Good Bye 2008, Hello 2009 !

Believe it or not, we’re in the last day of 2008. Me also tida mau ketinggalan to post my last entry for the year..hehe…Tomorrow will be another new year to start. It’s amazing how fast time goes by.

2008 has been a year with many memorable events in my life. One of them is – I started blogging on July 2008. Looking back at all the happenings this year, some memories make me happy, while others make me teary-eyed. But itu la asam garam kehidupan. Whatever happened, life must go on!

As usual, when the New Year is approaching, the popular questions that linger on our lips:- “Did you achieved all your 2008 resolutions?” , “ What are your resolutions for the coming year? “

As for me, I didn’t achieve all of them though. I guess I’ll carry it forward to 2009! *smile* Like previous years, I’ll only make my new resolutions on the last day of the present year. So, I’ll think about it tonite. But Saving More $$$ will definitely be on the top..haha…

So, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you guys, A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR 2009! MAY IT BE A PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR FOR ALL OF US!

P/s: If I ever said or wrote something that may have offended you, I am truly, deeply sorry.

Read More......

Christmas Post Mortem - Part 2

The highlights continue:-

27 Dec ~ Attended Tome & Chelven's wedding reception in Beverly Hotel, KK. Both bride and groom are our (hubby & I) friends in UPM. Had a good time that nite. Well, the foods were so-so, except for the red wine. Don’t really fancy wine but this one is exceptional. It’s sweet and delicious, without the kelat or bitterish ( am not too sure if it’s the right English word) taste. The wine was limited so only managed to have a glass. The best thing about that nite besides being able to share the joy of the newly-wed couple, was that we got a chance to meet with other fellow UPMers. Apa lagi, so many story came up, works, personal etc. A lot of catching up to do, yet so little time to spend. *sigh* Man_D was supposed to come but she got an upset stomach pulak at the last minute..must be too much moginum the day before...*wink* Another dear friend, iLLa’s plan to chill-out and drink after that was almost spoiled...but we were determined not to let anything spoil the plan. So it was just the 3 of us, iLLa, hubby & I.

We went to D' Junction, Penampang after the reception. Surprisingly, the place was not crowded. Wonder where all the ppl go?! Maybe still holidaying in their kampungs. The live band’s performance was a blast. We managed to enjoy a few songs before they went for their break. Hmmm...during the break, we were entertained with ear-deafening music for 30 miutes or so. Felt my heart thumping against my chest! When the band came back, they did their version of Fall For You (originally by Secondhand Serenade), which was great..cheers! The crowd joins in to sing on the chorus, of course, we're no exceptional! Lurrveee this song...

A glance at the menu, under the "Alcohol & Beverages"..Oh my! What’s that? There were some cocktail with a VERY INTERESTING name, e.g. Slippery Nipple, Blow Job, Dirty Orgasm, 7 Sins. Of course, there are others but can’t remember. Probably the alcohol has flows its way into my system …haha..I’m not much of drinker actually. Whoever came up with the idea of naming them sure had done a great job. Won't fail to catch an eye!

Hubby ordered 2 glass of whiskey, while the ladies ordered 2 shots each of cocktails. Frozen Margarita and Rainbow Cocktail for iLLa, and Pina Colada & Long Island Iced Tea for myself. Too bad I didn't have a camera handy. It’s impossible to take a good pic with my cikai Hp under the very low lighting. So to not disappoint you guys, here are some pics...well the presentation didn't exactly look like these but more or less the same la. I liked my choice of drinks, but not too crazy for the margarita. The taste is too bitter for my liking...even iLLa was disappointed with it.

28 Dec ~ Went back to Keningau again. After unloading our luggage at my in-laws, we went straight to Sabah Agricultural Park, Lagud Seberang,Tenom. InobongProper had wrote about this park here. Arrived there around 4pm. Hubby was so determined to see the orchids especially the Orkid Selipar, that we work our way on foot. The orchid place was the furthest to go. Train was not in operation any more as it was already late. We only managed to see a few species of hybrid orchid. Need to go back as fast as we could before it rain. Hmmm…keciwa si hubby tida dapat tingu Orkid Selipar. Next time we come early la dear supaya dapat naik train,tida payah jalan kaki. Going around the park on foot is sooo tiring. He had to carry daughter some more …hehe.. I have no idea what type of tree is it?! Never seen it before.

29 Dec ~ Attended hubby’s cuz, Debbie and Freddy’s engagement. Congratulations to both of you. Off to Penampang in the evening.
So that’s whole story for the Christmas holiday and the long weekend. The end.

Read More......

Christmas post mortem - Part 1

I know, I’ve abandoned my blog for 5 days! I am guilty as charged. At first I was too lazy to go online, due to the streamyx itself. It seems to run with the speed of a snail. It took like forever to load anything…*sigh* Besides, nothing much happened during Christmas and over the weekend. Some highlight here:-

24 Dec ~ Hubby, daughter Vanessa & I went to Sacred Heart Cathedral KK for the Christmas Eve Mass. Yey, we reached there on time, just before the Christmas Carols started @ 8pm, secured a seat for ourselves ;) . The choir did a wonderful rendition of carols, a mixture of both traditional and modern. Got applause from the audience, even lil’ Vanessa clapped her hands after each songs :) . My fav got to be The First Noel! The church was so full, the air was so hot inside. All the fans were switched-on but it didn’t do much help.

Being a toddler, daughter can only sit still for 1 hour…a record so far! Thanks to the kids sitting behind who kept her amused. We retreated outside just before she started to go out of control. Even though we have to stand there, the cool night air was really refreshing. Daughter was soo happy to run around with the other kids. The Mass started @ 9pm, an hour earlier than previously,…which explain why some ppl only came at 10pm. Nevertheless, the church was so packed that the parking space at the main entrance was flooded with devotees. The plastic chairs at the chapel could not accommodate all the ppl.

25 Dec ~ On Christmas Day itself, we stayed at home, lazing around. Well, being an only child, no anticipation for other sibling to come balik kampung. It’s kinda lonely. My first ever attempt to organize a Family Christmas Gathering didn’t happened, as aunts & cuzs were too occupied with their own program. Hmm..will try again next year :) !

It’ll be a different story though if we spent Christmas with my in-laws in Keningau. Every year there will sure be a gathering. But I feel guilty to leave my mom behind, alone at home during Christmas. There is no way, mom willing to leave the house unless it’s a day trip. She’s worry about her chickens, dogs, cats and her pet burung tiung – “Who will feed them?” she said. Tough question to answer. Can’t depend too much on the aunty next door bcos she too was busy with her own family activities. “What if she forgot to feed them?” Another tough question to tackle. * sigh * In short, mom just didn’t want to bother other ppl …lagi pun mana dia harap urang lain bulih jaga ternakan dia dgn baik, macam dia! Hehe…. Then again, day trip is tiring, 2 ½ hours drive to and fro is simply exhausting..not only for the driver but also the passengers…maklumlah kereta kicil. So, in the end, STAY AT HOME only lor…*smile*

Will continue Part 2 soon. You guys might get bored with this post. It supposed to have pics to go with but I forgot to download them from camera. Tida siok bah kalau story without gambar kan…*wink*

Read More......

Merry Christmas everyone....

It’s been a week since I last posted my entry. Hmm..no worries…I’m still around. Except for some disappointment here and there, I guess I’m okay. Honestly, I’m a bit disappointed and sad bcos most of my plan for this Christmas didn’t and won’t turn out as I planned. Can’t help it with these feeling.

* sigh* Yup, I missed the BWF Super Series Finals, we needed to go back to my in-laws place. BIL held his wedding reception on last Sunday, 21st. Got too tangled up with the last minute preparation. Didn’t even have a chance to watch the finals on the telly :(. Despite all the last minute prep & arrangement, I’m glad that all went well. But it’ll sure be a lot more better if only some crucial prep & arrangement was done earlier. So, an advice to other BIL & SIL, do prepare awal-awal especially all the small –small thingy to avoid any regrets ya!

Okay, enough said on this disappointment thingy. For God's sake today is Christmas Eve already. It’s time to be merry and jolly :). Hopefully can go off earlier and get ready to church. Have to be there at least 1 hour early…otherwise it’ll be packed, no seat available. Cannot tahan la standing for hours, apa lagi if my dear sumandak demand to be carried. Adeiii….

To all Christian friends:- Wishing you guys and your loved ones, a Merry & Blessed Christmas where ever to are! Drive safely ya!

And to non-Christian friends:- Happy Holiday and do drive safely!

Read More......

The longest wait...

What a hectic day it was in the office yesterday. Since I was on leave the day before, all the work had pile-up on my desk. Didn’t even have time to post a new entry. By the end of the day, I was so exhausted.

I took a leave on Monday to accompany mom for her annual review at the Eye Clinic, Queen Elizabeth Hospital. She has undergone a minor surgery on her left eye 2 years ago to remove the cataract. It was our first visit since all the clinics were moved to the adjacent new building. They evacuated the old one a few months ago (not too sure though when was the exact date…) due to safety reason. The building structure was simply too old and might posed safety hazard to people. A hot debate topic on the local papers. All warded patient has been moved to Sabah Medical Centre (SMC) old building in Likas.

The new building was clean, comfy and plenty of seat for the patients to occupy while waiting. Temperature inside was cool, just nice. Not too cold like the old one..where ppl were shivering with cold. They even set-up a corner for the children to play. Good idea.. :)

Despite all that, the waiting time was still the same old story. No wonder la most ppl dreaded going to gov hospital/clinic. Mom and I were not so happy to go there either. But no choice, have to go also. *sigh * Visit to Government Hospital/Clinic = Long, long wait by the lobby..

Mom appointment was @ 8.30am but we came late @ 9.00am. Being our first time there, we’re not familiar with the place. We relied on the signboard and asked around for direction. Eventually we managed to locate the Eye Clinic safe and sound but sempat juga bah sesat sekejap :) .

It took 1 and half hours wait before mom was registered. * sigh * How frustrating. There was this Inai (aunty) who complained a few times. It’s understandable. She claimed that she has been waiting since 7.30am (operation hours start) but still not registered yet. The Inai didn’t lose her cool, instead she voice out her complained in a calm tone. Some other ppl were getting edgy due to the long wait and started crowding the Registration Desk, complaining. The reason given for the long wait was “ Fail susah mau cari, baru pindah bangunan baru. Tolonglah sabar ya.” Nasib baik lah the Nurses explained politely. If only they asked, I was more than happy to lend a hand to look for the files. Hehe...anything to expedite the process!

Going marah-marah also no point, it won’t do any good. So mom & I waited patiently. While mom was getting chummy with the Inai, I started reading. Lucky I’d bring along a book to kill-off some time or else I’ll die of boredom! Hmm…the book was NOT interesting at all, but boy, am I glad that I had it then..haha..

The visit involved 5 processes – Registration, Visual Acuity Exam, Consultation with Dr @ Ophthalmologist, Further Check-up with Optometrist and consultation with Dr. again. Each checking and consultation took only 30 minutes max but the waiting was unbearable, seems like an endless wait. * sigh*

We were so relieved when Doc said mom eye was ok. Can go home liao …But before leaving we have to endure another wait. This time, for the Nurse to return the Appointment Card. Adeiiii!! It’s already noon time and we’re starving. Good thing we came in handy with some kuih ubi manis and water. Even that didn’t manage to suppress the growling monster in my stomach. Hehe…but better something than nothing at all kan…sorou poh. The canteen was a far walk from the new building. We finally left at about 1.30pm and the poor Inai was still not done with her check-up yet. * sigh *

Read More......

Climbing capers

Since daughter Vanessa was able to walk around and climb 4 months ago, nothing seems safe anymore. As soon a she become mobile, we tucked away all those fragile and dangerous items onto the high shelves and drawers. But now, the things in the drawers are not so safe anymore. We have to chalk the edges so that it won't opened easily when pulled.

My little sumandak

She has not developed stacking skills yet, now can only stand on tip-toe. I know it just a matter of time for her to discover that skill. * sigh* Daughter also loves climbing the sofa. Mom came up with the idea of tying down the sofa cushions to prevent them from falling when pulled. So far, this trick works. Thanks mom for the idea! *hug *

Hmm… since hubby attached a latch (or rather a hook) on the doors, daughter lost her interest in the shoes cabinet..hehe. Before it was latched, she threw all the contents on the floor. Her grandma was so tired of her antic that one day she just let it be. When I came home from work, I almost fainted looking at the mess…Aduss! * a slap on the forehead *

Now her interest has shifted to the house phone. She’ll try to grab the handset at every chance she had. But she won’t utter a sound if you talk to her on the phone. Hmm…it’s time to drill some holes on the wall again, and make a shelf. Year end project for hubby… :p

I’m trying to teach daughter to feed herself. Sure, it’s a messy activity but it’s just something that we, the parents have to grin (or perhaps, grimace) and bear. Just hope for the best. Thank God I got an Indonesia maid now. Mom won’t be that tired looking after Vanessa. I have also started potty training for daughter. She was all hairan when sat on the potty aka tampui yesterday. Haha…can’t wait to see her progress.

Read More......

Ol' King Kong Biscuit

Have you ever had this biscuit before? Well, according to the packaging, it is called Biskut Campuran but I named it Biskut King Kong...hehe. This locally made biscuits has and will always be one of my favourite snacks. (The other one being Keropok Mi Mi *wink*) When I was small, it can be easily bought at any kedai runcit in the kampung and in the school canteen. But, nowadays you can rarely find them. When I was in primary school, me and some friends always save some coins to buy them after school and enjoyed them on the school bus to ease our hunger. As we lived quite far, we were among the last to reach home. *sigh*

Since not being able to find it for quite sometimes, I thought that they no longer exist. One day, the factory decided to stop the manufacturing of this ‘old’ biscuit and give way to modern biscuits/snacks.

But whooa, what do you know?!! My fav biskut King Kong has NOT gone extinct! Only hard to find! Stumbled on them in a small, old sundry shop near the Tamu Donggongon. When I saw them, I was smiling from ear to ear. Grabbed 5 packs right away to satisfy my sweet tooth. I must have looked like an idiot, smiling to myself. When I looked-up, the two girls aka shop assistants were giggling at the corner. Who cares…I found my long lost fav snack…nothing else matter. LOL

As I noticed, there was not much different on the packaging, it still display a King Kong, except now it was carrying a tray of cookies instead of a tree branch. Good ol’ Kong was given a new, modern image…*smile*. Still, there were 3 pieces of biscuits per packet, 2 whites with a brown one in between. The white one is made from corn flour, egg and sugar. It melts into your mouth when consumed. The other is made from dried coconut flesh and sugar. Hmm…I don’t fancy this one though. As always, I reserve them for mom…hehe…Mom like them though.

Over the years, the biscuit still tastes the same except now it is a little bit harder to chew and won’t melt easily like it used to be. No change in diameter also, only the thickness has become slightly thinner. Now it is selling at RM0.20, compare to yesteryears at only RM0.10 per pack. Still very cheap though.

Read More......

The truth behind...

I’m sure all of you out there have gone thru an appraisal interview before. Here are the most common comments that we may get. Cool comments eh?! Do check-out the real meaning behind….hehe…

Weekend datang lagi..plus one extra off-day on Monday! Yey ! Have a happy-happy weekend and holiday ya!

To all Muslim friends, Selamat Hari Raya Haji.

Read More......

Batman fan?

As I was passing-by the stalls in Tamu Donggongon yesterday evening, there was this one particular stall that attracted quite a number of people. What was this vendor selling? Mama Mia getting curious liao…but thought better of it. Instead of going through the crowd, I waited for them to subside then go have a look. I’m a short, petite person, so even if I stretch my neck to the max, still, the only thing I can see is other people back…LOL

After buying all the things I needed, I headed back to the stall. Hehe…good, only a few ppl left. Then I saw the item on sale. It’s a bird? No. It’s certainly not a plane. It’s a frozen BAT. Only one left. It was kept it in the freezer for 2 days until the weekly tamu day arrived. Looking at it, I felt pity for this unfortunate flyer of the night. The bat is quite big and it cost RM10…best price. Expensive ? As the vendor said, “Ini barang susah mau dapat bah!” So, that explains the price.

Bat aka kelawar in Malay, gavi in Kadazan and gawir in Dusun dialect is a delicacy among the local. I guess the most common and the only bat dish that I know of is bat porridge. The bat is cleaned and gutted before cut into small chunks, then, boiled together with the rice. By the time the rice become porridge, the meat has also become soft and tender. But don’t ask me how it tastes like ya…I never tasted bubur kelawar before. People said it’s delicious. Some more, bat meat is also good for health, especially its gut. According to the vendor, eating the gut can cure asthma.

The vendor was so friendly (or was he so eager to sell it off?!) that he even explained how to clean the bat. It sounds like the cleaning process are quite complicated, a lot of work to be done. Hmmm…don’t think I’m going to put myself thru all the fuss. Besides, I’m not too adventurous in exploring new taste. So I’ll pass the bat meat. “Sorry la uncle, sia tidak pandai makan juga ni barang. Sia ambil gambar dia saja la, bulih ka?” “Bulih bah kalau kau!”, the vendor replied cheerfully.

Read More......

BWF World Super Series Masters Finals

World top shuttlers are coming to town soon to compete in the Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Super Series Masters Finals. This great event will be held at the Likas Indoor Stadium in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah from Dec 18–21.

World No.1, Datuk Lee Chong Wei (LCW) will lead our country’s challenge in the battle for prestige and of course, the prize money worth USD 500,000 (RM1.7 million). Wow…a lot of money !! I’m sure all eyes will be fixed on the Men’s Singles. Aside from LCW, other competitors in the event are Chen Jin (China), Sony Dwi Kuncoro (Indonesia), Joachim Perrson (Denmark), Peter Gade (Denmark), Lin Dan (China), Taufik Hidayat (Indonesia) and Chan Yan Kit (Hong Kong). Who will win this event? Lets just keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best for LCW to reach the final.

If you don’t already know, tickets are on sale since yesterday. To avoid the hustle, you can buy them here . The tickets for the final will cost RM105 – RM125. Hmm..since I have ran out of idea on what to give hubby as present for Christmas this year, why not I belanja him to join the crowd in the stadium to the watch the final kan?! Something different from the previous years… Well, ONLY IF his boss DOES NOT ask him to go out-station again…harap-harap tidak la.

Read More......

Is this the sign ??

Went out for lunch today and I did the silliest thing, again…I forgot to bring along the office’s keys. I locked them inside the office. Argghh…what was I thinking. Well, this is the 2nd time I locked in my keys inside. Hmm…is this the sign that I’m getting older? Getting forgetful? Nope not….I’m not that old yet. Am I ? Common, am not even 30 yet…

This time I was lucky again bcos my colleague who is supposed to fly to KL today was still at home. I have to call him and asked him to come with his keys. Luckily, he doesn’t live that far. Worse, what if he was already on the plane. Matai la….Can’t imagine what I’m going to do. Probably knock down the door..you know, like the cops in the TV…Ceh! Bagus kalau kuat kan…!

By the way, my other colleague can’t help either. He was on leave today. He and family were already heading to Labuan via Menumbuk. The 1st incident, he was already on his way to help the other colleague in the installation of new computers in KWSP when I called him. I felt bad and guilty bcos he had to drive all the way back here again..thanks to my carelessness. That time fuel price is still high you know… :(

You guys got any remedy or tips on how to curb this forgetfulness thingy?! Share-share la with me…

Anyway, its weekend again. Have a nice weekend with your loved ones. Me got to attend 2 weddings…wedding season is in town in conjunction with the school holiday. :) Every weekend got invitation.

Read More......

Christmas carol 2008...

This was e-mailed by a friend. Hmm..what do you think? Its a reminder for us to spend our money wisely, cut-off our spending on unnecessary things and save some for emergency use.
[Sing to the music of Santa Claus is coming to town.]

You'd better watch out
You'd better not cry
You'd better keep cash
I'm telling you why:
Recession is coming to town.

It's hitting you once,
It's hitting you twice
It doesn't care if you've been careful and wi se
Recession is coming to town

It's worthless if you've got shares
It's worthless if you've got bonds
It's safe when you've got cash in hand
So keep cash for goodness sake, HEY

You'd better watch out
You'd better not cry
You'd better keep cash
I'm telling you why:
Recession is coming to town!

Finance products are confusing
Finance products are so vague
The banks make you bear the cost of risk
So keep out for goodness sake, OH

You'd better watch out
You'd better not cry
You'd better keep cash
I'm telling you why:
Recession is coming to town.

Read More......

What?!!

Bought a pack of 6 PAMA Instant Rice Vermicelli on my way back yesterday...to my surpirise it cost RM5.70! Biar betul ni...takajut bah si MamaMia. At first I thought my worn-out spec was playing trick on me. So I took a good, closer look...and yup, no tricks, it really cost RM5.70. Adeii...mahalnya suda pula ni barang!

As I was getting ready to go off yesterday ,out of the blue, mom called to buy a few on my way back. So, I stopped by at this sundry shop to grab a few, quite popular due to its strategic location. Near the bus terminal to the kampungs. Its been a while since I last bought one..lost track of the price already. Last time it cost around RM4.80 -RM5.00 for half a dozen. Now the loose packet is sold at RM0.95 each.... it used to be RM0.80.

Mom's a fan of this particular instant mihun soup. It taste nice...the soup of course :). The mihun itself, taste like ...mihun la. The deliciousness of the soup must be contributed by the high amount of MSG in the seasoning powder. I know its not nutritious at all, some more not good for health. That's why I seldom buy or eat it. If I don't buy them, takut pulak my mum merajuk :p. Anyway, I always told her only to have it once in a while. I only use half of the seasoning powder, of course, its not so tasty but I'll add in some fishballs and tomatoes to improve the taste. Hehe...

On the other hand, I noticed that the goods sold in this particular shop are quite pricey. A few months back, due to the price hike in petrol, the price of goods also increased. But now after the price of petrol had decrease, most probably will decrease again sooner ,the tauke should have reduced the price of goods also. But sad, that didn't happened. Except for the rice, prices of other goods still remained on the high side. How come?!

Read More......

..and the winner is…

Team HK, Vince and Sam. They were the first to arrive at the last pit stop in the beautiful island of Phuket, Thailand and become the officially winners of TARA Season 3. They bagged home the prize money of USD100,000. Congratulations boys! Sure am glad to see them win instead of the annoying G. If the Team Philippines won, G will definitely do that dance of his and be grinning from ear to ear. Ahh…can’t bear to see that!

Our team, Tania and Ida was in the 3rd place. If only they managed to get on the same flight (Dubai-Bangkok) with the rest, it may turnout to be a different story at the end. Nevertheless, I’m proud of them. Once they were at the last spot but had successfully made their way back. Bravo! Whoever managed to finish a race like this, dubbed the toughest race ever, deserved a big applause, regardless whether they win or not. It’s a lifetime achievement!

Read More......

Tonight is the night….

Yup, toninght we'll know who will arrive first at the last pit stop for the race around the world. Tonight is the finale of the Amazing Race Asia 3! I'm all excited already, can't wait to see who will bag home the Grand Prize and be USD100,000 richer. Will it be our very own Tania & Ida? Team Philippines, Geoff and Tisha? Or will it be the Hong Kong buddies, Vince and Sam?

Hmm, despite all the excitement, I'm also sad at the same time bcos after this, no more race to be anticipated every Thursday nite. Have to wait for the Season 4 which is such a long wait lagi…:(

Whatever it is, there’s no way I’m going to miss tonight’s episode. I’ll be ready in front of the TV just before it starts. Don’t wanna miss a thing on this last adventure. Haha…

All the best to Ida & Tania…hopefully lady luck is at their side tonight!

Read More......

Monday ,free and easy…

It’s been raining on and off outside. Now, it’s sunny pulak. Ah…the unpredictable weather. It’s damn cold in the office and not much to do. Yup, you read it right. It’s Monday and not much to do! It’s one of the free and easy Monday that comes only once in a blue moon… *grin* Must be my lucky day!

Started my reading on another James Patterson book, The 5th Horseman while listening to my fav songs on my playlist. Feeling a lil’ bit envy eh? There is more…:p .

I’m also enjoying the kuih cempedak I bought during lunch time. I happened to passed-by a stall when my sensitive nose caught the aromatic smell of the kuih cempedak. Arrgh..can’t help it, got to buy some..I lurrvee them so much! Now my minum petang is almost perfect…all I need is a mug of hot Nescafe to go with my cold kuih cempedak. * A slap on the forehead* Aiseyman, no coffee pulak…a mug of Milo will do la! My other colleagues are also doing their own activity. * wink*

In case you’re wondering how my boss react to this? Hehe…he’s not around all the time. He doesn’t know. He can’t see either. He’s in KL… That’s what I like about my job, no boss bossing around, no office politic.

Read More......

Panic at the shopping mall...

Yesterday, hubby and I went jalan-jalan at Centre Point. Its been a while since our last visit. Hubby was looking for a new pair of sandal/slipper. His old one already worn-out. Its hard to find the one that is both comfy and with affordable price. Hush Puppies was very comfy BUT pricey too...so cancel lor. We end up checking out all the shoes shop available in the building...*LOL*

All of a sudden, teda ribut, teda angin, some security guard rushed to the upper floor...much to the surprise of the shoppers...we were no exception. Hmm...must be a pick-pocket caught in the act I thought. A few minutes later, the security guards was dragging a teenage boy..one of the many that loiters in the mall. In a blink, the escalator was crowded with teenagers. The boy in custody was shouting to another boy.I guess it must be a gang fight. Guards were trying to control the situation, asking the crowd to leave but in vain.

In the midst of the chaos, hubby sempat lagi snap these pics from my Hp camera before going on with our objective...looking for his sandal that is. Hehehe... Just look at the crowd, despite the guards intruction to leave, they did exactly the opposite!

After trudging into all the shoe shop, finally hubby settled for a pair of Kangaroo sandal. Itu pun after banyak kali fikir. The price is within the budget but the sandal was not as comfy as Hush Puppies...tapi bulih la.

Read More......

How to write resignation letter?

Hate your job that you wanna quit? Are you honest enough to tender a resignation letter or rather a memo just like these ? Any boss will faint reading them…LOL. On the other hand, a letter like this will earn you a place in their memory. You’ll be remembered forever by your boss, err… ex-boss *wink *

memo 1

memo 2

memo 3

Have a nice weekend folks! :)

Read More......

Ouch! It hurts...

Spent the whole weekend at home, having quality time with daughter. I patiently layan all her antics which include playing with her toy piano, running around, supervising her at the stairs, stopping her from grabbing the cat’s tail etc. It’s tiring especially the carrying her around, all 10kg…*sigh * Hopefully I burned some calories along the way…LOL. A look at her happy face and a flash of her magic smile make the tiredness go away. I guess, this is the factors that make a mother can endure all the pain and suffering…some time beyond our imagination.

Okay, back on track. While having happy-happy time, out of a sudden daughter started biting my left shoulder. Ouch! Told her politely to stop doing so bcos it hurts…she gave me that innocent smile and stopped but only for a while. Then the second, third and few more bites follows…she didn’t stop despite my warning until I left her alone at the couch. Said I’m going away bcos daughter don’t want her mommy anymore that she began to cry and scrambled down the couch to get her mommy. Ah…this tactic always work…after that no more bites.. but she refused to be put down lah pulak…afraid mommy’ll leave her. Aiyaa…* a slap on the forehead *

Biting is often associated with tooth coming out, making the gum all itchy. This is most probably what daughter going through right now since her saliva is drooling like tap water again. But in the same time, I’m afraid the biting will become a habit. She often bites her grandma on the arms and shoulders as well. Kesian her grandma…since she is diabetic, the bite marks will turn into bruise and takes a few days or sometime a week long before it disappear. Forget the teeter, daughter's interest in it has long gone.

So, all the experienced mommy or daddy out there…got any useful tips on how to curb the biting and/or clingy problem? Please share them. Me, trying to curb it at an early age bcos bad habit die hard.

Read More......

Cry baby and Cinnamon story...

Daughter Vanessa was all cry baby when she was carried by our local Sabahan artist, Abu Bakar Ellah aka Ampal. He was the guest artist during the Fund Raising Dinner for the Annual Pesta Koningau (Pesta Kayu Manis @ Cinnamon Festival) on 25 October at the Dewan Masyarakat. We were there bcos hubby’s Auntie whose in the organizing committee had sponsored a table for us..so no excuse not to come ...hehe

I guess Ampal just couldn’t resist but carry this cute little sumandak of mine…*LOL* But obviously, daughter is not a fan of Ampal...hehe. He entertained the diners with his jokes and belted out a song from his latest album. I wasn’t really paying attention though as daughter was getting cranky…so we left. It was passed her bed time already. Leaving behind our Lucky Draw Tickets for my SIL to claim the prize…in case we got lucky this time, BUT nope, we didn’t. Seriously, I NEVER won any prize in any lucky draw before…hmmm wonder why??!

The annual Pesta Koningau is a three-days event, starting today until 09 Nov. I guess I’ll miss it out again this year. The activities include agriculture exhibition, handicratf, cinnamon products, traditional dance performance and fireworks display…sounds interesting enough. The hightlight of the festival is the crowning of the new Beauty Queen, the Ratu Pesta Koningau. During the Dinner, all the contestants were introduced…but it was kinda odd because there was a contestant from Sipitang. As far as I know, Sipitang is another district and it is far, far away from Keningau…

I was also enlightened that Keningau District is once the largest producer of cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum) in Sabah. I never knew this…hubby never told me either. The name, Keningau itself originated from Koningau, a popular term among the Hokkien community and was derived from the plant that is endemic in the district. After World War II, the British renamed the district Keningau.

Couldn’t help noticing, nowadays we celebrate all sort of festival in Sabah annually. Besides the Kaamatan Festival and Cinnamon Festival, there are also Kudat’s Coconut Festival (Pesta Kelapa), Kota Marudu’s Maize Festival (Pesta Jagung) and Kuala Penyu’s Sago Festival (Pesta Rumbia).

Have a nice weekend ya!

Read More......

Unwell...

Photo from www.CartoonStock.com

Been unwell since yesterday...my sleep was disturbed by this excruciating pain in the stomach, diarrhoea and gastric…went to see the Doc and was given some medicines and one day medical leave yesterday. Diarrhea = frequent visit to the loo…bencinya!! Doc said, maybe I salah makan…which is so true bcos the day before I had been eating out…breakfast , lunch and dinner. Spicy and sour food some more…nah, ini la akibatnya!! Who else to blame but me, yours truly.

This morning, stomach still upset…but have to go to work *sigh* . As the day progresses, I’m feelin’ a lil bit better. Thank God I’m responding well to the meds.

Since our internal auditor from KL is coming tomorrow, have to ensure all documents are ready. Got to do some office cleaning as well before leaving for home this evening.

Read More......

Halloween, All Saints' Day & All Souls' Day

Ah…weekend is approaching and another month has ended. On this date, several countries of the Western World, most commonly the US, Canada, Ireland, Puerto Rico, New Zealand, UK and parts of Down Under are celebrating Halloween. Activities of the day include trick-or-treat, ghost tours, bonfires, costume parties, visiting haunted attractions, carving jack-o’-lantern (the most prominent symbol of Halloween…:p), reading scary stories and watching horror movies. I found this particular pic very cute…*smile*

Today is also the the eve of All Saints’ Day. For us, the Roman Catholic Christians, we’ll be celebrating the All Saints’ Day tomorrow. It is the day when the Church commemorates the glories of Heaven and all the saints, known and unknown.

The following day, will be the All Souls’ Day. It is a day for rememberance for friends and loved ones who have passed away. It also reminds us of our obligations to live holy lives and that there will be purification of the souls of those destined for Heaven.

Like the previous years, my family & I will go to church and visit my late father’s and also other departed relatives’ grave. May their soul rest in peace.

Read More......

The Pink Sisterhood

Got this tag from my friend Yati a few days ago. But only done it today and tomorrow is the last day of October already. Thousand apologies ya.. :) Never mind la if the Breast Cancer Awareness Month is over soon, us, women still need to be aware of this disease every single day...

The 5 simple rules to follow:-

1. Firstly, you need to copy the logo into your blog. ~ Done.
2. Secondly, add a link to the person who shared it with you. ~ Done.
3. Nominate at least 7 other bloggers ~ I won't tag anyone cos its not fair for them to do this tag in such a short notice.
4. Add links to these blogs on your blog - 1. Fara, 2. massy 3. Noy 4. DorisJ 5. Seventh 6. Story mory 7. Neneth,8. Mama Mia
5. Lastly, leave a message for your nominee on their blog that they've been tagged. ~ Not applicable.

Read More......

Wedding Anniversary

Last night, hubby and I celebrated our 2nd Wedding Anniversary by dining out at Brass Monkey Café & Bar at Lintas Plaza. Hubby was craving for steak. It was our first time there.

King Kong Steak

We both order the Dinner Set. Hubby had the King Kong Steak with Black Pepper Sauce cooked to perfection well done. Hey, don’t freak-out ya…it’s not King Kong meat! It’s only the term used to refer to the steak size, I guess. Besides King Kong, they also have the Queen Kong Steak.

BBQ Spring Chicken

Me, on the other hand, ordered the BBQ Spring Chicken, also with Black Pepper Sauce. Hehe..we’re a fan of black pepper sauce!

Fresh Salad and Mushroom Soup..yummylicious!

Our dinner set include, a bowl of Fresh Salad and Mushroom Soup, Fried Ice Cream and Bread Pudding for desserts. There were at least five varieties of desserts to choose from but these two were the most alluring. The drinks choices were very impressive as well, juices and a wide variety of wine. We had the Watermelon Juice and Iced Lemon Tea plus the Skyjuice. Skyjuice is FOC by the way…:)

Fried Ice Cream

Bread Pudding...very sweet.

The BBQ Chicken was a bit too spicy for me. If only I knew the chicken was already spicy, I’ll go for the Mushroom Sauce instead. Normally, I can tolerate well to hot and spicy food..but not last night.

Overall, the environment, open air style Café is nice, the Steak was great and the Soup was yummy. But not the BBQ Chicken. For me, the Nando’s Hot Peri-Peri Chicken taste better. Whatever it is, we still went home with a full stomach.

Unfortunately, I forgot to bring along my camera. Cis!!! So have to rely on my handphone camera lor. So, pardon the poor quality of the pics ya..

Read More......

Good Samaritan

This incident happened a few weeks ago. As hubby and I drove by this particular road in Penampang, we saw this poor man lying at the roadside under the morning sun. At first, we just passed by, like the other drivers as we were in a rush to meet somebody. Hoping that someone will stop-by, but nope, nobody bothered to do so. Me in the car, felt so guilty..the guilt was so over-whelming that I persuaded hubby to go back and check the poor man if he is okay. The man seemed to be fast asleep and we didn’t dare to wake him up. Mana la tau he mengamuk pulak suddenly…or worse, so terkejut that he might run to the middle of the road. Eee…touch wood. Don’t want to take that risk! So, we made a U-turn and went to the nearest Police Station (PS).

It was my first time at a PS…never before in my life I sat a foot in any PS…*grin* After leaving our name, contact no., and the man location, off we went to our meeting. Let the police take care of the poor man. I was very happy that we have done a good deed that day. *smile*

Oh yes, I forgot to mentioned, 30 minutes earlier, we saw this same man walking outside a coffee shop…with his dirty clothes..looks like a security guard uniform and some injury on his face, from the way he walked, I guess he probably had enjoyed some montoku earlier…and its not even noon time yet! Cis, buat malu urang kita saja….

An hour later, when we were on our way back, the man was no longer at the roadside. Instead, he has shifted to another spot, outside somebody’s gate. Don’t know la what happened in between, either he refused to be sent home by the police or the police didn’t do their job. Anyway, he was a lot more safer at the new spot…not to mentioned that it was more comfortable too as it was shaded by a tree. I didn’t manage to snap a pic though. So, like that la the story of two Good Samaritan…. :)

Read More......

12 months, 2 weeks, 3 days

Daughter Vanessa is officially 12 months old on 05th October. Hehe…looks like I kept postponing this post. Apa-apa pun here it is. Despite being a chubby baby, I must say that daughter develops quite fast, compare to both her cousins that are of same age.

Here, I proudly present her achievement:-

~ weight = 9.67kg, height = 82cm

~ able to walk without support …hmm, not perfectly but yeah, she can walk and now start to run as well :)

~ can climb on the sofa and tackle the stairs…giving us headache..

~ babbles a lot …some time it sounds like – Da-da-da or Ta-ta-ta ; other time, I can't make out of it, I just don't understand baby talk

~ join in the laugh…her laughter sounds so cute that it make us laugh even more…

~ can put her toys inside the box when asked…after a minute or two, one by one it’ll be scattered back on the floor...*sigh*

~ imitate action eg answering the HP (she’ll put anything in her hand onto her ear and pretend it's a HP), whistling (for her, 'ooo-ooo" only la ...), changing the TV channel (she suka-suka press the button, some time ngam juga the channel)

~ imitate sounds eg Grandma coughing, the angsa/goose sound…

~ understands simple requests eg hold out toys, giving a kiss, wave bye-bye, clap her hands & main mata

Read More......

Finally...

Wah, only 5 days absent , I felt like a year already…how I miss my blog! Been quite busy lately with work and personal errands. When I finally got some free time yesterday, my PC at home malfunctioned pulak..Ceh! How frustrating! Grrr….

As I mentioned in my previous post, I was preoccupied with an assignment. Hmm, it’s not exactly my own, I was “helping” a friend’s friend to do her assignment. The assignment was on the Principles of Microeconomics. Well, since my friend said it required only basic knowledge and reference book will be provided, plus having taken Economics as an additional subject in SPM ; I accepted it with arms wide open, after only a quick glance at the questions. When I started to go through the questions properly…I was mong cha-cha, my brain went blank…no idea at all on how to answer it. Adeiii! * A slap on the forehead* I was already considering to return it ..but in the end, I did exactly the opposite. I decided to give it a try…haha

BESIDES some basics, e.g the law of supply and demand, market equilibrium, price elasticity, cost etc; one ALSO need a firm understanding on the concepts and the applications in order to answer the questions. *sigh* So for 4 days, I struggled between works and spent my spare time in the office studying and refreshing my rusty memory..(my last encounter with Economics was in 1st Semester at Uni… that was 5 years ago…LOL) trying to come up with the best and comprehensive answers. I was getting paid to do this assignment, and somebody’s grade is depending on it, so it was right for me to give it my best, not cincai-cincai. Otherwise, no more chances to cari makan in the future *grin *

After straining my brain cells for days, finally I managed to finish the final write-up. I was quite satisfied with the output. As agreed, I passed it over safely to my friend aka my agent last Friday so that she can then hand it over to the rightful owner. All the effort, time and energy spent, minus commission for friend (for getting this assignment)….is worth the fee I’ll be getting…probably at the month-end. * wink-wink * can buy something for myself…a new pair of shoes or a handbag perhaps…:p

Read More......

Borneo International Marathon

The inaugural Borneo International Marathon 2008 was held in KK City on October 12. The marathon was divided into 5 categories – Full Marathon (1 Borneo – Tanjung Aru), Half Marathon,21km (Likas Sports Stadium-Tanjung Aru), 10km (Likas Sports Stadium-Flyover KK Plaza), Kids 800m & 400m.

Hubby participated in the 10km Run. It kicked-off at 6:00am. So early you said? Hmm, the Full Marathon kicked-off as early as 4:30am!!! Runners must arrive at the Stadium by 4:00am..its still dark at 4 in the morning.

Despite the last minute prep… 2 weeks training/jogging around the track in Likas Sport Complex, hubby managed to reach the finishing line in 1¼ hours. Within the time frame ya :p…. Way to go dear! Hubby lucky no. was J111. Too bad I was unable to be there.

Hubby at finishing line with 2 of his colleaguesFree newspaper

Read More......

Inexpensive car security...

Still in busy mode today. *Sigh* Besides being a typical Monday with loads of work, I also got an assignment to do. Need to handover it by Friday. Matai la...got brain-jammed pulak ni .*sigh * The clock is ticking, somebody's grade is at stake....got to finish this assignment ASAP.

In the meantime, here’s something to ponder. It may be useful for those who has problem with car theft. Psst, Kobie maybe you and colleagues can try this to avoid those car theft kan…;p

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

Read More......