Confinement aunty, please don't leave!

My life has no day or night since the confinement aunty left. In fact I wanted to extend her for 1 more month but she has accepted another confinement job in Australia. Yes, you heard me right... Australia! The pay is double of what I paid her, plus it's chinese new year month so I'm sure she's earning a bomb and ... her air tickets are also provided. It seems like she's more of a high flyer than me.



I ate this much of ginger every day for 6 weeks!

 On my last day of confinement, this is what the aunty did, which I thought was pretty funny (in a nice way).

Pomelo leave tied to the shower - supposed to spiritually cleanse any family members who uses it.



Bath water for me - 7 colours of flower with some pomelo leaves

By the way, I won't be posting anymore photos until I change my maxis broadband to other service provider. It took me close to 30 minutes just to load the page and post these 3 photos! Argh!

Letter of Appeal to Immigration Department of Malaysia

Due to several requests I've received, here's a sample of Letter of Appeal (Surat Rayuan) for submission to the Malaysia Immigration Department if your maid enters Malaysia using a Social Visit Pass. Please double check with Immigration Department whether maids can still come in using social visit pass.
Hope this helps!

x

Date

Your name
Address

Ketua Pengarah
Jabatan Imigresen Malaysia
No. 15, Tingkat 2 (Podium)
Persiaran Perdana, Presint 2,
62550. Putrajaya.

Tuan,

PER: RAYUAN KELULUSAN (JP VISA) BAGI PEMBANTU RUMAH YANG TELAH BERADA DI MALAYSIA

Merujuk perkara di atas, saya merayu kepada pihak Tuan untuk mendapatkan kelulusan PRA yang telah berada di Malaysia. PRA yang dipohon bernama [name of maid] dengan passport Indonesia [passport no.] telah masuk dengan pas lawatan sosial pada [date of entry] melalui LCCT.

Saya amat memerlukan pembantu rumah untuk menjaga 2 orang anak saya yang masih kecil dan bersekolah kerana saya dan suami masing masing bekerja.

Bersama-sama ini saya kepilkan dokumen yang berkaitan. Saya memohon agar rayuan ini dapat dipertimbangkan dan mendapat kelulusan dari pihak Tuan. Kerjasama dari pihak Tuan saya dahului dengan ucapan ribuan terima kasih.

Sekian, terima kasih.

Yang benar,


NAME
I.C NO

Babies are cute when they're not yours

Soiled diapers. Incessant crying. Every two to three hourly feedings. That's my son.

Tantrums throwing. Making demands. Shouting. Biting. Loud crying. Clingy. That's my daughter.

What happens when both of them do all the above at the same time?
I'm missing my single life!

Parenting

Twenty nine and still counting

The day before yesterday was my birthday. Not just any birthday but the last birthday of my twenties. And I didn't even get to blow out candles on a birthday cake or have any cake because I'm in confinement. How pathetic. Maybe someone should get me a ginger cake or something. Nevertheless, I have the most precious gift for my birthday; baby Keagan. And one of my good friends actually brought me some ice blast fags. I know, I know... breast feeding & fagging aren't exactly the right combination but hey, a stick or two won't hurt. Moreover, it was my birthday! 

That'll be me when I touch a century old.

Hello. I'm a mother of two.

I am officially a proud mother of two! A daughter and a son before the age of 30. That was one of my goals in life since I was 10 perhaps? I still remember the essay I wrote in primary school and the big, huge zero I got for it because my ambition is... to be a housewife with 2 kids. 

To the beloved teacher who gave me the big, huge '0' in red,

1. Up till today, I still do not understand why a housewife can't be an ambition.

Ambition (definition by cambridge.org)

A strong wish to be successful, powerful, rich, etc.  

P.s. A housewife can be successful by managing a home well, powerful in her own ways (haven't you heard, behind every successful man is a wise woman?), and rich (why do you think Prada & Chanel are blooming like mushrooms? - thanks to the rich tai-tais. duh.)

2. If you think lowly of a housewife, think again. Do you think everyone has the privilege of being one?

3. Thank you for the time taken to mark my paper. But I wonder did you even read it before giving me a zero? You're supposed to assess a student's creativity, grammar and language proficiency in an essay, not some standard answers of 'I want to be a doctor when I grow up'. Do you know that suppressing a student's creativity is the root to his or her stupidity yet?

x

I'm turning 29 in three days time and I'm glad to have made it this far, in my own definition of success.

Next list: Goals to achieve before I reach 40.

Improving brain health in babies - Blueberries and bananas puree

Since the last round (that was 2 weeks ago) I made apple cinnamon pork puree and sweet potatoes with cherry tomatoes and broccoli puree, I decided to make fruits puree this time. 

I went to my usual neighbourhood fruits store this morning and bought some persimmons, apples, carrots, avocados, blueberries and bananas. I must say it's not cheap to make fruits purchases nowadays. Persimmons are selling for RM1 per fruit and the blueberries are selling at RM9.80 per pack. Apples and the avocados are selling at 6 for RM10 and 3 for RM10 respectively. And they're not even organic.

Since the avocados have yet to ripe, I can only make blueberries & bananas puree. It's one of the most simple baby food recipe around but be ready for a blue baby when it comes to feeding time.

What you need

1 box of blueberries (120g)
5 small ripe bananas
Steamer & blender (I use Avent Combined Steamer & Blender - this product makes my life much easier!)
Containers suitable for freezing

(Makes approximately 15 oz / 150 ml of puree)

Method

1. Wash the blueberries thoroughly. Discard any squishy or moldy ones.
2. Peel the bananas and break them into small pieces.
3. Steam the blueberries and bananas for 5 minutes or until the purple juices start to ooze out from the blueberries.
4. Blend to a puree. If the puree seem to be too thick, stir in water / breast milk / formula milk till the desired consistency is achieved. Alternatively, if the puree is too watery, add in baby cereal or oats to thicken it. You may also choose to blend it a little coarser for older babies and toddlers.
5. Scoop the puree into containers, depending on how much your baby eats per meal. Let it cool before storing into freezer.

Important: Once food is thawed / heated, do not put it back into the freezer. Discard any leftovers.

Food to prevent constipation in babies - Persimmon, apple & carrot puree

Fuyu persimmons



Besides being my birth month, November is a month full of juicy persimmons! And I love persimmons. They are rich in vitamins A and C, contain calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron and have twice as much fiber per 100g than an apple. This recipe makes good combination to prevent constipation in babies. At 17 months, Meagan is very much capable of chewing but she loves pureed food to go with her oats for breakfast so I'm making this just before my delivery to last her at least 2 weeks when stored in the freezer.

What you need
1 small carrot
1 medium sized apple
2 persimmons
Steamer & blender (I use Avent Combined Steamer & Blender - this product makes my life much easier!)
Containers suitable for freezing

(Makes approximately 15 oz / 150 ml of puree)

Method

1. Wash and cut all the fruits into small cubes.
2. Steam the carrots for 5 minutes.
3. Add in the apples and persimmons into the steamer together with the carrots and steam for another 5 minutes.
4. Pour out the juice into a cup. You don't want the puree to be too watery.
5. Blend all the fruits to puree. If the puree seem to be too thick, stir in juice till the desired consistency is achieved. Alternatively, if the puree is too watery, add in baby cereal or oats to thicken it. You may also choose to blend it a little coarser for older babies and toddlers.
6. Scoop the puree into containers, depending on how much your baby eats per meal. Let it cool before storing into freezer.

Important: Once food is thawed / heated, do not put it back into the freezer. Discard any leftovers.

The clock is ticking



Nesting dollies



Tick tock tick tock.

I have less than 56 hours to go before the scheduled cesarean. Suddenly it feels like I'm running out of time. I have so much to do... or rather so much to taste before I'm confined to ginger, ginger and more ginger!

Then these silly questions keep running through my mind.

"What if I don't survive the c-sec?" (It is a major abdominal surgery anyway)

"What will happen to my children if I really don't survive the surgery?"

Thus I started calling Rockwills to write a will and to name legal guardians for my child. Then this morning I went to the bank to open a joint account and transferred every single penny I have under Meagan's name. I packed all insurance policies that I have and passed it to my parents, just in case something happens to me. Yes, I know I'm starting to get paranoid and I need to stop thinking silly.

As for tomorrow, I'm making Meagan's favourite food for freezing, enough to last her 2 weeks while I recuperate and busy with her lil' brother. Plus, I need to spring clean the whole house except that this time it's not for chinese new year. And not forgetting to pack the hospital bag. The experts called it 'nesting' which occurs to most mothers to be but I feel like I'm going bonkers.

x

Nesting Instinct (by parentingweekly.com)

Around the fifth month of pregnancy, the "nesting" instinct can set in. This is an uncontrollable urge to clean one's house brought on by a desire to prepare a nest for the new baby, to tie up loose ends of old projects and to organize your world.

Nesting brings about some unique and seemingly irrational behaviors in pregnant women and all of them experience it differently. Women have reported throwing away perfectly good sheets and towels because they felt the strong need to have "brand new, clean" sheets and towels in their home. They have also reported doing things like taking apart the knobs on kitchen cupboards, just so they could disinfect the screws attached to the knobs. Women have discussed taking on cleaning their entire house, armed with a toothbrush. There seems to be no end to the lengths a nesting mother will go to prepare for her upcoming arrival.

The (real) luxury of being a stay at home mom

Stay at home mom (urbandictionary.com)

Definition: A mother that stays at her home during the day. Unemployed, usually with the husband supporting the family.

How many days of annual leave do you have? 14 days? 21 days? 25 maybe? 

A stay home mom doesn't have any. She also doesn't have a so-called time off. She's a full time mother 24-7, 365 days with NO annual leave, emergency leave or even medical leave. No public holidays and replacement leave too.

You earn a decent pay every month and love the freedom of using it at your own will.

A stay home mom depends on the husband for allowance. Unless you have other sources of passive income, or a husband as generous as Dear Hubby, please do not quit your job!  

If I'm a stay home mom, I can wake up at a later time.

WRONG! Babies are usually early birds. Mine wakes up without fail at 6am for milk and then 7.30am for breakfast. Sometimes they have nightmares and are awake at wee hours, refusing to sleep for hours.

A stay home mom has all the time in the world. Lucky her, all she does is sit at home while looking after a baby.

Really? All the time in the world? From my experience of being a stay home mom, the only time I get is when my baby is sound asleep. And that too depends on how fast you wash the dishes, milk bottles, etc, clean the spills on the floor from breakfast / lunch / dinner, pick up toys, do the laundry and ironing, prepare meals for both you and baby. After all the chores are done, and your baby is still sleeping, then maybe you'll have 'all the time in the world' before your baby wakes up.

You hate the traffic so much, you rather be a stay home mom so you can drive to anywhere you want at your own time and leisure?

Well again, you forgot about the baby's schedule. 

Baby's schedule

Definition: A fixed schedule your baby set for you in addition to the no leave policy. It is strongly advisable to adhere to the schedule as closely as possible to avoid major meltdown, tantrums, and crankiness.) 

Moreover, if your baby happens to fall into the category of car seat haters, be prepared for a screaming and crying baby all the way to your destination.

You would like to be a stay home mom who is seen happily doing her shopping while pushing a stroller with a smiling baby on board?

That's the ideal. Here's the actual scenario.

You saw a 50% sale sign board. You manoeuvre the stroller past the narrow aisle. You stop the stroller to look at some clothes. Barely 5 minutes, baby starts to scream. You put down the clothes and start pushing the stroller again. You saw a blouse that has your size and it's 50% off! You decided to try on. Damn, where do I put my baby?

How about groceries shopping? Sure, if your baby is old enough to be able to sit upright without help on the cart seat. Proceed to fold the stroller and place it in the shopping cart too. Also, please have two very strong arms to carry your baby and loading / unloading of the groceries.

How you wish that you're a stay home mom so you don't have laptop or heavy files to carry along every time you leave for work?

Try packing a baby bag. Diapers, changing mat, extra set of clothing, hanky, small piece of towel, water bottle, milk bottle, milk powder, Thermos flask with hot water, some snacks, wet wipes, pacifier (if your baby is dependent on it). Not to mention you'll have to bring along the stroller and your baby, of course. And don't forget your handbag / purse with driving license, I.D card and money! 

Still fancy to be a stay home mom?

p/s: If you do, can you please email me your company and position so I can apply for it once you quit your job? Thanks.

Natural Parenting

Dear Hubby says this is what happened between us.

Happy Halloween, people!

Mothercare Malaysia sales - October 2011

 

Mothercare Malaysia is having membership recruitment drive from 1st October till 31st October 2011. Just spend RM400 to become a Mothercare VIP card member instantly (Usual: Spend RM800 in 3 months to be a member). 

In addition to that, they are having apparel sales promotion of buy 1, get 30% off and buy 3, get 40% off. Spend a minimum of RM50 and you'll get to buy selected Early Learning Centre (ELC) toys at 50% discounts. For those who are expecting first newborn, you might want to take a look at Tommee Tippee electronic steam sterilizer kit (which includes 4 baby bottles, a bottle brush and a bottle tong) now selling at RM299.90 (Usual price: RM429.90). Not the cheapest sterilizer available, but it's a good buy since it comes with all the bottles. Don't forget to buy extra sachets of citric acid for descaling (Mothercare is selling it for RM3 per sachet -  and they get snap up pretty quickly because stocks are limited). Personal recommendation: Buy it at Babyland SS2 - RM15 for 10 sachets.

The countdown

31 days to go and I haven't even decided on my baby's name yet.

I am not feeling the excitement of naming baby #2 as much as my first one. One of those bleh-I-don't-give-a-damn in my pregnancy phase.

Just another story of the same bimbo

I realised I haven't been bitching about DH's ex-wife for quite some time now. Not that I develop a sudden sense of liking for her, but maybe I don't feel that bitter anymore with the past incidents. Or perhaps I'm all immune to her nonsense.

However, I still find it tempting to blog (or should I say bitch - as how Jen would put it) about her once in a while on her bimbo-ness. After our previous maid left for good, we decided to take over her maid who has been working with her for 10 years. Reason being she's still using DH's name for the maid's visa although she remarried 3 years ago. Not a good move to use her maid when I rather not have anything to do with her or her maid, but we are doing the maid a favor since she asked us to let her work for couple of years more to pay off her loans in Indonesia.

Now, the latest story is on how she owes her maid's salary. To cut the story short (and begin with the bitching part), the maid told me that her ma'am still owes her August's salary. And we're now in the month of October, aren't we? She tried asking for her pay but was offered partial payment first. So in the end, DH and I decided to loan the salary to the maid first so she can send it back to Indonesia for her children's living expenses. 

Sometimes I just find it rather "amusing" on how she manages her finances (not that it's my concern but if my maid is complaining to me everyday about her August's salary, then it does agitate me quite a bit). She can afford Crocs, bottles of expensive perfumes, hundreds of pairs of shoes, mountains of clothes (all told to me by her maid who works for her for 10 freaking years!) and yet she couldn't afford to pay her maid's salary? I say it's darn ironic. Oh... by the way, did I mention that her new maid quits on her after 5 days of work?

A typical morning

This is what we usually do on a wonderful crisp morning. Lots of cool air, grass and sunshine.
Five more weeks to go before delivery. I'm going to miss this routine of ours.

P.s: Pardon the poor quality photos on my blog recently. I've been too lazy to bring along a real camera and BB phone camera sucks big time.

Jusco J Card members' day sale 28.09.11

The Jusco J Card members' day sale is TODAY! I just got back from the Jusco Sunway Pyramid and if you want to know, it's crazy in there. P3 carpark was full even before 10 a.m. I was there at 10.09 a.m and I thought I was early. Discounts are between 20% to 70%.

Items that are really cheap:

Milo 3-in-1, usual price $14.90 (Now $10.99)
Glo dishwasher jumbo size, usual price $6.90 (Now $3.99)
Detergents i.e. Tops powder ($9.90), Breeze liquid jumbo size ($23.99), Nappikleen ($16.90)
Softlan jumbo size, usual price $10.50 (Now $6.99)
Darlie toothpaste twin-pack, usual price $17.80 (Now $8.99)
Cutie Soft toilet rolls 3x10 rolls, usual price $19.49 (Now $16.90)
Mamypoko diapers jumbo pack (Now $46.90)

Savings on each item is between $3 to $5.
Other items such as bedding, pillows, towels and clothes are also going for 50% to 70% off.

Creative wedding cards

Wedding invitation cards are no longer red or pink. I heart the creativity put into these wedding invites.

Goal # 7: Child bearing - almost a (✓)

I'm starting my countdown now. 8 more weeks to go before my scheduled cesarean. After this, I'm done with child bearing, one of the goals before I hit the big 30. Time to focus on other important goals in life, i.e. endless tai-tai-dom lifestyle of mahjong, shopping and pampering. (DH, if you're reading this, please know that I'm just kidding. Hah! Please don't faint.)

=_=

...and Happy Malaysia Day to all Malaysians!

Weight, I hate you

Belly Art photos by Mark Jordan

It has been 29 weeks (or slightly less than that) since I had a puff of fine tobacco leaves with a bottle of icy cold Hoegaarden while enjoying a good game of pool. It has been more than half a year since I hit the beach or pool with a pair of bikini, showing off my postpartum body that screams, 'I am a proud mother'. 

I have 9 more weeks to go before my scheduled cesarean. And my weight is off the scale again. It took me 4 months to shed all my unwanted pregnancy pounds previously and I'm gaining it back again with absolutely zero effort. During my last check up, record shows I gained 8 kilos in 5 weeks. Yes, it's not a typo. I meant kilograms. Up till last week, I've put on 22 kilos in total and I'm not even full term yet. That's obviously way too much compared to the recommended weight of 15 to 17 kilos for the entire pregnancy.

Deprivation of my wants, crazy weight gains that makes me look like Shrek and a tummy so huge that makes a good night sleep impossible... all these are turning me into a whining biatch again.

Food!

Where: Ippudo @ Mandarin Gallery
Address: As above
What to eat: Pork ramen
Price vs. Portion: Quite expensive. One bowl is definitely not enough to fill my hungry tummy. You might want to order some side dishes.
Verdict: Good to try at least once. 

Where: Space @ My Humble House
Address: 8, Raffles Avenue, Esplanade Mall, Singapore
What to eat: Mama Leong's chicken rice. Chicken is so SO tender and juicy!
Price vs. Portion: Reasonable.
Verdict: A must try!
P.s:- For alcoholics like Dear Hubby, it might not be wise for you to order their Tiger draft beer. It cost $12 per glass (which is even more expensive than MBS theater beer price!)

Where: House @ Dempsey Road
Address: 8D, Dempsey Road, Singapore
What to eat: Shaved Pear Salad, Red Snapper & Pandan Jelly Sponge (in pic above)
Price vs. Portion: Can be quite pricey, depending on what you order. Shaved Pear Salad ($16), Red Snapper ($28), Pandan Jelly Sponge ($6).
Verdict: A great place for desserts.

Raya, Holidays and Merdeka

"Selamat Hari Raya to all Muslims, Happy Holidays to the non-Muslims and Selamat Hari Merdeka yang ke-54 to all Malaysians!"

The roads are so empty today! Me so happies. I guess everyone is either back to kampung for raya or gone out of town for vacation, except Dear Hubby who is back to work (hu-hu. you poor thing). Singapore observes only the first day of raya as public holiday.

By the way, for those who is neither back to kampung nor out of town for vacation (or even working!), I bet you have lots of time to kill. Here's something for you to try - Webify me! by Mozilla Firefox. It's supposed to be a unique web personalized just for you after you answer 20 questions. 

Here's mine, although I have no idea what all those items mean. The background sure looks grey and dull to me. And that silver liquor bottle - what? I'm a booze addict now?

Alcoholic mooncakes by Sze Chuan Court, Swissotel The Stamford

Calling all mooncake lovers (like myself!), Takashimaya Singapore is having mooncake fair till 12th September 2011. You might think what's so different with all those mooncakes on sale but they ARE different. You can find exotic varieties (think chestnut fillings, red dates fillings, Musang King durian fillings) as opposed to the common ones sold in K.L. Our favourites (more like Dear Hubby's favourite) are the alcoholic ones sold by Swissotel The Stamford. I personally find the Rum & Raisin Chocolate Truffle mooncake really good! Bitter sweet with a strong taste of rum.

The Lion King, Marina Bay Sands Singapore

I was in Singapore over the weekend for Lion King. It was quite a good performance, and they even incorporated some local jokes into it. Tickets can be quite expensive but you can get 30% discounts if you own the Marina Bay Sands Premier Advantage card. Application is FOC and the card application booth is just one floor down from the theater level, in front of Guardian pharmacy if I'm not mistaken. Food is strictly prohibited in the theater but bottled H2O is allowed, which can be purchased at $3. Beer and wine is going for $10 - $12 each. They also sells snacks like popcorn, chocolates and chips. I can't wait for the next one, Wicked, which will be showing from 8th December onwards.

Besides the show, this trip was all about makan-makan before my delivery in November. Obviously I'm taking advantage of eating for two and worry about my pregnancy weight later, until after delivery. Hopefully my gyne doesn't drop her jaw again when I step onto the weighing scale tomorrow.

Sikit-sikit, lama-lama jadi bukit. Nak jadi gunung pun boleh.

In search of the best children savings account in town, I have compiled a comparison chart between 8 different banks. I hope this helps parents out there who are still looking for one.

Kurma Bateel - Dates worth trying

I have always been a big fan of dates. Both dates. From the one that involves cute guys to the one that's edible. Before I got to know Bateel (no, that's not his name), I usually go for loose dates sold in supermarkets but it's kind of hard to find them unless it's near Ramadhan (fasting month for Muslims). When I was living in Jakarta and lead sort of, almost tai-tai-dom life which involves lots of malls strolling, I discovered Bateel, a gourmet dates store which sells varieties of premium dates. The store might not sell all types at once (listed here in their catalog) but here are some personal favorites that I can vouch for.

Agwa is probably the most expensive one sold in the store because it's called kurma Nabi. If you like semi-sweet ones, go for Khidri or Safawy. Silaj and Sifri have slightly sweeter tastes. If you like a more exotic taste, go for lemon or orange peel ones. I find that the taste of orange peel is a tad too strong since I prefer the original taste of dates. Khidri, when paired with caramelised nuts can be too sweet for those who doesn't have a sweet tooth. But Khidri with roasted almond is ... just perfect!

With the word premium tagged to the dates carry by Bateel, you can expect the price to be quite expensive. E.g. The Khidri with Caramelised Almond or Pecan is sold at RM23.40 per 100g. That's about 7 to 8 pieces of dates.

Although Bateel stores can be found in 15 countries, unfortunately there's only one available in Malaysia and two in Indonesia.

Bateel Malaysia 
The Bangsar Shopping Centre (BSC)  
Lot G3, Ground Floor
Jalan Maarof, Bukit Bandaraya
Bangsar 59000 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: + 603 2093 0478

http://www.bateelasia.com


Bateel Indonesia
Plaza Indonesia 
L1#115
Jl. M.H. Thamrin Kav. 28-30
Jakarta 10350
Tel: +62 21 3199 0765

Senayan City 
Lower Ground L-55
Jl. Asia Afrika Lot 19
Jakarta 10270
Tel: +62 21 7278 1293
http://www.bateelindonesia.com

And she turns 14 months today!

Ky is RM70k richer

I stumbled across something interesting just now and I HAVE to share it.

Taa-daa! KY, you're 70k richer.
Happies?

P.s:- the disclaimer is to potong your stim a bit. LOL.

Home prenatal massage

If you're pregnant and having problems with body ache, water retention or stretch marks, here's an affordable yet effective solution... call for a home urut (massage).

I always thought urut is for postnatal but someone told me that prenatal massage also helps to eliminate unwanted water retention in a pregnant body. All you need to do to make it more effective is to buy a good massage oil which does the job. Since it's quite difficult to find home prenatal massage in Malaysia, here's my recommendation for those who are totally clueless. 

Personally, I'm using Clarins Tonic Body Treatment Oil. It helps in toning and stretch marks prevention. Clarins has 3 types of body treatment oil but I only tried 2 of them; the Tonic Body Treatment Oil (RM181) for prenatal and Anti-Eau Body Treatment Oil for postnatal. The urut lady comes once a week and she charges RM75 for an hour of massage. Massage oil is included but I prefer to use my own. I've had 3 sessions with her and so far she's quite good. She also offers postnatal urut at RM100 per session (minimum 5 sessions) which includes urut, body herbal steam, hot stone and bengkung (tummy wrap).

Verdict: Good prenatal massage. I haven't tried her postnatal massage yet. 

For booking, call Madam Shirley (yes, she's chinese) at 012-350 0057 or 016-354 7897.

I also have another urut lady whom I use for postnatal massage previously but it's quite hard to secure appointments with her due to whatever reasons she has. She charges RM80 for prenatal massage (only for pregnancy 6th month onwards) and RM120 for postnatal massage (buy 6, free 1). There is no body herbal steam for postnatal treatment and she'll sell you the bengkung lilit (tummy wrapping cloth) at RM70 (FYI, you can get it much cheaper outside or online at RM30 - RM40). She uses ginger cream for the urut but she'll suggest for you to get the Clarins Anti-Eau Body Treatment Oil and Body Shaping Cream.

Verdict: Very good and effective postnatal massage but her schedules can be quite unpredictable. I bought 6 times of postnatal massage from her and supposed to get 1 free but she didn't turn up after that.

For booking, call Kak Siti at 019-330 9622.

Anyway, if you have the luxury to splurge like some real Datins (I've seen too many fake ones), go for Clarins Mothers-To-Be treatments.

Hubby, birthdays and ex(es)

A few days after Dear Hubby's birthday.....

Him : How come my ex-girlfriends didn't wish me happy birthday this year? They never fail to wish me every year.

Me : Which one? (half asleep)

Him : All of them!

Me : People move on in life. I don't wish my ex-boyfriendsss too (purposely emphasizing on the 'sss') unless I happened to remember their birthdays.... which I normally don't la.

Him : Maybe they're just afraid of you.

Me : Why??? What did I do?

Him : They're afraid you'll bitch about them in your blog.

Me : !!!

The 100th post - still ranting and raving

Yay! This is my 100th post! 

Yeah, yeah... I know it's no big deal but the fact that I'm still writing (and complaining) means I managed to maintain my sanity up till today. 24th week into my second pregnancy, I keep telling myself it's going to be over soon. 

I know some lucky mothers have no icky pregnancy side effects throughout the 40 weeks but unfortunately I'm not one of them. I have super oily nose that you can fry a small egg with the amount of oil collected from it at the end of the day, the worst morning sickness you can imagine for 13 weeks (toilet bowls became my new BFF during that time), water retention swells up my feet and legs which make walking somewhat of a marathon, and I gain weight faster than a sumo wrestler. 

In addition to all the pregnancy misery, the complimentary makeover at Clarins gave me a huge, ugly, inflamed zit on my nose the next day. Besides hurting like a biatch, it added to the size of my cherry tomato nose due to the pregnancy hormones. Now I look like a clown who walks like a penguin with a pair of baby elephant feet.

Tickers, please tick

Why tickers aren't working in my blog? I have removed both visitors counter and Lilypie tickers and re add them countless times. Now it's just Lilypie tickers that's still having problems. Argh. This is irritating.

Friendster blog deleted (>_<)

GEE!
I just found out that friendster was deleting all blog posts, comments, photos and etc after 31st May! Did they even send out emails or notifications to users about this? Or I was too busy hugging the toilet bowls to take note? Damn. I am 2 months too late to save my blog on friendster. No more Part I : Single and Living Life. Perhaps it's meant to be - for me to forget my single and be stuck in a married one.

It's Dear Hubby's 41st birthday!

This is what I'm getting for him this year.

Don't mind the LOOKS and FEELS but Dear Hubby sure ACTS like eight!

A day out - Clarins Indulgence Day 2011

The last time I spent more than 2k in a day was years ago when I was still actively contributing to the job market. It wasn't intentional but I needed some kind of pampering, some retail therapy to reduce my frustration today - my ungrateful maid has decided to go back Indonesia for good because she couldn't adapt herself here. After all the money spent and time used for her tedious visa application, it only took her 38 days to decide she can't work for us in Malaysia. 

Anyway, I started off my morning with a mug of piping hot coffee - caffeine is bad for the baby but I did topped up half the mug with low fat milk so to ease my conscience. Then, I booked myself in at Clarins Indulgence Day for its members - express manicure, hands massage, head and shoulders massage, makeover, door gifts and caricature, all complimentary with no purchase required. But obviously I ended up buying something from the counter and got additional 20 bucks voucher to spend in Parkson so I bought Pumpkin Patch for Meagan with it.

Very nice door gifts and caricature by a talented artist named Ambo
(although Dear Hubby thought I looked like some Malay chick in the drawing)

Feeling good already, I took a stroll around the mall and decided to stop by my usual beauty salon to book for an appointment somewhere next week. I haven't gone for facials in a year or so but the salon manager still recognizes me from afar. I swear that when I walked into the salon, all I wanted was just ONE appointment for next week but I ended up paying in advance for a year's services in less than 15 minutes!

Still feeling generous (with a tinge of guilt for using Dear Hubby's money like some free tap water), I walked over to the next shopping mall and got myself a luxurious hair and scalp treatment, complete with a neat trim by a professional hair stylist. As I was going down the escalator, I dropped by Crabtree & Evelyn, Dorothy Perkins and Jaya Grocers and got myself a box of lavender soap, a Bohemian dress and some groceries before heading home to be greeted by my ungrateful maid again.

How to apply for a maid's JP Visa / Work Permit by yourself?

I have been running like a chicken without head to our government immigration department for our maid's JP Visa application. It's not funny when 2 immigration officers tell you different things and you end up making endless trips to the immigration department because they keep telling you dokumen tak lengkap (incomplete documents). You can also forget about calling them for inquiries unless you have a secretary to do it for you or otherwise risk spiking your blood pressure.

If you are trying to save some valuable bucks on agency fees, here are some useful guidelines from my own experience.

#1: Get your maid into Malaysia through social visit pass (Reference Visa / Visa Dengan Rujukan is not required as at to date - but please check with immigration department again).
Note: There is a freeze in JP visa application recently until further notice by immigration. (updated on 4th May 2012)

#2: Get the forms ready.
You can either download the forms by clicking on the forms below or head to the nearest immigration department to get it for free. You'll need 1 copy of each unless stated otherwise. Please fill up the forms completely. Immigration will not entertain partially filled forms and you'll be asked to re-submit the forms once you complete them.

• Borang permohonan baru (PRA 1)
• Borang IM 12 (Visa pass application form)
• Borang Personal Bond -1 stamped* copy (RM10)
• Perjanjian Pekerjaan (Employment contract) - 2 original sets (stamped*) + 2 photocopied set
• Borang perakuan pembantu rumah asing beragama Islam bagi majikan yang menggaji PRA beragama Islam (Lampiran A) - for non-Muslim employers only
• Borang perakuan pengambilan pembantu rumah asing beragama Islam (Lampiran B) - for maids who are Muslim only
• Borang perakuan daripada majikan yang tidak menggunakan agensi berdaftar (Lampiran C)

Note: If the links above are broken, download the forms from immigration website (under the tab 'Dokumen yang diperlukan Permohonan PRA').

*Stamp duty can be obtained / done at Inland Revenues (LHDN) offices. Click here to view the list.

#3: Get ALL the required supporting documents ready.

• Maid's original passport + photocopy of the passport's first page and entry stamp page
• 2 passport sized photo your maid (1 for immigration, 1 for Fomema)
• A copy of your latest EPF / KWSP statement + a copy of your latest payslip (for 3 months), OR your latest e-BE income tax statement with payment receipt.
• Surat rayuan ( Letter of appeal) - a formal letter stating the reason you need a maid urgently.

You may apply for a maid under 1 of the 2 reasons stated below:
1. To care for your children below age 15, or
2. To care for your sick parents.

For reason no. 1, you'll need:

• Marriage certificate
• Child / children birth certificates
• Original and photocopy of your I.C
• Photocopy of your spouse's I.C
• 2 passport sized photo of yourself
• 1 passport sized photo of your spouse

For reason no. 2, you'll need:

• A doctor's letter confirming health of your parents
• Original and photocopy of your I.C
• Photocopy of both your parents' I.C
• 2 passport sized photo of yourself
 

#4: Submit the forms and supporting documents to immigration department.
From my experience, I suggest Putrajaya although it's a bit far but the officers there are friendlier and easier to deal with. The one we dealt with in Shah Alam gave us a set of forms to fill in but when we return for submission, another officer told us that the forms are outdated and requested us to fill up a new set. She wasn't helpful at all when we asked her what supporting documents the immigration requires and we were referred from counter to counter like fools.

Once your submission of forms is accepted, you'll be given an acknowledgement letter (surat akuan penerimaan). You'll be told to call the phone numbers stated in the letter after 7 days for the result of your application. If you happened to be like me, no one at the immigration picks up your calls (I swear I tried calling at different hours from early morning till late evening but to no avail), then call the general line and ask for 'Unit Pembantu Rumah'. Once your application has been approved, there is a payment of RM960 (Amount has been increased to RM1,031- see point #5 in red). Also, you need to do registration at Fomema which cost another RM190.

#5: Buy bank drafts.
Go to any banks and buy 3 separate bank drafts. The 3rd bank draft is optional (you can purchase it later).

• 1st bank draft is payable to Ketua Pengarah Imigresen Malaysia (RM 515).
• 2nd bank draft is payable to FOMEMA Sdn Bhd (RM 190).
• 3rd bank draft is also payable to Ketua Pengarah Imigresen Malaysia (RM 445) (Amount has been increased to RM516.) - Payment to be made if your maid passes her medical screening with Fomema.

#6: Go to the Immigration Department where you submitted all your forms to pay the 1st bank draft. You'll be issued an official receipt and a letter of approval.

#7: Get all the required documents ready before you proceed to Fomema for registration. See here for required documents and list of Fomema branches. In addition to that, you also need a photocopy of the official receipt (RM515) from immigration. It is also helpful to know which clinic you intend to bring your maid for her medical checkup. See list of panel clinics here.

Note: Medical report from country of origin is not required. Registration form can also be obtained from the information counter on the day of registration itself.

#8: Bring your maid for her medical checkup and x-ray.
Please be reminded to bring her original passport and the 3-ply forms with you. The x-ray center is usually located nearby the clinic. Results are usually out by 3 to 4 working days. You can check the results online through Fomema's website. To be on the safe side, go to immigration department the next day (1 day after the release of medical screening results) because Fomema transmits the medical result to immigration via online and sometimes unforeseen circumstances (e.g. system is down) may occur.

#9: If your maid passes her medical screening, proceed to the same immigration department with the 3rd bank draft in hand (RM 516). Bring along your maid's original passport!
If your maid fails her medical screening, you need to send your maid back to her home country.

#10: Congratulations! You have a legal maid working for you and now you'll have to deal with other potential problems that your maid might be giving you.
Oh wait!.... You need to open a bank account for your maid too. Make sure you bank in her monthly salary on time and keep the proof of bank-in and withdrawals (if any). This will facilitate her visa renewal in 9 months time (that's because you need to start renewing her visa 3 months before the expiry date).

xxx

Read more on 'What to expect if you choose to hire illegals'

I am back!

I can't believe my last blog was more than 3 months ago. I stopped twitting, facebooking and blogging. Basically I was (almost) disconnected from the cyber world, occasionally using only my blackberry to go online. During the so called blackout period of 3 months, I was mostly hibernating and praying hard that my severe morning sickness would miraculously go away. But no, it didn't happen till I hit the 18th week of my pregnancy. 

Finally, on the 18th week of my pregnancy, when the food started to smell better, my blood test result shows my unborn baby is at high risk of down syndrome. After consulting 3 gynaes, I agreed to go for amniocentesis where a long needle is poke through my abdomen, right into the womb to withdraw some amniotic fluid for testing. Sounds scary? It is! And not to mention it cost RM2k for a half an hour procedure without any anesthetic. Anyway, thank God my test result came out normal.

After the unpleasant experience of having to do an amnio, came another problem; maid's work visa application. Since Dear Hubby and I decided not to use maids agency to do the paperwork (save us RM5.8k), I have to run numerous trips to immigration department, bank, Fomema and clinics to get my maid's work visa approved. To add on to that, unclear guidelines and tedious paperwork required by our government are hell of a nightmare.You bet my next blog is going to be 'How to apply for maid's JP visa yourself while maintaining your sanity'.

By the way, I've moved back to Malaysia while Dear Hubby is working in Singapore. Time to change my profile, blog's header and perhaps the design, eh?

Babies day out with the best daddy (and man) on earth

You know how two new mothers meet each other and once they start talking, the whole conversation will solely be on their babies? Then they'll decide to bring both their babies out for a stroll in the park or the mall on their next meeting. Better still if both their babies are of the same age group. They can even share diapers and the same baby bag so one of them doesn't have to tote around the huge, bulky baby bag.

If you ask me, I'm not one of those mothers who love to bring along my baby when I'm out. Some of you might call me selfish or self-centered or whatever. I call it the two Ps; Preference for Peace. Here's the story.

Couple of weekends ago, one of my guy friends who has a baby boy almost the same age as Meagan, invited me out for lunch. He told me that he'll be babysitting his boy for the day and I thought it was a good idea to bring along both our babies to the lunch. So, he came to pick us up that afternoon. During the whole lunch, his boy couldn't sit still and my girl was screaming away. Honestly, I don't remember how good the tim sum was because all I was concentrating on was my baby girl's screaming. After that we had to search for a baby room in the mall because Meagan pooed (and I didn't bring along a single diaper for her because I didn't think she'll pick that particular noon to poo instead of all the time she has in a day) and it was also Ryan's feeding time.

Lucky me (and Meagan), Ryan is using the same size diaper as Meagan so my friend gave us one. After the changing and feeding, we went to Starbucks for a drink. The best part was both of us are smokers. We took turn to babysit our babies while one of us went out for puff. It was not an easy task ... to babysit two active babies who can't sit still for a second! By the time I got home, I was totally exhausted.

And of course, I give my best salute to that guy friend of mine who took leave off work (not once but more than once) to babysit his baby boy alone (please note the word 'alone'). I have done that before and I know it's freaking hard! You're officially the best daddy (and man) on earth!

Another babies day out if you ask? One is enough for me. I still prefer the two Ps for now.

Quotes I love

1. "Wise men talk because they have something to say. Fools talk because they have to say something." - Plato

2. "You can't lose weight by talking about it. You have to keep your mouth shut."

3. "Some see the glass as half full. I see the glass a projectile that can be hurled at someone's face when they're annoying."

4. "Life is too precious to not seize the moment and tell the people who really deserve it to go f**k themselves."

5. "When life gives you lemons, squeeze their acidic juice into the eyes of your enemies."

6. "An ex is an ex-ample of people you shouldn't have. There is a reason why they didn't make it to your future."

7. "Some men are always casting for someone to play the Fool, make sure you're not auditioning."

8. "Just for the record, I still love you. I wouldn't bother to torture you if I didn't."

9. "Time decides who you meet in life, your heart decides who you want in your life, but your behaviour decides who will stay in your life."

10. "Woman can fake an orgasm, but men can fake the entire relationship." - Sharon Stone

11. "If you don't love me at my worst then you don't deserve me at my best." - Marilyn Monroe

12. "When a woman cry, it's not over just one thing. It's built up anger and tears they've been holding in for so long."

13. "Value yourself. The only people who appreciate a doormat are people with dirty shoes."

14. "Sure, it was your idea and your fly, but he caught the big fish. Remember, fairness is a human idea largely unknown in nature."

15. "If evolution is real, why are there still monkeys? Well, education is real and there are still morons."

16. "Dear Twilight fans, vampires are dead, With no blood, it's impossible they'd get an erection. Enjoy fantasizing about that." Regards, Logic.

17. "Alcohol may be man's worst enemy, but the bible says love your enemy." - Frank Sinatra

18. "People who dress up their animals. It's not cute, it just shows you shouldn't have a pet."

19. "Your childen will become what you are; so be what you want them to be." - David Bly

20. "The older I grow, the more I distrust the familiar doctrine that age brings wisdom." - H.L. Mencken

21. "We are not defined by the family into which we are born, but the one we choose and create. We're not born, we become." - Tori Spelling

22. "Circumstances and situations do colour life, but you have been given the mind to choose what the colour shall be." - Robert Holden

23. "My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness." - Dalai Lama XIV

24. "Depression is not a sign of weakness, it is a sign that you have been trying to be strong for too long." -Lina Teoh

25. "I'm the type who would never stab someone at the back. I prefer to stab them in the chest."

It's a love and hate life

I think it has been a month or so since I last logged in. I've been partially busy and utterly lazy! So far I owned a hotel, a fashion mall, 2 restaurants and occasionally I play poker in casinos worldwide. On average it takes me slightly less than an hour to supervise all my businesses while having breakfast. And sometimes I need to get my screaming baby away from the keyboard because she loves pulling out the keypad one by one. Yes, I'm a busy person on fb.

In between my businesses, I would go out grocery shopping while planning out the different meals for lunches and dinners for the whole week. Besides that I also need to constantly create special menu of different types of purees for my lil' Ms. Fussy Eater twice a day, every day.

When Dear Hubby is home, he'll blabber non-stop about work and how he need booze right away, or he'll drop by the bar just below our condo and text me to join him. On top of all that, I wouldn't want to miss out some things I love such as pool and ciggies.

From Sassy to Saggy

Call me vain. I couldn't care less. All I know is excess fats on my body freaks me out... big time! Although I have shed all the unwanted pounds, saggy boobies and booties are still a damnation. Such is a woman's body after a baby and I can't imagine after having two or more.

Simple things, one big smile

Are you a Christian? Really?

I am not against Christianity or anything like that. I am married to a Christian husband who encourages me to attend church in attempt to bring me closer to God. In that process, I find myself distancing further away from Christianity. I have been finding for words to explain it to Dear Hubby. Temper flew, harsh words were uttered when Christianity is 'questioned'. Today, Dear Hubby sent me an article (below) that describe exactly why a non-believer like myself is distancing away from Christianity rather than embracing it.

x

EVANGELISM, THE CHURCH AND THE SINNER

God understands man and his weaknesses and pitfalls of life. Unfortunately, the church at large, over the years of ministry in the marketplace have lost focus, lost sight and even vision of what a church was originally intended to be.

The Great Commission

1. For the Church – It’s the Great Commission that should always be the centrifugal basis of its existence. An organisation for the benefit of its non-members.
2. For the Christian – Salt and Light. That is the whole essence of the Christian witness. “Preach the Gospel and where necessary, use words” – Francis of Assisi.

Notice how it is written? I suppose it means "Preach the Gospel (by walking) and where necessary, use words (the talking).

The Church for the people or the people for the Church?

The church is the only organisation in the world where its objectives are for its non-members. A new church is often viewed as liberal, flexible, without having any 'policies' and 'procedures' on how the church should be run. Because a new church wishes to bring in as many members hopefully new converts and not recruiting members of other churches, their focus is very much evangelical in nature. And the sermons always take into account that there just maybe one non-believer whom they can reach out to.

Alas, as church grows strong in membership. The focus shifts inward to the benefit of its members. Sermons are no longer evangelical and even offensive at times to the non-believer. The insecurity of losing members by offending them takes precedence. This, at the expense of non-believers.

The Church is not for non-believers

The Church at large today is not a place to bring non-believers. Christians often use bringing a friend to Church as a short cut way of evangelising. Let the Pastor do the talking, preaching, praying. Christians satisfy their conscience by bringing friends to church.

There are so many offended non-believers because :-

1. They hear sermons from the pulpit putting down non-believers.
Let’s examine the parable of the sower. We sometimes focus on the sower and the whole ‘action’ of sowing. We often say “Oh! I’ve done my part , i.e. taken my friend to church”. And when the friend is offended by the sermon or church or does not open his heart to Jesus. We resolve that it was seed that fell on rocky ground. And ‘pray’ that one day the seed will be sown again to fall on good ground. The seed sown, which is the gospel message, is the same. Bible doesn’t talk about different types of seed. The bible speaks of different types of ground. Who prepares the ground? God? The Devil? Or the Church? It’s the church that has to prepare the ground so that it is always good soil and not rocky ground.

2. The Strong are hidden, the weak - visible
Christians who are on fire for the Lord usually end up spending a lot of time within the Church, disciplining, teaching, ministring, helping, serving. All within the Church scene. But the name-sake Christian or the Christian who is still struggling with his compromising faith spends most of his time outside of the church. He has more contact with non-believers daily than any bible believing, demon bashing, tongue speaking Christian. While a spirit filled Christian walks the talk, no one sees his walk because he is always walking within Church circles which is a bubble and not being exposed again to the worldly temptations. The weak Christian doesn’t walk the talk but that is the bible non-believers see and read.

3. The Punishing and unforgiving Church
Most non-believers have the impression of Christians that – Once you are a Christian, there are a lot of things you can’t do and rules that you have to follow. To the point of dishonoring your parents if they are non-believers. A good example is found in the Chinese culture. While most non-believers understand the principle that once you are a Christian, you are with another “God”. Most non-believers never ask a Christian to pray to idols, or take part in the religious ceremonies. But many view the nucleus of the family as important and would like to see the Christian member being present without taking part in the religious rituals. Some Churches go so far as to tell their members to distant themselves from the non-believing family for fear of prosecution, fear of being ‘influenced’ by religion, fear of being possessed the evil spirits.

Christians have more fear and superstition than non-believers. Christian becomes a religion. Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world. Daniel and his three friends were asked to bow to other gods which they refused and rightly so. But they were in the temple! Christians fail to understand this – A non-believer who believes in other religions can walk into a church but a Christian cannot walk into a temple. Which religion do you think shows itself as stronger? “I am a Buddhist or Hindu, but I can walk into your church, no issue. You’re a Christian and you don’t even dare to walk into a temple anymore”.

Non-believers also understand that if you are a Christian and you sin, steal, commit adultery, get divorced, the Church will reject you. Get your life right then come back to Church. As opposed to come back to church and be open to God to minister and change you. A church that demands change from its members from without the church is no different than a religion based on good works. Furthermore, a religion based on good works has no condemnation. Non-believers see church as a place to do good works like any other religion.

The Church – The Club

Church is a not a friendly place for non-believers, its is often offending with selfish sermons that speak of how if you are a Christian then all good things will come to you, and if you are a non-believer, you will be exposed to evil. The rain falls on the just and unjust. A non-believer will then turn around and ask “Oh! So, if I’m not a Christian, bad and evil days are ahead of me. I have to be a “member” of the Christian club before I can enjoy its privileges” – The conclusion by the non-believer? God is not a God of love as the Christians so fervently preach about.

One or ninety-nine - Who is more important?

The parable of the lost coin and lost sheep. Both focus on the lost item. Most scholars will agree that the coin or the sheep that is not lost is the believer and the lost coin or sheep is the non-believer. So, what does the parable say? The focus should continually be on the non-believer, even ‘abandoning’ the other coins and sheep. All heaven rejoices when one sinner is saved, then the rejoicing is reversed, when the new believer rejoices that he is saved. There is no mention of heaven rejoicing over a believer because once a person is a believer, joy and peace will follow. A continuous life of rejoicing. Rejoice! Rejoice! And again I say Rejoice!

x

“The gospel of Jesus need no adventitious propaganda to make itself felt and accepted. Let your life speak to us, even as the rose needs no speech but simply spreads its perfume” - Gandhi.

You are (almost) like me when.....

1. People tag you as party animal in facebook.
2. You party hard when you're happy.
3. You party harder when you're upset.
4. You're an avid fan of Lady Gaga (She's so talented in music).
5. You can relate to the Money Honey song.
6. Your teenage life is written in Tik Tok by Kesha.
7. You appreciate expensive fast cars.
8. You don't slap a tub of expensive chemicals on your face everyday.
9. You blog to maintain sanity.
10. You love the smell of hot coffee on rainy days.
11. You hate going to the malls on weekends.
12. You term 'having a baby' as wonderful imprisonment.
13. You hate weddings.
14. You wish your middle name is Buffett and you last name is Trump.
15. You have "Quit Dunhill Menthol Lights' on your New Year resolution list every year.
16. You secretly wish Edward Cullen is not a fictional character.
17. You have hots for Jacob Black's six pack.
18. You don't (and never will) take nonsense lying down.
19. You hate bimbo exes who simply don't understand the meaning of 'ex'.
20. You don't do needless talk to those who don't deserve your precious time.
21. You forgive but never forget.
22. You read between the lines all the time.
23. You loathe self proclaimed religious people who don't walk the talk.
24. You strictly believe there's no free lunch in this world.
25. You live by the rule, "Let God be above all, drink your wine and let the world be."