The football match Malaysia vs Indonesia during the Finals of the SEA Games was perhaps the most highlighted event of the entire SEA Games for Malaysians.
But what's the BIG deal? Yeah, the fact that we won it now for the 2nd time in a row is quite a big deal, but wouldn't all the other GOLD medal winners feel somewhat shunned by all the extra publicity and praises/compliments the football team got compared to them?
I would, if I were them.
It is the same gold medal only in a different event, so shouldn't all be equal? Did the return of the Yoong siblings received such a grandeur celebration? Not to mention Aliyaah Yoong is the youngest ever gold medal winner in the SEA games. Isn't that even a greater achievement, not to mention for a 8-year-old!! And between the 3 of them, they brought in 5 golds for the country.
The football match was the talk of the whole office the very next day. But did anyone talk about Heidi Gan's 2 gold medal efforts in the 5km and 10km open water swim? And when Kimberly Yap won the women's triathlon in the previous games, twice consecutively, was she the talk of the country? No, only the triathlon community.
Biased? I really think so.
Plus all the money that goes into training these athletes....somewhat wrongly focussed and channelled to the wrong people.
Oh well....I think there should be some fairness in treating our athletes who have put in so much effort in their own ways to bring back the medals for the country!
Showing posts with label ramblings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ramblings. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Friday, October 14, 2011
Cheap vege up for grabs!
Literally!!
Do you notice that most Tesco's will have a rack filled with vege which are already in not such good condition? Well, it's bundled up and perhaps its good to consume within the day or maybe 10% from the pack/bundle are not too fresh anymore. Well, I noticed they used to have that racked filled with almost rotten fruits and it really put me off.
OK, perhaps it was my bad and those fruits might have been lying there more than 1 day. I have recently been going to 'view that rack' to look for those prepacked salads which go for 20-30% of their original price. At RM7-9 per pack originally, am getting them for below RM2 now. And most are still in good and very fresh condition.
I do not have any idea when they usually bring this rack out, but I think those old ladies do. And they must have been waiting for it cos when I coincidentally went there, the racks were full and all the ladies were fighting/grabbing what they could. Luckily they were not 'fighting' for those salad packs. They were fighting for the local variety of vege.
Now I wonder if they (Tesco & the ladies) do that at a certain time everyday. It was quite amusing watching them after I picked my pack of salad. The type I got today wasn't my fav, but better than nothing I suppose.
Do you notice that most Tesco's will have a rack filled with vege which are already in not such good condition? Well, it's bundled up and perhaps its good to consume within the day or maybe 10% from the pack/bundle are not too fresh anymore. Well, I noticed they used to have that racked filled with almost rotten fruits and it really put me off.
OK, perhaps it was my bad and those fruits might have been lying there more than 1 day. I have recently been going to 'view that rack' to look for those prepacked salads which go for 20-30% of their original price. At RM7-9 per pack originally, am getting them for below RM2 now. And most are still in good and very fresh condition.
I do not have any idea when they usually bring this rack out, but I think those old ladies do. And they must have been waiting for it cos when I coincidentally went there, the racks were full and all the ladies were fighting/grabbing what they could. Luckily they were not 'fighting' for those salad packs. They were fighting for the local variety of vege.
Now I wonder if they (Tesco & the ladies) do that at a certain time everyday. It was quite amusing watching them after I picked my pack of salad. The type I got today wasn't my fav, but better than nothing I suppose.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Slack
I've been such a slacker at updating my blog recently. Partly because I was really tied up with work and then there's the other reason - blame the kids ;p
Their late sleeping times do no justice as AIR2 always wants to have her say on the laptop too...and once in a while when 'mummy do work' excuse doesn't work, AIR1 will also butt in for his share of 'ABC'.
Today, one of the rare days...both asleep by 10pm with me. I say with me because when they're alone with me, I always get bullied. They sleep late and demand all sorts of things from me, despite me being stern. Maybe they detect that lil' soft spot in me, despite being stern :)
Now, at 15 months, AIR2 finally has started to walk...on her own, non-stop and even tried to play football...but with a much smaller ball. I guess she must've been itching to do that since the day she saw her brother do it.
then ,there's the 'bouncy' sessions on our bed which she always watches AIR1 enjoy himself doing. And finally, she tries to do it herself, i.e. hold and move hands up and down on her side (like jumping the star-jump), but in reality, her bouncing effect is from all the jumping AIR1 is doing on the bed. Ignorance is bliss....she thinks she is jumping, and she's so happy 'jumping'.
It;s been two consecutive days where she had mild fever at night...I hope it's just a sign of more teeth 'sprouting', because at 15 mths, she only has her two lower-jaw-bunny-teeth. But despite just having 2 teeth only, she eats all sorts of stuff.
1 more item on my to-do-list before I call it a night!
see u next week!
Their late sleeping times do no justice as AIR2 always wants to have her say on the laptop too...and once in a while when 'mummy do work' excuse doesn't work, AIR1 will also butt in for his share of 'ABC'.
Today, one of the rare days...both asleep by 10pm with me. I say with me because when they're alone with me, I always get bullied. They sleep late and demand all sorts of things from me, despite me being stern. Maybe they detect that lil' soft spot in me, despite being stern :)
Now, at 15 months, AIR2 finally has started to walk...on her own, non-stop and even tried to play football...but with a much smaller ball. I guess she must've been itching to do that since the day she saw her brother do it.
then ,there's the 'bouncy' sessions on our bed which she always watches AIR1 enjoy himself doing. And finally, she tries to do it herself, i.e. hold and move hands up and down on her side (like jumping the star-jump), but in reality, her bouncing effect is from all the jumping AIR1 is doing on the bed. Ignorance is bliss....she thinks she is jumping, and she's so happy 'jumping'.
It;s been two consecutive days where she had mild fever at night...I hope it's just a sign of more teeth 'sprouting', because at 15 mths, she only has her two lower-jaw-bunny-teeth. But despite just having 2 teeth only, she eats all sorts of stuff.
1 more item on my to-do-list before I call it a night!
see u next week!
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Training
Post Raya training has been tough.
Immediately after Raya break, I was looking forward to a long run. I know I will suffer as the weekdays which were prior to this was filled with hopeless milleage and speed. So when Sun came (Sat had to abandon plans 10mins before leaving the house as all of a sudden AIR1 called out for me....and I spent the whole morning resting with him at home instead ;p), I left as early as I could.
Target - 3 loops
Loop #1 - slow, but felt good
Loop #2 - still slow and felt like dying at the steep slope
Loop #3 - half walked up that same steep slope
And I realise I need to put in more if I wanted to complete PBIM close to my PB or even my 1st half mara time in 2001 and 2000 respectively. Ouch...that's 10 years ago!!
Mon morning - the ache in my legs felt as though I ran a marathon...yes, literally.
And last week, long weekend, and I planned to run on all 3 days.
Fri - 3 loops, but this time I believe I was slower than the previous week. Seriously suffered. Short of breath after 1 loop.
Sat - 3 loops, though I wanted 4 but at the end of 3, felt like I was going to just die of shortness of breath
Sun - slow and easy with a friend. Felt good because I was not pressuring or pushing myself.
Need to rest and recover. Perhaps lack of sleep caused the breathing problems. Body was tired, I guess.
If I consistently do that 3 loops or 4 soon, every weekend, then I think I will be ok for PBIM. Otherwise I am having 2nd thoughts.
Decisions decisions.....should I or should I not sign up now??
Immediately after Raya break, I was looking forward to a long run. I know I will suffer as the weekdays which were prior to this was filled with hopeless milleage and speed. So when Sun came (Sat had to abandon plans 10mins before leaving the house as all of a sudden AIR1 called out for me....and I spent the whole morning resting with him at home instead ;p), I left as early as I could.
Target - 3 loops
Loop #1 - slow, but felt good
Loop #2 - still slow and felt like dying at the steep slope
Loop #3 - half walked up that same steep slope
And I realise I need to put in more if I wanted to complete PBIM close to my PB or even my 1st half mara time in 2001 and 2000 respectively. Ouch...that's 10 years ago!!
Mon morning - the ache in my legs felt as though I ran a marathon...yes, literally.
And last week, long weekend, and I planned to run on all 3 days.
Fri - 3 loops, but this time I believe I was slower than the previous week. Seriously suffered. Short of breath after 1 loop.
Sat - 3 loops, though I wanted 4 but at the end of 3, felt like I was going to just die of shortness of breath
Sun - slow and easy with a friend. Felt good because I was not pressuring or pushing myself.
Need to rest and recover. Perhaps lack of sleep caused the breathing problems. Body was tired, I guess.
If I consistently do that 3 loops or 4 soon, every weekend, then I think I will be ok for PBIM. Otherwise I am having 2nd thoughts.
Decisions decisions.....should I or should I not sign up now??
out-of-office again
It feels as though its been quite a while since I went out of office, but I believe the last was sometime mid Aug, also to JB where I am now.
Right after Raya break I was 'out of office' too, but because work was still in Klang Valley, technically it felt like I was 'home'.
Kids sleeping late and barely have time to browse my social networking sites and blogs, I felt abit lost...kinda out dated :)
So here I am now trying to get updated on the happenings for the past 2 weeks :)
Right after Raya break I was 'out of office' too, but because work was still in Klang Valley, technically it felt like I was 'home'.
Kids sleeping late and barely have time to browse my social networking sites and blogs, I felt abit lost...kinda out dated :)
So here I am now trying to get updated on the happenings for the past 2 weeks :)
Friday, September 9, 2011
Piles - Harmorrhoids
Piles are round swellings on the inside of the anal canal - the short, muscular tube that connects your rectum (back passage) with your anus - in areas known as the anal cushions.
Although piles develop from inside your anal canal, they can hang down out of your rectum. They are graded as follows.
- First degree piles are swellings on the inside lining of your anal canal. They may bleed but can't be seen from outside the anus.
- Second degree piles are larger and stick out (prolapse) from the anus when you have a bowel movement, but return on their own afterwards.
- Third degree piles are similar, but hang out from your anus and only return inside when pushed back in.
- Fourth degree piles permanently hang down from your anus and you can't push them back inside. They may become extremely swollen and painful if the blood in them clots.
- External piles are swellings that develop from below the anal cushions. They can be more painful than the other types of piles.
Other causes of lumps around the anus can include a sentinel pile, which is the painless skin tag that develops when a crack in the anus (an anal fissure) heals up
Common symptoms of piles include:
- painless bleeding from your anus, which you may notice in the toilet bowl or when you use toilet paper, or from soiled underwear
- a lump on your anus
- a slimy discharge of mucus
- a feeling that your bowels haven't emptied completely
- itchy skin around your anus
- swelling around your anus
- pain and discomfort after a bowel movement if you have external piles
These symptoms may be caused by problems other than piles. You should visit your GP for advice.
Causes of piles
The exact cause of piles isn't known.
One theory is that piles are a result of a weakness of the tissue that connects the anal cushions to the muscle layers underneath. In combination with frequently straining while passing hard bowel movements, this can cause the anal cushions to slide out of their usual place and down the rectum.
You're more likely to develop piles:
- if you eat a low-fibre diet
- if you strain to empty your bowels (for example, if you have constipation)
- as you age because the support structures in your rectum weaken
- if you're pregnant
- if you're born with a weakness in your rectum or have a family history of piles
The information was extracted from www.bupa.co.uk
And why on earth am I writing about piles?
After about 2.5 weeks of fasting during Ramadhan, I noticed something wasn't very right with me. I do occassionally suffer constipation, mild and usually recovers on its own. Unfortunately one day I had 2 to 3 of the symptoms listed above. With the occassional discomfort where the sun don't shine, I had to check it out. I was worried.
Since I knew of piles long time ago, my mental picture of it was extremely different from the reality. I googled photos of it and finally self-diagnosed myself to have it. Disheartened and worried it may be more serious (I had the fourth type and possibly also the external ones), I went to the pharmacy and asked for medication for this, as it was almost the weekend and the most convenient lady-dr is only available on Mon.
Miraculously, by Sun I was cured. Cured in the sense the discomfort was gone and I believe no 'lump' was there anymore....
Thank God.
The cause of it all? My extreme diet change during the Ramadhan month. Not enough fruits and fibre in my diet. My daily lunch intake always has lots of vege n fruits. But during ramadhan.....no lunch, and all that also gone. Param food leaves me with not much option and no one sells sliced pineapple in the evening ;p
There were days where I actually had salad as my sahur after this incident. :)
Now lets aim to eat healthily and piles, be GONE!
Although piles develop from inside your anal canal, they can hang down out of your rectum. They are graded as follows.
- First degree piles are swellings on the inside lining of your anal canal. They may bleed but can't be seen from outside the anus.
- Second degree piles are larger and stick out (prolapse) from the anus when you have a bowel movement, but return on their own afterwards.
- Third degree piles are similar, but hang out from your anus and only return inside when pushed back in.
- Fourth degree piles permanently hang down from your anus and you can't push them back inside. They may become extremely swollen and painful if the blood in them clots.
- External piles are swellings that develop from below the anal cushions. They can be more painful than the other types of piles.
Other causes of lumps around the anus can include a sentinel pile, which is the painless skin tag that develops when a crack in the anus (an anal fissure) heals up
Common symptoms of piles include:
- painless bleeding from your anus, which you may notice in the toilet bowl or when you use toilet paper, or from soiled underwear
- a lump on your anus
- a slimy discharge of mucus
- a feeling that your bowels haven't emptied completely
- itchy skin around your anus
- swelling around your anus
- pain and discomfort after a bowel movement if you have external piles
These symptoms may be caused by problems other than piles. You should visit your GP for advice.
Causes of piles
The exact cause of piles isn't known.
One theory is that piles are a result of a weakness of the tissue that connects the anal cushions to the muscle layers underneath. In combination with frequently straining while passing hard bowel movements, this can cause the anal cushions to slide out of their usual place and down the rectum.
You're more likely to develop piles:
- if you eat a low-fibre diet
- if you strain to empty your bowels (for example, if you have constipation)
- as you age because the support structures in your rectum weaken
- if you're pregnant
- if you're born with a weakness in your rectum or have a family history of piles
The information was extracted from www.bupa.co.uk
And why on earth am I writing about piles?
After about 2.5 weeks of fasting during Ramadhan, I noticed something wasn't very right with me. I do occassionally suffer constipation, mild and usually recovers on its own. Unfortunately one day I had 2 to 3 of the symptoms listed above. With the occassional discomfort where the sun don't shine, I had to check it out. I was worried.
Since I knew of piles long time ago, my mental picture of it was extremely different from the reality. I googled photos of it and finally self-diagnosed myself to have it. Disheartened and worried it may be more serious (I had the fourth type and possibly also the external ones), I went to the pharmacy and asked for medication for this, as it was almost the weekend and the most convenient lady-dr is only available on Mon.
Miraculously, by Sun I was cured. Cured in the sense the discomfort was gone and I believe no 'lump' was there anymore....
Thank God.
The cause of it all? My extreme diet change during the Ramadhan month. Not enough fruits and fibre in my diet. My daily lunch intake always has lots of vege n fruits. But during ramadhan.....no lunch, and all that also gone. Param food leaves me with not much option and no one sells sliced pineapple in the evening ;p
There were days where I actually had salad as my sahur after this incident. :)
Now lets aim to eat healthily and piles, be GONE!
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Update update
So much to update (really? that much? kekeke) but not enough time...late nights throughout the long break I had (yes, late nights, but not partying, late nights thanks to the kiddos...;p) and hence I don't get the chance to go online...
AIR2 loves to have her say with the lappy too....AIR1 already understands that 'Mummy do work' and leaves me alone...unless his angry-bird-mood returns and wants to play angry bird or watch 'pirates' = Jake & the Neverland Pirates on YouTube.
So I will update with photos when I can again. The looooong leave has taken a toll on my morning kickstarts and everything else ;p
AIR2 loves to have her say with the lappy too....AIR1 already understands that 'Mummy do work' and leaves me alone...unless his angry-bird-mood returns and wants to play angry bird or watch 'pirates' = Jake & the Neverland Pirates on YouTube.
So I will update with photos when I can again. The looooong leave has taken a toll on my morning kickstarts and everything else ;p
Post Holiday Syndrome
arrrgh!!
How long would it take for me to adjust to waking up early again??
Mon - thank God I was on leave....woke up 730am
Tues - after goodness knows how many times my alarm rang and was 'snoozed-upon' I woke up...luckily it was 530am.
Wed - same as Tues, except that my attempt to sleep early the night before was foiled as the kids were the heroes of the day....1130pm and still going strong...mummy half dead.
And so Wednesday's morning run was like dragging dead logs along and I think I must've ran at 8min pace or something....well good enough to get some adrenaline out and wake myself up to last till lunch time, at least :)
How long would it take for me to adjust to waking up early again??
Mon - thank God I was on leave....woke up 730am
Tues - after goodness knows how many times my alarm rang and was 'snoozed-upon' I woke up...luckily it was 530am.
Wed - same as Tues, except that my attempt to sleep early the night before was foiled as the kids were the heroes of the day....1130pm and still going strong...mummy half dead.
And so Wednesday's morning run was like dragging dead logs along and I think I must've ran at 8min pace or something....well good enough to get some adrenaline out and wake myself up to last till lunch time, at least :)
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Breastfeed on the run
When AIR2 was between 1-2 months, and we went out shopping, I will carry her in the sling. It was the most convenient thing ever.
What I loved about it was also the fact that I could even BF her while shopping and walking around without people realising it. I didn't have to stop, find a seat or a suitable spot before I could feed her.
I've also BFed AIR1 while driving...ok, I know it is dangerous, but I had no where to stop and the poor baby was crying himself silly. It was a short stretch before I found a place to stop. And that was only once!
But today, I found out that there are some people who are able to do more amazing things! On the way for some so-called last minute grocery shopping in Gurun, we were tailing a motorcyclist. What caught my attention was the toddler standing on the bike between the dad (driver) and mum (pillion) was that she had brownish hair. THe kind of brown where I read that is actually some mineral/vitamin deficiency in toddlers. Then I noticed that she was crying out and all of a sudden, the mum laid her down. Hub thought she was putting her to sleep, but I suddenly saw that she was slowly lifting her blouse. I just exclaimed - OMG, she's goona BF that lil' girl!! Amazing! I'm sure she's done this more than once. She's probably and expert at it already.
Now, talk about breastfeeding on the run!!
What I loved about it was also the fact that I could even BF her while shopping and walking around without people realising it. I didn't have to stop, find a seat or a suitable spot before I could feed her.
I've also BFed AIR1 while driving...ok, I know it is dangerous, but I had no where to stop and the poor baby was crying himself silly. It was a short stretch before I found a place to stop. And that was only once!
But today, I found out that there are some people who are able to do more amazing things! On the way for some so-called last minute grocery shopping in Gurun, we were tailing a motorcyclist. What caught my attention was the toddler standing on the bike between the dad (driver) and mum (pillion) was that she had brownish hair. THe kind of brown where I read that is actually some mineral/vitamin deficiency in toddlers. Then I noticed that she was crying out and all of a sudden, the mum laid her down. Hub thought she was putting her to sleep, but I suddenly saw that she was slowly lifting her blouse. I just exclaimed - OMG, she's goona BF that lil' girl!! Amazing! I'm sure she's done this more than once. She's probably and expert at it already.
Now, talk about breastfeeding on the run!!
Monday, August 22, 2011
Friday, August 19, 2011
Buka Puasa in KL Hilton
Dissapointing buka puasa last night. Hub had an invitation to attend Proton's Buka Puasa with the Media at Hilton KL. Hearing the good feedback on food there, we were excited.
It was also because last week we had buka puasa with Les' Copaque in One World Hotel's Cinnamon Coffee House and the spread was endless. If I sampled just one bit from each, I think I'd explode. There was just too many types and the variety was endless. Pasta, Desserts, Dim Sum, from the Grill, Japanese, Chinese, Yong Tou Foo, Roasted Lamb, Malay dishes, Indian food & curries, Salads, Fruits, Drinks, Soups and I can't even remember how many dishes they had. It was just endless.
So expecting the same spread, we were totally dissapointed. The event was held at the Ballroom, and not in any of its restaurant. Hence, the spread was specially catered for this event. And as you can guess by now, it wasn't very impressive. Bubur Lambuk seafood, Oxtail soup to start. Some gado-gado, strange looking Malaysian/Indon salad which I have no idea what it was, roast duck, roast chicken, rendang kerang, serunding and some other light stuff which didn't look too apetizing. Mains had rice, nasi minyak and fried lou shi fun (short fat noodles ;p), rendang beef, dry curry lamb, curry chicken, sweet and sour fish (which was totally hard), sambal prawns, mix vege and one other curry like dish which I don't remember.
Desserts wasn't that appealing either. Some sago jelly thing, coconut pudding, pandan jelly/truffle like stuff, mixed fruit platter and bread pudding (which was not up to standard at all). Fruits pun so pathetic. Only thing different, they served markisa.
In the begining they had an array of about 5-6 selections of drinks and juices and teh tarik and nescafe tarik. By the time I wanted my juices, it was all gone and no refills. Pathetic. Thank goodness I had my fill of teh tarik and nescafe tarik, which were good. Tried their coffee and it wasn't that nice.
Oh, forgot, they served curry noodles, roti boom and roti canai and some kebab/pita thingy which I wasn't bothered.
Sorry no photos cos I'd look weird trying to snap amongst all those hungry faces :)
Wasn't satisfied. Had a large iced lemon tea on the way home and that was totally refreshing! It was a long hot day on site and that was what I wanted most!
Now, I wonder if we may have any next week?
It was also because last week we had buka puasa with Les' Copaque in One World Hotel's Cinnamon Coffee House and the spread was endless. If I sampled just one bit from each, I think I'd explode. There was just too many types and the variety was endless. Pasta, Desserts, Dim Sum, from the Grill, Japanese, Chinese, Yong Tou Foo, Roasted Lamb, Malay dishes, Indian food & curries, Salads, Fruits, Drinks, Soups and I can't even remember how many dishes they had. It was just endless.
So expecting the same spread, we were totally dissapointed. The event was held at the Ballroom, and not in any of its restaurant. Hence, the spread was specially catered for this event. And as you can guess by now, it wasn't very impressive. Bubur Lambuk seafood, Oxtail soup to start. Some gado-gado, strange looking Malaysian/Indon salad which I have no idea what it was, roast duck, roast chicken, rendang kerang, serunding and some other light stuff which didn't look too apetizing. Mains had rice, nasi minyak and fried lou shi fun (short fat noodles ;p), rendang beef, dry curry lamb, curry chicken, sweet and sour fish (which was totally hard), sambal prawns, mix vege and one other curry like dish which I don't remember.
Desserts wasn't that appealing either. Some sago jelly thing, coconut pudding, pandan jelly/truffle like stuff, mixed fruit platter and bread pudding (which was not up to standard at all). Fruits pun so pathetic. Only thing different, they served markisa.
In the begining they had an array of about 5-6 selections of drinks and juices and teh tarik and nescafe tarik. By the time I wanted my juices, it was all gone and no refills. Pathetic. Thank goodness I had my fill of teh tarik and nescafe tarik, which were good. Tried their coffee and it wasn't that nice.
Oh, forgot, they served curry noodles, roti boom and roti canai and some kebab/pita thingy which I wasn't bothered.
Sorry no photos cos I'd look weird trying to snap amongst all those hungry faces :)
Wasn't satisfied. Had a large iced lemon tea on the way home and that was totally refreshing! It was a long hot day on site and that was what I wanted most!
Now, I wonder if we may have any next week?
Thursday, August 18, 2011
What's for sahur?
Running out of ideas. I'm the no-fuss,no-frills-type during sahur....Laziness personified ;p
For the first week, I had roti jala almost every morning. 2nd week, I continued but on certain days there was fried bihun or just egg sandwich. And now, running into the 3rd calender week, I'm out of ideas. I even had just vege yesterday morning with 1 slice of bread. I guess I couldn't sustain on roti jala because the quality of the curry which comes with it just deteriorated as the days went by. Alternative curry was not easily accessible hence I just stopped.
Siu mai which I had 2 days back was superb. Too bad today we didn't go to the TTDI bazaar so no supply :(
Now what shall I have tomorrow? Tempted to cook spagethi tonight but then AIR2 suddenly awakens and now I'm stuck. Oh well....save that for the weekend perhaps.
Well....
For the first week, I had roti jala almost every morning. 2nd week, I continued but on certain days there was fried bihun or just egg sandwich. And now, running into the 3rd calender week, I'm out of ideas. I even had just vege yesterday morning with 1 slice of bread. I guess I couldn't sustain on roti jala because the quality of the curry which comes with it just deteriorated as the days went by. Alternative curry was not easily accessible hence I just stopped.
Siu mai which I had 2 days back was superb. Too bad today we didn't go to the TTDI bazaar so no supply :(
Now what shall I have tomorrow? Tempted to cook spagethi tonight but then AIR2 suddenly awakens and now I'm stuck. Oh well....save that for the weekend perhaps.
Well....
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Half of Ramadhan is over!
I barely have time to do anything at home during the fasting month.
Sadly the routine has been - feed the kids, break fast (or concurrently), rest a while (20-30mins depending on what permits) and then AIR1 and AIR2 will make sure you are part of their games, or TV/DVD watching sessions. This goes on till 1030 - 11pm on most days and even almost 12midnight on occasionally days where AIR2 refuses to sleep.
Adoi...on the other hand, am looking forward to waking up at 4am, spin and then sahur. After 16 days, I've only done that twice. Resorted to sahur then run at 715am instead. Consistent but I just don't have enough time to run more than 4km each session. Does not help in improving my stamina. But I guess its better than nothing :)
the huge butterfly which visited us on the 14th day of Ramadhan....as much as both of them like watching it, they were afraid of getting close to it
AIR2 at 14 months
Sadly the routine has been - feed the kids, break fast (or concurrently), rest a while (20-30mins depending on what permits) and then AIR1 and AIR2 will make sure you are part of their games, or TV/DVD watching sessions. This goes on till 1030 - 11pm on most days and even almost 12midnight on occasionally days where AIR2 refuses to sleep.
Adoi...on the other hand, am looking forward to waking up at 4am, spin and then sahur. After 16 days, I've only done that twice. Resorted to sahur then run at 715am instead. Consistent but I just don't have enough time to run more than 4km each session. Does not help in improving my stamina. But I guess its better than nothing :)
the huge butterfly which visited us on the 14th day of Ramadhan....as much as both of them like watching it, they were afraid of getting close to it
AIR2 at 14 months
And today is one of the rare days where they're asleep by 10am (we were on the way back home) hence I have some time to do my work.
Noticed that I've also been slacking at posting pictures. I guess handling 2 fellas while eating or doing something occupies us. And I tend to forget. Not to forget my 'diva' son who dislikes to be photographed. :)
Selamat menyambut Nuzul al-Quran!
Monday, August 1, 2011
Stressed out!
Kek si lang!! (Hokkien - sakit hati)
Emo day I guess but then again...its unexplainable. I dunno.
I'm just bitter about things I suppose.
I hope this dark cloud will drift away soon.
Emo day I guess but then again...its unexplainable. I dunno.
I'm just bitter about things I suppose.
I hope this dark cloud will drift away soon.
Ramadhan
Salam Ramadhan to all my Muslim friends.
Please forgive me if I would have been harsh in my postings/comments in this blog or yours or even in our meetings.
Hope this month will bring allow us to know Him better and make us a better person.
I'll try to forget the past, but somehow 'forgive and forget' is easier said than done. Everytime Ramadhan comes, it brings back memories. Memories of which I do hope to erase forever but it never gets done that way. It just haunts me more.
Maybe Ramadhan this year will be the beginning of something better?
Selamat bersahur & berbuka! :)
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Stuck at home!
It's 9th July, and at 545am, I headed to Bukit Jalil. What do you know?? The road block which I saw on the opposite direction the night before is now in my direction and am stuck!
YES, literally STUCK for 40mins cos no vehicles were moving at all. I had no escape. Cursed them and I was so tempted to wind down my windows to ask them what was their problem because they didn't even check or anything. PLUS this road does not only lead to KL but to many other places, so why not block at those relavant areas only???
after 40mins of time-wasted, I turned back home and decided to LSD near my housing area. Mood gone, headache crept in.
So it wasn't a real LSD but a longer run than usual, by definition. Ran through where the rich live. Ran through where the middle income earners live. And ran to buy myself newpaper, thosai and nasi lemak for the family :)
And now, stuck watching crappy paid-TV hoping that by the time the kids wake up, the roadblocks would've cleared and we'll have a good outing. This gloomy/hazy weather does not help. Swimming plans canceled. :(
What are you up to today?
I still need to BERSIH-kan my kitchen, though :)
YES, literally STUCK for 40mins cos no vehicles were moving at all. I had no escape. Cursed them and I was so tempted to wind down my windows to ask them what was their problem because they didn't even check or anything. PLUS this road does not only lead to KL but to many other places, so why not block at those relavant areas only???
after 40mins of time-wasted, I turned back home and decided to LSD near my housing area. Mood gone, headache crept in.
So it wasn't a real LSD but a longer run than usual, by definition. Ran through where the rich live. Ran through where the middle income earners live. And ran to buy myself newpaper, thosai and nasi lemak for the family :)
And now, stuck watching crappy paid-TV hoping that by the time the kids wake up, the roadblocks would've cleared and we'll have a good outing. This gloomy/hazy weather does not help. Swimming plans canceled. :(
What are you up to today?
I still need to BERSIH-kan my kitchen, though :)
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Fly FM Pagi Show
Fly FM pagi show will never be the same again next week.
Why? Ben & Fabes will no longer be during the pagi show slot. Somehow Fly FM music has recently been urm not at the lastest, but the entertainment during the pagi show is still the best. The evening slot isn't too bad either, but Fly is the only station I like listening to. And now I wonder who is going to be with Nadia during the morning slot.
No offence to Nadia but I find her alone rather boring. I find Hitz.fm's morning show boring too, as I can't stand Rudy's accent and his laugh is annoying. I find the other stations' not as entertaining either in the morning but somehow, Ben&Fabes have synergized pretty well and perhaps are on a somewhat similar wavelength.
Oh well, we'll just have to wait and see next week.
Why? Ben & Fabes will no longer be during the pagi show slot. Somehow Fly FM music has recently been urm not at the lastest, but the entertainment during the pagi show is still the best. The evening slot isn't too bad either, but Fly is the only station I like listening to. And now I wonder who is going to be with Nadia during the morning slot.
No offence to Nadia but I find her alone rather boring. I find Hitz.fm's morning show boring too, as I can't stand Rudy's accent and his laugh is annoying. I find the other stations' not as entertaining either in the morning but somehow, Ben&Fabes have synergized pretty well and perhaps are on a somewhat similar wavelength.
Oh well, we'll just have to wait and see next week.
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Traffic, traffic everywhere
It's strange because after many days here, I am not able to even load the Facebook page. I think it is banned here, just like in China. Oh well...Thank goodness blogging and my emails are still accessible :) Otherwise I'd be so disconnected!!
5 days gone, time to leave tomorrow. Thank God, flight's on a Sunday and there's no mad traffic rush. I would've thought my daily battle with traffic in KL was bad. Traffic in Saigon is worse. It takes between 1 to 1.5hr to get from the city to the industrial area, and that is if you leave at 630 or 7am. Any later, and it'll be worse. It took me 2+ hours to get back one day when I left the site at 5pm. On the day I left at 7pm, it took me 1+ hr too. Bear in mind, I wasn't even driving!! And motorcylists take almost 1 hr to travel 30km to work, according to my subcontractor, and that is because motorcylists get caught in horrible jams too!
rather old photo as now everyone wears helmet
To a certain extend, it makes me appreciate the KL traffic in a way :)
And one morning I witnessed a group of cyclists. My hats off to them. I wonder how the 'battle' with the traffic during their training sessions.
The amazing thing is - no one seems to be involved in any accidents. Intersections spanning 4-5 lanes each direction turns into a messy pool of motorcyclists and loud honking whenever the traffic light changes. I feel for the toddlers who ride with their parents. Some so young. But that's the quality of life there. Everyone dons face/dust masks.
Typical scene. Poor kid. I've seen a toddler sleeping on the bike. Building behind is the famous Cho Ben Thanh (Ben Thanh Market) - taken from stophavingaboringlife.com
I haven't had the chance to ask/see, I wonder how much petrol costs here.
Rain, rain go away, mummy wants to go and play. :) Its raining and I wanna do my final shopping. It has rained twice today. I brought the first rain for the 'rainy season' when I first arrived - so says my Vietnam colleague. Then it was dry for 3 days. Short spurt yesterday and earlier today and now.
All packed and ready but with some space left for last minute buys tonight :)
TATA!!
Friday, May 6, 2011
Ramblings of Saigon
The first time I met my colleague from the Vietnam office, I thought he resembled my ex-GM. Almost the same height and size and even style.
At site, when I met the supervisor of my sub contractor, he had an uncanny resemblance to someone I knew, but at that point of time, I just couldn't pinpoint. 2 days later, I recalled....he's an exact replica of my ex-bf. ;p Only thing, he's a wee bit shorter than I am (my ex was slightly taller than I am), and is Vietnamese ;p even the way he talks kinda resembles him.
Speaking of short, Vietnamese men are kinda short. Well, not all, but from the 15 people I have worked with during my stay here, only 3 are taller than I am and the rest, are either about my height or shorter. Oh well....
And since my site in within a manufacturing company, there are female and male production workers, most of them perhaps in the below 30 age group. either that, or they have young-looking genes. And ALL, with exception of the cleaners and slightly older women, wear their pants really really really low waist-style. Most are slim :) But I expected more...hehehe maybe modenization played its part in fattening them up ;p Genetics!!
They are nice people, though most of them can't really speak English. Even some of the hotel bellboys. Hope to snap some decent pics of the city tomorrow during my morning tour-on-foot :) most are night shots so far and not very nice.
Can't wait!
At site, when I met the supervisor of my sub contractor, he had an uncanny resemblance to someone I knew, but at that point of time, I just couldn't pinpoint. 2 days later, I recalled....he's an exact replica of my ex-bf. ;p Only thing, he's a wee bit shorter than I am (my ex was slightly taller than I am), and is Vietnamese ;p even the way he talks kinda resembles him.
Speaking of short, Vietnamese men are kinda short. Well, not all, but from the 15 people I have worked with during my stay here, only 3 are taller than I am and the rest, are either about my height or shorter. Oh well....
And since my site in within a manufacturing company, there are female and male production workers, most of them perhaps in the below 30 age group. either that, or they have young-looking genes. And ALL, with exception of the cleaners and slightly older women, wear their pants really really really low waist-style. Most are slim :) But I expected more...hehehe maybe modenization played its part in fattening them up ;p Genetics!!
They are nice people, though most of them can't really speak English. Even some of the hotel bellboys. Hope to snap some decent pics of the city tomorrow during my morning tour-on-foot :) most are night shots so far and not very nice.
Can't wait!
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Are Muslim converts a discriminated/disadvantaged lot?
YES!!! If you asked me! And why you may want to know, right?
I've never thought of if this way, although at times certain transactions may be less convenient, until I experienced it the hard way, TWICE and that's enough!
Be warned - extra long post!
Case 1
Pregnant and close to due date, (last year) went into a bank (CIMB) to withdraw some moolah. Not convenient for an ATM transaction, so I went to the counter. Knowing that the name on the account is that of my previous name, I provided the officer with my IC and my convert card. (And just in case you don't know, my previous name, the whole name, still exists in my new name, so if you compare, there's no reason to think that it may be 2 different people at all.) Few seconds later, she tells me that my name in the system is not the same as on my IC and she is unable to proceed with my transaction. I have to go to my 'home branch' (which is like 40km away) to change my name before she can do anything.
My question to her:
1. I have given you my convert card which states both my old n new name, with my IC number, so why can't you use that? (short of saying - you blind kah?!!)
2. My home branch is far away, can't u change it for me? (you think I got nothing better to do? In the IT-age, you trying to bluff me that you can't do it for me?
Guess what she said?
1. Nope, it doesn't match in the system so I can't allow it.
2. I can't. Its easier if you go there and do it yourself, anyway. (if my branch was in JB/Kedah/Kelantan and not 40km away??)
At that point of time, i was fuming and called hubby who was waiting in the car. Immediately he came up. But while he looked for parking, I demanded to see her manager and this other lady was as 'lazy' and unhelpful as she is.
I told her, an internationally recognized bank, HSBC has no qualms allowing me to do transactions like this. RHB too allows me to do transactions like this. And what is so wrong with another local bank? She says that's the rule. But haven't I showed them enough proof?
When hubby came in, he reiterrated the same. After some heated exchange of words among the 3 of us, she relented, saying ok go ahead. Can allow. And right after that, hubby asked her 'Is that the way you treat or discrimate converts, while you yourself is a Muslim? What kind of image are you trying to project? More so you're doing that to a pregnant lady??' She kept quiet.
Immediately I told that officer, 'Please take out ALL my money and leave on the minimal amount necessary (RM10, I think) for me to keep the account alive, after which I will ensure its dormant. No point wasting my time with people who treat others like less than human. It's as though I was trying to cheat them.' And its not like I've got millions in the bank to begin with. The officer then asked me - should I change the name for you? I told her, do what you feel like doing, and give me the money I asked for. The rest, I'm not bothered as I'm not going to do another transaction with this bank, so I don't need to know which name its under! (couple of weeks after, I received a letter notifying me of the name change)
When we got the money, the manager passed it to us and apologized, with tears in her eyes. We looked at her and told her, 'its too late. It's ok, don't have to apologize. You should've thought about your actions/words in the begining.'
(May I also add that we told her that we'd write to the press. Maybe this was what worried her, as we got all their names down.)
Case 2
Few days back, after finding out that I may need to go out of the country for work, I went to renew my passport which had expired in 2009. Wasn't prepared, so I went to the Subang branch immigration office and asked the info counter what I needed. I also told the office that my name on the old passport is that of my previous name and he told me to hold on while he checked again.
He came back n told me that I only needed to get a letter from JPN to confirm my name change and the other docs were the same as normal renewal, i.e. form, photo and copy of IC and the old passport. I went home to get my old passport and got the letter from JPN.
Went back to the same office 3 hours later (yes, kelana jaya to petaling jaya to cheras and back to KJ), sat infront of a young lady and she looks through my documents. Gave her the JPN letter and then suddenly she says I need your birthcert. At that instant, I exploded (controlled, slightly). I blurted out 'excuse me, I came here 3 hrs earlier and that officer, yes that guy there (pointing), told me this is all I needed, so I went home to get my passport only. If I'd knew I needed the BC, I'd have brought. Why can't you guys be firm and standarize?' She claims this is standard and dunno why that guy didn't mention. Seeing I was angry, she went to her superior and this slightly older man came to tell me that they will process my application first and then when they call me, I bring my BC. Did you notice that now it's an application? Not a renewal?
MY question is, do you think I'm illegal that I needed to show proof of my BC? Isn't my IC proof enough that I'm Malaysian with both my names stored there, and my convert card too? I actually asked JPN what's the name on the IC and she told me both names are in the chip. So what's the problem, immigration people?
Then I cooled down a little and spoke to the lady nicely, telling her that perhaps there should be a standard doc or info for all of them to refer to so they won't cause such inconvenience. YOu know what she replied? Typical lazy gov staff - 'Oh we already have this, and I dunno why that other person didn't tell you. We also have a checklist already.' I asked 'so if the checklist exists, why didn't he give me?' Now my voice raised, she kept quiet.
And prior to this, she actually asked me why I converted. I asked her, what's the relevance of this? Why do you need to know? For fun, can or not? she say she wants proof, so I say for fun, got proof? She kept quite and asked my for my kad nikah. Because she saw I ticked 'married'. The guy at the next counter already noticed that I was one angry customer. Any angrier, the whole office would've heard me.
Conclusion
1. Is the IC not good enough for any official transactions? IF not good enough then what's the point of carrying it around? Waste time and resourced putting up the JPN office to make IC for people.
2. IS there a reason there's so many red tapes for a muslim convert (mualaf) in this country? And you call yourself an Islamic nation?
3. Is this the way you are trying to show other religion that Islam is a very compromising religion? When the very people who are making life difficult for us are also Muslims themselves.
4. Don't ever give the excuse that this is the law/rule, because in Case 1, you could bend the rules. Rules are created by human, and if required, it can be changed. No? Then why at last in Case 1, I got my moolah and the officer could change my name without me going to my home branch?
I assure you, this will be sent to the press.
I've never thought of if this way, although at times certain transactions may be less convenient, until I experienced it the hard way, TWICE and that's enough!
Be warned - extra long post!
Case 1
Pregnant and close to due date, (last year) went into a bank (CIMB) to withdraw some moolah. Not convenient for an ATM transaction, so I went to the counter. Knowing that the name on the account is that of my previous name, I provided the officer with my IC and my convert card. (And just in case you don't know, my previous name, the whole name, still exists in my new name, so if you compare, there's no reason to think that it may be 2 different people at all.) Few seconds later, she tells me that my name in the system is not the same as on my IC and she is unable to proceed with my transaction. I have to go to my 'home branch' (which is like 40km away) to change my name before she can do anything.
My question to her:
1. I have given you my convert card which states both my old n new name, with my IC number, so why can't you use that? (short of saying - you blind kah?!!)
2. My home branch is far away, can't u change it for me? (you think I got nothing better to do? In the IT-age, you trying to bluff me that you can't do it for me?
Guess what she said?
1. Nope, it doesn't match in the system so I can't allow it.
2. I can't. Its easier if you go there and do it yourself, anyway. (if my branch was in JB/Kedah/Kelantan and not 40km away??)
At that point of time, i was fuming and called hubby who was waiting in the car. Immediately he came up. But while he looked for parking, I demanded to see her manager and this other lady was as 'lazy' and unhelpful as she is.
I told her, an internationally recognized bank, HSBC has no qualms allowing me to do transactions like this. RHB too allows me to do transactions like this. And what is so wrong with another local bank? She says that's the rule. But haven't I showed them enough proof?
When hubby came in, he reiterrated the same. After some heated exchange of words among the 3 of us, she relented, saying ok go ahead. Can allow. And right after that, hubby asked her 'Is that the way you treat or discrimate converts, while you yourself is a Muslim? What kind of image are you trying to project? More so you're doing that to a pregnant lady??' She kept quiet.
Immediately I told that officer, 'Please take out ALL my money and leave on the minimal amount necessary (RM10, I think) for me to keep the account alive, after which I will ensure its dormant. No point wasting my time with people who treat others like less than human. It's as though I was trying to cheat them.' And its not like I've got millions in the bank to begin with. The officer then asked me - should I change the name for you? I told her, do what you feel like doing, and give me the money I asked for. The rest, I'm not bothered as I'm not going to do another transaction with this bank, so I don't need to know which name its under! (couple of weeks after, I received a letter notifying me of the name change)
When we got the money, the manager passed it to us and apologized, with tears in her eyes. We looked at her and told her, 'its too late. It's ok, don't have to apologize. You should've thought about your actions/words in the begining.'
(May I also add that we told her that we'd write to the press. Maybe this was what worried her, as we got all their names down.)
Case 2
Few days back, after finding out that I may need to go out of the country for work, I went to renew my passport which had expired in 2009. Wasn't prepared, so I went to the Subang branch immigration office and asked the info counter what I needed. I also told the office that my name on the old passport is that of my previous name and he told me to hold on while he checked again.
He came back n told me that I only needed to get a letter from JPN to confirm my name change and the other docs were the same as normal renewal, i.e. form, photo and copy of IC and the old passport. I went home to get my old passport and got the letter from JPN.
Went back to the same office 3 hours later (yes, kelana jaya to petaling jaya to cheras and back to KJ), sat infront of a young lady and she looks through my documents. Gave her the JPN letter and then suddenly she says I need your birthcert. At that instant, I exploded (controlled, slightly). I blurted out 'excuse me, I came here 3 hrs earlier and that officer, yes that guy there (pointing), told me this is all I needed, so I went home to get my passport only. If I'd knew I needed the BC, I'd have brought. Why can't you guys be firm and standarize?' She claims this is standard and dunno why that guy didn't mention. Seeing I was angry, she went to her superior and this slightly older man came to tell me that they will process my application first and then when they call me, I bring my BC. Did you notice that now it's an application? Not a renewal?
MY question is, do you think I'm illegal that I needed to show proof of my BC? Isn't my IC proof enough that I'm Malaysian with both my names stored there, and my convert card too? I actually asked JPN what's the name on the IC and she told me both names are in the chip. So what's the problem, immigration people?
Then I cooled down a little and spoke to the lady nicely, telling her that perhaps there should be a standard doc or info for all of them to refer to so they won't cause such inconvenience. YOu know what she replied? Typical lazy gov staff - 'Oh we already have this, and I dunno why that other person didn't tell you. We also have a checklist already.' I asked 'so if the checklist exists, why didn't he give me?' Now my voice raised, she kept quiet.
And prior to this, she actually asked me why I converted. I asked her, what's the relevance of this? Why do you need to know? For fun, can or not? she say she wants proof, so I say for fun, got proof? She kept quite and asked my for my kad nikah. Because she saw I ticked 'married'. The guy at the next counter already noticed that I was one angry customer. Any angrier, the whole office would've heard me.
Conclusion
1. Is the IC not good enough for any official transactions? IF not good enough then what's the point of carrying it around? Waste time and resourced putting up the JPN office to make IC for people.
2. IS there a reason there's so many red tapes for a muslim convert (mualaf) in this country? And you call yourself an Islamic nation?
3. Is this the way you are trying to show other religion that Islam is a very compromising religion? When the very people who are making life difficult for us are also Muslims themselves.
4. Don't ever give the excuse that this is the law/rule, because in Case 1, you could bend the rules. Rules are created by human, and if required, it can be changed. No? Then why at last in Case 1, I got my moolah and the officer could change my name without me going to my home branch?
I assure you, this will be sent to the press.
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