BabyIbu Giveaway: leanalittleshop.com

There's another giveaway!!....check here for details...

Truth be it, I just found out bout this lil' shop recently (fewdays back la). And I thought its interesting that its emphasses is on baby/toddler's educational toys only.

But, although its only toys, it does have a wide variety of them (I'm comparing it to online stores only). Seriously, and some quite unique ones. I was attracted to it plus the fact that they are reasonably priced. Delivery rates ok but only complication is when you try to pay by credit card. U have to instead choose your product to be 'quoted' in USD instead. Only that. But otherwise I like the page layout, it's highlights of the bestsellers and specials and most of all, the convenience in online shopping for my baby!! I like the header too- simple and just nice...

That's just part of its banner...

There's books, wooden toys, puzzles (alphbet, numerical and clock), rattles, cloth book, activity toys and even storage solution for the ever-increasing things you buy for your baby/child. And even diaper bags which are suitable for the modern and out-going mums out there...Interesting la...go check it out at leanalittleshop.com.

Go check this site out for yourself...

Yeeehaaa!

I finally DID it! Yahoooooo!!

I discovered that I still remembered how to free-style properly. Smooth and correct strokes. At this point of time, the strength in the pull is immaterial. So I pulled and kicked and at some point I did some drills, and I survived 30minutes with not too shabby performance, for a first time in more than 1 year.

I didn’t push it…just at normal pace…but I noticed that my pace/strength significantly dropped when I reached lap 15. (yela, after more than a year not swimming, more than a year no strenuous cardio exercises what!) Neways, I’m happy!

So (thinking aloud) in about 2 weeks, if I do it daily, I think clocking in 30laps within my pre-stoppage time shouldn’t be a problem. Well….we’ll see. Now, it’s a matter of making it a consistent affair. Soon, the pakcik at the clubhouse will recognize me. Today was my 3rd time there and he already recognized me. Soon he’ll be so fed up seeing me appearing either sooo early or sooo late. Hahaha if only they open at 7am…

And now I’m abit tired. This is coupled with the lack of sleep since we moved…so its almost 4 days la. Though tired, there’s a nice ‘tired feeling’ running through my body and I like it. Hope I can get a good night’s sleep like last night (but last night only bout 4+hrs rest, but good rest la). AIR was doing good last night.

Happy DUmpling Day!!

Oh, today is the day when Chinese celebrate by eating dumplings, yup bak chang...5th day of the 5th lunar month.

Why they eat the bak chang? The story was there was this fella Qu Yuan (can't remember whether he's warrior or poet or both)...he commited suicide by jumping into the river after the King refused to listen to his advise which led to a war. So his friends and supporters threw in dumplings into the river to prevent fishes (or any other sea creature - yg ni I add punya la) from eating him....so this was in honour of his sacrifice la.

hmmm my search for chick-chang is still not fruitful....:(

Nasi Kandar

The famed ‘Nasi Kandar Pelita’ is I think now overrated. Seriously.

Tak sedap langsung, if u ask me.

OK, the first time I had it, I thought it was so-so la…that was maybe almost a year plus back. Then I ate there a couple more times and those were also sometime early last year. And today, I had it again after so long and I really think they are surviving either because of it’s namesake or perhaps the people in SS15 in Subang have lowered their standards in Nasi Kandar (NK).

The core item in any NK shop/stall would be its curry, esp the fish curry. Alamak, it was such a disappointment today. Seriously, if I wasn’t with another person, or if my friend wasn’t paying for my lunch, I’d have re-ordered. I had rice+fried fish roe+vege topped with fish curry la. Aiyo, fish roe pun tak best. It was dough-coated and fried, unlike how its usually done in other NK shops or banana leaf rice shops – plain fried, and slit, so it’ll expand like a flower (sort of la, dunno how to describe). And it was also tasteless.

Forgot – teh tarik pun hampeh!

Not worth any photo…This will be my last time patronizing this place. If I want NK again, I’ll go elsewhere.

Secret #1

I've got a secret....
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OK, so now it's no longer going to be a secret.

Before this, I was a sucker for anything char siew (CS), yup, that red-on-the-outside-boneless meat. There's the CS pau (the steamed bun variant), CS meat (usually at the chicken rice stall) or anything that has CS, basically, including sometimes theyhave it as part of the topping for curry noddles.

So, even before converting, I was already preparing myself looking for alternatives - there was the Prime Roast Chicken in Ayamas which is supposed to be like the CS meat only its chicken, but so far, I've not being able to find a yummy CS pau.

I bought the Kart's BBQ Chicken Pau but it had so little filling that I could barely taste it or like it at all. And so the hunt went on. There was the vegetaran version (I'd only try that if I really, really can't find the meat version). On the verge of calling it quits, I noticed that the cafe below my office started to sell pau and one of its 'flavour' was BBQ chicken. Wah, so happy!! Unfortunately after many months, only did I manage to sink my teeth into it today. (Due to many unforeseen circumstances, i.e. when i want, it wasn't available, when I don't want, it was there)

So finally....the verdict? SUper duper yummy! okla, abit overated, but YES, it's yummy and I'd get it again and again and perhaps probly ask them where they got it from.

Now, can i have that for lunch today too?

Malay, Chinese, Indian? Portugese? Malaysian-lah!

I’ve been wanting to blog about this.

Take a guess – which ethnic origin am I from?

For many, at 1st glance, I’m Malay…until I start to talk then they realize I’m not Malay. Especially when I speak in English. OK, then suddenly I burst into some Chinese dialect and they get even more confused. And they start wondering. That was 1.5 years ago. And that is also before they know my name.

Now, if I speak anything other than Malay, they get confused.

So, have you managed to guess my ethnicity? Try laa…

Don’t cheat…no peeking...







OK, I’m of Chinese – Indian parentage (Chindian or Inches if you want to call it) and the my son, is a ‘Malaysian’….why you may ask – cos hubby is Malay. So officially AIR is true Malaysian (of the main ethnic mix).

No, no, I'm not trying to talk about races and religion whatsoever. Even from young, when people ask me what ethnicity am I, I will always say I'm Malaysian. I'm proud to be from mixed parentage. And when you're a child, you're not bothered about all these racial issues.

Only when you finish school and start working, these things come into play.

I believe it's really unique and well, as also posted by Afong (though she's not of mixed parentage) people always judge by the outlook of the person. I enjoy listening (ya, call me rude) to other people talk bad about others in front of me, thinking I don't understand and even some would comment about me thinking I don't know what's going on. So far, thankfully people whom I know haven't gone overboard and soon they realise that I understand. I've not yet come across cases of people bad-mouthing me right infront of me and having me confront them.

Remember the Petronas advert on TV couple of years back about 'balik kampung' for the festivities? A group of friends commented on this Indian girl, also wanting to go back for the long break, thus adding to the already crowded atmosphere at the bus terminal. They were talking in Cantonese thinking she didn't understand until she answered back in Cantonese.

MAlaysians are a lucky lot. We have the best of things - multiracial, multicultural all living in harmony. We eat all sorts of food and we understand each other's customs and beliefs. Somehow there are just some who don't care and not considerate.

In my case now, many misunderstand. People automatically think Muslim=Malay, but its actually not. Anybody can be a Muslim - be it Chinese, Indian, Malay, Caucasian, 'White', 'Black', 'Brown' whatever or however you may want to describe a person. This perception is definitely not true. Seriously, some educated people have approached me and asked me that.

Funny.

I used to get weird looks from the hawkers stalls order food from when I speak to them in fluent dialects. Somehow, after that initial shock they will start to talk to me in dialect again. Some curious ones will even ask how come I could speak. Up till today, if they don't ask, I won't tell and let them assume that I don't understand. My colleague took more than 4 months to realise I could speak dialect. That also because he overhead me talking to another colleague. Later only did he ask that colleague about it.

Anyway, whatever it is, we are all Malaysians and I'm proud of it. I will always remember the time when AIR was born, all the nurses exclaimed, 'I want to see the Malaysian baby!'....I was still in the delivery room when hubby was 'escorting' AIR to the nursery.

Constipation

Thank God AIR didn't suffer from constipation. After his 1st solid intake, on the 2nd day only he passed motion. We were already worried and on standby with medication. W

So looks like he's back to his morning routine. Yipee!

I still remember when he was amonth plus, when we introduced formula milk to him. My mum got so worried when he didn't pass motion. At that time, I wasn't worried. SHe was on the assumption that babies have to do it everyday and so when he didn't, she got really worked up. Luckily she's not around this time when we gave him solids. Babies do not have to pass motion everyday.

Mum's coming back from her holiday soon and I'm sure she's excited to see her cucu...and share all the stories bout his first attempts. Too bad we won't be travelling back with you, mummy...