Unity band

Somebody placed these bands on my office desk last Friday. It’s called the Unity Band.

A band to celebrate and confirmed Malaysia's diversity. Its multiracial ness, to appreciate and respect each other’s different ness. Although all of us belong to different race, religion, beliefs and culture but we all human. And the blood that runs thru our veins are red hence the red band, says the advert. But most importantly, we are all Malaysians.

I can never understand this. The fact that we as Malaysian have to be reminded how lucky we are to have different races as our friends, colleagues and neighbours. To be reminded to be united as one nation as we are going to celebrate our 50th Independence Day. To be make aware that although we are of different mould (look, skin, name) we are living, breathing, working together in this country we called home.

I never have this problem. I never categories my friends or colleagues or neighbours to how many of them are Malays, Chinese, Indians, Caucasians, Singh’s etc. To me they are just that…my friends, my colleagues and my neighbours.

Ever since I was a young kid, my family’s house has been visited by many of my parent’s friends (Malays and other races alike) and to me there were just these uncles and those aunties. And we always have open house to go to during Christmas, Deepavali, Chinese New Year, Aidilfitri and even Gawai. There was this neighbour of ours in Sarawak, oh how I envy them. They celebrate almost all the festivals there is. Their mother was a Chinese so they celebrate CNY, father was an Iban so they celebrate Gawai and all of them were Christians so they celebrate Christmas too; and my family got invited to their house on every occasion. Fancy that...3 celebrations in a year! I was so jealous. That was when I start wondering or imagining wouldn’t it be good if my parents were like that too. Of different background so we have more reasons to celebrate. Ah, how simple it was back then.

I had a secret admirer when I was eleven. He wrote me letters and his younger sister of eight years old passed it to me in the bus. When I revealed this to my closest friend, the first thing a friend of mine mentioned was but he’s a Chinese. Even thou’ I don’t fancy him that much but that statement from my friend made me wonder, what if I were to like him back? Will it be a problem? The same friend fell for her Indian older neighbour, whom was a brother to one of our school mate. Their feelings were mutual. One day my friend cried and told me that her father found out and he was very angry so did the boy’s father. It’s not so much of them being very young but the fact that they were both from different races. My friend was devastated. Her neighbour moved. I guess that was when the reality of multiracial hit me.

I love Indian food. To the extent that my ex-boss suspected that I was an Indian in my previous life. Maybe, from Mumbai I said. Where all the pretty Bollywood stars come from. Ha! Ha! I also enjoyed Dim Sum and noodle to the amazement of my Chinese friends. Don’t get me wrong, I love Malay food especially during Ramadhan and Aidilfitri. My mom cook them all the time when were growing up. Authentic style. But I eat them almost everyday at home now so when I’m out with colleagues during lunch I chose to have other food. When we do opt for Malay food, I see my Chinese friends beat me in their ability to eat chili hot sambal belacan and ulam. I don’t take sambal and ulam. Period. Unlike some of my non-Malay friends, they even eat uncooked tempoyak with their sambal (which suppose to be a norm Malay delicacy). So am I being un-Malay or my friends not being a typical Chinese?

In my humble opinion, the answer to that is because we are being Malaysians.

In less than a week, Malaysia will be celebrating its 50th Independence Day (Merdeka) on Aug 31. I hope in the next fifty years my children will also see their friends as just that…friends. Regardless of their races and religion. I hope they will be able to see thru the skin color and look into the soul of all their friends and treasure the friendship.

Instead of questioning our differential, let us celebrate our uniqueness, together.

Merdeka!

Still at it..that much is true

I’m still reading the same book…I brought it along during the weekend break. Read it while my kids were out there in the pool freezing themselves. But it's quite hard difficult to concentrate with one eye at the adult pool (lookout for my 9 year old) and the other eye at the kids pool (for my 5 year old). Occassionally my eyes drifted back to the book but left ear was on alert for them whilst the other ear was stucked with the earphone for the music from my W800i.

No wonder little achievement. All my senses were not entirely focused. Hmm..

Not so great after all

I bought a CD entitled Greatest Hits of Korean Drama. I was so excited bcos not only the album has 3 CDs with 56 songs, it cost only RM23.90 with another 10% discount.

But my excitement was short lived. Just before chorus of the 1st song, I realized @^#*!!!! It turned out that the songs were not sung by its original singers. I only listened to 3 songs and can’t tolerate it any longer. I refused to listen to the other songs. No wonder it was so cheap!! I did puzzle at the price at first but didn’t give it much thought. Maybe it did state at the CD cover but since I can’t read Chinese characters so I failed to notice.

What a bummer!!

Botanical Garden (getaway part 3)

I enjoyed the colorful flowers and just cant stop snapping away pictures.

Japanese garden and tea house (getaway part 2)

I love the garden and its tranquility. It's so quiet and peaceful. It even has a Japanese restaurant up there.

Weekend getaway (part 1)

The whole family went for a short weekend break. It is a start of 1 week school break and Angah’s company organized an automobile club gathering cum family gathering for its members. So we tagged along. The place is at Berjaya Hills Resort in Bukit Tinggi. It’s a French theme resort. So the buildings/hotels are made to imitate ones in France. Since the resort is up on a hill, so the weather is quite cooling.



The whole place was like a picture from a postcard. It's like a big play house.

The thing I like very much was the Japanese garden and tea house. We didn’t witness the tea ceremony but the garden was beautiful. The atmosphere was so serene and tranquil. Make me want to visit a real Japanese garden, more than ever (I'm highlighting this in a different entry).

Our hotel room was not the grandest but it was comfortable enough for the 4 of us.
We added an extra bed. The room faces the forest, so it was kinda refreshing.


After the club’s dinner and entertainment, we sent the kids back to the hotel room. Danial was fast asleep even before the function’s ended. So my husband had to carry him. Luckily the hotels are located near to each other. Danish my eldest insisted to play the PS2 he brought along. We allowed him. Both Angah and I joined his boss and his family plus another friend and his son for coffee. When the café closed at 1100pm, we resumed to another coffee house for late supper. We even had the singing quartet singing at out table at the stroke of midnight!!

My face hurt from laughing too much while my stomach hurt from eating too much. I had to constantly remind myself not indulge too much on the cakes, fried rice, fired noodles, burgers, pizza or suffer the consequences the next day (recently I noticed that I can get gastritis/similar symptoms from overeating). We stayed talking and laughing, I think till about 0100am.

We bid everyone good night when the wind becomes chillier. Some of us have to attend a club’s meeting as early as 0900hr the next day. Luckily it wasn’t me.

Try harder guys

I was chilling out with an ice cream just across Planet Hollywood KL when I saw this signage. I think its cute.

My 2nd pair this month

I bought this yesterday. Right after my birthday lunch treat. 2 weeks ago, I bought a pair which was also white (actually it was my husband who reminded me that!!) But I cant resist this one. It was on sale!! ^_^

I once read a theory that say not to shop when you are hungry bcos you will then tend to shop more. But this was not the case for me. I was full, in fact too full but I still can't resist the temptation. I guess it takes more than an empty stomach to stop a 'shoeholic' person like me, if such word ever exist. But I'm not too bad actually.. bcos I only go berserk if the bargain is just too crazy to ignore. Just like yesterday's

Just look at it. Isn't it gorgeous? Check out the heel (wicked, wicked smile). I plan to wear it tomorrow. Guess I'll be 2 and half inches taller in the office. He!He!

**It's my birthday**

I’m officially 36 years old today, Aug 14. Another 4 years to go, before I have to change the blog title to ‘Confession of a forty something’. Didn’t have anything special planned for the day and knowing Angah’s busy workload these few days, I doubt that he too had the time to work on any surprises for me (though I secretly hope that he had). But to be fair to him, I did have a pleasant surprise from him for our 10 years anniversary last April.

My first birthday call came from my parents at the early morning hours. After which I received sms from my brothers, bro-in-law, my husband’s niece, a call from colleagues at the office –put me on speaker phone and sang Happy Bday song to me, another call from my husband’s nephew and more birthday wishes sms from long time no hear friends.

Anyways both angah and I took leave from work today to have my birthday lunch treat. After the usual argument of ‘where are we going to eat’ in the car, we decided to go Starhill to check out the many eateries they have there. We never eat there before.

The 20-25minutes drive took us almost an hour to reach due to heavy lunch hour traffic. I was starving by the time we reached the place and decided that I can eat almost anything. So we decided to eat Western food when we saw Jake’s. It’s the safest and yummiest choice.
I had lamb shank (request for the smallest portion that they have-picture on top) while Angah had a combo of steak and prawn.
For appetizer, since it is my birthday so I got to choose and I chose half dozen of fresh oysters to the horror of my husband. I managed to persuade/force him to eat one (he swallowed it actually without even tasting it).
To him, it’s like Fear Factor. Other than vege and fruits, he dislikes uncooked food.

We had dessert at another place. Or rather I had dessert. Angah is not so into sweet things unlike me.
But I’m really trying hard to control my sugar craving. But birthdays are exceptional even when it is not mine. He! he!

All in all I had a pleasant birthday. Oh ya, I bought myself a present too. But maybe I elaborate about that in another entry.

Tonite, I’m skipping dinner. I’m still full. In fact, I think I ate too much bcos now my tummy hurts. I already popped in the gastritis pill.

Wally Lambs: I know this much is true

I bought this particular book in February 2006. Only get to start reading it now. Progressing very slow, I must say. A lot got to do with me getting very stressful at work that each time I come home all I wanna do is hit the bed. Secondly, Danish will be sitting for his school test next week so I have to check his school work and check the work that I asked him to do. Thirdly, the writings are small and it has about 900 pages!!

I have about another 700 odd more pages to go.

Oh grey hair, how shall I count thee?

I went to have my hair cut yesterday. Mei the senior stylist who cut my hair the last time is no longer working there. I never have long relationship wt hair stylist. The good ones especially. They usually transfer to somewhere else and no longer working at the same saloon, the next time around when I come to have my haircut.

Anyways, my new haircut which I don’t entirely fancy revealed more than I want. My grey hairs. It’s like everywhere. Especially the middle parting. Shining, silver white hairs screaming for attention ‘look at me! look at me’. I was so embarrassed with Sam the one who cut my hair. But he didn’t make any comments. If he has, it will be easier for me to laugh about it. But he didn’t.

My boyz were over excited to see so many on my head but I told them don’t bother plucking it bcos after they have done, I probably don’t have any strand of hair left on me!!! Which I think strike a cord to them bcos they suddenly threw each other a ‘o my god’ look. What if mama goes bald?

My initial thot was to just leave it be, but it looks so ugly…Guess I have to pay a visit to one of the pharmacy to get a DIY haircolor soon. Sigh!

Browneyes: reason for breathing

A friend from office lent me 3 of his korean music CDs. I fell in like with one. It’s a group called Browneyes. Apparently the above is their second album. One or two of the music arrangement resembles the song Roxanne from Toto and Boyz to Men. It is sooo amazing and creative. Especially the first track (it’s in Korean so I don’t know what it is actually called), the no. 6 track called ‘I wanna fall in love’, True Luv track no.8 and track no. 11. It’s very difficult to choose since all are brilliantly done!!! Track no. 15 even has the Scottish pipe and sound like something from the Corrs.

I’ve been listening to the CD for God knows how many times. Gosh, I must have it!!! I’m still listening to it as I’m writing this.

…and did I mention that I also like track no. 10?

A fruitful Saturday

Angah made a turn to Sri Petaling on our way home from visiting Pak Su at the hospital in KL. I threw him a questioning look and he immediately answered ‘nak pegi beli buah’ (buy fruits). Oh good I said. The last time I went to the clinic the doctor advised me to eat lots of papaya. Good for my stomach and bowel system, she said. We stopped at the road site bcos my husband just saw a street vendor selling his favourite rojak buah and bought it.

Next stop was the fruit stall. After surveying some of the stalls I saw my papaya so Angah parked the car at the road site. I’d buy the papaya while Angah will pay for the mangosteen. But Danial was shouting from the car and asked me to buy his favourite fruit which is rambutan. There was no rambutan on sale but there was pulasan (which resembles rambutan and get this, taste similar like rambutan too). So at the end we bought 1kilo of mangosteen and pulasan plus my papaya. Yummy!

To all my overseas living friends who are reading this, tomorrow Angah has promised me that we will go to buy durian. ^__^ (evil, evil grin) ha!ha!

Have a good and delicious weekend everyone. Burp..excuse me...