Shazmin lives here now!

Happy New Year, albeit a tad lately.

2008-02-11T03:34:00.001-08:00

Can you believe it? I have been away so long I had forgotten the login and password to get in here to update my blog. Sorry. Typical birdbrain behaviour. We come naturally to these parts of the woods.

I'm actually thinking of hanging up my blogging mitts (if you saw how I type, you'll see what I mean). Too many wierdos and child snatchings, plus the occasional brilliant socio-pathalogical novella by Ben Elton has made me want to mend my waywordly ways. Yes, that's a typo with a purpose. On perpose. oooh another one. I am self medicating. Juniper berries never tasted so good. But yes, the point is, I think this blog is coming to an end.

I hope you all have a good life. Keep your children safe.

Love, SS.

ps: for a good read, try "Blind Faith", now there's an eye opener.

Merry Christmas! You'll love this...

2007-12-09T14:26:00.000-08:00

Sorry guys, I never got around to mailing out my Xmas cards (again) but this MORE than makes up for it...!

Have a great holiday and (as Will says) MAKE THE YULETIDE GAY.....and he should know. It can't get any gayer than this... Click on the picture!

quickie!

2007-12-04T15:07:00.000-08:00

I'm posting this in a jiffy as I've got to run the kids to school and do a million other things today. I took an emergency day off BECAUSE TNB LEFT ME IN THE LURCH LAST NIGHT AND ALL OUR FOOD IN THE REFRIGERATOR WENT BAD COZ THERE WAS NO POWER FOR 9 FRICKIN' HOURS!!! And my husband's away so there's no way I can leave the kids at home alone with the new maid and NO FOOD.

I can't BEGIN to describe how pissed off I am at TNB. They will hear about this soon on the radio, I promise you.

TNB, you suck.

Yaaaay! Tis (almost) the season to be jolly!

2007-11-20T03:25:00.000-08:00

I can barely contain myself; the holiday season is quickly approaching. It’s time to shop for gifts, decorate the tree, and plan for holiday parties! If it is your turn to host, you’ll benefit from these Christmas dinner party ideas. Take some time to look through the following tips. Then send out the invitations and get ready for some holiday cheer!

Have a Dessert Party
Avoid preparing a six-course dinner by throwing a dessert party. Bake Christmas cookies and treats in advance and freeze them. When it’s time for the party, pull out the desserts. Make cider and eggnog to go with the goodies. You can also ask guests to bring desserts for more variety.

Candy Cane Match
A friend gave me this idea. Buy a collection of assorted candy canes. Break each one of them in half. Hand out the various halves, giving one to every guest. Then ask them to find the missing half of their candy cane. This game also works with frosted Christmas cookies.

Eat and Run
There’s no rule that Christmas dinner parties have to be held inside your home. Suggest going to a holiday movie or Christmas event in the area. The group can eat out at a restaurant before or after the event.

For a variation of this Christmas dinner party idea, hold a quick meal in your home before the outing. Ask each guest to bring a dish or dessert. Enjoy the holiday food, and then head out to the movie or to view Christmas lights. This is a good way to spend time together without having to prepare huge meals and host a party all night long.

Deck the Halls
Ask each guest to bring a small Christmas wreath. When they arrive, have them place the wreath on a board or string them on a hanging cord outside. You can also buy materials for wreaths and have guests create their own during the party. Display the artwork and vote on the best wreaths. Hand out prizes to the winners.

Christmas Open House
For this party idea, send out invitations with the times of the open house listed. This way guests can drop in when they have a chance and leave when they need to. Set out a simple buffet, such as cheese and crackers, sausage, sandwiches and hot soup. You may want to have a “build your own eggnog sundae” area for fun. A table with frosting to decorate sugar cookies will keep the children busy. If you are feeling ambitious, have someone dressed up as Santa Claus ready to listen to guest’s wish lists.

Gift Exchanges
Consider having a gift exchange. We did this last year as we had a mixed group of friends over for a sit down dinner and not everyone knew each other. Ask each guest to bring a wrapped present. When all have arrived, have them sit in a circle. The first person chooses a gift and unwraps it. The next person does the same. This person then has the option of keeping the gift or exchanging it for one that is already opened. Besides gift exchanges, you can ask guests to bring cookies or ornaments to exchange.

Tips for Planning
To get ready for the Christmas dinner party, be sure to start planning early on. Start by making a guest list. Choose a theme and send out invitations. When thinking of Christmas dinner party ideas, remember to stick with foods and recipes that you have successfully made in the past. Make as many desserts and dinner dishes as possible ahead of time. Clean the house a week before the event. Set the table or buffet the day before the party.

You may want to ask others to help you with Christmas dinner party ideas. They can provide advice and extra hands to pitch in with the work. Plan ahead this holiday season; then sit back and enjoy the company of family and friends.

Sophie

2007-11-17T04:54:00.001-08:00

My little girl

Just some new photos...

2007-11-17T04:20:00.000-08:00

This is my husband and niece.

Sophie and I.

Feni

2007-11-13T03:17:00.000-08:00

First, to answer a question from a previous post - Oct 2007 issue of Women's Weekly Magazine. Your friendly neighbourhood hair salon will probably have it. On another note, the February 2008 issue of Her World will have my unphotogenic mug in it somewhere, so do keep a look out. Heh.

If you're wondering what I'm having for dinner tonight, I'll tell you. I'm having a bit of rice with some ayam-kentang thingamajiggy my NEW maid came up with. It's quite tasty. I think it's ayam masak kicap but it's a rather exotic version of the one I'm used to. No veg, as I couldn't be bothered - my husband is a tad wee bit late tonight and I never eat well when he's not around. I actually amaze myself at how much of an effort I put into dinner when I know it's not just me eating. Left to my own devices, I'd have a yogurt (or McDelivery!!!) and call it a night!

Actually, I've been really depressed lately. You see, I've been let down. Feni broke my heart. My ex maid. The one I favoured. The one I had so much trust, respect and reliance on. I put her on a freekin' pedestal and she jumped on my head and danced on it.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised, but I truly am. While I didn't 'spoil' her, she had fiscal bonuses, perks and a heck of a lot of respect and genuine affection from us. What amazes me is that she didn't seem to appreciate all or any of it. She could still steal from me and lie to my face. My dissapointment, well, if it ever happened to you, then you'll know lah. Who I feel for are my children, because they miss her and ask for her every day.

You know, what with her bonuses and such we gave her for taking great care of Milo and Sophie, she could have gone home even now with a fair bit in her pocket. Now, because of the various deductions, she's only going home with her basic pay. She insisted that she wanted to go back to the agent - probably thinking she would somehow work out a way to become a 'freelance' maid, but they will definitely send her back and they won't give her anything beyond what she officially earned. Even if I insisted, the money won't get to her. They'd take it. I'm sad for her because I feel despite the stealing and duplicity, she earned it by caring so well for my children, but now I'll have no way of 'rewarding' her for that service.

My friends ask me why I even bother agonising over it. She made her bed and is lying in it. Padan dengan muka dia. But it bothers me. Just like it bother me when I'm changing my son's nappy and he asks me in a sad, quiet little voice where his Kak Feni is and why she left. It bothers me when Sophie refuses to eat the food she normally relishes.

It fucking bothers me why she threw it all away.

Shazmin the weight loss guru

2007-11-09T00:02:00.000-08:00

Ok, so everyone wants to know how I lost 10 kg, but no one seems to realise that it took me almost a year to slowly and quietly do it, and the one person (cough!) I really have to thank, isn't actually a person, but the mutt, Bugly.

Bugly made me walk him twice a day, EVERY DAY. Considering I've been sedentary on the point of catatonia, the result of our daily endeavours were quick to be seen. Once I started seeing a looser waistband, I felt increasingly motivated to watch what I ate, and consciously stayed away from the evil Big Apple Donuts!!! (evilevilevil!!!)

I stopped licking my kids' plates clean. I've stopped buying junk food. I drink more water. I eat more salad and meat. As much as it kills Daniel and I, we've stopped going to Devi's Corner and Raju's every Saturday morning.

I've stopped adding sugar to things; I might add the occasional Equal, but only if it's handy and I'm up for it.

Do I consider this a diet? Not really - I wanted to heal my chronic foot pain. Losing the weight did that. Do I consider it a sacrifice? No, because I have other vices I will not give up that I enjoy more than food. Have I stopped eating carbs? No, I'll have the odd cake, croissant, toast and nasi kandar, but not in the heaping mounds of yore. Do I lapse? All the time, but I've stopped beating myself up over it. Tomorrow is another day. Do I feel good? YES.

I feel good because I have more energy. I can buy clothes off the rack again (yaaayayayaaaay!). I feel good cause I'm looking good! Damn! Peeeeweeeet! LOL

If you've been trying to desperately lose some weight, take this advice: be mentally positive. Be strong. Visualise the healthy, trim You. Eat better. Get off your arse. Be mentally strong. Have a sense of humour and good luck!

Xox, Shaz- who went from sz 20 to 14 in less than a year. Slowly does it lah!

It's been a fun, hectic week!

2007-11-07T01:01:00.000-08:00

My God, last week was a NIGHTMARE - my favourite maid proved to be a 'talam dua muka' so we had to sack her (trust me, it's a looooong story and I just don't want to go there), and I was just embarking on a new career at RedFM, so yes, last week was FRANTIC. This week, however, was a breeze and lots of fun in the mornings on the Red Breakfast with fellow host, Will Quah, who's been absolutely lovely and welcoming, as has the rest of the team at RedFM. Thank you, guys.

I haven't updated this blog for ages, sorry about that. Not much happened when I was at home raising the kids (for 2 months - haha); it was just the usual tedious everyday stuff you all probably know and love, so there's no need to bore you with the gory details of attempted potty training, toddler tantrums, nocturnal wanderings around the house and refusals to eat. In a way, I'm kind of glad to be back at work, but I'll miss the chaos as well as the leisurely strolls down the supermarket aisles (sp?) in the morning and my solitary coffee mornings at Starbucks where I can actually READ the paper in peace.

I've GOT to tell you about my mad scramble getting to work et al, but as you know, at the mo, I've got a pair of rowdy kids tearing up the sofa to make a fort! I'll see you all later!

Check out the RedFM group on Facebook! Go to www.facebook.com now!

Sorry, dah lama sepi tanpa berita...but, finally, I'm baaaaaack!

2007-10-30T00:02:00.000-07:00

My God! What a weekend I had! We had to sack the maid and I was shitting bricks the whole weekend agonizing over how we'd all cope what with me going back to work and all....

Yes, you heard right. My days as a bonbon eating tai tai are OVER.

It was fun while it lasted (till the maid buat hal and I had to do some actual parenting - haha!), but now I gotta go out there and make some money coz...coz...mama always needs a new pair of shoes...? (smirk)

So, if you want to catch the latest (aherm!) mix on red fm, catch Will and I, bright and early, starting Nov 5th, on 104.9 in the Klang Valley. Other valleys, check out the Red website for details!

Love yaaaaaas!

ps: I've lost 10 kg since August! Yaaaay me!

hi all!

2007-10-20T20:13:00.000-07:00

Sorry lah for the long absence....been busy with Hari Raya and organizing Milo and Sophie's party.
Just dropping a line here to say....I'm still ALIVE!

Take care and have a great week!

(got to run, Milo's not wearing nappies at the mo...I'm on standby...)

Errr, saudari pengacara....atau...puan?....by the way, are you PREGNANT?????

2007-10-08T01:10:00.001-07:00

Hooooooh yoh, I tell you. Amir Muhammad was right; politicians DO say the darnest things.

This morning I was at The Equatorial Hotel KL, to emcee the AI Grand Prix 2007 media press conference and launch. The whole thing was going splendidly, when out of the blue, our Minister of Tourism, turns around, looks at me (in the middle of his speech) and asks me point blank if I was pregnant.

What the-???!

There I was, standing leftish to the podium, calculating the timing of the various VIP speeches yet to come and wondering if I'd have time enough later to go to Marks And Spencer's after this gig, when this gem of a question hit me in the face from out of the blue. Like a two ton truck.

Needless to say, it was the last thing I expected. Usually at these things, the press asks questions of the VIPs and ignores the emcee, not the VIP asking the emcee on her marital and fertility status!

Anyway, it's bloody funny now, but at the time I was so shocked I just nodded and gave him the thumbs up.

Thanks for thinking out loud how fat I am, dude. You rock.

What the faa.....????

2007-09-25T05:18:00.000-07:00

Ok, while I'm actually supposed to be out walking the dog I'm supposedly supposed to get rid of (believe me, this deserves a post of its own), I choose now instead to update my blog, which incidently I've done this very morning. I tell you, either I'm an overflowing well of literary greatness or a latent procrastinator, you choose. Daniel would pick the latter, but he knows me only too well.

I was pretty gobsmacked when I read today's paper. PM suggested we keep our kids in school till 4pm to keep them out of harm's way, either from gejala kuning, perverts, murder, loneliness, boredom, juvenile delinquency and what have you. Now, unlike a few people I know, my immediate reaction was..."Bloody hell! How many people I know (with normal jobs) get back from the office at 4pm???!!!" Gila kaa?! Are you, like, for real?

Anyway, I'm sure we all have our comments and whatever on this issue, but the long and short of it is, at least for me - I think people (and here I should really use the singular, except I don't wanna go to jail or whatever) should live in the REAL WORLD, not the la la land of the gomen sector, before making dumbass suggestions to the rakyat - who, in all probability, work from 8am - 7pm.

That said, Bugly needs a walk and a wazz desperately.

A busy woman's schedule

2007-09-24T15:44:00.000-07:00

Check this out: my schedule this week...

Monday - Send Milo to school. Get haircut. Buy food at store.
Tuesday - Take Milo to ENT specialist at Pantai Hospital. Order his birthday cake for next week's class party. Buy food at store.
Wednesday - Send Milo to school/ he has full dress rehearsals for Oct concert. Take Sophie for her MMR shots at Pantai Hospital. Buy food at store.
Thursay - Send Milo to school. Get pedicure and manicure (my feet look frightful!!!). Meet with my company secretary to discuss company issues. Buy food at store.
Friday - Send Milo to school. Go back home to meet my possible future manager/writing partner to discuss writing and tv project and other things. Maybe buy food at store later if hubby calls and doesn't want to go out for dinner tonight.

See....I have some sort of routine going on. I know the 'buy food at store' thing could be done in bulk at the beginning of the week, but I can't get organized enough to know what to cook on any given day, plus it gives me something to do lah. Of course, the 'go online and see what other bloggers are up' to is a given lah. For a good laugh, check out 5xmom punya blog. She's like the female version of Unkerr Richard (sorry Lillian!!!)!

The non-adventures of a Malaysian tai tai

2007-09-24T00:19:00.000-07:00

Taitai. As if. I find I'm driving around MORE now that I'm not rushing off to work!

Just got back from a short little holiday and am getting settled into what my SAHM (Richard, that's "stay at home mums"!) actually get up to when they're not getting their eyebrows embroidered (which, incidently, I have just got done! *snigger* YeeeoooOuch!) and their hair washed (ditto): it's ferrying their offspring hither and nither, burning up fossil fuel and trying to get some semblance of a weekly meal plan together that's not mindbogglingly boring and uninspired.

I want to get together for coffee mornings with my pals, but...they're all working. And it's bulan puasa, so scratch that.

My SAHM friends just want to talk about their kids, which is ok, I guess, but aiyoh, there's more to life, nooo???

I just spent close to RM 200 on books this morning at MPH. I guess this bonbon eating taitai is going to be occupied. At least till next Friday!

[I know you all want to be me! Muaahahahaaaaa!]

Today - 18th September 2007

2007-09-17T20:01:00.000-07:00

Wooohoooo! Merdeka! Actually, I had a ton of mixed feelings driving to work for the last time today...but, it's ok lah. I think I'll manage to get through my last 3 hour shift on MIX FM without bawling like an idiot. It's 11.04am right now and it's been good.

Took the ole digital camera around the office to snap photos of my colleagues. I'll post them later. You can check out Richard's blog, he's got some up already! Click on Unkerr Richard on my link here.

This is it, folks.

Keep smiling.

Come dance with me????

2007-09-14T20:54:00.000-07:00

Ok, this is truly bizarre. Just the other day I was watching E tv and they did this special on celebrity contestants on that American reality dance show called "Dancing with the Stars". I remember actually sitting there thinking: "Waaaah...how cool is that??!" and the next day...I get a call from *** asking me if I wanted to take part in the Malaysian version of this show!

?????!!!!!

OMG. Well, once the gooseflesh settled, it was really tempting, especially seeing as hecklah, as if I have other pressing things I should be doing in the next three months! Actually I do, but this would've been a great reason to procrastinate and have a load of fun. The committment would be pretty heavy though, there's 5 hours dance training 3 time a week, a full day of recordings and the live vote-in show on sunday night. That's for 8 weeks, if one doesn't get voted off in a hurry lah! Anyway, still pondering it - I don't know lah.

The thought that perhaps the producers may want a 'comic element' (ie. me) did cross my mind, but that said, if I do enter, maybe I might get sympathy votes instead (you all vote yaaah!)- or what Howard Stern fans did to get Sanjaya all the way to the semi finals, just to screw with Simon Cowell! God, that was hillarious.

Anyway, have not made up my mind....what you think aaah?

Goodbye, Mix fm!

2007-09-05T20:36:00.001-07:00

Hi guys, sorry for the long absence, and actually, to tell the truth, I wasn't going to write this goodbye/loveletter to you here in this space - because really, this space represents the new era of my life, and I don't necessarily want anything mix related on it, but, oh hell. Here goes.

After 10 lovely years, I am moving on. The Universe has conspired for my Greatest Good. I wanted to spend more time with my family. I got that. I wanted more money. I got that. I want to pursue my dreams of creating something from scratch. I'm getting that! My Genie delivers, and for that I'll always be grateful.

So, if you feel compelled to mourn, pleaselah...don't be sad. Be happy! I'm still here and I'm still me.

Keep in touch. Peace! And after this post, we'll talk about other things! :-)
Shaz

(my last day on air will be Sept 18th 2007)

oodles of poodles and cashoodles

2007-08-16T21:15:00.000-07:00

I've been busy reading lately, and hence the lack of a new post here, but you guys enjoyed the picture of Milo staggering blindly without his pants on (below) didn't you? Ah well, always out to entertain the masses, I tell you.

Like someone with attention deficit disorder, I'm currently reading 4 books simultaneously: 1) Marley and Me, 2) some internet marketing book that promises to make you a millionaire (but only IF you take up their various e-seminars and buy their tools), 3) The Secret Keeper's Daughter, and 4) Poodles (a book about the breed).

Oklah, the last one I bought on a whim because I saw the cutest poodle puppy at Midvalley but my hubs said "OVER-MY-DEAD-BODY!", so there goes that idea, but really, I'm not crazy over small dogs either, but this dog was Cuteness Personified. I'm learning that Poodles are one of the most intelligent breeds of dog and don't shed their fur. You can teach a poodle to crap in a litter box! Wow. Amazing.

Rabbits can also be taught to crap in a litter box, but seeing as we've not managed to teach ours to do that, I guess I should just be happy with my lot. It's a bit of a zoo at my house, anyway!

Now, I'm on page 68 or thereabouts on the Internet Marketing book by some dodgy-looking Singaporean guy in a Nehru dinner jacket and I can't - for the LIFE of me - understand the concept AT ALL. Hmmm... I must be really stupid because, I'm really straining to understand it, you know? Coz, like, I too wanna be an Internet Millionaire???!! Hallo??! *sniggering madly*

I would LOVE to hear what you think of I.M. I'm sure you have an opinion on the subject. I just want to understand it. (brain, work!)

anak aku

2007-08-13T20:02:00.000-07:00

This is my eccentric little man. He insisted he wanted to keep his visor on and pants off. His girlfriend Anais is in the background. She puts up with his oddball ways.

another week begins......

2007-08-12T19:49:00.000-07:00

Whoa....must get back on track....must get back on track....

I refrained from eating a Big Apple donut all week, only to succumb to those coconut-covered chocolate balls (I had 2!) at Ikea - and they weren't even good! Sheeesh, must learn to pick my vices...

Anyway, we had a great weekend...digging hols in the garden planting new plants (see Swissie's blog for pictures) and shopping for garden furniture - we went all the way to Subang Parade because my mum said she recalled there being a furniture shop on the top floor. Well, we travelled all the way from Sg Buloh to Subang Parade and discovered that where there was a furniture mall now stands a Celebrity Fitness! O-kaaaay...that put an end to that little expedition.... I ignored the subtle universal message (ie. the gym) and we went to Ikea instead - konon-kononnya to look for these outdoor chairs/table -but really, I just wanted to eat some meatballs.

It's really great to see some old friends - and make new ones - here on this blog. I'll try and pick up more nifty little computer tricks to spruce this website up a bit!

Have a great week!!! Eat meat!

????!

take the poll!

2007-08-10T22:29:00.000-07:00

Would you rather....take the poll and:
a) dance around it
b) not touch something vile with it even if it was 10 feet long
c) see how you can make really "tough" decisions
...hmmmm!
Scroll below, look right and...have fun!

Glazing it over...

2007-08-09T19:25:00.000-07:00

My sister read my latest post and said, "Read your blog re. benua gelap - man, you can stand as a Nationalistic Party candidate (or even a member of the UK Conservative Party). But I see what you mean - very creepy to have some guy tailing you. Quite impressed by your Malay though...". And I thought, wow, so right. Some person who doesn't know me reading that post may see me like a Pauline Hanson fan or purist. I am not, I'm all for diversity. Just don't kacau my shopping and eating forays in the mall...

Speaking of which, I've SO got BIG APPLE Donuts & Coffee on the brain....! I cannot function at the moment, counting down the days to my 'cheat-day' (I'm on the protein diet at the mo) so I can toddle (or waddle?!) off to Big Apple at The Curve to eat my one glazed donut!!!! *shiver*....Sedap gilerr.... Have you guys tried it? My, at first I was sceptical...but when I sank my teeth into one of those babies, I was converted. So was Daniel and Milo! Oklah, I AM a bit of a purist; I like mine plain and just glazed, but Daniel likes the chocolate one with the mocho filling and Milo will eat anything. Sophie didn't eat hers on account she was already in bed when we came home from the mall, but she's an easy kid to feed. So is Milo, since he was happy to eat her share! LOL

"Hmmmm....donuts...."

Well, the protein diet is paying off...I started in the last week of June and today, Aug 10th, I'm 4 kg lighter! My orthopaedic doctor commented that I looked great and the pain in both feet has more or less disappeared. It comes back to bite me in the nose when I eat too many sausages (it's the salt/msg/preservatives/crap that they put in them), but otherwise, I think I'm CURED!!!!! Yaaay! I am soooo envisaging myself at 58kg by December. My mantra is:

"58, 58, 58!...I AM at my Perfect Weight!"

...now...let me just get back to my Big Apple fantasy....

A diatribe on the tribe

2007-08-07T05:06:00.000-07:00

Ok, the post you are about to read may offend some and totally reveal my latent racist and paranoid tendencies...so...if you feel you may get offended, please do bugger off and read Oliviasy's blog (ha ha) instead. Don't say I didn't warn you, ah.

In fact, this stuff is SO hot...I'm going to switch languages so orang luar yang berkenaan dan tidak berkenaan tidak boleh nak baca dan menimbulkan huru-hara. After all, these are just MY feelings and take on the whole thing, based on my horrible experience.

I must first, however, apologise for mangling our national language and my mother tongue in advance. Despite my score of A2 in my SPM examinations in 1991, I still suck. Don't even mention Syarifah Amani; let's not go there (haha).

Baiklah, you all ada perasan tak sejak kebelakangan ini, punyalah ramai "pelajar-pelajar" dari benua gelap yang datang ke sini dan merayau-rayau di sekitar bandar. Malahan (che wah, my BM not too bad lah), mereka yang sepatutnya berada di kuliah masing-masing, bekerja di tempat seperti TGIF dan merempat di merata-rata tempat. Ini takdelah jadi masaalah, cuma yang tidak menyenangkan saya adalah perangai setengah-setengah daripada JANTAN mereka yang KURANG AJAR. Case in point: (sorry, must switch back to English for literary efficacy and effect)...

I was walking around One Utama one afternoon last week, wanting to check out the sales by myself, coz god knows if I bring the kids and hubby, tak senang aku nak shopping! So, as I was walking from store to store, I noticed from the corner of my eye that this thuggish yet blingin' character was checking me out - which was creepy in itself - but he had begun to follow me. The quicker I walked, the quicker he walked! I practically RAN into Marks & Spencer, and there he was, like it was perfectly normal to be tailing some lone woman from one end of the mall to the other! I was really freaked out, and PISSED, because, a) I really wanted to buy something and look at clothes, and b) I get really ANGRY when I'm scared, don't know why, but some people are wired differently I guess. So I reckon he knew I knew he was following me - he was pretending to shop, for God's sake!, but I kept glaring at him. He then had the cheek to act like he just saw me, and proceeded to try and chat me up.
At which I raised my hand before he could finish (a la 'talk to the hand coz the face don't give a damn'), and said, "F**k Off, don't you dare talk to me and if you don't stop following me, I'll scream and get the security guards!".

That did it, and I was able to leave M&S without being trailed by this guy.

Now, my impression from this whole thing was that, a) he thought he was all that and a bagga chips, knowwhatI'msayin', b) Malaysian women MUST be easy, c) nobody is safe from harrassment.

Another case in point: Also at One Utama, I had the misfortune of lunching alone at TGIF a few weeks earlier and my waiter was this guy yang sama bangsa dengan penyangak tadi tu. The whole time he was 'serving' me, he gave me the distinct impression that he wanted to throw me down on the table, rip off my clothes, and eat me alive. Now, as flattering as that can be for some, for me it was just an invasion of my personal space and showed a lack of service training. I gave this guy my most withering aunty look like I could so totally see right through him, at which he stopped being a twat and served me properly. What was up with THAT? Do these people think they're hot or something???? I mean, gosh Will Smith is hot. But....hello????! Sheeeesh. Give me a break lah.

Now, please don't get me wrong. A prude I am not. Kinda like, been there, bought the tshirt, know whatI'msayin' But what offends me delicate little sensibilities is that...the sanctcity of the pick up...has been shattered! It wasn't like I was in some seedy night club looking to hook up, I was shopping in broad day light and eating in a family restaurant! Is there no shame?! No RESPECT?! No bloody COMMON SENSE? For God's sake, I even LOOK like somebody's harassed mother!

Back to the bigger problem, not that you all think that strange guys trying to pick me up at OU is a life and death situation for all to ponder on. The question is: kenapa kerajaan kita ni bagi dia orang ni masuk? AS IF lah dia orang ni pelajar legit. Please lah. Kenapa dia orang ni datang ke sini, dalam banyak-banyak tempat?

Mesti dadah punya pasal.

You see, ekonomi sini kan sudah bagus...yaddayaddayadda, you all know the storylah. Besok, tak lama lagi in the near future (sorry, was that statement redundant?), we're going to have a bigger drug issue in this country - when MY KIDS and YOURS are in their teens - an issue that could be NICKED IN THE BUD today, if only someone smart in the education department or immigration (good luck) would just STOP this madness. Look, I'm all in favour of people immigrating to better their lot, but when I observe young predatory males like these who are obviously smart/scheming enough to find a way out of their beleaguered countries to come here (and we've all seen Tears of the Sun and Blood Diamonds!), I beg to wonder how much culture they are bringing along. By culture, you know what I meanlah. Just look at the rising crime rate in Taman Desa and the reports in the dailies.

Ok, now that that's off my chest - I shall abruptly stop this diatribe. I will probably get into hot soup for all that I've said, but c'monlah.... we're all thinking it. Huh?

Am I da man!????

2007-08-06T05:31:00.001-07:00

Check out these glow in the dark beauties!!!!

I was busy googling 'relective tape' and this is the best website I've found:
http://reflectivelyyours.com/homepage.html
...but only a loony like me would bother looking for stuff like this...

I'm in a relective mood...

2007-08-05T11:22:00.000-07:00

It's 2.25am and I was tossing and turning thinking about the 3 Big Apple donuts still in the fridge.

I decided to put myself out of my own misery and eat one of them, and I still can't sleep so here I am. Also, my latest obsession is keeping me up - reflective stickers!

Ok, actually, it's creating stuff that's keeping me up....all the things I want to do when the time comes that I'm actually free to do all of it....and working out by walking out is one of them.

Getting back to the reflective sticker business. I'm a busy woman, as you well know, so the only time I get to walk Bugs is really early in the morning before getting ready for work and after dinner, so it's relatively dark outside both times, and it's all I have to do to dodge speeding cars and try not to get killed in my own neighbourhood, so I've been giving a lot of thought about the creative ways I can be seen in the dark.

Trolling the internet provided many expensive solutions; trolling the nearest Ace Hardware store provided others. Because I didn't want to wear a bright neon highway vest a la pekerja JKR, I came out of there with a roll of bright orange reflective tape and less rm 13 in my pocket, and I just knew things would get interesting. So I carilah benda nak stick the tape onto - the leash, my dilapitated Nike Airs, and in the last 3 hours, tossing in bed trying to sleep...I have fashioned, in my mind's eye, the perfect reflective sash - very much like the ones worn by Miss Universe pageant contestants...

Ok, so here's where you wonder, "waaah Shazmin has lost it, man!"...no lah, I have no latent desire to compete in any beauty pageants, though many years ago in primary school I did fashion a prefect's tie from my blue school pinafore belt. I really really have nothing better to think about than this.

I'm going to post a picture of my modified glow in the dark shoes tomorrow night - if I still can't sleep!!!

Desperate Housewives - Malaysian style

2007-07-30T19:57:00.000-07:00

I was watching 'Johnny and the Sprites' (!) and thought, wouldn't it be great if some hot gay guys would just move in next door? I mean, the house has been empty for months now, and if I could choose between a nice family with a cute yappy dog moving in and a bunch of hot gay guys, the eye candy would definitely win lah. I mean, if they decorate like Nate Butkus (sp?) and bake like Nigel Skelchy...waaaah....happiness is, man!

Anyway, the latest suburban drama to unfold is my neighbour's maid getting it on with the postman. I tell you, the excitement. To cut a loooong story short, the maid has been siphoning money from various family members, and mailing it out to her friends (on top of getting it on with the postman), stealing bits and bobs, trading these bits and bobs for other bits and bobs from other maids in the 'hood and being a general scheming little cow. It just so happens, she told my neighbour that MY maid told her I was getting her a mobile phone (all lies), so she wanted one, she was willing to pay with her gaji thus far. Anyway, I don't know if this little drama had anything to do with the fact that MY maid just only the same afternoon asked if she can have a day off to meet with her 'relatives' and makan angin in town.

All very dodgy.

My maid is a nice person, she takes great care with the kids, she's respectful and quite on the ball with the housework. I've given her a substantial monthly increment after a year of service to show her we appreciate her, and to motivate her to continue being a good employee. I mean, I ain't no Trudie Stylar lah. I want my help to be happy working for me. But I feel you give these people an inch, they'll take a mile. She's giving me a real headache now because if I say CANNOT!, she'll sulk and possibly neglect the kids or worse, jampi my food! On top of that, she has it in her mind to buy a handphone! aaaaaaerrghhhhh.....

I thought all this drama was over with when we got rid of Joy, but...it never is, huh?

We be the Sunday people!

2007-07-27T06:03:00.000-07:00

Here's the article that came out last Sunday in the NST - for the benefit of my family overseas who won't be getting a copy delivered to their front door!

http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/Sunpeople/Sunday/
Features/20070721121305/Article/index2_html

it's a bit long, but if you really want to read it, I'm sure you can figure out how to sort this out!

Saving Private Ah-Chong

2007-07-25T22:42:00.000-07:00

I can be a downright nasty beaatch when it comes down to it.

It was a long day yesterday, the air was muggy and oppressive with humidity, I was in a sloooow checkout line at Tesco's and practically everything was irking the bejesus outta me. Plus, I was late picking up my son.

After paying, I discovered that I'd left my parking ticket in the car - and needed to validate it to get out. As I was fuming at my own stupidity, a young credit card promoter unwittingly put himself in my direct line of fire.

"Ah! Hi Madam! You have this credit card ahh?! You wanna Try Apply one!? Few moments only!".

I was scrummaging through my handbag when he approached me, and I lifted my face to him and practically ROARED, like in the cartoons you see the guy's hair all kena tiup angin-like from the roar? It was like thatlah! : "WILL YOU JUST PLEASE GO AWAY GET OUT OF MY FACE DON'T DISTURB ME CAN'T YOU SEE I'M BUSY HERE?!!"

The bugger blinked and said; "Sorry!" and I felt like a heel.

At the time, it felt good to bellow like that, but it was so bad. I really regreted it. The poor guy was just cari makan, you know. How could he know I was having a bad day?

I'm going to go back to Tesco later to look for him and apologise.

how I love the smell of napalm in the morning...

2007-07-24T21:05:00.000-07:00

Ok, so maybe it's just the haze coming back - it is almost August...

I was out walking Bugly this morning and thought who the heck is out barbequeing this time of the day? but realised it was actually smoke from elsewhere.... Brace yourselves, it's baaaaack.....

80th post

2007-07-24T20:32:00.000-07:00

party or what!

My husband thinks I'm nuts. I'm obsessed. It's mid July and I'm all ready to book the clown and cake for the kids' birthday party in October!!!

I'm going super hectic this year because I was so slack last year, I forgot Milo's cake for his daycare party, but his teacher, Mrs Razee, was kind enough to go down to the local Berry's to pick one up for him!!! AND she put together party packs for the kids at school! My God, how embarassing was that. Anyway, husbands don't understand these things so I told him to just shut up and pick up the tab when it comes.

Seeing as poor little Sophie had to cancel her very first party due to Milo's eye infection in June, I decided that Milo would share his special day with his sister in October. We've been to a few kids' parties lately and the clown thing is kinda big, isn't it? Milo used to be terrified of clowns, but like I said, he's seen quite a few now, so he's seasoned lah. I asked him if he would like a clown, and he said yes, but somehow, I think he said it absently because he doesn't quite know what options are out there. Truth be told, neither do I, so if you have any ideas or tips (or recommendations!!!) please drop me a line and I'll be eternally grateful!

Things I need info on: (please help!)
Clown/baloon artist/or gigantic bubble maker/blower
Magicians
Face painters
Caterers
Canopy, tables, chairs (for the parents)
Cake (a FANTASTIC one!...or two)
Website where I can download and print cool party invitations, thank you cards, etc.

I've got this fantasy circus theme in my head (only because it's unisex and tremendous fun), but my husband is drawing the line at renting Shetland ponies for rides up and down the street (think of the lawsuits should anyone be bitten, kicked or knocked off!)! I could get each kid to sign an indemnation form at the door! Man, actually I'm wishing it was MY birthday party! Maybe Pauline next door will let us hook up a wagon onto her huge dog to give rides to the little ones (again, another lawsuit waiting to happen).

What kind of kids' parties have you thrown or been to that are great fun for 2-4 year olds? What kind of games (of the non-competitive kind) can you suggest? What are the contents of the greatest party packs your kids have received? HOW DO YOU KEEP IT ALL IN YOUR BUDGET!???? Pray do tell..

79th post

2007-07-24T20:31:00.000-07:00

so true, so true...

Here are some home truths, in case you haven't noticed....

Men:
1. All men are extremely busy.
2. Although they are so busy, they still have time for women.
3. Although they have time for women, they don't really care for them.
4. Although they don't really care for them, they always have one around.
5. Although they always have one around them, they always try their luck with others.
6. Although they try their luck with others, they get really pissed off if the woman leaves them.
7. Although the woman leaves them they still don't learn from their mistakes and still try their luck with others!

Women:
1. The most important thing for a woman is financial security.
2. Although this is so important, they still go out and buy expensive clothes and stuff.
3. Although they always buy expensive clothes, they will still say that they never have something to wear!
4. Although they never have something to wear, they always dress beautifully.
5. Although they always dress beautifully, you hardly care.
6. Although you hardly care, they still expect you to compliment them.
7. Although they expect you to compliment them, when you do, they don't believe you!

ps: Thanks Zane, for this one!
17-July-2007

78th post

2007-07-24T20:30:00.000-07:00

googoo ga ga!

I love babies. They are (generally) very cute. My sweet little baby is no longer technically a baby, but if there's something I can pass on to any new parent, it's this: http://www.gourmetgoo.com/

Check it out! If you're too busy (or lazy) to cook up a storm for your little ones, get this stuff!!! It's so good, i even use it for dipping chips, nachos and veggie sticks in (when i forget to buy dip). Just add a bit of salt!

Sophie grew up on this stuff, and her favourite is the spagboll, chicken rice and the Sweet Veggie Medley. The best part is....jengjengjeng!...they DELIVER!!!! To your home or any mutually convenient location! Yaay! So Richard, please aah, your little Marissa needs some solids by now and baby cereal is not the only option out there!!!!
Have a great weekend people!
Fri the 13th - July 2007

77th post

2007-07-24T20:27:00.000-07:00

wet, wild weekend!

The first time I went white water rafting, I was about 8 years old, and it was with my dad and sisters, and the late Tan Sri Othman Yeop and his daughters in Lake Tahoe, Nevada.

25 years later, I found myself on a grey raft, barrelling down Sg Selangor from Kuala Kubu Baru with my husband and his friends and the great guides from Khersonese Eco-X. Mind you, the last exciting this I did lately was jump off a (stationary) boat amidst a group of tame Japanese snorkellers, so this was a nerve wracking ordeal! I didn't think I had it in me to be quick and light (ahem!) in an adrenaline fuelled situation. I mean, you have to have a certain level of fitness to do extreme sport. The guides were really cool, because they assured us that it was pretty safe and gave us a complete safety briefing and covered the many scenarios we may encounter on the trip down Sg Selangor. Mind you, there are some awesome rapids here, but the fact that it hadn't rained in 2 weeks would mean that the water level would be lower and yes! we actually had to angkat the raft a couple of times to get past rocks and what not. But in other areas, the water was WILD and I actually saw my life flash before my eyes!

Whooooohooooo!!!!! It was a great day outdoors, and I won't promise to put any photos here as I didn't take my camera down with me - we were floating in the water halfway down the river and everyone was wet!, but do check out the link below if you're interested in doing something other than manouvering the parking lot at Midvalley Megamall this weekend...

12-July-2007 (thanks to Tai Ching and Frank for organising the trip! Let's do it again!!!!!)

http://www.thepaddlerz.com/gallery.html

http://www.thepaddlerz.com/indexmenu.html

76th post

2007-07-24T20:23:00.000-07:00

How will you age?

Have you seen anything new and exciting on channel 77 on Astro? On the off chance my kids are behaving badly, I get to confiscate the tv remote and watch MY channel for a change, and boy oh boy, there is some pretty scary stuff on tv these days...I particularly love watching face lifts and tummy tucks being performed, and marvel at how one's boozing and partying lifestyle can age one in a matter of computer simulated minutes. It's so fascinating! Everytime I tune in, there's a fat show on - if it's not teenage fat camp, it's some disturbingly obese group of people on a cruise ship trying to bootcamp themselves into shape.

The best one was this show about an Aussie mom and her gargantuan son, trying to change their atrocious eating habits. It was a little sad. I mean, I saw that and thought, is it just laziness, to feed your family all these processed, fat laden foods, or is it a socio economic issue that families from a mid-lower income bracket just can't afford to buy fresh food and produce.....?

To say that it was an issue of time constraint for food preperation, well, the mom was a homemaker. So, hello?!! I work, work-out and cook all our meals (granted, I don't do laundry, wash windows and all the other tedious stufflah). I deduce, that perhaps it's a lethal combo of laziness and ignorance, but here I'm just being judgemental (hello Shaz??? - read your previous blog! aherm). Or maybe, these people just LOVE to eat a lot of cheese sandwiches and fries.

Man, speaking of which, fries are currently on my list of banned substances, along with cocaine, crystal meth and Coffee Mate. I watched How Will You Age and decided to turn my life around. Seriously. I got two doctors to check me out and since I started actively following their advice, my jeans are looser and the inflammation in my feet mostly gone. I must say, having a supportive spouse helps. :-) He doesn't complain when I make a pot roast without any mash - he's cool with boiled veggies and a salad. He even ate the beef curry I made without any rice!!! I know that's sacriligious to most of you, but hey! I'm on a diet lah!!! He endeavours to join Bugly and I on our twice daily walks, which is great, coz his stride is larger than mine and I have to work harder to keep up!

If you've been looking to improve your fitness or health, or just to sit and watch a couple of home truths, check out 77. I love Shalom in the Home and Adoption Story. [God, I'm turning into my mother!]
3-July-2007

75th post

2007-07-24T20:13:00.000-07:00

a day in the life...

I am a lazyass, bad mother.

The scenario: this morning - before leaving the house:
Me: Milo, what do you want for school today? A banana? An apple? Some grapes? Cheese sticks?
Milo: Me want JUNK FOOD!!! Muahahahahaaaa!!!(where the heck did he learn this word????)Ok, so he gets Twiggies, cookies and chips quite often, but I personally have never referred to them as 'junk food'....so, hello???
Me: Is that what your teacher says it is? (referring to his usual snacks)
Milo: Yes! Want junk food! Want junk food! (howling) JUNK FOOOOOD!!!!

So, to avoid a huge argument, I usually give in - I know he eats a balanced meal at lunchtime and dinner, so what's the big deal lah. But after this little exchange, I'm wondering what the other kids in his playgroup bring from home, carrot sticks and chicken sandwiches? Fruit salad? I know cute little Misaki gets sushi and some miso soup in a thermos...

Man, if the teacher is calling his stuff junk food, I am soooooo a bad mother for letting him eat it. I know it's horrible, but despite not exactly setting a great example to my child, I feel unfairly judged. It's not like I don't try to convince him to eat more fruit or want to make him a tuna casserole for school, but: a) he won't eat it and I don't want him starving at 10am, and b) if he eats anything heavier than a Twiggy, he won't finish his nutritionally sound lunch. It's almost a Catch 22 situation. So I let him have a little junk, because generally, he doesn't get it at home.

I know the teachers are trying to educate the children on eating well and all that, but...if memory serves me - the most envied kids at school in my day, were the ones who got to eat the junk.
Muahahahahaaa!
Sorry. I'm still a bad mother.
26-June-07

74th post

2007-07-24T20:11:00.000-07:00

My dream dog

Ok, I hardly have anything new to blog about this week, as I've been in a downright pissy mood....but, looking at this picture ALWAYS makes my day. I really wish my dog looked like this, but instead, my dog is quite an ugly piece of work. Alas, what we do for charity! *smirk*

These are Bernese Mountain Dogs - it's too hot for them to live in Malaysia, so I hope that if you have one - you have a good air conditioning system in your home and don't let them live outside. That's really mean. If you have one and can't take care on them on account of this, the cost of feeding them, medication, time constraints, etc....contact me. I'll gladly take him/her off your hands! (our a/c is on 247 anyway!)...

73rd post

2007-07-24T20:06:00.000-07:00

Soul Mate, anyone?

I've been wanting to post this little 'tip' for all of you who want to find, or recognise your True Soul Mate for the longest time. A message from Liv on the message board has prompted me to do it now. It's a prayer of sorts...please feel free to use a different header...

Dear Universe,
I am ready and willing to meet my true Soul Mate NOW. Let him/her be .....(list of qualities like: kind, generous, faithful, funny, rich, sexxxy, handsome, beautiful, smart, ambitious, etc). [here, you can even highlight specifics like - let him/her be SINGLE!!! great in bed, loves kids, great cook, enjoys the things I like, etc...YOU make a detailed list!]
Let us be compatible at all levels, in mind, body and spirit.
Let us both recognise each other when we meet.
Thank You, for bringing this person into my life Now!
I ask for this, for the Highest Good of All.Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.

Simple enough, isn't it? Hold on...there's more. You've got to BELIEVE he's/she's already HERE. You gotta feel that love thang....you know, the thing that makes your heart sing and walk on air...you have to feel lurvvvvve, baby....! Ok, if you think this is cheesy....tak pelah...Stay lonely and all by yourself! It's really lovely to wallow in self pity and continue b!!tching to all your attached friends a la Bridget Jones, but trust me....the 3 people I've given this (aherm!) Secret to, it worked for them, they all found/recognised their soul mates within a year and are happily married now, with people they are compatible with!!! Yeah, the Secret Cult of Shazmin membership is open to all...heh heh hehhhh.....

Trust that the Universe conspires for Your greater good.
Have a fabulous day, my people.

June 20th 2007

72nd post

2007-07-24T20:03:00.000-07:00

a year older, a year wiser...???

Inside every older person is a younger person wondering what the hell happened.

Isn't THAT the truth? I have chronic foot pain - early arthritis (!??) - and I'm thinking...what the hell???? I'm only 33, for God's sake! Ok, Sophie's tea party yesterday was almost a disaster. 1) Milo developed a really gross eye infection - so we had to call his cousins and tell them not to come. 2) The beautiful, pre-ordered ice-cream cake from B&R wasn't ready - due to a really stupid mistake on the part of the staff in their Bangsar branch. If you were there when I went to pick up the cake and saw the commotion, sorry for the huge scene I caused, I was flipping LIVID! Luckily, there was an Angel Cake House two doors away. My parents also braved the potential 'health threat' and rain storm and came bearing balloons and donuts.

A good time was had by all, with two very chocolatey toddlers needing a hose down afterwards!
....to fathers everywhere.....HAVE A ROCKIN' FATHER'S DAY this Sunday!!!

71st post

2007-07-24T20:01:00.000-07:00

BABY NO. 3

Yaaay!!! I'm pregnant!

No laaah...just kidding!!! [Daniel would kill me if I revealed that here without telling him first!] :-)

Just thought I'd get your heart racing, since I haven't updated this blog for ages. Actually, we do have a new little bundle of joy - and he's 10 months old and verrrrry hairy! Couldn't come up with a name for him, so at the moment, he's called Bugly - for 'butt-ugly'. He's the perfect little pet - and knows how to sit on command! - which is more than I can say for my own 2 kids at the moment!

Speaking of which, Sophie is celebrating her very FIRST birthday tomorrow (June 14th)! I'm so excited! We're just having a little family tea party in the afternoon with the grandparents, and my sister and her kids, Layla and Johan. Lots of chocolate ice cream cake, sarnies and the requisite chicken nuggets and fries! Yum! She'll have a 'proper' big girl party when she turns 2, just like Milo did.It really blows my mind to think that a year has passed - she's practically (and literally!) running circles around us now, and being just as rambunctious as her big brother was, and still is. But you guys haven't seen her pictures lately, huh? Well, I'll just have to remedy that, won't I...
*thank you, Uncle Lawrence Yek for the lovely card and ang pow for Sophie! That was very sweet of you to remember her birthday!*

ps: I'm really not pregnant.

70th post

2007-07-24T19:58:00.000-07:00

a new idola

Yeay, Jordin won! Ok, actually, the only thing I like about this year's American Idol is Jordin's wardrobe. I like seeing the clothes she wears every week, and she picks 'em well! She's living proof that BIG GIRLS can look cute and stylish and find flattering styles to suit their figures. Just don't stand next to a pygmy like Ryan Seacrest lah, or else you'll tend to look like a Giantess!
...Muahhhaahahahahahhahaaaa....!!!!!

69th post

2007-07-24T19:55:00.000-07:00

now I've seen it all!

I was in The Village Grocer yesterday and saw something out of The Devil Wears Prada - but Malaysian style lah. The mem besar was a Datin-wanta-beast, 'nicely' dressed and overly made-up and ornamentaled as usual, but instead of the requisite Indonesian/Fillipina maid, she had a well dressed young man (!) in tow, pushing her grocery cart, and trying not to look as emasculated as I felt he must've felt. Don't get me wrong, I see plenty of guys doing the weekly shopping, but this was something else. At first, I thought they were a husband and wife duo, they were that close in age, even if she was a tad overdressed for the shops. It was when she started pointing at the stuff she wanted, and the way she barked at the poor man, I deduced this was her driver/p.a./kuli batak!It was fascinating to watch. I stood rooted to the spot, as initially I was going through a pile of kankung when I heard her first barking order: "Hah! Ambik kankung tu! Pilih yang bagus, jangan ambik yang lubang-lubang!". I was so enthralled by this little scene that I stepped aside for the guy to get to the kankung, myself mouth hanging open, still holding up the bunch I was about to bag and put in my own cart. The poor guy avoided my eye the whole time, and I just stared from him to her, like I was at Wimbledon watching a tennis match, to see how this scene would unfold.

Mak Datin pulak, ignored me (I guess I was that obvious), and shamelessly displayed her POWER by continuing in this fashion from the veggies, to the meat section and so on. God, it was breathtaking! I literally held my breath at the biscuit section - I was picking out Milo's school treats - and she stood right next to me, pointing at the tin of butter cookies on the bottom shelf right next to her own foot, and demanded her slave to get the tin, but the second one - mind you, not the one on the outer shelf. [you guys know me right? I was bursting to say, "Bend your fat back and get the damn tin yourself, you lazy, pompous git!!!"]...I didn't trust myself to speak, instead I just looked her straight in the face and rolled my eyes at her. As she passed me, I muttered, "...some people...!"

As for the guy in tow, well, he must need the money real baaaaaad to put up with that. It got me thinking, how many people I know who are actually in that position (or allow themselves to be) at work and in life. Are you one of them?
22-May-2007

68th post

2007-07-24T19:53:00.000-07:00

the Universe answereth!

I asked the Universe (ahemm!) to cure my PERSISTENT NOCTURNAL COUGH and the Universe delivered a remedy via email (thanks, Lee!):

Try this remedy It works 100% of the time although the scientists at the Canada Researchcouncil (who discovered it) aren't sure why. To stop nighttime coughing in a child (or adult as we found outpersonally), put Vicks Vaporub generously on the bottom of the feet at bedtime,then cover with socks. Even persistent, heavy, deep coughing will stop in about5 minutes and stay stopped for many, many hours of relief. Works 100% of the time and is more effective in children than even verystrong prescription cough medicines. In addition it is extremely soothing and comforting and they will sleep soundly.

It was a surprising finding and found to be more effective than prescribedmedicines for children at bedtime, in addition to have a soothing and calming effect on sick children who then went on to sleep soundly. An adult friend tried it on herself when she had a very deep constant andpersistent cough a few weeks ago and it worked 100%! She said that it felt like a warm blanket had enveloped her, coughing stopped in a few minutesand believe me, this was a deep, ( incredibly annoying!) every few seconds uncontrollable cough, and she slept cough-free for hours every night thatshe used it.

So, if you have kids/grandchildren, pass it on.
If you end up sick, tryyourself and you will be absolutely amazed.

67th post

2007-07-24T19:46:00.000-07:00

The Secret

May 3rd 2007

Hi party people, I've decided to write about The Secret today, because EVERYONE is asking me about it. I saw an article about this book in a magazine I was perusing in a bookstore one day, and it's just one of those things you take note of, but quickly forget, and then, you realise, for some reason, your subconscious filed it away...because the next time I was in the same bookstore, The Secret was right there, on the counter, next to the makan guide to KL and The Edge magazine. Ok, my husband Daniel tells me I have this legendary tendency to impulse buy all the time, but this was not an impulse buy. I stood there, with my Postman Pat vcds (for Milo) and Star newspaper, thumbing through the small tome, and had a dialogue in my head: Do I really need this, it's exactly like all the other mind expanding/self empowerment books I've read and own, why should I spend RM62.90 for this little book? I couldn't really justify spending all that money on this little book, expecially considering I hadn't yet paid my Maxis bill and bought the groceries (what else is new!) that week, but something was prompting me Big Time, so I did buy it.

I took it to bed with me that night, hiding on my side of the bed so Daniel wouldn't see what I was reading!!! I was so excited, because, while I already know and have applied the basis of The Secret in my life previously, sometimes, we live unconsciously, and the noise in our heads prevent us from receiving the good that is out there. One example - I used to say (ior rather, think) I was too tired and didn't want to do extra work (ie. voice recordings, emcee jobs), this after having had 2 kids while doing the Breakfast Show, so the Universe granted my wish. No work, no offers. What offers I had I'd turn down anyway, and most offers to emcee functions were on nights I had other previous (unpaid, social) engagements. This was the Universe granting my wish to not work. Ok....so this was interesting...I decided to try an experiment. That night I declared to The Universe, that I was ready to work again, easy work, mind you, nothing too taxing or odious, but I wanted to be paid well for it and use my public persona to gain advantages while helping others. The next day I got a call from !!! for a voice-over recording for a client, who also wanted me to become involved in a project related to the Pediatric Association of Malaysia. I would be paid **** just for showing up!Waaah....this was really something.Ok, to cut a short story even shorter (and not to sound like I'm so bloody terror and blowing my own horn or what), by the next week, I've had more work offers than I've had since I got pregnant with my first child, and a call from an Australian woman IN AUSTRALIA, mind you!!!!, to ask if I'd emcee a function for her client in KL. Who would've thought it!?? This was out of the blue...S

o, in parting.....Ask, Believe,....and Recieve....and don't try and intellectualise on the how's....just let the Universe sort it out and deliver it to you. Notice the little things. See opportunities and seize them. And most importantly, be GRATEFUL always.

When you pray, don't supplicate, appreciate!
Have fun and be a happy camper always.

66th post

2007-07-23T21:47:00.000-07:00

these all inclusive vacations...

Man! That was some vacation! I think I need a few days to recuperate.... [ie. my poor liver!]

We are back now (of course) and when I get a breather, I'll post some of the MANY photos I took with my crappy little camera. I know, Richard, I should invest in some heavier gear, considering my photo-journalistic talents (aherm!), but what to do lah...I'm saving up for a tummy tuck, to go with my new beach bag and bikini for my next trip to some far-away destination (ie. Club Med Bora Bora)....maaaan...I'm a wee bit addicted now to these all inclusive type holidays....If you've never taken one, you have GOT to do it, just once.

I had my reservations at first, coz the cost is substantial (even despite getting 3 nights out of the 5 free). These holidays don't come cheap. But once you're there, you'll realise it's money well spent - because any worries about hidden costs and the entire bill are well sorted out in advance. You just show up, make happy and have as good a time as your conscience will let you without you waking up the next day thinking - what was I thinking!??! Damn!LOL

We spent almost the entire week by the pool, and took breaks from it by going on the boat to visit local coral reefs teeming with tropical (and very large) fish to snorkel twice a day, visits to the poolside bar, and our noon break for lunch, which was a smorgasboard of French, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, Korean and some Maldivian cuisine. Food heaven. Yummmm....One did not get hungry or thristy in this place, that's for sure. Breakfast and dinner was the same deal basically....and you could literally tell the Singaporeans (I was the only Malaysian there that week, otherwise Malaysians pun 2x5 lah) from the rest of the guests from their loaded plates and food combinations. Lasagne with sushi and barbequed pork ribs, anyone? Yeah, exactly. LOL! Yes, a great time was had by all.

The only downer was the trip back - our flight was 3 hours delayed and yes, there was that stopover in Colombo...I used to love flying, but it's getting a bit tedious these days. The older I get, the more intolerant of silly people I am. In general. There was this *silly (nationality withheld for sensitive reasons) guy spitting from the side of the boat, then his woman got into the spitting mode too, and they were oblivious to the dirty looks from the other passengers (and the people still in the water!), so I had to be the heavy and tell them, 'Dude, that's really disgusting, man." The guy didn't understand english but I think my face said it all coz he apologized and quit spitting. Really. Betul betul no finesse lah. Ai yaah...that also must tell.

Anyway, Club Med Kani Maldives gets two thumbs up from Daniel and I!

65th post

2007-07-23T20:03:00.000-07:00

The honeymooners!

I'm off on my second honeymoon come April 18th 2007! See ya's later!

Club Med Kani, Maldives

64th post

2007-07-23T20:00:00.000-07:00

the best and the worst

Despite my crazyass schedule, I amaze myself that I can find the time to read not one, but two books a week!Yay me!!! (smirk)Anyway, sometimes I lock myself in the loo to hide from my kids so I can sneak a paragraph or two...

The best book I read this week was/is (I'm still rereading it, it's THAT good) The Secret by Rhonda Byrne and the WORST book was Happy Housewives by Darla Shine.Uwekkk...Happy Housewives made me really sick. I googled it afterwards and saw what other women thought of it, and I wasn't wrong. Too bad I didn't google it before I spent about RM68 for it. Yikes....Now the RM 61.90 I spent on Rhonda Byrne's book was money well spent. I mean, if you've read Norman Vincent Peale's "The Power of Positive Thinking" (I read that 10 years ago), Neale Donald Walsh's "Conversations with God "-books 1, 2 and 3 (ditto), it won't be anything new to you, but if you've become disconnected with the Universe, it's a nice little refresher. My weekend recommended reading. Enjoy!

63rd post

2007-07-23T19:56:00.000-07:00

a touch of the super...

...natural....!

I am exhausted. The last 4 nights, Milo (who's sick) has been keeping us up with his coughing, wandering the house at night and not wanting to stay in his bed. My husband has threatened to lock him in his room at night, but I thought that was a bit crazy, so I 'volunteered' to spend the night with Milo last night to basically, keep him in his room and not wake up the whole household with his nocturnal shenanigans. O-kaaaaay.....so I spread a blanket on the carpet and camped there on the floor in his room. He kept sitting up to make sure I was there - which was annoying, as I was perpetually on the very verge of sleep and had to keep answering his, "Mummy? There?" ...grrr.... I rolled around in this fashion for an hour before deciding it would be less uncomfortable squeezing in with him on his single toddler bed! Waaaaa....don't ask me how I did it, but there we were, cuddly like a Mama bear and her cub (with mama bear's fat ass hanging off the bed!), and before I knew it, we were both fast/half asleep (Milo kept waking up to cough).

Now here's the wild part: in the daze of the night, I dreamt (or really, it might have been real) that someone was pulling my hair. As I was sleeping on the edge of the bed, facing my son, it was highly unlikely that it was him. So I reached back and grabbed a shadowy 'arm' and told 'it' to go away. I think my exact words were "Oi, f@&# off lah, GO TO THE LIGHT. Now! I Command you." I felt this presence wasn't malevolent or anything, but merely mischievous. I didn't feel mortally concerned. I only feel 'mortally concerned' when the hair on the back of my neck stands up or the air temperature changes in the room (which has happened before!). The imp (for lack of a better definition) hung around a while, then went away. Creepy, huh? I wonder if that's what's been keeping Milo up at night lately. I believe my son is as sensitive to this as I am, so maybe got lah, but then again, maybe it was just a vivid dream brought on by the extreme discomfort of sleeping with a hacking toddler in a too-small bed.

I had another 'dream' a few months ago, where I was talking to a deceased friend of mine and told her how I was letting go of my spiritual 'gifts' and she clutched my hands together so firmly (to tell me not to let it go) that I actually woke up BUT still felt her nails in my palms. Maybe they were my own nails...who knows, but it left me feeling oddly comforted. Not so comforting though, was when I was sleeping next to my husband one night and this evil voice in my left ear told me something so disturbing, and then proceeded to snuff the very breath from me (kena hempap lah, what else), and I was awake at this point, but couldn't scream, so I was whimpering loudly to wake my husband up to 'break the spell'. But that's the strange thing, I was AWAKE when it happened. When my husband woke up, it went away with a roar. I kid you not![Twillight Zone music] Has anything like this ever happened to you?

62nd post

2007-07-23T19:51:00.000-07:00

my malaise

March 23rd 2007 -
Malaise and Malay are spelt differently but sound the same. I think I got chronic malay malaise...A couple of nights ago, I couldn't sleep, so I went downstairs to watch CNN. What I caught was a coffeehouse discussion on American GIs back from Iraq, who are now actively anti war, and since that day, it's disturbed me a LOT. These were men and women who stood and fought for their country and believed they were doing the right thing. They have brought home with them the truth of the war in Iraq and what American soldiers were asked to do. 'Dishonerable Duty' was a catchphrase that I heard a lot in this CNN special report.

These vets are now actively campaigning to bring back American troops and to stop their government from sending more troops over to Iraq.

What disturbed me wasn't so much the hype. Yes, the war disturbs me, but what disturbed me more was that all these people, mostly younger than me, have a real purpose in their lives, and they're doing something to make a change. They believe in something. At the moment, I am sorely lacking a belief in anything and a real purpose in my life. When you think about the many contributions individuals and groups are making for positive change in the world, you tend to wonder, "For what the f*** am I here?". I am truly depressed just thinking about it.

And I was depressed about (Al Gore's) The Inconvenient Truth for the fact that even if I did change all my lightbulbs for energy saving ones and my fuel guzzling car for a battery operated model, my neighbours are still going to be driving their Nissan Muranos and Mercedes SLKs, or Proton Sagas and Kia Rios, for that matter. Would it matter? Would it even make a difference? Should one even bother????????! It's like, all the things that frustrate you about our country that you cannot voice for [fear] of getting hauled into jail, people in power who are not accountable for the things they say and do, policies that do not take into account basic human rights...all these lah. I was thinking, not that I want to be a hero or anything, but if I want to make a difference, in my own little way, shouldn't I SAY something? Hello? But...but....(stammering)...I'm just (basically)...a suburban housewife! Do I even have anything to be upset about? Then I thought, perhaps a younger more idealistic Shazmin would be out there making a difference, lending a voice and lobbying for change in THIS country....instead of chasing the almighty dollar to pay off a mortgage, car and student loans and private schooling for the next generation. Ai yaa...typical lah. I admire the heck out of Malaysian filmmaker Amir Muhammad for his stand and belief in making things real. Despite the bollocks he is constantly faced with from the censorship board, he remains true to his calling and vision. I hope his next project actually gets a public airing (the 1998 street protests in KL), as it is contemporary and happened in our day and age. C'mon, we were there lah. So, Amir Muhammad, Citizen Nades (for speaking out) and Matt Howard and the gang at IVAW (Iraq Veterans Against the War)...I'm not you, but I wish I were a little bit more like you.

http://www.ivaw.org/

61st post

2007-07-23T19:46:00.000-07:00

highly sensitive

Apparently this Highly Sensitive Person thing is something of a movement. I spotted the book on a bookshelf at Times Bookstore a little while ago and had one of those amazing moments of self-revelation, you know, when suddenly you realize that you're not completely odd, you're actually really O.K. It must be something like when a Trekkie first sets foot inside a WorldCon, and they realize there are lots of people out there just like them.

The book itself is stocked with a fair proportion of dreck, but there's enough bullseyes in it that it goes a long way in explaining a lot of things about me, my husband, and about Milo, my little 'odd, shy, boy'. If the HSP thing has any validity in it, Milo and Daniel are both lodged firmly in that 20% of people with low stimulation thresholds (I'm slightly less sensitized!).

I've just started the Highly Sensitive Child book, where the proportion of dreck to substance is somewhat more bearable. One thing it points out is that HSC's end up having a much better time of it when their parents let them just be the way they are, rather than trying to get them to fit into some of the preconcieved standards that parents do carry around with them. But it's such a relief, so many of the things we've seen him do over the last two and a half years actually make sense now. It's such a relief to be able to stop thinking of him as flawed; he just has a different set of reactions to things is all.

So this morning I spoke to Milo's carer at nursery and she mentioned how Milo, at break time, just sat by himself and ate his snack, while all the other kids went running around. As a parent, you'd like your kid to have friends, to be popular, to get some exercise at least. But I have embraced some of the book's viewpoints, that that's the way he is, the way he needs to be, it's what makes him happy, and he's actually taking care of his needs. Wanting to eat lunch alone isn't a fatal flaw, it's not something that needs to be fixed, it's just part of what makes him him.

Then I hung up the phone so I could go to lunch myself. Alone, like I've done nine days out of ten for the past 20 years. I got out of my office full of people and out into the streets where I could carve some quiet space within the street noise and let myself breathe a little. I've always thought I should really eat lunch with my co-workers more, for years I've felt odd that I'm not going to lunch with somebody every single day, organizing these large, cumbersome fleets of people to go to some spot to eat together, or even staying in--they're all hobnobbing in the common pantry over their nasi bungkus while I'm Audi 5000!

And then it hit me, with the subtlety of a piano dropping onto my head. There I was, doing exactly the same thing Milo was, thirty-three years apart but on the same day. And you know what? I realized that if it was OK for Milo (or Daniel for that matter) to want to eat his lunch alone, it was probably OK for me to do it too.

It's nice not to be flawed. It really is. It's also nice to know that somebody close to you is not-flawed in almost exactly the same way you are.

60th post

2007-07-23T19:42:00.000-07:00

Lost, the musical

9-3-2007
Waaaaa!I never thought I'd have anything in common with Paris Hilton, but there you go. Lose your handphone (ie. get it stolen) and all hell breaks loose. Please, I had NO back up whatsoever (stupid huh), and if you know I had your number, please please please sms me your number again. I know it's a bit of a song and dance, but I've got to build up my phonebook from scratch! It's the same number lah, but new cheapo handphone (Daniel, if you're reading this, sorry I didn't take you up on your offer, but offer again lah!!! Schmatz!).

These people, if you're reading this, do it NOW! :-)
Rafina
Sharmina & all in TTDI
Gracie & Kennedy (Ken I was just about to call you, too!)
Laila & Shaja
John & TerryJemma & gang
Lynette
Sita
Kem & Ashley
Zubaidah
Fara
Farah
Nathalie (Anais' mum) - I was just about to organise a playdate!!!
Jenny (Maya's mum)
Marco - so I can keep tabs on you-know-who!
Nelson, from Tokio Marine - oi! My road tax and insurance due soon, woh!...

my brain a bit berkeceramuk (is that an actual word?) at the moment, so if I didn't list you, please just sms me anyway ok!?? This is not a time for pride and sulking! :-/
And to the jerk who made off with my handphone, those are picture of my kids, you a$#*ole. What goes around comes around - in the Power of Three! I will mojo-jojo you till your dying day!

59th post

2007-07-23T19:38:00.000-07:00

come dine with me lah!

I was watching MY FAVOURITE tv programme, you know, the one I have to fight with other members of my household, Come Dine With Me, to have 30 minutes of uninterrupted viewing, and came up with MY dream party guest list:
Author, comedian, genius and 'Pocoyo' narrator Stephen FryActor,
comedian Hugh LaurieActor,
comedian Tracy Ullman
The epitome of lurrrve, Prince Charles and Camillaerr,
Daniel Craig, sans Satsuki Mitchell! - he brings her everywhere, the tart!
"I don't mean to be rude, but" Simon Cowell
"Man, that was HOT, dawg" Randy Jackson
extra camp fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi
"Carry on!" Tom Gunn (from Project Runway)
Grumpy motor mouth Paul Teutel, Senior (from American Chopper)
Hysterically funny old b!tch Shirley Maclaine

Looking at the list, I've made a few observations:
50% of these guests are English
50% are gay icons
99% are ascerbicly witted (Daniel Craig being the exception)
1% is eye candy (see above ^ )

I'll probably have to sit between Paul Snr and DC, because their manhood would depend on it. Here's my stellar menu for the evening:
Apperitif - Kir Royal, Pineapple Bellini, Shazmin's berry*cherry G&T
Starter - Warm fig and goats' cheese with balsamico and rocket
Spiced pumpkin cappucino
Main Course - Rare lamb loin with a blanket of sauteed swiss brown, basil and sunkissed tomatoes in a light puff pastry 'purse'
Tossed chilled vine tomatoes with mint and cillantro
Dessert - Chocolate Fountain with fruit, sponge and marshmallows (a la the Shang KL buffet!); assorted cheese platter with fruit and nuts

See, I've taken everything into consideration. There's lightness with every course, and some substantial 'meat' thrown in there for the likes of the macho cavemen like Simon Cowell (huh?) and Paul Senior (don't know if they'd appreciate eating a 'purse' though!). Lotsa fruit and nuts too, for the fruity and nutty rest of us...I have absolute fantasies about having this uncanny bunch in my house. I think it would be a flaming riot! I wouldn't invite Paula Abdul though because she'd just drink all my booze and cause an embarassing scene - a barrel of laughs that'll just end in tears. Yikes, you know how awkward that can be...

58th post

2007-07-23T19:33:00.000-07:00

ultimate con job

Ok, this is a classic! We listen to the "Mothercare - Wheels on the Bus" cd on the way to school every morning, and this little gem is on track 5. Let this be a lesson for our young daughters - it's never too early to make them savvy to the old adage, black is the con of man and all that rot. You have to wonder why the soldier in question is not wearing any clothes to begin with, ehh?!!

Soldier, Soldier, will you marry me
With your muscat, pipe and drum?
Oh no, Sweet Maid, I cannot marry you
For I have no shirt to put on
So off she went, to her grandfather's chest
And brought him a shirt, of the very, very best
And the Soldier put it on!

Soldier, Soldier, will you marry me?
With your muscat, pipe and drum?
Oh no, Sweet Maid, I cannot marry you,
For I have no tie to put on
So off she went, to her grandfather's chest
And brought him a tie of the very, very best
And the Soldier put it on!

Soldier, Soldier, will you marry me?
With your muscat, pipe and drum?
Oh no, Sweet Maid, I cannot marry you,
For I have no suit to put on
So off she went, to her grandfather's chest
And brought him a suit of the very, very best
And the Soldier put it on!

Soldier, Soldier, will you marry me?
With your muscat, pipe and drum?
Oh no, Sweet Maid, I cannot marry you,
For I have no boots to put on
So off she went, to her grandfather's chest
And brought him some boots of the very, very best
And the Soldier put it on!

oldier, Soldier, will you marry me?
With your muscat, pipe and drum?
Oh no, Sweet Maid, I cannot marry you,
For I have no coat to put on
So off she went, to her grandfather's chest
And brought him a coat of the very, very best
And the Soldier put it on!

Soldier, Soldier, will you marry me?
With your muscat, pipe and drum?
Oh no, Sweet Maid, I cannot marry you,
For I have no hat to put onS
o off she went, to her grandfather's chest
And brought him a hat of the very, very best
And the Soldier put it on!

Soldier, Soldier, will you marry me?
With your muscat, pipe and drum?
Oh no, Sweet Maid, I cannot marry you,
For I have A WIFE OF MY OWN!!!!!!!

Moral of the story: No man's going to buy the cow if the milk's for FREE and the cow is giving out freebies like Armani suits and Hugo Boss ties on top of all that! Ai yaaah, that also don't know, meh?!!

57th post

2007-07-23T19:30:00.000-07:00

profound

I'm the old dog, trying to learn a new trick: the trick being the German language via cd in my car in between taxi-ing Milo to and from school, work and trips to the supermarket (there's always a jam to get stuck in and it's a hell lot more interesting)! So there I was, thinking, I'm going to wow Daniel with my linguistic prowess, "Ich muss haben Sie heute abend!" *wink wink* when the poor 'student' in the Michell Thomas German Language Series recording suddenly gets an earfull from the old geezer (MT). He was basically bulldozing the sentence structure to death and here's what the Old Man had to say:"No! No! Think!....Communication is a thought process......not just something that sounds gutt."

Waaah....tersenyap aku sekejap. I actually rewound that part and listened to what he said 3 more times! It's so true, though, isn't it? So many of us talk talk talk and it's just sound coming out of our pieholes, yakyakyaaakityyak, waawaawaaahblaaablablaaaaaa..... Can you think of one industry that can be revolutionized if you apply the above??? *smirk*******

On another note, I have a ton of cds littering the floor of my car, and now my son has convinced himself that his real mother is jazz chanteusse, Diana Kraal. He never fails to remind me as he fingers Diana Kraal's chirstmas album, "My mummy! My mummy!" all the way to school. Poor boy, I almost hate to break it to him. LOL
27-02-07

56th post

2007-07-23T19:24:00.000-07:00

utterly incredible!

24-02-2007
Anyone who knows me, knows I love my sleep. My night time sleep. And anyone who knows me knows I went to great lengths to 'encourage' (as opposed to 'train') my kids to go to sleep on their own, in their own rooms, and to sleep through the entire night.Now, this is upsetting. For both Sophie and Milo, I loosely followed Gina Ford's methods in her book "The New Contented Baby book". I found the outline for daytime napping and feeding quite sensible. I was never militant about following it to the tee, but somehow, we managed to get our little nippers on a good sleeping routine that works even now (7pm - 6.45am). I ritually lend out my copy to friends, so much so this book is in tatters (sorry Richard! Gotta go buy your own!)! The methods outlined in this book, well has stirred up a lot of debate. Everywhere. Particularly on one of my fave websites. What's amazing is that the author has really freaked out about what people are saying about her and wants to shut down the website! Needless to say, it's now an issue about freedom of speech, not so much her childcare methods. Though these events happened like 6 months ago, it's news to me. If you have the time, check it out. It makes for incredible (incredulous!!!) reading.

http://www.mumsnet.com/lw/state.html http://www.mumsnet.com/PressCoverage.html

http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/justine_roberts/2006/08/mumsnet.html

http://pewari.may.be/2006/08/09/gina-ford-vs-mumsnet-continued/

55th post

2007-07-23T19:23:00.000-07:00

slapper (for lack of a better header)

I'm actually writing this as I'm doing Ross's Drivetime shift! Ooo-errr! This feels so BIZARRE...I feel like I'm actually channeling Ross and about to spew forth last night's footie scores, London-accent alllll....hee hee! V. v. strange indeed.Anyway, hope you guys had a great Chinese New Year. Ours was verrrry quiet. Couldn't get away on account of Ross being on leave, but that's ok....more inevitable annual leave for moi.....!Speaking of which, we've decided to cash in our winning ticket from Club Med Kani Maldives this April - God, I am so excited! My sister will be down from the States with her brood, so she's going to shack up at my house, with my brood while we're away for a week! Yaaaaay! Free babysitting! I just hope Milo's not too much of a nuisance, he's going through a 'phase'.... It's the 'angkat tangan' phase....you know, like when you tell him off or something, his immediate reaction would be to angkat his tangan and try to whack you? That phase. Yeah. I've gotten a call from school already. Yikes.I could say, "Milo, please don't terajang your little sister like that" in the sweetest tone, and he'll hurl himself (from whichever part of the room) within arm's length of you in this superhero stance. It's quite funny actually, but I can imagine what this must look like to another parent whose precious toddler is in the same class as him! Alamak, if you're a parent with a precious toddler in the same class as Milo, please accept my profoundest apologies in advance! We are working on it. Really, we are.
Gong Xi Fatt Choy!

20-02-2007

54th post

2007-07-23T19:21:00.000-07:00

sore b.side

waaaa.....so much for the New Year's resolution to keep up the fitness program....I have a SORE A$$ just from climbing a couple of rocks at Ulu Yam over the weekend!At first, I couldn't fathom why my butt and thighs hurt so bad...then I remembered the 'physical exertion' (hah!) of clamouring over rocks, then wading in thigh high 'rapids' (!?) with a 2 year old clutching on me boobs for dear life. I guess my body's just not used to the exercise! Damn! I can feel the muscles in my backside I didn't know existed!Anyway, it was a really lovely trip down to Ulu Yam, I'll post some pictures later. How nice to have a lovely picnic spot so close to the city. Please tell me if you know of other spots I can take the kids to on the weekend! WE are SICK of the malls.

53rd post

2007-07-23T19:20:00.000-07:00

makan what else?

Feb 12th 2007Really nothing new to report.Same ole, same ole. This week I get to NOT COOK. Yaaaay! The hubs is away til this Wednesday and I can do what the heck I please (culinarily speaking) and I pleased to make a bowl of curry maggimee, which I fell upon with relish and gusto. It took me about 1 1/2 minutes to down. Mind you, I'm still hungry, so I might call up Ahmad from Puchong (remember the McDelivery ad???! Brill!) for a top up Double Cheeseburger McValue meal. Or I might be brave and have a vanilla Herbalife concoction. Yurghh. Which shall it be? Decisionsdecisions.....

52nd post

2007-07-23T19:19:00.000-07:00

things that make you go Hmmmm...!

Nothing super exciting to report. Just that I'm suffering from a really bad bout of phlegm - gets into my throat, irritates the bejesus out of it and makes me cough until I vomit. All Night Long, just like the Lionel Richie song...So needless to say, I've not had much sleep lately....but thank God my maid, Feni, has things under control. I must say, she's the best that I've had so far (and last year, I had 4!). She's so good, Milo even called her "Mummy" this morning.????!!!!!!!!!!????????Ooo-eeerrrrr.......don't know how I feel about thaaaaaat...... At least she had the sense not to say anything to make the moment even more awkward than it was! [unlike the other day, when we were outside and Milo heard the azan ringing in the distance, he put a worried look on his face and said, "Oooh! Momok!!!" - to which I laughed my head off, but Feni had the cheek to say, "hmmm, itulah, Milo tak di ajar...". Which shut me right up].Really, though. I like Feni a lot. She's smart (but a bit cheeky), caring, clean, efficient, trustworthy and thinks on her feet, especially where the kids are concerned...and you can see, she loves them a lot. They adore her....I wonder if Sophie even knows I'm the Mummy here....Milo, I'm sure, was just being a smartass, he's at that stage. He called me "Kakak" this morning, too, just to get a reaction! Monkey. So, I guess, don't freak out lah, haaaah? What you think?

Update: I got a super tip that cured my cough...a caller, Michael suggested eating a ton of jackfruit, unwashed - straight from the nangka/packet! Apparently, the juices/'slime' from the jackfruit has properties that are healing....another caller, Ronnie, said it is actually 'cooling'..I donno lah, but it seems to have done the trick! Thanks guys!

51st post

2007-07-23T19:17:00.000-07:00

global warming, anyone?

Yo party people, check it out. I watched Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth and it's the best movie I've seen all year (no doubt, it's only January 29th but hey - I suspect it'll still be one of this year's best films judging on what Hollywood's been offering up lately). You MUST watch it.It's a real sitter-upper-eye-opener. Made me wonder why I brought kids into the world.We must do something....but what????

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/05/060524-global-warming.html

http://www.slate.com/id/2142319/http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/13248532/why_gore_should_run__and_how_he_can_win/1

50th post

2007-07-23T19:16:00.000-07:00

Milestones for Princess Lemongrass

Jan 15th

Sophie Shiloh Aman, aka Puteri Serai, just celebrated her seventh month last weekend, and to date, she has learnt to:1. Eat solids 2. Spit 3. Blow bubbles with her spit 4. Grab and pinch (faces especially) 5. Sit up unaided 6. Crawl 7. Pull herself up on the furniture 8. Scream with indignation when she wants Playhouse Disney Channel as opposed to Star World on the telly!She's very vocal, dislikes strangers who come too close, loves to lanyak the cat and adores her Milo, even when he's being unreasonable with her. At the mo, he can do no wrong, but I'm sure that'll change any day now!We adopted a cute brown rabbit over the weekend, his name is Button. That makes the 4th animal to join the menagerie chez moi! Last month we got two black gerbils. Of all the cute, furry little creatures we could've gotten, Milo picked these two ratty black rodents to take home! He named them Bubu and Bubu. I've since renamed the slimmer Bubu, Slick, since he's such a b*&stard to catch when you want to clean the cage! The fat Bubu got stuck in his little plastic house (it was hillarious actually, his big fat arse sticking out, little rat legs kicking!) and we had to cut through it to free him! Phew! That was a close one! I thought he'd had it! Bought the farm. Kicked the bucket. I don't know what I'd say to explain death and dying and heaven to Milo....Thank God that's been put off (I read that gerbils have a short life span anyway. So it'll be any day now!).Anyway, I took some AWESOME photos of all of the above, but still haven't worked out how to upload photos onto this site, so you all wait lah....It's a coming attraction. Watch this space.

49th post

2007-07-23T19:15:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to the old gal!

January 9th. Remember this date.Happy birthday to MEEEEE, yaddayaddayadda...!I'm actually more excited about Richard taking his wife to the hospital this morning and HOPE that she has a safe delivery (today? Please??!) so Marissa and I can share the same birth date! Wooohooo! Wouldn't that be SOMETHING!???!Weird or whaaaaaat? But totally cool, maaaaah!Anyway, things have been on the up and up.... I got a call from BSC (Bangsar Shopping Centre) of all people/places and they told me the FANTASTIC news.....I'VE WON THE GRAND PRIZE in their Christmas Advent Calender lucky draw!!!!! I was flumoxed! The only thing I've ever won in my life was a Lionel Richie cassette from 7Eleven back in 1984! So, you ask, what did I win?......heh heh hehhhhh! This will make the hardiest of you contest professionals weep....!A 4 day, 3 night stay at Club Med Kani, MALDIVES, all inclusive!A Pearl necklace from Amita worth !!!A Gold and Ruby ring from Fa'iq Jewellers worth !!!!Costume Jewellry from French Bijoux worth !!!I was so excited I almost fainted! Now I can understand why some people make it a habit of entering contests. I almost didn't enter, but I had several receipts worth more than RM Xxx each (we were, errr, stocking up on food and etc for our xmas party) and I thought what the hecklah! It took me less than a minute to put my name and number on the back of the receipts and drop them in a box! I'm so glad I didn't listen to my husband who said I was being damn kiasu! HAHAHAhahahah!!!! Should I take him to the Maldives???....hmmmmm.....! Ok, ok darling, you can come lah!Thank you muchly, BSC, for making my day!!!!!Happy New Year? Yes indeeeedy!

48th post

2007-07-23T19:13:00.000-07:00

Have a great year, people

I'm back from my extended Xmas holiday! How are you? I'm good, people. Needed a break. Well, Richard said it all really. I share his sentiments. He has been the best working partner a girl could ever have and I'll miss his wayward ways in the mornings. But alas, the only constant is Change, and if we're going to go all cliche about it: all good things must come to an end.I'll miss all of you guys, too! But I'm still around! Keep listening at 10am - 1pm every weekday morning and let's have fun!That said, being around at home in the mornings is something I've never experienced and I like it. A lot! Seeing my kids wake up smiling is just precious. As for my husband, he's a grumpy bollocks in the a.m., but hey, that's something new I've discovered about him as I've never been on real speaking terms with him in the mornings - as I'm never around! Joy. Hmmm. LOL!Here's wishing everyone, especially the loyal lot of you who've been listening to Richard and I from day 1, the very best for 2007! May this year be a blessing to us all.

47th post

2007-07-23T19:12:00.000-07:00

my neck got bigger!

My bathroom scale conned me! Waaaaaaaaaaa! sob sob! In actual fact, my weight remained the same and my measurements, too, but my neck got bigger (!), indicating a loss of body fat percentage of 1%.Go figure.Apparently, there's a science behind it. The neck's the first part to indicate muscle development. We did our measurements yesterday and Vince explained it all. I was really bummed out, despite the body fat percentage loss. I thought maybe it'd be more. I was cheating myself with the food part of the bootcamp. OK, the secret's out. I regret that now, and realise I was only cheating myself. I resolve to do better this week.I'm really proud of Marina and Francine - they recorded the most fat percentage loss, and they've been good about the diet too, so they really deserve it! Good on ya!

46th post

2007-07-23T19:11:00.000-07:00

thrilled to bits!

I know a minute ago I wanted to be Gerard Depardieu...but today I weighed myself and found I've dropped 2 kgs! How awesome is that!!!?I have to hand it to Vince and all our new friends at bootcamp who've been nothing but supportive and a barrel of laughs. Mind you, Vince is pretty scary, but he's meant to be that way (haha!) otherwise, we'd all just play the fool and not exercise. We all found ourselves belting out Christmas carols while doing one-handed pushups to distract from the IMMENSE pain of it all....kudos to Alan and Nigel who started the ball rolling! It was a great collaboration - didn't you just love my backup of Serena Williams-sized grunts?!!I admit yesterday I was feeling lazy but since I got off the bathroom scale, I'm stoked!BRING IT ON! WhoooooHOOOO!

45th post

2007-07-22T22:51:00.000-07:00

fat bottomed girls

Funny the things we find ourselves thinking about when we're driving somewhere we aren't that thrilled to go to. In this case, the bootcamp HQ. Yesterday, as I was driving there, I asked myself a hypothetical question: If I could be ANYONE in the world, who would I want to be? Now, I thought...hmmmmm.....Daniel Craig's girlfriend? Melinda Gates? Oprah? (naaaa!) Queen Elizabeth 1 (she was so cool!)?!! I was having fun with this, and thought of a number of 'personalities' I could easily be and then, I REALLY thought about it and came up with the perfect ME. Gerard Depardieu.

Yes. I'd so LOVE to be Gerard Depardieu and I'll tell you why. He lives life on a large scale, and I'm not poking fun at the man's size. Far from it. He lives big, he's not pernickerty about food, diet and exercise (he has his own vineyard for God's sake and he's quite the gourmand!). He's an intelligent man with a incredible sense of humour and comedy, he's a talented actor and he's DAMN SEXY. I guess his sexiness comes from his love of life and the sensual pleasure he takes in living it. He is not bothered by his girth, and that self acceptingness is a quality I find truly hot. I don't for a second, think he ever wakes up in the morning thinking, "I'm having a fat day". I recently saw some, truth be told, god awful photos of him lounging in his birthday suit on a nudie beach somewhere in France but he looked so okay about it all hanging out and what. Man, he was with a woman 20 years younger (and she was skinny!) on top of that! Before you get funny ideas about moi, let me tell you, no, my tastes don't run with that of of the Big Guy. I'm essentially a gay man trapped in a woman's body. But I wish I had the self assurance, confidence and the so what? it tastes good! Carpe du fromage! frame of mind as that of Depardieu's. He don't give a sheeeet. I guess it's all in the mind. Unfortunately, this mind tends to care what people think when they look at the body!

So all that said, I went to KDT Academy, worked my butt off, came home and had a (small) bowl of soup and just fantasized about what it would be like to be Gerard Depardieu. Heavy in body, but light in spirit. *grin*

44th post

2007-07-22T22:50:00.000-07:00

food or lack of...

Let's talk about food.I can't stomach anything on this new diet, actually. It's damn tough. I mean, on any normal day, chicken wouldn't be my meat of choice to begin with, but thank God I like fish. Unfortunately, I haven't a clue how to clean it and cook it, so I just end up buying sashimi! I asked Vince why red meat is a no no.Me: "Vince, why, aaah? Red meat cannot?"Vince: "You ever notice how when you cook lamb or beef rendang - it takes hours to make the meat soft? In some cases, the meat doesn't even get soft? That's how long it'll take for you to digest the food in your stomach if you eat red meat. Chicken takes less time to digest, fish even more so, it breaks apart easily. The longer you take to digest your food, the more your body will spend its energy doing that, instead of burning fat or repairing muscle, etc...."Me: "Oh."And it's not that we get lots of meat, either. Greens are the prescribed food here and rolled oats in the morning, which I don't mind really, except that I'm usually in a mad rush and can only grab a Nescafe 3 in 1 on the go at 4.30am. I try my best to get up 15 minutes earlier, but I've only managed it twice so far (cooking rolled oats before work). I'm good about the water though. We're required to down 4-6 litres of water a day to flush out the system. Apparently, you can loose quite a lot of weight this way. I don't know lah, I've been running to the loo in between song breaks, so it'll be that or the cardio!so, err.....bring it on? (the food platter!)

43rd post

2007-07-22T22:48:00.000-07:00

stiff weekend!

Oh. My. God.I had to get my husband to haul me off the loo - my legs, butt and thighs were so sore and stiff from Friday's bootcamp session! If truth be told, it was a pain in the a$R$% to sit down on the loo, too! You guys try doing lunges and squats for an hour and not feel it afterwards!It wasn't actually like that lah. The girls and I joined an intermediate class session as part of our bootcamp training on friday night, so it was a more gruelling workout. I wanted to 'keep up' with the best of them, so as not to look like a complete wimp, but the body (sigh), is now suffering for it lah. Another thing I discovered about myself: I have absolutely no balance, grace or coordination. It's a wonder I can walk around and not injure myself on a daily basis!Anyway, bring it on....

42nd post

2007-07-22T22:46:00.000-07:00

Nivea Bootcamp - Day 2

Ok, everyone commented on the 'enigmatic grin' I had on my face the entire time we were put through the gruelling motions last night. I was actually thinking about Daniel Craig. Specifically, the training he underwent to get that body you saw in Casino Royale. Phwoooooaaar! Anyway, it didn't come easy for him, and it's not coming easy for me either, so I was channeling my inner Bond Girl to get me through the entire HOUR. I kid you not.It was like an out of body experience. I felt lighter, more agile, more determined to get through the sets than I would, I suspect, if I were just plain 'ole me. This is my coping mechanism. I wonder what our trainer Vince would think, if he knew!I've been dealing with a REALLY bad cough these last three weeks - you know the kind that triggers off an asthma episode?, one of those. So I've volunteered to sleep downstairs in the guest room, as I'm getting up every half hour to cough, hack, gag, vomit and spit. Only thing is, the bed in the guest room ain't exactly from The Ritz, so can you imagine what my body feels like today! I don't know if I'm sore from the bootcamp or from sleeping on that bed! All that said, I'm enjoying the bootcamp so far - the girls and I are all geared up to take it to the next level!Bring it on!

41st post

2007-07-22T22:45:00.000-07:00

Nivea Bootcamp - Day 1

- the day after -Actually, I feel quite ok lah! (maybe I'm in better shape than I think! -yeah, dream on!) I expected to be sore all over, considering my arms were "shivering" when we did the moves yesterday. The only things that hurt are my feet, but that's because I have a condition called Plantar Fasciitis - heelspurs, and probably aggravated from running barefoot in the gym for the warmup.I'm looking forward to the second bootcamp session. Bring It On, baby!

40th post

2007-07-22T22:43:00.001-07:00

goodbye cellulite!

yeaaaahh.......

Ok, then. We've got the first bootcamp session tonight and it'll be ggggGGGGREEEAAAAT!

Nevermind that nobody but the maid is going to be home to tuck in the kids at bedtime for the next three weeks, that my husband will have to subsist on tapau food, canned soup with bread or cold casserole made in the afternoon.

Sacrifice a bit lah, hor? After all, it's all about me, me, ME.

And about bloody time, too.

39th post

2007-07-22T22:41:00.000-07:00

happy monday

Hi there! Sorry I've not updated this blog for yonks....I've been away all week and my modem at home has been FRIED....but never fear! I'm HERE! I'm here!The hubby and Milo have been sick as a pair of parrots all week, so I've been nurse-maiding on my so-called "holiday". Hmmm. Fun. I've caught the contagion and have been trying to shake this cough off for a week now. But despite the illnesses, Daniel and I managed to get some Gold Class action and saw blonde Bond on Saturday night.Wow.That Daniel Craig. Wasn't I right about him? Enough said. (I won't go on about him here coz Daniel [Kraehenbuehl] reads this and I don't want to be in the dog house!). Ooo-err...The busking thingamij at Bangsar Village happened on Saturday and was a lot of fun. The collection of non perishable items for Agathians Boys' Home in PJ was really good and the boys are very happy with your donations of rice, biscuits, cooking oil, soap powder, milo, cookies, etc. But there was ONE of you (and you know who you are) who had the cheek to give us a bag containing one free tee shirt (no doubt a freebie), a pair of old shorts and a used pair of slippers. WHY???????God, was I annoyed. Just because you're giving to charity, pleaselah don't dump your garbage. Think of the poor boys on the recieving end. If you were one of them, would you jump for joy at this? No doubt you think that anything is better than nothing, but come on lah. You can do better than that, surely?I want to thank everyone who gave generously and showed up to support the GIRLS for the Battle of the Sexes busking challenge....There was a big bag of stationery - paper, pens, crayons, exercise books, etc. Whoever gave us that for the Agathians....God bless you.Take care!20-11-2006

38th post

2007-07-22T22:37:00.000-07:00

Blonde Bond

In the news today, Daniel Craig has been hailed as the BEST James Bond EVER.

Hah!

See? All you naysayers...who said he was not fit to shine Pierce Brosnan's brosnans! Blonde Bond rules! Na nanana naaaaa!

I got a little hot and bothered when Anu said the other day that she couldn't fathom WHY I found Craig so apt for the role.

In her words: "He's so smarmy".

My husband said, "He looks like a Russian sea port thug" (he's just jealous).

I think Craig is apt for the role because he adds a gritty sex appeal lacking in the last two Bonds. I mean, Brosnan was ok, suave, debonair, he had oil in his hair and all that rot, but he was too debonair lah. Tim Dalton was just wrong wrong wrong. Give me gritty any day.
(Check out Daniel Craig in Munich and Layer Cake)

37th post

2007-07-22T21:11:00.000-07:00

the Grinch who stole DeepaRaya

There's just no denying it. I HATE fireworks.I hate it, hate it, HATE IT!!!!

With Deepavali and Hari Raya on the horizon, I risk making myself very unpopular with the neighbours with my endless complaints, but...if you think about it, why should I be overly worried about what they think or feel - they seem not to give two hoots about the rest of us, who go to bed early, have small babies, or just simply HATE noise.

I wish the Government would get really serious about this issue, instead of just saying every year, "it's illegal". Pah. Whatever.

36th post

2007-07-22T21:10:00.001-07:00

all choked up

My father used to tell me when I was a small child, that if I tak puasa, the sky will come falling down on me.Hmmmm....looks to me like there are quite a lot of us yang tak puasa, judging on the current air quality!How are you all coping? Milo's been having nosebleeds, and my sinuses are completely out of whack. My eyes sting all the time and I can barely see anything when I'm driving. This is really baaaad....When I lived in Brickfields around the same time last year, the jerebu was so thick I couldn't see the KL Sentral train station from my condo, much less the Twin Towers, of which we normally had a stellar view! I remember how scary that was! It was right after War of the Worlds came out, so it felt like some kind of alien invasion, but nooo....just some open burning activity in the region....but damn scary lah, nevertheless.Anyhooo...all I can say is keep indoors, drink plenty of fluids and pray for clear skies and clean air again. We need it!

35th post

2007-07-22T21:09:00.000-07:00

Oct 6th 2006

It's Milo's 2nd birthday today! Happy Birthday my sweet! Sorry mummy screamed at you yesterday like a banshee for flinging spagetti at your sister and mummy's lovely white walls...Anyhoooo.....a BIG thank you to Uncle Lawrence in Kuching for the birthday card (and the little extra enclosed!), that was really very nice of you. I'll make sure he doesn't spend it all on candy!Milo's having a birthday party at daycare and we're going to a potluck berbuka puasa-cum-lantern festival party tonight at our clubhouse - but the highlight will be the Gymboree party on Saturday. Man, this guy's social life is better than mine. You know that RSVP rant I went on and on about the other day on the Breakfast Show? Well, two of the three parents who didn't rsvp me (grrrr!!!!), actually called up (sheepishly, might I add) to [finally] let me know they wouldn't be attending with their kids! The power of RADIO, what. Anyway, hope you all have a great weekend and talk to you on Monday!

34th post

2007-07-22T21:06:00.000-07:00

what's YOUR latte factor?

Whoooa......we got a TON of calls this morning on David Bach's book, "Start Late, Finish Rich".Honestly, speaking of Latte Factor and all, it was browsing in a bookstore, killing time that I picked up this book...and you know how that is...my latte factor happens to be magazines and books (and bottled water, ice mocha lattes, ironically!) so of course I HAD to buy this book for RM49.95! Wow. Think of it: if I bought a book that costs an average of 50 bucks every time I walk into a bookstore (and that's about 4 times a week), I'd be spending RM800.00 a month!That's RM 9,600 a year! Crazy or what? But anyhooo...I exagerate the figures, but you get what I mean. This book's a real eye opener and I suggest that if you are:1) over 30 2) have credit card debt 3) have little or no savings 4) are working for D' Man (as opposed to yourself) , then this book is for YOU! It's not about becoming a millionaire, it's about achieving financial freedom. Happy reading! It's not to late to finish RICH, IF (and only if) you do something about it TODAY.

33rd post

2007-07-22T21:01:00.000-07:00

My World

'My World' according to me, but based on questions by Harper's Bazaar, because I was bored and decided it was time to update this blog......

Your idea of heaven? Having a full night's uninterrupted sleep to wake up to a gourmet food fest expo in the Carribean, with no body issues on my mind and no cellulite on my arse! (I'd know I'd died and gone to heaven!)

Dream job? Food taster to Henry the 8th - the feasts in his day were legendary! Barring that, I also want to clean up after Jamie Oliver cooks for his show, so I can eat his food!...Mmmmmm...

Signature scents?Chicco's Mama Donna Bust Firming Cream. I wear it all over my body and it smells GREAT!

Which historical figure do you most identify with and why? Ghandi, because I'm perpetually starving. And I would walk a mile for something salty!

What makes you laugh? My husband, when we're indulging in mindless pillow talk. Also David Spade's character 'Dennis Finch' in Just Shoot Me.

What or whom do you find sexy?Oddly enough, I find Jeff Goldblum sexy. Also blond Bond, Daniel Craig - no matter WHAT anyone says about him!

What do you have your eye on? The smartfortwo! I want one!!!!

A favourite recent discovery? Magic Knickers from figleaves.com!!!! Bloody fantastic!

Your favourite places to shop? The Piggly Wiggly in Isle of Palms, South Carolina - because there's a Target, Borders, Gap and Starbucks next door. You can find me at Cold Storage, Bangsar on any given day though.

What are the most essential items in your wardrobe? I have three favourite jeans in three different sizes, you know for thin, normal and fat days. Lots of fitted cotton v-neck tees in white or black. Scholls and Birkenstocks for my footsie comfort. I can't wear heels!

A moment when you knew you had grown up? Doing my taxes and registering the births of my children, considering both were an unholy hassle - the doing, not the children!

On your bedstand? Shape magazine (Sept issue), lip balm, flask of water, Barney Goes to Bed (for Milo) and The Art of Dying by Vena Cork.

Trademark accessories? My wedding band.

32nd post

2007-07-22T21:00:00.000-07:00

slapper

Sophie turned 3 months old yesterday (sept 14th) and not only that, she literally turned! From her back to her front!Such a clever little girl! Was I chuffed!We must've made a bit of fuss because Milo didn't like it and slapped his sister in the face. She screamed blue bloody murder and wouldn't be pacified. Now she frets and starts to cry when he comes within striking distance.His royal green-eyed monster gets very jealous if he sees me or Nanny holding Sophie...he screams to be held and if I'm sitting, he'll think nothing of lanyakking his sister to get on my lap too. Macam mana nih!?? I must confess I was rather angry with him when he slapped his sister and my natural reaction was to smack him back and see if he appreciates the treatment...but you only get violence from violence. Plus, he'll start screaming, too and I already had a headache. And it's not on lah, right? What do you all do? I'd like to know.And...from being such a nice little sleeper, sleeping through the night from 7pm - 7 am, he's getting up TWICE a night now. Fuuuuuuuuudge.......

31st post - with photos!

2007-07-22T20:58:00.000-07:00

aaah...finally! Here are some latest photos of Milo and Sophie! Click on the photos to enlarge, it's clearer!

See the family resemblance? We're all nose and lips!
Milo and his hotwheels!
"I wonder if she'll squeel like a piggie if I poke her in the belly button..."
"I just LOVE my little sister. No, I'm not trying to strangle her, by the way..."
T shirt says it all.....
"Can't you tell I just did something REALLY naughty???"
"Oh Maaa....please get that camera out of my face already."
My little angels before bedtime

30th post

2007-07-22T20:49:00.000-07:00

am I the Eskimo?

You know that old biscuit about selling ice to an Eskimo? Well, I'm that Eskimo, have always been that Eskimo, and will always be that Eskimo!Ok lah, the fact is, I went out and bought the Herbalife concoction.....waaaah....spent all weekend drooling at my husband's breakfast and lunch...but all in all, it's not so bad lah.
I'm combining it with Jorge Cruise's 3 hour diet, so I'm not exactly starving. It's mind over matter at this point, but my mind has an unnatural preoccupation with food. Daniel says this thing will make me even more fat because it'll trigger some deprivation panic button, which will make me freak out when faced with the reality of everyday mealtimes. I'm actually determined to show him that I've got some (even if it's not a lot) willpower and I can make it work for me. Actually, if anything, being on it has made me more mindful about what and how much I actually put in my mouth everytime I open it. That has to be good, no? Yeah??? Now I just have to get off my lazy bum and start exercising!

29th post

2007-07-22T20:46:00.000-07:00

party or what! so true, so true... Suri Cruise - this is funny! googoo ga ga! wet, wild weekend! Spot the diff! How will you age? a day in the life... My dream dog Soul Mate, anyone? a year older, a year wiser...??? BABY NO. 3 a new idola now I''ve seen it all! the Universe answereth! The Secret these all inclusive vacations... The honeymooners! the best and the worst a touch of the super... a new take on Sanjaya... a good laugh good little egg my malaise idol letdown funny dog photo! highly sensitive Lost, the musical come dine with me lah! ultimate con job profound utterly incredible! ulu yam She can blow! My American Idol prediction slapper (for lack of a better header) sore b.side makan what else? things that make you go Hmmmm...! global warming, anyone? my ankle-biters Bubu, Slick, Button and Umbrella Milestones for Princess Lemongrass Happy Birthday to the old gal! Have a great year, people my neck got bigger! thrilled to bits! fat bottomed girls food or lack of stiff weekend! Nivea Bootcamp - day two Nivea Bootcamp - Day 1 goodbye cellulite! happy monday A v. good idea from Robert. Any takers? Blonde Bond think about it the Grinch who stole DeepaRaya all choked up Oct 6th 2006 what''s YOUR latte factor? kekok! My World slapper Photos!!!!! am I the Eskimo? pening kepara! Herba-whaaaat? watch this space Richard''s baby names! gerrrroffff me! (or : An End To Faking Headaches) distant memories...! ...I wax nostalgic before it even becomes a distant memory... Fat Loser''s Joy Luck Club membership for sale here! body beautifuuul! why oh why can someone tell me...? green eyed monstress all quiet on the home front my world cup $0.02 Tom Magnum vs Doc Martin Mes enfants: Sophie et Milo aiyoo, alamak! the horse''s mouth Sophie Milo Beeyooootifoool Couples thank you thank you thank you! season for pink booties open letter from Chris An end to Joy labour party battle of the sexes questions! my salad daze... happy mother''s day! not for singletons! sorry! a real killJOY pukevomit''s out! My friend Liz Are you Perfectly Matched? Agensi Pekerjaan Shaz! FRESH UPDATE: rack of lamb photos, as promised!!! rack of lamb, anyone? Is this a problem??? RED HOT spice for married life! Living Coffee with the most annoying man on TV new maid saga...week 2 Self Maid Woes Speaking of photos..... I hate this picture! Will someone please CHANGE THIS PICTURE!!!!
pening kepara!

Richard's wife complained (to me via Richard) that there are not enough pictures of Sophie up. That's how it is lah, with subsequent children, isn't it? I have about 7 albums of photos of Milo, but only one album featuring Sophie at home. We especially bought a videocam for Milo's birth but neglected to film Sophie's birth! Her papa wasn't even there at her birth because he was watching football in the next room!

Worst thing is, she doesn't even have a birth certificate yet! I procrastinated so much, that now I have to go for 'an interview' at JPN to get her registered and to determine that I didn't buy her off the internet on the black market! Champion lah. Please don't do this to your children. If you're more than 42 days late, They really f(%$^! you up....You have to provide photocopies of your grandmother/grandfather's ic all...passport photos of your entire family, full photo - including feet! - of your new baby, all certified TRUE COPIES of marriage certificates, prenatal appointment cards, etc. It's a REAL headache. Trust me on this.I am so stressed but I brought this upon myself. Urghh.

28th post

2007-07-22T20:42:00.000-07:00

gerrrroffff me! (or : An End To Faking Headaches)

Ok, here's a foolproof recipe for repelling your significant other, especially if you don't want to get pregnant with a third child so soon after having a second one (and it also tastes grrrrreat!):
1 whole chicken1 lemon1 head of garlic (or 20!)
1 bunch of fresh rosemaryolive oilcoarse sea salt cracked black pepper
Preheat oven at 200'C.
With a very sharp poulet/kitchen scissors, cut the chicken in half at the breastbone and rinse well. Pat dry with paper towels. Line a roasting pan with baking paper.
Rub olive oil into both sides of the chicken, then rub a generous amount of sea salt and black pepper into the chicken skin.
Place a few sprigs of rosemary into the baking pan, put chicken (flat) on top of it, and flatten the chicken so it will cook evenly (ie. make sure the breast is butterflied outwards).
Cut the lemon into round slices and place on the chicken to flavour and keep it moist during roasting.
Also place the remaining sprigs of rosemary in/around the chicken (under the lemon slices also can!) to add flavour and aroma. I usually stuff them under the wings and in the celah-celah kangkang of the thighs!
Take garlic and separate the cloves, with the skin on, and just bung them into the pan whole (no need to chop up or slice). Yum!
Roasting time usually takes an hour or an hour and fifteen minutes. Check by cutting into chicken at leg joint, if juices run clear, it's done. Let the chicken stand for about 15 minutes before cutting to give the juices a chance to settle and make the chicken even more succulent.

Serve with mashed potatoes and/or steamed veggies/salad.
Enjoy!Your spouse will guarantee to NOT want to touch you romantically with a 10 foot pole after you eat all the lovely whole roasted garlic (which, if made correctly, should be slightly caramelised and so soft that it melts in your mouth! )...I could leave the chicken and just eat the garlic......SEDAP NAK MAMPUS!

27th post

2007-07-22T20:40:00.000-07:00

distant memories...!

My leisurely mornings have now become a distant memory.....sigh...

On a PLUS note...I've lost some poundage! Milo's school principle accosted me in the driveway today when I picked him up and told me I looked slimmer!!! (Yay, me!) Well, she said my face was looking slimmer, but heck, I'm not complaining. Hips and thighs are usually the last to go on me! I'm doing the "eat sensibly, but in smaller portions (than I'm used to), every 3 hours"...so it's a low-cal snack in between main meals, but anything I put in my mouth is 3 hourly...so far, it's going good since I kinda know I'm not going to starve - the next meal is in 3 hours lah.

If you're interested, check out Jorge Cruise's 'The Three Hour Diet"...first saw him on Oprah and his eating philosophy resonated with nutritional information I actually believe in, so I thought I'd check out his book. The great thing about it is he actually has normal everyday people as his success story models! Very inspiring!There was one humongous chickimamma who lost like a million pounds over the course of a year - her before and after photos are on my fridge! A reminder to leave Milo's Petit Miam's alone!

26th post

2007-07-22T20:38:00.000-07:00

...I wax nostalgic before it even becomes a distant memory...

My goodness, how the time just flies....Pretty soon, no more waking up with the sun already out and the birds singing outside my window....I will creep out of the house before the crack of dawn, like a thief in the night, trying not to wake up 1) my husband, 2) the babies, 3) the neighbours (once my car alarm went off and that was chronic!) and their neurotic dogs...But the thing I'll miss the most about being home full time is..........a slow steady Nescafe 3-in-1 in front of the telly at 7.30am watching Hollywood Squares and Just Shoot Me before the brats wake up!I am, however, looking forward to going back to work. Don't get me wrong, I love the children but conversing with a toddler and the hired help thoughout the day just ain't cutting it as far as intellectual stimulation goes. And you know how it is, when the man comes home and asks, "So, how was your day?"....you just draw a blank...Coz it's the same-o-same-o lah. He doesn't really want to hear about you battling wits and wills with a 2 year old or how the maid put your delicate pink things in with the brown towels...nooo...he's going to want to be dazzled...and there's nothing glamorous about staying home, believe you me.I used to be one of those women who wanted to be a stay at home mom, and envied my sisters and friends who 'got' to do just that, but....now....hmmmm...I don't think it's my scene. Mind you, the only reason I feel I can go back to work with a clear conscience is because I have a really good nanny (Nanny Annie!) and my new Indonesian maid is nice and on the ball. After that fiasco with Joy (read old blog), I can breathe a sigh of relief. I deserve just that!So...it'ss less than a week to go! See you on monday!

25th post

2007-07-22T20:21:00.000-07:00

Fat Loser's Joy Luck Club membership for sale here!

Ok, so I dug out my dusty copy of Jorge Cruise's "The Three Hour Diet" and have come up with the actual HOWs of how/why I got fat (raise your hands if you identify with any or all of the following):
1. Overeating (from basic glutony and/or 'fear of starvation' mentality).
2. Bad food choices (I crave cheeseburgers on a daily basis!) - also because fast food is easy food! No need for hours of shopping/preparing, etc.
3. Emotional eating - mostly from boredom/apathy and oddly enough, a 'fear of starvation' issue (more on that later).
4. Lack of excercise - I get more exercise from counting up the excuses not to excercise!

Ok, now that I've accepted the 'how come', here are the reasons why I want and need to change my attitude about food and excercise; basically, my targets and reasons why I want to achieve them:
1. To improve my health - to get rid of chronic pain in my feet, joints and back.
2. For more energy - to play with my children, not to mention my husband!
3. To buy new clothes off the rack, mind! - in line with plans to revamp my image (btw, thanks Gracie, for the "MILTF" anecdote!)
4. To fit into some great old clothes - I have a lot of nice things I still want to wear.
5. To feel more confident - in shorts and bathing suits, for annual holidays. My general attitude so far has been, so what, nobody knows me here in St Tropaz...!
6. To feel lighter - in body and spirit!

I am therefore, going public here with my pledge to myself, to COMMIT to the following:
1. I will not OVEREAT, but will eat every three hours as per Jorge Cruise's eating program.
2. I will make WISER food choices.
3. I will occupy myself elsewhere when bored or apathetic and not seek oral gratification from food.
4. I will commit to a walking program (see? I am still not commiting to the gym! Let's not lie to ourselves, shall we? LOL)
5. I will focus on the me I want to be and know I have it in me to achieve - as opposed to the negative self talk I occasionally indulge in.
6. I will not lapse. And if I do, I will not let it do me in.

I hope that if any of you have been thinking of making lifestyle changes like these, you will let me know, and we can support each other on this journey for health and happiness. I know I'm not alone, and I hope if you're embarking on a new eating or exercise program, we can spur each other on! We can call it Shaz's Fat Loser's Joy Luck Club! (Losers in that we LOSE the Fat lah, stupid! Not that we are losers, in the loosest sense of the word....nevermind! You get the drift!)

BTW, Richard looking a heck of a lot slimmer these days, now that I'm not there to bring up breakfast!

* my 'fear of starvation' issue stems from my literal starvation of any [decent] food while at boarding school. I never had anything good to eat while at TKC (it was like that scene from Oliver Twist!), except when my parents visited (which was few and far between) and I would gorge myself like that was my last [decent] meal. Through the years, I noticed that this issue has really affected me and my relationship with food. I have to remind myself to "breathe Shaz...you will have an excellent meal again tomorrow, if not in three hours time..." Yeah, yeah, you all laugh lah, but it's true.

25th post

2007-07-22T20:18:00.000-07:00

body beautifuuul!

Body DYSMORPHIA, more like it!

I just got a look at some post-natal photos yesterday and whoooaa....hang on there a minute....when did I get so FAAAAAAT? I mean, just that morning, I stood in front of the mirror after mandi-ing to towel off, and it didn't register, maaah. So how come, all of a sudden, I look like someone's auntie??? I mean, up to that point, I rather thought I was still quite dishy, whaaat. Turns out I've got some kind of reverse body dysmorphia. Yikes. God, all this while my eyes and, to a larger extent, my brain, must've been deceiving me - or I must be in COMPLETE and UTTER denial. This is definitely a wake-up call...like when Kristie Allie saw her hugeass ass on the cover of the gossip magazines! Let's just hope that never happens here! Not pretty...

24th post

2007-07-22T20:17:00.000-07:00

why oh why

Of all the things that mystify me, why God created morning breath is the one that truly boggles the mind. I mean, yes, God works in mysterious ways and all that, but I'm still trying to get my mind around that one! Do you ever wonder WHY, what on earth could be the reason for so rank a thing, so early in the morning? We all know the biological reason of how a thing like that should be, but do we know why it has to be so? I mean, you've had recreation and romance in the night...and then, the next morning, you need a verrrry thick duvet between your face and his to filter out the said rank morning breath. Talk about killer of moods.Yes, we are talking about it, though I've just brushed my teeth (yay!). Yealah, nowadays that I am actually home to wake up with my husband in the morning, this phenomena occupies my thoughts. That and why God created mosquitoes.Why did He create such things? What could've been the benefit of having such an annoying, bloodthirsty thing in our midst? And while we're on the topic, what are cockroaches put on the earth for? They serve no point or purpose, and can't even be eaten (well, in polite society!).

Why lah? WHY?

23rd post

2007-07-22T20:06:00.000-07:00

can someone tell me...?

ok, calling all Sisterrrrs out there......!Yes, you, you shiny happy people.....Can you tell me, if David Rocco is...or isn't he....?Because, not that I'm a total expert or anything...but he sort of is, isn't he?I mean, the guy dresses well, is so articulate and gentle and flicks his wrists when he cooks.It's all in the wrists, you all say.Betul ke?I was just curious, coz Non...well, you know...he said...Hahahaha...!(well, he did! and HE should know, he carries a manbag!)

23rd post

2007-07-22T20:02:00.000-07:00

green eyed monstress

I am soooo jealous! I read Non's blog and seems like he had lots of fun in the States.I remember what it was like to be footloose and fancy-free.No need to ring ten people to see who can babysit last minute so you can eat someone else's cooking for once.Always had cash for spa sessions, updating your highlights - nevermind a proper haircut at a decent salon.No automatic mental calculation every time you hit the supermarket to see if you still need to stock up on wet-wipes and proper food (ie. lamb chops, vegetables and not Doritos).
NO MAID DRAMA....sigh...

(and the Murano observation at the end was just too much, Non...too much...)

22nd post

2007-07-22T19:56:00.000-07:00

my world cup $0.02

Whaaaaatlah...this has got to be the strangest World Cup ever.

Imagine...France couldn't even score against Switzerland in the first round, yet managed to beat Brazil.Brazil laah, hello!!!?The mind boggles.A lot of weird/wierd (a bit dyslexic today) inconsistencies throughout this year's WC I say, but nevermind me....I ain't no (aherm!) football pundit (sniggersniggersnigger). By the by, how does one become an expert on the subject? Does one have had to have played football at some professional level to be able to legitimately (not to mention convincingly and intelligently) comment on the subject? Is it enough to have clocked millions of hours watching and studying the game and its players from the relative comfort of one's couch? Or does mere passion and enthusiasm qualify one to have a valid opinion? It seems to me that everyone's a pundit these days. Even me - I'm a celebrity gossip pundit! I can offer my 2 cents on the longevity of the Brangelina and/or TomKat liason, or the next celebrity/"mystery-meat" to get it on with Jude Law/Olivier Martinez/Lindsay Lohan...all based solely on sheer morbid interest and a longstanding observation of celebrity happenings from (yes!) the comfort of my own couch!

So I guess I just answered my own question.

21st post

2007-07-22T19:54:00.000-07:00

Tom Magnum vs Doc Martin

Hi ya.More like, hai yaaaa!

Despite all the babies and running around, I still find time to sit and watch the telly, and I TELL you, there's NOTHING on. Have you seen David Rocco's Dolce Vitta??? Puh-leeeeze. Is this guy for real? I want to smack him and give him a feather boa and some red lipstick and tell him to Be True To Himself.
When I was on maternity leave with Milo and breastfeeding 24-7, I was obsessed with Magnum P.I. reruns every morning at 10am. Now, it's Doc Martin at 9.30am. There's just no accounting for what some people (ie. me) will find attractive, I suppose...Tom Selleck was hot in his day, but Martin Clunes??? Shaz?! hello? You ok?I mean, he (Martin Clunes that is - who plays Dr Martin Ellingham on the show) is a grumpy bollocks, but he's got kind of nice, plump lips and his utter straightness ('rudeness', more like) is hysterically funny and endearing, especially when you see him trying to act somewhat human with the object of his desire, Louise, the village schoolmarm.

Now, I've never been one for hot looking men (despite marrying one - but that was pure luck!), but I think Doc Martin's really attractive. He's nothing in the looks department. In fact, he looks very typically English (sorry if I offend). But he's got such character and personality that he comes across as somewhat of a hottie.[HAHAHA!!! I'm smirking like crazy here!!!]Ok, only if you like tall, pasty, grumpy, caustically witty, clueless about women, loner, sad types. But watch this show a couple of times and you'll see what I'm talking about. The sexual tension between Martin and Louise is so "aaargh!!!!!" that I find myself holding my breath every time these two have a scene together! Wooaaaruugh! Wowser! Yowza!In one episode, DM saves a little boy's life and after the drama and tension and all that, finds himself passionately kissing L in the back of a cab. They were sucking face like mad, I tell youuuu! After which, he goes and spoils it all by asking her if she had a regular oral-care regime. Yikes. And he does this, the viewer suspects, not out of malice or sheer stupidity, but because it's the only way he knows how to cope with normal human emotions. He's not cold or callous, he's clueless, poor thing. And the endearing thing about him is that he knows it and you can see him struggling with this issue. Like Simon Cowell, he doesn't have time to be nice-nicey. He shoots straight from the hip. But with regards to Louise...he's just...pathetic and real. Somehow.Doc Martin is actually soooo highly intelligent, that he lacks the basic social graces one needs for normal human interaction in his small, close-knit community of Portwenn; what more for a boy-girl relationship. Alas, Louise is in a state of perpetual sexual and emotional frustration. There's an emotional cliffhanger in every episode where these two are concerned, made even more interesting with the arrival of Dan, Louise's ex from London.
I'm hooked, even if they are reruns.Who's the sad one, eh?

ps: I just reread what I wrote and I think I need to go OUT more....I'm over analysing a tv show character, for God's sake.

20th post - with photos!

2007-07-22T19:52:00.000-07:00

Mes enfants: Sophie et Milo (taken in June 2006)
Here's the latest addition to our family, Sophie! And Milo's here too, for good measure...

Milo kisses with his forehead!
I quite like that baby, actually...
by the way, that's my granny's tummy, not my mom's!
now I gotta sit outside and have a smoke, like Tok Aki...
two sexy babes!
under the lamp

19th post

2007-07-22T19:47:00.000-07:00

Sophie

Hello People!

First of all, thanks for all the 'good lucks' and 'all the bests' to me, and the new addition to our family! Means a lot to us!Wow. What a week. Sophie lies snoring in my bed as I type this at 7.20am, Wednesday morning. She is exactly 1 week old! In case you didn't catch it, she came EARLY, not just in terms of weeks, but also in terms of timing - the doctor hadn't even reached the hospital yet (though that didn't stop him from charging his specialist fee!) and I was alone in the labour room, dozing - courtesy of the epidural (lovely, lovely epidural!). My champion husband was in the next room watching the world cup highlights. I felt the contractions coming hard, but didn't think anything about it as they were like that the whole night/morning. I thought, 'what the hell, just sleep it through lah'). Next thing I know, I felt something 'plopping' wetly between my legs...I put my hand down there and felt her head, and called the nurses in!!! (BTW, shouldn't they be monitoring the contractions from the nurse's station???!!!). I also had my mobile, and was frantically calling Daniel, but he had put his mobile in my handbag - in the labour room! I was frantic, not only becaus this was MAJOR (I was worried because Sophie wasn't making a sound), but because he was going to miss Sophie being born! The nurses were calm, and helped to quickly deliver her shoulders, but they were a little quick to cut the umbilical cord. Alas, Daniel missed it. I was telling them to call him, and when they finally did, she was all wrapped up and I was delivering the placenta!He was in a daze because he had only left the room to watch the telly next door for a few minutes and didn't believe the nurse when she told him that his daughter was born! He was like, "Yeah, right!" and continued watching tv! Can you believe that! Anyway, he was just grateful that there were no complications (seeing that the doctor was MIA and all that), and his girls were fine.I was just grateful I didn't TEAR.

Whooooooo-hoooooo!!!!!What excitement! Milo is acting pretty normal, on top of all this, so that's a plus. He tried feeding her a popudam on one of his visits to the hospital! Hmmm. That, my dears, is normal Milo behaviour.Sophie really looks like a 'Sophie'. I will upload photos as soon as I can!!! Promise! By this weekend, at the very latest!

Sophie Shiloh Aman Kraehenbuehl was born on Wednesday morning, June 14th 2006. She is a healthy (albeit somewhat jaundiced) 3.8kg and a lovely, quiet little girl.

18th post

2007-07-22T19:44:00.000-07:00

Milo

Toddlers - are they babies? Are they children? Are they HUMAN???!Milo has discovered his nostrils (ie. 'nose hole' according to his dad). He is quite obsessed with sticking his finger in there and digging.The first time I saw him doing this I thought it was rather cute. Now I'm worried the constant digging will enlarge a rather quaint lubang...Why do children do this? It's like it puts them in some kind of transcendental state, or something! He could be watching Higgly Town Heroes on the telly or eating his dinner and suddenly plop!, in goes one finger and no matter what you do to try and distract him, he's right in there!It's downright embarassing in polite company.We've started training him for his move to the Big Bed weeks ago....(so we can put the new baby in his old cot)...it's been going ok...last night he actually only got up once from the bed and stood outside our bedroom door. It's really sweet: Milo will sneak out of bed, pad softly with his moose-bear trailing behind him and just stand outside our semi closed door. If we ignore him, he'll quietly look around the door. Then we'll get up and gently tell him to go back to bed,...he'll run back into his room giggling, but this'll happen at least 4 more times before we place him back in the cot for the night. That's why we're so proud he made it a full night in the Big Bed! What a milestone! What a big boy! When I think back to the day he was born, how small he was, mewling like a kitten, it breaks my heart (in a good way) to see him so big and independent...pretty soon he'll start proper school and wear a uniform! Awww! Some days I want to keep him a baby forever, and when he's being difficult, I wish he were older and someone you can actually reason with. In my heavily pregnant state, I'm not exactly a picture of Patience on a Monument, if you get my drift. I try though, God help us all.My due date draws very near. It could happen any day now. Wish me luck!

17th post

2007-07-22T19:39:00.000-07:00

Beeyooootifoool Couples

Beautiful Couples
I was looking at pictures of Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman in a gossip magazine, and was just blown away at how happy and comfortable they both looked with each other. They look so genuinely in love and very relaxed about it (unlike TomKat, who feel they need PDA OTT everywhere!). I never really thought much of Nic until after she and Tom Cruise split up - after that happened, I feel the woman just bloomed! Don't you think??? She really blossomed! Her acting just got better (remember The Hours, Moulin Rouge, etc?), she became more appealing as a celebrity, she seemed more interesting as a person (heck, she dated Lenny Kravitz and Steven Bing!).and she didn't moan about being dumped - and she was dumped for Penelope Cruz, mind you! - unlike sad old Jennifer Anistan, and she basically kept her dignity and her mouth shut about any new romances.
She had class - how she handled that crisis in her life.
And that Keith Urban...wooooarrrrughhh! Gives me the shivers. He's such a dish! They suit each other like a pair of really soft kid golf gloves, slim and sexy, togeder-geder. You look at Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes and just wonder..what is the story here? Why so over the top? Why is her body language betraying his megawatt smile? Why do her eyes look sad, her smile tentative? Why is she always fidgeting with her clothes, hair, etc when seen out in public with him? No doubt, in the early days, Katie was just as bad as Tom...but lately, she looks like having to keep up appearances is taking its toll. I wonder just how long she'll be able to keep it up.
The reason I feel a tad sympathetic towards Holmes is because I feel like I've been there. I once dated a much older, in-control (read: controlling) man. Yessss.. it was initially nice to feel cared for, but that feeling becaming one of suffocation eventually. What was a dream come true quickly became a worst nightmare. Hate to say it Katie, it looks kinda like your impending scenario. I mean, if he's already converted you to some quack cult!, alienated you from your family whom you were very close to, told you how to silently beranak, how he wants you to raise his child, chosen your wedding dress, enrolled you in a slimming program!, calls you a hundred times to check up on you - then calls your bodyguard to see why you are not picking up, etc.,.well!, it doesn't bode well, does it?!! The signs are all there: the concerned family members and former friends, the 'Dump Tom' website (!)... Girl, take heed. I wish I could take this young woman aside, give her two tight slaps and have a quiet word about Waking Up.
Just like some of my friends wanted to do with me when I was in her shoes. Did I listen? Of course not lah. I had concerned friends drop out of my life because I was so determined to make right something that was definitely not, and well, I guess in the end, God is Greater than any will of my own. He got me out of that one before it was too late and I ruined my life.
You look at Nicole and Keith and just from the pictures, think: these two let each other be who they are. They are free in how they love each other. It looks like a keeper relationship, something that'll last. They have nothing to prove to the public. Nothing to show. Nothing to hide. They are downright cool. It's cool, isn't it? Wish more couples were cool like that.

Other Cool Couples (in my book):
My mom and dad
Uncle Z and Aunty A (he once said to his wife, "I forbide you to wear a tudung!"
Tom Hanks and wife Rita? (name escapes me)
Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith
Prince Charles and Camilla Packa-Balls (just for being in love for 100 years!)
Elton John and David Furnish
Tun Dr M. and wife
Pierce Brosnan and wife Keely Shaye-Smith (he loves her despite the tremendous weight gain - he's a hero in my book!)

Not-Cool-At-All Couples:
TomKatPosh and BecksBritney and Kevin (yuck)
Sven Goran Erickson and his determined lawyer/geisha lady
J.Lo and Marc Anthony (ew!)
Jude Law and Sienna Miller (or whomever he's tupping at the mo)
Paris Hilton and whomever the garcon du jour is
Lindsay Lohan and Bruce Willis (hahaha!)

Downright-Dodgy Couples:
Brangelina!
Jordan (aka Katie Price) and Peter Andre
Madonna and Guy Richie
Oprah Winfrey and Stedman Grahamthe
Hugh Grant-Jemima Khan-Elizabeth Hurley triangle

I takes all kinds to make up a couple. While I know there are no perfect couples in this world, it's good to look at people in positive relationships and see how they make things work.
Have fun making it work!(to my husband reading this: I LOVE YOU! You're my Keith Urban! I'm your Nicole Kidman!...but we outweigh them by about 200lbs! Haha!)

16th post

2007-07-22T19:37:00.000-07:00

thank you thank you thank you!

Wow! I walked into the studio this morning and there were hampers EVERYWHERE! Thank you, God, for all the abundance in my life.Thank you to the lovely people at Parenthood Magazine, Hamil Magazine, Johnson & Johnson, Pigeon, Revlon, Wyeth, Palmer's Cocoa Butter and Garden of Eden. I feel so pampered! Oh, and thank you Nila, for delivering the hampers when I couldn't make the Spa Party!Thank you, Mr Boon of Patchi in Bangsar Shopping Centre for the lovely Patchi chocolates!Thank you to Chilli's in Bangsar for not charging a fussy pregnant lady for a soggy Ranch Burger!Thank you to the lady who let me withdraw cash at the RHB atm in BSC ahead of her because I looked tired standing in line!Thank you Allie for sending me your maid to clean my kitchen and water my garden when Joy took off, and also for sending all that lovely food over so I didn't have to cook! (pssst! keep it coming! heehee)And thank you, YES! YOU, for the lovely wishes, cards, and messages that you always send me...it truly makes my day!A BIG THANK YOU to Richard - in advance! - for holding down the fort when I go away on maternity leave!!! You are BRAVE, my friend! May the Force, bladibla bladiblaa bla blaaa....!

15th post

2007-07-22T19:26:00.000-07:00

season for pink booties

Congratulations to Angelina Jolie, Faye Wong and Gerri Halliwell....seems like it's a season for baby girls this spring! Hmmmm!I've not much to report, just generally pissed off about the traffic situation in town, especially in Sg Buloh (they've cut off access to the Sierramas bridge off the Sg Buloh toll plaza). I was actually the last car to access that bridge on Saturday afternoon....I put on the waterworks...actually cried like a baby, begging the roadwork guys to let me through when they started barricading the bridge...It helped that Milo was screaming in his car seat as well....They let me through but not the Mercedes behind me. Motorists have to now do a chronic u-turn down the road but this will take hours. Believe me. The traffic is backed up from Damansara Damai, Sri Damansara, etc!What to do lah - I'm getting as much info on home births as I can on the net, in case of an emergency. I better get to know my neighbours better...find out who actually has a medical degree and might know a thing or two about delivering babies!On a fantastic note, my friend and neighbout, Allie, has hooked me up with a GREAT temporary housemaid...she's a dreamboat! Milo is in love with her and she's so cheerful and helpful and SMART, it's great!....I hope we can keep her! The new baby's nanny will be arriving in mid June, so no shortage of help there. This is where all our gaji is going to nowadays! That, and petrol, since we have to travel a hundred miles to do u-turns anywhere.Pokailah, pokai...but happy, tak pe...kan?

14th post

2007-07-22T19:23:00.000-07:00

An end to Joy

Alas, Joy is no more. I'm not talking about joy - happiness, joy...that, we have plenty of, now that the lunatic psychopath maid of ours is gone. I'm talking about JOY the Maid...she's gone.
To make a verry long story short...she tried to run away on Sunday morning, while we were out, but our security staff stopped her, called me on my mobile phone and detained her there until we came back. Champion!!! I'm kind of sick repeating the story, so the long and short of it is - we packed her up and sent her back to the agency camp pronto - with threats to stop off at the police station on the way there!
This ungrateful woman had planned the whole thing...my neighbours had seen her consorting with some other maids in the area...and because she doesn't have Sunday leave, she must have 'pakat' with them to ciao that morning (because they must have leave to go out to church), when we normally go out for breakfast. Among the things she had done was hijack our Telekom Malaysia house phone bill and a letter addressed to me from the maid agency containing her immigration work permit (blue-card). She did the first to cover her tracks as she was making calls to the Fillipines and a local 016 number (I went to TM Shop to get an itemised bill), and she obviously had no intention to be a housemaid for long if she had planned to steal her permit and run.I am just SO GRATEFUL that our security staff are so on the ball and quick acting. We sent them a commendation letter and a huge goodie hamper for a job well done! Their actions saved us a lot of problems and headaches. You know, sometimes you hear horror stories about security guards stealing, helping maids to run away, etc, but our guys are really good and take pride in their job. That's seems rare these days, considering what I just went through.
Anyway, the search is now on for a replacement maid...again.
Drama, drama...

13th post

2007-07-22T19:21:00.000-07:00

labour party

I had my first labour anxiety dream last night. I dreamt I had to give birth in a government hospital in JB...I don't know what was more disconcerting, the fact the I was in a govt hospital or the fact that I was in JB!Now, now...don't get me wrong. I have absolutely NOTHING against govt hospitals or whatever (or JB for that matter), but having been going to my regular joint, it was a bit of a shocker lah. Yes, it was only a dream, but you know how dreams can seem SO REAL? On top of all that, I don't have any recollection of why/how I came to be in JB, all by myself! In my dream, I couldn't locate my husband, though I had an inkling that he was frantically looking for me! I was about to pop....screaming for an epidural, wondering why they hadn't given me an enema (!) yet, and where the heck the attending doctor was!Then the anesthesiologist (sp?) came and gave me a shot in the back, but the drugs were not effective, and I needed the loo, and there was only a squat toilet....ai yoh....talk about high anxiety. And the dream went on and on...well, you know how it goes.I was actually relieved when the alarm went off at 4.29am and put me out of my misery!I am so unprepared to have this baby. I haven't packed my hospital bag, I haven't got an extra crib (Milo refuses to go into his junior bed and is still using his cot), I haven't bought enough newborn nappies, I haven't finished reviewing my Gina Ford "Contented Baby" book, I haven't dug out the breast pump and sterilizer! Aaaaaaaaurrrrghhh! I haven't made space in the wardrobe for the new baby's things...it's (no gender hint here!) things are still folded in a laundry basket in the upstairs hall! Poor baby! Mummy is soooooo tired! Everyday I plan to start putting things away into the wardrobe, cleaning the sterilizer/breast pump/bottles, but that would involve telling/supervising Joy (which is another fatiguing exercise in itself) what to do...but when I get home, I just want to nap! Got to get a move on....I am, though, looking forward to the Parenthood/Hamil magazine party next weekend! They've organised a spa-bash for celebrity mums-to-be, and it promises to be a lot of fun. Funny how I think I can find the energy for that, eh....?