Up and Running!

Mission accomplished! :) From now on please refer to http://guiri.site.shutterfly.com/ for all my photo albums and more ... will no longer be updating http://sitheng.shutterfly.com/. Update your bookmarks, thanks!

Re-organizing Photo Collection

Am in the midst of trying out the new beta sharing service by Shutterfly. So far I like the features.....if only the site was a wee bit faster. Anyway, for those who keep track of this blog, please do visit http://guiri.site.shutterfly.com/ and let me know what you think of this new arrangement.

Cheers!

Cycling at Putrajaya

Today marks our 3rd cycling trip in Putrajaya. Ever since our little adventure in Hoa Lu - Tam Coc, TW got hooked. He was quite determined to turn it into a hobby and so he got us a bicycle each. I was skeptical. Why? Because he is the type that gets all hyped-up over something, spends a fortune on it then put it into cold storage. But then again, I'm glad that he has at least shown some interest in a sport activity....so as a wife I must give a bit of support lah.

Mirror reflection of clouds on the lake

And so we sacrifice our sleep on Sunday mornings - waking up at 5:30am just to go cycling. Of course we don't cycle all the way from home (we are not up to the mark yet). We got the bikes hooked onto the back of the car and drove it there. The first 2 times we arrived just as the sun rises (great photography opportunity). Today we got there while it was still dark. So far we have done 12km on the first try (no hills), about 9km on the second one around and in the Botanical Garden (a little slopes) and today we did 11km (more hills and slopes). I turned purple going uphill to Taman Putra Perdana (near Shangri-la). Reminded me of those days in Chambéry while cycling up to Jacob-Bellcombette. It was not that tough really, just that we have not been doing enough cardiovascular exercises. Come to think of it, it wasn't that bad for me, unlike "someone", I didn't have to push my bike up...ngiek ngiek ngiek :P

We missed the sunrise but this was not too bad :)

What I enjoyed most about cycling there are the fresh air, clear roads and breathtaking view at dawn. Not forgetting to mention dedicated bicycle lanes too. I am sure the night view is just as good, must make an effort to go there one of this nights.... apparently they have a spectacular showing on evenings of 15 May - 31 May 2008. Hopefully I'll remember to go!

One of the bridges there...can't remember which one

Also I enjoyed taking photos while I'm there. And Mr. Vain always know the right place to stand whenever I took out my super compact camera. Despite having an SLR, he prefers to keep it in his dry cabinet at home. GRRRRrrrr ..... Anyway, all his perasan photos are in my Shutterfly album :P

We'll probably do a few more rounds in Putrajaya before we dare to go off road. Let's see how long this hangat-hangat tahi ayam can last!

How I Got Rid of the Ganglion Cyst

I banged my wrist on the table today (intentionally) in hope of bursting that ganglion cyst (or bible cyst as some may call it) that has been bothering me for months. And it WORKED! Ok, that was probably not a recommended treatment, but the last time I had an aspiration performed on it by a doctor, it recurred.

How did I end up with this "gangly" thing? I suspect that it's due to my injury last year to my left elbow. The elbow is still weak, and very often I tend to exert more pressure to my wrist and shoulder without even realising it. On several occassion I had really stiff shoulders due to over exertion.

Anyway, hopefully after this self-administered treatment there will be no future recurrences *fingers crossed*

Flamenco Workshop

I had a great time this morning at Cyberjaya Community Club with Angel in a Flamenco workshop organized by Joyce and Arte Flamenco. I must say he is really entertaining and fun to work with. I've lost count but there were probably about 30 flamenco enthusiasts present that day, fully geared in their beautiful flamenco skirts, flowers to adorn their hair (ladies only of course) and flamenco shoes.

The techniques session lasted about 2 hours, and then we had a nice buffet lunch at the cafeteria. The intermediate and advance bailaoras (and bailaor) stayed for the advance choreography, and there are some of them who stayed just to watch. Unfortunately I had to leave to the airport to pick up my sis who was coming back from Brisbane so I didn't get to see the second half. :(

Here's a short video on what happened this morning (nope...I'm not in it, have to hold the camera!)

I love shopping

Don't you just love walking down the aisle in hypermarts or even furniture stores? There are just so many things that will ONE day be useful in your home. Yes, not now, but ONE day. It's all part of a woman's instinct you know, we plan and lookout for the future, like the old saying, Sediakan payung sebelum hujan.

The only problem lies here: how often does one need payung in a desert?

As I walk down the stationery aisle, I'll go, "Oh, binder clips! I don't have any at home. Maybe I'll get some". And in the trolley goes a box of 1/4 inch binder clips, a box of 1/2 inch ones, and subsequently a box each of 1 inch and 2 inch ones. As I continued to stroll, "Hmm, coloured papers, I'll need those too! Who knows when I'll be needing them to make cards?" And the trolley would be filled with coloured papers and cards with all possible colour that you can imagine. "Hey, a laminating machine! I need one too!"*

The same goes with all the other sections - be it kitchen gadgets or toiletries (yes, you don't have to remind me....my face is quite yellow by now). The only department I avoid is the hardware, because my beloved hubby is already stocking up on his own, and the last thing I need is 10 different type of power drills in the store.

Being a lazy cook, I also have 1001 types of bottled sauces in my collection. It's just sooo convenient! Each time I'm off for grocery shopping I find something new. Well, not exactly, I just refrain from getting too many in one go. I have to persuade myself, "No, I don't need them now, so put them back. I can get them when I REALLY need it". However, the very next visit to the store I find myself succumb to the forceful desire to buy what I didn't get the last time.

So, how do I save money??? Saving is supposed to be in the blood of every woman, right? Well, I keep my eye open for special bargains on the shelves from time to time. Big words that say "Promotion", "Super savers", "Lowest price guaranteed", yadda yadda yadda... you get my point. Just the other day Chips 'X' was going for RM0.99 at Store 'G' when the normal price is usually RM1.10!!! Imagine how much I can save if I buy 10 packets!!! *GRIN*

*I still haven't bought that laminating machine yet, may get it when the next sales is on

Un saludo a todo

A los que lee mi blog de cuanto en tiempo, muchos besitos a vosotros. Yo sé que no os he escrito hace mucho tiempo, como siempre estoy ocupada con cualquiera cosa en cualquier tiempo. De todas maneras, os echo muchisimo de menos, perdonadme que no pueda escribir a cada uno un email privado (porque me cuesta un huevo con el español... ja ja ja ja).

Claro, mi buzon de correo esta siempre abierto, si me quereis dar de nuevo o enviar de algo .... os prometo que voy a intentar a contestar lo antes posible :D

Un abrazo fuerte de la chica con laptop

Hanoi Photos

Just realised that I have not shared out my Hanoi trip photos yet.... how forgetful! Not to mention that I have not even posted stories of my Hokkaido trip and more of the Hanoi trip. Procrastination..... *sigh*

One step at a time-lah..... go to Shutterfly for the Hanoi photos - you'll have to excuse me, with more than 400 photos, some photos are not properly labelled.....lazy-lah!

明日香さん、ありがとうございまうす！

Last week I received a note from Poslaju (EMS) saying that I have a package from Japan. Unfortunately I was not able to collect it until today, leaving me in suspense for ONE whole week.

Finally got my hands on it... what a surprise!! It's from Asuka, my sweet sweet chum from Japan who also came all the way to attend my wedding last year :) So thoughtful of her, she sent me a little gift in conjunction with the Hinamatsuri (雛祭り) festival in Japan.

The courier unpacked and its contents - ornamental dolls with candies and crackers!

Thank you very much my dearest Asuka! :D

Frog Can Crusher

My little toy just arrived today! I was waiting for it since Monday once I found out that the package has cleared customs.

I was a little disappointed when I saw 'Made in China' right at the bottom of the box. Frankly I have lost faith in 'Made in China' products. Anyway, I opened the box to find to big round eyes staring back at me :D It was really cute and just as I had expected it to be.... and I regained my hopes.

The frog can crusher with its arms and legs extended

So how does it work? I washed down a can drink so that I could try it out immediately! The frog's head look quite solid, but the movable parts was kinda flimsy. I put an empty can right underneath the frog's head and stomped hard. Voila!!!

The crushed can inside the frog

Why a can crusher?? Well, I am not exactly an environmentalist, but I try to do my bit too. So, intead of just chucking these empty cans into the bins, I separate them to be sent to recycling centers. One problem though, I don't go there very often, so they are taking up space in my kitchen! Once I asked TW to look for a can crusher from a local hardware store, and what did he get? The salesperson told him, "Guna kaki lah" (Use your feet!)

So I searched in eBay and there was a whole list of can crushers for me to choose from. There were probably many others that are more practical than this frog (which cost me USD9.99), but I've set my eyes on him since more than 5 years ago on a site that sells novelty gifts (they didn't deliver to Malaysia then)....and now I've found him again. How can one resist a long lost love? *grin*

Probably for the next few days I'll find myself drinking a lot of canned drinks... just to step on the frog's head. Wonder how many stomps it will be able to take before the poor guy has to retire?

Symphony to the Ears

We arrived Hanoi last Sunday, to be greeted with an orchestra of honking cars and motorbikes. The sound of honks and beeps are extremely melodious to the ears, and one should not be offended.

As we watched the traffic from the The Legends Beer restaurant right in heart of the town, we were amazed. Cars and motorbikes waltzed across the "dance floor" and effortlessly avoided collisions just like any professional dancers would. Just honk your way, beeeeeeeeeep beep beep, honk honk, HOoooRRRnnnnNNn, tooot tooot tooooot, deee dooo deeeee dooo deee and you'll do just fine.

Traffic lights are nothing more than an ornament on the street and its probably more dangerous if you abide to them. Once I thought it was safe to cross when the lights turn Green for pedestrians, when a motorbike appear out of nowhere and gave a loud honk. Be prepared to cross the roads just based on your instinct :)

More updates later :)

Term Break!

School holiday is here again...and I'm off to Hanoi tomorrow! Hooray! :D

Happy Birthday Aunty Sandra

Sandra invited us to a gathering at Delicious restaurant to celebrate her 22nd birthday. Little did I realise that it was not just a small gathering, but was quite a big group with close to 30 people! Sandra had to go round every table to greet all of us, and while waiting to take photo with the birthday gal, we kept ourselves amused with the camera.

Of course Lyne was always hiding away, and then started taking some nice photos with the glasses and coasters, and that got me going too....

Lyne (her hands) modelled for the photos

Anyway, when finally we got to take photos with Sandra, Michelle looked as if she was possessed :P

Scary...

All in all, we had a good meal, portion was good for the price we have to pay and taste was not bad neither (unfortunately we were so hungry that we licked the plate clean before anyone had a chance to take photos...he he he)

Hope you had a blast, Sandra!

I'm a 30 yr old trapped in a 50 yr old body

You are only as old as you feel you are.

Says WHO? I feel like I am only 18 and I want to do so many things in the world. But I feel so restricted. I've never been very athletic during school days. In fact that was the very reason I joined the marching team; I can't run, I can't jump, nor can I throw. I don't play racquet games like tennis or badminton because I can't aim. And I dislike sports that involve a lot of people in a team like netball or softball.

I love to sweat out and I realise that I am not restricted to the above just to get a good workout. I love dancing, so I chose to take up dance classes. And yoga classes to stretch all that lazy muscles.

Then what happens? My knees start to creak, I hear snapping or popping sound from my hip joints, my ankles start to act up and recently even the shoulders are being a pest. It wouldn't have bothered me so much if it was just a mere cracking sound, but sometimes it hurts and affects all my activities. And oh...I am now 3cm shorter too. Mum blames it on my late night showers and my fetish for super sour foods. I don't agree since there aren't any scientific proofs to that (though I may be a walking proof myself).

And so I am trying all sorts of supplements (which I hate doing) to see if it helps. Mum always say that I am going to regret it later if I don't take good care of myself now (unfortunately for me it has to be sooner and not later). If it does help, I promise that I'll do some free advertisements here. :D

I Won't Go Home Without You

"Auntie Shirl", Eric called to me this morning.

"Yes, Eric?"

"I won't go home without you", he continued in a cheery tune.

"Without me?", flattered, I asked to confirm what I've heard.

"No, without YOU."

"You won't go home without me?"

"I won't go home without YOU", he repeated, this time with a clear Maroon 5 tune.

"Oh, ok.....I won't go home without you", and I sang along with him.

"Yeah, I hear it in mummy's car".

Just when I thought a 4 yr old had a crush on me. :P

The Leong Family Captured.......in a Studio

Arte Flamenco

Had my first flamenco class today with Joyce from Arte Flamenco Malaysia. Finally got the chance to use those shoes I bought almost 2 yrs ago! I know its a little absurd buying something that I don't need at that time, but I know I'll definitely find a use for it :D Also my flamenco skirt... muahahaha...

This preparatorio class is relatively small at the moment, with only 4 students including myself. Overall I enjoyed the session a lot, as it brought back a lot of good memories from Spain. Let's see how long I can last in this class :P

Japan Trip Album ready!

For those who are waiting to see photos of our recent Hokkaido trip, I have uploaded some 200 photos to my Shutterfly account. Stories to follow later! ;)

Smelly Surprise

Finally got home last night from our 7D trip to Hokkaido completely drained..... and what did we find? The electricity switch had tripped (probably due to thunder and lightning) and an unbearable stench coming from the kitchen.

Of course, the FRIDGE!!! I had frozen fish, prawns, sausages, ice cream and i-can't-remember-what-else in the freezer! Fearing the worst I opened the freezer door and the stink practically knocked me off. And then the sight of fruit flies (or whatever they call it) lingering inside the fridge too....UUrrghhh...

And so, instead of a good night's rest.... I spent the night cleaning the fridge; had to throw away every single item in the freezer, and whatever that is not spoilt from the fridge below. What I couldn't get rid until now is the smell. Trying out some remedy that I found online .... baking soda, newspaper, charcoal.... whatever I could find. Gonna leave them in there for a day or two to see if it works.

Will put some updates from my Hokkaido trip later.... btw, it was awesome!

Thank you!

Just thought that these people deserve credits for doing a great job at my brother's recent wedding ceremony and dinner reception:

Greg's Video (official videographer/photographer) for the event)
Pixies Makeup & Hairstyling (official make up artist for the sisters :D)
Posh Wedding (official pre-wedding photographer)

Holiday holiday holiday!!!

I'm back!!! School has reopened for more than a month already, and bro's wedding (which was very very happening) is also over, I am back to my normal humdrum life.......... NOT!!! Chinese New Year is coming and I have already replaced that Christmas tree with some nice red-dyed pussy willows. And then we are off to Hokkaido in less than 4 days!!! Hoorraaaayyyy!!!

ONE thing which I am overly excited about though.... this year we have to give out angpows! :(

Signing off.... have to get my bags packed :D

Present Exchange at SAL

Thanks to all the teachers for your pressies!

Mie: a cross-stitch napkin with my initial!
Lyne: a yummy fruit cake with lotsa walnuts...mmm ...mmm....
Sandra: a cute little mini xmas wreath ;)
Jenny: a montage of my photos with SJ, little princess of Joy!

Chef ST

I cooked up a feast for 15 today! A small Christmas get together with close friends and a majority have voted for a tapas rather steamboat. And so I made some tortilla española (wished I had some jamon to go with it), albondigas, mini pizzas, and even sushi!!!

Haha...it's really embarassing... the final result was acceptable but there have been a lot of rejects during the preparation process. Of course, those rejects cannot be presented to the guests, and where did they go? No, not in the dustbin... never waste food! They all went into either my stomach or TW's... he he he... now I see why some chef tend to look a little round :P.

Just a fraction of what I prepared for this small feast

Thanks to all who came and cleaned the plates for me. No leftovers! Hooray! It's possible that I didn't have enough food or they are just being courteous. Either way I am happy that there are no wastage........ except for that extra jug of Sangria in the fridge. I made 2 but only one was cleared. Most have opted for non-alcoholic beverages. Now... how on earth is the 2 of us going to gulp down the balance? :S

And oh, my cookies!!! I finally found people who knows how to appreciate my soft cookies! Muahahaha...

Next year we will have more houses to use as a gathering place now that most of us are married! :D Anyway, TW did ask if I would cook up another meal like this again.... and I replied..."Why not? Just not so soon, need time to recover!!!" Hehehe...

Is My Daemon a Match?

Cookies & Christmas Tree

Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way......

I am SOOOOOOOO in the mood for Christmas... ha ha ha... TW thought it would be nice to brighten up the house a little with a Christmas tree, and so we went shopping for one :D Both of us was equally eager to put those decorations on the tree ... but I know we won't be so enthusiastic when it comes to putting it away later! Anyway it was deeply satisfying to see the end result :)

Ain't it beauuuuuuutiful?

Of course I can't miss out baking, can I? SS and I tried to be patissière and attempted to bake some cookies that taste better than Famous Amos. Frankly it didn't taste too bad at all.... with every bite one could taste lots of chocolate chips and nuts. There was one teenie weenie bit of problem though. I must have accidentally used a brownie or a soft cookie recipe... ha ha ha... Other than that it was perfect :D

Better than Famous Amos Double Choc Cookie...erm, I mean brownie

And it's so much fun making little presents for the upcoming gift exchange! Just can't wait!

Promod is in town!

My favourite store Promod is finally here in Malaysia! Hooraaayyy!!!!!!

Superheroes!

Spidey, Mr. Incredible and me!

It's the last day of school and we partied all morning with fairies, superheroes, princesses and pixies! Parents can be really really creative when it comes to dressing up their children ;)

We also did face painting .... and of course the artist was yours truly...ME! These children can be very demanding on what they want painted on their face and hands. Some even wanted me to draw on their leg...GOSH! I did spiders, rainbows (those are the easy ones), Superman, princesses, cars, the list goes on. Good thing they are not fussy, and as long as whatever you draw looks like what they want approximately, they are happy :D

The school will be closed for 4 weeks - teachers go 'Hooray!' and the parents' nightmare begins ... LOL!

Wheeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!

Helping Eric and Elio with the water hose

Today our school made a trip to the Balai Bomba Pandan Indah. It was SO much fun! It was also my first time to the fire station, so it was really interesting. We got to ride in the fire engine as well! Of course it was just a short ride around the station but nonetheless, it was an unforgettable experience.

Towards the end of the visit, the children got a chance to handle the water hose, and all the children were completely drenched! No, not from holding the hose, but from running under the water sprays :D I wished I could join them, unfortunately we teachers did not have clothes to change into if we DID get wet... :P

After all the calories burnt at the fire station, we pigged-out at Hajime, a Japanese restaurant, not too far from the school. It was Jenny's treat! Thank you Jenny, it was yummy! ;)

Just a fraction of what we had for lunch today!

All in a days work! ;)

The New Si Lai

Just the other day a friend commented that I was being lazy for not updating my blog for so long. I know I've got no excuses now that my internet is up, but seriously being somebody's wife and a "Queen" of the house is not an easy task.

Imagine cooking, ironing, and cleaning for 2! LOL! Yes, if you haven't already know, I am quite capable of handling all the above mentioned tasks and to be frank I'm not too keen on people messing around with my kitchen! :P Of course the garbage and mopping the floor is not my department *phew*

Then just few days back we got a new member into the family. We named her Pixie :) She's a handful! Seriously I have no idea what breed she is, she was a stray puppy when Joseph found her in the streets along with her brother Brownie and sister Blackie (not very creative with the names, are we?) For the past few days she's been living in our bathroom, as we are yet to give her heartworm prevention. We didn't want to leave her outside the house since this area is infested with fierce mosquitos! Anyway Pepper, a male mini Schnauzer puppy will join us very soon too..... but that will be TW's department. I'm only in charge of taking care of Pixie. That should keep us both very busy *sweat*

Oops, time to iron the clothes! Erm..no.... bed time is more like it....*yawn*

Not so S.M.A.R.T. after all

2 hours 45 minutes - That is how long I took to get to work today, instead of the usual 50 mins to 1 hour (from USJ). Left home at about 7:15am, and didn't reach the school until about 10am. Pathetic. I could have reached Penang with that kind of time frame!!!

Why??? Thanks to the closure of S.M.A.R.T. tunnel! Last night it rained and rained until some part of KL is flooded and my poor hubby is stuck at the office (closeby to the tunnel). Then they closed the tunnel because the flood management system was in operation. What kind of bullshit is that? If it was in operation there shouldn't be flood in the first place. At least not not anywhere near the tunnel's location!

This morning traffic was just chaotic with cars that are supposed to be in the underground tunnel running ON the ground. Unfortunately, I didn't realise the tunnel was closed until the announcement on radio, when it was too late to switch my direction. *sigh* It wouldn't have been so bad if I didn't have to answer a nature's call. I had the CD player blast Jive Bunny and danced to it (mind you it's not easy to jive with your bum stuck on the car seat, feet on the brake and a nature's call to answer). Cars around me must think I am a cuckoo!

It's still going to be closed tomorrow and UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. Bummer.

Happy Birthday Aunty Shirl!

Thanks to Lyne who created this little surprise for me. Kam Siah!

Temporarily Offline

First I was busy with my wedding, but now that it is over, I am deprived of internet access back at our new nest in USJ. All thanks to the 'efficient' service of Streamyx. Promise I'll be back in action as soon as the internet connection is activated.

Hasta muy pronto!

Selamat Hari Merdeka ke-50

Selamat Hari Jadi Malaysia, saya bangga menjadi warganegaramu.

Tanggal 31

Bulan lapan lima puluh tujuh

Merdeka! Merdeka!

Tetaplah merdeka

Ia pasti menjadi sejarah

Tanggal 31

Bulan lapan lima puluh tujuh

Hari yang mulia

Hari bahagia

Sambut dengan jiwa yang merdeka

Mari kita seluruh warga negara

Ramai-ramai menyambut hari merdeka

Merdeka!

Tiga satu bulan lapan lima puluh tujuh

Hari mulia negaraku merdeka

-Allahyarham Sudirman Haji Arshad

One Lucky Horsey

I feel very lucky because I am surrounded by so many people that care about me...i.e. my family, my friends :) Of course I didn't realise it ONLY now. But I felt really touched yesterday, when I had a small little accident at work and my elbow was dislocated (am typing now with only one hand on the keyboard, and the other on a sling)

Lyne was with me throughout, keeping me company until the parameds arrived, then followed me to the hospital. She even had to endure a cold butt after sitting on an icepack accidentally; both her hands were occupied to hold my arm up in position that is least painful for me. Also lots of story to keep my mind off the pain. Though I am no believer, she also prayed for me. Thanks, Lyne.

Everyone else were equally concerned too, I wished I could thank all of them here. Aunty Dion helped transfer me to Pantai Cheras Medical Center, to Dr. Ang whom she trusted. At PCMC I was admitted to the ward and sedated to perform a reduction of the elbow. Mom helped me to drive the car home from work. Dad was so worried he questioned Sandra on why my family was not informed immediately. Of course I explained to dad that it was my idea, but he was still upset. :P

My hubby stayed in the hospital with me throughout the night. I actually woke up at 2am in the morning complaining that I was hungry. After feeding me with a chocolate bun, he said I fell asleep almost immediately, just like a baby :P

Looks like I wont be able to drive, at least not for a while. I was discharged this morning but still not alowed to straighten my elbow. Mom wanted to help me shower but I insisted to do it myself. Anyway, later I had to ask for her help again to fasten my bra.... he he he :P

Follow up appointment with the doc is scheduled for next Mon 27th Aug. Hopefully by then he'll allow me to remove the sling!

I'm Going to Montreal!!!

How I wish! Of course I was just kidding. I'm not going anywhere, at least not for the moment, with so many things at hand. Just that I am really flattered with the affection and attachment shown to me by the two Canadian brothers, Nicolas and David.

When they first arrived at our school end of June, they spoke no English. The language barrier made them a little timid. In order to make them feel at home, I spoke to them in French (though it was an English medium school). However, as days passed, I told them that I would stop using French with them so that they could learn English. Of course, as usual, David tried to bargain with me to get an extension.

They are due to return to Montreal end of next week. When their dad asked, "What would you like to bring home to Montreal from Malaysia?" Apart from foodstuff, DVDs and others, they said, "Aunty Shirl!". I couldn't believe my ears when I heard that. They wanted me to be their nanny in Montreal....LOL! David even offered to share his room with me :D Then they described their home to me, that they have 2 TVs, and I could watch it with them, and that we could also have BBQ, and there's snow during winter....etc. I told them that I didn't have any jackets or coats to keep me warm during winter, and Nicolas was quick to answer, "We can buy them for you!" So very sweet of him!

I'm going to miss them a lot. Unfortunately, that's the downside of working with expatriates, they come and they stay, but as soon as you start to get emotionally attached to them, it's time for them to leave. :(

On the bright side, I know I'll have a place to stay if I'm to visit Montreal in future...maybe 1 yr, 5 yrs or 10 yrs down the road! (that is if David still has his room reserved for me and not for his girlfriends :P)

Workshop with Glen Tierney

I know I've been rather quiet lately, apologies to all my reader's who has been keeping a close tab on my blog. Nope, I haven't got MIA (missing in action), just a little full on my daily schedule. With my wedding reception dinner moving closer, I realise there are so many things that I have not done, despite having the luxury of 1 year's preparation.

Anyway, that aside, I just got home from Glen Tierney's dance workshop (Waltz & Tango) at YS's studio. His class was really fun to be in and though it contained only very simple and basic information, I find myself learning a lot just within that 2 hours. TW joined the workshop at gunpoint (well, almost), but he found it to be beneficial as well. Glen emphasized a lot on the posture as well as the right footwork (which TW was weak in). Throughout the 2 hr session, he switched from one partner to another and corrected our weak points. It was really nice to know when he commented that I was very comfortable to dance with.....ha ha ha... probably because he is just at the right height for me and me for him. :)

A pity the workshop only lasted 2 hours. But if he ever comes to Malaysia in future, I'm definitely going to attend his workshops again!

Migration of Photo Album

FYI, I am in the process of migrating my photos in my Yahoo! album to Shutterfly. Please update your bookmarks if any. New link is http://sitheng.shutterfly.com/. And oh, it is password protected now. Please e-mail me first to get access. :)

**Albums moved to http://guiri.site.shutterfly.com/ (Update: 16 May 2008)

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Living in Fear

This morning at 6am, mom woke me up with 2 bad news. Chester, our little Pomeranian dog that had been part of our family for almost 10 years now, is dead. And Jiao jiao (JJ), a Bullmastiff (Arthur & Angel's offspring) was dying. Immediately I rushed downstairs to see JJ, only to find him in spasms, and vomiting. It was such a heartbreaking sight. :~( Someone had intentionally fed them with pieces of meat laced with what I suspected to be rat poison.

Pieces of meat laced with poison

The vet was already on the way, and adviced us to force saltwater into JJ's mouth to induce vomiting. But it was too late. Chester's body had already hardened, which told us that JJ too has probably been poisoned at least several hours back. No matter what we did, it did not help. His tongue was already black. JJ was a larger dog, so it probably took the poison longer to kill him. But he simply could not wait until the vet arrived.

Just behind our house is a project to develop a highway. Due to this, we get lots of foreign labours straying around this area. Several times we have noticed them walking to the higher ground to survey what's within our compound. Each time we noticed that, we tried looking out of the window to let them know that we are aware of their presence. And each time they quickly hurried away or pretended to do something else. JJ was placed in our backyard as a guard dog, together with Chester. And that was how they became a victim of this cruel act. :(

Mike made a police report and explained our findings to the police;

1. a ladder that was found on a higher ground not too far from our backdoor (not there before).
2. meat pieces close to where Chester was found dead (Chester had lost most of its teeth and couldn't really chew, so he was probably poisoned just by licking them)

We also brought this to the attention of the developer so that they could do something about their development site. Currently there is an exposed area in their fencing which could allow anyone to easily crossover from the site to our backyard. A surveillance camera is now inevitable.

As for me, I just can't stop looking out of my window every few minutes just to check if anyone is lingering around unnecessarily. Dad got us another guard dog to mind the backyard but every time he barks I just get so nervous. It's ridiculous. I'm living in fear in my very own home.

Poor Thumbkin, Poor Pinky

Both my li'l pinky and my thumbkin hurt :( Just started my first piano lesson today. Mom thought it would be easy for me since I could type so well....NOT!!! My first song to practice with was just a tinnie winnie part of Ode to Joy and I am already getting cramps.....geez.....how will my fingers be able to last another 9 lessons?? :P

Happy Birthday Darling!

Today we celebrated TW's birthday at Secret Recipe. We didn't want to get a whole cake (nobody's gonna finish it later), so we got him a set of Kid's burger instead (it came in 4 li'l burgers, just nice for the candles). Just a simple one to mark his 31st birthday! Sorry I had to advertise your age here Uncle Wong! tee heee heee.... :P

Feminine? Who....me?

Just as I thought I'll have more time to spare now that my German course have ended, mom signed both of us up for piano lessons :O She saw the ad in the paper several days back about Piano for Adults course, and knew that I would definitely be interested (I wonder... whatever gave her that idea? :P ). So there we were yesterday at the centre for a free demo, and we thought it was a good idea to try it out. As a matter of fact, why not?? I can't play any musical instrument yet, en plus, I can't sit still neither, and eventually will find something else to fill up my time, so might as well. My first lesson starts this Thursday.

TW was very excited when he heard about it. I asked him why. Almost wanted to give him a smack on the head when he told me, "You are one step closer to being more feminine... he he he..." :O

Je Veux Maman!!!

Today I finally get to put my French knowledge to use.... though in a really funny way I would say. Two Canadian brothers, of age 4 and 6, joined us this morning, not understanding a single word of English except for 'Thank you'. Both spoke only French. The last time we had Chiara, an Italian girl who was in the same situation, and everyday she just cried asking for her mummy. That time I wished that I spoke Italian. And now, I get my chance with the 2 boys.

The elder one was in Lyne's class, doing quite well, though a little shy. As for the younger one, he was initially fine, and tried to follow whatever he could during class and music time. But as the rest of the children got noisier, he started to get a little uncomfortable then broke into tears. The whole morning I tried to stay close to him whenever not occupied by another child, and accompanied him during lunch time. He didn't want to eat at first, but after a little coaxing, he went for second helping! It was certainly a relieve that he was very cooperative and understood that his mummy would come later to pick him up, though he was still sobbing from time to time. Then Jenny let him speak to his mother on the phone and that soothed him a little. I guess at the age of 4, children can already understand and can accept explanation from adults.

Despite all that, both agreed to come back again tomorrow! They negotiated with their mother: one said that he'll stay for one hour, while the other said two. Guess what the mummy said? "That makes 3 hours then!" ;)

Auf Wiedersehen!

Today is my last German class at Goethe-Institut. This Thursday is the A1 Zertifikat Prüfung (Exam), but I have decided to give it a miss. I know I could have easily passed, but I didn't think it was necessary to get a certificate at this level.

We have done enough mock tests in class and I am well aware of my own level. At this present moment, I have quite a good collection of different language certificates. But I have come to realise that having these certificates or diplomas does not proof what I can still do 6 months down the road if I don't continue using it. It's just another nice-to-have item. Even Jobstreet limits the number of languages that you can put in your resume to 5 ONLY :P So German, being my weakest language now will not even be included.

Anyway, my best wishes to all my classmates that will be taking the exam. Good Luck and see you all this Sunday for the party at Andrew's!!!

In Random Order: Rizal, Min Yow, Darren, Wayn Sern, Andrew, Auli, Chin Gian, Jason, Me, Kok Hoong (hidden), Arnida, Emir, Baljit, Frau Lee, Sheila, Lee Wen

I have a new TOY!

Went to Low Yatt Plaza today with TW to get some computer stuff. Then I got myself a new pen tablet, something I've been wanting for years! I still haven't figure out what I am going to do with it next, but this is what I did just moments ago :D

Tourist Guide - Part 2

A sequel to Tourist Guide "Celup".

Aleix [pronounced as Ah-lesh], Tinisha's friend from Barcelona, was here in Malaysia on a business trip. The company was based in Pasir Gudang (PG) so he spent most of his time in Johor during his 2 weeks stay. Last Saturday he managed to squeeze in an extremely brief stay in KL. This is where I come in useful; in support of the Visit Malaysia Year 2007. This time I even had a chauffeur, my beloved TW....thanks Dear! :D

He stayed at Crown Princess in Jln Ampang, having reserved it just one day before at a good price. Funny thing is that the website stated that it is a 4-star hotel, but when he arrived, the plaque mentioned that it was 5-star rated. Long story kept short, if it had been a 5-star, it was definitely overrated.

His first stop was the KL tower, then we had a quick drive to Dataran Merdeka to see the Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad. Coincidentally that morning was the celebration of the Agung's birthday, so there was a big backdrop for us to take some photos :) From there we took a turn to Chinatown, and it was a little drizzly. Before we even completed walking the whole stretch of Jalan Petaling, it started to pour.....so we took shelter in at Kwong Woh Tong (chinese herbal tea kiosk). There, I introduced him to Guilinggao (chinese herbal jelly) which is detoxing and cooling for the body, good for the skin, and for constipation too! Anyway I am not a fan, so he had to finish the whole bowl all by himself :P

In the rain we walked to Central Market, and spent some time doing ONLY window shopping there until Aleix spotted a very nice Batik shirt. He was at first reluctant to buy anything at all, but I guess it's difficult to resist...he he he... While waiting for the rain to stop, we had some White coffee at Oldtown coffeehouse. To him it was just good cafe con leche. :P We sent him back to hotel after that to refresh himself, while we went back to get a change too.

At night we took him for a dinner at Farmland Steamboat for a try of the Steamboat porridge He had already tried all the saucy and spicy Malay and Indian food while he was in PG, so I thought it would be a good idea to let him try something new. After that we went to Tasik Titiwangsa to see Eye on Malaysia.

Aleix with his new Batik shirt :D

It was way past 11:30pm, so the wheel was supposedly closed to public, but they decided to take in one last call before they close for the day. Off we went into the capsule, only to be awfully disappointed at what we can see from inside. It was PATHETIC!!! All we could manage was just a miserable outline of the capsule next to us because the windows and glasses were so misty. I felt really cheated paying RM15 each just to sit in there and feeling all miserable. Seriously we were really tempted to press that RED emergency button just to get out!

Bored to the MAX!

As soon as we got to the ground, I highlighted to the staff about the problem but they just shrugged it off. Malaysia BOLEH lah... Anyway, we went Salsa dancing and forgot all about it (at least momentarily for me)

Next morning it was seafood noodle for breakfast at Jalan Segambut before we went to KLCC for a walk in the park and more shopping :P Then we sent him to Puduraya to catch his bus back to Johor.

Hope you enjoyed yourself Aleix and perhaps the next time you are here, Tinisha can join us too. Besos!

The Sound of Silence

I just realised today that I can be driven insane if I am deprived of talking. Last night my throat was acting up, and this morning the virus shut down my voice box completely. All I could manage was just a misery hissing sound like the radio out of coverage area. All my efforts to communicate were in vain.

I have never been quite a vocal person (or so I've thought), and I didn't quite mind if I am locked away in a vault without seeing another living soul for days, as long as I have a comfortable bed, a good supply of food, and either one or more of these:
a) books
b) my beloved laptop with internet access
c) MP3 player
On the other hand, I can't stand the silence if somebody else is just right in front of me and I can't talk to them! *FRUST*

Anyway, just wanted to release my pent-up frustration before I am driven up the wall...he he he... Good night bloggiee...

Teacher Appreciation Day

Thanks to Yen Yen and Fatimah for the beautiful cards (and thanks to Auntie Lyne too for helping them make it!) *MUUUUAAAAK*

And Happy Teacher's Day to all my ex-teachers out there! A big hug to ALL of you! Un abrazo fuerte!

Honda Safety Driving Course 2007

Mom and I had a great mother-daughter activity yesterday :D Honda sent me an invitation weeks back for a safety driving course. I was quite skeptical about taking part, what if they ask me to do some stunts which I can't do??? Then again, the course was FREE, and I was allowed to bring a partner along. So I asked mom to see if she would be interested to join, and she said yes!

That's my mom getting ready for action!

So there we were at the APAC near the old Subang airport, all geared up in Honda T-shirts & caps (we had a nice goodie bag too!). I must salute Honda MY for doing such a great job at making this event a huge success. The group was relatively small, only about 25 of us, and everyone was treated like a king. After every practical session, we were given cool wet towelettes and drinks to refresh ourselves at the canopy. Breakfast, lunch and breaks served were also abundant and quality of food was good (caterer: Mum's Place @ Damansara Perdana).
Program of the day:

7:30am - Arrival of participants and breakfast (nasi lemak...yummy!)
8:30am - Opening ceremony and theory session by Jonathan Tang (from Bkt Batok Driving school in S'pore)
9:45am - Group photo session
10:00am - Pre-drive essentials with our group's trainer, Masagoes (car check, blind spots & blind areas)
10:30am - Warm up at the circuit and maneuvering practice with the 'S' curves (also highlights on correct sitting posture, etc)
12:00noon - Lunch time (satay, lamb chops, prawn salad, etc.....burp!)
1:00pm - Emergency braking with ABS (we did it on both wet & dry surface - this was just the warm up to get us used to hard braking)
2:00pm - Collision and danger avoidance with ABS (this was a little tricky, we had to speed up, brake at on a slipper rubber mat with water and soap, then avoid colliding with the cone in front of us, 2nd part was to break and avoid colliding with the cone at the sudden change of signal light)
3:30pm - Break with kuih nyonya, fried wantan, etc (starting to feel like this is a weight gain program!)
4:00pm - Cornering (My mom's fav part of all! We get to drive at diff speeds, 20km/h, 30km/h and up to 60km/h on a sharp corner without braking! Mom said she felt like she was 18 once again...he he he)
5:15pm - Summary and a quick test (we both scored 14/15! Not bad huh?)
5:45pm - Presentation of certificates
6:00pm - End of event & Test drive for your choice of car (we wanted to try out the Integra, but the queue was just too loooooooooong!)

We were definitely tired but enjoyed ourselves tremendously at the end of the day. Wonder if I'll get to try this out again in the future?

*Updated 9th May 2007 : An article about this driving course at Paultan.org - along with our photo!!! :D

Two Left Feet - Part 2

Judy, my ballroom dance instructor, suggested that I participate in the Malaysia Team DanceSport Championships 2007 in the Beginner's category on the 28th of April. Hah, what a joke! She said that I am qualified, just need a little touch-ups here and there. On top of that, I don't have to search for a dance partner; TW is readily available now that he is taking dance lessons with me. Yeah, right.

He had to be at gun-point to take up dancing, and now what? Competition? He'd rather have me shoot him. Ke ke ke..... of course I have to be fair too.... my knees shudder even at the mention of the word, so how can I compete? I got myself 2 tickets instead - to support and cheer for Hazel who will be competiting in both the Latin and Ballroom Category D. All the best, darling! :)

April's Fools

The fools went over the mountain,
The fools went over the mountain,
The fools went over the mountain,
To see what they could see.

And all that they could see was

Grey clouds covering the sky
Then rain pouring down their heads
Getting all soaked from head to toe
Was all that they could see.

(Sing to the tune: The Bear Went Over the Mountain)

Normally, we would skip the our weekly hill trekking if we sense a rainstorm ahead. Funnily today we didn't, and just short of 3 minutes to reaching the top, it started to rain. Mom, dad and their friends were not too far from the starting point, so they retreated almost immediately. But poor Sebastian and myself were about 20 minutes away. The rain got heavier as we were going downhill, and both of us were completely wet from head to toe.

It was really fun actually, I can't recall the last time I actually walked under the rain without an umbrella... :) Reminds me of my trekking trip at Mulu National Park in 2003 with Hong Teng. Sebastian and I had to be very careful as water came pouring down the slopes and his shoes didn't have a very good grip.

It continued to rain cats and dogs, even after we reached the starting point. All I could say is we looked like "chicken in the soup" (lok tong gai), completely drenched. Thank goodness none of us caught a cold!

I'm a Shark???

Today, while explaining some dinosaurs to my class, Ella pointed at several and said they represented her daddy, mummy, his brother Enrico, and herself. Being a little curious, I asked her which one did she think was me. She picked the most gruesome of all - the T-Rex. Me? The T-Rex??

Just moments later, I picked up an ABC book and asked the children what each picture represented. Not surprisingly, Ella chose the hen to represent her mummy, and the little chick as herself. But what did she chose to represent me??? It was a SHARK!!! :O

Ellaaaa....Ellaaa.....you can be SOOOOOOOOO adorable sometimes ;)

3...2...1...Blast Off!

It's our school field trip to the Planetarium today! Last 2 weeks the children had their chance to make their very own space T-shirt to be worn during this trip. The teachers, too, thought that it would be a good idea to have one each, so we got ourselves a plain black-T each and decorated it too! Thanks to Lyne for helping us to make such a beaauuuuuuuuutiful Space-T! Gam siah!

Not just any Space-T

If you look carefully, Sandra's Space-T shows a space shuttle taking off from the Earth, then passing through my shirt (half of the Earth is on my Space-T), before landing on the moon on Lyne's Space-T. Ain't that cool??? :D

Lost in Time

Just tonight a friend commented that I can't stop talking about my "sabbatical" trip to Spain, France and Europe. Which is so very true. Name any topics, I'll manage to relate it to my experiences of the past 1 1/2 years. Amazingly this milestone that I have charted for myself in 2005 and 2006 has made such an impact: that it overshadows my 28 years of history. No doubt, it's also the most recent achievement in my life to "brag" about (also the very one that left me with a BIG hole in my pocket to mend).

Are the rest of my life really not worthy of sharing? Definitely not. Just that it probably won't be as interesting to anyone else but me ;) Stored away in a little chest of treasure, to be discovered only by the one who holds the key.....

CNY APIIT Gathering

The Magnificient 7 who turned up on 3/3/07....EHEM...

Vivien has never given up trying to organize a get together for our APIIT gang every CNY. This year is no different. Unfortunately, the number of attendees seems to dwindle every year. I find it sad that some of us are not even making a teenie weenie bit of effort to make it, nor even bothered to reply that they are not coming; c'mon, it's only ONCE a year thingie! (Ok, those who are not in town or with valid reasons can be excused).

Anyway, we did have a great time, with great seafood and Yee Sang of course (probably my 10th time this year) in Unique Seafood Restaurant at Sect 13, PJ. Hopefully next year Vivien will have better luck gathering more people to come - "Don't give up Viv, we still need someone to do the job! Thanks a million!!!"

Pinkguins in Phillip Island

Our trip to Phillip Island - Couldn't resist putting up this photo first (though it's already way overdue). Will update story soon!

Colourful Yee Sang

Even before the CNY approaches, I have tossed the Yee Sang for more than 3 times already. This is a unique custom practiced extremely popular in Malaysia (well, and in our beloved neighbouring countries too) as a way to "toss up" good health, prosperity and good luck. However, for our case, its not so much for those reasons listed, but simply because we just adore the dish.

The dish is basically a salad containing vegetables like julienne carrots and white radish (and few others of I-dunno-what, pomelo, crackers, peanuts, and most importantly, the raw fish. Nowadays you can get variations like Salmon, Abalone, Jellyfish, and even Sashimi Prawns! Plum sauce is used for the dressing; and the sweet and sour taste makes it really appetising. :D Last year I had about 7-8 times of Yee Sang. I can probably break the record this year...ke ke ke..

ABCs of a Pre-school Teacher

Being a pre-school teacher is definitely not as easy as 'ABC'. It requires patience... and LOTS of them too. Not to forget 24/7 listening ears (if I only had a bunch of them). All the children expect attention to themselves ONLY, which was easy to see why; most of them are the ONLY child in the family. All want to talk at the same time. All want you to listen ONLY to them. And you know what? They have NEVERENDING stories to tell too. Simply amazing.

I am still trying to get used to these little buzzing bumble bees, while one or two are loudly crying (or screaming?) in the background. It's the beginning of a new term, where newcomers are still crying for their mummies. Our favourite phrase, "Yes, mama/papa will come later" to try calm them down: sometimes it works and sometimes not. But that is not the hardest part: to differentiate "I am playing with you now" tone against "I am serious and you'd better listen" when talking to them IS. Jenny is really good at that.

Some of the children also get too attached to their own teacher that they refused to move up to another class. For example, Joel (half-German) who refused to move out of Toddlers class to mine (Junior 1) because he is used to having Mimie as his teacher. Then Elio, the Italian boy who refused to move up to Junior 2 because of me. Wherever he goes, he wants me to join him. Even to the toilet, he would not let anyone else bring him if I was around. Joel now willingly goes to Junior 1, though he can't sit still and walks in and out of the class, while Elio only agreed to enter Junior 2 last Thursday. Keeping my fingers crossed he will adapt to Junior 2 soon.

Anyway, I have a lot to learn, but I will go easy on myself. Though it's not a long hour job, I can get really beat up at the end of the day :P Undoubtedly, there is a very good remedy for all the exhaustion:

Steal a BIG hug from them, which sometimes comes with a bonus kiss .

Mein Name ist Si Theng

My German language class at Goethe-Institut will start next Monday, 15th January 2007. A new year for a new language :D. Had originally planned to continue either español, français or 日本語, but I was not able to match their time table for this term to my hectic schedule (got myself filled up with too many activities ... he he he).

Will have to keep writing more emails in French and Spanish to hopefully guard what I have learnt. My acquired Japanese skills have completely gone down the drain though :P Sandra and Lyne have asked me to give them Spanish lessons, which I more than willingly agreed. Although that DELE Intermedio Diploma doesn't really qualify me to teach, I should do fine with complete beginners (I hope!)

When the Clock Strikes 12

Makan-makan Malaysia

My family forego the plan of going to Taiwan because of I couldn't make it. We headed for Penang instead. It must have been a blessing in disguise cause Taiwan was hit by an earthquake on the same day that we returned from our northbound trip.

So, what did we do in this trip? Well, to start with, the 10 of us set off on Christmas eve morning with a nice dim sum to fill our tummies. On our way, we stopped at Teluk Intan to have our favourite Ah Chai rojak*.

Yummy Ah Chai Rojak

Oh, and did I mention that all the Leong sisters were dressed in a uniform? Well, not exactly a uniform but we had the exact same polo T-shirt. We definitely caught everyone's attention no matter where we went ... he he he...

After that, we visited a goat farm in Chenderiang, a small town next to Tapah. The kids were soooo cute.... when they saw us, they immediately greeted us, "meeehhh... meeeehhhh.....". Yi San tried to carry one of them and the poor fella went "MEEEEHHH!", which I assumed to be "Put me down!".

"MEEEEEHHHH!!!"

From Chenderiang, we headed straight to Penang, and checked-in to the hotel first. Then, for dinner we went to Tanjong Tokong. There we indulged in 4kg of salt-baked prawns, 1kg of grilled crabs, 30 sticks of satay, or chien**, grilled stingray, stir-fried vege, fried meehoon, spicy la-la, gung bao*** mantis prawns and I have probably missed a thing or two from the list. A feast that could feed at least 20. Unfortunately, I had my fingers all dirty from peeling prawns and crabs, I didn't manage to take a photo.

Of course that was not all, immediately after we went to Gurney drive for 2nd helping of Penang food. That was how we discovered that "White" Christmas exists here! There were lots of stalls selling party SNOW spray: 4 for RM10. All the youngsters were having fun spraying at their friends and passerbys, including cars. Though we tried to stay away from them, we were not fully spared as the wind helped spread the "SNOW". I had to refrain from taking photos to avoid getting my camera all "SNOWY". We returned to hotel after having our muar chi and crunchy mango rojak.

Again the very next day it was all about FOOD. We had our routine breakfast at Soong river, one of the restaurants located by the seaside near Gurney drive. Our usual orders: steamed rice noodles with fish (I don't know what type), braised noodles with prawns, fried chicken wings, etc. After breakfast we went to Prangin Mall, and while doing our window shopping, stumbled across a Reflexology center and 7 of us decided to get some massage. Sebastian (first-timer) was heard screaming throughout the foot massage session. Me on the other hand fell asleep during the session. We also had a ear-candling session.

All ready for foot reflexology

If you have been following me closely from the beginning, you should be able to guess by now that our next activity was of course to EAT. It was cendol time :D

Enjoying ice cold cendol on a hot sunny day

Tired yet? Wait! I still have not talked about the assam laksa at our favourite no. 11 stall at Gurney drive (yes, again). And not to forget... *drum rolls* : FRIED CHICKEN SKIN! Yes, you heard me right the first time, an extremely sinful delicacy but Oh, so yummy!

SS taking a bite of the fried chicken skin

That was just a pre-movie snacking. We watched Confessions of Pain at GSC in Gurney Plaza (original plan was to watch Curse of the Golden Flower but it was a full house), and proceeded for our dinner at NS Nasi Kandar. The portion was really big and they gave lots of kuah**** :D

Ok, ok....that's basically the end of our Makan-makan trip. Erm, ALMOST......aside from the breakfast at Soong River again the next morning before our depart and another stopover at Ipoh for char koay teow, sotong kangkung and chee cheong fun. BURP!

THE LEONG FAMILY

*rojak = fruit salad a la malaysian [pronounced as "row jug"]
**or chien = fried oysters with eggs
***gung bao = fried with dried red chilis and dark soya sauce
****kuah = gravy

Intolerable Cruelty

A friend forwarded me this article from the Star newspaper today.

***
Dog loses jaw after cruel beating - The Star (21/12/06)

JOY, a little black dog whose jaw was surgically removed after he was almost beaten to death, still looks at humans with love.

Despite the cruelty rendered to him, he still looks at people to bepetted and loved.

On Dec 2, Sabrina Yeap, managing partner of the Furry Friends Farm(FFF), rescued Joy at the Ki-Park Sri Utara construction site belonging to developer, Kepong Industrial Park Sdn Bhd (KIP Group).

Joy's jaw had to be surgically removed after it was beaten half to death by Indonesian construction workers.Joy's lower jaw was dangling and his tongue was hanging out.

Two eyewitnesses said they had seen him being beaten by Indonesian foreign workers who kept calling the dog haram as they continuously beat it.

Joy's lower jaw was so badly injured that it had to be surgically removed, but its tongue was saved despite having lacerations and blood clots.

Dr Habeeb Rahman Ibramsa, a lecturer in Quran and Sunnah studies at the International Islamic University in Gombak, volunteered to give atalk to the foreign workers who were involved in the beating of Joy.

But, to date, the owners of KIP Group has refused to co-operate.

"I wish to end this ignorance. The Quran does not support violence against animals; I am willing to give lectures, presentations and screen videos that support what I am saying.

"I hope the public, Government officials, foreign workers and others who need to hear this truth will attend," said Dr Habeeb.

Yeap said FFF was not looking for the government to punish the people who did this to Joy.
"We are calling on the government to support our public education projects by persuading the developer, KIP Group, to allow us to educate their workers.

"Joy may not be able to fetch a ball or toy anymore but he still know how to show his delight in human companionship," Yeap said.

A little gathering will be held at the Canteen Restaurant in Plaza Damas to support Joy.
Those interested in attending can also bring a little gift for him.

For details, call Yeap at 016-631 9018.
***

My heart sank as I read the article. How can somebody be so cruel to a defenseless animal like that? It broke my heart just to look at Joy's photo. I hope that by spreading the news, there will be more to support efforts of people like Ms. Yeap.

Two Left Feet

After more than 6 months of absence, I resumed my dancing lessons with YS Dancesport. "Thanks" to YS who regarded highly of my abilities, he suggested that I join the Advance group.

In the 1st hour (latin technique) I was struggling to keep my balance on the 2 1/2 inch heels; I had been on flats most of the time for the past 6 months since I had to do a lot of walking. Lucky for me, I regained by stability at the end of the class, though the ball of my feet had began to hurt a little.

The 2nd hour was tough. Everyone else was already well versed with the Group 1 and Group 2 sequence for the Cha cha cha, and was learning the new Group 3 sequence, while I was completely in the dark and tried to mimic whatever I could. However, after dozens of double spin turns and open hip twists, my knees and ankles couldn't take it anymore. I was thrown off balance everytime I had to make a second spin turn. My partner had to remind me to keep my feet close each time I make a spin - if only it was that easy!

Nonetheless, I enjoyed the 2 hours lessons a lot (although I end up walking like a duck immediately after). It feels so good to be back there again! Will have my ballroom dance lessons this Sat, really looking forward to it.

Holiday....Yipppeee!!!

Yep! It's holiday again for me..... I know I just started this new job not too long ago, but it's school holiday now. The children were relieved from school since end of last week, while the teachers were required to be at school for training, clean up, and a make-over (not the teachers, the school of course!). Finally, it's all DONE (well, almost). Now we all have 2 weeks to rest. Then we'll have to be back just several days before the school starts to get ourselves ready for the noisy but adorable bunch to be back...he he he.

Butterflies, Tigers & Leopards

Aaaaawwwwww, soooooooooooo CUTEEEEEEE!!! All I wanted to do was just to pinch their cute little cheeks, but of course, that was not allowed coz they had paint all over their face! Today's the end of Term 4 party for year 2006. For the past 2 weeks we have been training the children to dance to the song "I just can't wait to be king" from Lion King. And with the Jungle theme, the girls were turned into pretty butterflies while the boys into tigers and leopards! The teachers arrived early to decorate the restaurant, and the children started arriving about 10am to get dressed and have their face painted (I did the tigers!!!)......so very cool ;) I guess the face paint were really uncomfortable, as after 15 mins or so, some of them already tried to wipe them off... he he he..

The party was a huge success, although we had some of them running back to their mummies and daddies during the dance, and as usual, some cry babies too. But everyone had such great fun! The daddies were given hand-painted ties to wear, and mummies were given photo frames. All hand-made by the children (ehem...with help from the teachers of course).

I got home realising that I had also some face paint on the back of my shirt. Looks like the kids also tried to rub them off on me! :P Probably as a revenge!

*updated 30 Nov 2006

Look Who's New???

"It's Auntie Shirl! Let's give a clap to Auntie Shirl!" There goes Auntie Oli, the teacher for class Junior 1 (also my mentor for the moment) when introducing me to a bunch of cuties below 5 years old.

My life as an assistant teacher at a Montessori pre-school begins today. It's my second time at the school, and I am glad that some of the kids still remember my face though not my name. I couldn't have enjoyed it more. They were not at all shy around me, for e.g. Oscar, he was making me follow him from room to room, pulling my hands to make me continue when I was tired and wanted to stop. He was babbling all the time then made me help him stuff the rubber crocodile with raw macaroni (which I found later that it was not allowed, I mean, to stuff the crocodile). Then during Circle Time, several of them ran to sit next to me i.e. Elio, Isabella, Clara-Ann, etc.

These kids are sooooooo independent! And so very adorable. After playing, they never make a fuss when you tell them to clean up. Of course, these are all the perks of being a pre-school teacher. No screaming from angry bosses or customers, only screaming from kids enjoying themselves. No messy documentation and filing, only lots of messy painting and sticky glue on your fingers. No office politics and backstabbing, only playful "stabbing" from the boys with a plastic knives* (and I had to pretend dead for a while).

No doubt there are tough situations, for e.g.:

1. Cleaning up after their poo & pee ('accidents' do happen, but it can't be worst than the 'poo' left over by some when working in the corporate world)
2. Home sick children (e.g. Chiara, an Italian girl, wouldn't stop crying; probably due to language barrier - she refused to mix with the rest except for Elio, of whom she could understand, and only thought of going home the very moment she arrived at school. Damn, why didn't I take up Italian???)
3. Understanding baby languages; Cassandra was asking for her water bottle during meal time, but I thought she wanted more pasta.... :P

Pheewww, what a day.......more excitements tomorrow! :D

*stabbing (whether with real OR plastic knives) should not be encouraged

One year wiser?

For 2 consecutive years, I did not manage to celebrate my birthday with my family. Last year I was in Spain, and this year, though I am back home, coincidently, everyone's away. Mom and dad and brother and 2 sisters. Only Sean San was left at home with me. So tonight, I spent my birthday having dinner with TW's family, also in conjunction with James' birthday (TW's brother) which was yesterday.

After my 25th birthday, I have stopped taking counts. Just didn't want to be reminded that in a few years, I'd be able to squish a fly with the lines on my forehead, that I would no longer need something to keep me warm, because I would have accumulated enough "insulation" round my waist, thighs, etc. with my lower metabolism. Don't want to be reminded that responsibilities also weigh a little bit more with every year that you add to your age. *sigh*

Happy Birthday to me!