People who matter... ;-)

Just thought i'd blog abt the ppl in my life who are not always around but not far from my mind.. Here's a pic of Martin and Christina my favourite cousin in the whole wide world.. She's now off to london after almost a decade working for Star newspaper in Perak.. and the silly chit has only a diploma but has been accepted into the Masters program of creative writing in a uni in Edinbrugh.. haha.. no degree but a masters, how cheeky is that!!!! lol... Anyway, am super happy for her.. may you enjoy every second of your time overseas and snag a passionate partner or two.. hehe. ;-)

As for my best bud since secondary school.. Luvy, we've had our ups n downs in life.. sometimes we're in the same carriage careening in figures of eights in the bright blue sky, screaming at life's every corner! This one's for u girl, thanks for being there when i needed u most, for letting me abuse you when i was giving birth to Lanner.. for just being u...hugs to the godma of both my children, from your gorgeous girl's godma! ;-)

My childhood bestfriend's wedding, congrats Linda & Jassnie!!

Linda lookin stunnin! Just the two of us.. ;-)


The lovely couple! The 3 musketeers!!!

Last Saturday, history was made.. hehe the last of the 3 musketeers is safely married away according to her father! i thought that was quite a funny way of puttin it! anyway, take a look at that dress! linda has always had a way of making ppl's heart stop, not just jassnie's that night! lookin more than gorgeous girl!

Lin n I have been friends since primary 4. used to hang out at her house alot.. n can even remember her mom taking us to watch Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles at the cinema.. haha.. spent alot of time just hanging out at her house... She's been gettin bouquet of roses for valentine's since primary school.. haha.. luckily i'm a strong character or it would have really bugged me to walk in her beautiful shadow all these years! hehe..

Another highlight of the evening was catching up with Deviana... she's actually Linda's other best friend (yeah yeah i know i have many best friends, but they r best in their own categories!) and it was nice to just chat with her and see where life has taken us since graduating from secondary school.. ;-) hey Devi, if you're reading this, after u finish your baking course, remember to call me for the tasting session! hehe!

To Lin & Jas, so happy for u guys, u both look great together! May you be blessed with many gorgeous children and a happiliy ever after! hugs n kisses!


Devi & I.. catchin up! ;-) Devi & hubby!

Look at me! (Says Ms. Vain.. haha)

I just couldn't resist... this pic is just too good not to share, even if i have to say so myself! Was out at the Cock & Bull pub and didn't get home till abt 3.30am. Some Kiwi friends came to town so had a nice time pub hoppin. ;-)

More happy shots!

Last week Martin caught this African Catfish within seconds of flicking his baited hook in the pond.. haha.. we've discovered the magic of raw chicken guts.. pretty gross stickin it into the hook but hey, if it works, it's worth it!!!! If you wanna know where to go pond fishing in Kinarut, ask us cos we hit gold this time round!Besra doin her sisterly duties very well... watch over him girl, you're after all his big sister.. love him with all your heart, girl, just as mommy n daddy love u deeply too. ;-)
He he.. khaima n baby boy with squishy faces!!! Such joy!!!
A kodak moment for sure!!! Liza you're so cute! Aloy as adorable as the baby you're holdin and well, Martin's martin. hahah.
I swear daddy-o, if you use chicken guts you'll catch 'em faster and bigger!!! LOL Ask Koala, he knew this wayyyyyyyy before I did!

Happy birthday hubby!

Yes, it's another chocolate cake to mark yet another year gone by! Celebrated in town at Texas Bar and Restaurant... invited tons of Martin's friends but told him that it was another friend's going away party as they were migrating to Sydney for good. He almost bought the story until some of his friends dropped him some really heavy hints!!! but all in good humour. silly man wasnt even going to show at one point cos he had a company fishing trip the next mornin with an obscene wake up call... haha i had to phone his boss to talk him into going to the dinner n gettin to the marina later than usual... phew! imagine a surprise birthday dinner with no birthday boy!!!! lol... my gift of the gab would surely be put to good use then!

Anyway, thanks to ya'all who showed up and made Martin feel young and carefree again.. hehe.. we haven't had a good sit down dinner with friends and family in such a long time... but for me the highlight was the after party cos while martin headed home, we got our lil bums across the road to a pub called Shenannigan's and partied till Cinderella's hour! I even played pool n practically beat the guy! gosh i miss my single n carefree days but at the same time my children are the centre of my universe now! Overall, we had a bloody good time and to Ivy, Kevin & baby Sean, all the best in Sydney, and we hope to drop by for coffee one day not too far in the future! PS tons of pics on FB.


Sistas in crime!
Cheers Ivy... enjoy your new life n dont forget us!
Aloysia n I, best buds!!!

Sisters!!! (younger sexy sister Audrey (moi!), hot chick sister-in-law-to-be Joeanne & hot mama tai-ka-jier Michelle! & Dowager Empress Belinda!
Like my dress?
Tequila shots at the after party!
Just the girls ... *wolf whistles!

Me by the pool...

Had a brilliant time on sunday... just chillin at the poolside where martin works... marji stayed home with lanner while bes and i swam (or pretented to do so cos she only wades n waddles using her floatie). then we went to the beach to make sandcastles n i got bitten by tons of sandflies (still itchin now!!! bastidos!) before ending up in the pool yet again.. sighs.. if all sundays were like this, life would be paradise!!!

I've put pics on Facebook cos my school's broadband is down and consequently uploadin pics here takes forever via my mobile phone connection. this pic here of me on the pool sunbed was taken with my phone.. small file so very easy to upload.. anyway, will give the other pics a go in a min, keep your fingers crossed!

this one's dedicated to ashley, her lau kung n her prince charming!!!

Pics were taken mid last year when i popped by kl for a visit.. ;-) i'm sooooo impressed that you're finally bloggin! haha, like i said, finally got you off your cute butt! am lookin forward to reading your every menial thought! hehe.. ;-)
How cute is that???? ;-)

Happy shots!

They're lookin at me mommy... my first public oratory.. what shall i talk abt? hehe
I love this frog suit n so does my daddy!! hehe
the loves of my life!
Chitra taking the role of babysitter!
Kids having fun on their playdate... Karin, Besra and Anil.. ;-)
Aunty marji n baby boy!!! Look mommy my name's on the bib! Thanks godmama Liz!
My lil poser!
Daddy's girl... princess of our hearts.

Food Fanatics!!!

wow, i've read 4 blogs today n they all revolve around food! Bea wrote abt philly cheesecakes, Fely is having a serious chocolate meltdown, escape has gone on a pizza rampage and the most shocking of all is doria is now popping pills for high blood pressure due to yummy food overload!!! Aiyahkahrambahhhhhhhh!!!

It's amazing what a hold food has on us and it always brings back my uncle's voice in my head as he said this when i was still a kid... "Do you eat to live or live to eat?" No doubt we the new and more affluent generation are connoisuers of the greatest commodity: Food oh Glorious Food. However, i think it's about time we all took a step back and reassessed our eating habits.

A cyclist friend of mine said that losing weight is a simple mathematical equation. less input, more output. simple as that. in other words, portion control n execise!!!

Ok.. so i propose we go NOT go on a DIET, but wholeheartedly undertake a LIFESTYLE PARADIGM SHIFT! Shall we call it the Breakfree Diet? Ok.. these r MY rules, you may adopt or adapt to suit your own needs...

Objective: Be fitter n healthier n make better food choices in life.
Target: firmer, leaner body n hopefully the weight loss will sort itself out. (

1. give up meat when you are feeding yourself either at home or when you eat out.
2. you can still eat meat when someone else is paying or providing as in they 'treat' or 'spend' you (haha what a malaysian term that is!) or you're at a party or 'kenduri' lah!
3. eat as much veg as you like but with tiny portion of rice or carbs, consider the difference between a) eating veg with rice or b) eating rice with veg (u should be opting for (a) cos rice should be more of a side dish than the main staple)
4. replace protien cravings with eggs or tofu where possible.. or hv a small piece of meat so u dont die craving but save it for the LAST bite!
5. and it's OK to have a slip-up once in a while.. life is not a prison state u know! just remember to spread the fat: if u r eating a slice of cake say, get a friend to eat the other half or give it to your kids. think PORTION CONTROL!!
6. my doc says 30 mins sweating n laboured breathing a day, 6 days a week for a healthier you. so find something u like doin n do it intensively for 20 if not 30 mins a day.. copulation counts as a physical fitness activity too! LOL

Anyway, you can all help by adding more rules/tips/guidelines by commenting here and i'll compile the Breakfree Diet n post it on Facebook.. lol.. maybe it will get so famous everyone will be doin it just like the Atkin's diet.. hehehehehehhe! but at the end of the day, i'm hoping our quality of life will improve after this..n we will break free from all health n weight woes! To enjoying life to its fullest in the healthiest state, come raise your glass with me n cheers!

A wondrous day...

There are some days in life that God just decides to give u a big huge grin and make everything right. At this moment in time, my planets are all aligned and my rising stars are shining irridescently.
Basically I was observed by the principal (standard procedure) and got lotsa favourable remarks from him! I taught a bunch of Sixth formers a speaking lesson based on Task B which is a 10 min discussion per group of 4 ppl . I started by getting them to discuss then interrupting them with specific language structures (eg I beg your pardon but..., I'm sorry to interrupt but... etc) then i put all the language forms on the board and they guessed the category (interrupting skills). The fun bit was each student got 6 bits of paper which they copied the phrases on, and wrote their names on the back. then i put a jackpot container in the middle of their group n told them they had 10 mins to discuss and every time they used the phrase, they could throw it into the jackpot.. the winner was the one who successfully used up all their phrases! Suffice to say that the class was abuzz with English language being spoken (no matter how broken) as the kids competed to use up all their cuecards.. my principal had a smile on his face so that's always a good sign! The kids laughed n talked lots, n he gave them a positive pep talk in the end so that was that. *happy sigh

Anyway, I get back to my table n find a form faxed to me wanting my details for a promotion from DG41 to DG44 based on the form 6 teachers quota.. I missed the first phase in July by a whisker cos i'm still new here.. but apparently i made the cut for the second phase in August if this fax is anything to go by. Wow it's like striking the jackpot not once but TWICE in a day!!! lol..
The amazing part abt this is not the money (which will undoubtedly come in handy when it finally gets here via tunggakan!) but the fact that I got kicked out of my ex-school because my then Datin principal decided she didn't like the sight of me and thought that I didnt deserve DG44 eventhough I was a MUET (form 6 English) Teacher Trainer for Sabah (Jurulatih Utama) at one point. I'm not trying to blow my own trumpet, but I'll be damned if I'm going to meekly accept my fate being kicked around like a useless football without some sort of retaliation. haha.. the great plan is when i get the letter of confirmation, i'll make a copy, put on hot red lipstick, kiss the priceless piece of paper and personally deliver it to the doorstep of her highness Datin!!! lol.. ok ok i might not do that, but the thought of it really thrills me. just like the thought of saying to her smug face: "I got it anyway, no thanks to you, biatch, kiss my b**t!!!!" hahahahhahahahha anyway, i'm counting my chicks before they hatch but boy is it making me grin like a cheshire cat!!!!

also the contractor called today n said we now have a replacement electrician to replace the one that ran away with the deposit he gave the man.. been almost 2 months pending trying to solve this problem that's why the house hasnt changed much n i havnt blogged abt it much. but we went there as a whole family today (first time out in the car with both kids and the nanny!!!) and it's so great to see wires in the conduits for a change!!! hopefully my painstakingly chosen lights n fans n other fixtures will be up on the ceiling soon enough... then the sliding doors and windows n finally the curtains which are ready but cannot be installed because of the hold-up. Only then will the house be a home! can't wait!!!!

finally i'd like to make a comment abt all my close friends... esp the ones that i made in college.. funny how during college days not everyone had a chance to gel with every other person, and we were mostly lost in our own lil tunnels without appreciating the greater underground system of friendship... but with facebook and reading other ppl's blogs from time to time, it's amazing how letters of the alphabet thrown together seems to convey a plethora of emotions, images, smells n even tastes that has enriched our lives to quite a point. so to all my friends, old and new, i'm proud to be acquainted with u guys and thank you for taking time out to read what menial things i have to say here.. ;-) i read something that really stuck over the last few days, it's this: most of us forget to thank the people in their lives who make the time for you, because the very fact that they make the time for you, however little or after however long, it means that they really truly care. so there it is.. hopefully, you will all make it a point today after reading this to tell as many ppl out there as possible that you would like to personally thank them for making time for you. big huggles goes out to everyone out there... may you strap on super high heels of positivism and may your outlook be draped in a rainbow of beautiful experiences ! haha, hope that makes sense even if it sounds like a bunch of gibberish!

My prince charming!

Take that!!!
You finally understand the theory of relativity?? Gosh I knew that like before I was born even!!
Look Ma, I can stand!!
Stretching in my bunny suit!
I'm a super happy bunny boy! hehehehehehehhehehe

My bundles of joy... ;-)

I still can't believe just how lucky I am to have such lovely well mannered children. Besra was a joy to raise (except her puking antics! hehe) and she is so amazing to listen to as she chatters away in her animated lil voice. And her linguistic skills just blows me away:

Example 1-
Mommy: I don't like this show, Bes.
Besra: Yes, mommy. I don't like it EITHER.
(My adult Uni students can't even use this structure n she's not even 3 yet!!!)

Example 2 (while watching the cartoon)
Mommy: Besra, is KungFu Panda fat?
Besra: Yes, mommy.
Mommy: Is Besra fat?
Besra: No, mommy. I'm happy.
(How priceless is that???)

Example 3 (which i've blogged abt before but can't resist reblogging)
Mommy to Lanner: You're my lil cutiepie!
Besra: He's not your cutiepie!!!
Mommy: Why Bes, what's wrong?
Besra: You don't EAT him!!!
(I'll never forget this for life!!! Simply amazing!)

Example 4 (when i'm driving)
Besra: Go Mommy, Go Mommy. (Chants)
also - Besra: Don't go too far, Mommy. Be careful, Mommy. Drive slow ok.
(driving advice from my own 2 yr old child? lol.. who would hv thought?)

Example 5
Besra: Look mommy, trees. A lot mountains. Many grasses!
(Suffice to say she overlearnt the rule but I didn't hv the heart to correct her.. maybe when she can understand the concept of exceptions to the rule, eh)

Example 6 (she n I were going out, just the two of us.. her 'r' sounds r cutely confused with the 'l' sound)
Besra: You're SUPPOSED to bling my baby blother.
and another time...
Besra: You're SUPPOSED to bling my blanket.
(can your students use 'supposed' correctly? lol)

Anyway, like I said earlier, I'm as blessed as can be when it comes to the children's dept. Besra has turned out to be a lovely mannered child, she was saying her 'please' and 'thank you very much' when she was just over a year old, and even in her sleep she manages to cover her mouth with her hand when she coughs. Brilliant. ;-) Hopefully she keeps it up. ;-)

As for baby boy Lanner, I've never met such a mild mannered child ever. Hardly ever cries and when he does, its just a single warning sound, quite like a meow of a male cat. Ha ha.. ever so cute. For the first 3 months, he just drank his milk, slept, pooed n peed... but these days he smiles so gorgeously and wants to sit up on my lap or be carried against my shoulder so he can inspect the world. sooooooo cute.. also starting to coo but not much. my friend Ivy, who also has a son Sean, visits almost daily and is amazed how big Lanner has grown (6.4kgs) and how easy this child is to look after.. in fact, she said that if hers was this easy, she'd have six more by now! hehe..

So all my friends out there who have children in their lives, either their own or their godchildren, i'm sure you'll smile with me knowing there is indeed no greater joy in this world than to see them smile n better yet, laugh out loud. it's simply priceless and i can't wait for the day i manage to make Lanner laugh over and over again!!!

If you wanna see Besra laugh out loud when she was younger, follow this link. simply superb!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyC_IPiKII4

And ashley, if you're reading this, you're doing an injustice to Ryan for not documenting his every move.. lol... no pressure babe!!!! hehe..

Besra n her moves... ;-)

This is a really pretty gown i just bought for her to wear to my bro Steeve & Jo's wedding end of August...
Martin really likes it, esp the colour! Need to start shoppin for green ribbons n nice shiny black shoes..
My girl the super poser!
Look at me mommy!!!!
How cute is this???
I bought her a bracelet n necklace set from england...

London oh london... ;-)

Had the pleasure of Rick's company at the Royal Opera House, we had a lovely time sippin champagne and nibblin on salmon sandwiches.. mmmmmm
recognise this anyone? lol..
just chillin at the part in the middle of leichester sq... ah it so brings back memories..
This was just before the opera started, the director lady comes up on stage n welcomes us then proceeds to tell us that the leading lady broke her leg, hence she would do her part in a wheelchair(!) and the leading man had a bad cold but still wanted to act so some other guy sang his part from the side! haha.. what a mishmash but it was still a great show.. ;-) Look!!!! I found my very own street!!!!!! weeeeeeeeeeeeee
This pic was taken inside Shakespeare Globe theatre... and it is done up just as it was during his time.. the play As You Like It was just so amazingly entertaining, it was fabulous! One of the characters was named Audrey as well.. n she was exactly like me, a witty n sensual woman! haha. :-)
Taken before we reached the Globe. Its the short white building between my head and the long pole like structure.. had pre show dinner at the Swan with Rick and Beatrice.. ;-)
Couldnt resist this touristy shot... :-) me in the tube, mind the gap please!!!

Overall, I achieved all that I set out to do and boy did I have a brilliant time.. was so nice to just be myself again, do the things that I love doin, catching the sights in covent garden and leichester sq as well as chinatown where I used to hang out often when i was in London... all happy memories.. 10 years down the road, the place seems pretty much the same.. and i'm glad that nothing's changed. Maybe will have a chance to revisit again in the next 10 years, and will definitely drag besra n lanner to a couple of musicals n concerts. ;-)