Muffin... yum yum

Xuan eating muffin at our favourite Steak & Egg Restaurant. Video uploading with help from Jason again, thanks Jason.

Happy/unhappy Day!!

I am happy today! Very very happy!!! I saw maple tree, and collected some maple leaves. Hubby will blog it out later. Will see if I have time, I will upload some close-up pic of maple leaf I've collected.

BTW, I am not happy too. My darling son is now having mild fever. I guess he catches cold during our outing, or maybe he too missed his pacifier that cause him fell sick. Since born, Xuan need pacifier only when he wants to sleep. He even don’t need it at night for the previous month. Until recently, he is like addicted will ask for it anytime anywhere. I am now trying to wean him from pacifier. Yes, I guess he is missing his pacifier too much… that’s why he is sick now. *stupid reason but don’t u see those smoker/drug-addict trying to off their addiction often sick during the progress?*

Get well soon my darling. Mummy love u very much.

Xuan now need my tight attention. I have to be with him anytime anywhere whenever he yell and whine for pacifier, regardless day or night. Therefore, I won’t be able to blog or blog hopping often until he gets better, or until he successful off the pacifier addiction.

The World's Shortest Personality Test

Found this from Selba's blog. This is my personality profile

Your Personality Profile

You are pure, moral, and adaptable. You tend to blend into your surroundings. Shy on the outside, you're outspoken to your friends. You believe that you live a virtuous life... And you tend to judge others with a harsh eye. As a result, people tend to crave your approval.

The World's Shortest Personality Test

Kissing Purity

Found this from Simple American , very funny indeed :)

Your Kissing Purity Score: 86% Pure

You've hardly ever been kissed But the kisses you've given are very missed

Kissing Purity Test

人情冷暖… 唉，没了…

不久前看到酱的一则报道：

“某国某地一名女婴出世时，心脏长在体外的脖子和锁骨之间，仅靠血管和体内相连，而且女婴的右手正牢牢地抓在自己的心脏上！由于没有接受心脏手术，女婴的心脏终于出现感染，只活了三天就去世了。女婴的父母家境贫穷，根本负担不起4千多美元的手术费。当地政府官员某某称，因政府设有帮助贫困线以下的家庭计划，他曾等待女婴家人向政府申请帮助，但手续还没来得及办，女婴就去世了。”

“他曾等待女婴家人向政府申请帮助，但手续还没来得及办…”

等待？为什么要等？为什么不能立即施以援手？

申请？为什么非要先申请？难道不能先提出帮助吗？

手续？为什么不能为了救一个‘活’的小生命而先撇开一些‘死’的手续？

没来得及办？为什么来不及？三天！女婴靠生在体外的心脏活了三天！可见她的生命力是多么的强！ 三天还不够多吗？三天都不能嗅到一些人情味吗?

不知道为什么对这则报道很反感，现今社会不再讲‘活’的人情了，都被限制在‘死’的法律，规则，和所谓的手续上。

人情冷暖… 唉，没了…

What’s so different?

What’s so different for the above photo, normal sunset nia lar… Ok now u enlarge the photo, look carefully on the time…

This is what people called 夜长梦多日短, before 1700 the sun already set liao… ai.. Sometimes does makes people feel depressive leh…

If u doesn’t believe it and thought I touch up with Photoshop. Go visit this yahoo weather forecast , check on 'More Current Conditions' on Sunrise and Sunset.

"I quit !!"

Today my part-time maid came and told me:

“我不干了！” (I quit!)

She came to collect her salary and left. She wanted this job badly but her physical cannot stand to work 3 jobs. Yes, she works 3 jobs for living.

I am seeking for a maid now, or just get the management service to do it for me. This building management provides cleaning services, but their charges are higher than the one I have. Don’t care liao, not me paying them, and not hubby paying them either… kekeke…

Oh! thanks to zching for pointing out the mistake for "I am quit!!"

One more, Two more, Three more...

Thousand thanks to Jason for helping me to upload this movie clip. It takes us 1 whole day to do it... big file and slow line (I mean my site lar), or maybe China checking the link so makes it so sloooooooowwwwwww.....

About Xuan

Showing affectionate...

“mummy yang-yang….. yang-yang mummy…” *hug my legs from behind*
“... ... ...”
“darling… darling mummy… darling… darling…” *peeking me from kitchen door*
“... ... ...”
“mummy 要 xuan xuan” *look at me with his cat-cat face*
“... ... ...”
“mummy 抱抱 xuan xuan… mummy 抱抱我, 抱抱我” *crying for carry*
“... ... ...”
“Xuan Xuan mummy….” *patting my back*

Xuan can say…

“Xuan Xuan good boy! daddy 买 car-car.”
“... ... ...”
“good boy 买 tractor… good boy 买 bulldozer… good boy daddy 买 forklift”
“... ... ...”
“去 shopping 买 yoghurt… daddy 回来买 yoghurt…”
“... ... ...”
“daddy 买 yoghurt… mummy 买 yoghurt… mummy 喂 Xuan Xuan 吃 yoghurt…” *very good boy hor can say like this hehehe…*
“... ... ...”
“吃 yoghurt… mimish (finished)… mimish yoghurt… mimish…”
“... ... ...”
“Bob Builder Yes we can!! Bob Builder Yes we can!!”
“... ... ...”
“Xuan Xuan 喜欢 car-car… Xuan Xuan 喜欢 tractor… daddy 喜欢 ambilerns (ambulance)…”
“... ... ...”
“吃饱不要跳…” *but still jumping on the sofa*
“... ... ...”
“不要倒…不要丢…” *but still pouring and throwing toys onto the floor*
“... ... ...”
“daddy 去做 gom (工)… daddy 回来…”
“... ... ...”
“Xuan Xuan 有 bulldozer… Xuan Xuan 有 plis (police) car-car… Xuan Xuan 有 rescue car… Xuan Xuan 有 ambilerns (ambulance)… Xuan Xuan 有 fire gingin (engine)… Bob Builder mi (没) 有!”

4th Wedding Anniversary

Today is our 4^th wedding anniversary. Hooray!! Wow so fast 4 years lioa, anyone can suggest how to celebrate it? But definitely not a candlelight dinner lar huh, u know me well lar that’s impossible for us as we have a 'Monkey Tarzan' to jaga. (eh, hubby complaint why i said our lovely son is Monkey wor, so mah change it to Tarzan loh... Tarzan - brave, great agility and smart too :D)

Nevertheless, I am expecting to receive some beautiful flower or special gift from hubby tonight ;) BTW, I already ordered an Italy TORTA DAMA Chocolate-Pistachio Butter Cream Cake 巧克力开心果酱蛋糕 from Waffle Boy 窝夫小子 for him, and they will deliver to our doorstep on 1800, and of coz hubby gonna pay for it too. :p I will upload the nice pic of the cake tomorrow.

My Dear,

Happy 4^th Anniversary!

Love,

* these photos updated by LeeCS on 0020 16th Dec 2005*

My 5 6 Childhood Memories That Relate To Food

I am being sporting KPC enough to tagged myself from mumsgather ’s blog for this meme related to food. Since she open up for anyone who interested to take part then I found myself really got lots of childhood memories which ties with food mah… so mah blog about it loh. 5 memories are indeed too little for me, thus, I am going to blog about 6… hehehe… then I mah can pass it on to another 6 little ‘hungry ghost’ 喂食鬼 loh :p

Steamboat

Based on my memories, we would have steamboat on our reunion dinner for Chinese New Year. Yes, every year the same only steamboat until now still the same. However, I no longer join the reunion dinner at my mum’s house already, I married liao mah of coz eat at PIL house loh.

Our steamboat ingredients including prawn, fish, sotong, fish balls, meat balls, pork kidney, pork liver, steam chicken, and of coz some greens… etc. Beside, we have char-siu, siu-yok, and roasted chicken too. Place until the whole 10-course table full of food. We have a very happy and lively reunion dinner.

Mango

My mum planted many fruit trees, especially mango. We have 3 mango trees, 1 Ciku tree and I start-fruit tree in our garden. Let’s talk about mango first, I love mango and I love to climb onto mango tree act like a Tarzan with my brother#2. I am very tomboy type and play that kind of adventures game with Bro#2. For example, like swing climb from one tree trunk to another and pluck some branches and leaves to set a campfire. We even nap on a big trunk in the mid-noon but never get to fall. Terror leh ?? haha…

During mango season, we would transform into a monkey to enjoy the juicy mango fruit on the tree branch helped with the harvest. Our mango is sweet, juicy, and big in size. If that is a large harvest, we even sell it to people who bought it then sell at the market. That’s my sweet memory bout mango.

Ciku

One of the fruit tree got it in my mum’s ‘plantation’. Don’t know why we seldom eat the fruit, it got ripe and fell onto the floor all the time. The reason why it related to my childhood was because of this Ciku tree does attract many bats. Some of the bat even make home under our roof. They will fly out to eat the Buah-Ciku every early morning and night. Sometimes they fly very low at the lever about our face, this make me very scare of going outside during night. Sometimes, we saw the dead baby bat on the floor. Especially after a thunderstorm night, I guess they dropped from their nest under the roof during the storm hit. I don’t likes bat but I felt sorry for the dead baby bat lar.

The Ciku tree no longer there after the major renovation for our house on 1989 if not mistaken. Now only I realized I love to eat Ciku, I was trying to search for it at pasar malam or super market but they selling quite expensive sometime. However, whenever I saw Ciku, it will remind me of the dead baby bats lying on the floor.

Star fruit / Carambola

Another fruit tree in my mum’s ‘plantation’. I love the raw star fruit than the ripe one. I ate with plain salt or dip in the soy sauce mix with white sugar. Yummy…

Not only love the fruit, I like the flower and its leaves too. I always play ‘masak-masak 家家酒’ with my sister#6, we used its leaves as vege. We set up 2 bricks with standing position, lit up a candle set between the 2 bricks, put a Milo tin’s cover over the two bricks. That becomes our cooking stove. We fried the leaves, or we squeeze out the fluid from the leaves (dark green color) to make fake drink or ABC (air-batu-campur). The flower always use for decoration purposes, sometimes also fry it with the leaves. We often get scold by mum, cos we pluck the flower. Simple, we cannot have fruit without flowering right. 无花不结果。The flower is very unique and beautiful too. *wahlao we 辣手摧花 tim :p*

Durian

The scene of my whole family squatting on the kitchen floor and eating durian is always floats in my head whenever I saw this fruit. I love to eat it right away from the shell, taste much nicer than the one already in the plate. Does u try before to eat durian with rice? I like it either, the taste was just very different when eat like that.

Many years ago, father bought a land, and then turns it into durian plantation. My dad puts so much effort on the farm, we use to go there everyday, by watching my dad walking around the big plantation and harvest banana, which plant along with the small durian trees to provide shade to the young durian trees. That’s why I have great memory for this fruit.

Black Vinegar Trotter (or called Tu-kah-chor in Hokkien)

This in one of my favorite dishes, not much story to tell but I just love it. My mum is expert in cooking this dish, every time she cooks this I will eat up with 2 big bowls of rice. Simply love the taste and the smell, so great. Somehow, I don’t get to eat a lot during confinement. Don’t know why, may be I have restless mind during that time and totally forgot to ask the confinement lady to cook more for me.

This dish relate to my mum’s cooking skill, which I admire very much. Now mum does not need to cook anymore as all handle by an Indonesian maid. She just becomes a ‘kap-pa-lah’ to order the maid what is to cook nia.

That’s a lot more I wanted to write about but cannot lar, must force myself to stop here otherwise people will fall asleep before finish reading all this funny and non-sense childhood memories of mine.

Ok now is the grand time to announce that this meme are going to the following 6 little ‘hungry-ghost’喂食鬼. I believe their childhood memories will never exclude any nice food in it.

1. Maria aka Twinsmom (haha u can’t escape this time loh...)
2. Jason (this fei-chai big guy definitely cannot left out if talking about food)
3. Egghead (revenge for tagged me to do that killing-brain-cells meme)
4. Soohk (since u blog a lot about food also mah :p)
5. Domestic Goddess (eh don’t talk about ur hair liao but food ok? :p)
6. Selba (wonder how is ur childhood and any memories about food, cos u are the only non-malaysian that i tagged and u love to eat too rite?)

Actually, I wanted to tag more than 6 people but unfortunately I have only 6 ‘vacancies’ to fill in. However, I am going to do like MG, anyone who reads this and feels like taking up the meme, well..... just consider yourself tagged! And remember to let me know when you post your meme up so I can come and KPC :D

立冬了！！

终于立冬了！

从现在开始是初冬了，也是属于初冬深秋或者是秋末冬初，气温还在一般的一度到十五度之间。但就本地人说北京一般冷得晚，尤其 是今年，因往年的这时候气温已在零下了。虽然如此，并不代表还会有暖和的天气。气温会一直下降， 估据入十二月后才会有降雪！ Wow！！！ 降雪呖！听后开心到半死，还没看过真正的雪呢！看过那些人造雪是脏得要命，好期待看真正的雪。不知有没机会打场雪仗呖？

好期待！好兴奋！唔~~~

Obituary

With heavy heart to post up here, my uncle (伯公, father’s eldest brother) has passed away last night. We never know he was so sick until we received the bad news.

Deepest condolences to my uncle’s family.

Now my heart goes to my mum, with seeing all folks as her age gone one by one. All of a sudden, I miss her very much.

Routine Check

I was tagged by egghead to do this boring interesting MEME sometime ago. Ok let’s start now.

Before Marriage

As an interior designer working in the foreign company, we live in “no-boss-here-to-control” world. 山高皇帝远 (mountain high king far-far). Life wasn’t routine BUT full of excitement. Although some of the daily activities might seems repeated but I still can’t call it a routine.

Every morning, I wake up at 0730, lie on the bed day dream for another 15min, then get up to bathe, put on some make-up, styles my hair, choose clothes to wear (I have my very own style of clothing trust me, as a designer we should have it right?), etc… Ready and sit in the car at 0845, think about what to eat. Usually will drive to the nearer nasi lemak stall to buy breakfast then headed to work, or straight away to office then go to the canteen located next to my office to get some other food to eat, of cos must buy “The Star” paper to read as well during breakfast with colleagues in the office.

During breakfast, everybody chitchatting on some interesting news in the paper and trying to search for any ‘warehouse sale’ or ‘big sale’ advertisement on the paper too. If we found any big sale going on, our lunch will be quite pack and rush. Cause why? We have to rush to the sale spot to grab some cheap on sale item, after that go have some nice food nearby that area then only head back to office. Normally this will take us 2.5 hours to accomplish our mission. However, if that is a quiet season without any big sale going on, we will buy our lunch at the back lane of PNB building, with a lot of temporary food stall selling Malay food, fruits, drinks over there, then have our lunch in the office. Sometimes we will go to KLCC or Ampang Park as our office was in Menara Tan & Tan, very nearby with walking distance only.

We usually leave office on 1900 if that is some works to do BUT not a rush work. Needless to tell if need to rushing out tender or when project on construction, we might have to stay late in order to finish out the work. When free day come, no tender no work to do, we will leave office sharp at 1800 then gather again at Starbucks Coffee KLCC, or mamak stall near my area for ‘happy hour’ cum dinner. After ‘yam-char’ with colleagues, go home and bathe. If still early, go sister house which located at the other block of my apartment. I love to play with my nephew and chitchatting with sis. Somehow, when I am tired and late from work, I will stay home to watch TV or listen to light music while surfing net. I only clean my house twice a week... hehe lazy ya :p

Did u realize that I never mention about my fiancé? Cause he is traveling oversea and only come back every fortnight, and usually on weekend. Therefore, my weekend will be a bit different. When fiancé was around, shopping loh... what else? If he not around, I go back to my hometown. That’s it. I am a good girl will never flirt around even though fiancé is not with me.

Thanks Greenapple correct me the spelling error for 'fiancée' to change to 'fiancé', keke... I am definitely not a lesbian :p

Ok now say goodbye to my exciting and wonderful life before marriage.

After Marriage

For the first year, I went to work in Jakarta together with hubby. Experienced a total different lifestyle but still enjoyable, carefree, and yet full of excitement. Working in a non-related field sometime do stressed me out, but that is a passing rain and cloud, and sun will still shine and brighten up my day.

Morning wake up at 0630, have to wake up so early cos I use the bathroom first then hubby’s turn. After bathe, put on make-ups, styles my hair, wear stocking (I hate this but have to cos this is to suit the high heel shoes), change cloth (not much choice now as need to wear formal not like last time can wear how casual/style as I wish), etc…

By 0720, go down together with hubby and colleagues to the apartment lobby to wait for company van to fetch us to office. Reach office at 0800, go Dunkin Donut for breakfast, ordered coffee and plain donut everyday. Start work at 0900. Lunch at 1230, usually we have it at canteen. Only Friday, or some special day, we may opt for some special food like Thai food or western food. Once a while there will be a ‘flee market’ on the 21 floor of our office building or at the ground floor open-air area located between two buildings. I love to shop around after eaten my lunch, with colleagues of course, then only can buy more things mah haha… Almost everyday work till late, let’s talk about if no need to work late first. Few of us will take turn to cook dinner or we cook it together. Sometimes do eat out at Samudra, or Eaton, or Suki, or some Chinese restaurant whereby we can order lot of dishes and share. If we need to work late, we will go dinner at the other building located behind our office block, need to walk quite a distance to that place. Also mostly Chinese food we choose, or else will go to the Euro Café in the same building with our office. Sometimes unexpectedly work late, our good boss will treat us good dinner at some nice restaurant. Sometimes we planned to go home early but somehow still a bit too late until all food stall closed shop already, then I have to cook simple dish like fried noodle or easier way, we eat instant noodle.

We work thru the weekend, but go to work late at about 1100 with packed MacDonald or KFC for lunch. Dinner will be the same either we cook ourselves, or with colleagues, or eat out nice food at nice restaurant or someone belanja… haha…

Second year, I got pregnant. Back home in Malaysia doing only sit, and eat, and sleep for the whole 9 months.

After ZhiXuan was born

Life before came to Beijing. In the early stage, wake up 0600 in the morning, sometimes 0530 all depends on Xuan’s timing. Once Xuan was awake, milk him then bathe him (yes, early in the morning before go out from our room). After bath, lay him on the boucle whereby I can sip my coffee and eat my bread while playing with him. After breakfast, nurse Xuan to sleep then start to do housework. The cycle of milking, playing, singing, nursing Xuan to sleep, continue housework repeated for the whole day. Forgotten how I have lunch and dinner (memory lost) but only can recall I am on strict diet that time, so I guess I skip my lunch and dinner or what, or maybe just have tea and biscuit.

After become SAHM, no more make-ups, never styles my hair, simply grab any wearable cloth from my wardrobe. However, the good thing here is I still don't need to cook, only to cook porridge for son.

When Xuan was 5 months old, I started to bring him out for morning walk. Sometimes I brought him to play ground to mix around with other kids. I let him crawl upwards on the slide, play swing with him… have lot of fun. Made friend at the play ground whom also staying at the same apartment with us. She has a boy exactly same age with Xuan, only 2 week younger than Xuan. We meet everyday, visiting each other house in the afternoon. Call to go swimming together in the evening. I brought Xuan swimming everyday and he love swimming too. Xuan sleep at 2000 every night, then I can have my quiet dinner sipping coffee eating biscuit and watching TV alone. Hubby still travel at the time.

After Xuan is above 1 year old, I brought him go breakfast every morning. Seldom let him try my food but always baby biscuit until right before I came Beijing, I let him eat some bean curd and noodle. After breakfast we will go wandering around our area, pack my lunch (yes pack it in the morning then heat it up before eat). Afternoon and night would be repeated the same routine as above.

Life after we came to Beijing. Morning wake up early (time depends on Xuan too), prepare breakfast. Usually cook American breakfast with fried eggs, ham, or bacon, greens with bread, or bun. Sometimes make French toast. Sometimes steam the ready-made pork meat bun or red bean bun (char-siu-pao or tao-sah-pao).

After breakfast, start to prepare lunch and cook at 1030, Xuan will have his early lunch at 1100. Xuan finished his lunch at 1200 or 1230 (took 1 or 1.5 hours to finished it *roll eyes*). Bathe him and nap time, he has to sleep on his own whereby I can eat my lunch with hubby. After lunch while Xuan is still asleep, I do washing up and mop floor. When everything done, hehehe… my free time for blogging and blog hopping!

After become SAHM and live in Beijing, not only no more make-ups, no more styles the hair, simply grab any wearable cloth from my wardrobe. I even have to cook for son and hubby too. Yeah luckily, I love cooking.

Xuan wake up from his nap 2 hours later, after milk play awhile with him, or read some books for him, or watch his DVD with him. Evening, prepare his dinner then feed him (hubby and me always skip our dinner. Usually we eat biscuit with coffee only). Hubby come home at 1830, he play with Xuan and I go finish up the remaining housework. After that, bathe then nurse Xuan to sleep at 2100, and I always goes dose off too and awake again at 2300. Follow by my little free time for blogging and blog hopping before I call it a day (notice that left only 1 hour for me to do this). Now is already 0100 in the morning I am still here to do this boring interesting MEME, no thanks to egghead by given me this opportunities to write and tag someone else for this boring interesting task.

The poor souls I am going to tag with this will be:

• Selba
• Soohk
• Yong Kian
• Bro Peng Shyong again

Added here 3 more poor souls to tag for the reasons of firstly, want to know about routine life for other mummies, secondly, they have been lazy~ing busy for quite sometime without updating their blogs already.

• Mumsgather
• 1+2mom
• Domestic Goddess

Updated:
Ok I know someone might have problem to blog about all this marriage thingy and start to scratching their head, here is some tips. U can modify it to your very own way, refer to this clever girl see how she modified the MEME and u can try out yours.