Macau - Surprises and Tips

Observations about Macau:

No pics

Noticed many pregnant ladies - all having their 2nd child!
I am not sure why this struck me....maybe becuase in Malaysia, whenever I see a pregnant lady, she is usually having her first!

Pics on 1st row

Left : Hubby totally caught off guard by the price of the food in Solmar! Credit card to the rescue!

Right : Malaysia Oil? We looked very carefully and don't ever remember seeing this ointments in Malaysia!

Pics in middle row

Left : Kjeldsen Butter Cookies imported from Denmark. They even come in multiple sizes. And they evern have the curant ones and the chocolate chip ones. Cost $101 for the medium size butter cookies box. Sorry Simon!

Right : There are many gardens in Macau. Every other corner, you will find a nice landscaped garden

Pics on Last Row

Left : There were 3 workers good naturedly sweeping the garden and trimming the hedges. I say good natured becuase they were occassionally stretching and talking to each other!

Middle : You know a place in toursit friendly when there are "Tourist-place" street signs that tell you how to go where!

Right : People follow street rules and most car drivers are very courteous.
When you walk and reach the corner, make a turn and take the zebra crossing. If you don't you might just end up with a fine! And when you are at the zebra crossing, you can expect cars to make a stop for you!
In fact there are many such green bars protecting pedestrians (I reckon)from any crazy drivers considering the hilly nature of Macau's streets.



Tips if you going to Macau

• Get a good map from your hotel. One which shows you the bus routes. The bus system in Macau is efficient and relatively cheap.
• As of Sept 2008, as soon as you enter a cab, the fare starts at $13. Be prepared.
• As you come out from the airport, take a turn to the right and go to the bus stops. There are some hotel buses that offer free rides from the airport to the hotel even though you are not a guest at that hotel. (They don't ask, you don't tell!)

When we were there, there was only one hotel bus going to Macau Peninsula at the ariport bus-stop - The Grand Emperor Hotel. So, we hopped on to that and took a cab from that hotel to our hotel. Cost us $17. It was actually walk-able but with our roller luggage bag, we didn't want to do it!

• The Ventian Hotel airport shuttle is very frequent. You may decide to hop on to that one. And then at the Ventian Hotel itself, take another bus to the Macau Ferry Terminal. And chances are your hotel (if you are staying at Macau Peninsula) has a free shuttle from the Ferry Terminal.
• I would recommend the Royal Hotel if you are into walking more than public transportaion. From the lobby, you can see the tree that marks the bus-stop where Bus 22 to Taipa (cost $3.30) stops. And you can also walk to Lisboa (casion) area or to St. Paul's Ruins or to the 3 Lamps District. However, if you are adventourous enough, you can opt for hotels at the main casino area and take buses to and fro wherever you want to go. Note though that buses don't provide change.
• Stay at hotels near The Ruins IF you are not an avid gambler. It is the most happening place, seriously.

So, that is Macau for you. This was the first of our annual anniversary trips. Hopefully there will be more to come. And no, #2 didn't happen! :)

Happy Anniversay dearie! Thanks for my 2 pressies!

Macau - Places to go

Some of the highlights of our trip.

Ruin's of St. Paul and nearby

Monte Fort which is next to the Ruin's of St. Paul. There is a museum there which is supposedly worth the visit but hubby and I are not museum people.

And of course a visit to the Ruins itself is a must. Don't just take a pic in front and then walk away. Venture to the back and to the top as well!

A walk further down to Senado square/plaza, you will see the St. Dominic Church. And if you are 'lucky' you might catch a ornament or two being put up in conjuction with some festival around town!

***

Architecture in Macau pleasant for me. There are the old Chinese buildings and plentiful of Colonial facades. Colours of each building blend and mismatch into a display that keep both my lens slightly atop.

And when in Macau, do NOT be afraid to venture into alleys! Treasures certainly behold. And you may find yourself in a whole new world!

(Pic on the last row left shows the police man summoning a tourist who was caught jay-walking - catch my Macau Surprises entry!)

***
Scenes from Taipa

There was supposed to be a Sunday morning market in Taipa Island. We asked and asked but no one seemed to know anything about it. Now I know why - there were only 4-5 stalls!!!

But the visit to Taipa was worth it - given I found my food place and the Choi Heong Yuen bakery (the only place where I found my crispy pork skin and beef jerky).
***

Fisherman's Wharf

This is a new development in Macau.

There are some 150 stores and restaurants in buildings built in the style of different world seaports such as Cape Town, Amsterdam and Venice. So, you can imagine how I was totally enjoying myself here!

There was also a very nice soveniour shop here.

(Very nice not in terms of price, mind you!)

And hubby bought me the most expensive T-shirt I have ever owned ($98)!

***
And the final destination worth a visit is The Venetian.

Forever blue skies, beautiful architectural facades, good 'occasional' strong music, haven't-heard-of brands yet still cheap food!

Pic last row left : The Venetian casino, taken from afar coz I simply couldn't stand the smell of the 'smoke'.

Pic last row right : Occasional windows will open by operatic singers.

Macau - Eating (Costs)

Meal time was erratic.
We ate whenever we saw something interesting that we wanted to try.

I think I ate some 4-5 meals per day.

Food in Macau is not cheap.

Only perhaps slightly cheaper than HongKong.
A bowl of noodles in a simple coffee shop could take you back $14-20.

And a drink costs around $5-10.

But then there are places you have to try.

Coz you did read it on the net!

***DAY 1***

Our first meal and the most expensive one!African Chicken tasted like sweet satay sauce chicken.
It was unusual, worth trying only coz it is one of Macau's specialty dish!

The Portugese fried rice was surprisingly good.

Tomato based with minced beef and loads of prawns .

***

Dinner was a cheaper affair.
Beef noodles and Pork spare-parts noodles

1 iced water with lemon

($14 per bowl of noodle + $5 for the drink)

After dinner we walked around a bit and found this old bakery.
Bought 3 types for breakfast. Total Cost : $9.50

Also bought a honey milk tea drink ($10) on the walk back to the hotel from the many drink shoplets along the street. And at a 7-eleven near the hotel, we got a Slurpy ($6.50), water ($4) and a cold beer ($5).

***DAY 2***

After our simple bread + hotel coffee breakfast, we headed over to Taipa.
I was on a quest to look for the famous Tai Lei Kok Kei coffee shop. They are reputated for their pork chop bun.

It was purely by chance that we found it. We just walked and walked and suddenly saw a shop in a distance that had a good many people. We were getting tired, so we decided to take a drink. Lo and behold...

So, we had their pork chop bun ($12) and a beef brisket noodle ($18). Ordered 1 coke($8) and 1 milk tea (lai cha - $12).

(As you can see I made the wrong choice of bread!)

They don't really know who ordered what. So, what they would do would be to bring each plate out of the kitchen and scream at the top of their voice. You will have to call for them to come to you if you hear/see your order!

(Don't wonder about the system. Wonder how come they have been no fights to date!!)

And since we were already in Taipa, we had to try the reputated Serrdura as well. It is basically a biscuit crumb base topped with cream and eaten cold!

And where there are pastries, of course you see the Portugese Egg Tart.
***

Tea time @ St. Paul's area.

It was really warm.

So, in between sips of warm bottled water, we treated ourselves to pure orange juice ($12) and another Slurpy.

Tried another pork bun from a street vendor ($25 in a set with the bubble milk tea) and the curry fishball noodle ($12) and the Portugese Egg Tart ($5).

***

For dinner, hubby "declared" that he wanted to try their Roast Pigeon/Pork/Chicken with rice. So, we headed back to 3 Lamps District to try the store we saw last night that managed to draw a queue.

One packet of BBQ pork + roasted pork ($25)

One packet of Chicken Rice ($11)

The roasted pork tasted OUT OF THIS WORLD!! Salty enough with sufficient fat, crispy skin and succulent meat!

And my sweet tooth declared it wanted some desert too. So, settled it with a beancurd desert ($6) from a"7-eleven-like" deli. And hubby bought a Coke and a large cool beer ($11).

***DAY 3***

With the roasted pork still vivid in memory, we couldn't resist some more.
Bought $20 worth of roasted pork from a 'market-like' shop.

Walked opposite to an old and small coffee shop.

Ordered 2 egg tarts ($4 each) and 2 drinks ($10/cup)

***

Our final proper meal was at the famous Venetian food court.

(The Venetian is famous, not the food court!)

Set meal of Wantan noodle + coke = $33

Hubby's plate of roasted goose rice = $45

***
So, food for 3D2N cost us approx. $610

And if you ever run out of ideas for food, look see what's Macau's McD!!

(Hubby utterly refused to eat at McD !!!)

Macau come what may

Come what may...illness, rain or unfinished deadlines, we are going to Macau.

We are leaving early Saturday morning before Mr Sun comes out and coming back late Monday night way after Mr Sun says goodnight. And given that Mr Sun times our little boy as well, that would be 3 whole days of him not seeing us.

My first long awaited trip since giving birth.

Anyone been to Macau? Anything that I should not miss? Given that I only have 3 days there!

The only thing I have put aside for the trip are my 2 folded umbrellas!

SOE

State of Emergency declared.

I received a call yesterday morning telling me that a state of emergency has been declared and that I would have to go home straight away.

I quickly called my parents to pick up boyboy from the babysitter and then rushed home (after a quick email to my boss in NY).

The state was that 2 weeks ago, Miss Z had HFM. She came back last week.
This week, 2 kids were suspected to have HFM.

The emergency was that the centre would need to be closed from Wednesday onwards for 3 days to fully sanitize the area.

One of the suspected cases have been proven clean.

But best to be safe than sorry.

Thankful for such frank openess and the precautions taken.

So, that is my SOE for you.

And the result of this SOE would be fast poops for me, multiple change of clothes, early mornings cooking, crawling around, watching cartoons and Youtube and on top of all that, still working to meet the deadlines.

Thank God there is water!

In all things, give thanks.

Changes since motion

Since Christopher has been walking, increasing in steadiness since 11 months old, there have been a few changes.

• When he poops, he no longer lies down to be wiped. he stands up holding on to a pail of water while mummy takes out his diaper and wipes him with toilet paper. After which a short walk to the shower to have his bum-bum cleaned (with mummy's hands).

Thank God for aromatic soap!

• When he bathes, he no longer uses his bath-tub. Partly becuase his bathtub is now filled with water. So, he hugs my legs, head inbetween my legs while I wash his back and front. Lifts his head when I wash his hair and neck. But after that mummy has to squat down with a hanky to wipe his face.

It will be splat splat struggle if any of that shower water touches anywhere near his nose!

• I am rewarded more and more. My reward comes in big grins and stubby legs almost wanting to run towards my open arms.
• He wanders around alot now on his own. He doesn't like me holding his hands when he wants to explore. But whenever he is unsure about anything or wants to check with me if it is ok, he will turn towards me and look at me questioningly.
• I cannot leave him alone. Since he can walk, we have been putting him down more and more at home. Then we walk away too fast for him to catch up. So, the minute we put him down, he gives a little cry first which makes us stop in our tracks. THis gives him just enough time to turn around and catch up with us. Or at least turn around to see where we are going.
• Since he can walk, many things have been put at a higher level. And things on the table are pushed further in. Else he will tiptoe and try to grasp whatever his little fingers can feel just the slightest of.
• He is climbing around more and more. In fact he thinks he can climb on to anything - the table, the cupboard and everything else.
• Also, he now wants to go on the next level of mobility. Walking in itself is boring already. He wants to climb every step he can find up and down and up and down and up and down...the same step if there are no other steps around!
• He can now open drawers and cupboards and find amazing things hidden inside.
• He can now play with his ball better, throwing it around and fetching it (thankfully) too.
• The "No" word is yelled at him more often. And also "Come here". He understands both and listens to the first more than the second. It all depends on what it is that has attracted him.
• He now knows that kai kai means going out and that kai kai means wearing shoes - this one requires more effort on mummy's side to reinforce since sometimes I leave his shoes in the car!
• He doens't like to be carried sometimes and struggles to be let down, hands off!
• I know when he is tired. When he walks around and falls ever so often!
• His legs are getting very strong. And now when I am carrying him and he is slipping , he uses his legs to hook on to my waist and lift himself up higher. I still laugh when he does this. It's a warm feeling feeling your kid hook on to you and choke you to secure himself better onto you!

I reckon given all the changes, the best one is when he runs back to me and give me a great big hug. Like there is no place he would rather be than in mummy's arms. And when it happens in a crowd, I feel like the happiest mother in the whole world. Sigh.....(teary).....

3rd celebration and more

So, we celebrated his 3rd and final birthday party this weekend.

It was held at his Ah Ma and Ah Kung's house.

We had to pick up the cake at 5 pm from Thyme at Aman Suria.

So, we dressed him up at home and decided to take some pre-birthday bash shots first

- while he was still in a cheerie/just woke up mood!

Friends started trickling in early. Just a few minutes after everything was setup.

And around 8.45, we decided to cut the cake.

Most had already finished eating by then.

And most importantly Christopher was getting grouchy.

We ordered him a Honey Cake - 2 kg

(the decoration didn't really come out the way I 'ordered' it

but well, it was too late to do anything anyway!)

And of course, a pic with his friends is a must

(thanks to WY for reminding me!)

And then a photo of all his presents.
Thanks to everyone for all the gifts!
He went "Waaahhhh..." while we opened then one by one.
And most of them are out of their packaging already.

Thanks also for all the angpau-s.
Have to put them in his saving account to earn enough interest for his education!
Though daddy is eyeing them (I think) to reimburse himself for the
THREE CELEBRATIONS he had to pay for!
(Hahaha.....so dearie, you still want #2 ??!!)

2 out of 3 has passed

2 out of the 3 birthday celebrations have passed.

First one was with his kung kung and popo (my parents) on his chinese birthdate. It so happened to fall on the Sunday of 7th September when my parents were still around.

So, he has his first birthday cake - Black Forest 500 gm!

The 2nd birthday celebration was on the actual day itself at the babysitters place and after that a day out with mummy and daddy.

Fruit Flan cake from Thyme Bakery - 1 kg. Angku and red eggs are customary!

Took him for the "rides" for the first time and he enjoyed them when they were NOT moving!

And he also loved looking at the dogs and birds.
He went "Waaahhhh" when the dog started moving around and looked around earnestly when the dogs started barking.
He also laughed and pointed at the birds that were flying around and chirping!
Rabbits and hamsters are not interesting to him - all these furry noughts!
And aquariums are only good for the lights!


He also walked around in Cold Storage and around Ikano.

Big boy already. Now don't want to hold mummy's hand anymore!


Next blog entry will most probably be about his 3rd birthday celebration - the biggest one - and all the gifts he received. So far, he has got 2 books, 1 angpau, 1 set of clothing, 1 tumbler+Gap jumper.


And what will mummy and daddy get him?
The greatest gift of all - our time and love.

Public Holiday for Selangor yet again.....

This means that my babaysitter is off.

And I am on leave at home taking care of my son.

Given different circumstances, I would have looked forward to this.

Giving him his breakfast and morning bottle.

Taking him down to the playground after which.

Bathe him and then down for his mid-morning nap.

Play and read with him a bit.

Feed him his lunch.

Watch some cartoons/YouTubes.

Read and sing a bit more.

Down for his afternoon nap.

Play with his toys a bit more.

(Daddy coming home)

Prepare to go out kai-kai.

Give him his dinner outside.

Come home, bathe him and sleep.

But alot of which I cannot do now with that much ease.

Why?

There is no water in our block! Started last night, they turned it on a while this morning and now it is out again.

Seemingly the pump broke down.

I thought they would leave it on a while longer so I took my time with the ABC soup I had intended to make and my washing. Christopher was after all in the mood to play.

But when I realised the water pressure was getting lower, I knew I didn't have that many minutes.

The washing, I could not save. But the soup I had to get it all cleaned and in the pot.

Alas...it was too late so I had to take pots of water from the bathroom to finish up my cleaning and cooking.

Now I am relying on Wetwipes and Hand Sanitizers so that I don't have to wash my hand too often or rinse the cloth.

I hope the water pump gets repaired soon.

Sigh....thank God I have experience with water rationing.

Time for us to buy a BIG BIG bucket/tong to store water!

Shots of the yesterdays

Christopher's recent photos...

Toddling around

Pretty steady on his feet now.

Able to squat and stand with ease

(while holding on to his toys)

Finding out hidden discoveries in every nook and corner

And at heights of stature !

Climbing in and out, up and down

Putting in and throwing out!

First late night out

So, despite the nagging illnesses, we still managed to have some fun this weekend.

We had to attend a wedding dinner at The Palace of the Golden Horses on Saturday night. And it was the first time we decided to bring Christopher along.

The theme of the wedding was white and blue - so I settled on my white dress. Couldn't wear a shawl this time considering I had to carry Christopher and bend over often.

He looked quite bewildred as we were leaving. You see, we seldom bring him out after the sun has set! It's usually that he is already out and on the way home. But his bewildredness (and therefore quietness) lasted only about 10 minutes. After that it was scampering all over mummy!

Many people couldn't recognise me that day. Maybe becuase I cut my hair, wore contacts or maybe it was just coz I was holding Christopher. He was my spokesperson for the night!

He enjoyed bring the centre of attention. He loved the lights surrounding him and all the movement. He was ever so busy looking around forgetting to open his mouth to eat even! I had to remind him so often to look at me and eat his porridge.

And of course when everyone has more or less settled down (in between the dishes), he wanted to walk around to admire the decor at the other table. It didn't help that we knew some people there as well and was frequently turning around to talk to them!

The hallmark of events was during the "yam seng". He was totally caught off guard during the first yam seng. And by the second decided that he had enough of this loud noise. It was rather 'funny' becuase adults can only hold a yam seng for "this" long. And when the cheer does down, the BAWL of Christopher could still be heard! Hahaha....oppsss....

So, outside I went with him clinging on to me for dear life. He was scared off a second time when the couple arrived at our table to take the photos. For the life of me, they decided to do another yam seng at the table itself, impromptu. I closed his eears but ahhh.....that was not sufficient at all!

And as always with kids, we had to make an early exit. We left just before desert was being served (although the desert has always been my favourite part). Christopher was feeling tired and a wee bit grumpy. he slept as soon as he entered into the car, his head on my lap filled with dreams of lights and action. Good thing he didn't have any nightmares that night.

It was a good night - for him and for us, as you can see!

Worried worried me!

The whole family is down with a coughing spell. At night, I will lie awake trying to supress my cough. I hear hubby coughing into his pillow followed not long after that by Christopher.

Why is it so hard to keep my family healthy?
How come we are all falling ill so often.

I think I am close to vommitting at the thought of cough mixtures.
And Christopher isn't taking too kindly to syringes or black liquid or funny smelling powders mixed with water either.

I am wondering if things would be better with a humidifier or a air filter?
Is there something wrong with the water?

My church friend's 1m+ son is in hospital due to high fever and fits.

I feel like crying. My heart is heavy.
Why is good health becoming so difficult to achieve and maintain these days?

What can we do? What can I do?
Feeling helpless, praying fervently.

The big "IF"

So, Kin asked me : List 5 "If"s that would have made your life somewhat different today.

First IF : If I had gone into local U after Form Six, my life would be so totally different!
I decided to study Form 6 instead of going to Pre-U after meeting a boy in Form 5.
After Form 6, I managed to get a place in USM studying B.Comm in Bus. Admin. but I had met a boy in Metropolitan College and wanted to continue on my Curtin degree. So you see, I really cannot blame anyone for my life decisions!

Second IF : If I had been soft at heart, I may not be married now.

Third IF : If I did not have a son so soon after marriage, I would most probably have travelled to alot more countries by now.
You see, the purpose of our 'early' marriage was so that mummy would allow me to go on holidays alone with my (then) boyfriend.

Fourth IF : If not for my parents, I think I would not have enjoyed being a mother as much.
My parents really helped me take care of Christopher when hubby was not around. I even had nights out alone catching up with old friends. And when hubby was back, they were still around for a bit allowing hubby and I some time alone to 'date'!

Fifth IF : If I had not listened to Florence and asked Simon for help in starting my blog, I would never have met such good friends and gotten such great advice about life.

And as the tag goes, it has to go around....

How about you?
1) PN
2) Simon
3) Florence
4) Patrick (hope you do tags!)
5) Hooi Imm

Rules:
1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. List 5 things that could make your life very different should it come true.
3. Tag 5 other people.

Dreams of building

I read a comment from Uncle Lee (I am sure some of you know him) in someone's blog once and it has stuck in my mind since.

He mentioned something about him realising that his 2 sons loved different things - one loved tools, the other cars - when they were 6/7 years of age and because of parental encouragement, both of them are now living out their 'inborn' passion.

I live with one 'regret'. I never had to guts to go for my dream to be an architect.

I hold no one accountable for the decisions I make in life.
But this is one dream I wish to fulfill.

I reckon I do not have the time or the money to be an architect now.
But I think there should be softwars out there that will allow me to build structures and add landscape and design and colour.

I don't know any architects.
Do you know any?
And do you know any software that is easy to use yet gives me the flexibility to create?

I google searched it and saw http://www.punchsoftware.com/index.htm.
The video introduction looked good.

Any recommendations?
Can you help me fulfill the longing in my heart?

A disappointing start with a great ending

So, I was supposed to go down to Malacca for my cousin's wedding but we couldn't make it.

Reason being Christopher developed conjunctivitis on Friday.

The flu virus all decided to jump on to his hand and explore the next best area!

And due to the blockage in his nose, the eye drainage was temporarily clogged as well!

And now, seems like he is coming down with a cough.

All these illnesses...taking their toll indeed on mummy and daddy!

So, we were confined to non crowded areas on Saturday.

The redness and eye gum cleared up to almost 100% by Saturday night.

Took him out on Sunday coz we needed to get mooncake (not for ourseves!).

He was overjoyed. You know why?

We decided not to bring the stroller.

So, he was very happy that he managed to sit perched up in our arms the whole time.

And when he was not, he was happy walking around.

Yes, he likes to be put down and for us to hold his hands and go strolling now.

But lo behold, don't let go!

He will either walk a few steps and decide to sit on the floor.

Or he will squat down and touch the floor (admiring the texture and colour!).

***

We also went for a glorious dinner on Sunday night.

Now, this I have to really stress to all my readers!!!

The Duck King @ Jaya 1 is really GOOD!!!

Some clarification is of course needed.

You gotta pay of course for the atmosphere

and the quality of the dishes and the excellent service.

We left the house around 6 pm and arrived some 30 minutes later.

Asked for a table for 5. Surprise !!!

All the big tables in the restaurant were already booked!

Only tables for 4 were available inside.

Would we like a long table (for 6) outside?

It is THIS POPULAR !!!

So, we sat outside under the fan.

The atmosphere was still great...

and in fact outside would have been better for us.

I did tell you that Christopher likes his new found freedom now right?

He was bawling as soon as he finished his dinner to be let down to explore !

Of course mummy or daddy had not yet finished eating then.

But what to do?

Bawling really is very annoying to other people who are really trying to enjoy their meal!

So....

We ordered:

• Half Peking duck RM 38.80
• Quarter roasted duck
• Vege (came recommended)
• Rest of the Peking Duck cooked in X.O. sauce
• One birthday noodle
• Pork and salted fish claypot
• Jelly fish
• 2 bowls of rice mised with pork lard
• 1 bowl of plain rice

And we opened a Moet champagne which my sis got from a client

(it pays to have a lawyer sister who has rich clients! :))

No corkage, just a RM4 charge!

Total damage : RM 150

I was surprised at the bill. I expected more actually!

The service at The Duck King was really good.

I would say that this was the first time I wouldn't mind tipping our waiter.

Looks like if you go early, it would be one waiter taking care of 1/2 tables!

And our waiter took care of us without appearing intrusive! Excellent.

There are other interesting things on the menu.

Hubby and I will definitely go back there.

The place is good for boyboy as well since it is cool

and there is a fountain and running water and plants

to make the place 'park' like to walk around.

And hubby and I managed to hold hands again

under the moonlight after dinner on the way back to the car.

***

After dinner, we went home to have cake to celebrate Kungkung and Christopher's birthday!

Bought a small black forest cake earlier.

Christopher sat in between his Popo and Kungkung while we all sang Happy Birthday.

He was 'amazed'.

He kept staring at the cake and at his daddy who was standing in front of him.

Occasionally taking a glance at Popo and Kungkung and Yee Ma.

He clapped his hands and did some 'hurrays'!

And then he stared at the cake some more!

He was terribly cute.

I love my son.

He brings such joy to the entire household.

And birthdays are so much fun now.

He recieved an ang pau from his Popo and Kungkung.

And a nicely wrapped up gift from his Yee Ma.

She gave him 2 books which he read together with her and Popo.

And went "Ahhhh...." and "Ooohhhh....."

One was a textured colour book and he loved all the rough surfaces and the bright colours.

The other was a number book with all things familiar. 1 ball, 2 oranges, 3 apples, 4 fish etc.

On the whole it was one memorable weekend. Now I have

• Half a black forest cake left.
• 9 cupcakes from the wedding that my parents brought back.
• 1 big mooncake which hubby couldnt resist buying for himself.
• 1 large container of pineapple tarts from Malacca.
• 2 mini loaves of bread that I bought in case anyone got hungry!
  

All perishable in 2-3 days!

Reckon I will be giving away some.

How was your weekend?

A colourful long one

Got tagged by InfanT. It is a long tag so bear with my nonsensical answers!


My 'Personal' Biodata (now that is a long forgotten word!)


Name: all too clear in my blog title (come to think of it!)
Sisters: One
Brothers: None

Shoe size: (goodness knows!)
Height : 1.58 m or thereabout! (and I am not short!)

Where do you live: KD (don't know where? Figure it out! :))

Favourite
drinks: Lime/lemon juice (or Shandy!)
breakfast: Bread

Have you ever been on a plane? Yes (I love to travel)
Swam in the ocean : Yes ('Forced' to in Bali)
Fallen asleep at school : No (I was busy drawing when I was bored)
Broken someone’s heart: Yes (I was quite the flirt)
Fell off your chair : Yes (not once too by the way! I am a clutz!)
Sat by the phone all night waiting for someone to call: Yes (he broke my heart in the end!)
Saved e-mails: Yes (the nature of my work requires me too!)

What is your room like : Blue and brown. Untidy and crowded all due to the boy's things (and I do mean BOTH boys!)

What’s right beside you: My coffee mug and my cellphone (as in when I am in office)
What is the last thing you ate: Julie's lemon puff biscuit (I really love lemon, you see!)



Ever had
chicken pox: Nope (but got the shots!)
Sore throat: Yes (more so since Christopher!)
Stitches: Nope (hope never!)
Broken nose: Nope (my nose is as flat as ever!)



Do you
believe in love at first sight: Nope (I am too old for that now!)
like picnics: Yes (especially by the beach!)



Who was the
last person you danced with: Christopher! (hahahaha....)
last person who made you smile: Hubby (I mean really smile with the warm fuzzy feeling!)
person you last yelled at: Christopher (not in anger, more in agitation!)



Today did you
Talk to someone you like: I only talk to people I like (introvert as I am, you know!)
Kiss anyone: Not yet (but will do so before the day is up!)
Get sick: Yes (read the newspaper!)
Talk to an ex: Nope (just did that over the weekend, so.....)
Miss someone: Nope
Eat: Of course! (Infact I was hungry as soon as I woke up!)



What is your best feeling in the world: When the little one kicks from within!
Do you sleep with stuffed animals: Nope. Never did, never will.
What’s under your bed: The floor?
Who do you really hate: Hate is too strong a word!

What time is it now? 12.57 pm


Random:
Is there a person who is on your mind now: Hubby (still waiting for my packed lunch!)
Do you want children: Yes. One more!
Do you smile often: No. (hahahaha....)
Do you like your hand-writing: Not as much as when I was in school. (I type more now than write!)
Are your toe nails painted: Nope, never had the time for those!
Whose bed other than yours would you rather sleep in: Any 5star hotel bed!
What color shirt are you wearing now: Red.
What were you doing at 7:00 p.m. yesterday: Playing with Christopher!

I can’t wait till... : September 27th 2008.
When did you cry last : last Saturday over some silly love story
Are you a friendly person: When I am in the right mood.
Do you have any pets: Nope (would love a dog though!)
Where is the person you have feelings for right now? One is in BU, the other is downstairs.
Did the last person you hold hands with mean anything to you now? Why would I want to hold their hand otherwise?

Do you sleep with the TV on? Only when I am alone in a hotel room
Have you ever crawled through a window? Nope
Can you handle the truth? Yes (but I will still feel!)
Are you too forgiving? Not 'too' forgiving but I forgive as quickly as the wrong is made right.

Are you closer to your mother or father?Used to be dad. Now it is mum.
Who was the last person you cried in front of?My sister. (I was missing hubby!)
How many people can you say you’ve really loved? 3 (not counting dad and mum and sis)

Do you eat healthy? Definitely NOT

Do you still have pictures of you & your ex? Nope. Threw it all out the day before hubby moved in.
Have you ever cried because of something someone said to you? Definitely. I am an emotional person
If you’re having a bad day, who are you most likely to go to?God. (does that count?)
Are you loud or quiet most of the time? Most of the time quiet.
Are you confident? Depends what I need to do

5 things I was doing 10 years ago
a. Flirting around shamelessly
b. Enjoying my life in Australia
c. Nursing myself when I got that dreadful "fong mok" all alone in Subang
d. Rearing fish
e. Working hard

5 things on my to-do list today: (make it tomorrow)
a. Pack my bag for my weekend getaway
b. Clean the house
c. Cook dinner
d. Drop off some stuff for my inlaws
e. Finish this tag!

5 snacks I enjoy:
a. Twisties
b. Cheezels
c. Muruku (the spicier the better)
d. Ice cream
e. Fruits

5 things I would do if I were a billionaire:
a. Travel to all the places I want to go
b. Give my parents all the holidays they want to go
c. Save a fortune for my kids education and some more for their retirement!
d. Save enough for hubby and me to retire comfortably
e. Still continue to work

5 of my bad habits:
a. I fold anything to make a corner that I can poke people or myself with
b. I peel at my bread rather than take bites
c. I fall into "No mood" periods very often
d. When I want to do something, I get very agitated when I cannot do it RIGHT NOW!
e. I think too much.

It is long, but quite interesting actually...maybe for you?
PN
June
Julie

Hubby home, fat in store.

Loads of chocs to fill my day.

Loads of chocs to give away.

Few packs of biscuit crunch.

Some pasta and caviar for lunch.

And of course there is my jigsaw!

(sorry, photos taken in haste)

Life excerpts at 13

Mine was a country-side life.

I consider it country-side although from all the books I read, the town I lived in seems a far cry from being country-side.

I loved Saturday mornings best. Mummy would be already up and about. Mostly likely in the kitchen finishing the washing. Daddy’s coffee cup would still be in the kitchen sink. Still slightly warm from the hot coffee he gulped down. In fact if I hurried just a little bit in getting out of bed, I might be able to just see dad’s car drive out of the porch.

My sister's existence was of no effect to me on Saturday mornings. Her presence would only become of importance in the afternoons when we had to go for our piano lessons. I would then require her bigger frame to hide me as best so that I would not be called to ‘perform’ my latest piece first.

I ran down the stairs and made my way straight to the kitchen. Mummy wasn’t in the living hall so that would be the next best place to find her. What was for breakfast I wondered!

I caught the sight of my dog Max at the kitchen door. He didn’t see me for something else in the backyard was holding his attention. Must be mummy for sure hanging up some colourful clothing. Naughty little dog of mine would be waiting to see if mummy accidentally dropped any piece of clothing, no matter how small. And off with it he would go with mummy screaming for him to “Drop it!”

Oppsss, he has seen me now.

I love it when Max sees me and looks totally overjoyed to see me. His tail wags from left to right almost hitting his side with every wag. His ears soften downwards and his eyes seem to call out to me “Where have you been? Where have you been?”

Mummy knows I am here now. Max sure is a tell-tale!

I watch mummy hang the rest of the clothing while asking and asking what our plans will be for today. And what is for breakfast?

Max bangs himself on to my legs in a never ending circular motion hoping that I would bend down to ruffle his fur! He sure loves a ruffle and a tumble in the mornings! What a greeting for a dog!

Good news! Mummy has allowed me to take my bicycle out to the nearby coffee shop to buy some nasi lemak. I love taking my bicycle out for a ride alone. The sea is just to the left of the road I would cycle down and trees line the other side. Cars are a plenty since it is the main road. But I am always careful.

The nasi lemak stall under the tree sure attracts a lot of people. The line is really long but the chilli paste sure makes it all worthwhile. And I know mummy will sit with me and share this packet of nasi lemak with me. I will take one bite, then mummy will take one bite. And in between sis would steal a bit or two. She doesn’t eat much.

I don’t really like what happens after breakfast. If I don’t get my way, mummy will make me practise my piano for an hour. And after that I have to get homework out of the way. I need to study hard. The last time I came back with a red mark, I asked mummy what she would do if I didn’t do well in school. She was so quiet. But later I heard mummy and daddy talking very urgently in their room. And I was given a lecture by daddy after that about how I should be taking care of my own schoolwork. It was scary. I wish sis didn’t have to study so hard and get good grades all the time.
She does everything so well.

I hope we get to go to the beach in the evenings. I hope we get to bring Max as well. He loves the beach. There aren’t many people there so he is free to run around. He is a good dog. He will come back to us after he gets his fill of running. And I love to chase him around as well. He plays catch very well. And he always manages to catch me!

The sea can get really rough at the end of the year. All these time I only know in my head about floods and rough seas through my nature books. But it is very scary to see such a big wave form and then come crashing on the shore. And it seems to come closer and closer each time. I get very scared when Max goes to close to the sea edge. I do not wish for the big wave to eat him up. I heard an aunty once tell another child not to go too near the edge because of this reason. The wave must have big teeth to eat children up in one gobble. I hope Mr. Wave doesn’t like dogs!

The other place daddy might bring us would be up the hill. I don’t really like going up the hill coz it makes my feet hurt after that. But when I am at the top, it feels so cool and calm. The trees give me a very peaceful feeling. It is a strange feeling to be enveloped by trees on all sides. I should be scared but I am not. Maybe because daddy is there with me. But I feel so tired usually after coming down from the hill. I think I like the beach more.

I hope daddy chooses the beach instead of the hill today.

* Country-side being Kuantan!

Long weekend survivor

So, this was my first long weekend without hubby.
Thank God I had my parents around with me.

What did I do?

• I went to the MPH Warehouse Sale. Got books for Christopher and myself amounting to close to RM100. Will tell you more about the book I bought for myself soon!
• I met an old friend for dinner and chatted for 6 hours.
• I went to see this same old friend's new condo*!
• I fell ill on Saturday, so rested a bit more on Sunday.
• Went grocery shopping on Monday and walked around a bit in the shopping mall.
• Wanted to do something to my hair but walked out after 30 minutes. I am just not ready to give up my long hair yet!

So, the weekend was alright actually. But this time round I wasn't dragging my feet when I had to get back to work on Tuesday.

* The new condo is USK Avenue 1. I was very impressed. The developer used the zen concept. There were grey and white hues everywhere coupled with glass and pebble stones. Avenue 1 conprises 2 blocks at the moment and has a mini teater for owners to use and also a rooftop BBQ place. The 3rd block that is coming up will house a bar/restaurant at the top most floor.