Infected.

One fine evening, hubs came home and announced he needed to go see doctor. If you had known him, this sort of thing coming from him is a BIG thing. He wouldn't want to see a doctor unless he's really in pain or there was some serious issue. Or shall I say, he wouldn't want to pay to see a doctor....

Naturally, I jumped out of my skin and asked him (in a very concerned tone) what went wrong. He said his lump under his armpit was getting bigger and making him wincing in pain. Lump? This sort of word made my knees go weak, possibly more so at this age when we hear friends in our circles battling fights with lumps. I didn't hear him mentioning of anything before as well. Apparently he had it for 2-3 days and he brushed it off thinking it was nothing other than an insect bite or mosquito bite.

At that moment, I did feel very worried. Oh God! Though he made me wanna jump down from the window many times, I still feel he's a very big part of my life and I am not so ready to live without him around. I felt so sorry for all the anger I welled up in me from our fights and quietly prayed desperately that it wasn't a big issue, on our way to the clinic.

When the doctor saw him, he took a look at it and said "ah, this kind of "chong", you need to wait lor. Wait for the pus to form and then go for operation to picit the pus out and you will be ok again." *whew* I was really relieved. Thank God it was only a "chong".

Now that it was diagnosed as harmless, I could go and laughed at him for his misfortune. Little pain also can't tahan, kept wincing like a baby. But poor thing, he didn't sleep well because of the agony the little damn thing caused and his right hand had to be slightly away from his armpit else it would hurt. Damn funny looking at him!

And finally after few more days, the pus was formed and he did the "operation" himself, squeezing the pus out *ewwww...* and he was cleared. Good for him!

But not good for me. I wonder if it's karma. Now I feel some lump on my head at the back of my right ear and it's PAINFUL!!! *bawl*

Cinema in the car

The first screening.

With the iPad, and hooked on to a little mini speaker, the kids are good to go!

Better still travelling on long distances. At night. I'm impressed too! And both hubs and I get a quiet peaceful drive home.

I don't understand what magic spells the Phineas and Ferb movie - across the 2nd dimension, has though. They watched it for like, dozens of times and they still calling for me to show that movie again and again! Anyway, I love to hear them singing the songs with the characters with their little cute voices. THAT is magical to me.

Back to where I used to belong before.

After so many years, we went back to Penang for a round over the weekend. Papa had a wedding dinner of his ex-colleague and we tagged along for a night stay at the hotel. I would have liked to show my kids of the state where their parents met but all they were interested in were the tech gadgets. Heiz.. what boring childhood they have!

I wanted to show them the beauty of Gurney drive, where we stayed this time, the wonderful place where I remembered going when I was a kiddo, enjoying the sea breeze, while the adults chat and laughed while we munched on snacks sold along the pavement.

Unfortunately, I think it has really lost almost all its glory. At night, there weren't many people strolling or hanging around, well, maybe it was drizzling too, but I can't help observing there were people in the food court, and many were in Gurney Plaza. And there certainly not many couples seen at the other end of the it, where it was well known to be the pakthor place.

We had a very satisfying dinner by ourselves though, well, at Gurney Plaza, which wasn't part of Penang authentic food, but we did have a go at a traditional open air food court in the late afternoon with my aunt and uncle. We had lok-lok where the pot of boiling water is placed in the middle of the table and the owner would bring all the food on the table for us. Of course, charges are only for the number of empty sticks on the table. Didi said we could hide some of the sticks, but I told him, yeah, we could, but we won't, cause we are honest people, right?

An old friend of mine, very very old good friend, came by to met up and we just had a good time catching up. *wave* Hi, Siu Mun! 2 hours passed too fast, it was so good that it almost seemed to me that was the best part of my whole trip. In fact, it was!

I had other plans in mind to bring the kids to see the major tourist spots, like Kek Lok Si, Penang Hill, Botanical garden, Khoo Kongsi, of course, we won't be covering all in such a short time, but guess where we landed in eventually? None! blek!

The weather was just tooooo HOT! And we weren't dressed appropriately (lame excuse!).

So. Those ideas have to wait for the next Penang trip.

In fact, what I wanted to do the whole time there was just to lie on the bed and watched the movies I prepared for the trip. *guilty*

Anyway, we did get them to experience the ferry ride though, which we used to cross the straits to Penang. The trip home was via the Penang bridge route.

On the way back, before leaving Penang, we took 1 round USM. Oh, how I missed the place. I was awash with all the wonderful memories of those 4 years. The sidegate's 4th stall (which was long gone though), where we used to jam every night after lecture, desa aman, pusat kimia, the pool, guest house, red house, oh dear, red house was gone! I missed those fried squids! The food there was really good, that so very often, we felt it was worth the long and tiring walk up and down the hill for.

I guess while I was reminiscing the moments that was so part of me, the others in the car were oblivious to my thoughts that were running in my mind. I guess it's understandable, but I'm sure my friends from USM would know what I meant. I should have gone with them instead. If only there's a time where we can gather together and take a walk round the campus. It would be so much fun, I believe. We had a lot, a lot, A LOT of fun together during those years.

I wonder what the kids would remember of their childhood when they are all grown up. iPad and iPhone games only? Heiz.. I think mine is much more colorful than theirs even though I had no vacations other than Penang or KL when I was small.

Pleasure with cooking

After last night's "junk" for dinner, I do feel guilty and worked a bit harder to cook up a better one tonight.

Yong taufu is one of my favorite dishes to go with white rice. But the preparation is so much more tedious and takes up longer time. Then again, usually these kind of dishes are much more tastier and appetizing. Can feel the effort pays off when I sit down finally to enjoy my dinner.

I make the fish paste myself, scraping off the fish from its bone from ikan tenggiri. Very, very tiring work. I hate that part, but at the same time, I can't bring myself to buy those ready made paste from the market.

I like to add bits of spring onion into the paste, if it's not for my kids, I would have injected some bits of chillies into it, and if it had not been my fussy eater hubs who can detect the tiniest flavor of coriander leaves, I would have include them in it too. For tonight, I added some prawns.

There are just too many stuffs we can stuffed the paste in. Those I like are brinjals, long beans, chillies, taufu, wanton skin, taufu paper, taufu pok, ladyfingers... in fact, I like everything that are stuffed! But I can't do all as I have a picky family who have their own different favorites.

These are for the gravy. Could do with some lime juice, but I don't have any in my fridge, so this would do.
And, ta-da~ our dinner for tonight. *burp* I was full to the brim!

Your wish, my command

Burger for dinner? OK! If that's what you want...

And all of them were happy I delivered.

No fuss, need not nag them over and over to come over for dinner. And they finished their wholesome burger in less than half an hour as well. Isn't that good enough? Wonder how many days consecutively they can eat burger for dinner...

This' mine, purposely taken after the first bite. *burp*

Ninja burgers

Wonder most kids love burgers? Mine certainly do! They love McD, KFC, mommy-made, Ninja's pork burgers, any burgers would do. My hub love those sidewalk's Ramly burgers most. He would be searching high and low for them when we are at some places outskirts.

One weekend, the kids just bugged us and chant nonstop for Ninja burgers for dinner. Hiya... really farn!



When food came, they became raucous. Like cannibals. After finishing off theirs, they didn't have enough and want more, so they turned to us and asked for a bite. And they never stop at 1 bite! Poor papa, his burger was attacked by them as he was enjoying his, for it came later.

Have you tried this before? This Wednesday, I promised them burger for dinner. Ramly beef patty, from the supermarket's frozen food section. I don't know how to make them. Maybe one day, I'll try. When I have my brand new sparkling kitchen. *wink*

Lawatan ke Tugu Negara

The Education Ministry might want to incorporate more landmarks into their syllable, as proven not only me, there's another silai who also gungho brought her whole family gang to visit Tugu Negara to show her son the real thing after her son learnt it in his BM textbook. Co-incidentally, it was on the same day! They went in the morning while we trotted over in the mid afternoon.

I remember when we were young, we loved to go there with our cousins and relatives when we were in KL. Guess KL at that time wasn't as happening as now. Of course, we were so pokkai we can't afford to go anywhere else too. Anywhere free of charge would be best! Then again, those days, we don't need to rely on where we were to have fun. Just the company alone was great fun.
The National Monument makes a very nice backdrop for a picture indeed. No wonder tourists are flocking over to see it. It's truly Malaysia.

After coming home, I wanted to take the kids to more places like these (FOC) for the year end, maybe Putrajaya, the refurbished Science Center (need to pay, but hey, the entrance fee is cheap), Sekinchang, hiking....we shall see!

The day before final exam

After late breakfast, we guai-guai went back home and did some final revision run for the BM paper. Here they were, doing their work I assigned them.

Didi writing a novel, in BM.

Meimei wanting to draw that picture..

.

Korkor reading story book! WHAT?? story book?? He's damn confident, I tell you. And I'm not pushing him much too. As long he's reading a book, I think it's good enough.

After couple of hours, as I promised, I let them ride bicycle, and took them to see the Tugu Negara! It seemed to be a nice day without too much sun, and very windy. I thought it would start raining, but no, it didn't. Nice.

Meimei learned about the National Monument in her BM textbook, and I do think nothing beats than letting them see the real thing. Furthermore, it's a good opportunity to test the new tripod and camera! So, there we were, them running wild in the open while I happy happy take pictures, playing with my new toy. It was fun! But still hot, even though the sun wasn't shining too brightly. That was our Sunday, before they sit for their first paper. Hopefully, at least a question would appear on Tugu Negara, and that would be their passing mark!

A picture of Tugu and the question is to bina ayat. Didi writes "Tugu Negara dibina untuk mengingati jasa pahlawan-pahlawan yang gugur" (as written in the shrine). Wahlao wei... kasi markah bonus!

Mommy kept taking pikcha of me!

While I doing my art! Annoying doe sei....

Tough week for us.

See the 3 huge tears on his cheeks? Can't see? Well, you certainly need glasses like I do then.

This week had been so tough for us both. I found out on Wed he had some red writings on his Buku Catatan. Red is not good!

So, he had not finished his homework, disturb his classmate and punished to write "I cannot disturb my classmate" (in chinese la) 10 times, ting-xie all worsened, and... the lackadaisical attitude of his? Just makes me go crazyyyyy!!!!

At the end of the day, tucking him to sleep, we hugged and prayed. Pray he will turn out ok.

My boy, how my heart pained each time you misbehaved and I had to punish you for that.

:(

Snippets of home.

Kitchen, where I slave most of the time.

Books for decoration purpose.

Alcoholic beverages, for drinking, obviously.

Little people playing some music when we are asleep.

Some of the origami works produced by didi.

Some cute stuff for holding tissue box.

Masterpieces by them!!!

Nice??

Our favorite high-tea in Ipoh

It has got to be this kopitiam along Gunung Rapat main road.

They serve a variety of stuffed items, fish paste are made by their own. My absolute favorite would be the fishballs, and a newly variation of it now is the fishballs with bits of coriander leaves mixed in it. Absolutely fantastic!

The queue can go up to waiting for more than 20 people to be served first before you, depending on the season. Long weekends or festivals, definitely spill-out crowd.

I love the drinks they serve here too. The soft touch is that it's cooked rather than those normal packs or cans which can be conveniently bought from giant hypermarkets. My pick would be the kedondong drink AND the red bean dessert. Hubs usually asks for the barley soya with pakkor. We would then share among ourselves and fight over the last sip.

That's the recipe for success! People are just coming back for more. Both my hubs and I are certainly part of them!

It's located near the wet market of Gunung Rapat and opened from noon till... well, I think the food runs out, like maybe 3? Let me know if you can't find it still, I recommend some other place for you in Terengganu! (So you go play far far and don't hog the kopitiam when we go back!)

Happy camper, I surely am one!

I have 2 new babies recently, and for these, I am so in love with my hubs!!!!

One of them was the one I mentioned sometime ago, something which some crazy readers thought it could vacuum and process food (what does go on in their minds?? *looking for a fight*)

So far, I made soya bean drinks, peanut dessert, black sesame dessert, lots of red dates and 5 other stuffs from the chinese herbs stores, absolutely turning out awesome! I love the new baby very much.

And just last week, I finally had the Sony NEX interchangeable lens camera. My parents and kids asked why I do need another new camera when we can take pictures with the iPhone and iPad. How do I explain about the love of a hobby? People should be passionate about their own hobbies! That's the key to living a contented and happy life.

Now, I just need to have the 3rd baby I am so craving for.... that one, I need someone to help me carry it from the US. Can anyone help? *sob* baby, how much I want you....