Playtime kids happy, mommies happy.

I have to admit, life without exams is so fun. Though I preach about assessment results is really not THAT an important aspect in our lives, but really, who are we kidding? What kind of lesson do I impart on the kids if I don't instill the habit of putting your best foot forward, doing the best you can, be prepared and challenge yourself when exam is near? Certainly I have to make them read, do and learn most of the schooldays, made intensive come exams time and frankly speaking, I don't like the days too much myself.

So much of homework time, tuition time and revision time. Sien.

After the last day of the exam was over, I could breathe with more relief. What better way to spend an evening at the playground with some other kids? And to top it all up with a pleasant home cooked dinner by a WONDERFUL friend.

There! I blogged about it, happy?

The birthday it has been.

I'm happy as a lark. Today's my birthday and just as a simple memento, I thought I ought to write down something over here to remember how my turning to 42 day was.

First and foremost, my parents are here with me, what else are more important than the two who brought me to this world? Initially it was just my dad who came with me since GE13, but suddenly my mom came over unexpectedly, giving a pleasant birthday surprise to my dad, whose birthday was just yesterday. He was so happy, he really loves her so much.

We had a cake and a simple ceremony of cake cutting at home, my favorite cake, no doubt.

Came today, everything was as normal as it was, sending kids to school, having my cup of coffee as breakfast at the balcony (which always lifts up my day, ALWAYS!). I went for yoga even though I contemplated of changing my mind at the last minute to go shopping for a charm I really like.

My mind had been on that charm like forever, it is soooo meaningful, it's a trinity charm. Love, Hope and Faith. Isn't that so appropriate to celebrate my birthday right now? What the heck, I went to get it for myself after the class and I was literally hopping while walking!

Then, I got a message from a friend who said she would be dropping a present for me! OMG! How paiseh! I didn't expect anything from my friends, but a simple wish would be enough for me as I know how terribly busy our lives are right now. I felt both elated and embarrassed at the same time, as I think I overdid it by declaring to the whole world on FB that it is my birthday today!

Anyway, I'm sure it's only polite to accept a present graciously, so thank you from the bottom of my heart. She left it at the guardpost for me as I need to be stationed in the school to pick the kids home.

By then, I felt like I wanted to eat sashimi and I called my hubs of my wish. He said "ok lor, go jogoya, check out what promotion there is now" I lalalum checked it out and told him about the current deal. He promised to come back by 2pm, wow!

When I got home from school, I picked my present from the guard post and inside was this lovely self made card which brought tears to my eyes. How sweet the birthday message is. And I believe, for a super helluva busy woman who took time to make a card for me, that meant EVERYTHING! Some more, drove over to drop it over. I feel really honored. I do.

Hubs came back and we went over to Jogoya. It was almost 3pm, and the staff there asked us if we were sure? Haha.. I guess we were exceptionally late for a sumptuous buffet at that kind of price. Hubs said ok and I fed myself like a pig. Loads of sashimi, birds nest soup, chocolate fondue... oh my heavens. It was sooo awesome. I felt that's it. If I die right there right then, there wouldn't be any regrets. Haha! I take back my words, I don't want to die yet.

And that's just not it. When we returned home, meimei excitedly ran over to me and said someone else delivered something to me! I was really surprised this time. Who could that be? A bouquet of flowers and a card that reads " (My name) dearest, Have a very Happy birthday with blessings showered upon your wonderful soul!!! from, your secret admirer XXX"

EEK!!! I don't likey that suspense! Last last time, when I was in spring blossoming season, I would have loved it, but now??? Other than psychos I can't think of anyone who would play that kind of prank to me. My friends won't spend such unnecessary money, I think they would have prefer to belanja me yumcha and I don't think they know my home address too. So it definitely is a psycho. And that's why it even confirms my belief that it's SO risky to be giving our home address when filling up forms or signing up for anything. Oh dear, I'm so freaking out now!

So, that aside, I still feel I'm so so so pampered. My hubs have given to all my whims and requests, so all the heartbreaks he had done, I forgive him. And I could feel his love for me, albeit quietly and un-romantically.

I feel very thrilled too that so many friends had dropped a wish to me on FB timeline, messenger,or via sms, whatsapp and over here on my blog as well. And I had a field day answering each of their messages, like this one here...

My friend:

Chook Lei Sang Yat Fai Look. Lin lin yau kam yat, sui sui yau kam chiew. Happy Birthday. Omedeto gosaimasu.

My reply: 

    thank you (her name), for your fucuk, lin ngau and kung jiu. namo amitabha sinjoi sinjoi

The craziness! I wonder if her reply to my reply was wtf or lol? She liked it though.

And then of course, my dear dear friend since Form 6, he had never failed to remember my birthday every year and drop me a card or a letter, or an email or an sms. He still makes me smile sheepishly like a young teen with a simple birthday wish right on time!

As for that psychopath, I think it's a conspiracy. You all will soon be receiving something like that on your birthday, don't say I don't say.

Mini operation in Bangkok hotel room

In Dec last year (or was it Nov), during our trip to Thailand (yes, back to THAT trip again!), meimei stepped on some spiky stuffs in the shallow water on our trip to an isle off Pattaya. Poor girl, I could see like 4-5 little black splinters on her bare of the foot, but she immediately gasak her foot on the sand and even beat on it before I could tell her not to do that. I only prayed then there would be no harm done.

Unfortunately enough, she had trouble walking that evening and the next day, though she could still bear the pain. I watched her throughout and when we drove back to Bangkok city the next day, I knew I had to do a mini operation on her foot. She was very afraid, but what choice do we have when she was limping and feeling painful walking.

That night at Bangkok city in the hotel, ALL of us helped to take those splinters off her foot. I used something (I forgot what!) while the 3 guys helped to divert her attention. She SCREAMED away like we were torturing her!!! Goodness gracious, I wonder what people thought when they hear our commotion from outside the room. 

Korkor played Gangnam style from the phone and put it next to her ear, and I think he even tried to do the horse riding movement! haha! Papa tried to drop some M&M into her throat (Holy cow, that was SO dangerous! I scolded papa for that after it was all over) while didi tried to talk to her into a conversation. Half of me felt thrilled all the boys were looking after her and half of me was concentrating on removing those damn things. Oh what a night it had been! 

Lucky for us all, the splinters were removed successfully and she felt the big difference even though her foot was a bit bruised. When it was over, she demanded more M&M from her papa!

Sweet granddad he truly is one.

These days has been terribly awful scorching hot! The hot spell can really make you darn tired and lazy not?

I feel tired, lazy (what's new?) and sweaty the whole day!

Today after done cooking dinner, I called the kids over to help get dinner out. It was after a slight drizzle and the sky was hazy without the sun glaring. My dad asked if dinner to be served out on the balcony or at the dining table, I decided balcony since it had been a long while since we last had it there. It ought to be cooling a bit after the drizzle, or so I thought.

But unbelievable crazy shit, it was still so hot! I was sweating profusely, the air was warm, humid and there wasn't any wind blowing. In addition, the soup was piping hot. Everything so hot!

Meimei was complaining but feeling lazy to move everything over back to the dining table, I told her to just suck it up, tie her hair up and eat her dinner. She went on and on throwing a little tantrum about not being able to tie her hair and I refused to help her and in the end, she started to cry. Which made me even more furious! And I shot her a lecture this shouldn't be the way to thank me for a dinner I had tirelessly made for them though I was sweating all over myself for the last 1.5 hours or so. She fought hard to hold back her tears then.

Later, my dad who had finished his dinner, consoled meimei and taught her to eat slowly spoon by spoon and even fan her with a piece of newspaper so she wouldn't be so hot. I felt so touched, my dad is really a great guy. He had shown his love and soft ways to me ever since I was young, and now, he's doing the same to my little brat. And I felt they are SO lucky to have their 4 grandparents doting on them so much.

I wanted to take a picture of him doing that as proof and show meimei how much her wai-koong pampers her but my phone ran out of juice. So, I just have to make do with telling this story in my own words, hoping she would, in future, realize how really wonderful her grandparents are.

My lovely present for my birthday this year.

I'm turning 42 this coming Thurs. Jen Mei had earlier bought me a lovely lunch and I had an absolutely wonderful time with her, chatting and catching up on each other's news. I'm so blessed to have her as my good buddy. And, here I am, showing off my birthday pressie from my hubs. Isn't it so awww....? (Psyching myself to forget all the sighs and grunts from him when he paid for that)

I picked this gift myself long before the month of May was here. Korkor kept pestering me to get a new laptop or a new phone but heck, no way, only birthdays I felt justified to get all these useless stuffs at an exorbitant price for myself. I love myself, I just want to pamper myself with all the pretty things I love. Before this, I didn't think of it that way, but lately, I have UBAH! Yes, changed for the better.

After all, I told myself I totally deserved it. And my hubs has it good, it's all Valentine's Day gift, Mother's Day, anniversary, christmas, all lumped into 1, apa lagi dia mahu, kan?

This bracelet is sooooo pretty. I want more charms to go into it. Anyone wants to buy me a birthday gift? Charms is the way to go, I'll LOVE YOU forever!

Mom's day.

We had a great 8 course chinese dinner for mother's day celebration at Ipoh the last week, the night before the blackout day.

The dinner was attended with all the closer aunts and the immediate family of my in-laws, 14 of us altogether, big and small. The evening was filled with laughter and joy, I felt that myself too but most likely because of the excitement of the coming election and the possible chance of a change, a great change.

The food was absolutely great.

And today is the actual Mom's Day. My dad is here with me since last week and we took him to Chillis last night also to celebrate his birthday as well. I could see he was enjoying the food so much, I feel so bad that I couldn't feed him luxuriously more often than not. But he's such a great dad, he doesn't complain and he absolutely not demanding for more. He's growing old now, his movements are getting slower and his hearing is also not as good, but he's always smiling and helping me when I ask him to.

I called my mom to come over, but she's happy to be in Ipoh for now, playing mahjong with my inlaws. I don't like to force her, I prefer she does what she feels like doing.

Today, we slept till late in the morning and had a late breakfast. Then we came back home and did some revision. At 4, we went out to find a barber for the kids. I could cut their hair, but I find it too troublesome to clean up the mess after that. We stumbled into a barber who charges RM6 for children below 12, and for korkor, he didn't quite believe he's still 12 (technically he's still is, as his birthday is not here yet), and the barber asked for RM7. I jumped for it straight away, it was such a steal!

Oh, for mom's day, the kids hugged me (after I asked). It was special since getting a hug from korkor these days is so darn difficult.

Lazy, tired and demotivated

The exams are just around the corner, in fact korkor's mid year exam is already here, but the sense of kancheong is nowhere to be felt. Prepared, you ask? Far from it, I believe. But I have no motivation or urge to push them to the core to study for it. Tell me why.

I just want to lie back and sleep. I just want to dig stories of current issues to find a ray of hope. I don't feel like cooking. I don't want to do my groceries shopping, though some stock is running low. I feel so awful lazy and tired. During the afternoons, my eyelids are soooo heavy but I can't sleep, dammit. But I find it so difficult to start tutoring the kids. Come night time, I just urge the kids to kaotim their homework and off to bed as soon as they can . Then I start playing Candy Crush till my eyes can't open anymore, and only then be going to sleep but that would be left 4-5 hours before the alarm rings. 

Grr! What is wrong??

Post mortem GE13

The excitement came and gone. Life's back to the normal grind. Everything remains the same (so far) albeit people still encouraging each other to never give up and keep on fighting. Which I think, makes me even more confused and desperate. There's also something about false hope that could brings damaging effect. I don't know, I'm a very simple person, I just want to do what I am capable of doing and making the best out of what we do have. If I can't even do that, how would I even think of fighting for a greater cause?

So, back to basics, bring the children up with values of kindness, compassion, manners and etiquette, consideration for others, and I believe happiness will follow them where they go, and they will make their own bright future never mind what the circumstances are.