You're a year older!

A birthday shoutout to Ammu

who turns 27 today!

Happy Birthday! Love you heaps!

now with pictures!

Now that I got my voice back..

Yup now that I have my voice back I have to contend with an incessant cough

Yes, that's the most of my worries which seems trivial if compared to those who really literaaly live off the clothes on their back.

The recent disasters (some natural and some not) seem to get worse everyday; it's really hard to think about how they overcome these tribulations.

And I'm complaining about a cough..

Never Gonna be in ID

I'm co-overseeing the reno of the apartment.

I was there nearly the whole day and was eating sawdust through my nose.

I thought to myself ..

I'm never gonna be in ID .. I don't have it in me ..

And all the electrical stuffs I don't get it ..

And this comes from a person who was working in an E&E environment for 7 years!

Anyhoo .. major reno all done now we only have to tinker with the smaller stuffs .. and yeah choose beddings!

A Vow of Silence

I have no choice but to take a vow of silence..
Reason being is that I've lost my voice..
It's a lethal combo of e/ weather & e/ klang valley haze ..
These two factors have robbed me of my voice ..
and so as I sit here in my office voicing my thoughts the only way I know right now ..
by writing this post..I'm not feeling very articulate today.. so I'm just gonna keep it real short.

And let you in one something I learnt today..
I was over at Ruby's today for a trim..
And Ruby advised me that the best self-medicating method I can try is by drinking soya bean milk and so I'm sitting in front of my 500ml of half drank soya bean milk..
I must say I feel a bit of relief.. whether it will make my voice better, I'll have to just wait and see .. at least I know it can't possibly get any worst! Just praying that the drink can really bring my voice back *finger crossed as well!*

Storytime, bedtime

It's wonderful to know that my daughter loves books as much as I do.

She's asking for more books nowadays and Mommy is just too happy to get it for her.

Thank God, Book Culture is just a stone's throw away from the office, they're stocked plenty with children's books .. and also books on fairies, I love stories about fairies, and I especially appreciate their illustrations :)

2 makan places in Sunway

Ole Ole!

Villa de fish Cafe has a calming effect on their diners

Last week we had the opportunity to try out 2 makan places in Sunway.

First up is Villa de fish Cafe; located at the Sunway Mentari. Decor is simplistic with huge wall aquariums by the tables. I must say the contrast with the white decor is a nice touch. We had the Pork Spaghetti (it's pretty hard to find pork if you're living in Shah Alam, so obviously to satisfy my pork craving this was my choice of entree!) .. Not bad at all and I liked the fact that they presented their food well :) thumbs up in my books.

Different day same time, lunch in Sunway Pyramid, we tried out Ole Ole! a Balinese inspired makan place. Our waitress was from Indonesia and affirmed that the food was quite authetically Balinese.. I had the Ayam Menggoreng (Fried Chicken) with yellow rice and it came with stir fried kangkung with salted fish, I'm not a big fan of "ham yue"/salted fish and let me tell you the fish emitted a rteal pungent aroma which was phewweee .. but to be fair, the vege was indeed tasty so I happily gobbled down my vege..the portion it came in was huge!

Vicky had the Nasi Berlauk (Rice & dishes) and it came with grilled beef, squid & prawns and not to forget the satay. Again the portion was huge; overall the food there was quite tasty and cooked with a lot of balinese influences, the ambience was really nice and warm as well and a nice touch was the soft sounds of the gamelan music in the background. We were however really thankful we didn't order dessert, when we finished we had to waddle to our car which thankfully was rather nearby!

Niki's Daddy is the Best Daddy in the World!

Our penmanship ..

(Sing it like the birthday song)

Happy Daddy's Day to you!

Happy Daddy's Day to you!

Happy Daddy's Day dear Daddy

You're the best Daddy in the World!

We love you, very, very much :)

How to Look More Photogenic

The reason why you see so little of me in photos in this blog is this..

I'm scared &^%$-less of taking photos..

You see, I'm not photogenic unlike some posers I know really well *ahem!*

I don't look good on photos, never has and never will ..

And so when someone whips out a camera .. I tend to shy away .. and usually if I'm photographed smiling away like a baffoon it's usually because I've already chugged down a stiff drink!

And so today in fb I saw a friend tagged me in some photos taken last weekend, and I gasped in horror as I saw 'em photos! And then I let out a silent shriek, I can't let out an audible one since I'm in the office .. and I thought to myself I really should learn how to take a decent photo .. it's not for me .. it's for those looking at 'em, I certainluy wouldn't want them cringing away while looking at shots of yours truly!

And so while perusing through my daily dose of blogs that I read I came across this one particular post which is godsent! It's a post by Christa Taylor and her blog is a fashionista's dream!

Here's Christa's tips to look more photogenic, as opposed to the deer in the headlights look I usually sport!

We can always be more pleasant to look at (in person or in pictures) when we dress ourselves well. Keeping in mind that we should be dressing for our particular body shape and skin tone, we should also remember that hair styling and makeup will enhance features to our betterment or detriment. Beyond those basics, and forgetting those annoying naturally photogenic people, there are a few things that anyone can do to look better in photos.

Try out these tricks and stop running for cover whenever the camera comes out.
1. Minimize certain attributes by tilting your head slightly.

2. Arrange your body ¾ toward the camera, to minimize your hips, with one foot in front of the other and one shoulder closer to the camera. Weight on your back leg.

3. Stand up straight, shoulders back and relaxed. Think long and lean like a ballerina.

4. Flatter your face by angling your face at a ¾ angle to the camera vs. full front, and look up through your eyelashes. Practice with a digital camera and see what angles are most flattering to you.

5. Posture is a life saver and will dramatically improve your appearance. Sitting or standing up straight will make you look far superior to your slouching companions Do not lean in towards the center of the pic.

6. Relax. Think happy thoughts. If you know a picture is about to be taken, take a deep breathe, and exhale slowly. Nothing kills a photo like a tense or stiff expression.

7. Smile, regardless of anything else, the happier and more relaxed you are, the better the picture will turn out.

better than Tiffany's

[Caption.iT - Picture Captions]

This locket is from Ammu.

Perhaps I can share a bit about this pic ..

Over here Niki I should think is about 15 months old .. we were coaxing her to walk but not much luck la .. anyways what I did was I propped her on the chair behind her to steady her; before quickly catching this photo :) .. she leans pretty well don't she :)

Muy caliente

A hydrogen-powered supercar has been unveiled which is as quick as a top of the range Lamborghini and as economical as a Fiesta. The Scorpion, pictured here, has a hybrid engine which runs on both petrol and water and powers it to around 200mph. The lightweight car will sprint from standstill to 60mph in around 3.2 seconds, making it as quick as a Lamborghini Murcielago LP640.

Altogether now .. "Wah!"

Niki & Me

Here's some recent & not so recent photos of Niki and me from Vicky's hp.

And my favourite is the one with the chica in her cheongsam on the bottom left :)

The Wedding Singer

Attended a wedding last Friday; and lo & behold the guest artiste was the ever effervescent & cherubic Adibah Nor; I seriously didn't know she can sing so well and man, can she sing, she was nice and really warm and even obliged the never ending requests for a photo op with her adoring fans/wedding guests as she walked around the ballroom entertaining the crowd..

She sang a number of lovey-dovey crowd favourites and evergreens and I saw many a pakciks singing along with her.. She wore a replescent baju kurung in aquamarine blue .. curious; I took a peek at her shoes, I was expecting a pair of blahniks or choos to stare back at me but alas Adibah the seasoned entertainer she was wore a practical pair of court shoes; and right there and then I became a fan!

Plasma baby!

Monster House comes alive on the plasma screen

Guess what..*excited clapping* yeah we're that superficial sometimes ..

We finally replaced the TV in our bedroom with a spanking new 32" plasma and we had our eyes glued to the TV the whole weekend .. and we even pimped it with a hot sound system too, to get the all important surround sound ..

We're still loving our Fujitec CRTV though coz it's been so great to us all this past 5 years, regardless that it's a product from china and was purchased from Tesco (we're never knocking made in china electronics, again!), we couldn't be more thankful for lasting all these years .. and all those times Niki tormented the poor TV by sticking her tongue and candy onto the screen and a whole host of stuffs she thought up to make it all the more interesting ie. whacking it with her magic wand, sticking her pooh stickers on it and let's not forget her experiments with static!

So, here's a really predictable photo of the dynamic duo watching TV!

Queen B wins em' all

Here's an article which I find more than interesting, and i'm posting it here to show that girls sometimes need to be sassy..read on and be inspired to kick some @$$

Relationship Principle 1

In romance, there's nothing more attractive to a man than a woman who has dignity and pride in who she is.

In addition, you have to know your own mind. The more you focus on elevating yourself, the more he will work to be at the top of your priority list. He considers you a long-term prospect when you’ve added the key ingredient: respect. And respect is the glue that holds everything together.

Kara is a perfect example of why smart, confident women come out on top. Very early on, her fiancé tried to give her his two cents on how she should dress. She was leaving for a meeting, and he told her to wear a dress instead of the pantsuit she had on. Then he told her she was wearing too much makeup. What the nice girl would have done is run out and buy a new wardrobe. But Kara playfully put him in check: “Listen here, Versace. This outfit has always been fine. And I haven't had any complaints about the makeup either. But if you'd like, I'll let you know when I'm wearing this in advance. That way, if you don't want to see me in it, you don't have to come over.”

In order to be looked at differently, you have to think differently. He has to see that you call your own shots and that you don't need input from anyone about how to put your socks on. This says, “I am secure.” The biggest attraction killer is neediness and insecurity. The Queen Bee doesn't audition or try to be the “best in show.” Instead of “where's my ring” or “why won't you marry me,” she's thinking:“What's the advantage of having this guy around?”“How do I feel about myself after I’ve been in his company?”“What’s in it for me?”

And then a funny thing happens: He falls all over himself to be with her.

Kim Basinger said something interesting: “I don't have time to be classified as difficult, and I don't have time to care.” Men tend to feel at ease with a woman who doesn’t care so much because then he doesn’t have to be fully responsible for someone else’s happiness. When a man sees you are happy with him but you can be just as happy having nothing to do with him, that's when he won't want to leave your side. When you are happy, you are sexy.

Not only this, Queen B have more fun. My friend Angela had a date with a guy on a Friday and they went out for Chinese food. They tried several dishes and had plenty of leftovers, so Angela took home all the doggie bags. The following evening, she had A date with a different guy and decided to be the “hostess with the mostest.” She reheated the Chinese leftovers, “reorganized” a medley on a pretty plate, and served it to her guest of honor. The fortune cookie said: “The catered din-din was a smashing success.”

Of course, I would never recommend that you choose such a quick and easy meal over three hours of sweating and slaving in the kitchen. However, I would be remiss if I did not include this one expert gourmet cooking tip: Don't keep the parsley. (If it gets soggy in the microwave it will be a dead giveaway every time.)

Notice what Kara and Angela had in common: Neither one of them felt the need to overcompensate. This earned the man's respect. Why? It was expected that they knock themselves out because the rulebook says women are supposed to. When they refused, a light bulb went off over his head. The message “I am worth something” is what turns him into a believer.

In a music-channel documentary, Tim McGraw said something very intriguing about his wife, Faith Hill: “She's a straight shooter, that's for sure. She doesn't take any sh*t from anybody.” He didn't choose to comment on her talent, success, beauty, fame, or any of the other things society celebrates. Instead, he commented on the attribute men respect most: a backbone. Do you think he’s proud that his wife doesn’t take B.S. lying down? I’d bet that he is.

Relationship Principle 2

He marries the woman who won't lay down like linoleum.This brings us to the definition of a marrying a Queen B — aka a strong, spirited woman who can stand up for herself. The Queen B is not rude or abrasive because she's smart enough to know that being considerate is more effective. But she won't compromise herself to be in a relationship. She won't work overtime to “catch a husband.” Because of this, he doesn't classify her as a mindless woman he can take advantage of. She has a certain moxie about her. Sugar and spice ... and not always so nice — that's what his dreams are made of.
Since many “nice” women mistakenly believe that being a strong woman is a bad thing, let's explore some of the criteria of the so-called eligible woman. Then we'll find out from men what they really think about women who behave this way.

Myth 1: You Have to Be PerfectThink about the last time you were madly in love. Chances are, the guy wasn’t a millionaire or a brain surgeon with six-pack abs who was hung like a barnyard animal on Viagra. But there was something special about him. He had a couple of features that did it for you and a certain magic that made you tingle. Men who want to fit in a relationship are looking for that same magic.

Relationship Principle 3

He doesn't marry a woman who is perfect. He marries the woman who is interesting. This is one of the biggest myths perpetuated by the media: If you are perfect, beautiful, and rich, you will get the respect and love you crave. So they say. (And now back to reality.) When a man meets a woman who seems too perfect, too sweet, or too agreeable, he tends to become bored very quickly.

Beauty pageants are a good example of how women are misled into thinking that the most important pursuits in life are beauty tips and “man catching” skills. Granted, they offer educational grants and scholarships, which is very ironic because the only men watching are the ones who like really stupid women. Intelligent men think it’s embarrassing for a woman to pose and smile like she’s always that chipper. Everybody knows the losers want to strangle the winner, and the Southern Belle who wins Miss Congeniality is dying to tell the judges: “^%$# all, y’all...you ugly summab&%^$#@!.” All of them pretend to be virgins until marriage, and all are do-gooders for the poor: Second runner-up: “I am a fifth-year junior at the local college majoring in pottery. I plan to end world hunger and find a cure for cancer. And once and for all, I intend to put an end to the global shortage of flower pots.”First runner-up: “I plan to feed the starving, the homeless, the unemployed, and the destitute. That way all my relatives can eat.” Queen bee: “Before I visit poverty-stricken villages in Africa, I'm fixin' to get my toes painted. Invite the press. I'm wearing my thousand-dollar Manolo Blahnik shoes!”

If you've ever noticed, beauty pageants are a lot like county fairs. The farmers show the cows the same way. They walk their prized Jersey cow across a stage in front of an audience with judges, and maybe the cow even twirls around a couple of times. Then the winning cow gets a satin ribbon draped over it, which has the title and the year on it. They even have twelve-month calendars featuring the “cow of the month.”

So let's try to apply this Barbie-like behavior to a first date to see why it goes over like a lead balloon. Picture a woman trying to be that “perfect girl.” She walks into the room like she's on a catwalk. The handbag matches the shoe button. She giggles on cue. For dinner, she orders two olives with low-cal dressing (on the side). Without realizing it, this woman has already marked herself: temporary. In his mind? “Deposit and go.” but from there on it’s a downhill slide. Why?

When she’s artificial, he becomes wary of who she really is and what her real motivations are. Usually, he figures she’s putting on a show to trap him. So it never goes to the next level. This is why some relationships never shift into second gear. By trying to be something she’s not, the woman automatically gets marked with the “insecure” stamp. “This one will need constant attention and nothing I give will ever be enough. She'll sap me of all my energy.” Before he’s spent any time with her, he is mentally on to the next.

Not only this, but when a man thinks a woman is weak or insecure, he won’t feel the need to work at the relationship. It becomes “male entertainment” at that point. The relationship becomes a sideshow. He'll kick back, crack a beer, and think, “She's trying so hard, I'll never have to break a sweat in this relationship.”

Relationship Principle 4

When a woman is trying too hard, a man will usually test to see how hard she's willing to work for it. He'll start throwing relationship Frisbees, just to see how hard she'll run and how high she'll jump.
Men are used to this. So they try to bait you into this behavior. He may tell you on a second date that he likes red toenail polish. Or that he likes a particular item of clothing. If you immediately begin to “work” to be what he wants, it lessens his respect.

To better understand, let’s take a sneak peek at a page inside the male rulebook. This is the hush-hush highly classified stuff.

A page from the male rulebook

The definition of unforgettably sexy: A woman who can function on her own and take care of herself. She won't let me always have the upper hand. And, she can tell anyone to go jump in the lake whenever she feels like it.

That's the woman he'll work harder to be with. Whenever you are too worried about someone else's approval, that person loses respect for you. When a man sees you knocking yourself out from the jump start, you are setting yourself up for a lopsided relationship, because you reinforce every guy's unspoken belief: “If you ignore her, she'll seek your validation and reassurance.”

Approval then becomes his only “contribution.” When you need his approval, it blinds you and you quickly become the vulnerable one in the relationship. Adopt the philosophy of “approval neither desired nor required.”

After all, there will always be someone there to tell you that you aren’t attractive enough, perfect enough, or that you didn't come from the right side of the tracks. True confidence is born when you...

Relationship Principle 5

Don't believe what anyone tells you about yourself.

Sophia Loren said, “Beauty is how you feel inside, and it reflects in your eyes. It is not something physical.” This is what makes you gorgeous to a quality man, because now you arrive complete. And that makes him say, “Gee, I wonder, what is that special magic she’s got?”
How does this affect long-term relationships? When a man can't crack your code, or figure out where your insecurities are, you are no longer readable. That’s when he doesn't have a 100 percent hold on you, and he has to put in his 50 percent share to win you over, keep your interest, and maintain a reciprocal and viable relationship.

Excerpted from “Why Men Marry B*t*hes: A Woman's Guide to Winning Her Man's Heart,” by Sherry Argov. Copyright © 2006 by Sherry Argov. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced without written permission from Simon & Schuster Inc.

What drives you, you say

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on Wednesday announced price hikes for petrol, diesel and electricity. He said the new price for petrol is RM2.70 a litre, effective midnight tonight. The price goes up by 78 sen from the current RM1.92, a hike of 40%. Abdullah also announced that the price of diesel would be increased by RM1 from RM1.58 to RM2.58.

He also said that Tenaga Nasional Bhd would be raising electricity rates by 18% for homes and 26% for business users.The announcements are part of the new fuel subsidy plan. Abdullah also announced a RM625 annual cash rebate per vehicle, for owners ofprivate vehicles with engine capacities of up to 2,000cc, as well as pickup trucks and jeeps with engine capacities of up to 2,500cc.Owners of private motorcycles with engine capacities of up to 250cc will receive RM150.

Payment will be made via Money Order upon renewal of road tax, from July 1. For owners of private vehicles with engine capacities exceeding 2000cc, road tax will be reduced by RM200.Owners of private motorcycles with engine capacities above 250 cc will get RM50 reduction in road tax.Drivers' reactions on petrol price http://thestaronline.tv/default.aspx?vid=1465

Bahasa Malaysia

Back in the day when I was in school, BM was know as Bahasa Malaysia, however during the KBSM years circa 1988, they changed it to Bahasa Melayu for some obscure reason, and just of recent they've decided to change it back again to Bahasa Malaysia, so after the hullaballoo the PTB decided that perhaps the old way is better; which is the case in many instances in this good old country of us. Ok reeling off here, so back to Niki ..

Niki is now learning our national language and it's not an easy transition for her, but she's catching on. However, she speaks BM with a very "china girl" accent, which is quite hilarious and she is particularly fond of the word "muka" which means face but she thinks it means the mouth, so everytime we ask her the BM word for the mouth, she'll say "muka" .. well the confusion has already been cleared up though, nonetheless it still tickles me when I think about this exchange.

And my gosh, I just learnt that we have to register our kid for Standard One by next year! Oh boy!

Coming of Age

the amazing buffet spread

see, the amount of food on our plates!

In Hinduism coming of age generally signifies that a boy or girl is mature enough to understand his responsibility towards family and society. Women often celebrate their coming to age by having a ceremony. This ceremony includes dressing them with sari, and announcing their maturity to the community.

They would perform a lavish occasion called Manjal Neerattu Vizha, to celebrate their daughter attaining adulthood. They invite their relatives and surroundings for the proceedings and formally announce it. The purpose of the ceremony is to provide awareness to the daughter about the changes that will proceed, and also to make them clear about Do's and Don't s, they should follow. The girls will be made to wear the traditional dress saree, and they are showered with turmeric water, during the ocacasion.

Yesterday, we attended such a ceremony at The Tamarind condo in Sentul West, the ceremony itself was simple and meaningful, and the girl's loved ones were all there to mark this day. We presented her with our gift and fed her a sweet to mark this transition from adolescence to adulthood.

And true to the Malaysian culture next it was the makan-makan, the host spared no expense on the food and the feast that was spread out for the guests were truly a gastronomical affair. There was briyani chicken with an amazing array of crab, dhalca, sweet and sour fish,mutton perithal, black pepper lamb, mixed veggies, egg sambal, chicken sambal and I may have left out some.

Off to PD we went!

PD town

the kacang putih and fruits raiding exercise

Saturday night's steamboat and two posers

Pak Lang's Kopitiam

The families

the sambal/egg bread and my gentler on the stomach choice

Last Friday; the three of us together with Siva, Joey and the kids went off for a 3 day trip to our place in PD and it's the school holidays now. Needless to say the kids absolutely enjoyed themselves senseless, kids and water is a combo that can't go wrong I guess no matter where you are. On Saturday, the guys went off for a golf game & us women got to spend time in the water with the kids, it was at least 32 celcius, to me that's really hot so I'll be lying if I said that the half morning was really a treat for me but for the kids had a blast!

Slightly before noon, we packed up the kids (who did put up a fuss for taking them out of the water so soon) to get ready for lunch .. we agreed on driving to town and chow down on KFC .. and darn, KFC never tasted so good. Tucked good ol' KFC in and after that Siva suggested that we visit a rather interesting Kopitiam we saw just two blocks down from KFC, equipped with the Malaysia Boleh spirit all of us had another round of drinks with toast and sambal/egg bread :) and we were feeling slightly more than full after that. The kopitiam's called Pak Lang's Kopitiam; gotta admit that the place serves up pretty authentic kopitiam style food and and drinks, I was looking longingly at the kopi peng but decided against it due to the heat.

While walking down the cobbled roads of PD town; we chanced upon (haha!) more food, there was a kacang putih man and fruits stall lining a stretch of road selling mostly foodstuffs. After raiding the kacang putih man and a fruit stall we decided to call it in and head back to the resort.

But before that..adhering to Malaysian way of planning your meals way ahead..

Earlier on we've already decided on having steamboat dinner at the apartment and so the men plodded over to the Billion store and bought what seems like a feast for 10, lots of veggies and seafood.

After going back it was water time again for the kids (by this time I guess the adults were already really tired out of our minds) but for the kid's sake .. what can I say we're suckers for those big pleading children eyes!! Swam for an hour or two and then we came home to prepare for dinner .. and the steamboat dinner was seriously good .. stuffed ourselves silly and after that we dimmed the lights so that the kids can catch an early night coz we anticipated that there'll be more swimming before we head off on Sunday. All 5 of them slept by 9.30pm! And it was to El Cactus (I blogged about this place in one of my earlier post, great Mexican food and the place is great!) for us couples. Since it was a Mexican place, both Vicky and Joey were downing tequila shots & both were really happy by the time we headed back at two :)

Sunday morning the kids woke us bright and early, for another round at the pool since we were heading home after lunch. After a 2.5 hours in the pool most of them look really tanned; and the sunblock we slathered on the kids didn't help much)

Had lunch and then it was zzzzzzzz....Niki and I passed out on the journey back as did the rest of them.

The weekend trip way fun & all of us have the tan lines to prove it! :)