and I blame it on...

Been away from the office for the past 2 days for an external training on leadership. This is a 3 modules course + 3 half a day follow up sessions which will take 3 months to complete. Each module will have an assignment which must be completed within 2 weeks. The first assignment requires me to do a 2 pages write up after interviewing 3 managers & senior managers. After today's session, I still have 5 more to go! God help me!!




Training was held in this hotel called Palace of Golden Horses which housed Tiger Woods and David Beckham before. The downside of having training in a hotel is that you will be surrounded by food! I think I already gained 2 kilos! Just today, I wallopped 5 scoops of different flavour ice cream for dessert. And I'm convinced that my blood is overflowed with caffein (after consuming one cup after another) within these 2 days.

I refuse to think about the amount of emails I have to face and clear tomorrow after being away from my messy desk for the past 2 days. *sigh*

Lost

I saw this fella at my parents backyard when I was picking up the dry laundry. Since my parents live in a secluded area near the sea, quite a distant from the nearest village so we often see animals wondering or lose their way from whatever is left of their natural habitat. Luckily, there are no really big or wild animals. Common ones are monkeys (many of them), big lizards, iguanas, sea eagles, king fishers and all sort of insects. Not so common ones but have been sighted are wild boars and pangolins.

AB+

(This is my second entry this week involving blood)
I donated my blood last Monday. This is my 2nd time this year. I first started to donate blood 7 years ago when there was a blood donation drive held in the company where I work and ever since that it has been an annual routine for me.

Before donating your blood, you have to sign a form declaring you are free from a list of diseases, your medical history, country you have visited 6 months ago and your current general health etc. Doctor will then ask whether you had enough sleep the previous night, whether you already had breakfast (if not, they will provide a light breakfast for you) and then check your blood pressure.

Next, they poked my finger (which to me, is the most painful procedure of all) to take a few drops of blood to check my haemoglobin and iron status (I think) and my blood type if it’s not stated in the blood donation booklet (especially if this is your first time). I have the stingiest blood of all, AB+. I can take any blood (A, B, O, and AB) but only a person with AB blood can receive an AB blood type. They usually withdraw 300ml out from me.


The second painful procedure would be when the nurse administrated the anesthesia jab (it’s like an ant bite), after that its smooth sailing provided your veins don’t chicken out on you. There was once where my veins were not cooperating and they had to poke both of my arms at several places before coming back to the first one. My arms were blue black for more than a week and I looked like an inexperience drugie. Ha! Ha! But if there is no problem, you only walk out with a tiny plaster on your arm. But this time around, I suffered a mild dizziness but there was no alarm.

The hospital staffs serve everyone a hot chocolate drink and a muffin. I love their muffins ^_^. I then went back to my cubicle to continue my office work and it was only 1020hr. Still a long day to go…

Dont sweat the small stuffs

My family and I met a family friend during breakfast last Saturday morning. This was the first time I met the wife after her horrific labor experience. She just finished her confinement period and is ready to meet other people again. She was in bad shape both physically and emotionally that she refused visitation from friends.

She related her experience which to me, is not short of a miracle. Her delivery went well. Her third baby girl was healthy. As doctor is packing up, all of a sudden blood starting gushing out from her. They unsutured her uterus. Doctor found no problem there, but blood still oozing out from her. They wheeled her out from labor room into the operation theatre. They asked her to sign a piece of paper which she did and suddenly she had difficulty in breathing. All around her chaos was taking place. She heard the nurse trying to confirm her blood type to another medical staff which she herself answered O+. Her breath is getting laboured and each inhale is painfully difficult. She kept hearing her doctor shouted save her first, save her first! Both her right and left hand veins collapsed, they finally got her jugular vein (i think - bcos she said at her neck) and at her thigh (saphenous vein?)

She then saw faces of her husband, her eldest 7 year old daughter followed by her youngest 5 year old daughter and said to herself 'oh god please..., my kids still need their mom' and she kept hearing the doctor said 'we losing her, we losing her'!!! then everything went dark and she passed out.

According to my friend, she suffered something called embolism during labor. Something about air gushing into previously vacuumed space and causing anti-clotting mechanism (or something like that). Human body contained 5 liter of blood and she lost 4 liter that morning. They had to transfer her to another bed before taking her out bcos the original bed was too soaked with blood. When her husband signed the consent letter, doctor advised him that he must be prepared of the outcome. They performed hysterectomy. When she finally opened her eyes, the nurses wrote on a board saying that she's already out of danger. She immediately asked to see her husband.

By the time she finished relating her ordeal, both our faces were wet in tears in the cafe amidst other patrons, our children playing beside us and both our husbands talking and drinking hot tea next to us. Both me and her were clasping each others hands, passing tissue and hugging.

Although she is on the road to recovery, she admitted that sometimes she needs help to sleep bcos she kept hearing her doctor said 'we losing her, we losing her'.

Live is short. Go and hug or call your love ones and tell them you love them always.

One more fridge magnet

My eldest sister in law - Kak Long got this fridge magnet for me from her recent trip to Osaka. Isn't it cute?

This is my precious collection. Some I got it from mine or hubby trips abroad while some were souvenirs/bought by my friends or relatives. My collection is a far cry from my K. Long who has 3 refrigerators (2 at home and 1 at her office) which are extensively covered with magnets.

Get-together

I went to meet up with a few of my old uni course mates last Friday night after work. About 9 people were in the mailing list but only four including me who made it. I admit it was a last minute arrangement made by Tryphena and me. Initially the get-together was planned only for the two of us, then we decided to include anybody else whom are in town last Friday night.


We suppose to meet up at 7:00pm and I was 1 hour late!! I only managed to leave the office at 6:50pm. Everyone already had one round of drinks while waiting for me. My excuse to them? I love to make grand entrance lol.
We had dinner at a Thai restaurant called Sri Ayutthaya. Everybody ordered one dish which we shared together. Tryphena ordered green curry, me - kerabu mango + water chestnut for dessert, Hui Cheng - plain & red seafood tomyam, Suresh - Thai steamed fish & fish cake.
The conversation went from family, kids, separation, work, TV channels to finally biological genome database (at great length), thanks to Suresh's explanation and us girls endless questionings.


Suresh and I last met about 2 years ago. Tryphena and me haven't met about 3 years and Hui Cheng is the longest - close to 8 years. This time we promised to meet up again as early as December this year.

Eid Mubarak (in pictures) Pt 2

Okay, so here's another batch of photos from last week's Eid celebration. This time around with my hubby's family. Yes, plus the children we have a small nation here..and some didn't even make it into the pics!!Picture that! Ha, ha
In order to feed the entire army, my mother in-law plus my super efficient older sis in-laws have to constantly thinking of what's next on the menu (either to prepare/cook/buy). Like lunch menu is being plotted out as you are washing the cups and saucers after your breakfast!!
Coming from a small family, I love to be in my extended family. Every time we had a gathering there is never a dull moment. The adults would sit around the dining table talking and laughing for hours sometimes over the same story which is being repeated countless time only to be interrupted by a wail from one of the children (9 boys and 3 girls) and we would go like 'okay whose child is that?' After situation is deemed under control, we will continue where we left. And the laughs will continue..

Eid Mubarak (in pictures) Pt 1

Today is the 6th of Syawal (in Islamic calendar) and my first day back to the office. Eid al Fitr is celebrated for the whole month. So celebration mood is still aplenty. Even the office is relatively quiet since many staffs are still on holiday. And I have 200 over emails in my office mailbox...sigh...
Above are some pictures taken during our 'balik kampong' (going back to hometown). There are more from where that come from hence the part one.

Roast chicken for Abah's 69th Birthday

My dad celebrated his birthday last Oct 13. Being the last day of Ramadhan and since my family was back for the Eid celebration, my mother suggested we cook 'ayam panggang'(roast chicken) for my dad. I'm not so much of a cook unlike my mother but I helped her to prepare the ingredients, copied the recipe (as she was making it)- that usually please her very much bcos that means there's a hope of me cooking/tackling similar dish somewhere in the near future (she prays) ;) and at the same time snapping pictures ha! ha! Which I'm proud to say I'm very efficient of.

Needless to say the end product was delicious (as for all my mom's cooking as usual). It was an enjoyable 'raya' eve for all of us.

Aidil Fitri wishes to all

This will be my last entry before the long Eid holiday. I already took leave since last Wednesday to do the holiday luggage packing for the whole family. Yes, I need one long day to prepare. We’ll be spending the first 3 days with my family in Lumut and the next 3 days at my in-laws.

So after the 30 days of fasting, the major attraction of Eid celebration will be what else but food, glorious food especially the traditional ones where can only be found during the celebration. Althou some delicacies are already commercialize, but the still the feeling is different or shall I say more satisfying if it is eaten during Eid.

I shall bid farewell now. If it was left to me, you can’t tear me away from blogging but unfortunately where I’m going, the broadband service is quite poor, so don’t bother. I have a very thick book to keep me company (if I find the time). I shall return with hopefully tons of family both near and extended pictures to share.

So in view of the Eid spirit where one is encourage to seek and grant forgiveness, here’s maaf zahir batin (pardon me if I have offended anyone unintentionally - physically and emotionally). Gosh, translation can be very long winded sometimes.

Till then Happy hols!

3-2-1 blast off

Malaysia sent its first man to space just now at 2122hr local time. Dr Sheikh Mustafar – pic (an orthopedic) was chosen to be Msia’s first ‘angkasawan’(astronaut /cosmonaut) after 5 stages of grueling screening of previously 3,000 candidates. The final selection between him and another candidate Captain Dr. Faiz (dental surgeon) was only announced 1 day before blast off. Both of them had undergone training for the past one year in Russia.

Everybody in the house was glued to the TV watching history in the making (except for my husband who cannot miss his weekly pool session and watch it with his friends at the outlet where they were playing). Not until the Sayuz spacecraft safely detached from its grid and all you can see is the sparkling debris against the blackened sky/space that I found myself breathing again. All the while I was holding my breath!! It’s like watching one of those going to space movies on HBO but only this time it is real, with a Malaysian in it. I can’t describe the overwhelm feeling and sea of emotion that went thru me that moment. All I know that tears of joy and pride were flowing freely which I can’t seem to hold (if you have read enough of my nonsense previously, you probably know that I am a crying freak even for little things). My kids are so use to this display of emotion that the reason they turned their heads away from the tube and looked at me was to make sure that bingo, yes their mom cried! Yeah, I know it looked ridiculous but I just can’t help it
Anyways our Angkasawan will be on board of International Space Station for the next 10 days where he stills observing fasting and later the Eid celebration (Aidil Fitri) on Oct 13.

50 years ago - my grandparents witnessed Malaya’s first declaration of independence and 50 years later, my family and I witnessed the first Malaysian blast off to space.

I quote Buzz LightYear from Toy Story ‘to infinity and beyond’…

It's too late

I've just finished watching Lake House on TV. Once you disregard it's illogical 'long distant' relationship and stop questioning, the story is quite enjoyable. Yes folks, I actually did that. I just go with the flow even thou the storyline is crap. Why you ask? Must there be a reason? Okay, okay I confess, I have this long crush on Keanu Reeves. Ha!Ha! But apart from Matrix, I have yet to see anything else quite suit him well. See, I'm not that bias.

Anyways, there was this song in the movie which I remembered so long ago. Oh it suited one of the scene so well. It's too late by Carole King. I forgot how beautiful the song is and the lyric is so so sad.

Another Balinese food

Yesterday my family and I went to another Bali inspired restaurant for our ‘buka puasa’ (breaking of fast). It's called Ole-Ole Bali.

The food came in 2 trays consist of deep fried squid, grilled chicken, shrimp paste on lemongrass stick on one tray and fried chicken, rice, stir fried local vege (don’t know what it is called in English) on another tray. There was also spaghetti with beef. Bali food you say?? He! He! I guess they also cater for international taste.



The food came half an hour later bcos there were just too many patrons. When the food came the kids attacked, as if there was no tomorrow and within 15 minutes they were full and there were still plenty of food on the table! By the time we left the restaurant, I felt my gastritis slowly but surely signaling its presence every time I overeat. Luckily I have my medication at home but still it’s an uncomfortable feeling.

Kissing the ogre

I have this book in my car since the beginning of time… (that’s just to emphasize how long it had stayed in my car). And I only managed to finish it last Thursday. The reason why it was placed in the car was because I only read it when I have to wait for my son at his tuition / kumon centre. Since he has a mobile phone, that task some time doesn’t happen bcos I will pick him up when he called.

Back to the book. It’s not that thick, just halves from most of the book I’ve usually read. In my opinion, there’s nothing significant about it (maybe that’s why I didn’t even have the initiative to finish it early, just ‘as and when’ I have the time) except for the title. The frog here literally means well…man (that kind of man).

So what I’ve learn from the fiction book? Kissing the frog means … just that. You are kissing a frog!!! It won’t turn or change him into a prince or a knight in shining amour. Worse, he may even turn into a toad!

Hmm…‘sigh’ even in fiction, magic doesn’t happen anymore. But for the sake of romanticism, I will still believe in well … maybe not in frogs but how about an ogre? An ugly, scary, mean looking but with a good, good heart like Shrek? Ha! Ha!

Creepy crawlies

My colleagues and I sported this creature lurking above our heads in the office today. Isn't it scary? Can you see its 2 red eyes?

It's like in one of those 'arachnophobia' movie!! Imagine if a real one was to fall on you, especially at nite...goodness I had goose bumps just thinking about it.


I'm not particularly afraid of spiders, but if it is this big, who wouldn't? It turned out that the guys from the designers team had too much free time that they placed this 'prop spidey' on the ceiling lights. Halloween deco said one cheeky fellow.

Tiring day

I was so tired yesterday that I slept early. Didn’t even go online. And I’m still tired today. Had 3 meetings today, as early as 0930hr in the morning. The last meeting ended at about 1635hr which left me almost cold to the bones due to the cold temperature of the conference room and furthermore I was fasting, so that really didn’t help.

I was rushing home when I suddenly realized that my mobile phone service has been barred because I still haven’t paid the bill. What if I have a sudden emergency and need to make a call urgently? So I diverted my car to go to the nearest maxis pay center. On my way there, I noticed that my fuel tank is almost empty. Better to be safe than sorry, so I turned to find a petrol station. The petrol attendant was kind enough to assist me; he was already filling my tank when I returned to the car after paying at the counter. So I saved some time there.

Traffic was building up by the time I drove out of the mall after paying my bill. I still have to make one more stop before heading home. I need to buy some sweet pastries at the food bazaar (open air market) for the breaking of fast. Finding a parking is easy but getting in and out of the place is a nightmare because everybody is rushing to buy food and get back home before the breaking of fast at about 7:00pm.
After wiggling myself amongst the out of the office crowd, I managed to buy 2 types of pastries and call it quit.

My husband called to inform that he’ll be reaching home somewhere around 11nish after his 180km drive from Ipoh. In between yawning, sleepy eyes and updating my blog, I’m also assisting my eldest in revising his Maths for tomorrow’s paper and my youngest on his reading.

Okay gotta go. Danish is already stuck on 3 dimensional shapes and signaling me to stop typing. And Danial, well…he’s on wet, pet, and oh yes - vet.

Gosh, I'm so tired.