The Cookie Princess

Dylan is 2 today!

2009-11-02T10:06:00.002+08:00

My Mummy's Day Card

2009-05-10T10:19:00.001+08:00

Dylan's 1st Birthday Party

2008-10-13T20:46:00.003+08:00

England here we come!

2008-05-27T22:03:00.000+08:00

Mother's Day

2008-05-13T21:27:00.002+08:00

Suddenly, our little girly gathering has increased in number... The new additions are Chloe Chang (4 months plus), Tiffany Lim and Dylan Rodwell (both 6 months plus) and another baby on the way soon. And, not forgetting Ken of course, who is 4. However, Ken has been a regular on most of the get-togethers.

This was the first Mother's Day for first time mommies - Mun and myself...

To all the lovely mommies, Happy Mother's Day. x

Splash! Splash!!

2008-04-18T16:10:00.003+08:00

Dylan went into the pool for the first time today... Swim swim... :-)

Cameron Highlands, Mar 08

2008-03-23T17:35:00.004+08:00

It was Dylan's first mini holiday away to Cameron Highlands. We spent 3 days 2 nights in YTL's Cameron Highlands Resort and fortunately, baby was good as gold and the trip was both very relaxing for Richard and I. The weather was simply fantastic, it reminded us of summer days in the UK.

The hotel was very nice and cosy but I was too lazy to take any pictures, as usual. However, I do have to say that it was not very baby friendly as there was no lift and many stairs to climb. We have to get help lifting baby's stroller whenever we decide to leave our room. Apart from that, it was great. Guess we cant really complaint as the room was free, redeemed from loyalty points.

I went berserk a little on the way home when we stopped at stores selling local produces. My fridge now is stuffed with anything fresh vegs, fruits and tea that you can imagine.

Yummy yummy!

2008-02-15T13:42:00.000+08:00

Dylan @ 3 Months

2008-01-24T15:42:00.001+08:00

Happy 2008!

2008-01-01T15:48:00.001+08:00

12 days of Christmas

2007-12-15T16:08:00.000+08:00

This is too funny, have to post it on my blog...

Our Little Precious

2007-12-10T20:13:00.000+08:00

Dylan is 1 month old today!

2007-11-30T19:53:00.000+08:00

They are my babies...

DJ's Fullmoon Party

2007-11-27T20:23:00.000+08:00

HoHoHo...

2007-11-25T19:03:00.001+08:00

This is the time of the year when Christmas shopping used to be on the top of our to-do list. Not sure if I will be doing alot of it this year as we have a new addition to the family and he will be taking up most of my free time from now on.

Have the Christmas tree up yesterday and Baby Dylan has already gotten present from his grand parents. Oh well, guess we all know Dylan is the No. 1 in the family now...

Dylan @ 3 weeks

2007-11-17T21:08:00.000+08:00

We're so amazed and stunned when our baby did this...

With some encouragement from Uncle Patrick and his daddy, Dylan lifted his head more than once to entertain us. Mummy's very proud.

Bundle of Joy!

2007-11-09T16:03:00.000+08:00

Richard and I are parents now! Baby Dylan James Rodwell was born at 3.30pm, 2nd November 2007, weighing 3.25 kgs (7.2 lbs).

We are doing well. Dylan is 1 week old today. It has been a great and emotional first week for us as new parents and we are definitely looking forward to more.

Rich's 37th Birthday

2007-10-10T13:37:00.000+08:00

It has been a busy week for us indeed... with all the birthday celebrations that my husband was given. Besides celebrating at Senja and Tabush (with the Ho's), he also had one boozy night out with the boys. You can just imagine, we were all caked-out last week. And of coz, not forgetting all the cards and angpau from our parents.

It gave me a warm and fuzzy feeling everytime he blew out the candles. My big baby is getting older and wiser, we hope :-)... Honey, I love you...

Colin Farrell, not bad at all...

2007-09-29T00:31:00.001+08:00

Your celebrity soul mate is someone who's Bold
Who's Your Celebrity Soul Mate?

Baby, pregnancy, baby, pregnancy and more baby and pregnancy

2007-09-06T21:20:00.001+08:00

This is day number 219 and I am 31 weeks pregnant! I have 61 days or 9 weeks left, and are 77.5% of the way there. Baby's age since conception is 205 days or 29 weeks.

3D scan - Baby @ 30 weeks

This is how my 31 weeks pregnant belly looks like...

Baby and pregnancy - its all I ever post of lately...

Opposite Attracts??

2007-08-22T21:03:00.000+08:00

April 26

You lucked out the skills to succeed in almost any arena.
Put you in almost any business or classroom, and you'll rise to the top.
You're driven and intense, but you also know when to kick back and cooperate.
Your ability to adapt to almost any situation is part of what's going to make you a success.

Your strength: Your attention to detail

Your weakness: You can be a little too proud of your successes

Your power color: Turquoise

Your power symbol: Arrow pointing up

Your power month: August

October 3

You are more than a big ball of energy - you are a big ball of hyper.
You are always on the go, but you don't have a type a personality.
Instead of channeling your energy into work, you instead go for fun and adventure.
Witty and verbal, you can have an interesting conversation with anyone.

Your strength: Your larger than life imagination

Your weakness: You tend to be pretty scattered

Your power color: Lime

Your power symbol: Lightening bolt

Your power month: March

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

Bali, 30 July - 5 August 2007

2007-08-06T16:49:00.001+08:00

As always, Bali was great and it was much busier this year round compared to our previous trip a year ago. Good to see that the island is gradually getting back to it's pre-bombing state. The villa that we stayed in was gorgeous, a three-bedroom with a lovely pool and outdoor dining and living area (has been pretty lazy with the camera, hence no pictures were taken).

Our one week stay has been packed with activities, dinners, parties and shopping. Nonetheless, we enjoyed ourselves very much and we're glad that we have made the Bali trip as this would be the last overseas holiday for this year, before the baby is born.

The one and only picture of Rich and I by the beach...

The Little Prince Ryan who is 5 months old and has been a star. He is just so so adorable.

37" waist

2007-07-21T15:51:00.000+08:00

5.5 Months Pregnant & 3.5kg Over Weight

2007-07-11T16:56:00.000+08:00

Current Mood:
- Good

Latest Update:
- Baby and I are doing fine.
- I was told by the doctor that I am over weight - for the first time in my life... Need to watch my diet a little. Not good to get too big.
- Planning for another mini holiday to Bali. We need to get as much travelling in as we could coz I wont be allowed to fly in 2 months time.
- Will start my pre-natal yoga class next week.

Pangkor Laut, 4th - 8th June 2007

2007-06-13T22:10:00.000+08:00

We had a wonderful holiday... Everything was just perfect...

Baby @ 17 Weeks

2007-06-03T19:31:00.001+08:00

Tag: My fans

2007-05-27T14:32:00.000+08:00

Started my blog on July 11, 2006, very much has changed since then. To begin with, I am now 17 weeks pregnant and cant wait to be a mommy... And recently I have been tagged by Evelyn aka. Sunshine, a lovely gal whom I got to know years ago in my ex-company.

So, who are my fans whom has been reading my blog since:

June - She is a super mum, if you ask me. We knew each other for almost 5 years now and it just feels like we have known one and other for a lifetime. She is great, everything you wish for from a best friend. I am so glad that our husbands get along fantastically well too. And of coz, not forgetting their adorable kids - Jamie and Mark. I enjoy spending time with them.

Dianne - Stumbled upon her blog accidentally a year ago I think and I was going thru a rough time then as well. Read and instantly loved the way she expressed herself, I found it extremely brave and honest of her to be able to share her feelings. The letter she wrote to her future baby once made me cried...

The Rodwells, my in-laws in UK - They are the loveliest people I have ever known. Even though we speak every other day, I still find it very handy to keep them updated via my blog with pictures and videos.

Angie, Jean & Mun - We are childhood friends, known each other since Grade 2 (8 years old) and still keeping in touch and try to meet up whenever we can. Must keep up this beautiful ritual. 2 of them will be having baby end of this year, how exciting!!

Sylvia & Vnus - Both are my faithful silent readers. Sylvia is a mommy residing in Singapore, her precious little daughter, Amber is keeping her busy enough. Vnus is in Bangkok, my loyal ex-account executive who was my eyes and ears when I was managing the Thailand office years ago. Start your own blog ladies, plsssssss.

Evelyn - My newest reader.

Now, I am gonna tag:
- June
- Mun
- Dianne

Updates

2007-05-25T15:43:00.000+08:00

Current mood: Exhausted but excited.
- Exhausted because I have not been sleeping well, woke up 3 times last night to go to the loo.
- Have been under the weather these few days as well. Down with sore throat, flu and cough.
- Excited as we are going on a mini holiday the week after next to Pangkor Laut for 5 days.

Picture:
My 16 weeks pregnant belly (what do you think?)

Have a good laugh with Elmo

2007-04-28T21:06:00.000+08:00

Rich got me my second birthday present this afternoon, you will never guess it - Tickle Me Elmo by Sesame Street. Very cute, isn't it? And it has 5 different versions of laughter and moves. It is truly a toy not only for kids but adults too.

12th Week Ultrasound

2007-04-27T16:23:00.000+08:00

Hello Everybody!

2007-04-24T13:07:00.000+08:00

I am a little apprehensive still about posting this fabulous piece of news - we are 12 weeks pregnant as of today...

'You may not see the family resemblance yet, but you will in about 7.5 months...'

How Cluttered Is Your Mind?

2007-04-15T16:31:00.000+08:00

Your Mind is 35% Cluttered

Your mind is very free. You've liberated yourself from most worries and problems.And even if something does start to clutter your mind, you're easily able to let it go.

How Cluttered is Your Mind?

What Tarot Card Are You?

2007-03-12T15:55:00.000+08:00

I am The Empress... so I was told

Beauty, happiness, pleasure, success, luxury, dissipation.

The Empress is associated with Venus, the feminine planet, so it represents, beauty, charm, pleasure, luxury, and delight. You may be good at home decorating, art or anything to do with making things beautiful.

The Empress is a creator, be it creation of life, of romance, of art or business. While the Magician is the primal spark, the idea made real, and the High Priestess is the one who gives the idea a form, the Empress is the womb where it gestates and grows till it is ready to be born. This is why her symbol is Venus, goddess of beautiful things as well as love. Even so, the Empress is more Demeter, goddess of abundance, then sensual Venus. She is the giver of Earthly gifts, yet at the same time, she can, in anger withhold, as Demeter did when her daughter, Persephone, was kidnapped. In fury and grief, she kept the Earth barren till her child was returned to her.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

Western Australia, 15th - 23rd February 2007 (Part 1)

2007-02-24T22:21:00.000+08:00

I have always wanted to visit Australia and we have decided to spend CNY away this time round. The air tickets and one hotel stay were free, redeemed with our painstakingly accumulated air miles and loyalty points.

Day 1, Thursday
The flight took approximately 5 hours, which was longer than what we expected. However, we did not really mind that as we both were all geared up for the trip.

Perth was cooler than I anticipated when we first landed - 16 degree Celsius during summer was pretty rare, we were told. Checked ourselves into The Melbourne Hotel located in the heart of Perth city. We came across the hotel online and it looked pretty decent and all, especially since it has been around for 105 years (we were expecting something like Carcosa Sri Negara).

Disappointingly, it was not what we were used to when we travel. So, we checked out the next day and checked into somewhere nicer...

Day 2, Friday
The Outram Luxury Hotel is located near King's Park and Subiaco, which is the up-and-coming happening area in West Perth. We loved the hotel and their service. Complementary drinks and canopies available everyday.

Spent the day shopping and wandering around Subiaco and we bought 2 beautiful landscape photographs as remembrance. Lunch and dinner were good but almost everything shuts at 4pm in Perth. A very laid back city and it took us a while to get used to it.

Day 3, Fremantle
The Fremantle Market, a place not to be missed if you were in Perth... so we were told. To be honest, the scenery was nice but the rest was really average if you ask me. Had lunch at a famous fish and chip restaurant (I cant even remember the name, it shows how impressed I was with the place...) and its just a little too touristy for my taste. Oh well, a tick of the box anyway.

Day 4, Sunday
Started our self-drive tour down south to Margaret River. The journey took us 3 hours and the drive was pleasant enough, just that it was a bit hot and I got tanned sitting in the passenger seat. My left shoulder is darker than my right, to give you some idea.

Along the way, we stopped by a few towns for a look-see. Lunched at a restaurant by the beach in Bunburry and the view was simply amazing. One thing we are used to on this trip was long lunches, can take up to 2.5 hours, enjoying the beer, wine, views and each other's company.

Drove thru Busselton and visited the jetty... Stopped for coffee and ice cream.

Finally, arrived at The Merribrook Retreat at 4.30pm. Our room key and map of the hotel were left at the reception area as the office closed at 4pm, what's new? The retreat is set in the middle of a wild life reserve park of 190 acres and there are only 9 cottages available. You can just imagine the amount of space we have, the place was simply stunning. There were hares, kangaroos, different kind of birds, ducks, swans around us (these were the animals we encountered, I am sure there are plenty more that we missed). This is as close to living in the wild as anyone could get.

We rose early as breakfast was served every morning in the main house from 8 - 10.30am. This was also a time for guests to get to know one and other and chit chat. Eating out in Margaret River is limited as all vineyard closes by 5pm, most of them only do lunches and only a hand full of good restaurants in town serve dinner. So, the guests were encouraged to buy food and wine and use the kitchen in the house. Loved the atmosphere, reminded me of the days I spent back in university.

Day 5, Monday
Began our vineyard tour around Margaret River, we enjoyed it tremendously.

Had lunch in Leeuwin Estate, the best meal we had on our entire trip to Western Australia - food was amazingly good and the view was unbeatable. We were pleasantly surprised when we saw the Malaysian flag being raised at the courtyard as we walked in, after we found out that the Malaysian Tourism Minister, his wife - 'Puteri Gunung Ledang' and family were expected to lunch at Leeuwin as well. Just hope that they were not on any 'official visit', if you know what I mean...

Western Australia, 15th - 23rd February 2007 (Part 2)

2007-02-24T19:01:00.000+08:00

Day 6, Tuesday
Took a drive further down south along Caves Road toward Jewel Cave. There are 2 other caves worth a visit beside Jewel - Mammoth and Lake. We picked the best one to go to coz once you have seen one, there are more or less pretty similar.

Since it was Rich's first and my second caving experience, we had lots of fun during the guided tour that took us 45 minutes. Another tick of the box for us.

Driving back from Jewel Cave, we stopped and took a few pictures of the famous, hundred year old Karri Forrest. They have white trunks and incredibly tall. The scenery was definitely worth stopping for.

Day 7, Wednesday
Started our journey back to Perth after breakfast. By the time we returned the rented car, we had practically travelled approximately 1,000km.

We were booked into The Intercontinental, Burswood initially, but when we got there, we were then told that our booking was done for Holiday Inn (the sister hotel 500 meters down the road). As you can imagine, Rich was not a happy bunny at all. Unfortunately, there were no chance for an upgrade as all the rooms were fully booked.

Therefore, we have no choice but have to checked into Holiday Inn. Honestly, neither of us have ever stayed in any Holiday Inns before this and it was not that bad after all as the hotel is only 1.5 years old. We did have a tiny view of the city from our room.

Day 8, Thursday
Had lunch at Fraser's, allegedly the hardest restaurant to get into in Perth. Great food and beautiful view of the city as it is located on a higher ground within King' Park. Off for a walk in the park after 2.5 hours of lunching. The walk was surprisingly nice coz of the lovely weather and without realising it, we had spent the whole day in King's Park.

Headed back at 5pm for more food, drinks and a good rest. We were very contended for doing nothing, pretty much very laid back like the locals.

Day 9, Friday
Checked out by noon and had lunch in Coco's, South Perth before we head off to the airport. By this stage, we were really looking forward to going home.

All in all, it has been a great holiday except for a few hick-ups on service, nothing works after 4.30pm and hotel booking. Our favourite leg of the trip is definitely Margaret River, by far. Another tick of the box, but cant see us going back to Perth for a while.

Asian Zodiac - Tiger

2007-02-13T15:34:00.000+08:00

Every year nearing Chinese New Year celebration, we will come across magazines, articles on newspapers and even tv talk shows having some kind of free 'fortune telling' whereby our luck for the year is being analysed according to each Asian zodiac (there are 12 different zodiacs according to the Chinese).

This year is the year of the Golden Boar and apparently the zodiac with the best luck overall this year is the Tiger. And since I am a tiger myself (and most of my friends), I did a little reading on the net.

Years:
1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998

Character:
Brave and courageous, the Tiger is ready for any challenge. Nothing can tame their adventurous and rebellious spirit. A supreme optimist, they pursue their goals with fierce intensity. Tigers are admired for their vibrant and playful personality.

Famous Tigers:
Rosie O'Donnell, Jodie Foster, Emily Dickinson, Natalie Wood, Stevie Wonder, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Marilyn Monroe, Demi Moore, Sun Yat-sen, Garth Brooks, Rush Limbaugh, Lionel Ritchie, Kenny Rogers, Mel Brooks, Tom Cruise, Queen Elizabeth II, John Steinbeck, Jean Kirkpatrick, Paula Abdul, Leonardo DiCaprio, Peter Gabriel, Charles Lindbergh, Marco Polo, Mark Spitz, Ludwidg van Beethoven and Roberta Flack.

Happy Chinese New Year to all. We will be away in Perth for 10 days. Catch up for low sang when we get back.

Gong Xi Fa Chai...!!

the trouble with crabs...

2007-02-03T16:32:00.000+08:00

A lobster wanted to marry a crab, but the mother disapproved. "My dear, crabs are so common. They don't have money and, moreover, they walk sideways!"
"Just meet him, mother" said the lobster...
She later turned up with the crab, who shook hands politely and walked in an absolutely straight line into the drawing room.
"But I thought crabs always walked sideways!" exclaimed the mother.
"They do", replied the crab. "But I'm drunk..."

Platinum Parking

2007-02-01T17:40:00.000+08:00

For RM8 per entry, it saves us so much time and hassle trying to find a parking space in 1Utama New Wing, especially on a public holiday like today. The allocated parking area is right by the entrance to the ground floor and guards were being stationed there as well.

All you need to do is present your platinum card, from any bank, slot it into the machine, get your receipt printed and off you go... Its just that easy.

They should have platinum parking in all the shopping mall and platinum restrooms as well for that matter. Now, all I need is a platinum card...

'Melenggang Perut'

2007-01-21T19:37:00.000+08:00

Attended a very fascinating Malay ceremony today at the Seri Menanti Palace in Kuala Pilah, Negeri Sembilan. Its called 'Melenggang Perut' - literally means 'to swing stomach'. It was performed on Tunku Myra who is 7 months pregnant. The whole idea behind this ceremony is to determine the gender of the baby and to bless the mother-to-be for a smooth delivery.

There were 2 stages involved where the first was only witnessed by female family members and friends. Myra was lying in the middle of a holding room and was surrounded by 8 midwives. Each midwife took turns to feel and rub her stomach. Once that was done, the head midwife used a scarf and wrapped Myra's stomach and was swingging and cradling it before she threw the scarf up in the air. Women who are married and plan to have children meant to be catching the scarf - it is very similar to catching the bride's bouquet. There were 7 scarfs all in all and I caught one as well... :-)

Then, all of us adjourned to another ceremony outdoor where the men were already seated. Myra was escorted in and the midwives performed another ceremony where she was bathed in water. The highlight of the whole ceremony was when a coconut was being slash opened, this was meant to determine the sex of the baby. If the coconut juice squirts upwards, means its a BOY and if it goes sideways, its a GAL. They are expecting a boy, we all knew that already, from the scan... That concluded the 'Melenggang Perut' ceremony.

Lunch was served and of coz, lots of protocols involved as the former king was there. A band was playing and everyone seem to be having a good time.

Glad that we went, it was quite an experience.

PS: If you have not noticed, the husband and father-to-be was not being mentioned and has nothing to do with the whole ceremony at all.

Eye On Malaysia

2007-01-09T18:24:00.000+08:00

I am sure most of you have already knew that in conjunction with Visit Malaysia Year 2007, a giant ferris wheel has been installed at Taman Tasik Titiwangsa. The Eye On Malaysia is 60m-high with 42 gondolas, located by the bank of the Titiwangsa lake itself is quite a sight.

It cost 3 of us RM31 to get on and we stayed in the gondola for at least 20 minutes, not a bad deal at all and we did not queue for more than 10 minutes prior (compare to the launch day, people lined up for an hour just to get on it). We were able to see quite a few parts of KL and a good view of the KL Tower and the Twin Towers but nothing beyond that unfortunately. The SkyBar at Traders Hotel will give you a better view of the city.

Well, I have done my bit to support the country for the rest of the year.

Now, lets see...

2007-01-06T16:45:00.000+08:00

According to Wikipedia, New Year's Resolution is a commitment that an individual makes to a project or a habit, often a lifestyle change that is generally interpreted as advantageous. The name comes from the fact that these commitments normally go into effect on New Year's Day and remain until the set goal has been achieved, although many resolutions go unachieved and are often broken fairly shortly after they are set... Hope that does not happen to me though.

Well, I have been giving a lot of thoughts to this (not an easy task mind you) and my new year's resolution is to be focus and persevere in whatever that I am doing and to stick to a particular project(s) of mine for as long as I can.

Having said that, the abovementioned is very generic and broad and I am trying to identify a few areas that is more significant to myself for the time being and that includes:-
My personal and family life
- Married life has been a real bliss for the past 1 year plus and of coz, there are still more to improve and learn personally. I need to be more patient in general.
- And I think I am ready to take the next step towards planning for a family. Again, this is not entirely up to me, so fingers crossed.
- Spend more time with my mum. We are going on a holiday some time in March, just the gals and it will be fun.
Business
- Hope the business will take off this year and of coz, we are prepared to put in the hard work. Although it is a bit of a trial for us at the start, I somehow got the feeling that this might just be it.
Friends
- Good friends are hard to come by, we knew that already, so the commitment to spend more time together and keeping in touch is vital. To my friends out there, I want us to see more of each other this year.
Self improvement
- To widen my horizon, read more about wines especially and anything under the sun that might or might not interest me.

Good luck to me in achieving all the above. Not that difficult really, a little patience and perseverance might just do the trick.

Happy New Year everyone... xxx

Angie's bday @ Nerovivo

2007-01-02T18:17:00.000+08:00

Celebrated Angie's belated birthday cum our xmas gifts exchange/ get-together (whenever we can) today. Food was yummy, again... Really need to lose some weight once all these holidays are over.

New Year's Eve @ 7ate9

2007-01-02T17:09:00.000+08:00

Checked ourselves into The Ascott on new year's eve so that we don't have to worry about getting home after the new year celebration (you know, the usual road blocks and contemplating to drive or not after a few drinks). The rooms are pretty good for what they are charging.

Had dinner at 7ate9, the restaurant/ bar just located at the ground floor of Ascott, very convenient indeed. Food was good and there was lots of alcohol available. The place started to fill up at 10pm. Did the usual, like everyone else around the world did... countdown and watched fireworks from KLCC at midnight as we ushered into year 2007.

Happy New Year to all and hope this will be a better year than the last...

Boxing Day

2007-01-01T22:32:00.000+08:00

Guests:-
1. The Ho's - Pat, June, Jamie and Mark
2. The Cranshaw's - Andy, Wai Quan, Meiyi, Ewen
3. Our neighbours - John, Irene, Raymond, Agnes and friend
And plus 4 Rodwells... Never have so many people in the house at one time before.

Again, Rich had decided to cook instead of cater, so we have been working in the kitchen since 9am before guests started arriving from 12 noon onwards. Can you imagine the mess we had in the kitchen?? Nevertheless, I think we have done a good job on the food front and managed to dish out Rich's signature lasagne, 4 different types of bruchettas, spicy sausage pasta, turkey porridge (I made that, for the kids mainly), salads and oysters.

A great fun having everyone around, almost... in the house but it was sure hectic as hell. I have not been doing so much grocery shopping prior to this before, our fridge was full of food that things might fall out each time when one opened the door. So glad that they all have been consumed eventually. And the washing up, oh my... Need I say more??

We were exhausted at the end of day and need another glass of wine just to chill and relax. Great having everyone around on Boxing Day though.

Christmas

2007-01-01T21:45:00.000+08:00

Christmas Eve

We had a fabulous xmas eve dinner at The Oggi, Regent Hotel. An all Italian affair with a very good set menu. However, it was a little pricy for my liking, many thanks to mum and dad who picked up the bill.

Went off to June's for drinks after dinner and the kids had a blast opening their presents. Mark and Jamie performed their dances, very impressive I have to say. And of coz, not forgetting the hilarious guest dancer - Jack!

It was surely a tiring day for all of us. Slept through the whole xmas morning and finally woke up at 2pm.

Christmas Day

My husband have been slaving himself in the kitchen getting xmas lunch/dinner ready for all of us. He enjoys cooking during xmas and of coz, the food was delicious! On the menu were turkey, roast and mashed potatoes, parsnips, carrots, sprouts, stuffing and to top it all up with yummy gravy and not forgetting champagne and wines. We stuffed ourselves so much that none of us were having any dinner after that.

The most exciting was of coz the presents, which I have been dying to get my hands on, they have been lying at the bottom of the tree for the longest time. Done pretty well this year, received a pair of T&C earrings, T&C coffee table book (very interesting) and cosmetics from my in-laws, a digital camera and a clutch bag from my husband.

Random...

2006-12-31T14:01:00.000+08:00

The last day of 2006 and the eve of 2007, just want to put something down, even though its short. Have been a hectic 2 weeks coz of the holidays and am still looking forward to the new year's eve celebration later tonight.

Hello - husband here - my first blog - shot a one-under par this am (only 9 holes), but a good way to start to say goodbye to another year... Drinks and dinner tonight - and at last KLCC has seen sense and there will be fireworks.. :-)

The wife has had a hair cut this morning- couple of inches off... My beard growing nicely. An up and down year but looking forward to 2007... I love my wife even more than this time last year - and with luck and patience less than this time next year... ruve you cookie princess...

Chelsea for the league! Come on you blues.

Bye bye car

2006-12-22T09:31:00.000+08:00

After having this baby for 18 months, Rich have finally managed to sell it and traded-in with something that is more sensible and practical.

Even though I have been encouraging him to change, I do feel a little sad that this baby was gone. After all, this is our official 'love mobile'... (for those of you who have not been able to attend our wedding, this car was all dressed up as per the rest of us).

I am sure this baby will find a new owner who will treat him as well as my husband had.

Festive Holidays

2006-12-13T23:05:00.000+08:00

My festive holiday season has officially began today. We picked up Ann and Arthur (my in laws) from KLIA this afternoon and they will be staying with us for a month. It is real good to see them and I always enjoy the time spend with them. We have been spending xmas and new year together for the past 3 years, be it in the UK or KL.

We have been away for the past 2 years and it does feels kinda weird having a warm xmas this time round. Nonetheless, I am sure it will be just fine as we are with families and close friends. Still enjoy shopping for xmas presents, the wrapping and decorating, unwrapping gifts and all the get-togethers tremendously.

Hope the holidays wont be too hectic though as I really want to do nothing except relax and chill at the same time. Afterall, that's what holiday is all about...

Countdown to 2007!

2006-12-04T15:39:00.000+08:00

We are coming to the tail end of 2006... How time flies and how scary it is that another year has just flew by right before our eyes. And this is also the time when we sit down and review the year that has past. What have we achieved and otherwise. What are the things that we should have, could have or would have done to make us feel better and etc...

I promise will share my new year resolutions with all this time. Don't normally have my new year resolutions drawn up before but will definitely try for year 2007. This way, I will know for sure how much or how little that I have managed to achieve what I initially set out for to do.

Frustration

2006-11-28T22:21:00.000+08:00

Yes, I am frustrated right now, big time... especially when I am working with someone close to me and things are not going the way it should.

So, what is frustration? Why we feel frustrated and how to get over it?

Frustration is a human emotion that occurs in situations where one is blocked from reaching a personal and/or professional goal. The more important the goal, the greater the frustration.

Sources of frustration may be internal or external. My internal sources of frustration involve personal deficiencies such as lack of tolerance and extremely impatient - at least I know what my problems are... When comes to getting things done, I have it MY WAY 99% of the time and this does not work well at all sometimes, especially the person that I am dealing with has a mind of his own. However, thankfully, we are able to work things through, after a major argument, most of the time.

On the positive side of things, frustration should be regarded as a useful indicator of the problems in a person's personal and/or professional life, in order to regain balance, and when the individual is observed with open-mindedness and tolerance, his/her emotion may prove to represent problems faced and the steps needed to take in order to improve the situation.

There is no better way to deal with frustration, just bloody let it go and get over it...

Shop, shop and shop!

2006-11-26T18:10:00.000+08:00

Rich is off to the A1 Race in Sepang today whilst I spent the whole afternoon with Sylvia in MidValley, not a bad trade off really.

We had a fabulous time, its just simply great to catch up and chit-chat, of course, not forgetting the retail therapy too. Love the expression 'shop till you drop' and I surely have had enough of it today... Sylvia left earlier and I was still going.

I know this does not sound good at all, but hey, I dont do this everyday, so please dont judge me... Shopping it good for you (trying hard to convince myself and others). There will be more coz Christmas is just round the corner.

Wine Tasting... Not Free Flow of Wine please!

2006-11-22T15:21:00.000+08:00

Definition:

Wine tasting is the sensory evaluation of wine, encompassing more than taste, but also outhfeel, aroma, and colour. The main aims of wine tasting are to:
1) assess the wine's quality
2) determine the wine's maturity and suitability for aging or immediate drinking
3) detect the aromas and flavours of the wine
4) discover the many facets of wine, so as to better appreciate it

To assess a wine's quality, one must gauge its complexity of aroma and flavour, determine the intensity of the aroma and flavour, check that the flavours and structural elements — such as acid, tannin and alcoholic strength — are well balanced, and finally see how long the wine persists in the mouth after tasting.

Practiced wine tasters will gauge the wine's quality in other ways too. These include, whether the wine is of high quality with respect to other wines of its price, region or vintage; if it is typical of the region it is made in or diverges in style; if it uses certain wine making techniques, such as barrel fermentation or malolactic fermentation; or if it has any wine faults.

Many professional wine tasters, such as sommeliers or buyers for retailers, look for characteristics in the wine which are desirable to wine drinkers or which indicate that the wine is likely to sell or mature well. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wine_tasting

So, to those who have no idea how to behave... please don't hope to get drunk at a wine tasting event!

June's birthday @ RED

2006-11-16T17:38:00.000+08:00

Celebrated June's birthday at RED, Medan Damansara this week. It was surely great to see everyone, especially Sylvia whom I last met in January this year. Looking forward to spend more time together before she moves to Singapore.

To June, Happy Birthday (again...) and love you to bits.

Finally... Pretty blue sky

2006-10-27T14:55:00.000+08:00

The before and after. What a huge difference. Hope the clear blue sky lasts.

Happy 1st Anniversary

2006-10-08T12:47:00.000+08:00

A year ago today, we had so much fun at Carcosa Sri Negara with families and friends celebrating our special day with us till the break of dawn...

We are very thankful, happy, content and a little emotional today. Guess we should get used to it, there are more to come (fingers crossed)!

Cheers!!

Hong Kong 28th Sep - 7 Oct 2006

2006-10-08T01:13:00.000+08:00

Just got back from Hong Kong for a long 9 days stay. It has been a great trip I have to say, did a few things which we never thought of doing, all thanks to Aunty Barbara and Uncle Gron for being there with us at the same time. Rich and I are very pleased to be able to meet up and spent some time with them.

This is Aunty B's first trip to any part of Asia. She had tremendous fun, love the people, the weather, the service, the culture, the shops... Never thought Asia (in general) has so much to offer coz we are smack right in the middle of it all and don't realize how lucky we are sometimes.

Day 1, Thurs
- Flight from KLIA at 7pm and landed at HKIA closed to midnight.
- Check-in and went to bed straight away.

Day 2, Fri
- Rich went to work, spent the day by myself shopping.
- Purchases: 2 pairs of shoes and Rich's birthday present.
- Met up for drinks and dinner with Aunty B and Uncle G at an Italian restaurant located in Lan Kwai Fong.

Day 3, Sat
- The 4 of us went up to The Victoria Peak. The tram ride was pretty cool, even though we have done this a few times, it was still very pleasant.
- Took Aunty B to dinner at Beirut (our favourite Lebanese restaurant) for more drinking and eating.

Day 4, Sun
- Brunch at Amber, The Landmark Hotel. The food, ambiance and service were out of this world. Highly recommended to anyone who have a few hours to kill on a Sunday lunchtime.
- More shopping around Central.
- Stayed in and watched fireworks display from our hotel room.
- The fireworks display was held in conjunction with Hong Kong 57th National Day celebration. The spectacle lasted 23 minutes in total and it was simply amazing.

Day 5, Mon (public holiday)
- The 4 of us took a ferry to one of the islands surrounding Hong Kong, Lamma Island for a look-see.
- The trip was well worth it coz it gave us a chance to see more of Hong Kong, specially the outskirts. It is the total opposite of Hong Kong, away from the hassle and bustle of the big city. Life is much simpler and slower as you can imagine.
- Lamma Island is well known for its seafoods and we had a feast.

Day 6, Tue
- The men had gone to work.
- I was acting like a tour guide and took Aunty B across to Kowloon, Yau Ma Tei where the jade market is located.
- Spent 2 hours at the market, Aunty B almost bought half of them.
- We then had a fantastic afternoon tea at the famous Peninsular Hotel.

Day 7, Wed
- A break for Aunty B and myself. Stayed in during the day.
- The 4 of us went out for Rich's birthday dinner at Isola, IFC Mall. We enjoyed spending time with them tremendously.

Day 8, Thurs
- Shopping day again. We went out to Stanley Market which is new to me as well. It is located at the southeast part of Hong Kong island and the taxi ride took 45 minutes and cost HK$180 per trip.
- A very beautiful place with many outdoor restaurants and bars and a great view of the ocean to accompany you while you dine.
- We were able to get lots of local produces.

Day 9, Fri
- A quiet one for us. Drinks with Aunty B and Uncle Gron before we went off to join Marco and Natara for dinner at another Italian restaurant in Central. We celebrated Rich's birthday, again...

Day 10, Sat
- Home sweet home... Its really good to be back.

PS: Need to work doubly hard to shake off the pounds that I have put on during the past 9 days for eating too well and having too much fun...

MyOwn Gallery

2006-09-23T00:22:00.000+08:00

My new hair colour...

2006-09-22T17:43:00.000+08:00

What do you think?

Personality Test

2006-09-19T21:14:00.000+08:00

Had just done a personality test online and the finding is quite interesting and pretty accurate as well, at least I think so...

Key areas of my personality:
My personality stands out from the average person's particularly in the areas of: High Curiosity Level
- That's very true, I am very curious especially when I was younger.

My interaction style:
I scored 35 in the area of extroversion/ introversion, which means that my energy is directed primarily inward, rather than outward. My mixed score in this trait creates an interesting and alluring combination of traits: I am social yet also very reflective and introspective. I like to be around people, but too much interaction drains my energy. I need to retreat every once in a while in order to recharge my batteries. Keep these needs in mind when choosing the ideal work situation for me, otherwise I won't feel happy.

Social patterns:
I am left-brained when it comes to recognizing emotions in other people. When I look at a person's face I focus on what I see on the right. This is a unique way of viewing the world. I am likely to be sensitive to 'micro-expressions' - the tiny movements of the muscles in the face that occur, for example, when someone is telling a lie. Hearing preferences are an interesting exception to this left-right crossover. For example, if two people were talking behind a closed door and I needed to put my ear on the door to hear, I would tend to use my left ear instead of my right.

That's more or less ME there...

Quote of the day

2006-09-12T19:03:00.000+08:00

Life's greatest happiness is to be convinced we are loved.
by Victor Hugo (1802 - 1885), Les Miserable, 1862

Eka Pada Rajakapotasana

2006-08-29T20:06:00.000+08:00

Also known as 'One-Legged King Pigeon Pose'. It is a deep backbend that puffs the chest, making a yogi resemble a pigeon... It might sounds easy but hell, after performing this pose on Sunday, I have been having this constant ache on my lower back. Not a serious one mind you, but still it bugs me a little. Therefore, I have gone on the internet to learn more about this 'King pigeon'.

The benefits of this pose:
- Stretches the thighs, groins and psoas, abdomen, chest and shoulders, and neck
- Stimulates the abdominal organs
- Opens the shoulders and chest
- Contraindications
- Sacroiliac injury
- Ankle injury
- Knee injury
- Tight hips or thighs

This is how we do it:
- Begin on all fours, with your knees directly below your hips, and your hands slightly ahead of your shoulders. Slide your right knee forward to the back of your right wrist; at the same time angle your right shin under your torso and bring your right foot to the front of your left knee.

- The outside of your right shin will now rest on the floor. Slowly slide your left leg back, straightening the knee and descending the front of the thigh to the floor. Lower the outside of your right buttock to the floor.

- Position the right heel just in front of the left hip. The right knee can angle slightly to the right, outside the line of the hip. Look back at your left leg. It should extend straight out of the hip (and not be angled off to the left), and rotated slightly inwardly, so its midline presses against the floor.

- Exhale and lay your torso down on the inner right thigh for a few breaths. Stretch your arms forward.

- Then slide your hands back toward the front shin and push your fingertips firmly to the floor. Lift your torso away from the thigh. Lengthen the lower back by pressing your tailbone down and forward; at the same time, and lift your pubis toward the navel. Roll your left hip point toward the right heel, and lengthen the left front groin.

- If you can maintain the upright position of your pelvis without the support of your hands on the floor, bring your hands to the top rim of your pelvis. Push heavily down. Against this pressure, lift the lower rim of your rib cage. The back ribs should lift a little faster than the front.

- Without shortening the back of your neck, drop your head back. To lift your chest, push the top of your sternum (at the manubrium) straight up toward the ceiling. Stay in this position for a minute.

- Then, with your hands back on the floor, carefully slide the left knee forward, then exhale and lift up and back into Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog Pose). Take a few breaths, drop the knees to all-fours on another exhalations, and repeat with the legs reversed for the same length of time.

- For the full pose, first perform the preliminary leg position. Then with your hands braced on the floor, bend the back knee and bring the foot as close to the top of your head as possible.

- Inhale, stretch the right arm upward; then exhale, bend the elbow, and reach back and grasp the inside of the left foot. After a few breaths, reach back with the left hand and grasp the outside of the foot. Draw the sole of the foot as close as possible to the crown of your head. Hold this position for 30 seconds.

- Then release the foot, lower the leg, perform step 5 to change the position of the legs and repeat on the second side for the same length of time.

Alright, there you go. Give it a try, will ya?
Source: http://www.yogajournal.com/poses

How Malaysian are you??

2006-08-26T13:46:00.000+08:00

Take the quiz on http://allmalaysia.info/merdeka49/quiz.asp and we shall find out...

My score : 31 out of 45
You’re there, but there’s plenty of room for improvement. To start off your journey to becoming a true red-yellow-and-blue Malaysian, make sure you don't forget those little Malaysian flags that purebreds stick on their cars on Merdeka day... (I doubt it, no way on earth those flags are going on my car)

Have a nice Merdaka Day.

Hen's night out idea, anyone?

2006-08-20T21:27:00.000+08:00

Definition:
A hen party (or bachelorette party) is a party held for a woman who is about to be married. The term "hen party" is more common in the UK and Ireland, while the term "bachelorette party" is more common in the United States. It may also be referred to as a "hen's night" in other English-speaking countries. Those attending the party are usually all female, although gay male friends of the bride-to-be may also be included. Events such as the The Girlie Show in the UK add comedy to the male strip club. If held at home, it may be an occasion to hold a pamper party or compare products like lingerie or women's sex toys or to play games like "Truth or Dare" and "Pass the Balloon". Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hen_party

Saturday, 2nd of September 06 is the big day for Cheng Mun and her soon-to-be husband Andrew. So, we are thinking of making it a special day to remember for Mun and friends...

The gals talked about a pampering day out, ie spa, massage, mani and pedicure and the whole lot (thought this is most sensible coz none of us are really party animals and we can beautify ourselves at the same time). However, I am thinking of something different instead of just spa, dinner and chit chat. Hence this blog and to pick everyone's brain...

Its Mun's last night of FREEDOM, so suggestions please anyone!

PS: Mun, please forward this blog to those who you want to be included in your hen's night.

Bali, May 2006

2006-08-19T00:39:00.000+08:00

Aaahhh Bali... One of our favorite destinations of all time.

PS: Since I don't really have much to blog lately, thought of just going thru all the picture folders in my hard-drive and dig out some which taken during our trips recently and post them instead.

2006-08-12T15:58:00.000+08:00

Bird's Eye View of Cape Town

The Fabulous Cape Town, March 2006

2006-08-12T14:25:00.000+08:00

The Fabulous Cape Town (cont.)

2006-08-12T14:22:00.000+08:00

The Care Bears

2006-08-08T16:52:00.000+08:00

HBO was showing the animated Care Bears movie today and I happened to catch the second half of it. It brought back so much memories... I used to love The Care Bears to bits, never miss an episode (the cartoon was shown on one of the TV stations back in the 80's).

I am sure some of you must still remember The Care Bears, right? They lived in a magical kingdom called Care-A-Lot. The Care Bears family consists of Bedtime Bear, Birthday Bear, Cheer Bear, Friend Bear, Funshine Bear, Goodluck Bear, Tenderheart Bear, Wish Bear and big Grumpy Bear. Their secret weapon is the Care Bear Stare (wink, wink, wink), whose hypnotic focus melted the sadness out of the saddest child. They were simply awesome. I felt good every time after watching the cartoon. My all time favorite are Friend Bear and Goodluck Bear.

There were lots of Care Bears merchandise that I have collected over the years and wish that I still have them now, hoping that one day I can show to my kids the things that I grew up with... Alright now, enough of reminisce of the old times.

Kid Jokes

2006-08-02T22:26:00.000+08:00

A policeman brought four boys before a judge. "They were causing an awful lot of commotion at the zoo, your Honor," he said.

"Boys," said the judge sternly, "I never like to hear reports of juvenile delinquency. Now I want each of you to tell me your name and what you were doing wrong."

"My name is George," said the first boy, "and I threw peanuts into the elephant pen."
"My name is Pete," said the second boy, "and I threw peanuts into the elephant pen."
"My name is Mike," said the third boy, "and I threw peanuts into the elephant pen."
"My name is Peanuts," said the fourth boy.

Source - http://www.ajokeaday.com

All Rusty

2006-08-01T16:45:00.000+08:00

Went for my first yoga lesson after a gap of 10 months... Feeling good afterwards but not during the lesson though. I was all stiff throughout due to lack of practice and few of the poses which I used to perform effortlessly were really challenging.

However, I did managed a good workout and am definitely going back for more. Hey, no pain, no gain, that's what they say...

I Have Been Tagged

2006-07-29T13:51:00.000+08:00

I was told by my best friend that when I was tagged, I am suppose to do this... Alright, here we go.

Awesome people I would want to meet:
1. Robbie Williams
2. Tiger Woods
3. Tom Ford
4. Leonardo Da Vinci (too bad that he is not alive anymore)

Awesome people who I have already met - my husband, my mother, my in laws and The Ho's.

Things I Can't Live Without:
1. My car (need to be mobile at all times and hate the thought of using public transport)
2. My vanity kit and facial products
3. My handbags
4. My laptop and mobile phone
5. My most comfortable bed and 10 hours sleep daily
6. My book (whatever that I am reading at the time)

I Wish I Could:
1. Write novel.
2. Paint.
3. Be discipline enough to keep to my exercise routine.
4. Consume whatever I want and don't have to worry later about the calories.
5. Be more religious.
6. Stop buying things for the house, we are running out of space (hope my husband is reading this).
7. Spend more time with my gal friends. I know, I know, everyone is very busy but should really make an effort to get together more often.

I Want:
1. To love and be loved forever by all those who are dearest to me.
2. To be happy and healthy.
3. To be able to fit into my pair of jeans which I have since I was 18 years old.
4. Holiday homes in the Mediterranean and Europe.
5. To learn more about wine.

Songs That I Think Are Awesome:
There are many of them, cant really think of any specifics at the moment.

How I See Myself In 10 Years:
1. Happily married and raising a family.
2. Running my own business (still deciding what it will be).
3. Traveling the world (I hope).
4. Still as vain.

Random Facts:
1. I love my mother to bits and for everything that she had done for our family, I thank her tremendously.
2. I put on weight really easily.
3. Don't like to wear makeup.
4. Devastated by the fact that I am now wearing size M instead of S.
5. I love spending time with myself.
6. Cant swim and don't think I ever will (paid for private lessons but still did not make any difference).
7. Love going to rock concert.

Misconceptions:
1. I am a cold and arrogant person, but in fact, I am very warm and accommodative. Prefer to go with the flow most of the time. Just needs a little time to warm up. When you are used to me, you will know what I mean.
2. I have a whole expensive designer wardrobe, actually I love shopping in Sungai Wang.
3. That I don't do house work at all. I do get my hands dirty from time to time and believe it!
4. That I spend loads on pedicure, manicure, facial and spa. I don't really do a lot of it. They are treats once in a while.
5. That I am a shopaholic.

Who I Want To Tag:
1. Richard
2. Mark Ho (I simply adore him but like his mommy have said, we just have to wait patiently till he is ready)
3. Sylvia
4. Angie Chow
5. Cheng Mun
6. Jean Wong

An Expensive 1st Anniversary

2006-07-26T16:41:00.000+08:00

A year ago today, Richard and I were at the registry office in Shah Alam, signing on the dotted line, taking our vows as husband and wife, with June and Patrick as our witnesses...

There are so many occasions to celebrate, ie the day we started dating, Valentines day, birthdays, the registration day, the Chinese do and of course, the wedding reception at Carcosa Sri Negara in October. Therefore, we do not plan to celebrate and make a big fuss about today coz we wanted to go BIG on 8th October.

However, what do we say about unforeseen expenditure??!! Our beloved TV which had been with us for 5 years have given up. And my husband earlier of the day have turned up from work with a brand new Coach handbag gift-wrapped. I was pleasantly surprised, of course!

So, after a new Sony TV and a Coach handbag later, it is an expensive 1st anniversary to remember, indeed! Hey, I am not complaining...

African Art For Sale

2006-07-24T21:20:00.000+08:00

The Zulu Warriors

We were in South Africa in March this year and managed to do a little shopping. We always make a point to check out the local art scene and always manage to buy something that we really like.

Having said that, we are now running out of wall space for paintings that we have purchased. This is one of them. It's really a shame that these beautiful pictures just sitting in our storeroom not doing much.

There are 3 oil paintings done by the same artist being stretched individually and mounted on a black board. Then, framed in black frame. The size of the painting is approximately 2 Ft x 3 Ft.

Do drop me a line if anyone is interested.

Absolute Brilliance!

2006-07-11T21:52:00.000+08:00

COLDPLAY, TWISTED LOGIC TOUR, Singapore 10 July, 2006

A classy act. The best concert that we have been to so far, in Asia. The Singapore Indooor Stadium turned into a sea of hands when they came on stage. An hour and a half later... the lights came on to leave us with memories of yellow balls & sore shoulders whilst humming all the classics...

ps Singapore food is terrible!

First Attempt

2006-07-04T13:41:00.000+08:00

Well, have been wanting to create my own blog for the longest time. Never get around doing it... for whatever reason.

Finally, here we are.