Good bye 2010

Q: What is your greatest achievement in 2010?
To have my daughter.

Q: What life lesson did you learnt this year?
You can't turn back time. Appreciate what you have and go with the flow.

Q: What is the toughest thing being a mother?
To change my bad habits and all the negative things about me so that my daughter doesn't mirror all that in future.

Q: Are you still a trypanophobic now (even after you went through cesarean)?
Yes, I still am. However, the fear is not as great as before.

Q: What is the one thing you regret most?
I wish I'd spent more time with Brownie.

Q: What is the one thing that you miss most?
Personal time. You don't get that a lot once you've a baby.

Q: What is the one thing that you want to see change moving forward?
My foul temper. Counting backwards doesn't work for me.

Q: What do you wish for in 2011?
More family time and vacations without second thoughts.

Q: What is your New Year's resolution?
To be a better daughter, sister, wife and mother. And no more Dunhill Menthol Lights?

Q: Your husband wants you to join Christianity. Are you one now?
My religion is simple. It's called kindness.

Q: Are you planning for a second child? And when?
Yes and soon.

Q: Are you planning to work?
Yes, after my child(ren) reaches age 3 or 4.

Q: What is your wish for your daughter?
Grow up well, my lil' precious one. We love you!

Q: Do you have anything to say to your husband?
Let's grow old together. Let's grow old gracefully (and stop living in denial about your age... lol!)

Have a Happy New Year, everyone!

Happy 6th month, my baby girl!

If a child lives with criticism,
He learns to condemn.
If a child lives with hostility,
He learns to fight.
If a child lives with ridicule,
He learns to be shy.
If a child lives with shame,
He learns to feel guilty.
If a child lives with tolerance,
He learns to be patient.
If a child lives with encouragement,
He learns confidence.
If a child lives with praise,
He learns to appreciate.
If a child lives with fairness,
He learns justice.
If a child lives with security,
He learns to have faith.
If a child lives with approval,
He learns to like himself.
If a child lives with acceptance and friendship,
He learns to find love in the world.

~ Author Unknown

x

Grow up well, my lil' baby girl.

With lots of love,

7 days of Bali

Somewhere this time of the month last year, Dear Hubby and I was in Padang Bai and Kuta. He attended a palm oil conference and me, tagged along to enjoy the all paid for hotel by the company. I still remembered that I was vomiting away in the chartered van that took us from Padang Bai to Kuta town in Bali. Well, the whole vacation turned out alright although I was experiencing severe morning sickness at that time.

Yesterday, we flew in from Jakarta, this time along with baby. And since there's a public holiday that falls on the 7th, we will be extending our stay till 7th for his dive trips. He need to get in touch with the nemos at least once a year.

Did I hear a yay? No, I'm not excited. A 7 days of stay does need some serious packing when I have a baby with me. To begin with, I do not even like Bali. I prefer Phuket. What's the difference, you asked? Perhaps it's the people, or maybe I simply just don't like Bali. I don't know. But one thing for sure, Dear Hubby is working hard to change that perception of mine. Anyway, he'll be speaking at the conference, attending endless cocktail parties and dinners. I will be roaming the island with baby strapped on to my front like a lil' baby kangaroo and be seen with my new postpartum body clad in a bikini, holding an overly excited screaming baby in the pool. Still a yay?

Are you (really) happy?

Anyone who thinks you're unhappy with life, write down your name on a piece of paper. Next, throw it into a large common bowl and then, pick a new piece of paper from the same bowl. Whichever paper you picked, you'll be living the life of that person's name written on that piece of paper, forever. See, the rationale behind this is, if your life really sucks, any one person's life in that bowl would be better than yours. Therefore, you have nothing to lose by 'picking' a new life.

Someone once asked me that and it lingers on in my mind.

Would you do it?

No room for carelessness when you're a mother

Ever since the birth of Meagan, I've been halving the time taken to do everything. I'll have my meal in 2 minutes, 5 minutes to complete my shower and to wash the feeding bottles in less than a minute. I have to rush everything because baby will cry if she doesn't see me next to her when she wakes up. After putting her to bed last night, I quietly walked out of the room to do my things. Little did I know she woke up but didn't cry out for me. I guess she started to roll herself and I, being a careless mother, did not put any pillows around her as a protective measure. And so, she fell off the bed. I got a shock of my life when I found her flat on the floor, crying. I know I'm not supposed to put her to sleep on a bed with no protective railing but she loves the soft mattress compared to her hard latex mattress in her crib. Lucky she's alright but I couldn't get the fact that I'm such a careless mother.

Happy Anniversary!

Dear Hubby and me are currently in Hong Kong for a mini vacation. To go on a crazy shopping spree and to catch up on my beauty sleep are two things I needed most ever since the birth of Meagan five months ago. Besides, today's our wedding anniversary and dinner at Victoria Peak sounds nice to me.

Can you sense the big grin on my face yet?

They say pictures paint a thousand words

Tit for tat

Dear Hubby came home one night and asked, "Can you name me any of your guy friends who has never cheat or lie to their wives or girlfriends?" I paused and started to think hard. Honestly, I can't think of any!

If you happened to marry a husband who's a businessman, CEO or of the similar job category that need lots of entertaining clients (or perhaps be entertained), then he can't run away from butterflies. And no, I'm not talking about insects here. Butterflies means the girls in KTV who has a mamasan just like the one you see in Hong Kong movies. They sit next to the customers (sometimes they do more than that if they tip them well), chat, drink and play games with them. I have to admit, my husband is one of them.

If you have to ask, that's not cheating to me but more of trust issue. Imagine one business partner say this to you, "Our company is very pleased doing business with you. We would like you to have this Birkin, complimentary from us." Do you say, "No, thank you." or more likely to say, "Thank you very much! It's a pleasure doing business with you too." and walk away with a new Birkin in hand?

See, it's the same with guys. It's not Birkin they get but butterflies. It's all paid for by one party under company expense for the other party to enjoy. But how sure are we that they didn't do anything funny with the butterflies? We don't. It's based on trust. And let's face the fact, butterflies are more common than Birkin.

Like how Dear Hubby always say, "All men cheat to some extent. The difference is one tells his wife and the other decided to keep it a secret. Therefore, on contrary to traditional marriage beliefs and to guard our vulnerable feelings, we, women should never trust our husbands completely, no?

Me, an emo biatch?

After browsing through some of my previous posts, I was like, "Hey... I sounded like an emo bitch!". But seriously, I was only emo when it comes to certain people (yes, certain bimbo to be exact). And why? No, it's not because she's an ex. And definitely not because I'm afraid of losing Dear Hubby to her. I'm 28, she's approaching 40! Do you think Dear Hubby has hots for a big and fat airhead? *roll eyes* Okay, okay, I'm being super mean here. The point is, it was due to one single incident (read this) and the bitterness started growing bigger and bigger from there.  

In addition, she insisted that she wasn't wrong when Dear Hubby asked her to apologise to me. A simple apology would have cooled my anger. To make things worse, she told Dear Hubby to warn me not to meddle into exes affairs and not to snoot into his emails. Now, now... Dear Hubby's email is always open at home. Plus, he doesn't give damn whether I read it because he has nothing to hide. Thus, who is she to ask my husband to act in such way?

End of rant.

Brands, labels... at nine?

Let's admit it. Who wants their kids to be brand conscious? Not, unless your kid has Beckham as his last name or your bank account is as fat as Donald Trump's. They might turn brand conscious when they reach the adolescent stage due to peer pressure and influences but definitely not at 9 years old.

We, as parents don't mind splurging thousands of dollars for our children but do we tell them, "Sweetie, this OshKosh cost $50 a piece. It's a good brand." or do we tell them, "Honey, mommy's buying you this because it's comfortable and you need one of this."?

You bet I'm writing this post because of my stepdaughter and you're right. Not too long ago, she said these to me.

Incident #1

She: I wear slippers only from Havaianas. Everyone in my family wears Havaianas.
*staring hard at my slippers*
What brand are yours?

Me: Erm, Dupe.

She: Huh? What brand is that? My mommy said Havaianas are the best.

*

Incident #2

After a swim at the country club one evening, I went to the shower room with her.

She: *Taking out her toiletries bag full of Redken shampoo and hair treatment spray*
Oops, I forgot my conditioner. Do you have yours?

Me: Yeah.
*Handing her my Loreal conditioner*

She: *Flipped it to the back and starts reading the description stated*
I guess this is okay for my hair. It contains pearl powder. And my mommy works for Loreal. She said Loreal is a good brand.

*

Incident #3

Then, recently just before I gave birth to baby, she saw the baby clothes Dear Hubby bought from Bandung. And this is what she said.

She: *Looking at the clothes label*
Baby Gap?!! Why must you buy Baby Gap? They're so expensive.

Me: Daddy bought them. Hey, aren't you wearing a Gap now?

She: Yeah. My grandma bought me.

Me: So why can't baby wear Gap when you're wearing one too?

She: Because it's expensive!

x

Don't you think a 9 year old kid is supposed to look at the designs, colours or perhaps patterns of an outfit rather than the brands? Where are those days when kids used to say, "Mommy, mommy, I want that pink Minnie Mouse blouse." rather than "Mommy, I want a top from Zara Kids."

So what's next? "Daddy, I want a 3-series on my 18th birthday."?

Two generations, two different minds

When you have someone with different age group as your husband, you risk being viewed as 'too young' to do anything. Most of Dear Hubby's friends are around his age, if not older. Being 12 years younger makes me a baby in his circle of friends.

Career wise, a late 30 or 40 something would have his career well established. Director, CEO, Vice President top the list. I'm just an unemployed 20 something who knows shit about CPO nor futures. Among the ladies, and mothers, their children would be at least 5 years old and above. Some even have children my age. One of them thought I'm 24 or 25 max and commented that I'm such a young mother. Thank you for the flattering comment but unfortunately I'm approaching 30. No, I'm not that young anymore, seriously.

I love Eminem, Michele Branch, Suede and Lady Gaga. They love I-don't-even-know-who-those-artists-are (wait, I'll ask my dad). I club; they go disco-ing. I shop at Dorothy Perkins, Forever 21 and Zara. Them, definitely not at the ones mentioned. I love an occasional Dunhill Menthol Lights. They view the green pack as a curse to the young generations like me and their children.

I wonder how baby will think about her mommy's generation when she grows up. Probably she'll write something like this in her blog next time, that if blogs still exist.

Just 4 more to go

Pre-pregnancy: 54kg
During pregnancy: 84kg
1 week post pregnancy: 73kg
4 months post pregnancy: 58kg

I need to shed 4 more kilograms to regain my pre-pregnancy weight! Fingers crossed.

That's our baby girl!

Baby turns 4 months today! Time really flies. I didn't notice how much she has grown over those few months until I put her on the baby bouncer we bought her since birth. Her feet were touching the edge of the bouncer, allowing her to use it as a base to make her kicks while she happily screamed in excitement.

She would laugh every time I laugh. She would gurgles non-stop when people talk to her, including strangers. She wants to sit up straight while having her milk. She loves going out for a stroll. She loves bath time but hates getting dressed. She likes the tv. She wants her toys within reach. She loves people stroking her head before bedtime. Yes, that's our baby girl. Lol! We love her more than ever with her cute quirks.

Khas untuk mu

Kau lukis senyum bibirku
Kau ukir warna rinduku
Indah rasa di jiwa... bila kau di sisi
Kau segalanya, satunya...

Aku terkenang akan diri mu
Di hari istimewa ini... buat selamanya.

Don't give me a fish, teach me how to fish

When it comes to children, everyone (well, almost everyone) has a soft spot for their cheeky, cute looks. More even if they're our own flesh and blood. We will give them the world if we could. But is it real love by giving them everything that they want or bring them more harm by doing so?

Don't get me wrong. I do not grow up with a pair of strict parents. My parents gave me everything I need and most of the time, things I want. Things that I demanded. Barbie dolls after barbie dolls, barbie mansion with pool, bags and bags of barbie's clothes. And mind you, barbie dolls were not cheap during the 90s. I have 5 drawers full of toys, just for me. When I was 12, I paid 2 boys in school to wait for me at the front porch to carry my bag and books once I got down from the car. And when I touched 15, my dad bought me the new Motorola StarTAC mobile phone which was the 'in' thing at that time. My 16th birthday present was a Cartier watch. While my classmates were using some unknown brand bags, I had a black Prada sling bag. Even my school shoes were Fila's. That's love, defined by my parents. So what's wrong with this picture, you asked?

That was when my dad was doing well. In fact, he was doing so well that he had very little time for me. Therefore, the only way he could show his love for me was by spending money on me. When he was made redundant by the company he was working with for more than 15 years, the spending on me stops too. Of course I threw a fit for not getting what I WANT. I blamed my parents for not getting what I want and I blamed them for being poor.

Things went downhill from that day on for years. I changed to a cheaper college but it didn't get any better. Things became so bad that one of the options was for me to stop college. Lucky me, one of our relatives was kind enough to loan us my college fee while I worked 4 days in a week at a small chocolate stall to support my expenses.

Classic story of a rich brat turns poor? Just put yourself in that positon for a while. From Cartier watch and Prada sling bag to working at a small chocolate stall in a mall just to earn couple of hundreds for meals and books. Don't you feel pathetic? I did! When my friends saw me at the stall, I felt so embarassed. Embarassed for being poor. But it was a great life lesson. It taught me the value of money when I had to contemplate whether I can afford a 5-in-1 pack of Maggi mee. It taught me that there's no mercy in this cruel world. It was either I swim hard enough to grasp a breath of air or die drowning. It's just too bad I had to learn it the hard way.

If something bad happens to you or when you are no longer in this world to protect your child, do you think he or she is able to survive? And don't ever think it could never happen to you, because my dad thought the same before it happened to him.

I found my Bandung in Subang Jaya

While window shopping in Empire Mall today, I stumbled across a very good deal for babies and children clothes at the F.O.S outlet. Being a stingy yet brand conscious bitch, the labels of Baby Gap, Old Navy and Nike caught my eyes. It cost RM13 per piece or buy 2 at the price of RM21. That is dirt cheap for brands like those! Even a bodysuit from Pumpkin Patch cost RM43.

Wasting not a second more, I ransacked the whole pile of clothes looking for the right size and colour. I ended up buying 4 pieces... with the sales person giving me that sarcastic look that says, "Is that all? You sure looked like you're going to buy 40 pieces!" Lol. Sorry missy. My money, my say.

Wait, is that a mommy or a bimbo? Or both?

I just don't get how some people think. On one hand, she got so paranoid over the daughter's sex education, telling Dear Hubby how diligently she educates their child on that topic and how she doesn't trust her own sister with the daughter because she's a lesbian. On the other hand, she allows her 9 year old daughter to watch Glee where teen pregnancy, living with boyfriend before marriage and relationships between gays are shown. When asked why the mommy didn't stop her from watching such tv show, the daughter proudly answered, "My mommy watched it together with me!" *speechless*

Moreover, shouldn't she be more worried about her husband with the daughter than her lesbian sister? Duh! No one deserves an Oscar that says, 'Best Drama Queen / Bimbo Mama Year 2010' than her, seriously.

I'm sick of getting sick

I am infected with the flu virus again. For the 4th time this year! Twice when I was pregnant, once when I was all alone with baby (my mom had to fly down to Jakarta to care for baby while I tried to stay away from baby as far as possible) and now. One website says people who are stressed, unhappy and lack of exercise are more prone to flu than others. Well, how true is that?

The last straw perhaps?

Have you ever missed someone while feeling a sense of relief at the same time that you're thousands of miles apart?

I don't know whether this is one of the signs that the relationship is falling apart. Perhaps I'm in dire need for some real break. Or maybe, I'm just too tired of all the nonsenses and unfairness done towards me since day one. The recent incident may just be the last straw that broke the camel's back.

Cheers to blithering idiots in my life

They say, "It isn't life if there's not a single worry or problem". The thing is... I have too many of them. One after the other, they're driving me nuts.

Are guys generally dummies when it comes to the understanding of c-o-m-m-i-t-m-e-n-t? Well, who doesn't like to be out partying and mingling with hot chicks or hunks? I DO! I miss my younger days when life was full of late nights parties without having to worry about anything else. Now my life is never without milk bottles and soiled diapers. It's perfectly okay to go out for some booze sometimes but knowing where to draw the line and respecting the hates of your other half are the crucial part in every marriages, no?

Are ex-es generally a pain in the ass for the guy's current? They have a daughter together. I understand that point perfectly. They want to talk for hours regarding their daughter? That's fine. She wants her daughter to be an all rounder by bombarding her free hours with tons of activities while he pays for it? That's okay too. But to ask whether he has the daughter's shampoo in our house??? Oh, I didn't know we're supposed to stock up Loreal kids in vanilla or Redken readily in our house just for a 9 year old! She really ought to shut up about spoiling the daughter and all.

Argh. A week of nonsense. I had enough, seriously.

A daughter, a wife and a mother

When I was young, I thought it was hard to be a filial daughter.
After marriage, I realised to be known as a good wife is even harder.
But in actual fact, to be the greatest mom is the hardest of all.

Lebaran

Raya (Muslim celebration) in Jakarta is known as lebaran. And it is such a big thing over here. Shops were closed, there were no traffic jams every where and almost zero cabs were seen on the roads. Fireworks went on and on for days, especially on the eve of lebaran. It has been a hectic week for me. Parents-in-law came to visit, Dear Hubby's daughter was here for one whole week and my parents went back to K.L just this evening. This is the first time ever, that a raya week was so full of activities that I felt extremely exhausted. Perhaps I'm not used to a 'family life' just yet.

Letting go

I'm sleep deprived and extremely tired. Still, I'm awake and blogging at 4.50am. Sometimes I just need an outlet to vent my anger and frustration. Being an online game freak half my life, I haven't touch the mouse for the longest period ever and I'm starting to feel so disconnected from the world.

Ever since I am back in Jakarta, I do not have time for a proper bath, let alone time to go online. Hired help is on the way but will it solve the actual problems? I can no longer tolerate certain people who shouldn't have existed in my life if I choose a different path. I keep telling myself that such bimbo should not affect my life but when Dear Hubby repetitively gave in to her requests or when he failed to defend me as his wife when she said something stupid, should I still tolerate such idiotic actions by both of them?

It's high time I let go of things that caused much grievance to myself.

The sun, sea and me

Two more days and I'll be flying back to Jakarta. Meanwhile, I'm still enjoying my much needed mini vacation with Dear Hubby in Tioman island. Dear Hubby has gone for his diving early this morning, leaving me some time to blog about my trip so far.

After having a baby and sleepless nights for 2 months, a short getaway really does me good! Not having to breastfeed also means I can do whatever I want. Besides, what is a blue sky vacation without alcohol and occasional ciggies?

I did discovery scuba lesson (since Dear Hubby's really into scuba diving), and it was not that bad after all except that I'm still afraid of those fishes,regardless big or small and those weird, ugly looking sea creatures. Not to mention I swallowed tons of sea water during the process. Nonetheless, I don't mind going for another round of that. We'll be going for snorkeling when he returns from his diving trip later (yay!). For now, I'm going to check out the spa prices. Chao!

Brownie love

It's 5.54 a.m. It was a sleepless night. And no, it wasn't because of the baby.

It all started with a harmless bath. I knew Brownie's not fond of me cleaning his ears all along but I would never imagine he would be so defensive, especially with me. Barely 2 years ago, my mom was bitten by Brownie when she tried to clear some leaves at the backyard. Since the leaves are so-called his toys, it got him into very defensive mode and subsequently an attack. Mom suffered serious injuries which required stitches and micro veins surgery. Fortunately for me, I was able to fend off his attacks earlier. I escaped with some long scratches on both my thighs, slightly on the side of my nose and bruises on my left arm.

Brownie has been with me for 8 years now. When people suggested putting him to sleep for good, I couldn't accept it. To me, it's more than just the love I have for my four-legged friend that prevent me from putting him to sleep. I personally blame his aggression on myself. When Brownie was in his early years, he was once abused by the landlord whom I rented room from. I was back at my parents' place during Chinese New Year when it happened. Since they were very much against having a dog back then, I was forced to leave him behind with some food and water for a week. When I went home that night, Brownie was behaving very oddly with some dried blood on his neck and back. He shivers when he sees my landlord. I moved out but it was too late for Brownie as he was too traumatised. It was my fault. From that day on, I never went back to my parents' place. I swore to never leave Brownie.

After yesterday's incident, my family is asking me to reconsider the idea of putting him to sleep. Since I am the only person who's able to control him, I lost the control when he attacked me. As they say, animals are... well, animals and I shouldn't be soft hearted when things have gotten out of hand this far.

At the back of my mind, I know they are right and I'm forced to make a decision that'll make me feel guilty for life. If a child commits crime due to parents negligence, should the parents put the child to sleep when it was clearly their mistakes for not bringing up the child properly? What makes us, human more superior in a way to play God and determine animals lives, whether they should live or die?

And we too, in a way are animals only with much higher intelligence, no?

Timetable my baby gave me

1200 - Heat up milk
1215 - Feeding time
1235 - Change diaper
1245 - Sleep

0215 - Express milk
0230 - Feeding time
0250 - Change diaper
0300 - Sleep

0415 - Express milk
0430 - Feeding time
0450 - Change diaper
0500 - Sleep

0620 - Express milk
0640 - Feeding time
0700 - Change diaper
0710 - Sleep

0830 - Express milk and store
0845 - Feeding time
0900 - Sleep
1000 - Bathe
1030 - Play

1030 - Heat up milk
1045 - Feeding time
1105 - Sleep
Have breakfast, sterilised milk bottles, take a quick shower and express milk before baby wakes up for her next feeding.

1300 - Feeding time
1325 - Change diaper
1340 - Sleep
Take a nap until the next feeding.

Note: Based on a good day when baby's not cranky.

x

It was not my intention to neglect the blog. I just couldn't think straight enough to write a decent post these days. 

+_+

The 10 days

In the past 10 days.....

We celebrated Dear Hubby's 40th birthday
We celebrated baby's full moon
I was busy organising a party for Dear Hubby and baby
I discovered a part-time home baker who bakes fantastic chocolate rum & raisins cake
I caught up with friends whom I haven't seen for at least 5 years or more
I bought some post pregnancy clothes (I still can't fit into my pre pregnancy ones)
I planned to get myself a new pair of bikini for the mini vacation with Dear Hubby
I started buying some essential stuff for Jakarta
I bought dozens of massage oil and slimming creams for the urut
I became $2,000 poorer
I lost 2kg, leaving me 11 more to go
I took care of baby at night all by myself ever since the confinement aunty left
I've turned into a walking zombie by day
I went for couple spa with Dear Hubby
I did my manicure and paedicure
I treated myself to a rejuvenating facial



In the next 10 days.....

Baby's turning 2 months old!
I am going for a blue sky vacation
I'm going to try out scuba diving (just for Dear Hubby's sake! I hate swimming with fishes.)
I shall do a semi permanent curls
I'll be following an intensive urut program
I'm targeting to lose another 2kg
I'm going to give my dog a good bath (The last bath was 2 days before my scheduled c-sec. Poor Brownie!)
I need to start packing for Jakarta
I'm going back to Jakarta with Dear Hubby and baby.

I am sorry

"Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned, nor hell a fury like a woman scorned."

x

I have a foul temper when provoked. I can be a super bitch when angered. At times like this, I utter bitter words that I don't mean and behave rudely although I shouldn't have. When it's over I often deeply regret my actions although I never apologise. Instead, tears fill both my eyes and I feel like a thousand knives stabbing through my chest.

I am going to miss the meals you prepared and the motherly nag you gave me.

I am sorry, truly.

Mum-ne-sia

I've been very, very forgetful lately. First, I misplaced my mobile phone. I had to use another phone to call my own mobile numbers to locate it. It was on my bed but I swear it wasn't there when I flipped through the pillows. Next, I couldn't remember one of my emails and twitter account passwords. Then I tried to log into photobucket but ended up staring blankly at the screen because I can't recall the username. Finally, I went to the atm machine today, slot in my bank card, select the preferred language and then I realised.... I don't remember my pin numbers!

Thinking that I might be suffering from early Alzheimer, I went online to search for clues when I came across an article in Telegraph U.K that says forgetfulness postpartum is quite common among new mothers. It's a way for the body to recover from childbirth pains and rigours; coupled with sleepless nights and the stress of taking care of newborn making forgetfulness inevitable. In fact, it's a new medical condition recognised by neuroscientists 2 years ago, called Mumnesia.

Have you heard of a woman who lived in La-La Land?

Once upon a time, there lived a woman in her La-La Land. After a daughter, a divorce and years later, she remarried and had a son with the new husband. Her husband wanted a daughter so she was pregnant again for the third time but with a baby boy instead of a girl. Since she was almost 40 when she gave birth to her third child, she had no plan of having a fourth one anymore.

The ex-husband, on the other hand, remarried a much younger wife and had a daughter. Therefore, he asked for their daughter's used clothes for the new baby girl since she won't be having anymore babies herself. The woman gave them a big bag full of old, used baby girls clothes. Some were torn, some were badly stretched, mostly with faded colours. The woman's daughter who regularly spent time with her daddy and the stepmom said, "These are all my old clothes. My mommy kept the nicer ones. She said she doesn't want to give it to you."

Moral of the story: Teach your child to lie well if you decided to be such a petty biatch in front of him/her. Before you do that, be aware that you're also teaching your child to be petty and selfish.

By the way, this is also a story of a woman who never skips church every Sunday and sent her child to Christians school since young. Maybe the ex-husband should have asked for the used clothes on Sunday instead of other days, huh? Lmao!

Aaahhhhh.... airhead biatches stories never fail to make me laugh.

Who's the World's Greatest Mom?

..... I am, says him.

He bought me an expensive purse from his business trip to Singapore recently but what's more touching is a luggage tag that he hung on the paper bag which says 'World's Greatest Mom'. Sweet, huh? Well, that's Dear Hubby and things he does that'll definitely make my day. After spending a rather short weekend here, Dear Hubby went back to Jakarta for work again. My life is then back to the usual. No more parties, no more going places, no more meeting people. A quiet life, just me and baby.

Slimming program, the urut lady vs. advance-looking machines

I signed up for a slimming program which cost me (or rather Dear Hubby since I'm going get him to reimburse me. hehe!) a bomb. They hooked me up to various advance-looking machines for 45 minutes, followed by steam bath, salt scrub and a warm blanket wrap. Was it really as effective as they claimed? Not really. I'm into the 5th session and sadly, there's not much reduction to be seen.

Then I hired an urut lady (a female masseur who provides postnatal massage services) who gives extremely painful massages that many have claimed to lose unwanted pounds as fast as after the first session itself. Does it work? Absolutely. I lost half a kg and my body curves are well defined after my first two-hour session with her. And it merely cost me RM120 (equivalent to about US$37) per session. She even has buy-6-free-1 ongoing promotion and I don't have to pay in advance but only after each session with her. Talking about getting my money worth.

To read more on prenatal and postnatal massages, click here.

Crossroads puzzle

Crappy crap. I hate to be at a crossroads in life. I hate to decide on something that will affect the lives of others, especially my loved ones.

A few days ago, Dear Hubby gave me the green light to apply for an opening in one of the MNCs in K.L. Since then, I am at the verge of deciding whether I should be a full time mother or to return to the workforce. No doubt I love cutie pies but to take care of them full time? I don't know. Firstly, I can't stand crying babies, especially the super cranky ones. And my daughter happens to fall into that category, the super cranky baby. Moreover, baby tricks don't work on her when she's crying and screaming away. Secondly, I need to maintain the value of my job experiences that might be lost over time if not used. To return to the workforce also means to live apart from Dear Hubby who'll be in Jakarta for another year or two. Baby will have to grow up with only mommy by her side and Dear Hubby, on the other hand, will very much miss his daughter's first few years of rapid development. Sad.

Therefore, which is better?

To stay home, raise my baby full time and feel like some useless hag in years to come... or to work, maintain my value in the workforce and keep repeating to myself that I'm a bad, bad mother?

Love redefined

I love Brown Brother's Moscato.
I love my Gin with soda and a slice of lemon.
I love German beers.
I enjoy grapes with Brie.
I love colourful cupcakes.
I (still) love Dunhill Buttons.
I love Jay Chao's songs.
I love Mariah Carey, Madonna and Suede's music.
I love R&B remix.
I love to club.
I love to sexy dance.
I love to play pool.
I have hots for guys like Johnny Depp.
I love powerful women like Oprah Winfrey.
I love the life of Victoria Beckham.
I love Chanel Chance.
I love pinks.
I love to be size 8 (again).
I love Xixili.
I love nicely manicured nails.
I love to have perky breasts once again.
I love Fendi, Gucci and Tod's.
I love tulips.
I love Audi TT.
I love to shop alone.
I love computer games.
I love Sony Ericsson's mobile phones.
I love Dorothy Perkins.
I love Bangkok.
I love to watch cartoons.
I love to blog.
I love a cup of hot coffee on rainy days.
I love to unwind with a glass of Hoegaarden.
I love Dear Hubby's lame jokes.
I love hanging out with Dear Hubby at the place we first met.
I'm begining to love my new life.
..... .....
 .... ....
  ... ...
   .. ..
    . .
     .
and the top love of my many loves.....

I love Dear Hubby and my baby.

My baby didn't come with an instruction manual

Meagan is 3 weeks and 3 days old today. After weeks of what it seems like crying and screaming without apparent rhyme or reason, I finally understood her 'language'.

Tricks used on babies don't work on her. She cries before she pees so we could immediately change her nappy. Also, time taken to change her soiled nappy should not be more than 3 minutes. She screams (not cries) when she wants her milk and she wants it fast. She loves bathing but dislikes people cleaning her cute lil' body with wet towel. She hates people touching her head and she wants to people to talk to her while feeding.

Worst of all, she loathes my bedroom. She would keep on crying until she is brought out of my bedroom. No, I'm not imagining all these in a barely one month old baby. I have tried bringing her to sleep in my bedroom countless times but she would keep on crying until I bring her out again.... and then the crying stops. I tried adjusting the air-cond temperature, the lightings, play some soothing music, putting on her blanket and removing it but to no avail. She just hates my bedroom. Full stop.

The story of a peanut brain mother

Questions

1) Why would an ex-wife calls her ex-husband just to ask whether the pub's kitchen is still open? Isn't it easier to just ask straight to the point for his location?

2) Which mother (in her right mind) would send her daughter who is still clad in her sleeveless ballet outfit to a pub full of cigarrettes smokes and world cup fans screaming and shouting like mad people especially when she knows (or maybe she doesn't, given her peanut brain) that the daughter has the tendency of developing flu-like symptoms when she gets too cold in an air-conditioned area?

This time I am neither upset nor mad. I feel for the poor lil' girl who has that peanut brain bitch as a mother.

x

It was Saturday night. There were two important events that night: the daughter's ballet concert at 7.30 and a big match between Argentina and Germany at 10. We left right after the daughter's ballet performance to the local neighbourhood pub where Dear Hubby and I first met. The pub was so crowded.... full of fans of either Argentina or Germany. We wouldn't have a place to sit if it wasn't for one of Dear Hubby's friend who was there much earlier. Half an hour into the match, the daughter walked in, still clad in her ballet attire. Poor thing, she was sitting on the bar stool shivering away with a running nose while inhaling heavy second hand cigarrettes smoke for almost an hour. Besides not understanding the football game that was going on, she was asking the daddy to 'calm down' when Dear Hubby cheered for his favourite team Germany when they scored against Argentina.

So where was the mother of this poor lil' girl then?
She was with her husband and their son, nicely having supper at a nearby cafe.

Did she asks the daughter to have a bite before sending her over to the pub?
Nope.

Did she thinks twice before she decided to send a child over to a smoke-filled pub or whether the child will be too cold in her ballet attire?
Nope.

Does she has a peanut brain?
Definitely.

Did she acts like an insecure bitch who uses her daughter to both their benefits because she knows Dear Hubby would do anything for his little one?
All the time!

End of rant.

Say what, mister?

I added an old classmate of mine on fb today. The last time we seen each other was almost 16 years ago. So happened both of us were online and so we chatted. I am amazed how a person whom you thought you know from young could turned out to be a psychopath.

Besides pestering me for 'supposingly' an honest answer on how happy I am in my marriage and the reason I got married so early in life (age 28 is way too early according to him), he freaks me out when he asked whether I was trying to avoid his questions when I gave him a 2 minutes late reply because I was chatting with Dear Hubby on the other window. You know how the background music of a movie plays when a psycho killer is about to appear? It has been playing in my head continuously ever since we chatted.

Well, Mr. Psycho, if you are reading this, let me reiterate my answers to your questions.

1) I am happy in my marriage. Like I said, I wouldn't do something that makes me unhappy.

2) 28 is not too early for marriage. When do you supposed is a suitable age for marriage? 82?

3) We were 12 years old when we last saw each other so don't act like you know me my whole life.

Hired help nightmare

She has her eyes shut while feeding the baby and opens her eyes only when the baby chokes on milk, dozed off when she's supposed to keep an eye on the lil' one, talks non-stop even in the middle of the night while baby's just sleeping next to us, keeps insisting to bottle feed the baby because she believes breastfeeding is too troublesome for the mother, suggests buying another dozen of nappies because she's too lazy to wash them every day, cleanse the baby's bottom the wrong way which could cause urinary track infection and lastly, she burps and farts out loud.

There's only a single good about her service: The yummy confinement dishes that she cooks and her special longan red dates with ginger drink. 

That's our confinement lady who's supposed to be so good that we have to book her service 5 months ahead before baby's born with a pay that's two times higher than a bachelor degree graduate's in Malaysia.

The fats issue

I lost 10kgs during the first postpartum week and I'm determined to lose another 20kgs, hopefully.
10kgs + 20kgs = 30kgs (yes, that's the amount of weight I put on during pregnancy!).

Being a skinny bitch since 13, I was pretty sure I wasn't going to put on much weight during pregnancy. But damn, I was so wrong! My gynae said whether one will put on much weight depends largely on two things; food and genetics. In other words, just look at your mom. If she puts on a lot of weight during pregnancy, then you will too. If she has stretch marks, then you'll have it too. In addition, I was binge eating the whole time. No doubt I put on even more weight compared to my mom when she was pregnant with me.

For now, my diet is purely on vermicelli, lots of vegetables, fruits and milk. After this, no more vermicelli for me in a decade or so.

Things I learnt since the birth of Meagan

What are the 5 most dead giveaways that you're a mother?

• Flabby tummy
• Gigantic thighs
• Saggy breasts
• Plump-looking arms
• Oversized buttocks

How do you know you're latched onto motherhood?

• You begin to like the smell of soiled diapers.
• You handle a newborn like some mamak making roti canai, shifting the baby from one arm to another like a pro.
• You miss your baby when you don't see them for hours.
• You're more tempted to shop at Baby Land than Marc Jacobs.
• You don't mind having another baby despite all the unpleasant pain and discomfort during pregnancy and labour.
• You feel 10 times stronger by just looking at the little angel.
• You've uncontrollable tears flowing down your cheeks when baby's unwell.

List of not-to-buy baby things:

• Too many baby clothes, especially in newborn size. They grow up so fast.
• Baby body suit / jumper - if you intend to use nappies instead of diapers.
• Automatic breast pump - it's expensive and slow.
• Baby cot, unless you have a room for the baby. Although it comes with wheels for you to move it around with ease, it doesn't fit through the standard sized door. Playpen with a 3 inches mattress should work just fine.
• Pillows - You'll find that baby sleeps better on the mattress without a pillow. Moreover you'll be paranoid that baby will suffocate himself / herself on the pillow once the head is turned to either side while sleeping.
• Soft toys - they'll be sitting at the side of the cot, collecting unwanted dusts day after day.

List of things to stock up:

• Diapers / nappies and nappy liners
• Milk bottles / milk storage containers
• Bottle warmer
• Baby oil / lotion - baby tends to have very dry skin
• Water-proof changing mat - sometimes baby does pee and poo during change of diaper or nappy.
• Lots of absorbent hankies for feeding time
• Breast pads - and I mean LOTS of them. Get the disposable ones with adhesive strips. - you'll be leaking like a faulty tap.

I've been busy

2.15am.

At long last, a clear mind and some time to blog about things before the baby wakes up for the next feeding. It has been a week postpartum and Dear Hubby has gone back to Jakarta on Sunday night.

Ever since the birth of baby Meagan (yes, that's what we decided to name her finally!), I've been busy coping up with motherhood, something that's not taught in life until along comes a baby. She has kept me busy with her frequent need for milk every 2 to 3 hours, to be accompanied by screaming and crying that's loud enough to wake up the whole neighbourhood if she doesn't get one on time. A small body with a strong lung for sure.

After nights of being deprived of my beauty sleep and sometimes having to hold the baby in one arm while playing Cafe World on FB, it finally dawned on me that having a baby is a life changing experience, something which I can never turn back and say, "Hey, I'll have a baby today and maybe not tomorrow."

But do I regret it? Well, the answer is no.

Granny's 70 years of beauty ritual

 

My granny (or Ah Mah as I call her) is one extremely simple lady. Her attire is simple one-design blouse and pants, only in different floral patterns and colours. Her hair is always in a small bun. She uses one piece of soap for her entire body and face. Her beauty ritual? Almost non-existence. BUT... she has one simple beauty ritual that she practices each day without fail. She applies homemade bedak sejuk on her face, décolleté, hands and legs after each shower.

Bedak sejuk is fermented rice powder, made from fragrant white rice soaked in water for 6 months or more until all the rice is dissolved into powder. The fermented rice powder is then dried out in the sun for a day and kept in an air-tight container.

She often takes a small piece of the bedak sejuk on her palm and dilute it with few drops of water before applying it all over her body. At 79 years old and for a person who doesn't use any kind of lotion, she definitely has GREAT skin (think Carmen Dell'Orefice)!

Carmen Dell'Orefice. 78 years old.
Photo taken from Huffington Post.

Read more on how to make your own bedak sejuk.

x

Sinfully Yours

Def. sinful (taken from Cambridge Dictionary Online)
Informal ~ describes something which is pleasant, but very bad for you.

x

Jakarta is a sinful city.

Sin-full of cheap Bintang beers; cigarrettes that cost a tiny fraction of what smokers are paying in Malaysia and other countries; clubs full of slutty looking bartop dancers that close only at dawn and hostesses who lap dance for you at a minimal price or sometimes free of charge; cheap labour which causes a pandemic of everyone owning drivers, maids, nannies, and cooks; round-the-clock in-home beauty services; the Blackberry craze - every 8 out of 10 people are carrying BB (total defeat for iPhone); a paradise for shopaholics and a city full of ladies lugging around either a Louise Vuitton Neverfull or Hermes Birkin.

In Jakarta, money is everything. Money buys you convenience, luxuries and most of the time, it gets you out of trouble with the authorities.

Tai-tai-dom

A BB chat with Dear Hubby just now.....

Me: What u doing?

Him: TV

Me: Hmmm... boriiinngg!

Him: So what's happening in your 'interesting' life then?

Me: I run a restaurant, a cafe, a hotel and a mall. Also, a mafia triad. And I own a farm too.

Him: SoOOoo 'suck-sas-full' huh!

x

Such is life when you join the world of tai-tai-dom. There's really nothing much to do except 'running businesses' in FB world.

^_^

38 weeks - That's 266 days or 6,384 hours!

I have 5 more days to go. Unlike normal delivery, I must say it's a good thing I don't have to wait till baby decides to make her grand debut. She's getting heavier by the day and I can feel myself tilting forward due to the shift in gravity point. And not to mention those sleepless nights due to difficulty in finding a comfortable sleep position, coupled with killer backaches and severe water retention in both legs, making 5 days seem like 5 months to me.

Lately, there were too many advice regarding baby's birth and postnatal care a.k.a confinement period, particularly from the elders.

"No cold water and drinks after delivery." (I can live with that - I guess beer kept at room temperature taste just as nice after 9 months of abstinence)

"Preferably, don't wet your hair for a few days." (What? I can deep fry some fries with that amount of oil on my hair!)

"Take more ginger and sesame oil. It helps with the wind in your stomach." (Ginger? Yuks.)

"No chicken, eggs, shellfish and sambal. Only certain fish is allowed due to your surgery." (Kiss buh-bye to my favourite honey barbecued chicken wings, grilled sambal fish, butter crabs with fried man tao, kam heong lala.... *gulp*)

"Don't step out of the house until you're done with the confinement period." - which btw is 1 whole freaking month! (Fortunately, I'm a self-proclaimed online game whore. All I need is a laptop and an internet connection.)

"Read these Bible verses during delivery. It helps." (I don't think I'll remember anything when comes spinal anaesthesia injection. FYI, I'm a trypanophobic.)

"Listen to worship songs. Let the baby listens too." (Sadly, I don't own one. And I'm hooked on the compilation of Madonna's greatest hits in club remix version - bought by Dear Hubby.)

.....and the list continues.

x

I know they're concern. I feel their love and care. But that won't change the fact - I'm dying for a can of icy cold beer (ok, maybe not just one). In fact, I've bought a pack of Budweiser for after-delivery 'celebration' with Dear Hubby.

My 14-inch new toy.....

..... and I meant a 14-inch new laptop by Dell, that is! *wink*

Yes, everyone... behold my soon to be new toy.... the Dell Vostro 3400.

With the new Intel Core i5 Dual Core Processor, 3GB memory, 320GB of hard drive that spins at 7200 RPM, an integrated 8-in-1 card reader, 9-cell battery and sleek aluminium casing in my favourite red, what more can a girl ask for?

Let the counting begins

22 days ..... the number of days that I'm back in KL.

6 days ..... to go before Dear Hubby is back from Jakarta.

7 days ..... to go before I'm admitted for the scheduled cesarean.

8 days ..... more to go before baby's born.

14 days ..... to Father's Day.

17 days ..... from today is baby's actual due date.

38 days ..... to baby's full moon. So happen it's also a friend's birthday.

54 days ..... to go before Dear Hubby celebrates his big 'FOUR zero' birthday!

56 days ..... before we're back in Jakarta. Here I come, my 46" HDTV with sixty-one channels!

x

End of count. Time for bed.

A Bitter Core

Taken from Digital Art by M.R.M

I am a bitter person.

If you could peep through the small window to see the world as how I see it, you'll know that my world is in black and white. There's a small, tiny patch of greens right at the corner but it's slowly fading. Twenty seven years of life has taught me great deal of things. Some good, some are bad.

Some say, "Life is short. Live it to the fullest." or "Learn to let go. It makes you a happier person."

Another individual might say, "The world has no place for losers." or "There's no second chance in life."

Unfortunately, I'm 30% former and 70% of the latter. I've learnt that the world's not a kind place to live in.

It's June already

The weather in KL is crazy. Hot and sunny in the morning, thunderstorm in the evening. But I love it! I love waking up to the sound of chirping birds and beautiful sunny morning. When the weather is getting warmer towards the afternoon, dark clouds would appear followed by heavy rain to bring down the temperature. If I'm working, I'll be cursing such weather like mad for sure but I'm not, and therefore any horrible after-work traffic doesn't affect me.

It's the month of June - an expensive month for us. Besides an estimated amount of $7,000 for hospital bill, we have to pay $3,500 for the confinement lady, $5,000 for the daughter's school fee and miscellaneous exam fees and couple of hundreds every month for her ballet lesson, piano lesson and contemporary dance class. In addition, there're monthly loans, credit cards bills and insurance premiums to be paid. The truth is, I am overwhelmed by pities every time I look at Dear Hubby when he's home from work. I can't help feeling sorry for him, having to work so hard year after year just to support soaring bills for a daughter who doesn't realise she's being given the best compared to many kids out there and an ignorant ex-wife who agrees to everything as long as daddy's paying the bill.

Private school since the tender age of 7 and all those extra classes which don't come cheap? There's only one thing for sure - I do not want Dear Hubby to go through the same for my own daughter in future if I think it's going to be a struggle.

I hear you, I hear you not

The top 3 questions we never fail to receive from parents, relatives, friends, acquaintances and basically, everyone right after the bulge on my tummy is visible enough to the world.

No. 3
People: When are you due?
Me: EDD is 23rd June but I'm opting for scheduled cesarean so it's brought forward to 14th.
(everyone with the curious look on their face)
People: "But why c-sec?"
Me: "Because..... (giving my reasons)"
People: "But c-sec is.... (trying to give me their 2 cents on why c-sec is bad)"

No. 2
People: Is it a boy or a girl?
Me: It's a girl.
People: "Oh, a girl is always better than a boy. A girl is more obedient and .....etc (giving me a 30 minutes long explanation on all the benefits for having a daughter).

No. 1
People: Have you chosen the name yet?
Me: Oh, I leave it to my husband.
(heads turned and everyone's eyes on Dear Hubby, eagerly waiting for an answer)
Hubby: "Not yet."
People: "Huh?" (with a 'you-must-be-kidding-me' look on their face, they proceed to ask...)
"You don't have a name yet? Why?"

These are the standard questions you'll get when you're pregnant. Sometimes I feel like sticking the answers on my forehead so that I don't have to answer them over and over again. Trust me, it can get pretty frustrating after months of answering those questions, especially when you don't have an answer and people immediately gives you that how-can-you-not-know look or worse still, an unsupportive response like "Why do you opt for c-sec? Don't you think going natural is better? You know, I have a friend who went for c-sec and she can still feel the pain after 2 years, blah3x.... I think you should try natural birth."

Yes, thank you. Thank you for your concern and also thank you for growing the fear in me even more. By the way, did I mention that I'm a trypanophobic?

Wesak, Weekends & Etc

Oh weekends! I love weekends especially long weekends. Not that it makes any difference to me now that I'm not working but still, it's the feeling of being on weekends when everyone is not rushing to work and no school buses madness.

So, what are my plans this weekend?

Wesak Day's tomorrow. Although I'm a Buddhist, it's not a norm for me to go to temples on Wesak Day. Why? Because I believe praying is supposed to be a daily affair, not just on Wesak. I love peaceful and quiet temples where I pray for well being, not jam packed temples where I can't even stop worrying about people accidentally poking me with their lit joss sticks.

Wesak also means it's a holiday! Dear Hubby's coming back for the weekend. Time for some last minute baby stuffs shopping, setting up the baby's crib, gynae's check up, hospital pre-admission registration and dinner with parents-in-law who're back from Cambodia last week. No, they are not Cambodians. They're Malaysian Christians who're there for missionary works.

By the way, Dear Hubby has finally moved to the new condominium just now with the help of 3 other staffs. While blogging, I received his Blackberry chat message that says, "There're 61 tv channels and every rooms are able to access different channels at the same time. And there're 2 fridges!"
>_<

Happy Wesak Day to all Buddhists out there. Don't forget the donations to the poor and needy.

Hello, I'm 36 weeks old

19 more days to go before baby bids hello to the world.

A lot of 'what if.....(something negative happens)' questions have been running through my mind lately and I'm trying hard to brush it off.

I am feeling...

excited

anxious

scared

bored

lost

disappointed

worried

irritated

Ghost of the past

I walked down a street today. Not just any street but a street that held significant memories of the past.

It took me back to that year when I was barely 18. So many things had since changed. Majority of the shops were no longer there. As I walked down the corridor of shops, I remembered how I used to stop by at the bakery after class to buy some freshly baked buns before heading home. Then there was this small little cafe that served good English breakfast for $9.90. Towards the end of the block, there's a huge McDonald outlet which opens 24 hours a day. I used to lunch there every day for the sake of collecting the limited edition Sesame Street dollies which cost $3 each.

My rented room was merely down the other end of the block, in an old low rise apartment. It was small but cosy, just enough to fit in a single bed, a small desk and bookshelf and a portable wardrobe made out of steel and plastic, leaving the room barely any space for walking. I also remembered how hot and humid the weather was after class and there was no air-condition in my room and thus making revision after class quite impossible. My best companion at that time was a silver colour CD & cassette player with an eye catching blue display screen, which I bought for less than $400, repetitively playing hits by Mariah Carey and Suede.

Funny how memories like these are firmly etched in me, making it a ghost of my past. A ghost that'll forever hunt me every time I walked down that particular street, creating a wave of nostalgia..... although it's 10 years later.

Motherhood is the new MBA

An excerpt:

"The world needs capable women to run our companies and bolster our economy. The world needs talented women to raise our children and produce the next generation. After all, it is the next generation who will take care of the world when we are too tired to do it anymore. Right now, I am doing both. And if purple Play-Doh under my fingernails and the scent of baby puke on my blouse distracts you, well then, step away from the executive table. You aren't ready to play with the big girls."

".....but there are no other mothers at my level. There are some working fathers in the top ranks, but being a working dad isn't the same. (And anyone who thinks it is has never had a boob leak in the boardroom.)"

Let me tell you, this is one book every women should read. I got this at a small bookstore in Jakarta airport on my last trip back. The ideas presented are so practical whether you're with or without a child. Funny, witty and informative. I simply adore it!

Monday

9.35am - I woke up to an empty bed. Sent BB chat to Dear Hubby in Jakarta to ensure he doesn't forget to water my plant before he leaves for work.

10.00am - Nasi lemak for breakfast.

12.30pm - Lunch at Purple Cane restaurant. How does green tea steamed rice, stir-fry bitter gourd with salted egg & tea or almond beancurd in black tea sounds to you? Strictly for tea lovers only!

3.30pm - Window shopping. I love the feel of neighbourhood mall which is smaller and cosier.

4.00pm - Met up with Jennifer for drinks at Dome cafe. She lost 14kgs in 2 months post delivery. Now you know why she's my role model.

6.25pm - Ordered take-away at Kenny Roger Roasters for dinner.

8.30pm - BB chat with Dear Hubby while playing Restaurant City, Cafe World, Mall World and Mafia Wars. I've turned into a Facebook junkie since I joined tai-tai-dom.

9.25pm - Snack.

10.57pm - Snack.

12.20am - Snack. (Blame it on the baby)

1.11am - Blogging.

1.20am - Time to shut up and go to bed.

A beautiful Sunday but my rant mode is on

It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon and Dear Hubby decided to have brunch at Tom, Dick & Harry's @ TTDI, while waiting for his daughter. It's a routine that Dear Hubby spend time with his daughter whenever we are back from Jakarta. We ordered the big breakfast set that comes with a glass of fruit juice and a mug of either coffee or tea. And as usual, Dear Hubby ordered a pint of cider beer.

After waiting for an hour or so, a Silver Proton Perdana stopped right in front of the place and out came the daughter to join us before the car drove off again in a speed of light. In less than 15 minutes into our 'get-together', (TAA-DAA!) the ex-wife, her husband and their barely 2 year-old son in the arms of the maid walked in... so casually as if they didn't see us. Seing this, of course we invited them to sit at an empty table, like 20cm right next to us. Due to the previous incident, I've to admit that I still harbour some ill feelings (okay, maybe a lot!) towards her but decided to be as cordial as possible for the sake of Dear Hubby. Otherwise I wouldn't even think twice of giving her a piece of my mind right in front of her husband.

*taking in a deep breath*

Anyway, she started off her conversation by giving her reason they decided to lunch here. Apparently her son cried and screamed non-stop, wanting to get down the car. Next, she was blabbering non-stop about getting a new laptop for work (asking us which is more suitable for presentations and storing tons of pictures besides being lightweight). Then the conversation topic continues into Dear Hubby's life in Jakarta and etc for more than an hour.

Finally, she has the guts to ask us whether it's possible for them to bunk-in at our condo if they happened to go over to Jakarta in future. I turned to her and said, "Sure..." with a smile. Unknowingly the unfinished sentence was, "... come on over. Then we can all watch It's Complicated together, ya?"

What an idiot.

I spent my last 48 hours in Jakarta.....

 ..... enjoying rich Northern Indian cuisine for lunch, with the hope of easing my blocked up nose with all those herbs and spices. It didn't help much though.

..... looking at the heavy downpour and congested traffic.

..... having dinner at Penang Bistro. I had hokkien mee while Dear Hubby ordered asam laksa and his must-have... BEER. Asam laksa + beer = natural laxative.
It sure did sent him visiting the loo many, many times. lol.

..... packing, packing and still packing! 

Flu, flu.... please go away

I absolutely hate it when I'm down with flu. This is the 4th time since the beginning of my pregnancy. Flu coupled with the effect of pregnancy, now my nose looks like a red, ripe tomato ready for harvest. And with no medication allowed, I'm solely depending on my body immune system and lots of vitamin C to recover. Not good when I still have lots of packing to do before I leave for K.L in 3 days time.

+_+

Capellini alla Carbonara

I found half a packet of Capellini while clearing the kitchen cabinets and decided to cook it alla carbonara since I have all the ingredients needed lying in my fridge.

Ingredients

• 200g of Capellini / Fettuccine / Spaghetti (serves 2 to 3 person)
• 4 to 5 pieces of bacon ( I also use meat cubes), sliced into smaller strips
• 200ml of cooking cream
• 2 egg yolks
• 3/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 to 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
• Some onions, coarsely diced
• 1 tbsp of virgin olive oil
• Coarse black pepper and salt (to taste)

1. Boil a pot of water with some salt. Put in your choice of pasta, spreading the pasta out to avoid them sticking together. Boil for 5 to 8 minutes or until al-dente. 
2. Drain the pasta, then immediately pour cold water onto it. Set aside.
3. Heat up the pan with the olive oil for 1 minute on medium heat. Saute the crushed garlics, diced onions, bacons (and meat cubes - optional) until brown. Discard the garlics. Sprinkle some black pepper and toss.
4. In a small pot, heat up the cooking cream on low heat. Slowly add in the egg yolks and Parmesan cheese, while stirring it continuously. Add in some salt to taste and bring it to simmer. Note: If the cream is too thick, add in some water.
5. Transfer some pasta and sauteed bacons into a mixing bowl. Pour some cream onto them and toss until the pasta is entirely coated with cream. Transfer the pasta onto a serving plate, seasoned with more black pepper (optional) and serve with fresh green salad at side.

We like to move it, move it!

It's my last week in Jakarta and I'm clearing out the refrigerator and kitchen cabinets. There're so much food lying around, and either I've to use it up or throw it away by end of the week. We (or rather Dear Hubby) will be moving out of this condo by end of the month. He found a better (and bigger) place for us and our new baby when we come back in July. 

The new condo has 3 bedrooms + 4 bathrooms, all fully furnished and it comes with flatscreen HDTV in each and every room including a 46" in the living area. Best of all, they're equipped with 60 channels for me to glue my arse in front of it the whole day! And not to mention the whole condominium is fully air-conditioned. It also has a huge swimming pool, a church, day care centre, and two gyms, one is open to residents and another for paying members. There're shopping mall, restaurants and bars all located within walking distance. 

Our unit is located on 26th floor, high enough to avoid the sound of mosque prayers that are perform 5 times a day. I'm not against Muslims prayers or anything. In fact in Malaysia, there're also mosques that do prayers on loud speakers which can be heard all over the place. However, the difference is, the mosques in Malaysia is sparsely located. Whereas here, one can find at least 1 mosque within 1 to 2 km radius. My current condo has at least 5 to 6 mosques surrounding it. We're staying on the 2nd floor so can you imagine the noise when all loud speakers go off together at the same time during prayers? Moreover, one of the prayers is perform at 4 a.m daily. When looking for accomodation in Jakarta, this should be seriously taken into consideration.

Happy Mother's Day

I missed celebrating Mother's Day today since my daughter's going to be born next month. Good thing she'll be born right before Father's Day... so Dear Hubby has two daughters to celebrate Father's Day with him this year.

x

To all mothers out there...

Happy Mother's Day! Only God knows how many things a woman has to endure and sacrifice in order to bring a child into this world.

Hugs,





"A mother loves her children even when they least deserve to be loved." - Kate Samperi