Mr SnowMan

My lil one goes to Arts and Music class every Sat. Last week during Arts lesson, he and his friends had to draw, color and build a snowman. I was with him throughout, giving him directions as he put the snowman together. Towards the end, the teacher gave each one of them some cotton wool and told them to paste it on the snowman. Adli got very excited playing the glue and pasting the cotton wool on the snowman. When his Abah came into class to join him, he proudly showed Abah his artwork. He said, " Abah, Snowman Got Janggut!"

No news updates for me - thank you

I am avoiding the newspapers, news channels and online news. Everyday I read depressing stories about how the whole world is going through a recession. Today I read another - Nissan plans to cut 20,000 heads. I know the world is going through a tough time. Our government is doing their best to help everyone in need. Each morning when I read news online, I get very disheartened. Thank goodness I am not a sales person - can you imagine the kind of stress every sales person has to go through? In such tough times, how can you get advertising dollars?!

I hope everyone of us gets out of this recession fast.... for now, I shall settle for news update from the entertainment industry...

Alternatively, I should start reading Malay newspapers... why? The headlines news sometimes can be pretty amusing.

Notorious Traffic

My job requires me to travel and I frequent cities like Manila and Jakarta. In my 8 years, I have missed a flight twice; once becuase I wanted to do my morning prayers first before departing and second because I was lost in Amsterdam's airport (hey their airport is HUGE! and going from one departure hall to another, you have to go through immigration!) and there were a few near misses too.

Last Friday we were in Manila. My colleague and I left for the airport early - in our minds, we'll be able to make it since the office and the airport was not that far. We arrived at the airport 30mins before the scheduled departure time. We jumped out of the car, pulled our luggage and ran as fast as we could to the check in counter! I think we forgot to thank the driver - he was really good though there were situations where I could have had a heart attack. I was prepared to beg the officers if they had refused to take us on. We were very very lucky... SQ counter was still open and we had an immigration officer to take us through to the boarding area!

What caused the delay - traffic! Coming from a very well organized traffic system in Singapore, traffic in Manila just does not make sense. There are bottlenecks everywhere, getting from point A to point B drivers, bikers and pedestrians become a "free for all"affair. Buses, jeepneys, motorcyles, cars weave their ways in and out of traffic to find a route that is the "fastest". Whether it is safe or not, that does not matter. For a passenger like me, being in such a situation not only made me anxious but it also made me nervous - all sorts of what ifs come into mind... lorries, cars do not give way to other cars - making me really nervous. Each time when that happens, I have to close my eyes and pray that all goes well.

After last Fri's incident, I'm proud and thankful that I am Singaporean.. and I can always adopt that kiasu syndrome. In future, I will make sure I leave the office way way way early - 4hrs earlier if need be!

A Run in the Park

I woke up this morning with a sudden urge to go for a long run. I do run on some mornings before I head for the office but today, I wanted to run in a park. After breakfast, I told hubby to take us to Bukt Batok Nature Reserve. As the lil one rode on his bike and Abah followed him close, I ran and ran and ran. It was not that long a run but the feeling of sweat running down my back made me happy. Lil' one kept calling me to wait for him.

We have been to Bukit Batok Nature Reserve many times but we have never explored the park. Today, we decided to do just that and I'm glad we did. The serene ambience of the park provides an ideal place for a peaceful walk, to be away from the hustling and bustling of the city and a place where one can just sit down and take in the nature. The picturesque pond while being still tells you that it is alive and to stay away. As I took in the beauty of the park, I do know that we will return to the park again soon and this time round, my lil one will be on his stroller while his mama and Abah run.

Trucks Trucks and more trucks!

My lil one loves trucks. His interest in trucks started when he turned 1 - exactly a year ago. Don't ask me why. It could be the daily rides to grandmas' homes and back. There are many trucks on the roads these days.

To date, he has 5 big trucks - dump truck, cement truck, rubbish truck, petrol truck and fire engine. If you asks him who drives the fire engine, he will tell you it's "Ah Boy". If you asks him where are his trucks, he will tell you it's parked or rather "Parking" and makes that reverse sound when a car parks. And if you ask him if he wants to be on a truck - he will pause, looks at you and says "No". Ask him why and he will say "Adli takut".

Walauwey...

My Resolution

One of the things that I promised myself to do this year is hit the gym.
It's 12 days into the new year and I have not even step foot in the gym.

Why?
I have had free lunches and drinks almost everyday since 5 Jan. I spent the weekend at my couz wedding and there was more food.

I was determined to start the day right today, got up really early to pack and managed to do some stretches and sit ups. I even had Weet Bix for breakfast.

Told myself, lunch would be salad.... I had pizza and fried chicken wings instead. *sigh*
How come you ask? Meeting during lunch hour, boss ordered food and she liked fast food and fried stuff. HELP. Will this be a weekly affair I asked? I was told to be prepared to gain weight. Yikes! I cannot afford that!

Got into Bandung this evening and more food. HELP... when will I ever stop eating?!

My alarm clock is set at 530am and I have made an appt with an instructor at 630am tomorrow.
I look forward to seeing the treadmill and sweating it all out tomorrow.

Motherhood

I am enjoying motherhood.
However I am unwilling to give up my career or take a step back from my career.
Being a mother certainly have its challenges and the love of a child is hard to describe. It gives me happiness and love that I get from no other.
But monetary rewards, the sense of acomplishments that I get from the work place is rewarding too.....

This 2009

I have to resist the splurge to purchase things that will cost me my future.
I will embrace change - I'll start by taking on a hobby which I have left untouched for a LONG time!

I'll be Back - Simpang Bedok

Exactly 2 years ago, in my blog I said I will NEVER step foot in Simpang Bedok. I am retracting that.
I had one of my scrumptious meals at Simpang Bedok; complete with teh tarik.
I am happy and I will definitely make my way there again for another makan session :)

Sweet Revenge

The much awaited announcement finally came on Thursday close to 12nn. I received non-stop phone calls from colleagues in office and from those who are traveling. I was updated with whatever that was going on in the office.
I was happy, relieved and finally, finally I see changes in 2009. I don't know what is in store for us but at least for now I know I can start focusing on my area of work again. Now I feel rejuvenated, motivated and free!
I know someone who did not take the news well. I know he is probably peeing in his pants and is probably thinking of ways to amend his relationship with the new boss.

Indonesia Got Talent

The last 4 days in Indonesia clearly showed me that Indonesia has got a natural pool of talents. The local music scene here rocks - the music are fantastic - very touching lyrics about friendship, ambitions and yes love and the singers are very gorgeous and wild!!! I have been to several live shows back home but nothing compares to this particular one. Every kid in the hall were singing along to the song of their idols, screamed their lungs out when their idol comes on stage, stomp the floor when they had to wait - all in unison. They are such great crowd audience that I definitely say we make history today in Indonesia TV scene for kids.
Even when we had to pull a kid from the crowd to sing, I was amazed at how good his voice was. There was a kid comedian who came up during commercial breaks to warm up the crowd - he made me laughed so hard, I cried.

The people I meet here are down to earth, simple, respectful, sincere, easy going and love to look for funny little things in everything they do. The celebrities are young (mostly 14 -early 20's), extremely gorgeous - and very respectful to the elders - something that I do not get to see back home. I was in awe when they sang and definitely I am now more keen to explore the world of Indonesian music.

My First Production Experience

When our partners in Indonesia informed us that they want to produce our only kids award show, I wasn't that excited. They only gave us 3 months notice - this awards show is their first, and first in Asia too - usually we take about 12-18 months to prepare.

We managed to arrange for several consultants to help us. One of them is Bob Bain - an EP who has done numerous live event shows in the US. I felt like I was back in college - I learnt so much and made me love my job even more. He was just amazing - first of all, not your typical loud American. He is humble, cautious and approachable. Most importantly, he shared with us his experience and gave us ample warnings of what to look out for in a "live" show. Closer to the big production day, I was involved in production calls - going through rundowns, scripts, the gimmicks, the camera positions, the SLIME (of coz, our channel signature) and having to listen to each musical act. 4 days prior to THE day, I came to Jakarta and met another Consulatant called Bernard Edward but calling him Bernie is so much more apt. He is eccentric, funny, looks like mad scientist. He is so wacky and crazy that being with him in the control room is like being in a show itself. He dances to the camera each time he hits the VT button. Simply a joy.

Working with the production team here is very interesting. I'd like to blame it on culture and lifestyle - where I come from everything runs according to schedule but here nothing goes on schedule! It was interesting though... there are instances where I think my heart flipped a few times and I felt like giving everyone a nudge here and there but hey, it worked out in the end and that is the most important thing.

But all in all, this is definitely one major highlight in my career and I am very thankful to have been given this opportunity.

Peking Duck

Do you believe in "What Goes Around Comes Around?" Yeah, I do and I was put in the same situation 4hrs later. What happened you want to know. I had my first taste of duck's meat in Indonesia.

That same afternoon over tea, I dared an American guy to try the cow's tongue satay. The Indons call it Satay Padang. He did eventually and was pretty cool about it. Of coz when he called his family back home and told them what he did, they were proud of him.

That evening, he wanted to have Chinese food for dinner and while I was ordering food, he said he would like to try Peking duck. I ordered but of course when the dish came I did not bother trying it.

Despite the engaging conversation we had, he noticed and insisted that I have my share. No choice but to confess, told him I have never eaten duck's meat. He found that amusing and dared me to eat it. I did eventually - I made sure i added as much hoisin sauce as possible. The minute I swallowed, I kept drinking lots of tea to wash away that oily taste - of course like him, I remained cool.

My First Night Out with Germans

SS invited me to her b'day party on Tuesday last week. She said, it's a small party amongst close friends only. I suspected that her other friends are Germans and true enough when I got to the apartment I was greeted by Germans. It was pretty entertaining listening to them speak in their language (yes, they do translate and fill me in between their conversations) - while I don't understand their language, looking at their animated faces and picking up several English words in their conversation, I could tell what they were saying. Interestingly, while watching their mouth and listening to their conversations, I could not help but noticed that their language sounded a little like Dutch language - the "heute" and the "der" are similar... heh, not that I can speak Dutch language in the first place. I had an interesting and entertaining evening. I went back to the apartment that night wanting to know more about Germans and their culture and I hope to go to Germany one day for a vacation.

Creme Brulee

I am not a dessert person but I will never resist Creme Brulee while in France. I had Creme Brulee almost every evening while in Cannes last week. I just love the way the custard and the hard caramel feels in my mouth. I have tried making this dessert on my own several years ago but could not get the caramel toping right. Practice makes perfect... I must consider making it again.

CB & SS

These 2 ladies offered me a position at Nick 8 years ago. SS decided to leave and I came in to replace her. CB informed me that my first business trip was to Mumbai and that was 2 days after I joined Nick. 2 months later, CB told me she wanted to resign and I hated her to leaving me in the deep end of the pool. I had no choice but to struggle and stay afloat. Fast forward 8 years later, I join them for cheese and drinks in one of the nicest apartments on Rue de Antibes in Cannes. Who would have thought I would one day tell them I did not appreciate what they did to me before but am lucky that they had given me an opportunity to work for a great brand. And most importantly, today we are all friends.

OCD

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder - that's what my friends tell me whenever I tell them I did housework in the middle of the night. I did the same again last night - I could not sleep when I see dust on the floor, clothes to be ironed and toilets to be cleaned. You see, I am leaving this evening for Cannes and will be gone for 10 days. I know hubby will clean the house while I'm gone, but I don't think he can manage looking after the small one and doing housework at the same time. Hence I decide to help. While at it, I thought I'll just do ironing as well and got so hooked doing house chores that I did not realize it was past 1am when I'm done. I felt really satisfied after and slept peacefully, hoping to get up early and pack my luggage. Alas, I have to do that later this afternoon.

Ramadan, will I get to see you next year?

How time flies... Ramadan come and go. As I sit listening to Mufti's khutbah on radio on Syawal morning, I could not help but wonder if I have done enough during Ramadan. Will I get to see the next Ramadan? Will I get to see the same faces next Ramadan? This few months I lost an aunt, I have visited my mom's good friend in hospital twice and she is still unconscious, I have followed my mom to visit another one of her friend whose husband's health has deteriorated and is now very ill. I wonder will I get to hear some good news in the next few months, will I get to see the same faces today, tomorrow?

Iftar Part 2

Iftar session was at ESST restaurant in Westin Hotel. The restaurant has a modern zen open kitchen concept and includes individual private rooms. We had one of the rooms. The restaurant carries a variety of Asian cuisines ranging from Vietnamese to Japanese to Chinese, Malay and Thai. I ordered a little of everything.

I am no foodie so I really cannot comment on the food. However, I do like the ambience of the private room and I was lucky because one of the partners that I sat with has a very interesting character and personality. I have to admit I enjoyed the conversation that we had and his weird humor. I also get to know more of the TV viewing habits in Malaysia for the older audience. All in all an interesting evening... I have to admit, I dreaded the whole idea initially because I don't fancy having a meal and making small conversations but this one was good.

While I do enjoy the food, I got back to my hotel room feeling hungry. I realized I wanted simple stuff like noodles or kueh or curry puff but I got none. I was counting down the hours to my sahur. I had porridge and I ate with much gusto!

Project Saturday

I was determined to run all my errands on Sat - hubby went along with my plans - though at some points I don't think he appreciated it.

First up - pay tithe - done

Next stop - collect baju. I wanted to avoid Geylang at all costs during Ramadan. Unfortunately, our baju were not ready and I had to call the shop repeatedly to pressure them to deliver our baju on a particular date. It worked, I got our baju and the lady was apologizing to me profusely :)

Next - prayer call - by the time hubby did his sholat, it's almost time to break fast. I don't fancy breaking fast out but this time round I had no choice. Hubby chose the venue - not that far away from Masjid Sultan. I don't like the location and I think Lil Adli did not either. He gave us both a hard time throughout.

After Maghrib sholat, we went to our final stop - one of the carpet shops on Arab Street. Yep, bought carpets - not one, not 2 but 4 pieces! I don't know what got into us, suddenly we decide to buy carpets for our dining area, living room, corridor and prayer room! :P

Iftar Part 1

Last week my boss sent a few of us a note. Basically he wants us to go to KL with him for iftar with some partners. Some colleagues decided to arrange for some meetings with their clients, I choose to stay put in Singapore, work till 2pm and take the 3pm flight for iftar at 7-ish. Silly don't you think? One colleague tried to convince me to stay for the night and take the 8am flight back the next morning. I intend to take the last flight out of KL the same day. Ambitious? Yeah I think so. Can I make it? InsyaAllah.

My time with Lil Adli is so precious. I would rather come home tired, cuddle my 2 loved ones and play with Lil' Adli in the morning.

Expensive iftar? You bet.

Necessary? In my opinion, not at all.

Tithe

Every Ramadan, I take a day off to fetch my mom to Jamiyah and Darul Ihsan for her to pay her tithe. I did the same last Friday.

On our way there, mom wanted to go to NTUC to buy a packet of rice. She said she wanted to pay her tithe with rice. "Ikut sunnah Nabi" she said. I obliged but kept my comments to myself.
When we got to the mosque, her action caught MUIS rep by surprise. I don't blame him and tried calling MUIS to see if they would accept the packet of rice. No one responded to the call.

Back in the car, I asked her why she did what she did. She told me Ustaz F informed everyone during class, its good to follow sunnah Nabi - yep, I agree, good to ikut sunnah Nabi. However, there must be a damn good reason for MUIS to establish the current system right? Imagine all the other neneks in her class carrying packets and packets of rice to the mosque to pay their tithe and they receive the same treatment as my mom? Tulang dah kerepot, kaki dah lemah, angkat beras berat only to be informed the mosque tak boleh terima their fitrah. Tak kesian tu?

Are Singaporeans Insensitive?

Last Thursday I was in Jakarta and a colleague who was traveling with me is a non-Muslim. It was lunch time and our partner brought her food and invited her to one of the meeting rooms to eat. I was with the mbak U'ut and she told me that in most restuarants and foodcourt, non-Muslims can only eat in designated area... separated by a curtain. I asked her if her non-muslim colleagues would drink or eat in front of the Muslims and she said not at all.

I was impressed.

Several years ago when I was in Manila during Ramadan, I asked to be exused for 5mins during a meeting to break my fast ( it was about 430pm then). When one of my Filipino colleagues found out the reason why, she quickly ordered a hot cup of coffee for me. That was very thoughtful of her.

In Singapore, first day of Ramadan coincide with the mid-Autumn festival. I received boxes and boxes of mooncakes which I give away to my colleagues to eat. Interestingly, between mouthfuls of snowskin jackfruit mooncakes, one colleague exclaimed and said, "Alamak, Zan Puasa lah...sorry sorry " but he never stopped eating and the rest didn't either. While I don't mind people eating in front of me, i thought when someone exclaimed something like that, they would be sensitive enough to quickly stop eating right. Well, I was wrong.

So are Singaporeans insensitive?

Thank goodness not. One of my colleagues was eating an apple when she came by my desk. She remembered I was fasting and quickly hid the apple behind her back, got the info she wanted and quickly walked away.

Sept 11

I was at the ariport on Sept 11 to go to Jakarta. It was pretty quiet and the plane was not even full. It was unusual for a 750am flight to not be full. I decided not to mention anything until my colleague passed a comment. We both looked at each other, that knowing look and decided to quickly leave the airport.

A day earlier, I realized the date and voiced my concern to a girlfriend. She told me not to worry - because the terrorists are Muslims and they will not have the energy to strategize or hijack a plane. Yes, I laughed along with it but was still worried.

Alhmadullilah. I had a safe trip and came home at 11-ish feeling very hungry.

Project E2 + 1

When my boss proposed Project E2 + 1 to a few of us, he came prepared and even showed us the roadmap to get there. Despite telling him that the monetary perks will not appeal to the team, he refused to listen but told us to think about it. In my mind, there is nothing to think about, it's a done deal and true enough a few weeks later, he proposed the idea to the team. They were quiet, some were unhappy but no one wanted to tell him there and then their grouses. We went ahead and 6 weeks into this project, we have a long way to go.

I honestly don't think we can achieve this Project E2+1. There are certain portions on the roadmap that we can achieve- no problem but looking at some other "external" contributors, I think that could dampen our drive there.

I have to admit, I am tired. I'm trying to sort a few things on my own with regard to work - basically bringing that passion back into what I do and marrying some demands that my boss has thrown at me. Mind you, it is a curve ball and I hope I can continue to swerve that ball and move it in the direction that can make me happy at the same time meet my boss's objectives.

Morning Person

A girlfriend told me once that she would find me very annoying in the morning.
Why? Because while most Singaporeans would still be sleeping, I would be singing and chirpy as a bird. I am a morning person but I don't make noise in the morning. I love the peace too much and I like the feeling of being in my own world. I can be mopping the floor, cooking or even having a conversation in my head - and I am completely fine with that.

Yes, she would find me annoying - especially for a non morning person. I would find her annoying too - why? Life is short - why start your day being grumpy? Breathe in the clean air, enjoy the peace, it does not matter what time of day it is. It's all in the mind.

Ya Ramadan

I was really angry when i left the office last evening. I've worked late many times but yesterday particularly I was determined to leave the office by 615pm -I wanted to be home with my hubby and family to breakfast together. Instead, I went into my usual routine ie. break fast in the car.

Looking back, I cannot recall when was the last time, on a weekday that I get to hear the azan and have a proper meal with my family. For the past 2 years, I have either break fast in the car, on the plane or in meetings in some foreign land. And the only thing I eat is one date and drink plain water. My boss would try to stay focus during the meeting and use my break fast reason to rush through a meeting but in the same breathe, he would leave me work to do that needs to be submitted in the next hour. Talk about being sensitive to other people's religion.

While I can blame work, I think I have myself to blame too. I never put my foot down and say no - no to my bosses for making me work late, no to my traveling plans. I didn't make enough effort to work around the break fast time and to Ramadan.

I missed those days when I would rush home, prepare a meal to break fast with hubby. I missed those days when I would go to the mosque with mom/hubby to perform my terawih. Today, I shall continue to pray - give me strength, patience and show me ways to get out of the current situation I am in.

As I look ahead, 030609.... there's no stopping me from pursuing what I intend to do.

Office Move

No, your memory does not fail you.
Yes, you have read about an office move on my blog before.
Yes, it is happening again - soon. Apparently in Oct but till today an office space has not been found.

I told a friend I send an email to our "Can We Talk" - an annonymous venue for staff to voice out. It's not annonymous because HR reads it and if they share that email to the management team, how can you call it annonymous. This is not the first time I wrote to them via this channel anyways.

My friend laughed at me when she heard what I told her what I emailed. I don't know what is so amusing but I laughed along with her. She was funny being funny and it worked. I guess the reason why she laughed is because in my email to "Can We Talk" I listed down the following:

- the 2 venues that I suggested - one has lots of European offices and one American offices

- how robust each venue is - this includes upcoming projects and buildings and known brand moving to that area

- the additional costs that staff has to inquire - not a good time because of rising inflation and prices

And of course the part where she laughed out loud:

- the distance from the office space to an MRT station - to be exact about 500m-800m

But they are all good and valid reasons. So all one can do now is wait.

03-06-09

If everything remains at ceteris paribus, then come this date things will change on my end.
I've been thinking about it over the weekend - think hard. Plus I was reading a book called "Tuesdays with Morris" and there are a few things that I read made a lot of sense. I begin to question everything that I do professionally and I asked myself whether I am being selfish. I know I have admitted it before - where professional life is concerned but I also do feel guilty at times. I have been lucky because both parents have been very supportive of me and hubby.

It does not help either when I went to my regular religious class last night, the same issue was raised and the emphasize of having a balance is repeated. I have heard it before, I know it is right but why am I still stuck doing the same thing?

I've decided, come 03-06-09 I have to make one final decision - may be painful and scary but I will have to. Till then, I shall save as much moolah as possible.

Wait For Me!

Lil Adli is picking up lots of words lately.

Every morning, I would carry him up the stairs to the carpark. Sometimes he could climb up the stairs on his own. His father would be waiting for him at the car.

One of the mornings, he wanted Abah to climb up the stairs with him. So he said "Abah... Wait Or me! (as in Wait for me!)"... and this morning he said "Wait or Me! m coming!"

It was so cute but I could not laugh... in case he decides to not say it again :)

An Arrogant Guai Lo

I was introduced to a Guai Lo recently. He works in this industry, a Creative person and based in Malaysia. He came across as someone who likes the attention and super talkative. I never like talkative guys to begin with but I decided to chat this guy up - who knows, we could one day use his expertise, contacts and services should we have some business opportunities in Malaysia. He joined us for lunch. And our conversations went like this - he was seated in front of me...

Guai Lo: Ah, I get these kind of dishes in Malaysia... (he said to everyone at the table)

Me: but this one here is the best. You can't get the same anywhere in Malaysia

Guai Lo: of course you can, it's all Malay food. same

Me: No, they are not the same. This is from Padang.

Guai Lo: Ah, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, they are all the same. Malay. (all these while, he spoke arrogantly)

I decided to end the conversation because I was very close to saying "Are you saying that all Europeans are the same too? Dutch, German, Swiss?" I figured, I would have created a tense moment then... the best is to ignore such ignorant Guai Los and enjoy my food.

Barongan

The gamilan music was playing nicely in the background.
The dishes were served - everything looked really yummy.
The dessert table looked amazing, there were so many different kinds of kuehs, I saw my favorite putri salad.... told myself to leave some space in my tummy for that later.
I had my nasi briani and dalca ready... was about to eat when I heard the hadra
I looked up and the first thing I saw was the barongan.

I never liked Barongan - the first time I went to see a Barongan when I was in Bali - like 10 years ago. I remembered that night, I could not sleep well - had disturbing dreams.

I did not bother finishing my briani and neither did I take my putri salad. Instead, I carried my little one away and stayed behind a wall... looking at the nicely spread dessert and soon after left the wedding ceremony.

7 signs of Aging

No. This is not Olay's ad. This is what I see and experience today...

1) it takes me more than a day to recuperate from any overseas work trips. Longer if I travel further

2) i've started using serum on my face and neck and anti wrinkle cream around my eyes

3) it takes me twice the effort to lose that 1kg, no matter how often i hit the gym and run around my housing estate

4) i go to bed on most nights at 10-ish and wake up every morning at 6am. I used to sleep post midnight and stay in bed till late

5) is that another white hair i see? Oh no!!!!

6) i'm attending "M" is back this August and I don't even know who's who... except for one group that's known for it's malfunction wardrobe

7) i write notes to remind myself what to do next - be it for work or home.

Gingko biloba... I need you!

System Overhaul

I had a 100mins long massage (or rather corrective massage) yesterday - 3/4 of the time, I was in pain and sounded like a hungry cow - my burps were really loud. The last time I had a massage was 5months ago and yesterday according to the Masseuse my veins are in knots and I have a lot of trapped wind in my body. I know because of late, no matter how much I ran and exercise, I continue to feel "heavy" (no not muscle) but today, I feel much much lighter and better.

Hubby called after my session and wanted to know how I felt. Told him exactly what happened... after asking if I am feeling much better, he said, "Wah, nampak je va va voom on the outside, on the inside, you need a major system overhaul!"

*sigh*

Okamoto - a Tyre Brand

I was thinking of bananas while on my away to meet my insurance agent. Why? Because the lil' one loves eating banana and last night at the petrol station he pointed to one and say "Mama, banana".

That's when I saw Okamoto Condom Ad... a Banana with the French Cap on.
Apparently the #1 selling condom in Japan and the world's largest manufacturer of latex condom in the world.

Why on earth use a Banana for the ad? Can't they come up with a better idea? The marketing guy or lady must be damn lazy to come up with such an idea. Isn't there a better idea for a condom ad? Is the ad also implying that men's ahem is like banana - ripe and yummy but it rots after a few days??

Constructions Everywhere!

Walking along Orchard Road is a real challenge of late. Other than the pedestrians, one has to maneuver their way around small cart shops, constructions and noise. The once wide pathways are now narrower and the once peaceful walk is no longer peaceful. It's frustrating and very challenging - it's like driving a car, you just have to be prepared to slow down, brake, change lanes or just bump into a person!

You cannot help but ask yourself whether all these constructions are necessary? Yes, it creates employment but the people construction companies employ are foreign talents. Yes, it makes Orchard Road beautiful and in the long run, everyone in Singapore would benefit - question is, would Singaporean appreciate it? Or are Singaporeans too busy in the rat race that they have forgotten to take a step back and look at the surroundings to appreciate the beauty of manmade environment?

A Great Chick Flick

"They Say Nothing Lasts Forever, Dreams Change, Trends come and Go But Friendships Never Go out of Style"

Yes, Sex & the City. I went to the preview screening with a girlfriend and yes, your girlfriend would love the movie very much. More so than your husband or boyfriend. I fell in love with SATC in New York City some many years ago! I have to admit, SATC was an obsession, a very bad obsession! I bought all the 6 Seasons of the series and spent hours after hours watching it and reading everything about SATC online! It is just darn funny!

The movie was a great chick flick - it evokes all emotions - from love, tears, passion, fashion, envy, lavish holidays, tenderness, anger and most importantly humor. For my friends who have not seen it, do it now.

No Sausages Thank You

I'm hungry, very hungry but all I'm having is a cup of warm chocolate. I went for a walk at the mall next to the hotel. Wanted to get Splenda for mom and PJs for my little one. I passed so many small shops selling sausages, bacon, meat, everything to do with meat. Got back to the hotel and wanted to order some room service. Guess what, I could not forget what I saw and have not ordered any food since.

Cannot wait for morning. I think I will make a quick dash to Starbucks and get my coffee and bagel.

My Little One

He had a blast I'm sure of it. 10 days with mama and abah, the little one kept kissing us. We had to tell him to stop. He loved the weather, the park, the skies, the birds(!), the playground, he loves the short vacation we took. Next one, not so soon but will try to squeeze something in again at the end of the year ;P

Today, I am a SNOB

Yes. I am a real snob today. Hubby is definitely not proud of me and at this moment, I'm not bothered. I hate having to travel for work over weekend or on a public hols. My little one sent me off today and he could not understand why his mama was in the cab, but he waved goodbye nevertheless. I hate the feeling and had to keep myself occupied during the ride.

At the airport, I was served by someone who could barely string a proper English sentence together. For pete's sake, we are at the airport here?! What is wrong with Singapore?! Everyone has to learn English for as long as I can remember and suddenly I have to deal with service staff who could barely speak English! That got me really angry.

Got on the plane and everyone around me thought I am Filipino. Ignore, ignore except that the guy who sat next to me was SLEAZY!!! He kept looking and smiling even though I had my ipod on. He looked at my screen when I was watching Sex and the City! C'mon, use your own screen you moron! He insisted on moving out while I was having dinner and before I could stand up and move out, he rubbed his back on my knees!!! Yikes! At that moment, I swear I could have thrown my tray into his face! He was short and when I stood up, I just glared and looked down on him.

From that second on, I was a complete snob. No smile, no hello, no thank you and definitely no Mabuhay to anyone!!

This Used to Be my Playground

Bibra Lake. It was once beautiful - deep blue waters with lots of swans ducks and water birds. It was peaceful. There would be families enjoying the quiet, the kids running on the grass, the birds chirping in the background. I used to jog round the lake when I was there. 3 times per week, I remembered. I would take in the clear blue skies, clean air and enjoy the scenery. I would run as fast as I could when I felt uneasy, I would sit with my friends and listened to their problems.



I saw it again last week. The park still looks the same but the lake is almost gone now! There were swans, ducks, seagulls and other water birds... sadly, not big enough water body for them to enjoy...

My Sweet Tooth

I love dessert but I cannot have too much of it. Why? Too much sugar gives me a headache. All I just need is a bite and I would satisfied. 2 of my favorites are Creme Brulee and Sticky Date Pudding. I had the latter recently when I was on vacation. It was YUMMY, sinful but who cares right? I can always go on the treadmill tomorrow.

Oink Oink

I don't get it. Just because Muslims cannot eat pork/ham or touch pigs, that does not mean one cannot watch it on TV right? Have you seen some animated series featuring pigs as the main characters? They are soooo cute, the story is great, the animation is fantastic but I cannot acquire it because our friends in neighbouring country would not allow it! Oink Oink Oink! In pig's language, it means HOW ANNOYING!

Solid Gold

The US dollar has depreciate and I've been hoping that it would depreciate even more, then I'll buy some and keep. I've also been watching the gold prices... the more US dollar depreciate, the more expensive gold become. A part of me wished I had lots of gold now, then I would be making lots of dough. Another side of me am thinking of buying some gold now and store... ala old times when I remembered following my mom to Yong Sheng to buy gold jewellery. She used to tell me it's a good investment, can sell if we need money or in case of emergency. Should I buy or should I wait till US dollar appreciate then buy... decisions decisions...

Then I read in a magazine of this facial therapy that uses gold to moisturize and detoxify the skin! My oh my... does this means one's face would look like a gold statue when gold is being applied to your face?

I have not even gotten any answers to the above when I came across an article featuring a restaurant in NYC that serves Frozen Haute Chocolate made from 28 cocoas infused with edible 23Karat gold, served in a goblet with more edible gold(!) and that costs USD$25K! OMG!

What is the world coming to?!

Dharmawangsa Oh Dharmawangsa

I usually follow my instinct but this time round succumb to peer pressure to try this new hotel. I guess I am also used to familiar things/routine so to do something out of the norm usually will take me a few days to decide. So, I decided that I will give this boutique hotel a try and…. I wished I had listened to my instincts. The hotel is so far away from the airport and by the time I get to this hotel, I was irritated already. It does not help that the traffic was bad. I told a colleague and she said I'm the only one from office who does not like it there, I beg to differ. She then told me that because I am the Gucci, Prada kind of person, that's why I like Hyatt! Listen babe, Dharmwangsa is a five star boutique hotel, located in a posh housing estate - the houses in that area is HUGE! and you have your own butler per room! So Prada and Gucci aside, who is the atas one here?

The room was probably the size of my living room at home and the toilet is the size of my master bedroom.... and my master bedroom is pretty big. Can you imagine, there was a vanity top for him and her? I could sleep in the toilet and do cartwheels in the bedroom!

That aside. I am a practical person. I don't need a big room when I am on business. The usual corporate hotels are good enough for me. I don't like to waste time in the car while traffic crawls. I would rather use that time to do work or take a quick scroll around the area to see the city. Location is key for me - convenience is important. Also, how can I enjoy the luxury of life when I get in the car and I see kids and their moms knocking on the car windows asking for moolah?! I cannot help but feel guilty.

Zakat

Saw this Ad in KL last week. I thought it was good. simple and direct.

Rumah Besar Dah Ada

Kereta Pun Ada

Gaji dah lima angka

Zakat Harta bila?

The MEENACHI in MOI!

I am Malay but I also have some Indian blood in me. Does that mean there is a MINAHCHI (or meenachi) in me?!

There is a MINAH in Moi!

There you go. I said it. Never wanted to be associated with it years ago, and today, I admit it.
The Minah in me makes me what I am today. Rooted in my religious and cultural beliefs and yet I am open minded and rather liberal with my thoughts and my lifestyle.

I have become quite a MINAH because I have used words like "beb", "steady ah", "gerek", "let's jam", "power brader" in my conversation without even realizing it. I've resorted to calling my Malay friends Petom, Bedah and "Makcik Siput" because it goes well with each one of them. I enjoy listening to songs from the Mat Rock group.. please don't ask me the titles or the singers, I only know the lyrics. I have become such a Minah that when I want to call it a day, I am brave enough to tell the producers in my team, OK Bro, I GOT TO ROCK!

So bebs, don't you think there is a MINAH in you?

Happy Birthday Zanny O

Yes, today is my birthday :) When I had my hair cut last week, the hairdresser thought I was in my late 20's. Aaahhhh.... now that I am a year older, I'm really happy to say I don't look my age ;) Thanks to that anti-oxidant tablets, the montly facials and the constant prayers that I put in. It pays off and I hope that will remain so till I get older.

Today, my boss sang me a birthday song - I thought that was sweet. Girlfriends, guy friends, colleagues sent me their well wishes and gave me pressies, THANK YOU ALL. I truly appreciate all your wishes and thoughts.

A friend asked, how old are you? You don't have to answer that he said. I am 34 years old. Yes, that's how old I am. I don't believe in hiding your age. What's the point? Have you seen the obituary pages? Once you bid the world goodbye, someone will disclose your age in the papers.

Just the 2 of Us...

Hubby is away for 2 weeks and it's just me and the lil one. I now know exactly how hubby feels when I travel for work. :(

Lil one has been good so far... he sits quietly in his car seat sucking his thumb while Mama drives. Once he screamed for attention and struggled to get himself out, Mama screamed back and that caught him (and mama) by surprise. Well, Mama did try talking initially but he just refused to listen... traffic was heavy so Mama screamed and that got his attention.

Was supposed to be in KL this Thursday for a meeting... I decided against it. I have been feeling rather morbid of late..I had this question in my head for a few days .."What if something happens to me while in KL? Hubby is away, what's going to happen to my son?" Came to office this morning and postponed my trip to Monday... at least hubby will be back then.

Karaoke

There is a variety show on TV called K-Nite... production quality is crap, content is not brilliant but it sure is entertaining! Last night, I caught some of it and they had some old Melayu rock songs.... wahhh beb, I like. My mom was amused because I could sing along - told her the lyrics is on the screen but she asked, how come you can still sing to it? hahah.... i've been singing in the car with hubby. Hubby is not a mat rocker but grew up listening to the same songs :)

Then it reminded me to the karaoke session/s that my ex -colleagues (now good friends) had years ago. I cannot remember which karaoke lounge we went too but I sure can remember clearly the wannabes, the mike grabber and the most requested song - I WILL SURVIVE. Wah, those were the days!

So gals, when is our next session?

A Day in My Neighbouring Country

Today I was in JB - not for leisure but to finalize some long overdue matter.
The plan was to do everything chop chop and try to squeeze in some shopping in the afternoon. I guess the word "chop chop" does not mean anything to our friendly neighbours. I started off the day telling the custom supervisor off. You know me and punctuality. We have an appt with the lawyer at 930am and we got to the immigration counter at 9am. Little did I know that there was going to be an issue. I was told to wait - so I waited. The immigration officer who took my passport away stood right in the middle of the room listening to his colleague's conversation! Tick Tock... 5 mins. What did I do? "Saudara! Cepat sikit boleh tak?! Apahal terdiri kat situ tengok orang lain?!" His supervisor came out and our little drama began. Managed to get things done in 2mins and off we go.

We got to the Land office on time... and ended up waiting for our turn for the next 3 hrs! You wanna know why? People in the office are like snails, everything moves soooooooooooooooooo slowly. Some dragged their feet, some were oblivious to their surroundings - they sms, chat on the phone, hid behind the piles of files and daydream! Goodness me, I feel like smacking each and everyone of them! We were sent from one office to another and every single office that we went to, everyone took their own sweet time. There was no sense of urgency in their work and I feel that everything is so messy! Gosh.

We finally settled what we had to do at 4pm! By then I was too tired to shop. But mom wanted to go to Angsana to buy some stuff for the home... and I? hehe... i bought some Korean silk - there was a SALE!

A Muslim No More....

Recently I read an article about this editor who converted to become a Catholic. He was born a Muslim and even performed the Haj with his mom in 1990s. He is not young - a man in his 50s. He claimed that he was not a practising Muslim, does not pray 5 times a day, does not fast during Ramadan. The first thing that came to mind was, he did not even give Islam a chance. That 50 years of his life, never did he once give his attention and dedication to the religion - how sad is that? While I know that everyone has a choice and will go with their choices, I cannot help but feel sad to read such an article.

A Whirlwind February

February comes and goes just like that. The first week was slow and post CNY, everything just zipped pass you... like a snap of the finger. Likewise with my life, one minute in Singapore, the next in New York City, then back in Singapore for a day and off to another city Bombay. And the same with my emotions - one minute I feel excited, inspired, awed, rejuvenated, happy, in love, I miss my son and ok hubby, annoyed, frustated, angry, confused, lost, info overload, lonely, helpless, touched, could not believe at how cruel life is in India and the next thing I know, I have to practically run with my work life. I'm unwell - have been down with flu for almost a week now. Part of me want to be unwell so I can stay home and rest and cuddle my two heroes but I know the other part of me will feel guilty doing so. And I know that is stupid.

I just hope that things will get better and I just need to get my life back into place - I want to spend my lunch time at the gym, with my gal friends -laughing at silly things, I want that 1 day off where I can pamper myself - spa, massage, hair treatment, I just have to make time for that. Meanwhile, I shall presevere and I will get through this stage.

Small Steps

The little one decided to walk on his own yesterday - 14 Feb. His cousin saw it, got excited and recorded it on the camera. Hubby saw it in the evening when he went to fetch the little one home. Me? I found out about it on the phone when hubby called :( Yep, another major milestone and I am away.
I keep consoling myself - I'll be home Monday and will get to see he walks soon!

Pasta

Yes, I am in mid-town Manhattan. It's freezing, it snowed, I'm jet-lagged and I am eating cup noodle and pasta at 230am in my room!

Oh, we had dinner... except that I could not eat most food. First, it was an adventure to get to the restaurant, it was in Chinatown and I thought I fly all the way to New York to have Chinese?! It was an Italian restaurant and food was not great and yes, not something I can stomach. It was dinner with other programmers from the world, it'd be rude if I don't go, and I see them only 2x a year... and my relationship with them are good, more importantly, I want to be there lah!

I went back to the hotel feeling super hungry and needed to get some fuel. Called my colleague and we both decided to look for a convenience store or a restaurant - we or rather I wanted PASTA. Most shops were closed and I thought, hey this is NY, city that never sleeps?? I guess I am wrong... or perhaps, I am not at the right place... anyhoo no pasta but I bought Asian pasta, i.e. cup noodle and salad and I carried them in a brown paper bag... just like in the movies!

Listen to Your Instincts

I was working on my presentation on the eve of Chinese New Year when my laptop decided to die on me. It hung and suddenly, the screen went black. I thought the battery was too hot or something and left it as that. Next day, I got an error message. Hubby a techie guy decided to help me... he did all he could but there was nothing he could do to retrieve any of my data.

The thing is, a few days before this happened, I could feel that something was wrong and my instinct told me to get it checked before I leave the office on Weds. I continued to finish as much work as possible and thought nothing of it. Now that the laptop has gone kaput, I guess it is my fault. I had called the IS guy and thankfully, he'll be seeing me tomorrow. Hubby said need the start up disk and the OS is corrupted. Can be saved but need the disk. Gosh, that sounds really alien to me.

Looks like I will be working on my presentation again on Sunday. This time I have to start from scratch... unless a miracle happens tomorrow and I get my data back.

The Cs in our Life

I remembered when I started working, I wanted the 5 Cs - Career, Car, Condo, Credit Card and Club membership. I guess that's what everyone aspires to have. Later I realized, I can make do without the Condo and Club membership... I am happy where I am now. In Singapore, come 2010, we Singaporeans will get another C - yes the Casino at the Integrated Resort. Apparently I read somewhere, there will be another C in Clark Quay.. what is it? Cabaret I was told.... that's 7 Cs in total.

What are all these Cs important in our lives? Are we happy with all these? Ironically, as we get more affluent and accomplished these Cs in our lives, I have also read that divorce cases are on the rise. Scary. I guess the most important Cs in our lives today should be: CARE, CONCERN, COMMITMENT and most importantly, COMMUNICATE.

Huh? Wo Pu Chi Tao!

I like to vent on my blog... and the best part, I feel better after that.

Today is the second time I was served by a Chinese national. Don't get me wrong. I am not racist and I don't care who serves me. What is important to me is that person must be able to speak English. Broken English no problem, at least I can understand.

Yesterday my colleagues and I were complaining how Chinese nationals who come here to work cannot speak English. No speak English no worries, just don't work in shopping malls along Orchard Road. While waiting to pay at the counter yesterday, the salesgirl spoke to me in Mandarin. While I understood what she asked for, I continued to stare at her and not take any action. Finally her suprvisor came and spoke to me in English. Today, the same thing happened. While paying for my stuff, the cashier told me the value in Mandarin. I stared at her. I know I had to pay but I refused to budge. Do I look like a Chinese to begin with?!

Yeah, so I read that article in Straits Times about these Chinese workers working here -they are hardworking, willing to work long hours and willing to take low wages - no wonder lots of Singaporeans are finding it hard to find jobs! What makes you think most Singaporeans are unwilling to do the same work? What about the old folks who are out looking for a job. In one hand, companies are encouraged to employ senior citizens and on the other hand, companies are lured to employ these foreigners because they are much cheaper! What about students who wants to work part time to help support their families? They too have to compete with these foreign workers!

Malaysia has decided to cut back on the number of foreign workers in their country. Australia is very diligent with foreign visas and employment - at the end of the day, these 2 countries share the same goal i.e. to provide employment for their own citizens. When will we follow the same? We are good at comparing our policies and practices with other countries. Are we planning to do the same for this one?!

Lil' Adli is 1!

He turned 1 on Monday. I don't think he even knows that. No big celebration, just a little prayer for him :)

I still remember how happy I was when I found out I was pregnant, the undescribable feeling when I become a mom, that 3 months maternity leave period when I go insane staying home and not doing much, having to express my milk when I travel - in the meeting rooms and the aeroplane toilets and throwing the milk away!!! Those were the days.

Tick tock tick tock, Adli now is a happy, cheeky and a super active boy. His favorite word is "Car" and when he sees the motorbike its "Vroom". He tells you he wants to "maamam" and points to the kitchen and he kisses you whenever he feels like doing so. He lets you know that he is angry by stamping his feet and shows you that he is happy by flapping his hand and making a lot of noise. He completely ignores you when he plays and throws himself at me when he misses me. He looks at us intently when we leave him for the office in the mornings but when you explain to him that you are going to work, he will kiss you goodbye. He will cry out loud when he hurt himself but when you tell him he is a strong boy he will calm down. He now has a habit of digging his nose but when you pull his finger out, he uses another finger to dig!

Punctuality

I don't like to wait. Period. Most the times I am punctual and I expect my friends/colleagues to be punctual as well. I am very paranoid when I'm late - I would do anything to get to a place on time. If it means taking off my high heels and run, I'd do that. Years ago I had this conversation with a friend. She said, it's OK to be late for 5-10mins and what's impt is to let them know that we are on our way. We did have a debate about it though and in the end I do see her point and agree.

There are instances when I have waited for more than 15mins for a friend/colleague. It makes me furious and being my honest and direct self, I make it known. I find that people who comes late and do not apologize for it are RUDE and have no RESPECT to their friends. They pretend as if everything is fine. I wonder why they can make an effort to be on time for job interviews, for a date, for classes but when it comes to friends, they take them for granted. It may seem like a small thing but if one continues to be late, it will come a time when your friend may just walk away from the friendship. If you treasure a friend, in my opinion you need to understand and respect your friends' time too.

I hate to say and highlight this but most of my Malay friends tend to come late for an appointment. Funny how when someone is late, the comment is always"Janji Melayu apa?" Makes it looks like we cannot trust Malays. How Melayu nak maju?
It has come to a point where I decide to come late as well when I meet my Malay friends. Previously I ended up waiting like a fool before everyone turned up. While I feel guilty for being late and my conscience is affecting me, I keep telling myself to calm down because no one is going to be at the venue.

I hope to see this change in 2008.

Me Difficult?

I'm letting off some steam.

I expect my friends to respect my religious practices and make an effort to remember that I eat halal food. Yes, halal does not mean no pork, it is more than that. Yes, I do go to non-halal restaurants but that is most of the times due to work - with boss, with clients (and sometimes in front of my boss, I don't even eat!) but when I am with friends, I expect friends to understand and respect that. I am FED UP of having to remind friends again and again. We are in Singapore, you have access to the internet, you can google for halal places here in Singapore! There are many Chinese shops that serve halal food - for one, there is Banquet. Go in and you'll see that every stall in Banquet is being run by Chinese. Halal does not mean Malay(!)

So am I being difficult? I am being assertive. The next time I get another suggestion for a non-halal makan place, one thing is for sure, you will not see me there. I'll join you guys later for coffee.

Holiday Holidays

Everyone celebrates the holiday season at the end of the year but why do people here wish you "Merry Christmas" and not "Happy Holidays"? I wish Merry X'mas to my Christian friends only and never wish anything to non Christians. Most of the times, I would say, enjoy the holidays.

I had dinner with one of my business colleagues a few weeks ago and she asked if the non-Christians feel offended with all the Christmas light ups and deco. I said no. To me, it is a commercial affair. She is Jewish and she told me that she would be offended if this was the case in her hometown. In US, there are all sorts of holidays - Kwanzaa, Hanukah, X'mas, Eid hence when it comes to the holiday seasons, they say Happy Holidays! Thinking about it, I think this is something we should adopt too.

When I Travel

I love to travel but I don't quite like traveling in SE Asia - call me a SNOB and I'll tell you "Whatever". I'm brought up in a country where everything is efficient, clean and safe... even when I am at home security comes first. My late father was a police inspector and he used to tell us many times to lock the door, the car, recognise buildings, faces, roads, what have you again and again. It has become a part of me.

Imagine how I feel when I found out troops stormed Peninsula Hotel in Makati City Manila last week. It's exactly 2 weeks ago I was at the same hotel. We usually stay either in Peninsula or the Shang but after what happened at SM Mall a few weeks back, I wanted to stay at the Peninsula. Little did I know that this was going to happen. Gosh, scary.
I know anything can happen to anyone at any time ... before I become a mom, I wasn't too bothered but now that I am a mom, I don't want anything to happen to me!

A Friend in the Making?

There is this colleague in the office. Let's call her "Stout Chicken". I find her rude and agressive and there have been times where I told myself to stay away from her. We used to see each other along the corridor or at the pantry and neither of us would say hi or make an eye contact.

Over the past few months, I don't have a choice but to sit in for meetings with her. Yesterday, we were in KL for some presentation and I found out several things about her. Maybe I have a soft heart, maybe I have become wiser with age, maybe I have decided to look at the good side of a person, maybe I have no choice but spend time with her since we are both away (!) I've come to a conclusion that she is lonely and she wants friends. Afterall, she has been away for 15 years! Hey from not saying hello, we actually had dinner together yesterday! While I still find her very aggressive and rough on the sides, I've come to a conclusion that she is probably like that by nature. Being in a foreign land away from family and friends makes you a "tougher/ rougher" person perhaps.

In one of the conversations, she told me that she misses this particular snack and guess what I did today, I brought some for her this morning. I surprise myself for making an effort to remember what she wants and packing that snack from her. I think I must have surprised her too because for the first time, she gave me a wide smile while she walked along the corridor.

Restricted Zone

ERP charges has gone up again and you now see more gantry on many roads. Years ago, I remembered when we wanted to drive in to the city, my late father would buy a $3 coupon and placed it on the dashboard. With that coupon, we can go in and out of the CBD area multiple times! I also remembered when my late father was late for work and did not want to buy the coupon, he used to fetch his colleagues from the bus-stop along Outram Road and with 4 passengers in the car, he would drive in the restricted zone. Looking back, the reason for buying that coupon restrict the number of cars that drive into the CBD area. How things have evolved and change over the years.

Nana Ke?

Hubby likes to listen to Era on FM 104.5. It's a radio station by Astro Malaysia.
His favorite DJ is Nana. At one stage when he liked listening to her, he even suggested that if we had a baby girl, our daughter's name must end with a "Na". God is fair. We got a baby boy :)

Anyhoo, I always go up to KL to meet our partners in Astro and as usual, I would tease hubby and asked him if he'd like me to get Nana's autograph. Hah! I never did it until today!! I did not ask for her autograph.. that to me is not cool... plus I've never done such things in my life before! Instead, I took a picture with her! hahaha... and she made my day when she sang our channel jingle. Watch me, I'll try every means to get her to do something for the channel...

Got home and immediately shared the picture with him.. somehow he was not that interested. He said now no fun liao! Alamak! Waste current.

Motherhood vs Singledom

It annoys me when I hear negative comments about working moms. Some feel that when one becomes a mother, she no longer is committed to her job as she is unable to work late to finish a project or travel as often for a meeting or has to take urgent leave when the child is unwell. No matter how successful or efficient one is pre motherhood, all that goes out of the window when she becomes a mom.

I could say the same to single people too right. Some have different priorities in life. Work may not be top of mind for them. They do what they are asked to do and leave work on time because they have friends waiting for them post working hours. Some have family commitments as top of mind... does this make a person less committed to their jobs?

At the end of the day, it all depends on each individual. How one prioritze their time and work. How driven one is, how much support they get from family, from their spouse, from their siblings, basically your support system.


One thing I have learnt is that no matter how much time you put into your work, when it comes to company's re-org, all that does not matter. What matters is your brand - what you stand for and what you as a brand can do.

While I'm Gone..

The little one crawls and can now sit up on his own. The little one can also pull himself up and stand... that was a surprise as hubby forgot to inform me! And the little one's tooth finally made an appearance on his gums! 8 days away and I missed all these!

Excuse Moi

I was in CDG airport in Paris today to get on my flight to Singapore. I arrived at a domestic airport and got on a sky train to the international airport. At one of the stops a cleaning lady came on board the train. She brought a cleaning cart with her. I was standing at one of the doors and she kept telling me to move away in French! I was annoyed as the train was empty and why should I move right? Of course I rolled my eyes and gave her a stare. She continued to push her way through and I was squeezed between the door and her cart. Just as I was about to move away, we reached the next station and she left! What an idiot!

I am Home!

Got in this morning and couldn't wait to go home to see my two heroes. The flight home was a smooth one and we flew on the new plane B777-300ER... the seat is fantastic.. it can be converted to a full bed! I slept most of the time as I was awake the night before.

Little hero was excited when he saw me. Before I could put my luggages aside, he threw himself at me and was smiling all the time. He got really impatient when I told him to hold on as mama needs to wash her hands, feet and face first. I spent the first hr just cuddling and kissing him. He loved it and laughed along! I am really happy to be home!

As today is the eve of eid, I was very ambitious. I wanted to cook several dishes for hubby and I am proud to say, I cooked Ayam Masak Merah, Beef Curry, Sambal Tumis Udang and Nasi Minyak. I had time to even share the dishes with both my mom and in-laws!

Granny in Red

I was enjoying the sun and sea view when I saw this really old Grandma wearing a red bikini! She has a huge stomach, lots of cellulite on her thighs and arms and she walked confidently in the red bikini. She's one woman who is comfortable of her body, I thought to myself. I turned my head for a second and when I turned back again, the Grandma was topless! Oh my goodness, I'm speechless!

Salade Mozarella

Friends sometimes laugh at me because I can have salad as my main meal. In their eyes, that is not a meal. Salad in this part of the world is great. Unlike back home, over here there are so many varieties to choose from. The ingredients used are so fresh, juicy, flavorful, crispy and fragrant. My favorite salad is Tomato Salad with Mozarella cheese. I can have that as my main meal every evening and never get bored of it. According to my colleagues here, this is a summer dish, best eaten with bread and white whine. Not sure about the white wine thing, but it sure tastes good with orange juice too.

People Watch

One of the things that I like doing of late is people watch. It is a lot more interesting to people watch when you travel and you have lots of time in between flights. I was in Rome's airport and I spent the 1.5hr looking at Europeans... figuring out their nationality, wondering where their next destination was, wondered why some women have fake eye lashes, listening to the European speak and admiring the beautiful women and the good looking men! I could be staring, I figured so what... afterall, I do get stares too.. so I stare back. Unlike back home, staring incidents can lead to a fight sometimes, here, you may find the other peson smiling at you. Nice. But no conversation please!

I have not had time to sit in the sun along the beach to people watch in Cannes. It's a pity. The weather is amazing, the sea is blue and the sky is so clear... I am in hotel ballrooms screening shows. Aahhh... that is work. I'm sure I will find sometime tomorrow to get some sun and people watch with friends when I meet up with them for drinks in the evening.

Louis Vuitton

A few years back, I refused to buy an LV bag.. I bought Gucci instead. Today, I am eating my own words... yes, I bought an LV handbag this afternoon. I spent the whole day screening shows and I needed to go for a walk. That 15mins walk brought me to LV boutique.

It was not an impulse buy. I have been thinking of getting one and I've been told that LV prices here is at least 30% cheaper compared to the prices back home. And it is true.

I am happy with my buy :)

One week to Eid and how do I Feel?

Depress... yes, that's how I feel currently.

I am traveling tonight to Cannes for a convention. It is the most painful and difficult time for me.
Firstly, I'll be away from my little one for exactly 8 days... my longest business trip ever. I will miss kissing, tickling, feeding, everything aboutt him, I will miss him. I've just put him to bed and all I want to do is to cuddle him all night long.... *sigh*

Secondly, it's 22 Ramadan... while everyone is busy preparing for breakfast, performs terawih, baking, cleaning and listening to Hari Raya songs... I am busy running from one meeting to another and eating the same food for sahur. This is too depressing.

Iftar with Friends

Every year, hubby's friends organize Iftar together. Usually, it's done at home but this year they decided to have it in a restaurant. I think it was a great idea. There were 4 families - 8 adults... and 12 kids! The youngest being my son, 8 months and the oldest 10 years old. My goodness, the kids can really play and play and run... I got exhausted just looking and running after them!

It was a fun evening...can't wait for Adli to grow up and join the abangs and kakaks play "police and thief" and soccer using plastic bottle!

Seloka Pantun

Anak Timah membeli roti
Roti dimakan dengan mentega
Wahai kawan janganlah ketawa
Membaca pantun di lelaman saya

Bulan Rejab sudah berlalu
Syabaan pula akan meninggalkan kita
Ramadan sedang menunggu
Sudahkah bayar hutang puasa?

Kueh jongkong kueh koci
Bukan senang membuatnya
Bila tiba Ramadan nanti
Kawan semua nak conserve energy

Pisang emas dibawa belayar
Masak sebiji di atas peti
Minggu depan aku pening kepala
Macam mana nak balik sebelum mulanya puasa?!

Wedge Sandals

Finally! I bought a pair. I've always wanted to get one... for as long as I can remember but told myself I don't need that extra height. This time, I succumb. So what if I become the tallest girl in office, in the MRT, in the lift? So what if I have to walk really slowly while I carry my son? I LOVE it and I'm glad I bought it.

But one thing I realized, I cannot wear it after training... my leg hurts and it's difficult to find my balance :P

Who cares if I'm in my PJs!!

Yes! I went down to the mamak shop downstairs to grab today's newspapers. So what if it's raining cats and dogs? Who cares if I'm still in my PJs?! I figured my neighbours are probably asleep... hey it was 615am!

Why so excited??!! Who wouldn't be?! My girlfriend nominated us for the best friend contest that Straits Times ran. And we won one of the consolation prizes. Never mind that! I was just excited and wanted to see what the journalist wrote. It was a long interview we had, but the write up was short... and the picture, my oh my, took 1/3 of the page size! Charl who must have been up really early text us at 6am... and does not give any details. Chris - who should sleep in texted us at 645-ish too.... guess we all couldn't sleep huh... and the weather was good to sleep in.

Here's the link below if you have not seen the papers. And we are on page 29 :P

http://www.straitstimes.com/STI/STIMEDIA/sp/ndp2007/supplement/index.html

My Obit Friend

Ku bentangkan perasaan ku pada mu

Untuk mengadilkan bisikan sukma ku

Ku bentangkan perasaan ku pada mu

Untuk mengadilkan bisikan sukma ku

Andainya kanda pikat asmara

Sudikan dengan jiwa raga ku



Sejak ku bertemu pada mu

Fikiran ku telah terharu

Hanya kekanda yang akan dapat Mengubatkan hati ku rindu!

familiar? Sanisah Huri sang this song

Waaahhhh I like! I found my obit kaki in the office today. She sits quietly in her corner, doing her work and she listens to all these old obit songs! Waaahhhhhh!!!! She looks trendy, exterior va-va-voom but deep down, she is hardcore obit fan!!!!

A Visit to the Dentist

Had an appointment with a dentist today. The last time I went for a dental check up was late 2005. Last year, I was contemplating of going but as I got bigger and heavier in my pregnancy, I decided to not visit.

I used to like going to the dentist .. until today. I never had any problems with my teeth and gums. But this morning's check up was otherwise. The dentist took 45mins to scale my teeth! It was not painful but my teeth and inner gums were so sensitive that I had to tell the dentist to stop several times. He discovered that I have a cavity but could not treat it today as my gums were bleeding so much. My ordeal is not yet over I have an appointment with him next week.

Meanwhile, he gave me some medicine to treat my gums and an interdental brush for me to brush in between my teeth.

MY PT, MY CHEERLEADER

I have friends who asked me, why do you need a personal trainer? It's a waste of money, you can do it on your own. Thinking about it, yeah, I would rather spend that money on another Coach bag or Kate Spade bag. Or better yet, keep that money for my little one.

But I realized, no matter what I tell myself and how set my mind is, I do give in to the pain that my body feels. That's why I need a personal trainer because he is my cheerleader. He's there to push me for that last few sets of sit ups, bicep curls and for that last few meters on the treadmill.

Facial Done

Massage Done

Gym Done

Yep, I'm on a roll!

Took Friday afternoon off to get my facial done. It was pure bliss... two hours of pampering, massage and sleep! I swear my face is brighter! After facial, went home for a massage session. The tukang urut massaged my whole body for almost 2hrs! The poor lady was burping and burping. I think she was so exhausted after the massage session. Gosh, I feel like I've gone for a major engine overhaul.. body looks great but internal health... not so great. I've been advised to avoid cold drinks, coffee, tea and drink warm water only. Also, she has asked me to add ginger to my drink... this aids digestion and gets rid of the trapped gas in my stomach. I've been burping and farting since Saturday. And I need some caffine!! Sigh.

Today at lunch, I had my first session with my personal trainer. He really made me work and now my thighs and arms are aching. But I have J-Lo picture on my laptop and I do want to have a body like hers. Pain or no pain, I am definitely making my way to the gym this Weds.

Gym Next Week

I went to the gym and sign up for a personal trainer! Did it today and will start next week.
Thunder thighs, chicken wings arms - YOUR DAYS ARE NUMBERED! yeah!

Exercise, Massage and Facial

Are the 3 things that I want to do so BADLY.

I feel bloated and I know I have lots of wind in my stomach and body (not head!). I know because my poor son farts very often and I am breastfeeding him. While he farts, his mum burps... sometimes it's so loud, you'd probably think there's a cow in the room. The other day, my maid "gua sa" me and left me with bruises, but I felt "lighter".

My face feels dry eventhough I cleanse, tones and moisterize my face daily. The last time I went for a facial was 2 months ago - I need one now!

The only exercise I get to do in the morning is 3 sets of sit ups. If you consider carrying an 8kg baby an exercise, that's fantastic but so far I don't see any muscles yet. I'm trying to find time between 12nn to 2pm on weekdays to head to the gym. I have been busy meeting friends for lunch and expressing in the store room. After work - no time to exercise as I promise myself that I will take care of my boy by 8pm every night. Weekends, it all depends. Sometimes I nurse him at 6am, sometimes at 7am .... and of course to be honest, I want to sleep in whenever possible. My membership at Calfitness ends this month and I'm seeing an instructor this Weds. I promise myself that I'll start exercising next week- I just have to.

It's One of Those Days

I was on the train and was looking into space when this came to mind...

Nama Pakcik Badak
Ada anak namanya Pekak
Together they are known as Pekak Badak!

cheers

He Did it Again...

Yep, no eye contact and no smile for his mama. I was in Manila for a night and my little one refused to look at me. I fed him, he drank, he smiled at his abah and responded to his abah's call but ignored me... *sigh*.. I cannot imagine if I have to travel for more than a week.

Techno Savvy

I would like to be techno savvy. Well, at least I thought I was until last evening.
Today, you have heard of blogs, podcast, WAP enabled phones and my friends it took me some time to really understand what they mean. Imagine, it took me 2 years to stay away from a blackberry and another 2 weeks to figure out how to use it. When I started to blog, I had fun, then I felt I needed to upload some pictures. Just when I've figured that out, my friends started uploading music to their blogs.. now I have to figure out how to do that too. Yesterday just when I thought I know some stuff already, I learnt a new one - moblog... ha you ask me, it's actually blogging on your mobile phones! So sophisticated eh. Ask me more, I will tell you that I don't know. Just when I thought I want to go blog, I ended up feeling goblok!

First Trip Away from My Little One

I'm in BKK now... feeling very tired and sad.... sad for many reasons:
Sad for being away from my son
Sad because I have to throw away all the milk that I've expressed
Sad because I hear him cry earlier
Sad because hubby said this time round my absence is obviously felt
Sad because I am wide awake, have loads to do and all I want to do is GO HOME!
Gosh, I've never felt this way before...

The More Things Change, the more they Stay the Same....

It took me a week to settle down in the office. I feel that I am so out of practice, out of touch and everything seems so far away.... I had to pause, think hard and try to remember where I left things off. But getting back into the groove I think was quite easy - I just need to start juggling again and at times be a clown. The difficult part is catching up with what's going on out there in this dynamic industry.

I must admit that it was difficult to leave my little prince with my mom. Yes I know he is in good hands but I cannot help missing him... I had him to myself for 2 full months! I miss his smiles, his coos, singing to him and I have such short time to play with him after work. Plus, I have to share him with his uncles, cousins and grandparents! I am being selfish I know.

I shall not lie.... it does feel good to be back in office and I thought with all the changes, things would be different... well, most of it stays the same...

The 2 main difference that I noticed are 1) some of my makcik.com friends picked up cooking - beginners level( at this age!) and ambitious too with the dishes that they want to prepare and 2) they have lunch together - makan berdamai. I thought it was kinda odd initially. Odd in a good way.

Well.. it's good to be back!

Mission Accompolished

I'm going back to office next week. How time flies.

I told myself that I would do the following during my maternity leave:

1) Morning walks along the beach with the little one - I did the walks with the little one. Not along the beach but around my neighbourhood in the evenings. Well... at least I still walk. I can always imagine that I am at the beach. And I live in Bukit Panjang... lots of foliage and its windy - so in my mind I am at the beach.

2) Get my hair done - I did it

3) Meet up with g/fs - i did it - without the boy

4) Watch Korean dramas - I did it and even ignored Nash, Love Hunters on RTM 1

5) Become a Housewife - I did it and don't think I can do it everyday

6) Do marketing with the little one - I did it, complete with my marketing bag. Hubby say very makcik. Aiyoh... but a cool one because now hair very nice

7) And finally, I went shopping with the little one - just the 2 of us. He was such a doll. He did not cry his lungs out when he sat by himself in the back seat and let his mama drive safely from one place to another. Yahoo! There'll be a next time for sure!

Nostalgia Top 10

These are some of my fav songs in the 80's. I'm sure my closetted friends do remember them...

1) Terbanglah Kau Burung - Mazuin Hamzah (*wink*)

Always loved this song. I remembered buying her album (casette tape) from my own pocket money. I spent some days singing to this song. I also thought she was very pretty and I like her teeth! hahaha.. yes, I am a teeth person.

2) Jangan Pisahkan - TT Dores and Someone

I'm not 100% sure of the song title. This song is really really sad. Thinking of it, this song is perfect for all the Korean dramas that I have been watching.

3) Hetty Koes Endang - Kuda Hitam

I used to sing this song to my elder brother and he would run after me annoyed. Ironically, his friends today call him "Black"

4) Balik Kampung - Sudirman

Loved this song. Reminds me of the long ride from Singapore to Butterworth. My late father's hometown. That's when I geo to hear him speak with the Penang accent and I did not understand a single word my cousins said. Also, had to remember my Mak/Pak Long, Mak/ Pak Ndak, Pak Teh, Mak/Pak Cik, Mak/Pak Jang, Mak/ Pak Lang, Mak/ Pak Tam, in order.... was quite stressful at one stage. And yes, that does not include the Mak Tok, Tok Abah, Tok Lang and more....

5) Kau Lilin Cintaku - Francesca Peters

Just loved her voice... I think I copied the way she dressed too! Hey! That was in the 80's!

6) Dulu Dan Sekarang - Black Dog Bones

In fact, I love most BDB songs....

7) Mengapa Perpisahan Yang Kau Pinta - Flybaits

This song is very sad. How come most songs in the 80's all about love...

8) Apa Yang Ku Cari - Endang S. Taurina

I spent my pocket money buying this album. Like the first song, I spent my afternoons sometimes singing this song in front of the mirror! Pretending to be in talentime....

9) Jangan Talipon Lagi - AlleyCat

Jangan Talipon Lagi, Leha Tak Boleh Pergi! This song is funny!

10) Boneka Dari India - Dlloyd

This one got good memories! Hubby sang this song to me!

Me a Housewife?

I really salute women who give up their careers to be a fulltime mom/ housewife. I don't think I can be one. While I love the idea of being with my son 24/7, I don't like the idea of having to do all the household chores, being indoors on most days and doing other errands daily. Don't get me wrong, I do find time to read, surf the net and watch DVDs but I do need "Me" time and at the moment, I don't get that often. I also need to be around people/ friends to laugh out loud at silly things. Laughing alone is not that fun.

My life is somewhat a routine these past few weeks. Everyday, after feeding and playing with my boy, I will have to quickly do the household chores and prepare dinner. While I love to cook, I find it very tiring having to think of what dishes to prepare for the day. Imagine our mothers doing that daily! Whatever spare time I have, I spent it online reading news or reading up on child's development. If I do have some time before my little one wakes up, I window shop online or go to gossip pages for some latest news. When I leave the house to go for walks with the little one, I feel like a bird... free

On weekends when we go out, I always opt for shopping malls as that's the only time I get to see, touch and feel the clothes, the shoes, the bags, etc. And I always look forward to the weekend. I did try to go shopping with my boy once but I did not go far. At the moment I can handle him on my own but without the pram, the diaper bag and the boy cyring in the back seat of the car. It can be pretty stressful.

To all women who give up your career to be a stay home mom, I really admire the choice you've made.

SS vs SM

Who would have thought I would call her a friend? I met her, SS 7 years ago. My first impression of her, she was sloppy, abrupt and rude. When I found out that she is from Germany, I thought my impression was right. Then one day we started working together - boy it was horrible initially. Firstly, she's very long-winded. Ask her a question and she does not know when to stop talking. Secondly, she always seek for more info and that infuriated me - its not as if she'd use all the info in the end. She wanted the system to be perfect, orderly - which means more work for all of us and I swear then I would have kicked her. She is too oblivious with whatever that happened around her. Definitely not someone I could go to for any gossip! When we travelled together for work, she was always late and made me wait - each time I would tell her off. SS said I am very stubborn and direct. I told her she is just as stubborn and direct. At one stage I felt we tried hard not to offend each other. Then one day, one of our distributors wanted to take us to lunch and he asked if it was ok for the three of us to have lunch together. We said yes and asked why. He thought we were enemies! Wow... we did not realize the impression we left on others.

Over time, we become fast friends. Deep down I know she is kind, values her friends and she has a pure heart. I know she will leave Singapore eventually but when she told me last week, it came as a surprise. We met for coffee before she left and I told her I would miss her. I never thought I would say such things to her. We promised to keep in touch and knowing her, we will.

Touched By A ....

I had my hair done yesterday - a hair cut and a rebond. It was done by a new hairstylist - I cannot figure out whether the hairstylist is a he or a she. I spent the entire time observing her... him..... err....
She has very sharp nose - at one stage I was tempted to tell her... but I did not want her to think that I was hitting on her. Her eyebrows was nicely plucked and her make up was perfect. Her hair was long, silky smooth and beautiful but her voice was very hoarse. I caught her looking at herself in the mirror several times and each time she pouts. I thought it was quite sexy. She has quite nice lips and I thought I saw some stubbles at her chin... her hands are manly. She does not have a nice body but hey she has nice boobs. And at that time I came to a conclusion that he is a she. Afterall, I couldn't find her Adam's apple - but then again, her neck was quite short and fat.

4 gals and a Guy

Friends. They keep you sane. My group of galfriends err-- make that girlfriends and guy friend email each other everyday. We talk about everything - pimples, our fears, our hubbys, our kids, you get the picture. I think if anyone of us were to keep all our emails, we could publish a book already... or better still create a series of it.

We've been friends for 13 years now - we met in uni. I remembered hanging out at their home almost every day - I should have just moved in with them and stopped paying rent at my own apartment. I've seen them at their best and worst. I also remembered seeing how flustered our guy friend was when every girl in the house got the PMS...

From being single to getting hitched to becoming a mom, we've been together. I've learnt from each and everyone of them.

Today my friends are everywhere. Thanks to daily emails, it keep us close. These days, they keep me sane with their emails, funny stories and parenting tips.

And here, with our husbands and children.

Time to Change

My little prince is 1 month old today - how time flies. These 4 weeks, he has taught me to be a lot more patient. He has also taught his mama that whatever plan she has, sometimes it may not necessarily go the way she wants it... she now has to work around his schedule :) For someone who is organized and follows a schedule diligently, I must now learn to let go and follow the flow.