 hours on the last day of holiday which sees not only the Chinese flocking back to the city, but also non Chinese who takes the long weekend off to get away too. And we made it home in 1 piece, I guess it's enough to be grateful that everything went so well.