Thursday, October 29, 2009

Guess what came in the mail today?


Something unexpected came in the post for me today. Well truthfully, I am expecting this package but only sometime next week. However, it arrived much earlier. I love good surprises like this. I have been wanting to come up with this Photobook for quite sometime but have been stalling. At first it was the issue of which pictures to photobook, shall I do a collection or a particular subject. Since the last Hari Raya, I took quite a lot of pictures, I thought of giving it a shot. I didn't spend much time on it. I didn't even post in a lot of texts. Finally on Monday, I managed to finalised everything and sent it out. Unexpectedly, it arrived today.That was really quick. The result? I am satisfied with it totally. Love it! Will be doing more of this I'm sure.


The package.

Ta-daaa

I was quite nervous to flip the pages initially.

Some I had pictures as the background.


Some I chose just plain background.
This photobook, is even better than a normal photo album I think. It just requires a wee bit of investment, financial and time mostly. With a little bit of thought and love, it can be a real worth while thing to have. Think you want to give it a try check photobook.

Birthday Lunch at Low Yat??

I had my birthday lunch on my birthday itself at Low Yat Plaza. Another reason to be grateful on my 35th birthday actually. I have been wanting to get to this place for ages! And I mean ages, (to think in years!!!). The reason is I needed to get another external hard disk. When supposedly a birthday lunch with colleagues were postponed since the organiser a.k.a Miss Tabby Pretty was on sick leave (on my birthday too!), I jumped at the chance to go to Low Yat when Fida (a.k.a Pn. Fida Towkey Kambing) said she was going with another friend to get a computer.




I can understand why gadget freaks / geeks LVoe this place! Me? Hey, I'm neither, I'm a confirmed Shopaholic so anything goes, even external hard drives!!! :-) Since Fidah has arranged to go with a friend, I needed another partner, you know 2's a company, 3's a crowd thing... I managed to get Azleen to join, apparently she has been planning to get a new laptop/netbook too, so I called the right person at the right time! Gosh, where did all their money come from, really?

The Ground Floor

Azleen checking out one netbook after another.

A closer look at the SAMSUNG, very nice, if only they had it in black - not that I was looking. Visited a few shops, but we kept going back to one, because the Salesperson was nice & cute :-). Yup, we were guilty of being "look-alistic". Once the choices were getting a bit much and Azleen became totally confused, we took a lunch break. The only thing that we could see from the escalator was this Kopitiam.


It was almost empty, so good cause we were famished. We ordered the Set Lunch which had this tomyam noodles, kaya toasts and Lime Juice. Nice!



Eating up before making the big decision. In the end, we did go back to that one particular shop and bought that particular netbook. Whilst, waiting for the shop to configure her PC, we went to look out for a wireless broadband package.

Deciding on a package.

Still deciding.

Another thing that would be nice to have, have been in my wishlist for quite sometime. Anybody want to get me one of these? Digital Photoframe, I LVoe!!!! I also managed to check out the BB pricing here, not bad at all. Hope I'll be coming back here to get it soon.


Wednesday, October 28, 2009

I am 35 and *proud* of it.

It was my birthday yesterday. 35 years old. I thank god for all these wonderful years. Things to be grateful for on my 35th birthday in no specific order are:


  • I am in good health, even though I do have my asthma, sinus attacks now and again, my intolerance to none superfresh seafood, my intolerance to late meals giving me gas and temper tantrums(this is a different story altogether :-) ), I consider myself still to be in the very best health condition that one could be and for that I thank you God.

  • I have a wonderful family, loving & supportive parents who have given the best that they could give from day one of my life till even now after 3 children. They still have the very best of my interest at heart. A loving, wacko brother who finally joined our little family of three when I was already 15 years old. He is now a wonderful uncle to my children, the kids just adore him to death.
  • A wonderful husband, I am so lucky to meet someone who understands me and accepts me for who I am. A true companion, my confidant, truly my other half. Supportive and understanding and always a good listener. I thank god for meeting me with that special someone to share my life with.
  • 3 wonderful children, a girl and two boys. They are my world. I am so blessed to have 3 healthy children, to nurture and love. Without them, my life would be so empty and meaningless. Every single moment with them is truly special and precious.
  • Friends, this I have plenty! From school, sekolah agama, music lessons, college, university, ex-colleagues, friends of friends, wives of husband's friends, colleagues etc. I didn't realise this until I check my FB page yesterday. Not to mention to those who texted too!!! To all my friends out there, hope you are reading this. Thanks for all the lovely warm wishes. Hope I have been a good, supportive friend to you all these years and many more years to come. To those friends that I have known forever, I apologise if I have not been as attentive or as supportive as we were back then. I know our busy hectic schedule is not a good excuse, but at least we now have FB to "chat". To those new found friends, even though our acquaintance were brief and not as close, it must have meant something to you to still consider me a friend even on FB, thank you! { Do you know that there is a even an article written on a website entitled : Why facebook can make you happier!} Well, with birthday wishes like I experienced yesterday, who wouldn't be happy eh?
  • I have a good job - been here almost 9 years!!! Good working environment and good colleagues whom I consider friends. It makes things much easier to be at the office from 8-5 and sometimes more, when you are surrounded by like-minded people whom you can call friends. Good office location, within walking distance to KLCC and the LRT station, and just a taxi away from anywhere else that you can reach to during lunch time. This is important to me :-), and for that I thank you God!
  • I have a good home, lovely little apartment. Thank you god for giving me the means to afford it, and to furnish it. The kids love being there, with the play area and friends around.
  • When I was in school, I was never that athletic, but I have always harboured the wish of learning to play tennis, and I did. I started it when I was at A-levels, and continued playing for fun until I was working and until I had Nayli. Looking forward to play again. Hope I would fine a "kaki" again by then, and Aida I mean you! Ha!ha! so watch out, I'll be calling you in 2-3 years time.
  • All the travelling that I have done, thank you God for giving me the chance to see your beautiful creations.
  • I am grateful that I still have the capability to dream and wish. My 35 years of life, has not dampen my spirit to have continue wishing and dreaming. I think this is important, it is not all achievable I know, but it makes me look forward to something. It gives me hope and excitement to go through another day, another month, another year.
  • I have a blog and I love updating it. This is a great avenue for me to write and express myself (this in itself is supposed to be therapeutic and good for one's well-being). I am not a terrific writer, there are other bloggers out there with more flair with words and wisdom to impart, but I'm glad I have this avenue to records about all the happenings in my life. Even if it's just for my reading and my kids in future years. So, I thank God for giving me the patience and eagerness and enthusiasm to update it regularly.
  • Thank you God for letting me find a hobby that is my love for taking pictures and being able to afford to pursue it again. It began with my first SLR, when I was 15 that I used right till I was at university, and travelling all over. Then it got too expensive, the developing and all. Luckily with the digital era setting in, I finally managed to get a DSLR early this year, and now I am capturing as much as I could. I know I have a lot to learn and explore, but it's ok, that is all part of the journey, I am just grateful that I am back on the road again.
  • I cannot possibly expect to list down every single thing that I am grateful for and to expect to update this entry before my 36th birthday so I guess I shall stop now but not before thanking god for enabling me to find this for my 35th birthday... :-)


Thursday, October 22, 2009

My many firsts yesterday.



It was my first time at the Prince Court Medical Centre. I decided to cut my ties "so to say" with APSH. Since I am not planning to have another child, I thought, I'd find myself another Gynae elsewhere. Considering it's already the last quarter of the year, I thought, what the hey, I might as well use up my medical entitlements at the swankiest hospital where I was confident that the waiting will not be anything like in APSH. So, I chose the only lady Gynae available, set an appointment and went. I must say I made the right move. My appointment was at 10:30a.m. I left the office at 9:45a.m caught a cab and was there at almost 10:00. Probably earlier, didn't notice the time. I was greeted by the concierge staff, well he didn't exactly bow and put his hand that way as in the photo, but close enough, he opened my cab door, and when I asked him whether I would have a problem getting another one after my appointment, he graciously answered my question. 1 point there, [Well, okay APSH has this service too]. Once I entered the lobby, fuwaaaa very nice! Just like entering a hotel, not a budget one at that. I was directed to the 6th floor, the WCC (Women and Children Centre) for registration and all. After filling up the necessary form, I was directed to a waiting room, that is almost empty, except for two waiting couples. I haven't even finished the usual 10-12 pages of heavy advertisement of the PRESTIGE, when I was already called for the usual Bp, Weighing (this was when I found out that they have a lousy weighing scale, totally useless) and Height check. Glad that they didn't have a waistline check, I would have walked out right there and then. Ha!ha!ha! As if! Anyhow, after all this, I was asked to wait again, so back to the waiting room. Picked up the PRESTIGE again, since only in hospitals and clinics,do I get to read these things since I don't go beyond Harper's Bazaar in my choices of magazines indulgence. Tatler and Prestige? Puhlees, let's get real. So, I finished browsing through PRESTIGE and on to my book that I brought. I didn't get to read much before I was called to go in the Dr's Suite. Time check - that is less than a total of 30 minutes ok??? Mama mia! I like this hospital already. Now, the Dr. I LVoe the Dr., and not just because she said I didn't look my age!!! Ha!ha!ha! She's nice, friendly, gentle, funny and super cute. What is there not to like? Now I am considering to have another child, just because I like her! Notttttttt!!! I was out of her office by 10:40. Shortly after I was already waiting outside the hospital looking at this view while waiting for the cab to arrive.

Not a bad view huh?

Let me warn you though, I had to turn down a few cabs before getting one. This is because I should have expected the type of cabs that would come into this place are mostly the executives ones. I'm not paying more! Yeah, such a cheapo! Finally one normal one came in, and the first statement that I got was, Wah, 7 star hospital eh?Hmm I just gritted my teeth, and said well, why not since I am not paying! So, all of you out there if you are not paying for you medicals, try out this place.

The next first for me yesterday was Kampachi! We went to the one at Pavvy, this is our Department lunch in lieau of Ramadhan Break Fast etc etc. Now, I can declare that I love Japanese food, though I still did not touch the sashimi. Hmmm!!! Slowly. Besides the set lunch for each one of us, we also ordered the side dishes. They were yumm!! Take a look at what we had yesterday.

Edamame.
California Rolls.
Agedashi Tofu.

Agedashi Tofu - one piece person, not the whole bowl.

Ebi Tenpura Maki - one piece per person too!

Seafood Teppanyaki Set

Seafood close up - the scallops hmm yumm!
Tokyo Bento.

Beef Teppanyaki.

Gindara Teriyaki - Grilled cod fish with Teriyaki Salt. I chose this based on Pat's suggestion, and 5 others followed suit.
Sushi Bento.


Salmon Teppanyaki Set - our boss's choice.

Group Photo - Our Lady Boss in Ocean Green Baju Kurung on the right, way up front.

For dessert, the orders came up to only 2 types somehow.
This one is the Green Tea ice cream, I would rather take the Tea itself I think.

I had this Tempura Ice Cream which is Deep Fried Vanilla Ice Cream which I think tasted
a little like Apam Balik (the non-crispy ones) served with ice-cream. Not bad at all.


The damage! Ouch! What handbag would cost that much? Hmmm.
Will I go back to this place, yes! Will I be paying, I hope not! :)
Have a good weekend y'all! I heard that some people are still attending open houses! OMG!!!

Every family is a ghost story...

That was on the first page of the book. Should have flipped the first few pages before I purchased the book. From that sentence alone, I should have realised that it would set the theme for the rest of the book right? I should have known. The rest of the book is as sombre, dark and depressing as that 1st sentence. Really!

Mitch Albom's For One More Day reminds me again why I always go back to Chick Lit. Sigh! I should have known that his writing style, would not be so different from his last book that I read which was 5 People You Meet in Heaven. It's depressing and sad, just not my cup of tea. To think that I wasted my Times Birthday Voucher on this book, luckily this was not my only purchase. Should have bought a Nigella's book instead of this one.

Anyhow, for those who have not read the book here's the excerpt, right from the official website itself. For One More Day is the story of a mother and a son, and a relationship that covers a lifetime and beyond. It explores the question: What would you do if you could spend one more day with a lost loved one?

As a child, Charley “Chick” Benetto was told by his father, “You can be a mama’s boy or a daddy’s boy, but you can’t be both.” So he chooses his father, only to see the man disappear when Charley is on the verge of adolescence.

Decades later, Charley is a broken man. His life has been crumbled by alcohol and regret. He loses his job. He leaves his family. He hits bottom after discovering his only daughter has shut him out of her wedding. And he decides to take his own life.

He makes a midnight ride to his small hometown, with plans to do himself in. But upon failing even to do that, he staggers back to his old house, only to make an astonishing discovery. His mother -- who died eight years earlier -- is still living there, and welcomes him home as if nothing ever happened.
It's not all negative, I must admit. I guess it's quite beautiful in its own dark Mitch Albom way. There are lessons to be learnt by fathers and mothers out there. I mean, how can a father says to his child, “You can be a mama’s boy or a daddy’s boy, but you can’t be both.” I mean, see what happens to the character after that he has decided to be a daddy's boy only to have the man dissapeared out of his life, with no explanations or nothing. He spends his whole life chasing after the shadow of his father, while he totally overlooked his mother's love and sacrifices. I also find that the mother's habit of leaving a note on important/special days of the boy, like first day at school/in college etc etc to be rather cute. Perhaps I should do that to my children, though if they have handphones, I could text. But then again, you cannot keep a text forever! Plus, that would give me a good reason to get some good stationery. Now that's a thought. Ok, I guess I ve strayed from discussing this book to shopping.

I guess, if you like Mitch Albom's writing, yes you should go ahead and get this book. Or you can borrow mine, or better yet you can buy mine??? Ha!ha!ha! Just a thought. You know how to reach me...

After that depressing book I am looking forward to my next one, I just started on this new writer (to me at least) Stephanie Laurens. What attracted me to pick this book was of course the cover... Look at this. Isn't it just so beautiful??? Yeah, yeah, you are not supposed to judge a book by its cover but I just cannot help it. Ha!ha! I don't know how good it is yet, cause I just started. Will update once I have finished. A little preview...

Where the heart leads...

Penelope Ashford, Portia Cynster's younger sister, has grown up with every advantage—wealth, position, and beauty. Yet Penelope is anything but a pretty face in a satin gown—forceful, willful, and blunt to a fault, she has for years devoted her considerable energy and intelligence to caring for the forgotten orphans of London's sooty and seamier streets. But now her charges are mysteriously disappearing. Desperate, Penelope turns to the one man she knows who might help her—Barnaby Adair. Handsome scion of a noble house, Adair has made a name for himself in certain circles where his powers of observation and deduction have seen him solve several serious and unsavory crimes within the ton. His pedigree, relentless intelligence, and discretion make him a deadly avenger in an elegant guise. Despite his skills—or perhaps because of them—he makes Penelope distinctly uncomfortable, but the stakes are too grave. Throwing caution to the wind, defying every rule for unmarried ladies, she appears on his doorstep late one night determined to recruit his talents.

Till later, ciao!