Our newest addition in our home

Hubs' extravaganza expenditure thus far on a hobby has finally arrived and settled in our home. 

It's a mighty huge aquarium, custom made to suit our purpose *to be a divider for better fengshui too* and space, fully equipped with the cupboard where the aquarium sits, filter, fan, carbon dioxide and all the necessary soil needed to grow plants in it.

We had been looking around for some time, and finally decided on giving this whole task of setting up the aquarium to an expert, complete with all the designing of what goes inside as well. We were not very confident of buying parts and setting it up ourselves only to find fish and plants dying in it. So not ready to be heartbroken.

 So we paid a deposit and waited anxiously for it to come. Korkor kept asking us every other day and we said it would be here before our trip. Our trip came and gone and it was still not anywhere to be seen.

Finally!

 Seeing for ourselves how they put different layers of soil and nutrients in there. Looks amazing enough.

 Then he buried some rocks inside to make a beautiful landscape.

 And when the water is in, it looked so mysterious. The aquarium guy (which is what we call him behind his back) told us to wait for a few days for the settlement of dust before moving the fish in.

The next day, it cleared up! yay! so happy!

We moved a few fish from the small tank to it first and see if they survive or not, and when they looked pretty active swimming around happily, we moved more in and brought more in to make the place look more enchanting. IT IS ENCHANTING!

The more thrilling thing is that, we had a pregnant guppy some days ago, and then the next day, the bulging belly was gone and we saw a few little baby fish! The kids were so thrilled, especially meimei, I think. She keeps saying how cute the baby fish were, but alas, the next day, all the baby fish seemed to be missing. We believed they either died being sucked into the filter or eaten by the bigger fish. Poor babies.

Can't wait for the plants to grow into a tropical jungle in there and get some little shrimps in too. Yesh, we all have been very delighted watching the aquarium and the activities inside, on and off the whole day. Papa would be straight heading to the tank when he comes home from work to see his babies, and it's also a very pleasant looking decoration indeed in our living room area.

Stopping ballet lessons.

Ever since meimei started learning on RG, it had been crossing my mind to cut her ballet lessons off totally. That's because it's such a hassle ferrying them 3 all over to and fro from school several times a day on some days, and twice a week to her ballet lesson for an hour. 

After all, I had always tried to advocate that they learn 1 non academic extra curricular each. Korkor is learning piano from the Yamaha course since the beginning, didi had been jumping around from piano to drum back to piano (more to kill his time while the other two go for their lessons) and meimei ballet. 

What I hated most are one of those weekday evenings I had to rush from school back to home, rush to cook dinner, serve them on time and rush meimei to her ballet school which get us crawling together with the rush hour traffic workers on their way home. Though it's just an hour class, but 30 mins to and 30 mins back make the whole trip 2 hours altogether. 

And sometimes I need to manage the other two, either they follow us together, or stay at home while waiting for papa to come back. In any case, I really hate going out when the sky is dark. I don't like to be in the traffic madness and I hated wandering around in the streets at night where the safety these days is so frightening bad. 

What are the benefits of ballet anyway? Heck, I didn't know why I had started her on. I just thought she insists to go ballet class instead of learning piano, and I thought, why not. I then began to think it's good stretching exercise for her too so that she would be more flexible. Then there were the fees which we had been dumping in for her so far. It seemed such a waste that she stops here, especially when she was one of the few to score distinction in her ballet annual grading exam. 

But paying for both of these darn expensive sports/hobbies is really taking a big toll on us. It's not cheap at all with the monthly lessons' fees, apparel and attire, exam fees, year in year out. I just feel somehow this ought to be stopped at one point or another anyway.

It took some time for me to finally make up my mind. Now that I have that off my shoulders, I have to say, I am SO RELIEVED And happy. ! I feel so light knowing I don't need to hurry anymore during the weekdays and I get to be in control how to spend the time with them every weekday night. Though now it's just holidays and we only watch TV or eat dinner together only, it still feels great. I ought to have done this so much earlier! 

Going for holiday is sure fun...

... in the "going" part.

The part of packing is not so fun, but the anticipation, the time near to the departure dates, the journey to the airport and flying to the destination, those are all part of the FUN in a vacation in itself. 

 Lookie here, we were at KL Sentral to check in the luggage so we do not need to lug them all over to KLIA. I like that! Hubs said it's very pricey to take the express train for all 5 of us, so we hurried down to the bus station.It was about RM10 per person compared to RM35.

A bus was about to go, and we quickly boarded while hubs buy those tickets. Then, korkor wanted to buy the RM1 soda he saw on the above floor before we took the escalator and asked his dad for a 1 dollah note. I went to look for our seats but the bus was almost full and only a pair was available right at the end. I let the 2 younger ones sit there while I occupy the one beside a lady.

Papa and korkor had to sit separately apart, but dang, suddenly the bus was moving away from its bay! And both of them were yet on the bus! I was getting panicky, and then I saw papa was standing beside the bus at its doorway, looking at the escalator for korkor to turn up. IN a little while, I saw him giving hand signals to hurry and whew~ both of them rushed onboard and the bus moved off in a jiffy.

I admonished korkor and told him never to do that again! Really a mini heart attack there!

The bus ride was smooth sailing, but the two smaller ones still enjoyed that. It's so happy to see them enjoying such simple little pleasure.

We reached the KLIA one hour later and let the kids hold their passports at the immigration to the automated gate. Didi and korkor passed through but meimei couldn't. Korkor told her that is because their fingerprints stored in the chip is still fresh new whilst hers was so long ago that it didn't match anymore. Meimei then understood. *wink*

Our boarding gate was at the main terminal but papa led us all to the train and to the satellite building. For what leh? For this...

 Food at the lounge. Haiyah... all the way walking over and just spent about 10 mins to gobble some free food and drinks. I wouldn't have bothered if I were to travel alone, but not the hubs. That's him for you.

 We took the train back to the main terminal and walked to our gate. Almost everytime, it would be running to the gate while the loud speaker blaring our names, I hate it really. Hence, I really didn't want to wait for hubs as he JUST have to linger around longer somewhere else. I guess it's in his blood. It's a habit of his he couldn't or wouldn't want to change. I think he's even more "steady" when I'm with him. Coz I would be there early at the gate and telling all sorts of lies to the personnel to wait for him. Ish!

 The kids LOVE the meals on board the plane. They claim it's the BEST FOOD on earth!! And that was the journey to the Land of Smiles. As I've said, it's really part of the whole FUN in a vacation. And that's why I also insist this year, our family vacation must be flying off somewhere. As really, when they grow bigger, they wouldn't be so easily contented with the flight and all anymore. Heck! They wouldn't even want to go anywhere with us! The joy in seeing their happy faces on the journey itself is immeasurable.

The above is the flight flying home. We were lucky to get a never plane with personal TV. But as the journey was less than 3 hours, so no speakers were circulated and hence the kids had to make do with just the moving pictures. There, next time must fly at least 3 hours or more.

Korkor's first parasailing experience

The bits and pieces of our trip would be random and irregular, without following the sequence (like you cared! heh!)

Up there in the air was korkor soaring up in the sky. He was 12 when he had his first parasailing experience, I was 24 when I had mine. I ngam-ngam attended my graduation party and my whole family were there with me. We went to Batu Ferringhi and I don't know why suddenly I had that urge to try that out. Maybe it was some sort like a celebration? You know, like freedom from exams forever? It was etched in my memory from then on. The thrill and the experience, nothing quite exhilarating. Except childbirth, maybe. But korkor won't be experiencing childbirth.

Korkor's parasailing was in Pattaya, on that day we went out to the sea on a speedboat (without life jackets! EEK! It did cross my mind how terribly dangerous it was!!). The skipper took us to this platform in the middle of nowhere where the parasailing business was bustling with tourists like us. We paid 500 baht for a round and it was very fast. Though there was a long queue of people, we didn't need to wait too long. I believe we paid the premium price, coz hubs went to ask another tourist how much he paid and he said it was 400 baht, but he was in the long queue. Well, so.. which one would you have preferred?

Anyway, as a mom, I have to say, I wasn't so brave like him, but I didn't show it out. I'm sure my hubs would immediately shoot me down if I had said anything discouraging to him. After all, hey, we do all know THERE  ARE cases people perished from that stunt. So my heart went jumping a few times more from the moment he was strapped in and flew into the air. Nervous was I until he landed safely back on the platform. You have no idea how relieved I felt and thankful to God for not letting anything happening to him. I'm sure most mothers feel the same thing.

I was glad the other two younger ones weren't brave enough yet to do this. I saw some small kids doing it too, and one was crying when he landed. Oh dear, poor him. That is why I always insist, no forcing, let them decide when they are ready. Sometimes I just despise the hubs for pushing them when they said they do not want to do try on anything new, or saying things which is so demeaning. He thinks it's encouraging words, but I beg to differ. Thus, both of us are truly opposites, but then again, might be the best combination too as they would not be pushing their limits if they are too scaredy-cats like me.

You Pee Ass Are

The next day after our return, it was the day korkor's results were out. *bip bop bip bop...*

Seriously, I didn't think much, lest worry about it, coz really, all it matters is he's going into a reputable school next year.

It was an overcast morning and I was contemplating of going for my yoga class or not when the car decided for me as it refused to give any response at all. That was my hubs' car but of course, I would be in great trouble if I just ran away from home just like that before he solved his problem of how he's going to office.

Apparently, one of the connection to the battery was loosened and we were appalled to see how that could have happened! Anyway, I then went back home and took breakfast out and woke the kids up.

We reached school about 11 and there were many people already in the school compound. I found his teacher seated at a bench serving a beeline of her students and I stood nearby eagerly waited for his result slip. Out of the sudden, korkor turned up in front of me and told me his results instead. I couldn't believe my ears, I thought he was kidding, coz no, it wasn't because he achieved straight As but it was mighty B.A.D! I asked him how he knew, and he said everyone's results were all "dipaparkan di papan kenyataan" already.

No, he didn't fail in any subjects, it was As and Bs, but the number of As were just too far below our, even his own expectations. Frankly, I was rather disappointed, so was he and his dad.

I did feel guilty on my part, oh what have I done? I could have done this, I could have done that, but then again, we all know he's so much better than his results showed. And I slapped myself too for contradicting on my own priorities. The results do not spell how successful and happy they are in their lives, dammit!

To be fair, I do feel proud of him for his other achievements in school. On the last 2 days of school, they had the prize giving ceremony and he bagged the "Best Service Award" (total 10 of them) and the "Excellent Performance for the year Award" (only him) from the ICT group. ICT stands for Intellectual Cult Terrorist,  *something Computer something*. Although it was nothing big to shout about, but hey, EXCELLENT PERFORMANCE, did you hear??? Though I liked to use marker pen and add a SUPER DUPER in front of the word EXCELLENT in that certificate, but well, that should suffice for the moment.

Anyway, I digress.

So back to his UPSR results, there it went. The unceremonious results day. We went home pretty much tau-tap-tap, no actually it was me only, as he hopped on to his friend's house to play computer games immediately after! Wtf.

I so hope he would prove to the whole world he could do much better than this in his SPM, which is coming in 5 years' time, not for us, but for himself. People won't care how many As you get for UPSR, but you certainly would want to brag to your own kids how many As you get for your SPM, wouldn't you? Err.. I forgot what I get, but I always told them, it was DAMN GOOD, ok.

And that was pretty much ended officially his primary years and I do wish he would enjoy himself more in the coming secondary years and put more keen interest in his studies.

The theme for our trip.

This trip had been many "firsts" for us and we went on many different types of transportation that it looked like a educational trip on "THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF VEHICLES"

Let's see...

We took a bus to KLIA.

We took a plane to Bangkok (duh! why of course!)

A taxi took us to a hotel in a suburb of Bangkok (I think, I mean, the suburb)

We went on the sleeper train to Chiengmai and had our dinner onboard. The kids were thrilled having dinner on a moving train, and jumping over carriages.

Didi was especially excited with the tuk-tuk.

We were on a bamboo raft on a river, on top of an elephant over different terrains and river, and on a ox ride. It was so exhilarating yet so... sigh.

We went to an island from Pattaya on a speedboat and korkor experienced his first para-sailing. I believe he enjoyed his flying through the air tremendously.

Why, that almost summarized the whole trip. Ain't I clever?

Our fabulous family vacation

Sawasdee kaa, taorai neng shong shang xi ha hok chek paed gaw sip khao phad khap kun kaa.

That's the Thai language for saying...

"We are back from our fabulous trip at Thailand and there are going to be numerous endless stories and pictures of it, like it or not."

Still wanna google translate it meh? Dun trust me izzit??

School year end concert 2012

Meimei was involved in the school year end concert yet again. Last year, it was the first time both korkor and meimei were involved in some way or other and I had no choice but to drag didi along and bought 2 tickets for that show.

This year, I rather skip it. As experienced before, it wasn't like very interesting and too long, too draggy. Last year, I had to admit I felt rather bored. And had to shush didi whole night for grumbling that he was dragged into it.

The ticket wasn't cheap either, it was either 50 or 100 bucks each. Though I understand it's all for the sake of the school well being and not into  any teacher's pockets, it was still a big sum of money to many of us. Furthermore, that wasn't the only time the school asks for donations, the requests keep coming from school starts till ends.

I ignored the memo asking for orders of tickets. When the concert came closer, apparently the principal was furious that the sales of the tickets wasn't doing very well and even demanded the higher primary students to buy one from each family. Response from pri6 was the worst of all. And meimei's class teacher also persuaded meimei to persuade me to watch her performance. Oh well...

Since my mom was here to watch over the boys, I finally relented and went to watch it. And whaddaya know, it was superb actually. It was short and sweet, not as long and draggy as last year's, I suppose the school received that "wind" somehow. But that hurts the tickets sales in consequence too. Who would want to come on a TGIF night to watch some other children performing, right? Not you, uh uh.

The children gave a brilliant show, each and everyone of them, and the shows consists of a good variety of music, singing, dancing, fighting .... I actually enjoyed myself. And I think it gives a good opportunity for the children to experience it all and celebrating a wonderful year of hard work and learning. I was almost at the verge of tears! Yes, next year, I think I'm going to show my support and watch the concert again.

The night ended surprisingly soon, and we still had the rest of the weekend for ourselves, which was good.

My daughter and I

On a camwhoring mission.

I love this daughter of mine. She is ever the sweet, obedient and lively little one to brighten up my day everyday.

A night's stay at Renaissance.

This is meimei, all snuggled up comfortably in a babycot, still. Of course, this isn't our home. It is in Renaissance Hotel in KL for a night stay. The boys sleep together in 1 bed while this little girl still gets to be the "baby" in her babycot. Guess this will soon be over, she's way too tall for it already!

Now, why would we stay in a hotel in KL? For some mystery unknown, hubs loved to buy those books of vouchers offered from these 5 star hotels. We have stayed in Westin, Sheraton, JW Marriott, Mandarin Oriental so far. The offer also includes buffets, spa, and many other discounts. He thinks it's worth it and probably a convenient getaway from our routine once in awhile. We normally utilizes the food vouchers and the 1 night stay. The other discounts vouchers are gone to waste. So, if anyone wants it, or you know anyone who wants it, do let me know. 

To korkor, he says, it's the buffet breakfast which he's looking forward to all the time. The other two never fails to go for the cereals first thing in the morning. Hmm... hotel's breakfast seems to be the most yummiest breakfast for them somehow. 

That night, we didn't spend much time in the room, for we had gone to my uncle's wake earlier, so, oh well.

We have yet another hotel stay going to expire end of this year! Guess where we are going to?

Korkor attending a gathering with his friends at a bistro

On the eve of a public holiday, suddenly korkor blurted out to me excitedly that on their FB class discussion, there's gonna be a gathering at a bistro among their classmates the next day! What a shocker I was!

I mean, what, 12yo kids, gathering at a high class bistro?? Who's going to pay for the bill? How are they gonna separate out the bill if they are going dutch? Why do they need a gathering when they are still seeing each other in school anyway?? Isn't that sound all fishy and ridiculous??

I posted on FB on my qualms, and apparently, some thinks that it's not a big deal la, youngsters these days lead this kind of life bla bla bla...(can you tell I was rolling my eyes when I read those?)

He kept begging me to let him go, I asked him to ask his dad, his dad told him to ask me! Guess both of us did not know what to say to him! And hubs also felt like a shocking freak like I did!

The next day, we had breakfast then at 11.30, I suggested to take him over and look see look see first.

When we got there, holy cow, lo and behold, a rich classmate's parents booked a whole segment of the place for them with a buffet spread for their little daughter's who is already out from the school, in an international school right now for them. It's so called the class' farewell party, and I saw their class teacher with a retired assistant principal too. They even hired a professional photographer to capture these memorable moments! Really awestruck! The things that rich families do for their kids! Isn't that bewildering? I was speechless.

Well, we left the kids to have some fun with their friends and I scooted off to walk around somewhere else with KT for awhile. They had a great time and thank you to those parents for their generosity.

Wake of my 5th uncle.

My 5th uncle, a brother of my dad, passed away over the last weekend. He was an artist. A real artist who paints and sells his masterpieces in art galleries. Ain't that so .... "wow"?

But he and his family were never close to us. They stay in KL all their lives, but we never visit them, not at least whilst in these 7 years we settled down here. When I was young, my parents did take us to see them once in a while, like, really once in awhile. It had been many many years since we really last saw each other. According to my mom, there were some squabbles over, well, family issues.

I don't know why, but somehow, the cousins I have who share the same family name with me, are just aren't close. There are some in Melbourne who are extremely friendly and kind, but they are children of my dad's cousins, so it's under another family tree branch away. For the cousins who are directly under my grandparents' branch, we are just never close. As a chinese though, I had been taught that these cousins are supposedly like my own brothers and sisters.

So the kids had never known this family relative of mine, who is so close in relation yet so far away. When I told them my uncle passed and his profession, they were nonchalant, nevertheless.

Anyway, I went for his wake, and since KT wanted to pay his respects too, we had no choice but to bring the kids along. Shall I say, maybe it's the first wake they had been to. I was sceptical at first, but, they behaved well throughout and even went to see my uncle who was lying in his coffin! I myself dared not see! Well, at least, they had seen him for the first and the last time. I felt a pang of guilt, really.

3 nights for the wake, and I went there again on the 3rd night, bringing my parents along, who came back all the way from SIngapore. They were supposed to be heading back to Ipoh directly the next day, but plans changed so they had to detour here. I met my cousins (children of the deceased) and I couldn't recognize them! They have grown so much! Oh well, aren't we all? 2 of them are residing in US while the youngest child is in China. The son is a cosmetic surgery doctor now, and they are all around my age. Needless to say, they are very good artists too!

May the soul of my 5-pak rest in peace.