Popular Bookfest @ KLCC

The annual bookfest organized by Popular is on from 24 May 2008 till 1 June 2008. Go splurge...I just did! :O

And guess what? I got the hot laminator that I wanted *grin*

The after-effect: This morning I woke up with a shoulder ache :( Try walking from the convention center to the parking at Suria with about 15kg load!

MYOS**, Uncle!

Sorry, seriously I hold no grudge whatsoever against vertically challenged people. But this uncle at the dance studio really gets on my nerves.

I would normally avoid partnering with him, due to height problem (it's really difficult dancing with a guy whose stature barely reaches your shoulders). But that is not the main reason why I'm avoiding him. He likes to correct other people's mistakes. Mind you, I'm not all high and mighty and refuse to take advices from veterans, but first look at yourself and see if you are the one who needs correcting in the first place. It's always, "You should be doing this, you should be doing that, don't take such big steps, I can't keep up, blah blah blah". Unfortunately today there weren't many guys around to partner with, and I got stuck with him :S

I am probably just a little too tensed as we are now in the midst of getting ourselves ready for the upcoming ISTD Gold Star Latin exam. Being such a scatterbrain, I really don't know how I'm going to remember the choreography for 5 dances!

Nonetheless, there is no way I am going to partner with him again in future classes. NO WAY!

**Mind Your Own Steps

Waterscreen Spectacular @ Putrajaya

For those who missed the show at Putrajaya recently

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