Presents for me, simply because I tend to lose track of gift cards and miss their expiry dates. I didn't even know that plastic cash is universally tied to a validity period until forfeiture of an airline ticket to anywhere in the US, a full-body massage and music download. Consumers have to wonder at the logic behind it that favors retailers? I mean, do items purchased in lieu of gift cards expire?
And who studies the fine print that cleverly hides the term at the back of each card? While I didn't have a case against written legality in the nullified cards, I am prepared to debate with the folks at Barnes & Noble for this antique ...
... one of David's Christmas presents in 1997!
Barnes & Noble has since adopted the trendy policy of progressively deducting the value of their gift cards but there is no wording of it on this certificate. They probably didn't expect procrastinators to be this good! Chances are they won't honor the certificate but it will be interesting to hear what they say.
Meanwhile, I'd better dine at Wild Ginger and shop at Land's End this week. The cards were issued in May 2005 and Dec 2006. I know!
It has been a long while since I heard or saw this popular Malaysian tag line but it was the first thing that came to mind when I saw the beautiful packets of BOH tea in this Christmas package from Malaysia. (Yes, Christmas! My bad-lah for not sharing this until now. Blush-blush.)
They were from Pak Idrus & Kak Asmah who were so sweet to take note that David & I prefer tea over coffee which is more popular here. Boh is not easily available in the US, so it was double happiness for me!
I have enjoyed Boh tea all my life and didn't sample its competition, Lipton, until I had no choice. Memories of a school excursion to the Boh plantation on Cameron Highlands and being awed by terraced slope after slope of tea trees remain fresh to this day.
It is great that the Boh folks have moved forward with trends and added spices to their tea without losing its original aromatic flavor.
Lemon with Mandarin flavored tea
Earl Grey with Tangerine flavored tea
Malaysian ladies of my time will remember heartthrob Dave in those 'Ummphic' TV commercials. He and I were in the same business circles for a couple of years. Poor guy tried really hard but failed to shake off the image. Every where he went, it was "Hi Encik Boh!", "Aren't you the Boh guy?" or "Today, got Ummph ah?". Fun times for us viewers!
A million thanks to Pak Idrus and Kak Asmah for sending over a perfect taste from home to keep us warm on these cold wintry days, and walk me down memory lane for a bit.
The 2nd of twelve animals in the Chinese Zodiac has arrived to govern a new lunar cycle, so here I am ...
If ever there is a year in which the world at large and the US in particular desperately needs a symbolic boost of prosperity and fortune, 2009 is it. Indications abound where we live - homes being sold, established businesses closing, increasing unemployment rate, ridiculous retail discounts attracting few buyers and in many stores, staff outnumbering shoppers most of the time. This week's anticipated Microsoft lay-off just confirms that the hard times will continue for a while.
Let's hope the ox is not just good-eating (David's description!) but plows hard in its own year to cultivate some much needed crop for everyone.
GONG XI FA CAI!
Many, many thanks to those who continue to frequent my blog for updates which have been grossly lacking. I do apologize, have been disgustingly lazy in between writing notes along another direction. Will try to improve! Meanwhile, I update my status on facebook (ritashho@gmail.com) daily, so if you like the network, we can lepak (shoot the breeze) there. :)
What do we do if we went out for an evening with friends and came home to find our house and everything that we own burned down to ashes? I don't have an answer and hope none of us ever need to find one.
Our friend, Jon Tobey had to face this devastating scenario on 14 Dec 2005 ...
He went to a coffee-shop, borrowed their computer and sent out this email ...
The good news is I think I've finally solved that rat problem. The bad news is I'll probably have to move up to fat skis this year :-(
Because the really bad news is the when I got home last night my house had burned down. All of my work GONE. The 2000 pictures I took this year, my friends art, family heirlooms GONE. Computers cameras music GONE. My roomates entire life's possessions GONE. My collection of fine male lingerie GONE. The book of short stories I was finally putting together GONE. (If I ever sent you a story, please search for it, I consider this my biggest loss.) 500 bottles of wine, 35 gallons of mead, 40 gallons of beer all really, really gone. The Hurricane Over a dozen fly rods ($1000 of which I bought in the last two days), reels, lines, waders Tax stuff, legal stuff Tools 2 brand new cans of Progresso soup Christmas presents
Well you get the picture. Nobody got hurt and on the bright side, I still have 40 gallons of Vienna lager in the lagering fridge, which is not gone.
I'll be looking for a place to crash/work. In the meantime I don't even have a phone and am on a coffee shop computer. Once I get a suitcase, I'll be living out of it.
EMAIL IS THE ONLY WAY TO CONTACT ME. PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE ME ANY PHONE MESSAGES.
My eyes swelled up when I read it.
Last month, some 3 years later, tears flowed again when Jon gave an emotional speech at the dress rehearsal for the staff of Balefire, a brand new pub on the corner of Hewitt Ave and Rockefeller Ave in Everett, Washington State. Only this time, they were tears of joy. Jon has full-filled his lifelong dream of owning a pub, a dream that was thrust into reality by unimaginable misfortune.
Breaking out the champagne at Dress Rehearsal.
Jon is 4th from right, 2nd row.
Yesterday was the 3rd anniversary of that fateful day and Jon, in typical positive thinking and forward movement fashion, celebrated it as the birth of Balefire. I couldn't attend but David went, and was very pleased to see his name engraved at a seat along the bar and a personalized beer mug. Both were Jon's way of recognizing the volunteers who joined him on his amazing journey out of adversity.
Business is picking up at Balefire and Jon certainly deserves the promising start. His story is an inspiring one to share especially during the current difficult and fearful economic times. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did in posting it here.
This is our Snorkel wood fired hot tub laying forlorn in a shaded and hidden part of the back yard ...
We kinda forgot about it after we rolled it to the forest area to make way for the jacuzzi I needed for my foot therapy. That was in May. It had weathered but is still in good condition, a waste as firewood. We offered it to a couple of half-interested friends for $100 then but neither took it up.
Last weekend, David started to get rid of his unwanted toys and decided to check if there was any value in the tub. New ones were selling at $2500, so he listed ours on craigslist for $1000, expecting to be negotiated down low or ignored. In two days, he received 6 replies to the ad. One guy from Alaska was ready to send the full sum without viewing! The first guy who came, took it home. Apparently, he and the others have been looking for one for the past couple of years.
As I watched the tub being rolled up into the buyer's truck and counted his green notes, the Chinese in me wondered if we should have removed the ad and upped the price. After all, we may need the extra cash down the road! LOL! David appreciated that it was already money we did not expect.
It's funny how time changed the situation in our favor. Folks were crowding rivers to cool off on those hot summer days and few, if any, wanted to turn pruny in a crate of hot water. Come fall and winter, the chilly air on clear stargazing nights created a demand for hot tubs.
I now wonder when is a good time to slot a Stanley squire chest of 14 drawers on the market. It has been occupying precious place in the den for several years.
Cherry Apricot Pie with Almond Streusel Topping (my favorite!)
Pumpkin Pie
Apple Cobbler with Cheddar Cheese Biscuit
That was the YUMMYLICIOUS menu Jay & Karen (David's oldest brother & sister-in-law) served at their Thanksgiving dinner at Gold Hill, Oregon. Every dish except the buns was cooked from scratch with fresh ingredients on the day itself. The 10-hour cooking marathon which started on the eve was not unlike Iron Chef America at a leisurely pace. It seemed like everyone had a hand in churning up each delicacy even if it was just in cutting, slicing or stirring but no one proved that "too many cooks spoil the broth". It was all great fun!
Izzy - the youngest and most adorable chef ...
I mostly cleared counter space and washed utensils, did both so diligently that Karen's carton of tea bags is now in oblivion. LOL! Also, managed to cut a finger while washing a knife (darn careless, I know!) and at a subsequent point was frantically searching for the plaster that had fallen off. I thought it went into the short crust pastry I'd rubbed but thankfully Megan found it on the stove top. Phew!
Jay led the guys in cooking the meat which included sending the propane tank for a quick shower! This happened when they started to deep-fry one of the turkeys ...
The propane flame lowered to near invisibility when turkey met boiling oil. 15 minds gathered around to solve the problem, 3 took turns fidgeting with the gas hose and valve, and all decided we had run out of gas. David's attention in chemistry class and keen interest in all things knowledgeable paid off when it was his turn to inspect the icy propane tank. He deduced that the lack of flame was caused by butane contamination since it does not flow at freezing temperatures and suggested that warming the tank in the bathtub would fix the problem. It did! 40 minutes later, one smelling-oh-so-good and mouth-watering turkey was lifted from the fryer. Someone who was video-taping the excitement ended his narration with, "and that's the way we fry a turkey in the country - 15 guys having fun with one hot bird!" Hilarious and true!
Kids dining Japanese-style
A good time was had by all and I suspect that quite a few had to work off some extra pounds after the fact. I am still at it!!
Now that the US presidential race is over and history has a new chapter, I should get back to putting words on my blog.
But first, to family, friends and fellow Obama supporters (there were so many of you!) who were curious as to why David who does not believe in God, religion and other right-wing policies and practices would vote Republican, here is a glimpse of his Thoughts on Obama.
Anyone with political plans for 2012? By then, I may be able to vote. :)
25-year old recipe book still in its original plastic cover!
A Malaysian best-seller, the book is a compilation of over 500 recipes of Malay, Chinese, Indian, Nyonya & Euraisian home-cooked family favorites, sophisticated restaurant dishes and delicious concoctions of the roadside hawker stalls. The recipes are well presented in very simple language and not fussy with details to a fault, in the truest sense. A good number of them would list ingredients that are not mentioned in the method section or vice versa, use extra ingredients in the cooking procedure. Poor editing, me thinks. I have learned to study each recipe in detail before attempting it.
UPDATE : Full recipe as requested by Farina ...
Ingredients 500g large raw prawns 2 tbsps oil 4 stalks spring onions - shredded 3 cloves garlic - crushed 4 cm piece ginger - chopped 1 fresh red chilli - chopped 3 tsps Chinese rice wine 1 tbsp thin soy sauce 1 tsp sugar Salt & pepper to taste 1/2 tbsp tomato puree 4 tbsps chicken stock 1 tsp cornflour
Method 1. Snip off legs of prawns, leaving shell intact. Wash well, drain and set aside. 2. Heat oil and fry garlic, ginger and chilli for one minute. 3. Add prawns and fry for 5 minutes, turning occasionally so they cook evenly. 4. Pour in rice wine and soy sauce. Add sugar, salt and pepper. Stir gently. 5. Add the tomato puree and stir again. 6. Thicken sauce with cornflour blended with a little water and stir on medium heat. 7. Dish out prawns and pour sauce over. 8. Serve garnished with spring onions. Serves 4-6.
No mention of stock in recipe. See what I mean by poor editing?
A special greeting to all Hindus around the world, friends and strangers alike, who are celebrating the Festival of Light ...
PS: T. Ramani ... don't forget to eat extra murukku on my behalf, you hear?? Warmest hugs to Prema, Mukesh, Divya and Manoj. I hope I got their names right this time. :)
Pak Idrus, one of my favorite persons, gave me a nudge last weekend. He said, "It is fall out there and I think it is the time to be 'ceria'. It is not the time to hibernate as yet." Sound advice from a wise and always energetic man!
I wasn't in seclusion as much as having distractions aplenty during the past two months or so. Stuff of sorts were happening to and around us, one after another, eating up time on the clock and blowing me off my daily routine. Blogging gave way to spending real time with family, friends and helpful strangers who became friends.
It was also 'breakdown' period for our home appliances and equipment. Urghhh! The TV, fridge, food saver, furnace, DVR, work PC and laptop took turns to cause me grief. Even the truck, properly parked in a lot, managed to get a mirror smashed by a commuter bus! I spent many days on the phone discussing insurance, warranty and spare parts.
Then there's the US presidential race. It started as a past-timer when I was on hold for customer service folks taking care of our repair work. My sister and a few global friends were somewhat obsessed with updates and kept calling to hear my "up close" version. Their addiction rubbed on me and I am now an official political junkie. It took me a while to understand the lengthy election, electoral, political and governance process, and how the US brand of constitutional democracy works in comparison with Malaysia's version. I enjoy soaking up the views and arguments of the analysts and strategists who obviously are spinning for the candidates they support, as well as the banter among the electorate, so many of whom are genuinely undecided and can be swayed.The open, public and intense scrutiny of the character of both candidates, and the way they manage their campaign by the free press is both intriguing and absurd to me. At times, I had to wonder if the Malaysian governmental control over the media is such a bad thing after all.
November 4th will be a historical day in the US whoever wins the election. As a PR, I have no say in it but I am pleased to have been here when it happened.
No relevant pictures to share except some shots of the 'ceria' (feel good) colors in our front yard, taken this afternoon, especially for Pak Idrus ...
For more beautifully-photographed and amazing fall images of our beautiful town, visit Jennifer Tai Photo Artistry. Jennifer who is also the author of The I'mPerfect Mom, is a good friend and neighbor whose cousin was my former neighbor back when I was living in Malaysia. The three of us and our families are getting together for a New Year's lunch. I can't wait!
To all my friends, fellow bloggers and readers celebrating Hari Raya Aidilfitri ...
I wish I am back in Malaysia visiting open houses, catching up with one another and making new friends, after the makan sessions of course! Hopefully, next year.
No more Seattle weather jokes for me, not for a few months at least. They are backfiring with a vengeance!
My doctor gave me the warning when the results of my annual physical exam showed a high deficiency in vitamin D. She listed the lack of sunshine in our city as one of the causes. I raised my eyebrows and laughed out loud when she said it but apparently, my exposure to daily equatorial sun for over 4 decades prior to life here, has relevance. The significantly weaker sun rays in the Seattle area over a shorter period have failed to trigger the level of vitamin D production my body requires. Another cause is lactose intolerance and a reduction of fish consumption in my diet.
I've always believed that supplements help one's health in the long run but didn't think that vitamin deficiency can be harmful to be life threatening. One of the dangers tied to Vitamin D deficiency is risk of fracture and bone weakness. No wonder, my heal bone shattered last year! Other complications for aging adults (my category-lah) are osteoporosis, muscle weakness, cancer, high BP, multiple sclerosis and arthritis.
My low mark is not fatal but worrying enough for a medical prescription until October. It comes with fishy and milky additions to my daily menus. At the same time, I literally have to soak in the sun - 10-15 minutes, at least twice a week to face, arms, hands or back. Thank God the weather has been cooperating lately.
Lola has no deficiency but a compulsion to follow me everywhere, so she is sunbathing as well, full coat of fur and all!
LOL! David doesn't deserve credit for the cute endearment. Nor do I. It belongs to someone who loves the boys dearly and knows them very well. :)
I hope they settled back into their home and normal routine without much difficulty. It can be tough on kids especially when their vacation home was a construction site managed by a baby-sitter with zero motherhood days and limited baby-sitting experience.
The roof ...
looks great and we love the floors, especially this dark one ...
which covers the living, dining and office space. It transitions well with the beech wood we had earlier laid down for the kitchen and matches the antique theme we chose for the bedrooms. Poor Lola has been slipping, sliding and skating everywhere as we wait for her paw-wax to arrive. She spent more time on her daybed in the past fortnight than she ever did in her entire life. Smart dog!
The house still looks like a bomb had gone off in it as cleaning-up has become a massive project of its own. We underestimated the amount of dust that will be stirred up by the pulling of our old carpet and allowed the painter's plastic to remain in its unopened box in the garage. Now, all surfaces need contact with a dust-cloth, every single item must endure a soapy-rinse and I am wiping individual leaves of the house-plants during commercials on Olympics highlights. You'd think I know better with my event planning background, huh?
I am having some fun though, taking the opportunity to clear clutter for a minimalistic look. Not an easy job as those of you who live with hoarders will agree. I am the daughter of one and married a pro! David is so good at it that his mental inventory puts him on alert to look for an item the day after I put it in the trash bin without his knowledge. That alarm has beaten the garbage truck on more occasions than I care for!
The positive side to his obsession is being a magnet to true treasures. They somehow find their way to him. Two such treasures are a Malaysian keris and a Turkish knife.
We don't know the history of the keris or whether it was actually made in Malaysia. It was a souvenir from two of David's closest buddies who holidayed in Malaysia in the early 90s and got engaged in the exotic setting of tropical forests of Sabah. It looks really old, is well-carved from metal that surprisingly has no trace of rust and its case was carefully crafted to hold it snugly. David who collects weaponry likes this piece quite a bit.
The knife from Turkey is a true gem, being one of the 2,300 specially commissioned knives that were presented by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk (founder of the Republic of Turkey as well as its first president) to his officers following their defeat of the Ottoman empire. David found it in the historical town of Kas which was founded in the 4th century BC. I have to admit it is an awesome knife to hold.
Turkish floral designs on one side of the knife ...
... Arabic inscription on the other.
These two won't be on their way to the trash bin. :)
Damian, David's nephew from Oregon, is in town to install a new roof and floor for us. He brought his two boys, Gage (6) and Kiefer (5) along and they are staying with us for 2-3 weeks. They arrived yesterday afternoon, and both David and I have had some personal time with the boys ...
Gage: I am hungry. Aunt Rita: What would you like to eat? Would you like a hotdog? Damian: Aunt Rita, they are always hungry. You feed them dinner or lunch, and 5 minutes later, they will be hungry because they can say it. Aunt Rita: I have brownies and ice-cream? Gage: Ohhh ... I want brownies and ice-cream. (Aunt Rita serves brownies with ice-cream in the yard. Less than 3 minutes, both brought their hardly touched plates to the sink.) Gage & Kiefer: We cannot finish the brownies & ice-cream.
Kiefer: I want to play a game. Can you play a game with me? Aunt Rita (opens up chest of games & puzzles): I can't play with you now but you can play any of these, one at a time. Play one and put it back before you open another game. Kiefer: But I want you to play with me. Aunt Rita: I'm sorry I can't, Kiefer. I have to cook dinner. Kiefer: Can you play with me after you cook dinner? Aunt Rita: OK, after we eat dinner.
(Every 10-15 minutes or so ...) Kiefer: Can you play a game with me now? Aunt Rita: No, I said after dinner. Kiefer: When are we eating dinner? I am hungry.
After dinner, they were engrossed with some cartoon show on a new-to-me TV channel - NIK which we never watch. Phew!
Later that night, Gage & Kiefer who were put to bed, decided that they didn't want to sleep yet and got up to play. David who was getting ready for our bed, heard them and went downstairs ...
Uncle David: Guys, we need to talk. (Gage & Kiefer sat down.) Uncle David: OK, here's the deal. This is my house, not your dad's house and not your grandpa's house. When you are in my house you follow my rules. OK? (Gage & Kiefer nod their heads.) Uncle David: Rule #1 is when it is bedtime and you are tucked into bed, you sleep. You do not get up to play. You sleep. When you wake up in the morning, you can play. We can do fun things, go to the park, play games, cook stuff to eat and all the good stuff. The fun things are not for bed time. You sleep when it is bedtime. Do we have an agreement? Gage & Kiefer (nod their heads again and get under the covers): Goodnight, Uncle David.
Both were asleep by the time David got back upstairs. I am thinking having big blue round eyes and 300+ lbs of beef has its advantages!
I didn't like mushrooms when I was a young girl, not that we could afford to stock them up for regular consumption. They fall under the category of expensive festival food reserved for feasts on special occasions.
My aversion began when I discovered that a mushroom is actually a fungus and not vegetable. Fungi was then registered in my grey matter as organisms thriving only in the filthiest of damp murky places. Mere mention of the word will send a somewhat severe gag reflex disorder into active mode. It didn't help that newspapers often had mushroom headlines in the literal sense -- 'Family of # hospitalized after eating wild mushrooms' or 'Only 2 survivors in mushroom meal tragedy', etc.
Such reports have dwindled with progress in the food industry and health awareness, and I am better educated.
These days, mushrooms are a must-buy on every trip to the grocery store and my favorite is the shitake variety. Its flavor is more pronounced and especially rich when braised in a savory sauce ...
Oyster & Dark Soy Sauce, Carrots, Star Anise in Cooking Wine Garlic & Ginger, Chilli, Shallots
Chicken in Sesame Oil, Soy Sauce & Pepper Marinade
Dried Shitake Mushrooms soaked in water.
I like this color combination.
It could do with a bit more sauce but still ... Yummeeee!
This wasn't a part of any feast but I did cook it for a special occasion - the arrival of summer in Seattle, finally. :)
"Strangers are friends that you have yet to meet." - is one of my favorite friendship quotes. Pak Idrus firmly believes in these words. They introduce his blog and he puts them into regular practice, widening his circle of friends. David and I, together with Louis and his wife, Elena became part of this circle when Pak Idrus visited Seattle last week.
It was our first meeting after months of exchanging emails, sharing comments on blogs and talking on the phone. The Malaysian in us surfaced naturally and you wouldn't have guessed that we were strangers before. We were at the Bengal Tiger and the couple sitting at an adjoining dining table were visibly amazed that it wasn't the reunion they thought was happening.
Our second get-together was at Julia's Indonesian Kitchen where I finally got to meet Louis and Elena in person. Louis lives in Seattle and we connected at Pak Idrus's blog. The session was just as lively. We talked culture, food, travels, mutual friends, history, blogging, interests, even politics! Pak Idrus's charming wife, Kak Asmah and their lovely daughter, Lin made excellent choices of traditional SE Asian dishes that reminded me of my lepak (hanging out with friends) times back home. Satisfying one's taste buds in good company is an essential part of being truly Malaysian.
Time with our new friends was cut short by Lola's medical episode but we plan to meet again during our next trip home. Meanwhile, fun memories were recorded ...
Click on slide-show for a larger version of the yummy spread.
Phew! What a week it has been for us. Some rare bright, sunny and rainless Seattle days were spent lifting and lugging an 80-lb dog around places, viewing X-rays in vet clinic, listening to new animal injury terminology in hospital exam rooms, discussing options with vet/specialists and waiting with heavy heart for good news.
We had to cancel plans to attend a BBQ party and forego a camping trip at Lake Pearrygin. Also, couldn't find time nor interest in getting the boat ready for the waters and the fast food industry had our faithful support. Plus, there is a huge hole in our pocket. It was worth it, though. This picture and video taken at the hospital grounds yesterday, says it all ...
A far cry from 6 days ago when she could barely raise her head ...
Lola's remarkable recovery was made possible by the dedicated team at Seattle Veterinary Specialists Center led by Dr Sean Sanders who gave up his day off to perform the emergency spinal surgery. Our grateful thanks to ...
From admission at ER to discharge, Lola was certainly at the right place. We couldn't have asked for a more caring group of animal-loving folks to see her through this episode.
ICU Bed (complete with IV drip and vital signs monitors)
Surgery was through her chest.
Perky ears and anxious eyes watching us leave after a visit.
A recheck examination in two weeks will confirm if she can recover completely and return to chasing frisbees and swimming. That recovery is 6-8 weeks long. We are very hopeful. Meanwhile, she is on cage (our powder room) confinement and physical rehabilitation at home.
It sure is great to have our 4-legged furry family member home again.
Lola was admitted to the Seattle Veterinary Specialists Center this morning for emergency spinal chord surgery tomorrow. The poor old girl will also need to go through an MRI to determine if it is a disc or tumor in a couple of her vertebrae joints that has paralyzed her. She had been in and out of her vet hospital for the past week getting diagnosis and treatment for the occasional but increasing weakness of her front legs. She wasn't sick. Everything else about her, from the vibrant tail wagging to 24/7 perkiness to being forever hungry and eagerness to be close to her people was normal. We were hoping that her condition was due to aging cramps or seizures but X-rays taken yesterday confirmed the bad news.
Lola has a strong and aggressive personality, is stoic and doesn't whine no matter how dire her situation is. She'll grunt through with determination towards her everyday role as a super loyal and highly attentive dog. She watches my every movement and follows me everywhere, even when all I do is walk a few steps away. It was really heart-breaking to watch her struggle to get up on her legs over the last couple of days, only to fail with pain, hurt, disappointment and shame in her eyes.
That was how David described our recent BBQ. 7 of the adults and 3 kids were Malaysians. It was a record of sorts for us as we have never had any Malaysian who is not a family member at our home parties before.
The best part is all of them live in our neighborhood! I'd mentioned them in a Chinese New Year post, met at their party but only got around to having them over a couple of weekends ago. It was a lot of fun ....
Click on slide-show for a larger view.
For those who have met Janice, my neighbor when I was living in Sri Hartamas - Jennifer is her cousin! Amazing, right? How much smaller can the world be??
David finally got to eat his home-made carrot cake yesterday. It was my first attempt, so I searched online and through my collection of books to find the easiest idiot-proof recipe. I found it in The Essential Baking Cookbook, complete with detailed steps, illustrations and pictures.
Here are my images ...
Baking Soda with Ground Spices (nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger) and Walnuts
Grated Carrots
Combination of Plain & Self-Raising Flour
Whisked Mixture of Oil, Eggs, Brown Sugar & Golden Syrup
Rising nicely in the oven.
Not sure why the top cracked. Luckily, no moisture lost!
Frosting (butter, cream cheese, icing sugar, vanilla extract & lemon juice)I sprinkled the top with freshly grated nutmeg.
David said, "It's really good!"
The published prep time is 40 minutes but I needed an hour. The extra time was spent discovering the different grating sizes of my food processor! Still, it was fun to bake the cake and I am happy the chemistry of its ingredients didn't go wrong. I now have confidence in moving on to recipes that require baking skills beyond measuring and mixing.
Time to clear my debt of 2 tags. This easier one is from Beachlover - Lesley.
Rules ....
1. State 8 random facts/habits about yourself in a blog post. 2. Include these rules in your post. 3. At the end of the post, tag 8 bloggers by name. 4. Leave a comment on their blog to tell them they’ve been tagged through your own post.
My 8 habits:
I eat at a fast pace. A habit I developed from having to rush through meals when managing exhibition floors in the past, for nearly two decades.
I make big shopping decisions quickly but take forever on small ones. Bought my first car after 15 minutes of viewing, condo after 5. It usually takes me half an hour to select a gift and 45 minutes to choose the card.
My favorite seating position is crossed legged with one leg curled underneath my bum.
I re-arrange the furniture around the house at least twice a year.
The hangers in my closet must all face the same direction.
I procrastinate because I excel under pressure. Another habit from my exhibition/event days when I often had to trouble-shoot on the spot.
When I buy a new pair of shoes, I bite them 3 times to avoid getting blisters. I know it is mere superstition and somewhat silly but the only two times I didn't bite, I had the sores! So, no taking chances for me.
Having empathy for others is my best trait, being impatient my worse. David calls me "Little Ms Empathetic" and wonders why I don't channel my impatience inwards to cure my procrastination. Funny man.
Seriously though, I'm trying to correct numbers 1 and 2 but fear it may be a lost cause. Old habits die hard or as my mom likes to say, the tree branch is too crooked to be straightened.
I'm not tagging anyone but if you don't mind sharing 8 behavioral patterns in cyberspace, I will be all ears or eyes in this case. :)
It was his own fault, trespassing again. David, who is a Beattles fan, has since named him Rocky. I don't know the song but thought it was an appropriate name for a raccoon with intelligence in finding the new location of the cat food bowl and bravery in venturing further than our kitchen.
We discovered his return two weeks ago when I first found the overturned bowl and food pellets scattered all over the hearth in the living room. It looked like Grover tipped his bowl off the wood stove.
That night, Lola let out one of her fierce growling barks from inside the house, in the middle of the night. Barking indoors is something she is encouraged to do only when uninvited strangers are in the house. She didn't repeat it but came back to bed, so we resumed our snoring. We woke up later to the same scene at the fireplace!. The only difference was the food pellets being scattered behind the wood pile, none on the carpet or bricks. Our theory - the cat again pushed his bowl off the wood stove and Lola cleaned up whatever she could reach.
Following night, no barking but in the AM, you guessed right and Lola was snuffling around the fireplace. She wasn't happy at being caught. David's new theory - Rocky is back and in cahoots with Lola. She's figured out that he likes to turn over the bowl and went into a mutually beneficial arrangement with him. It must have been one of these, "you just sit there & eat while I do my job & bark a bit, then I'll join you" or "you please flip the bowl upside down for me, then I'll bark at you a bit, then we can both chow down" or "I'll wait till you flip that bowl over before I do my job and bark at you, scaring you away, then I can chow down myself."
We sprinkled flour along the hall passage on the 3rd night to test the theory. Rocky has pretty feet ...
Suggestions on how to deal with the problem varied from adopting Rocky as a pet to outright shooting him since he is now a danger to our pets. We decided on a live trap ...
Plan A had the trap in the backyard. The food disappeared but no Rocky! A neighborhood squirrel has put on some weight.
Plan B brought the trap inside.
Gotcha!
Rocky is now some 10 miles away in a recommended remote wooded area and hopefully getting adapted to his new habitat. We were told that some raccoons do find their way back to their capture site. We think he won't. If he does, $80 worth of heavy aluminium will be waiting for him again.
I should add that Lola put on a huge show for us, growling, barking and woofing at Rocky in the cage while he laid down, calm and fearless, ignoring her - solid proof of their partners-in-crime relationship!
It all started when Zawi's blog - Life As I See It - was spotted by Sheila Rahman from the Malay Mail to be featured in their BlogSpot page. Sheila was drawn by the "family atmosphere" at Zawi's blog, a quality made possible by his heartfelt, entertaining and informative posts. Readers enjoy his unbiased views and detailed accounts of people, life and everyday happenings around him. The ensuing lively interaction via comments almost always set the scene for a virtual get-together, not unlike a family reunion.
I am one of his readers. We have the same line of thoughts on many matters especially those concerning human interests and friendship values. We quickly became online friends. Exchanging blogging tips and bouncing ideas off each other was part of our friendship and Zawi generously gave me credit for one such idea in his interview with Sheila.
As a result, I too had my 15 minutes of exposure . What amuses me is that both Zawi and I are located where the Malay Mail is not circulated. We had to send family members in Kuala Lumpur to the newspaper stands. LOL!
Here are the JPEG versions that Sheila sent to us. Click on the images to read the articles.
Many thanks to Zawi and Sheila for my glory moments. :)
David earned significant bragging rights today, a year's worth. He can claim to be 49 years old for the next 365 days.
Traditionally we host a pig roast to celebrate his birthday which coincides with Memorial Weekend. We haven't done it for the past 3 years for various reasons and this year's weird weather was too unpredictable for it. Some of our friends are missing the fun event as much as us, so the plan is to look into doing it in mid-summer when the sunny days are settled in.
Meanwhile, David has requested for a steak dinner with carrot cake as dessert to start the last year of his 5th decade in existence. The beef slabs are in the fridge and I recall seeing three carrots looking super fresh in a Debbie Meyer green bag earlier. I am kinda excited as it will only be my 4th or 5th time baking a cake and first one with icing. It did occur to me that it is easier to just order one but I wanted to learn. Carrot cake is David's favorite and he likes home-made stuff. Furthermore, he ask very little of me on any given day.
I am truly blessed to be married to a guy who not only has the purest of hearts and enormous patience but is full of generosity and kindness. There is absolutely no malice or ill will in him. Even folks he has little time for often get the benefits of doubt. People do take advantage but he doesn't keep score or let his irritation linger overnight. Life, he says, is too short for us to worry about things we cannot control or do anything about. The incidents get filed in his mind as cautionary lessons in life. These traits and his love for me have taught me to be a better person and they are the reasons we have a near-perfect relationship that I know will last for a very long time.
Of course, David hasn't and probably won't be able to break the habits from his bachelor days - untidiness and leaving things where he last uses them. Urgh! He has made some progress but these are old habits and you know the saying. I've learned to tease or laugh more than complain or nag for I love him deeply. This song by Kenny Rogers best describe my feelings as I try to make his birthday another memorable occasion.
Not a record but worthy of a note. Our external thermometer reading at 2:38 PM ...
That's 33.8C!
Hot! Panas! Jua! Yit! Muito Calor!
Whatever language or dialect, the weather here has gone absolutely bonkers. It was only a couple or so weeks ago that we had the whole winter offerings of snow, sleet, hail and rain. Spring barely settled in and we are on to summer!
I don't like it. Give me cold over hot atmospheric conditions anytime. Friends here think I am weird to remain indoors today and not be out soaking in the sunshine. They probably wouldn't if they had spent some forty years enduring equatorial temperatures and high humidity. Poor Lola with her built-in insulation agrees with me. She has been by my feet all day, panting and appreciating the cool air from the fans instead of being ordinarily glued to David who is working on the boat.
The folks with careers in meteorology say the heat is temporary and forecast cloudy skies and rainy days to return on Monday, lasting for a long stretch. I'm fine with that. After all, the cool weather is one of the reasons I love living here.
Now, if only the Seattle Mariners' baseball bats and arms will heat up as well. Sigh.
Two individuals, born years apart into different cultures and living half the world away from each other, one in each hemisphere. One will share stories from his rich and successful past while the other posts his thoughts as he begins an exciting journey into the future.
Closer to heart is the Roller Coaster Kid - Qeeran Lee, my 7-year old nephew whose mom is my sister. Qeeran was two when I moved to the US, and a couple of years later, he and his family migrated to Australia. Our trips home to Malaysia have not yet coincided and I am missing out on watching him mature beyond his years, an observation made by many including his teachers in Melbourne. We exchange emails and he refers to me as the "aunt who lives in the same country that has hurricanes and tornadoes and the roller coasters are near her house." With a highly inquisitive mind, Qeeran has a deep hunger for knowledge and education. My sister and I chat on the phone every week, so I get updates on his progress and often hilarious stories that result from his curiosity. For fun, he is fascinated with roller coasters and enjoy stunts.
Nearer to home is HOPSCOTCH - Louis, a fellow Seattle resident who I have not met in person but have connected with via email and blog comments. It was at Pak Idrus's blog that we got to know each other. Louis is a frequent visitor to Malaysia, loves our food, has fond memories of the people he met there and consider it his second home. From his thoughts and views expressed so far, he comes across as a learned, worldly and well-traveled gentleman who has led a fulfilling life. I am glad that he has decided to share his experiences and interesting lifestyles through blogging.
Many congratulations to Qeeran and Louis on starting their blogs!
I know, buying an extra set of wheels we don't need when gas prices are soaring doesn't make economic sense. The irony is, that's the only way for us to reduce our motoring expenses.
We are a diesel household driving a truck and a 1976 M-Benz that gulps down the fuel at $4.62 per gallon with miserable mileage returns of 15-17 and 24-25 mpg, respectively. We can't sell either as we need the truck to trail the sailboat and Old Faithful is a family heirloom. David has been driving the truck to work which is 26 miles away, burning up 4 gallons a day, $300 a month. Add that to our weekend trips and the math kept shouting "Get a car with better consumption, already!"
Our Jetta TDI is a 2006 model. We wanted one from the factory since the price difference between new and used cars is negligible these days but the beetle production folks have taken a break in continuing the series and will only resume next year. It's a neat and stylish little car with more features and gadgets than we'll ever use including dual transmission. David discovers an airbag each time he gets in and his last count was 8! My favorite part is the can't-see-the-hood aerodynamics which helps it get more than 45 miles to the gallon. That works out to paying 2/3 to 3/4 less for fuel. Our wallets are going to bulge a little in the coming months.
A very good question we've been asked is why we didn't opt for a good gasoline mpg car? It was mainly David's decision. I exercised my wifely right to not care too much about the details of an asset which is considered a man's toy. After all, its sole purpose is to bring us from point A to point B. Better to leave the mechanical science and techniques to an interested, resourceful and near expert husband. He says he loves diesel and wants to be able to run bio-diesel, if he chooses. I don't know what that means or why he would do so but hesitate to ask for fear of landing myself in a TMI situation! He may well have told me but the information didn't register in my brain cells. Ooops!
Them cells are in shopping mood, wondering what else to buy in order to save some more.
Life can throw us some crazy curve balls at times. Everyone gets them and I've had my share over the years. Most revealed an inner strength I never knew I had but there certainly were moments when all I felt was numbness interrupted by outbursts of unreasonable anger or tearful bouts.
It was from these personal episodes that I was able to draw up empathy and solace for a few friends who this past month found themselves approaching unlit steps ahead into an uncertain future. I wish I could do more than lend my ears and share past experiences.
Being spiritual but not religious, I probably sounded somewhat harsh when putting facts above fate. It was not intended as I truly believe that faith and prayers do give us the will to face challenges but it is our own courage in accepting reality, mindset to be practical and desire to move forward against all odds that will pull us through the bumps in life's continuous journey.
Well, not yet but she will be this weekend and I will finally have my vegetable plot back!
Juan Q in the side yard taking up precious space.
I consider Juan Q David's boat as he bought it before we knew each other and I've only sailed on it a few times. We decided to sell her after we bought Sirius Lepak in September 2006 and she has been on the market since. The ads generated several dozen inquiries out of which only a handful came to view and none ended up making an offer. The negating factor was her fixed keel which makes launching and retrieving a tad more challenging than boats with swing keels. Practice makes perfect, in my opinion.
Yesterday, a very nice couple drove over from Wenatchee across the Cascade Mountains, a 2-hour trip each way, and fell in love with Juan Q at first sight. They placed a deposit and will be back on Friday or Saturday to take her home. It became an even neater transaction when they invited us to join them on a sailing cruise with other boaters on beautiful Lake Chelan this fall. We had already planned to trail Sirius Lepak there for a few days around that time and sailing in a group is always great fun.
Lake Chelan (courtesy of Google Images)
Although David enjoyed sailing on Juan Q quite a bit and has logged countless hours with her on Lake Washington, he is happy to see her go to folks who clearly will take good care of her. He most likely will miss her whenever he walks to the side yard and see my veggies growing in her spot. Poor dear. I will grow some of his favorite greens to make up for the loss.
If I had a dollar for every answer I've given to this question, I would be in the market for the Mercedes SLR McLaren. I'm not joking and this is by no means a complaint. On the contrary, I feel somewhat guilty for providing half-hearted information most of the time when people genuinely care and want to know my progress.
There is often little to share as the healing process of a calcaneus fracture (broken heel bone) is long-drawn, measurable only by my level of comfort while performing physical therapy exercises and how much of my body weight the foot can carry on its toes. The former seems to be dependent on my mood as I drive to the clinic and the latter as of today is 69%. One hundred percent is when I will be declared fully recovered. No projected date yet.
At least, the surgery scar is no longer an eyesore ...
4 months & 3 weeks after surgery
5 days after surgery
Next question, please. I promise a comprehensive reply. LOL!
I do want to say that I truly appreciate all the support extended to me over the past few months by family, friends, associates, acquaintances and health care providers. Your kind and assuring words always make it easier for me to take the next step forward.
A fellow patient at physical therapy asked the question last week after he followed an online tip and his eggs literally blew open in the microwave. The clinic staff and other patients shared their own struggles with varying methods and electrical equipment. One of them had to carefully prick every egg before boiling on specific timing! I was the only one who did not have a disaster story to tell. For me, it's ABC and my eggs are exactly how I like them. :)
I know, I know, I shouldn't gloat, so here's my secret. I use my favorite kitchen gadget from Malaysia which is apparently not available here. None of my friends have seen or heard of it until they saw it on my kitchen counter. David saw it for the first time when it came out of my shipment of personal effects and he loves it. Requiring no power and little human effort, this cooking vessel works with boiling water and cooks perfect eggs every single time.
Click on pictures for larger view ...
4 Parts - water container - strainer - egg holder - cover
Good for 4-6 eggs. The lines on the rim indicate water level for respective number of eggs.
Straining time depends on the number of eggs. 8 or so minutes for 6 eggs.
We like our eggs less runny, so I let them sit in the warm holder for a bit before serving.
I've had this marvel for 14 years but only started using it regularly when I landed on US soil. Cooking breakfast is not a trend in Asia and consuming eggs as a morning meal even less. We head for roadside stalls and coffee-shops where eggs aren't on menus unless hardboiled or fried as a condiment in nasi-lemak (coconut flavored rice), noodles or porridge or used in batter for making roti (Indian bread).
These days, eggs rotate with waffles, biscuits & gravy, hash browns, toasts and cereals on our breakfast table. My portable chef makes soft-boiled our favorite.
The first time I stayed at a Bed & Breakfast was in Amsterdam, back in 1989 when WWW was a new invention and online booking sounded like, and probably was illegal gambling. My girlfriend and I, travelling to Europe for the first time - on a tight budget, embraced the adventurous spirit of flying to Holland without confirmed accommodation. We were prepared to camp out on airport lounge seats and rail station or park benches but ended up being interrogated for suspicion of drug-trafficking on arrival at Schiphol Airport! The tip-off was our identical sweaters, considered a pick-up code for the real offenders! After the strip-down search and authentication of our travel documents, the Dutch immigration officers felt sufficient remorse to recommend us some B&B inns.
No price for guessing our selection criteria. LOL! When the door of our choice opened to our 2-minute pressing of the doorbell, no one appeared at the small entrance way at the bottom a long flight of steep and narrow steps. Instead, a soft feeble voice from above asked us in. We stepped in to see an elderly lady at the top of the stairs pulling a rope that was strung against the wall all the way down to the door knob - a clever and effective pulley system for operating the door. She later told us that she hadn't use those steps for over a year. It was understandable. Our tiny room was on the top of the 3-storey building and negotiating those scary creaky wooden steps remains a nightmare to this day. Breakfast was what Madam had herself, a glass of milk, tea or coffee with 2 slices of toast spread with marmalade.
I haven't had any opportunity to stay at a European B&B since and don't know if the concept has changed but here in the US, B&Bs are considered boutique hotels. Operating under local government regulations and inspection as well as innkeepers association rules which often indicate a higher standard of hospitality, owners make available most parts of their homes to paying guests.
We stayed at two such homes during our recent Oregon road trip and not only enjoyed warm hospitality in 5-star facilities but made new friends as well.
Our first stop, Cobblestone Cottages in Medford, belonged to Sarah & Darrell Maple, a lovely retired couple from Alaska and Molly, their 10-year old friendly Airedale. David and I were treated like family members. Even Lola had special attention as Sarah & Darrell kindly took care of her for several hours when we were at the wedding. The pictures below say it all.
Morning Dove Cottage, our home for 2 nights.
The entire cottage was decorated with antique furniture.
Cute dragonfly accents abound as Feng Shui enhancers.
Sarah's artistic talents spilling over to her fruit platter.
Easter Table-setting for Sunday Breakfast
Molly, Sarah & Darrell Maple
Mary Hauser was our second host at Pana-Sea-Ah, located right on the beach at Depoe Bay on the Oregon Coast. The small-world phenomenon formalized in our story when we found out that Sarah and her step-mom once stayed in the same suite we were in. Of the few dozens B&Bs available, we stayed with two innkeepers who knew each other! The coincidence was just weird.
Again, pictures will show the warmth of Mary's inn which she manages from her own home, a block away. She went out of her way to make our stay a pleasant one, serving me a full breakfast in bed on the first morning when my foot was talking loud to me and refused to trek up the stairs. I doubt any hotel would have accorded me the service without charging extra.
Front Entrance of Pana-Sea-Ah facing the Pacific Ocean.
Entrance to Tuscany Suite, our lodgings.
Living Room of Suite
Handicap Accessible Shower
Ground Floor above Tuscany Suite
Main Living Room with clear view of the Pacific Ocean
8-seater Jacuzzi overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
Permanent view of non-stop wave action of the Pacific Ocean
Mary Hauser
Suffice to say, the B&B industry now have two new patrons from the Pacific NW. :)
Borrowing a popular phrase from the US election campaign trail, "I misspoke". I wrote in an earlier post that it has been ages since I attended a church wedding when in fact I have never been to one. I was on church grounds twice before but had arrived for the reception after the ceremony was over at both events.
It was therefore all the more special that my first experience was at the wedding of a family member, one of our favorite people. Megan is David's niece whom we don't get to see often but from the handful of occasions we were able to get together, she comes across as a charming, lovable and promising young adult. Down-to-earth decision maker with a willingness to work hard best describes her.
Her parents, Karen and Jay (who is David's oldest brother) were visibly stress-free when we arrived at their doorstep on the eve of the wedding. Karen did not have a wine glass in hand and Jay had the calm demeanor of someone who just had a long relaxing vacation, most of which Jay attributes to Megan's ability to make decisions.
Held in the afternoon of a perfect weather Saturday (22nd March 2008), the wedding was an intimate gathering of family and close friends, complete with all the traditional elements carried out in a delightful and memorable manner. Rob and Megan exchanged their vows in a celebrated yet jovial fashion and I particularly enjoyed watching them dance down the aisle at the end of the ceremony. I'd set my camera to video-tape them but it didn't work. All it captured was a single still frame. My photography skills were truly challenged that day as most of the photos turned out either dark or blurry. Fortunately, David took over at some point and we have these plus some in an album to share.
Dancing down the aisle.
Happy Couple with Megan's family. L-R: mom (Karen), brother (Damian), sister (Alicia) and dad (Jay)
The reception that followed the church union was similar in cozy setting and warm ambience. The Megan & Rob wedding story continued with a delicious spread, happy - meaningful - funny and joyfully teary toasts, romantic first dance, a beautiful father/daughter number and more, all proceedings filled with heaps of laughter. I witnessed the Garter Toss for the first time and someone mentioned that the American version is tame compared to the French 14th Century tradition. I am so embarking on a mission to get on the invitation list of a French wedding. LOL!
As Megan and Rob bask in wedded bliss and begin a wonderful life living together as husband and wife, I would like to wish them continued success in their love for each other and everyday happiness that last always & forever ....
Half of the jokes and quotes I receive these days refer to aging. This one, courtesy of my former school mate(Many thanks for the laughs, Soo Fong!) is too funny to not be noted ...
And now, a new scooter that is easy on gas and could zip us to the store and about town. It meets our EVERY need!
Remember!
Senior Citizens Are Valuable! We are more valuable than any of the younger generations :
We have silver in our hair. We have gold in our teeth. We have stones in our kidneys. We have leadin our feet and We are loaded with natural gas!
Drive Time - 22:05:33 spread over 5 days. David did all the driving while I served snacks & drinks and spun CDs. I was surprised to discover that my husband has good vocals and isn't tone deaf like me. My karaoke-loving friends are in for some stiff competition! I-5, the north-south highway, didn't offer much scenery but we were able to see stretches of the spectacular Pacific Ocean along the coastal 101. We drove through several small towns and caught glimpses of pretty houses nestled in woods, people going about their chores and daffodils blooming all around! Lola behaved exceptionally well, lounging over her cushion seater rather than lying on it so that she can nudge her cold nose into our elbows every now and then to remind us that she is there. She mostly slept or stared out the back window with "are we there yet?" looks. One sore point - I forgot to pack our lumbar support pillows, so our butts are still aching from the marathon sitting sessions!
Purpose- Wedding of Megan & Rob. Radiant bride in a gorgeous gown at a beautiful ceremony and fun party. We took more videos than pictures, so a movie or two, coming soon. It was great catching-up with relatives and meeting some new ones as well.
Accommodation- Cobblestone Cottages B&B in Medford and PanaSeaAh B&B at Depoe Bay. One of the reasons we prefer B&B over faceless hotels is the people we get to hang out with. The pleasant and hospitable innkeepers at both homes made a difference to our mini-vacation.
Meal Stops- McDonald's, Abby's Pizza, The Rogue Regency (western buffet), Indian Palace, Tidal Waves (seafood), Matzalan (Mexican)
Places Toured- Oregon Coast, Depoe Bay, Newport City. The continuous sight and sound of ocean waves rumbling, splashing and hitting the shore was simply amazing.
Miles and miles of the beautiful Oregon Coast
Incredible views from Cape Foulweather
A brave angler standing on the edge of some 30-ft high rocks.
7-8 ft high waves hitting a seawall at Depoe Bay ...
... to dissipate the wave energy entering the harbor.
An addition to my list of unique places visited.
The marina is also small and without a single sailboat! That's how rough the ocean is in these parts.
Donald's nephews - Huey, Dewey & Louie?
New friends - 13
Shopping Finds - Handmade soaps (from B&B innkeepers), shot-glass and fridge magnet. My foot couldn't cope, otherwise this list would be longer.
Expenses- Didn't care. We were on vacation!
Best Part - We had time to ourselves. Didn't have a schedule or plan for anything, just did what felt right for the moment. Also, didn't bring a laptop or use any computers available to us and only watched TV on the last evening when my foot won't cooperate any more. It was wonderful to just relax, chat and share thoughts.
We will definitely travel along the Oregon Coast again!
At zero-dark-thirty, we will be heading south to Medford, Oregon where David's niece is getting married on Saturday. I am looking forward to the occasion as it has been ages since I attended a church wedding. Plus, I managed to find a nice "designed for relaxation" lodge on the Oregon coast for us to spend a couple of days. It overlooks the Pacific Ocean and the beach is just steps from the door to our suite.
My physical therapist made it a point to remind me twice that I shouldn't drive long distance, so poor dear will be at the wheels for the 9-hour drive. Perhaps Ms Velcro who is coming with us can help him out. I am serious.
I was transferring travel stuff from car to truck and house last weekend, and was indoors for less than a minute. When I came back out she was in the driver's seat ...
Looking like the seat is rightly hers!
Feeling guilty after I asked, "What are you doing?"
Desperate to get out and escape punishment.
Poor woman has been anxious for the past week. She knows that a trip is coming up from the luggage being brought down from closet shelf but not when or whether she is included. So, each time we open the door of either vehicle, she climbs in, hoping that once she is inside, we won't have the heart to command "outside!".
I have a friend who is obsessed with spider webs. Back when I was a 30-something virgin, she frequently warned me that the passage to my reproductive organs is in grave danger of being conquered by spider webs. Last week, she sent me this text message, "Eh, woman ..... busy or lazy? I see spider webs in your blog!"
Corina is one of my favorite people on planet earth - warm personality, smart, confident but humble, even-tempered and an inch shorter than I am! We used to call ourselves the Bonaparte twins and have this friendly competition to ascertain whose command of English is better, my version from STU (Self-Taught University) or hers which is certified on a shiny piece of paper bearing the official stamp of one of the top learning institutions in the world. This morning we revived the challenge on the difference between spider webs and cobwebs. She insisted that both have the same definition while I disagreed. She is going to check out my facts. I am SO looking forward to her email. LOL!
We were once business associates on a project during which she decided to seek my advice on romantic issues. I apparently have a perpetual empathetic "Agony Aunt here, come-come pour your woes on me" look. I think it has more to do with my seniority in age and gray strands.
Corina's relationship problem was not uncommon, an on-again, off-once more situation where she was ready to settle down but he wasn't. They both had great careers, shared similar interests, attended the same church and were compatible in many ways. When she opened up to me, they had been together for several years. Having had a fruitless experience of clinging on to lost hopes, I advised her to get a decision from him to either move forward together or onwards separately. They did the latter, remained friends, bumping into each other only when she was in town and able to participate in church activities. She became more successful in her corporate pursuits while he changed focus and dedicated time to the church.
She and I kept in regular touch, always catching up over a meal whenever we were in the same city. It was during lunch in late 1997 that Corina told me that she had received and undertaken her calling to serve her church and religion full time. She just woke up one morning with the decision to give up a comfortable living provided for by a 6-figure income career to earn food & expenses spreading the love of God literally walking door-to-door. She has no regrets except for the difficult circumstances she left her colleagues and staff in as she quit within 24 hours. She assured me that it had nothing to do with her ex-boy friend who has since married someone else.
It took me a long time to accept the news and I still often feel the sense of awe that ran through me when she first told me. Except for the change in her sense of dressing from 3-piece suits to casual tops over shorts or jeans, she is the same cheerful and worldly person I met across a conference table years ago.
She gave me her blessings to share this unique story of a special child of God who found true happiness along a life journey that only He can create. I am fortunate to have crossed paths with her, spider webs and all. :)
That would be me. I'm not back to my wholesome self yet but most body parts are intact, no malfunction of organs, nor did I break an additional limb during my short hiatus from blogging. Touch wood.
I was, however, forced to learn how to drive with my left foot - an awkward experience for someone with short legs, one of which is in a fiber-glass boot. Those of you who can do this well, I salute! A couple of solo trips to the physical therapy clinic was all I could manage during which I renewed my appreciation for 'old habits die hard'. The challenge was toughened by our car having a handbrake that is activated by a second left foot brake pedal. Why Mercedes build this particular system bothered me for a few days. David who is an expert lefty behind the wheels was my instructor for one lesson and almost suffered a whiplash injury from my slamming of the brakes. My co-ordination was seriously bad!
Another lesson I reluctantly picked-up is the true definition of physical therapy. It has nothing to do with strenuous activity. Mastering the endurance of pain has more relevance. I didn't burn any calories from fluidized therapy to riding the horizontal leg-press shuttle at the clinic and the agonizing home exercises. Instead, I developed a craving for Tylenol and found a new best friend in fake ice. My therapist who reminds me of John-Boy Walton in appearance and personality is fast becoming my most dreaded service provider. I know, I know - no pain, no gain. I should be grateful that he has helped me graduate from hobbling on crutches to walking with cane. With 25 years of success, he is excellent in his work and his staff is a lively bunch. One of them had me in stitches when she declared yesterday that her criteria for voting a President is someone who can help her read her telephone bill. I was going to suggest that she write to John McCain or Barack Obama but it looks like Hillary Clinton continues to be interested in her ballot as well.
I can't vote with my PR status but I am fascinated with the freedom and democracy of the US electoral process. Every vote counts and matters in deciding who runs the country, a government that is truly selected by its people. This is especially proven in the ongoing historical Democratic race to nominate the first African-American or lady presidential candidate.
Malaysians, on the other hand, go to the polls on Saturday to decide the margin by which the same ruling party we've had since independence will win this round of general elections, not much else. If you detect sarcasm here, I won't deny it. Patriotism runs in my blood and I am proud to be a Malaysian but it pisses me off that only selected Malaysians living overseas are eligible to vote, specifically those who are in civil service and therefore obliged to support the current folks in power. I don't fall under the category and have to return home to exercise my right. A policy that is grossly unfair and outright discriminative. It tempts me to re-consider my decision not to seek naturalization here. After all, the most precious gift that a country can offer its citizens is the right to vote and all US citizens get to vote no matter where they are located.
No photo to share except this presidential look ...
This is Lola or Lard-Butt as my mom and dad likes to call me. It was a nickname during my heavy (110 lbs) days a couple of years ago. You would think they can come up with a new and more appropriate name now that I am a slim 79-er. Sigh.
My mom is not well so I am posting on her behalf.
Nothing seriously wrong with her except that she started physical therapy on her injured foot last week and is not having much fun. She doesn't mind the sessions at the clinic but the home exercises really wears her down and spoil her mood for everything. It didn't help that she also caught some kind of 'atchoo' bug which makes her sneeze and cough continuously for a few minutes. The last episode, she sneezed 28 times!
She and Dad must have decided that it was caused by the large amount of fur I am shedding around the house as they took me for a wash yesterday. It is a new self-serve place opened by Becky, the nice lady from across the street who feeds me when my mom and dad go away. I enjoyed it more than my previous washes at the Veterinary Hospital. Dr Sievers and his staff do a really good job there but nothing beats having Dad or Mom clean my butt.
Pictures taken at Best Buddy Dog Wash ....
They put a noose around my neck, hangman style. Scary stuff. I panicked, so Dad and Kristal had to calm me down.
Getting Wet
Becky had to clear the drainer a few times. I felt a bit embarrassed, shedding so much fur.
Dad taking over the bath. He made me sit so that he wouldn't get wet. Smart guy, my dad.
Shampooing. Citrus flavor. I wish they had some meaty options.
Towel Off
Blow Drying
I really like the blow-drying especially since Becky said something about giving me a treat after this.
The treat was an organic bone. Yelp-yummy!
On the way home, Mom and Dad agreed on the mostly plus points of the dog wash facility and thought business will flourish for Becky, come spring and summer. They had different views on the bright colors, though. Dad didn't like them while Mom thought they were cheerful. I wished I could talk then, just to remind them that we dogs don't really care since all we ever see is black and white. The world is often more confusing to us, the 4-legged species than the human race but me thinks life is much simpler for us.
February 14th is indeed a day of celebration - for nurseries who plant roses & florists who distribute them, for chocolate manufacturers & grocers, for card creators & the likes of Hallmark, for jewelers & stores. The list is growing as more folks recognize the big business opportunities this day presents and capitalize on them while the rest succumb to the annual pressure of finding the perfect bouquet of roses accompanied by the perfect card with the most loving words to be delivered with a perfect gift in the perfect romantic setting.
My favorite Valentine story belongs to friends, Shaun and Lindy who just celebrated their 33rd wedding anniversary. They were childhood sweethearts. Shaun sent Lindy red roses on every Valentine's Day from courtship through to their 8th year together as husband and wife. When the roses did not arrive on the 9th year, she cornered him and his exact reply was "Your garden got so many roses, you still want me to buy? Go and cut-lah, all the red ones. Not enough, cut the white ones and spray red paint." That was apparently the first February that the roses Lindy planted bloomed in abundance. It wasn't told but I am quite sure Shaun got a call from Cupid the very next day. LOL!
David doesn't buy me red roses because my favorites are yellow. It bothers him initially as they symbolize friendship and caring, not love. For me, it's the thought that counts and the combination of bright yellow blooms nestling on green leaves is more appealing than haunting reds fighting to be noticed. These days, he happily buys me a yellow bunch whenever he sees them. I am always surprised and appreciate the impromptu gestures even more.
Valentine's Day is way overrated and too commercial for me. I read about how it started once but was not interested enough to remember. I do know that it had little to do with modern day relationships where love is measured by the amount of money spent on flowers or the level of thought given to buying a gift on a designated day. We shouldn't need a calendar to remind us to love or express love. It should be shown as a matter of fact today and every other day. Easier said than done, we all know. It requires heart, passion, trust, respect, friendship, honesty, understanding, sacrifice, tolerance and a million other virtues in the right mix of accurate doses for all the hours, moments and seconds that we spend with the one we love. I consider the ability to love a talent.
So, on this day when flowers, chocolates, cards and messages relieve us of the need for talent, I would like to wish everyone ....
HAPPY TALENTINE DAY!
... for the next 364 days.
Some of you have already asked and others will, as to what I will be getting on Valentine's Day. Dadaaa ...
The Complete Stargate SG-1 Series Collection, 214 episodes of all 10 seasons! I am a fan, adore one of the guest stars featured in part of the series and wasn't sure I caught all the re-runs that featured him. David decided to buy the set so that I will not miss a single episode with my "boy".
I had just failed my 3rd swimming course and decided not to take another. He said, "Two-thirds of the world is covered with water and you don't want to learn how to swim?"
I complained that my boyfriend had just sampled canine meat in China fully aware that I was born in the year of the dog. He said, "But, his animal sign is rooster and you eat chicken almost everyday!"
He, was my father.
It has been a decade since the day he lost a 7-month long battle with liver cancer but his many witty remarks remain among my fondest memories of him. It irritated me at the time but I could never argue with the logic behind his dry humor and subtle sarcasm.
Dad always had or tried to have the last word in all conversations except those with my mom. My siblings and I cannot recall a single occasion when he raised his voice or lost his temper at her even when he wasn't at fault. Mom had many anxious moments as CEO of our household which she often took out on him but he would remain silent or walk away. In later years, when we were old enough to voice out for him, he would stop us with the "ear-in, ear-out" sign, when she wasn't looking, of course.
I wasn't close with my dad until his final months. Ours was a traditional Chinese father-daughter relationship where he probably wished his second child was a son. He had silent expectations of me which I worked hard to deliver before adulthood but gradually ignored when I sought a lifestyle that had a balance of independence and family values. He disagreed with but accepted many of my decisions and our existence was based on mutual tolerance and respect, rather than admiration & approval.
The love was always there though. Love is the basic foundation of our closed-knitted family and continues to be. My dad never expressed it in words but demonstrated it through efforts in taking care of our daily needs and affordable wants. His love for my mom overrode everything in his life. Theirs was an arranged marriage where my dad grew to love my mom more than it was returned. The 16-years age gap and their different backgrounds called for him to be the understanding partner. Apart from a few shakes of his head, no one has ever heard him say anything remotely negative about her. Considered highly educated at that time, my father was not an ambitious man, career wise and happily left all family decisions to her. I remember that he worried a lot and offered advice but always ended up doing what my mom suggested or wanted. I asked him about the tendency several times and he smilingly said that that was the only way to keep the peace in the house. I suspect it wasn't all that much fun for him, having to constantly bury personal feelings and being silent when dealing with things that mattered.
As a result, he kept mostly to himself, enjoyed his hobbies - songs, television, carpentry, gardening (orchids were his specialty and he had green thumb & fingers for them) and chats with a handful of friends. He loved cooking too, a bit too much for our taste as he would re-invent all recipes, substituting ingredients and spices in weird combinations and to the point of in-edibility. When he had to cook, we often made dinner appointments or worked late in the office just to escape the torture!
He was also our 2-wheel transport manager - fetching us on the back of his bicycle and later when we had cars, he took charge of their maintenance. He had a clerical job but had he needed another, he would have made it as Mr Handyman. The workmanship looked sloppy at times and the spare parts used were junk bits that he hoarded but dad could repair everything.
My siblings and I got closer to our dad during his illness. We had some memorable family gatherings during the difficult and emotional stretch where we did not really talk about the situation, each facing the eventuality in our own way. He was brave, hid his fear from us throughout the period of continuous hospital visits, painful chemotherapy, medication and emergency episodes. Knowing what we do now about terminal diseases, it would have been somewhat easier for him had we discussed the inevitable openly with him instead of encouraging false hope. His doctors told us to prepare for December 1997 but he fought until the last day of the Lunar New Year in 1998. At our family re-union two days before, he looked healthier and was very happy, laughing and cracking jokes. We thought he was miraculously recovering.
I wasn't at his bedside when he left us but the peacefulness in his face when I saw him for the last time coupled with the courageously calm and quiet manner in which he conducted his life helped me cope with his death.
I miss my father a lot when occasional moments bring back memories of special times and he is no longer around for me to say what I should have said. Today, the 10th anniversary of his demise, is one of those times that I would love to talk to my father again, but I can't. Listening to this song helps as it reminds me of him - a father who loved his family in his own way, subtly and truly.
Yesterday morning, David found Grover's (our winter-you-see-me, summer-you-don't cat) food spilled on the kitchen floor, his bowl knocked off his feeding stand. Lola helped clean up the mess but David didn't tell me about it until after I fed her breakfast. She probably thought it was Christmas again.
Last night, I was reading to sleep when I heard a loud thud, went to investigate and saw the same mess! Overturned cat bowl on floor, food granules in water bowl and splattered everywhere but no pets in sight. Cursing and swearing, I went down on my knees and cleaned up whatever I could before my injured foot complained. I didn't do a good job. Lola had another bonus.
David and I concluded that we probably did not position the bowl firmly on the stand, and it was in Grover's way when he jumped up. It was impossible that forever-hungry Lola was bold enough to figure out a way to topple it down. Punishment for the crime means sitting on the back porch for the night, capital level to her. She hates it.
Tonight, I made sure the bowl was secured and blocked all dog-access to the stand before we went to bed. I didn't hear any noise until I was answering nature's call two hours later. It was the same thud! Screaming profanity and promising murder, I hobbled to the kitchen and got the fright of my life. Sitting in a confrontational manner next to the scattered pet bowls on the floor was this ...
(photo courtesy of Wikipedia)
I screamed for David as I stomped my crutches but the scary animal did not blink or budge at all. It just stared back at me with threatening eyes, ready to pounce. I retreated into the hallway, yelling for a sound asleep David who couldn't hear me over the droning of our furnace. I finally reached the SOS whistle by the futon, blew hard but still no David. By this time, I was in panic mode. I was about to crawl up the stairs when he came down in birthday suit, shotgun in hands, Rambo-style. It was a funny sight! Porno producers would have been impressed.
Since I have never seen the animal before, I couldn't tell him what it was. He crept into the kitchen and burst out laughing when he saw the culprit staring back at him from behind the glass doors. I received my first lesson on raccoons and learned in theory how to handle a shotgun. Not sure how much of the facts went into my blurry brain matter.
I was too shaken up and in no mood to clean another mess. Lola did the "vacuuming" again. She must be thinking Christmas happens everyday now.
So, 15 minutes to the start of the lunar Year of the Rat, I am lying here on animal-watch, blogging about a freaking trespassing raccoon instead of preparing to usher in good fortune and prosperity . Sigh.
How time flies. It seems like only yesterday when David & I ushered in the last Chinese New Year with my family in Singapore. Another year starts on Thursday, February 7th and I am excited even though we aren't travelling 8,000+ miles east again.
Here's why. We have been invited to a party hosted by two Malaysian families who live just a few minutes drive from us! Yes, Malaysians! If that doesn't make the world small, one of them is a cousin of my former neighbor in Kuala Lumpur. We didn't connect through the cousin but went on a long and winding route of missed posts and wrong timing in a web community until Daphne Ling of Aphasia-Dysphasia chimed in. Jennifer is The I'mPerfect Mom featured in one of Daphne's newspaper articles. Thanks again, Daph!
Jennifer and I have yet to meet but we've chatted on the phone a couple of times like old friends catching-up. The first session ran over an hour! Once a Malaysian, always a Malaysian - both of us.
I am looking forward to Saturday's lunch and the beginning of a new friendship, Malaysian style.
A good video to watch when you have one of those exasperating "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus" moments with your spouse but cannot remember which chapter of the book it falls under.
It is now more than 3 weeks since 5-year old Sharlinie Mohd Nasar disappeared, almost certainly abducted from a playground near her house in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia. Less than 4 months ago, the brutally tortured body of 8-year old Nurin Jazlin was found in the same city. Her captor(s) remain loose and the crime unsolved. Tembam's Weblog provides comprehensive updates on the on-going search for Sharlinie as well as diligent insight on the need for public awareness of child safety. Other informative reads are at Tok Mommy, Nuraina A Samad's 3540 Jalan Sudin and Let's Go Land.
Nearly 800,000 children disappear in the US every year. We receive missing person leaflets in our mailbox every week and most of those featured are kids. I don't have the Malaysian statistics but the fact that another two were almost abducted last week indicates that the figure is not low. Broadcast emergency response systems like the AMBER Alert in the US and Malaysia's recently launched NURIN Alert can help recover and bring missing children safely back to their homes. BUT, the single most effective measure to reduce the staggering numbers is to do all that is necessary to ensure children do not go missing.
It starts at home with parents being responsible in keeping their children close, teachers educating them on crime & prevention, elected officials working with the media in campaigning an essential cause and the general public on alert to do civic duty in the face of crime. If we can do all that in our individual ways, our innocent young will be a step ahead of the inevitable dangers that lurk in society.
Children are taught to be kind & helpful to others but distrustful & careful of strangers at the same time. It is a difficult concept for kids to grasp. Even adults don't always make that distinction easily. We fall victims to deception all the time as I almost did some 5 years ago. The circumstances weren't drastic but the realization of what could have happened remains stuck in my mind.
The incident occurred in the afternoon of my first birthday in the US. Expecting a DHL package delivery from Malaysia, I went outside on hearing a vehicle drive up instead of waiting for the doorbell. The dogs always get excited with that and some people don't welcome the attention. It wasn't DHL but a man asking for help in adjusting his car seat. He was in his late 50s or early 60s and pleasantly dressed, so I agreed. I walked towards the driver side but he ushered me to the passenger side and opened the door. I didn't see anything wrong with the seat and asked what he wanted done. He then put his hand on my shoulder and said, "You get in." The gruffy tone of his voice made me realized something wasn't right and I quickly pushed him away, ran round the back of his car into the house. When I peeped through the window, he had already backed out of the driveway.
Although disturbed, I settled down and didn't think of calling 911 or anyone until I mentioned it to my mother-in-law in a regular phone chat an hour later. Poor civic duty on my part. The Chief of Police and one of his officers came to the house, took a report, spoke with our neighbours but understandably said there is nothing much to work on since I did not get the car registration number. A total lack of alertness, I know. They advised me to keep a lookout for the man and his car but I haven't seen either since. I will remember his face if I do.
It could very well be that the man genuinely needed help but that raised questions on the co-incidence of me expecting DHL and him driving up. Why me? Why our house? Why did he flee immediately? What was the problem with a vacant car seat that could affect his driving? etc.
The police followed up with me every other day for two weeks before they closed the case. Their concern and the continuous replay of the incident heightened my overall fright. Sharing the incident with others brought out stories of unlucky victims abducted using similar tactics. I started imagining what could have happened had I gotten into his car and the ugly visions haven't stopped. To this day I experience a stab of fear when I don't recognize a vehicle in our driveway or hear an unexpected ring of the doorbell. I no longer trust strangers easily and am always on guard when they seek assistance. I used to be adventurous but am now anxious when I have to go somewhere I have never been. Each time a child is kidnapped, I relive the whole episode and start visualizing the worse for the child, often picturing a niece or someone I know in the situation. It is an awful sinking feeling and I cannot imagine what Sharlinie's parents and those of other missing children go through every minute of each day.
There is a feeling of hopelessness with each passing day of no news about Sharlinie. Theories abound and we hope that those entrusted with searching for her are covering all angles.
I would like to appeal to my readers in Malaysia and her neighboring countries to take a look at her picture on the top right corner of my blog and pay a little attention should you recognize her face in public. For that matter, any girl her age behaving lost or oddly, alone or otherwise are good leads.
As miracles do happen, I hope we hear of one very soon.
These lovebirds have been at it for 2 weeks now. Same three going through an unvaried sequence of activities on two trees in our back yard at almost the same time, around noon. I don't know if it is a daily romp but they have entertained me during a few lunches.
On Sunday, I decided to be the paparazzi and captured their 'love affair' on camera ...
Birdie 1 flies and perches on branch. It was too high up for me to recognize its species.
It positions itself to wait for Birdie 2. Not for long, about 15 seconds.
Birdie 2 flies in and joins Birdie 1 on branch. They sort of dance around for 15-20 seconds.
After catching-up, they kiss, neck, copulate with great stamina, at least 2 minutes!
Birdie 3, a Blue Jay flies on to a lower tree next to rendezvous tree, gazes up and makes its presence known.
Birdies 1 and 2 fly away together. Blue Jay follows in the same direction. For a threesome somewhere, perhaps?
Now, me thinks THEY are the true members of the Mile High Club and we homo sapiens need a new name for ours.
Nah ... I made that up. Hehehe! We just took turns to cook this weekend. David made chicken & veggie curry while I roasted a fryer.
ROAST CHICKEN
I didn't follow any recipe, just felt like Asian-style roast and agak-agak (estimated) the ingredients. Chicken marinade was olive oil, soy sauce, honey, grated ginger, minced garlic, lime juice, salt & pepper. Potatoes were sprinkled with dill. Mushroom and beans had sage, paprika and lemon juice. End result -- YUMMY!
CHICKEN & VEGGIE CURRY
David is a 'little bit of this and a dash of that' kind of cook and has become a master at it over his bachelor years. Even when he does refer to a recipe, he will enhance his dish with spices that do not move faster than him. :) So, lagi (some more) no recipe for his delicious curry. The veggies were onion, potatoes, celery and carrots. Paste was S&B Golden Curry Sauce Mix. End result -- YUMMY also!
Do you have friends who, when asked what time it is, teach you how to make a clock? I am a step ahead, I married one. I'm only saying this partially tongue-in-cheek because David will readily admit to the tendency of providing TMI -Too Much Information. It is a phrase I psst-psst when the flow of extra details starts to confuse me or worse, challenge my impatience. It used to be FFP – Fast Forward Please, which he found less amusing than TMI. FFP is very effective when you are in a rush and need to bring his story to an abrupt end.
Now, I don’t want to give the impression that my husband is boring company. He isn't. His stories are often funny, entertaining and his depth of knowledge is amazing. He’s just a bit long-winded at times, totally unselfish and presumes that everyone shares his insatiable hunger for information. He has reached the incurable stage of reading everything that lands on his lap and all non-spam pop-ups on his monitor when he isn't absorbing facts from documentaries. The latter he does until the TV literally watches him. Seriously.
I am, on the other hand, very selective about what my brain cells process, filter and store. It is the result of prioritizing a demanding career over personal interests for nearly two decades. The ABC rule that I apply to scheduling work tasks had long spilled over to life outside the office. I have become rather selfish with who and what occupies my time. With internet resources just a few fingers away and a walking encyclopedia always in the vicinity, I no longer feel the need to collect and retain as much general data as before. My leisure focus has shrunk to a few specific hobbies which require little cognition and lesser erudition.
I don't know if our different approach towards intellectual enhancement and enlightenment is good for our relationship or not in the long run but for now it gives us the personal space we both enjoy once in a while.
One aspect of gaining knowledge that we do share is the habit of looking up a dictionary for the definition of new words. It has been and still is the best way for me to remember how to spell, pronounce and use them correctly. David does it for the same reason and more. He needs to know their origin, creator, related words, equivalent in other languages, etc. One of the dictionaries that provide him such details is this heavyweight given to him by his dad ....
Height Comparison with Paperback Novel
Width Comparison
Thickness
Total of 3393 pages!
Have you seen a book that is larger than this? When I first saw it on the bookshelf, I thought it was a block of crafted wood!
I don't refer to it for the simple reason that it is not light to hold. I do know that if I ever stumble upon a word that is not listed anywhere else, I will find it in one of these 3,393 pages.
Kris's friends recorded this video for her at her farewell party ...
For some reason she is unable to view the DVD-version of it in its entirety on her laptop and internet access is restricted at her college. Rightly so, I should add. :)
Plan B puts it here for Kris to get to it easily whenever she gets a chance on a trip to town.
Enjoy it, Kris. It takes someone very special to have such wonderful friends, and you're it!
If ever there was a period when I was solely responsible for the increase in minute sales at Sprint or Skype, these past 8-10 days would be it. Besides the weekly chats with mom and exchange of updates with my siblings, I have been gabbing across the miles with several long-time friends in SE Asia and Europe. It is something we do yearly even though we appear in each other's mailbox throughout the 12 months. Some news just gotta be told or repeated in real time for laughter, tears and gossip fixes. It is our version of Auld Lang Syne and New Year Resolutions!
Topics naturally vary according to who is on the other end of the line but one common interest surfaced this year - my milestone Half-Century Birthday in November! I was surprised that all of them knew. It is in my blog, so an open secret (silly me!) but still I am quite pleased they remembered. Some of the bits they wanted to know ...
... how are you celebrating? Dunno yet-lah. It's so far away. I am thinking Vegas if we still haven't gone there by then. First time at 50 sure win some, right?
... David throwing you a surprise birthday party? He better not. I hate surprises and he knows it. I have been an organizer like forever, so surprises on me are BIG No-Nos!
... how do you feel? Normal-leh. Am I supposed to feel differently? Like how??
... any fears of getting old and sickly? Too late-lah. Already there, just try to embrace both with grace and dignity, and make the most of time left.
... you still pass the pencil test? Yes! I dare say that I am truly blessed with the right assets for once but I suspect it has something to do with being vertically challenged.
... you're so lucky, you don't have any children to worry about. My 15-year old started ada boyfriend already. I need to discuss the birds & bees story. Any suggestions since you jaga v-jayjay until quite late, kan? Tell her Uncle David says, "The best contraceptive is the Aspirin or Panadol. Hold one between your knees at all times. You will never get pregnant."
Now do you see why these annual conversations are so necessary? LOL! I did not have the opportunity to chat with Pak Idrus but he sent me this funny, feel-good and highly appropriate piece to cap a week well-spent with a truly jolly bunch of friends.
PERKS OF BEING OVER 50
1. Kidnappers are not very interested in you.
2. In a hostage situation you are likely to be released first.
3. No one expects you to run--anywhere.
4. People call at 9 pm and ask, " Did I wake you ???? "
5. People no longer view you as a hypochondriac.
6. There is nothing left to learn the hard way.
7. Things you buy now won't wear out.
8. You can eat dinner at 4 pm.
9. You can live without sex but not your glasses.
10. You get into heated arguments about pension plans.
11. You no longer think of speed limits as challenge.
12. You quit trying to hold your stomach in no matter who walks into the room.
13. You sing along with elevator music.
14. Your eyes won't get much worse.
15. Your investment in health insurance is finally beginning to pay off.
16. Your joints are more accurate meteorologists than the national weather service.
17. Your secrets are safe with your friends because they can't remember them either.
18. Your supply of brain cells is finally down to manageable size.
19. You can't remember who sent you this list.
And you notice these are all in Big Print for your convenience.
My first tag of the year is by Zawi, a very wise man who acquires knowledge and experiences through a genuine interest in people and their surroundings. Coupled with his own success in life, the stories he tells are inspiring and entertaining. He is one person I will enjoy chatting with, anytime of the day.
This tag is about sharing 3 blessings received or 3 lessons learned in 2007. There is little difference between the two if we think about it, so here goes ...
#1 - Kind strangers and good friends are found in simple packages. This is not new to me as my own roots are humbling and several of my closest friends are those I have known since I was a child or teenager. Even when I was working and mingling with the corporate elite, I find myself forming friendships with the rank and file at greater ease than with business associates. And, they last. I was reminded of this when David and I vacationed in Langkawi Island in early 2007. With the exception of a couple of over zealous vendors, we really enjoyed meeting the locals during our trips around the island. These are the rural residents like the lady selling drinks and tidbits by the roadside, the security guard atop Gunung Maya or the giggling cashiers at the duty-free emporium. Simple folks who are obviously happy with themselves and what they are doing. They were friendly, smile at first sight of us and eager to help. Sometimes, I'd pretend I don't understand Malay or Chinese dialects to hear what they had to say. It was always a genuine desire to make our stay a pleasant one. Perhaps, they were attracted to David's baby blue eyes or afraid that he will drown in his own perspiration but people were just very kind and nice.
Amongst them is Hashim, video-taped here working on his fishing boat with his son. I think his name was Dollah.
We were driving around on our last afternoon in Langkawi and wandered into an unnamed road that led to a fishing village and its seafood processing center. Hashim gave us a verbal tour after I decided to share our drinks with him. We exchanged stories and when he heard that we had failed to find a rental boat to sail around the islands, he offered to bring us out the next day at no charge. He was visibly disappointed when we told him we had a plane to catch, and he extended an open invitation for our next trip back there. I have a feeling he will remember us when we do.
#2 - Don't believe everything you read in blogs, especially when the authors have a penchant for secrecy but contradicts themselves by dotting their 'i's and crossing their 't's in publishing the very same secrets using pseudonyms. Dubious actions like this or what folks seek to achieve through them does not bother me as it is their right to do so. It is, however, disappointing when you get to know them and become privy to their real life, only to realize their modus operandi is not what they portray. I was misled by one such author last year. It left me disgusted at best and I have since raised my degree of skepticism when I see the word "incognito".
#3 - Never underestimate the dire consequences of small errors. You've probably read about my Thanksgiving weekend mishap. Jumping off a sailboat on to docks, floating or otherwise, is something I have done over a hundred times in Malaysia, Australia, Thailand, Singapore and here in the US. Sometimes I step down but mostly I jump because my legs are so darn short. I don't know what I did differently that fateful afternoon but the misjudging of distance or miscalculation of timing had to be minor. Unfortunately, the damaging results were not and it has not been fun.
I am supposed to tag 3 others but will neglect the call since this is rather late. Do feel free to continue the chain if you have takeaways to share, and let me know as I would love to read your post. :)
Brave and comforting words by Kris who just started college life in the UK and was interviewed for a story on the new intake of students at Concord College.
We were naturally worried about her settling in as she had a pretty sheltered childhood and teenage life in Malaysia. Besides missing one's comfort zone, sense of security and familiarity in everyday life, it is never easy to be separated from loved ones and friends. Friends are valuable at her age when rivalry and malice are mere words in dictionaries, and Kris made many through her school, sports, church, and recreational activities. Apparently, a huge group turned up at the airport to send her off and there were bucket loads of tears befitting a teary drama episode. She was miserable for a couple of days on arrival in London but brightened up when they started shopping in Oxford Street. That is solid proof she is family!
Her lifestyle has changed with boarding policies and the absence of mamak stalls for lepak-ing (hanging-out). The only outing will be a weekly trip into town for supplies, not unlike what Laura Ingalls did in Little House On The Prairie. Her mom mentioned this but I forgot to ask who came up with the reference as Kris and Laura have somewhat similar characteristic traits.
A Levels actually began last autumn but she opted to complete her SPM in Malaysia (equivalent to 10th Grade in US or GCE in UK) which means she now has to complete 6 terms in 18 months instead of the scheduled 24. My sister thinks it will be a real test for her because she is more smart than studious but I suspect her pride and competitive nature will see her through easily. Sport is an important part of life in Concord and they have excellent facilities, so Kris is in heaven. She is already lamenting that winter is boring with limited outdoor activities and she can't wait for summer.
I think this young lady is off to a great start on her journey to face the world as an adult.
Since my mishap, I have been sleeping on our futon downstairs. It is the only piece of furniture Lola has carte blanche to jump up and lie on 24/7 without invitation. She is not allowed on any of the leather couches without permission. Being Ms Velcro, she hardly uses it as she has a personal need to be near, if not touching us all the time. Instead of stretching out on queen-size luxury she'd rather lay on the floor by our feet wherever we are. The minute either of us have a reason to use the futon and head for it, she'll dash forward, leap up and seat begging stance in anticipation of the human physical connection.
I think it confused her quite a bit when I first took over her daybed as I did not allow her to join me for fear of her jumping or lying on my injured foot. Poor girl was also torn between staying with me downstairs or following David upstairs to retire. For the first week or so, she stayed with me not out of loyalty, of course. I was nearer the kitchen, so her chances of having a treat is higher. Yes, she is also Ms Chow-hound, forever hungry. When that wasn't happening, she began sleeping on the staircase landing just in case. Occasionally, she took the liberty of sleeping on one of the leather sofas in a stand of "you sleep on mine, I'll be on yours", perhaps. These nights, she is mostly with David who in her mind is the leader of our pack.
I get her attention during the day and this past week did not shoo her off the futon. The danger of her accidentally re-shaping my foot is slim, plus it is resting on a nest of pillows higher than her. She started lying at the base but over the days crept upwards inch by inch and now lie on the quilt, next to my face. It is a nice warm feeling until she decides to fart.
The laptop is my second companion on sick-bay and I must have left it open and on when I dozed off this afternoon. This was the hilarious scene when I woke up .....
She was actually looking at the screen!
The camera flash caused her to hit a sound key. The woman became even more curious!
I dread my current stretch of post-op appointments because the wimp in me surfaces when it comes to tolerating pain. I always take a couple of prescribed narcotics before heading out for each visit, so the actual foot regiment at the podiatrist center is a breeze. What hurts is the nerves waking up later and telling on the bedside activities of my podiatrist and personal friend, Dr Suzanne Wilson and her bubbly nurse, Debra. The complaints go on for a couple of days even with strong medication in my system.
Yesterday's visit was no different. I have been home for over 12 hours and faithfully keeping the pharmacists at Safeway happy, yet the angry nerves are still talking loudly!
Debra takes care of my X-ray sessions. I absolutely love this woman. We clicked from the moment we met and I don't know anyone who loves her job more than Debra. It is so obvious in the way she happily treats her patients, with genuine interest, utmost concern for their comfort and a smile that reaches her eyes. She is aware of my low threshold of pain and engages me in chats to distract me from the routine of forcing my heel to bend towards the floor. Today's topic was how we ushered in the new year and her baby - a bird of paradise plant in their conference room that I spotted earlier. The nursing profession couldn't have found a better representative.
These are Debra's masterpieces of my foot ...
Side image showing the hardware holding the shattered pieces of heel bone in place. It is amazing how fast the bone grows itself. Four weeks ago, the metal strips and bolts were just hanging loose in emptiness.
Image taken from back of foot. David counted 9 visible bolts. They are 12. I hope the other 3 were just hidden from view and did not detach themselves to go for a float-about!
Suz exercises the foot - as in forcibly twisting the ankle in circles and writing the alphabets with it - after viewing the images. She has decided that I am ready for baby steps, standing and walking in the boot, taking an hour each day away from scooter time. This will set me up for physical therapy in a week or two. My excitement and glee at the advanced progress was short-lived when she said the pain is likely to increase with PT. Sigh. More dollars for Steve, the pharmacist, I suppose.
(Suz)
(Debra)
The last picture is for family and friends who asked how I actually ride the knee-scooter. Ride is probably not the right word here as I push the scooter forward or backwards using it as the second leg to walk. The front wheels turn at 45-degrees angle both ways for negotiating corners and avoiding obstacles. It is fun and I have been speeding a little. No ticket so far. Haha!
I know five of you prefer a pants-less photo but this is a public non-rated site, so those REI khakis have to stay on. LOL! Besides, my leg muscle has shrunk quite a bit from prolonged non-activity, it is pretty scary and an eyesore.
Today is "Blue Friday" here in Seattle which means that football fans of the Seattle Seahawks are encouraged to show our passion and support for the team by wearing Seahawks attire or blue clothing to work and school. The team will host the Washington Redskins on Saturday in the first play-off game of the season.
What little work I do these days is from home and I don't attend school, but I am a fan.
Matt Hasselbeck (#8) is my favorite player. He is one of the best quarterbacks in the league - smart, tough, confident, talented with the right attitude and a great sense of humor both on and off field. What I admire most about him is his belief in himself when the odds are against him, his willingness to work hard to succeed and the deep values he observe in family and social circles. Next is his humbleness and wit. Reporters and interviewers enjoy their sessions with him as he is really interested in their work and often makes it fun with jokes and hilarious quotes. You won't see many public personalities laugh so easily at themselves and their blunders, the way Number 8 does.
David bought me the jersey and cap for my birthday and in readiness to attend a play-off game but I don't think Qwest Field is knee-scooter friendly. Besides, my freaking injured foot needs to be higher than my heart at all times, not a pretty picture at home, and worse in public.
So, come 1 pm on Saturday, I will be screaming blue from our couch in the den.
It is New year's eve and most people are reflecting on the past 12 months, thinking about the changes they need to make, objectives they want to achieve, milestones they plan to cross - in short making resolutions for 2008.
I don't do new year resolutions because I won't keep them. I like who I am and will never change for one. Secondly, I am one of the worst procrastinators on this planet, and as a result can only thrive or excel under pressure, impulses and calculated risks. Making timely resolutions and staying ahead of them won't work for me. It's tough but what to do.
So, I am happily starting the New Year by getting to know my friends and making more through this baby-personality guide. (Soo Fong - Many thanks for sending me this cute chart!)
Which of these adorable babies are you? Pray tell ....
Jan
JANUARY BABY Pretty/handsome. Loves to dress up. Easily bored. Fussy. Seldom shows emotions. Takes time to Recover when hurt. Sensitive. Down-to-Earth. Stubborn. Repost this in 5 mins and you will meet Someone new in 8 days that will perfectly balance Your personality.
Feb
FEBRUARY BABY Abstract thoughts. Loves reality and abstract. Intelligent and clever. Changing personality. Attractive. Sexiest out of everyone. Temperamental. Quiet, shy and humble. Honest And loyal. Determined to reach goals. Loves Freedom. Rebellious when restricted. Loves Aggressiveness. Too sensitive and easily hurt. Gets angry really easily but does not show it. Dislikes unnecessary things. Loves making friends But rarely shows it. Horny. Daring and stubborn. Ambitious. Realizing dreams and hopes. Sharp. Loves entertainment and leisure. Romantic on the Inside not outside. Superstitious and ludicrous. Spendthrift. Tries to learn to show emotions. Repost this in 5 mins and you will talk to someone New and realize that you are a perfect match.
Mar
MARCH BABY Attractive personality. Sexy. Affectionate Shy and Reserved. Secretive. Naturally honest, generous And sympathetic. Loves peace and serenity. Sensitive to others. Great kisser. Easily angered. Trustworthy. Appreciative and returns kindness. Hardly shows emotions. Tends to bottle up Feelings. Observant and assesses others.If you Repost this in the next 5 mins, you will meet your New love in 8 days.
Apr
APRIL BABY Suave and compromising. Funny and humorous. Stubborn. Very talkative. Calm and cool. Kind and Sympathetic. Concerned and detailed. Loyal. Does Work well with others. Very confident. Sensitive. Positive Attitude. Thinking generous. Good Memory. Clever and knowledgeable. Loves to look For information. Able to cheer everyone up and/or Make them laugh. Able to motivate oneself and Others. Understanding. Fun to be around. Outgoing. Hyper. Bubbly personality. Secretive. Boy/girl crazy. Loves sports, music, leisure and Traveling. Systematic. Hot but has brains. If you Repost this in 5 mins, a Cutie that's caught your eye Will introduce themselves and you will realize that You are very much alike in the next 2 day s.
May
MAY BABY Stubborn and hard-hearted. Strong-willed and Highly motivated. Sharp thoughts. Easily angered. Attracts others and loves attention. Deep feelings. Beautiful physically and mentally. Firm Standpoint. Needs no motivation. Shy towards opposite sex. Easily consoled. Systematic (left brain). Loves to Dream.. Strong clairvoyance. Understanding. Sickness usually in the ear and neck. Good Imagination. Good physical. Weak breathing. Loves Literature and the arts. Loves traveling. Dislike Being at home. Restless. Not having many children. Hardworking. High spirited. If you repost this in the Next 5 minutes, you will become close to someone You do not speak to much in the next 4 days.
Jun
JUNE BABY You've got the best personality and are an Absolute pleasure to be around. You love to make New friends and be outgoing. You are a great flirt And more than likely have an a very attractive Partner. A wicked hottie. It is also more than likely That you have a massive record collection. You Have a great choice in films, and may one day Become a famous actor/actress yourself - heck, You've got the looks for it!!! IN the next 6 days you Will meet someone that may possibly become One of your closest friends, if you repost this in 5 minutes.
Jul
JULY BABY Fun to be with. Secretive. Difficult to fathom and to Be understood. Quiet unless excited or tensed. Takes pride in oneself. Has reputation. Easily Consoled. Honest. Concerned about people's Feelings. Tactful. Friendly. Approachable. Emotional temperamental and unpredictable. Easily hurt. Witty and sparkly. Spazzy at times. Not revengeful. Forgiving but never forgets. Dislikes nonsensical and unnecessary things. Guides others physically and mentally. Sensitive And forms impressions carefully. Caring and Loving. Treats others equally. Strong sense of Sympathy. Wary and sharp. Judges people Through observations. Hardworking. No difficulties In studying. Loves to be with friends Always broods About the past an d the old friends. Waits for Friends. Ne ver looks for friends. Not aggressive Unless provoked. Loves to be loved. Easily hurt But takes long to recover. Repost this in the next 5 mins and your reputation will boost someway in the next 12 days
Aug
AUGUST BABY outgoing personality. takes risks. feeds on attention.. no self control. kind hearted. self confident. loud and boisterous. VERY revengeful. easy to get along with and talk to. has an 'every thing's peachy' attitude. likes talking and singing. loves music. daydreamer. easily distracted. Hates not being trusted. BIG imagination. loves to be loved. hates studying. in need of 'that someone'. longs for freedom. rebellious when withheld or restricted. lives by 'no pain no gain' caring. always a suspect. playful. mysterious. 'charming' or 'beautiful' to everyone. stubborn. curious. independent. strong willed. a fighter. repost in 5 mins and you will meet the love of your life sometime next month.
Sep
SEPTEMBER BABY Active and dynamic. Decisive and haste but tends to regret. Attractive and affectionate to oneself. Strong mentality. Loves attention. Diplomatic. Consoling, friendly and solves people's problems. Brave and fearless. Adventurous. Loving and caring. Suave and generous. Usually you have many friends. Enjoys to make love. Emotional. Stubborn. Hasty. Good memory. Moving, motivates oneself and others. Loves to travel and explore. Sometimes sexy in a way that only their lover can understand. if you do not repost this in the next 5 mins, someone very close to you will become mad at you in the next 8 days.
Oct
OCTOBER BABY Loves to chat. Loves those who love them. Loves to takes things at the centre. Inner and physical beauty. Lies but doesn't pretend. Gets angry often. Treats friends importantly. Brave and fearless. Always making friends. Easily hurt but recovers easily. Daydreamer. Opinionated. Does not care to control emotions. Unpredictable. Extremely smart, but definitely the hottest AND sexiest of them all. repost this in 5 mins or you will not meet the love of your life for 10 years.
Nov
NOVEMBER BABY Trustworthy and loyal. Very passionate and dangerous. Wild at times. Knows how to have fun. Sexy and mysterious. Everyone is drawn towards your inner and outer beauty and independent personality. Playful, but secretive. Very emotional and temperamental sometimes. Meets new people easily and very social in a group. Fearless and independent. Can hold their own. Stands out in a crowd. Essentially very smart. Usually, the greatest men are born in this month. If you ever begin a relationship with someone from this month, hold on to them because their one of a kind.
Dec
DECEMBER BABY This straight-up means ur the most good-looking person possible... better than all of these other months! Loyal and generous. Patriotic. Competitive in everything. Active in games and interactions. Impatient and hasty. Ambitious. Influential in organizations. Fun to be with. Easy to talk to, though hard to understand. Thinks far with vision, yet complicated to know. Easily influenced by kindness. Polite and soft-spoken. Having lots of ideas. Sensitive. Active mind. Hesitating, tends to delay. Choosy and always wants the best. Temperamental. Funny and humorous. Loves to joke. Good debating skills. Has that someone always on his/her mind. Talkative. Daydreamer. Friendly . Knows how to make friends. Abiding. Able to show character. one guy/girl kind of person. Loveable. Easily hurt. Prone to getting colds. loves music. ]
I am Ms November. You better keep me!
Happy New Year!
May the new year bring all of us many more days of fun & laughter than minutes of stress & tears.
There are several reasons why my husband and I love living in the sticks. The most compelling one is the peaceful and quiet country lifestyle. Folks in small towns may not be on first name basis but we recognize each other whenever we meet and there is a sense of togetherness among us. The unity is stronger within neighborhoods. Most of our immediate neighbors are friendly, helpful, look out for one another but respect everyone's privacy. Crime and disturbances are limited to occasional speeding and after-hours noise problems during long weekends.
This past week, such tranquility shattered, twice.
About 12 miles from where we live, in the even smaller town of Carnation, a family of 6 including two young children aged 6 and 3 were shot to death inside their house on Christmas Eve. It was the result of a family dispute over money. This Seattle Times story has most of the horrifying details of the senseless killings.
We don't know any of the people involved but the Tolt River Park in Carnation is where we bring Lola for her weekly swimming exercises in the warmer months. I always enjoy our trips to Carnation, driving through spacious pasture on which horses and cows roam freely, endless corn fields and perfectly-lined strawberry farms. It was in Carnation that our Malaysian nieces experienced swimming in a flowing river and picking strawberries for the first time. Joyful memories. Sadly, there will probably be an eerie feeling in the air on our future trips to Carnation.
On a less serious level right at home, a neighbor whose property houses the mailbox hut of our street informed us that some desperadoes have been stealing Christmas cards from our mailboxes in the hope of finding cash! Our house is the furthest from the hut. I walk the 300 or so yards every other day to clear the 90% junk mail but since my accident, sent David on weekly missions. Those petty freaks must have thought they struck gold at the sight of our overflowing box! I doubt anyone sent us cash, so it probably angered them into destroying the cards rather than stuffing them back into our numbered tin. Sigh. We no longer wonder why we received only a handful of cards this year.
This is the first case of vandalism in our estate and it is all very disheartening to a community who consider the security of property and personal belongings the least of our worries. We can only hope that it is the temporary mischief of young out-of-town pranksters looking for some money to buy presents for the holidays and not the first step to the dark side for someone we know. That would be sad and scary.
Luckily for us, one card - A PERFECT ONE - escaped the theft because the sender mailed it in a 9x4 white letter envelope. It came all the way from one of my favorite bloggers in Malaysia. She is very popular in the blogging world and has understandably requested anonymity if I choose to share the beautiful card she made for me. I was half-reluctant to share since this lady is on the who's who list in the region and any work of hers is likely to be a priceless item one fine day. I plan on cashing in. Haha!
But, it is the season of giving and it is a lovely card ...
... I wonder how she found out about my recent fondness of salmon-colored flowers.
It is her end-of-the-year surprise to a selected few in appreciation of new-found friendship and the sharing of everyday life stories. A very thoughtful gesture from a charming lady with a big heart. I am truly honored that she included me on her list and highly appreciative that we are friends.
This exposure piece which aired on Fox News recently is for anyone who stays at hotels or will be staying at one in future, pretty much all of us ...
Utterly GROSS! These hotels are considered 3.5-4 stars. It makes you wonder what other disgusting shortcuts are taken at their back of house or other budget facilities.
I guess we will have to include cups or bottled water in our luggage on our next travel trip.
It was raining homemade cookies in Seattle last week!
OK, not so much in the Emerald City but definitely at our front door. They came in many yummy flavors, beautiful shapes and appetizing colors. Some were crunchy, several crispy on their edges and a couple so soft that they melt in my mouth faster than those M&Ms. They traveled far from Philadelphia, New York and San Diego, arriving in stylish holiday-themed containers and shiny wrappers held in place by curly ribbons.
Accompanying them were well-thought of seasonal gifts including a Christmas tie for David which belts out a quick tempo "Silent Night" when we press the butt or groin of the imprinted snowman! This favorite item came from Zue who was busy preparing for her trip home to attend her mom's 40th day funeral ceremony but yet found time and heart to bake for her friends. Such is the measure of a true friend. Thank you very much, Zue.
A million thanks also to Gertrude and Lesley who with Farina and Cath form the 2007 Blogger Cookie Exchange Circle. I was the 5th participant in this inaugural fun activity initiated by Gertrude but was unable to partake in the end. (Please scroll down if you didn't but would like to know why.) Knowing how prone I am to kitchen bloopers, I suspect a couple of my friends may be quite relieved no cookies came from the Pacific NW. Haha!
Very special thanks to Chris, my oldest sister-in-law, who took time off her busy schedule to bake us cocoons and coconut-chocolate fudge. The fudge squares were simply mm-mmm-mm-mmm-mmm!
Snow is predicted for later today which means I'll be experiencing my first ever white Christmas! Woohoo! I am looking forward to snuggling up to David and Lola by our fireplace, watching the snow fall. The SciFi channel is featuring a Stargate SG-1 marathon all day, so that will be an additional treat while we munch our cookies. I wish I could literally share these crumbly delights with you. Some day, I hope I can. For now, how about some pictures?
Live Christmas tree is sitting on the front porch, looking sad and forlorn.
108 gold and red ball ornaments for the tree are snuggled in their boxes stacked underneath the piano.
1600 miniature yellow bulbs strung on green wires remain coiled in the storeroom.
2 window wreaths with twinkling lights keep the bulbs company.
18 Christmas candles are waiting to join the regulars that are lit throughout the year.
24 red-green-white-snowy room enhancers are begging to be dusted for display.
The dining table classic center-piece looks lonely atop the buffet table.
Stockings for Santa are still in their vacuum-packs.
Annual door wreath and poinsettias beckon at Fred Myers.
Cookie ingredients sit on top of the fridge hoping their expiry date extends to Chinese New Year or Easter.
Address labels were printed way back in October but Christmas cards remain unsigned. In fact, they have not made it out of their production packaging.
Presents are no where in sight but listed on the To Do List of Mrs Gonsalves's pocket PC which is probably battery dead.
Are things going to change this week? Unlikely.
I have been encouraged by my healing foot to do away with Christmas celebrations this year. It's a real bummer as I was looking forward to it after last year's event was cancelled by the statewide windstorm. David is one happy guy as he is not into festivities and dislike being roped into the preparation activities including the single manly-chore of installing outdoor decor lights. Last week, I asked if he would consider shopping for and wrapping presents this year. His eyes almost rolled out of their sockets and his reply, "Can you shop online and I'll wrap with aluminium foil?" Sigh. Apparently, that was what he did in his bachelor days.
Ian, his nephew is hosting the family dinner but I doubt I'll be able to make it. The foot nerves and bones complain when they have to travel and Ian's place is a good hour's drive away. His menu is very tempting though, plus I have never been to his new apartment, so we'll see if pain or passion for food wins the battle on Sunday morning.
In the absence of good tidings and a celebrating mood at our end, this is for every one ...
This is a double-tag by Frankensteina and Ruby who accidentally deleted hers but will be re-posting it. You'll see why later. :)
1. Name one person who made you laugh last night. No one. My broken foot was playing up after I lugged it upstairs for a bath. It didn’t help that the wound needed cleaning. All the activity pissed off some nerves and they made sure I knew. It was no laughing matter.
2. What were you doing at 0800? zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
3. What were you doing 30 minutes ago?Errr…. I was in the toilet. I don’t think you want the details.
4. What happened to you in 2006?A lot! Life was more challenging than smooth-sailing but I survived and now have more episodes for script-writing.
5. What was the last thing you said out loud?“Lola, watch out!" (asking our dog to make way for my scooter)
6. How many beverages did you have today?4 – Ensure, Apple Juice, Milk and Water
7. What color is your hairbrush?Black, Brown, Red (on dressing table), Green (in handbag), Blue (in tote), Yellow (on boat)
8. What was the last thing you paid for?Fruit Cake, online purchase from Simply Austrialian.
9. Where were you last night?When I was asleep, at home. While I was dreaming, scaling Mt Everest.
10. What color is your front door?Red, with brass door knob. I hope no one is planning a robbery?
11. Where do you keep your change?I live in tipping country and charity nation. All change goes to tips or donation boxes.
12. What’s the weather like today?41°F.Cloudy with chance of rain. Wind: SE at 8 mph. Humidity: 70%.
13. What’s the best ice-cream flavor?Rum & Raisin
14. What excites you? Travel especially back home to Malaysia/Singapore. Playing roulette at casinos.
15. Do you want to cut your hair?Not today.
16. Are you over the age of 25? Yes. I am 49 and looking forward to hitting the half-century mark!
17. Do you talk a lot?Depends on who is sitting across the table.
18. Do you watch the O.C.?Not that I am aware of.
19. Do you know anyone named Steven?Yes, my ex-colleague who thought that "beg" is a Malay word and therefore not valid in Scrabble. You should have seen his face when I asked, "I BEG your pardon?"
20. Do you make up your own words?No.No point-lah.Who is going to understand?
21. Are you a jealous person?Yes. It is the laborious part of being a Scorpion. Sigh.
22. Name a friend whose name starts with the letter ‘A’.-Alicia
23. Name a friend whose name starts with the letter ‘K’.- Kevin
24. Who’s the first person on your received call list?Right now, it’s Julia, a fellow temporary gimp.
25. What does the last text message you received say?“You free to go online?”
26. Do you chew on your straw?No. I don’t even chew my food!
27. Do you have curly hair?Yes, on the right side of my head. It drives hairstylists nuts as their effort is never right!
28. Where’s the next place you’re going to?Indoors, will be the toilet. Outdoors, will be my podiatrist’s office. Sigh.
29. Who’s the rudest person in your life?Lola, our chocolate lab. She farts all the time and never say “excuse me”!
30. What was the last thing you ate?Fruit Cake
31. Will you get married in the future?Only if this one fails, and it will be for $$$, lots and lots of it.
32. What’s the best movie you’ve seen in the past 2 weeks?Crimson Tide. It was a rerun. I am a great fan of Gene Hackman and Denzel Washington.
33. Is there anyone you like right now? Yes, the person in the mirror.
34. When was the last time you did the dishes?Thanksgiving Day. The dishwasher couldn't cope and I had to help out.
35. Are you currently depressed?Yes. It is shopping season and I am stuck in bed!
36. Did you cry today?Not yet.
37. Why did you answer and post this?Huh? Whoever came up with this tag obviously ran out of questions!
38. Tag 5 people who would do this survey.I usually abstain from tagging others but these days I am not always myself plus I have very valid reasons for this one. Here goes ....
Ruby Ahmad-- because she deleted her earlier version.
Calling all my KL and Selangor shopping kakis especially the flea market lovers ...
Hey there! This one is for charity, so drop that look-see-look-see stance and shop some, ok? LOL! Also, don't forget to snap up any uniquely shaped bottles for me.
Time to respond to a couple of tags. The easier one first, from Gertrude ...
1. A movie that made you laugh. Welcome Back, Mr McDonald. Certainly one of the most hilarious films ever produced. My colleagues and I laughed for a week talking about some of the scenes.
2. A book that makes you cry. Alan Paton’s Cry, The Beloved Country
3. A Best Friend. David, my husband
4. A favorite childhood memory. Chinese New Year celebrations from preparations to throwing oranges in the river on Chap Goh Mei.
5. Your favorite animal. Dog
6. Your favorite food. Malaysian
7. An item of clothing you cannot do without. Panty, need it to hold the liner.
8. Something you collect. Pewterware, Royal Selangor, of course. :)
9. Your favorite store to shop in. None. They are all my favorites!
When I received the email from Daphne Ling (who authors Aphasia-Dysphasia) to fellow bloggers last week suggesting that we post about Siti Aisya in our individual blogs, I hesitated as I was not aware of and did not participate in the 9-month long campaign to help Aisya. Where does one find the right words to share such a heart-tugging story? How does one capture the courage, grit, pain, fear and so many other emotional challenges faced by Aisya and her family? Is it fair to pen from afar the trials and tribulations of real life people without knowing or having met them?
Today, I realized that no amount of creative juices can portray Aisya's journey as true as Daphne's personal thoughts. She was there from the moment she knew about Aisya's plight and not only opened her heart to the family but undertook the responsibility to reach out far and wide for others to help. I post Daphne's stories here with great admiration for Aisya and her family. At the same time, I am filled with humility at the depth of young Daphne's unwavering compassion for the disabled, handicapped and under-privileged. It is also with pride that I read of the many Malaysians who came unselfishly to Aisya's aid.
If every person who reads this for the first time spare a kind thought, offers warm wishes or say a little prayer for Aisya, Daphne's purpose in spreading the news is served.
... and this is Sophie Harris showing how we ride one.
I haven't taken any pictures of me on the scooter yet as I am riding around the house without any pants on, and don't really want to spoil the day or night for anyone. LOL! Sophie was the lady who came to the house to fit the scooter for me. She had ankle surgery last spring to fix an old problem and found the scooter so useful that she decided to become a distributor.
The 4-wheeler does improve my mobility quite a bit. My crutches work too but the scooter is steadier and requires less effort by my wrists and arms, plus we have both wood and carpet flooring which can be tricky for the walkers. The scooter has a brake that enables me to use both my hands comfortably if I position myself correctly. I have only been outdoors on it once, to the grocery store but can see myself roaming around town when the internal pain of my foot subsides.
Poor Lola, our aging chocolate lab, is totally confused by the whole situation. As I mentioned, she is aggressive but not the brightest dog in the world. When I first came home on crutches, she probably thought I've decided to join her species and be 4-legged like her. Each time I got up and reached for the two poles, her ears will perk up and she'll start dancing around me. She has gone quite deaf, so she does not hear my commands to stay away. Now with the scooter, who knows what she is thinking when she faithfully follows me around. It's probably still some sort of game to her because if she is in the way, I literally have to roll the wheels hard into her before she moves!
For those who have asked, the purchase price is $575. Rental differs by location and here in the Seattle area, it is $40 per week for the minimum first 4 weeks, and $30 per week, thereafter.
My photo doesn't do justice to the appetizing value of this dish. I forgot to keep some of the chopped tomatoes for garnishing!
I usually don't like citrus flavors in my savory meals and told Lola, our dog that she was in for a treat. Poor girl didn't get any! As Gert said, the lingering lemony aftertaste of the creamy sauce is sating but without the binge.
Thanks to Gert, I now have another favorite pasta and quick meal recipe. Woohoo!
... he whistles that lively Chubby Checker tune as you do a one-leg twist to-and-fro the toilet.
... on a grocery shopping trip, he remembers that you are out of pantyliners, doesn't know which brand or type you wear but comes home with one that works much better than what you buy for yourself.
... your happiness and comfort are the most important things to him.
... he's had a miserable 10-hour day at work, returns home with weary eyes and a tired smile but is all ready to cook dinner for you.
... he spends $575 on several pieces of blue, black and silver metal rods, 4 mini wheels, a handle, a steel plate with two foams, some wires - all smartly assembled with bolts, nuts and screws into a knee-scooter, so that you can move around a tad easier than the state-of-art crutches he bought a week earlier.
... he fills up your water bottle for the night and quietly goes to bed immediately after you yelled at him for being slow to clean up the mess you stupidly created by trying to cut a melon while lying on the couch. This happened last night, after my second post-opt visit. I was physically tired and mentally sick of swallowing narcotics every 3 hours and the pain from removing the surgery stitches got to me big time. Still, there was no excuse to be unreasonable and rude.
I felt like someone threw Calvin's (of the popular comic strip Calvin and Hobbes) cardboard box over me or aimed his toy ray gun at me and "transmogrify" me into an ugly angry monster. It wasn't the first time I metamorphosed into this mean, grumpy, whiny, bitchy and impossible to deal with stranger this past week. It was a weird experience and I was unpleasant to be around with even alone! Why drug addicts get hooked on narcotics is beyond me. I hope yesterday's transformation was the last since I started on a less potent round of medication today.
I was awake when David came downstairs this morning. He came straight to my sick-bed and wished me good morning with that look of love in his eyes, the same one he had on the night he proposed. Ruby and I talked about this look on the comments of her recent post (scroll down to mid page). It was indeed a wonderful feeling to be loved even when you are cranky!
What a lovely way to greet the first day of December!
David and I were supposed to be partying this weekend. We had planned to attend his company's annual holiday party which is a formal affair in an elegant hotel ballroom. I was looking forward to it as it would have been one of a few rare occasions in a year that I get to dress-up in style, apply mascara, wear a couple of vaulted jewelry pieces and dance on my favorite pair of stilettos. His colleagues are nice folks, plus the dinner spread is always yummy and this year includes crab cakes! After that, we were going to stop by a friend's place to celebrate the success of his soccer team. Jon makes his own beer which David loves. I don't drink but I like Jon and I grew up watching soccer.
Of course, I had to go and break my foot last Friday! David didn't want to attend his company do and leave me home alone although I encouraged him to. He agreed to meet up with the Beckam wannabes and have some of Jon's beer as Jon lives nearby.
He is there now, hopefully having a ball because I am enjoying my own company and Lola's. Both of us are snuggled under quilts and blankets on the daybed which has a view of our backyard, now covered with snow. In the still darkness and calm quiet of the night, the white snow brings out that mystical feeling that we read about in fairy tales. I love it.
Being stuck at home often sucks but today, it isn't bad at all.
Surgery went very well on Monday evening but I will most certainly have a limp, and arthritis. The surgeons were pleased to find that the break, though bad was contained to my foot. There was no break in my ankle. It was just bent into an awkward position. The piece of bone the ER radiologist thought was from my ankle was actually part of my heel bone that had moved quite a distance. The bone bits and pieces are now re-joined and held together by triangular metal plates, bolts & screws. The hardware will stay in for life unless it limits or affects my movements. I sure hope they used stainless steel or titanium, don't want a rusty foot!
Depending on how the bones knit themselves eventually, I can have another surgery to fuse the repaired joints to help minimize arthritis. Unfortunately, nothing can be done to eliminate the limp as the heel bone is uniquely egg-shaped from birth. Once flattened or cracked, it is impossible to restore it back 100% to the way it was. So, come spring 2008, my butt cheeks won't be swaying in rhythm from side to side like they used to. They'll be leaning on the arm of a knee-scooter or hanging over the handle of a bamboo cane. Sigh.
My ankle has also been straightened and is being pressured back to its original position by some hard material within the leg cast. The continuous pressure is similar to balancing our heel on a 2-inch diameter round pipe. Quite unpleasant.
The entire healing process is likely to take at least two months, after which I'll need therapy to ease the foot back into action. For now, I am bed/couch bound to keep the foot elevated above the heart, and watching the clock so as not to fall behind the pain killers.
My first post-op visit is in a few hours and I will get to see the "L" that the surgeons carved. For all the pain I am enduring I hope it turns out to be a great conversation piece if not pretty!
I have more observations and thoughts to share from this crappy mishap but would like to first say a big THANK YOU to all who have called, commented on my injury post, sent text messages and emails offering kind words and support. I will get around to individual replies but wanted to make a note here of how much I appreciate everyone's care and concern. It means a lot to David and I.
I should also jot down with special thanks the names of the efficient and personable medical team at Highline Medical Center who operated on my foot ...
Dr Bryon Hutchinson - Podiatrist, who performed the surgery
Dr Suzanne Wilson - Podiatrist, also a personal friend who is monitoring my recovery and will perform future surgeries.
Dr Michael De Haan - Anesthesiologist
Dr Brack - HMC Resident Doctor
Aidan (Head Nurse in OR) & his team
Helena - IV Nurse
Kendra & Laurie - Recovery Room nurses
Serena - Surgical Registration Nurse
My visit to the ER at Virginia Mason Hospital & Medical Center wasn't dreadful but I wouldn't go back there given a choice, nor would I recommend it to anyone. From registration to discharge, the staff were just going through motions in a matter-of-fact manner, at their own pace, wishing they were somewhere else. None had bedside manners and all showed little interest, care, concern or emotion. One got from them the feeling of being a nuisance or having the audacity to show up on their shift with a broken foot or banged head as one poor baby boy did.
I sure hope what I and the other patients experienced was just staff having Thanksgiving working weekend blues and not the permanent face of the facility.
When someone uttered those two words in the viewing gallery of the X-ray Room, unaware that I could hear him, I knew it was bad news. I asked the technician when he came back to the bed and he said, "Yes, your foot is broken. It's pretty obvious but when the doctor gives you the news please feign surprise. You are not suppose to hear the results from us. Robin should not have reacted to your films." I understood and saw no point in jeopardizing Robin's career for a human reaction.
The news was really bad. I broke a couple of bones in my foot and ankle. The ankle break isn't all that bad, but the break in my foot will require surgery to fix. The heel bone (calcaneus) basically shattered and the bone shards are lodged in the sub-talar joint (where our heel connects in the front to the rest of our foot). The surgery is to re-align all the bone fragments and clean up the shards to prevent infection. This has to be done within 4-5 days of the injury before the bones start to knit themselves. A colleague of a podiatrist friend of ours has agreed to perform the surgery tomorrow.
The accident happened on Friday afternoon when we decided to take Sirius Lepak out of the water for winter storage. I jumped off the boat to tie it to the pier (something I have done over a hundred times) and landed badly. Fortunately, Jay and Karen (David's oldest brother and his wife) and 3 grandkids were with us. They had driven up from Medford in Oregon to spend Thanksgiving with us. Karen took me to the nearest ER where my foot got X-rayed, CT-ed and placed in a splint. We were there for nearly seven hours and I gathered enough real life drama material for a Grey Anatomy's episode or two!
I am doing well except for the anxiety of the surgery. Most of my time is spent lying down with the injured foot elevated and trying to stay ahead of pain with medication. I did oversleep a couple of times and man, was the pain was excruciating!
The injury is likely to take a couple of months to heal and it'll be some time before I'm able to walk normally again. Crutches and a wheel chair will have to do my walking until then.
On the bright side, I will have more time to write and this blog may see its busiest days yet!
There are only a handful of things I will regret not having done when my time on earth expires. Among them is being a mother. It wasn't by choice but such is life.
Kristyn is the closest I have to a daughter. She is my niece and god-daughter. I was working in Bangkok on the day she was born but was fortunately in town for most of her childhood. My mom and dad took care of her for several years, during the day, while my sister and brother-in-law were at work. I was living with my parents at the time and got daily doses of mommy-fix, baby-sitting and playing with this adorable bundle of joy ......
Here, she's in her first year at nursery school, full of grace and potential ....
And now, living up to expectations in her final year at Secondary School ...
She was holidaying here in Seattle when her 2005 PMR results were released. We sort of knew she would do well and were elated when the call came saying that she was among the top achievers with 7 As. Kris wasn't happy even though she had told us she was confident of getting 6. She had silently aimed for all 8!
Good academic grades aside, Kris is a ballet dancer and pianist who excels in sports. Her friends consider her the most likely to succeed, punctual, nicest smelling and merriest. They are not wrong. This young lady is very competitive with leadership qualities, sets 4-5 alarms and prefers wearing fragrances over frowns anytime. David finds her intelligent, perky, sporty and a classic beauty ....
What I love most about Kris is the fact that she is proud of herself and confident enough of herself to not be annoying about it. Both her feet are firmly planted on the ground and she is aware of the life challenges ahead. She is grateful to her parents for raising her well and thankful for the many blessings that came her way. She will be heading to the UK in late December for further studies and what looks like a well-planned and bright future.
Happy 17th Birthday, Kris! You are and will always be a star.
At 4:30 AM on this day, 49 years ago in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, a 20-year old lady who was pregnant with her second daughter boarded a cab and headed to a local hospital for delivery. The daughter was eager to land on earth and decided to make an appearance during the journey. The alert taxi driver drove the shorter distance back to her house and contacted a mid-wife he knew to assist with the childbirth. Confirmation of whether the baby was actually born in the cab or the house varies according to the story teller of the happy and unique event. The birth certificate indicates that the birth took place at the house and registration was at the local police station. The lady is my mom and I was the impatient baby. :)
Like all mothers in this world, mine is remarkable and absolutely wonderful. A true "woman of substance" is my favourite description of her.
My siblings and I are successful adults today because our mom recognized the importance of family love, traditional values, respect and education - all of which she had very little in her upbringing. Her dad left her when she was six, taking with him her only brother whom she never saw again. My late grandmother remarried and together with her new husband (also deceased) worked as lived-in servants for a British family. When my mom's 2nd step-sister was born, she had to quit school as there was insufficient funds for her to contunue her education. She was only 11. She helped my grandmother in her amah duties and took care of her two younger sisters while her parents housekept the huge bungalow house. The British Sir and Madam were quickly impressed and employed her as their toddlers' nanny, a position she held until she married my dad at age 18.
My parents had a good marriage even though it was an arranged one. There was a 16-year age gap and they only met 3 times before the union. My mom went from being a filial daughter to a dutiful wife. She would revealed in later years that she was aware that my dad grew to love her but she does not know if she had ever experienced love or if there is a difference between loving and caring. She only knew that it was expected of her to take care of him. That, she truly did.
When the five of us came in intervals of 2-3 years, life became a financial struggle for my parents. They moved us out of Kuala Lumpur to get away from the high cost of city life. With literally no education and a somewhat full household to manage, mom could not find a job to supplement dad's income. She picked up sewing and offered the service to the neighbors. Her customers grew in numbers and she subsequently took a short structured course to learn proper tailoring techniques and improve her self-taught skills. When dad retired, my older sister and I were in employment but our meagre starting salaries could not support the family. Mom was adamant about putting the younger ones through higher education. She rented a room in Jalan Gurney, Kuala Lumpur and ran a successful small business of tailoring baju melayu (Malay traditional attire) for several years. Long hours, daily distant travel, standing on her feet all day and the challenges of owning a business never once brought a complaint out of her. She retired only after all five of us settled into a comfortable and affordable lifestyle of our own.
I have recorded many episodes of my mother's tough life and often use them as inspiration to cross life's occasional hurdles and to be a better person. She was and still is never comfortable in revealing details especially those regarding her childhood, relationship with her parents and step-family. She often said that there weren't many clear memories but I suspect that there is too much loneliness, pain, sadness and deprivation. I do know that she coped as best as she could or knew how, learned from her experiences and made sure her children did not endure any of that suffering. As a result, we were one happy closed-knitted family even though we were poor. We live in four different countries now but remain close to each other.
From the time our brains were remotely receptive, my mom taught us to love one another, embrace friends, plan well, work hard, learn from mistakes, be disciplined, always remain positive against any odds and make the most of what we have.
The many sacrifices that she made for us and the achievements she attained inspite of obstacles throughout her life has given me a fulfilling life of unconditional love, care, happiness and valuable lessons.
As I start a brand new middle-age year today, I would like to humbly put my birthday aside and celebrate instead, my mom's successful and admirable years as a model daughter, best wife and perfect mother. She is living proof that all storms can be weathered and life can be what we want it to be.
One evening next week, Amelia and James (not their real names) will meet for dinner at an alfresco dining restaurant in Boat Quay, Singapore. I hope they sit at a table with a view of the SingaporeRiver.The harbor lights reflecting off the water makes an ideal setting for their blind date.
I don’t know James but Amelia and I worked together in the past. We are the same age.She is a well-rounded individual who excelled in both academics and sports at school, through university.Today, she juggles a successful career with organizing tennis matches, squash tournaments and helping out in her family retail business. She has what she considers a factory-produced face but it wears a perpetual smile that seldom fail to unfold her warm personality. If there is a fault that shakes Amelia’s confidence at times, it is her 5’8” height and large frame. People gave her second looks when she walked in town and they outright stared when I was with her.See, I was the exact opposite then – petite extra small in all my 60 vertical inches.We had fun stopping in our tracks to stare back with raised eyebrows.
A second topic we enjoyed laughing over cups of latte was Amelia’s late grandmother’s rule regarding marriage. During her teenage years, Grandma would constantly remind her only granddaughter to find a husband of their own dialect.The rule flexed to include any Chinese man but no other races when Amelia didn’t have a special someone at her 30th birthday party. Amelia was still driving home alone for weekend visits in her early 40s and Grandma reluctantly offered that Malaysian guys of other races make good husbands too but suggested staying away from the Japanese and Caucasians.Grandma passed away not long after with a final wish that Amelia marry any man regardless of dialect, race and nationality. This remains one of the funniest stories to share.
Her grandmother’s objection did not deter Amelia from dating over the years but she admits that she subconsciously refrained from disobedience as they were close. Coupled with career commitments, alongside a keen interest in sports, marriage wasn't a priority for her. It still isn't but growing old alone is not something she is looking forward to.
She feels awkward going on blind dates at this point in her life when most of her friends are mothers of young adults and her own nieces and nephews are giddily in love. Being a late bloomer myself, I understand her feelings of having missed the boat and doubting the chances of catching another.
Finding love is never easy no matter what age we are at, which role we play or who is sitting across the table. But as it is with most things in life, wanting it is half the journey accomplished and it starts with One Hello ...
Phew! I just completed my first and LAST restoration project. Man, what tedious and laborious work!
It was an old teak cabinet, part of a 3-piece antique entertainment center that I bought second-hand 3 years ago. The previous owner had painted some dull black varnish over the rich wood (not sure what he was thinking-lah) but I was attracted to the unique brass door handles and sold on the fact that it was teak. Plus, the price was right. David made good the main unit and the identical cabinet right after we brought it home. He did it in a few days, so I thought it was easy to do and offered to work on the 3rd piece. Big mistake! He walked me through the required steps and I wished I had kept my pie-hole shut. The cabinet has been tucked behind our bar and camouflaged with potted plants until two weeks ago. I decided it was time to rearrange the furniture and my new concept had the unit in full view. The difference in the pieces was obvious, so out came the tarp, screw-drivers, stripper, pads, brushes, sandpaper, etc. .. for the long overdue restoration. I have not been so patiently challenged for a long time. It was slow and boring from start to finish. Where was Mr Leong when you needed him? Mr Leong was my dedicated handyman when I was living in KL.
I have known all along that carpentry and woodworking takes time and demands knowledge of wood, intelligent maths, measuring skills and patience. I had no idea of the amount, depth, level, accuracy and extent of attention to details for each step, even for mere restoration! This is the restored cabinet ...
Anyone who has an interest in woodworking, enjoys the long-drawn process as much as the end-results of their efforts and plan to pursue excellence in the field, ought to be admired. No question about it. They are many out there but the few I know of are ...
Pak Idrus whose expertise can be seen in his serambi. He made most of the wooden features in the picture, himself.
Carlos, husband of Chef Gertrude, is in the midst of making her a bed after presenting her niece with an elegant white table.
David, my dearest second-half. He made this dining table from scratch for the Warmingtons (parents of the adorable twins in an earlier post) a year ago .....
If you are looking for an easy but delicious brownie recipe, try Chef Gertrude's Best Brownies. I made them for some friends last week and they asked for the recipe!
There wasn't sufficient time to make the fudge, so I topped them with vanilla ice-cream ... YUMMEEEE!
They tasted really good on their own, too - crusty and crispy on the top, rich and moist underneath. I had planned on serving pies at our Thanksgiving dinner but have decided to change the menu. :)
Gert ... Thank you for saving my reputation in the kitchen!
... our youngest friends, twin bundles of joy born to the Warmingtons on October 12th. Aren't they adorable? It helps that they have great-looking parents in Michael who is Australian and Audrey who is from Peru.
We visited them on Friday and my feelings of maternity surfaced more than just a little. I got to feed Matthew his dinner. He loves his food, wakes up on the dot for it. It was such a joy to watch him take breaks in between sucks, eyes wide and anxious for the bottle to remain between his lips. Later, with sleep beckoning, he would roll his eyes in the battle of food vs baby dreams. Absolutely cute to watch! Mike has discovered a somewhat unique, laughter-inducing and successful trick of encouraging him to finish his meal but I shouldn't describe it here. He might want to copyright it later. Haha!
Mike and Audrey are first time parents but you wouldn't be able to tell. They are totally at ease in their new roles, having adopted a practical parenting style which combines mom's workable traditions of old with modern ways that do without the hassle and frills. It eliminates a drastic change in lifestyle and makes parenthood fun for them. It has already allowed Isabella and Matthew to adapt to their environment comfortably and quickly. I like it.
Warmest Congratulations again to the Warmingtons with every wish for years of love, laughter and happiness in the family! See you guys next week.
Five words that bring joy and a sense of triumph to every successful bidder in auction sales. They rang in my husband's ears twice, a few days ago, when he sniped away two laptops at an online IT auction for half their retail value. One was a brand new 15.4-inch Dell Inspiron 1501 while the 17-inch HP NX9500 is less than a year old.
As usual, David gave me first choice and I picked the HP, simply because of its larger screen and docking station with a booming speaker. Josh Groban singing "You Raise Me Up" at boobs plus heart level was a new sensation, somewhat inspiring. Blush-blush.
This purchase is quickly changing my view on used electronic and electrical goods. They don't appeal to me. I have nothing against acquiring second-hand items and enjoy browsing thrift stores, flea markets and estate/garage sales for stuff that can be turned into treasures or have stories to tell. But E&E goods strike me as having reached their used-by dates when one decides to part with them. People are usually upgrading to a newer model with better features. Furthermore, the ridiculous speed at which technology is advancing makes me think it is good money-decision to always get the latest release.
I guess I'll have to allot more time for my next trip to Value Village or Goodwill to cover their E&E sections. And yes, you can wrap up your I-Pod and consider it my Christmas present. Just don't forget to include the operations manual, please. LOL!
Halloween is approaching, here in the US, and if you decide to drop in on us this week, our Pumpkin Scarecrow will be your dedicated butler. His "vocal cords" malfunctioned last year and I haven't repaired them, so he won't be singing any haunting tunes. He will beam ever-changing colorful smiles at you, though. Check the video clip for a preview ....
Meanwhile, Farina of Princess Journals, a scaredy-cat who, in her own words, loves to scare herself silly has suggested that I share a bizzare experience I had. It is somewhat out of this world but real, so if you are faint-hearted and alone, you may want to stop reading or have some smelling salts handy.
The incident happened to me and two of my colleagues at the Daya Bumi building carpark in Kuala Lumpur, in 1988. We were working at an exhibition in the Putra World Trade Centre and decided to have dinner at the McDonalds (which is no longer there) at the Daya Bumi basement one evening. I drove and parked in the underground car park. After the meal at 9-ish, we couldn't get out of the car park as all the exit barriers were down and unattended. We circled, drove up paths, reversed down ramps and were getting worried (no cell phones at that time) when we saw a black Volvo car coming down a ramp. I drove towards it, relief quickly replacing the cramps in my legs.
A Malay guy with a nice clean-cut face (which I can't remember now), dressed in Friday prayers attire, came out of the car. He greeted us pleasantly in English and after I told him about our predicament, offered me his carpark access card, and said that he would follow me out to get it back. I reached out to take the card but Laila, my colleague, grabbed my hand and shouted at me to not touch it. The man stepped away and went back to his car. Laila's face was totally white as our other colleague and I argued with her. We then watched the man got into his car and drove straight into the wall in front of us! My colleague in the back seat screamed and fainted. Laila said her prayers. I must have screamed as well and had an accident in my pants.
I can't remember how long it took me to recover from shock but we finally found a guard who let us out. My colleague who fainted was ill for two weeks and did not come back to the exhibition. All 3 of us never discussed the incident all these years, not once, even though we worked together again at several shows. Till today, I don't know how Laila knew and I don't want to ask. On a couple of occasions, she mentioned her ability to sense premonitions but I quickly changed the subject. I think deep down I was afraid that talking about it would somehow be bad.
When I got around to sharing the experience about 10 years later, some said the guy may have been a spirit guarding the place while others felt sure he was a ghost. Who really knows. I have never been back to Daya Bumi and stay away from Volvo cars. I still get the creeps whenever I see a black one.
As for parking indoors, I am so glad that the car parks here are all open spaced.
A cheeky email arrived at my inbox today. It was from a girlfriend saying that she had endured eating 5 pieces ofkuih rengason my behalf during her Hari Raya open house and that she expects the latest GUESS bag for her next birthday. LOL! See, kuih rengas is my favourite of all the goodies that Zai's mom makes but she doesn’t like it at all. In her mind, green bean paste is alien fodder and coconut is only edible in its liquid form.
Zai and I keep in touch 2-3 times a year, so the message was extra special.
We met in 1985 when she was a temporary receptionist at my first exhibition. She had taken leave from her permanent job as an executive secretary to work at the show because she enjoys meeting people. To this day, she does. Friendly, cheerful, helpful, efficient and conversant on an endless list of topics, she was a gem at the registration counter. One thing she would not do was shake the hands of men. It was a self-discipline she held to after performing the Hajjand she was always polite, proud and dignified in her refusal. No one went away offended or disrespectful.
On opening day, our group chairman from the UK decided to visit the show at short notice. Mr Chairman was not only the owner of one of the largest exhibition companies in the world but he had the reputation of being an eccentric perfectionist who was not easy to please. Most of us were meeting him for the first time. We were excited, anxious and dreading the occasion all at once. It was a fact that someone would bear the brunt of an outburst if a paper clip was crooked by as much as one-sixteenth of an inch. Zai was eager one moment and on edge the next, worried about what would happen when she won't accept his extended hand. Being a new albeit permanent employee, I didn't have an answer but told her that her faith came first and above everything else. I advised her to do what was right for Zai and assured her that I would speak up for her if he took offence.
When the moment came, and to all our surprise, Zai shook the man's hand! I never saw so many jaws dropped simultaneously and my own mouth was agaped until the VIP delegation left the room. Zai herself couldn't believe what she did, was visibly shaken and kept mumbling the need to cleanse herself thoroughly and pray more times a day. A couple of insensitive in-the-box thinkers saw fit to reprimand her publicly and she diplomatically put them in their place. She was noticably quiet for the rest of the day. The next day, she was back to her jovial sparkling self but declined all offers to talk about what happened.
At the end of her assignment, I apologised for putting her in a compromising situation but she wouldn't hear of it. She promised that she was at peace and believed that what took place wasn't just her decision. She had earlier prayed for courage to face any unpleasant consequences that would follow and the answer came in the form of guidance to do what was right at the destined moment. It became clear to her after her prayers for forgiveness that a break from her physical routine to avoid mental anguish, hurt or embarassment for others is acceptable in her relationship with God.
Much later, I found out that Mr Chairman had found out about her making an exception for him and took time off his tight schedule to chat with her. He complimented and thanked her for her work with no mention of her predicament, nor did he offer his hand when he said goodbye.
The events of that day occured 22 years ago but remain crystal clear in my mind. They told the story of one person’s strong faith being transformed into divine consideration for others, and how that brought out the subtle mark of good conscience in another. It was and still is a beautiful story.
As for that bag, it's time to remind my dear friend that GUESS do not have us middle-age ladies in mind when they design their bags these days. I am thinking PRADA tote. She'll need the space for those reading glasses, pill boxes and minyak angin (medicated oil). Haha!
Mom G, my late mother-in-law, had a desire to swim with dolphins and a wish to be buried at sea. When she passed away in San Diego two years ago, David and his siblings decided to honor her wishes. She was cremated and her ashes came home with us to be scattered in waters where doplhins swim freely.
We did this on Sunday, 14 October 2007. Took Sirius Lepak out from the Duwamish River to Elliott Bay where the water flows out towards Puget Sound & the Straits of Juan de Fuca, onwards to the Pacific Ocean - the same place David's dad was laid to rest. He was a retired officer in the US Navy and his burial at sea ceremony was conducted on board the USS Carl Vinson off the coast of San Francisco in 2001. Coincidentally, Mom G's maiden family name is Elliott.
Lisa, David's youngest sister, represented the family in scattering their mom's ashes and saying the final goodbye ...
The day started out chilly with a dense fog as we were heading out of the marina. We couldn't see any further than maybe 200 yards. Lisa and I went "err... errr... is this safe?" David on the other hand was in his usual "no big deal, I know exactly what is going on and what to do" mood. It turned out he was right. It was a beautiful day when the fog cleared. A fitting tribute to Mom G who grew up from humble beginnings to become a gracious lady, so rich in life experiences, wisdom, values and in her own words "the good old-fashioned stuff". She was a wonderful mom to her 5 children, made sure they never lacked for anything growing up and taught them well. I only met her once but we chatted regularly and for long sessions on the phone. I find David's description of her as being stoic to be very true but when anyone - family, friend or stranger - was ever in need, Mom G was the person who would step up and shine the light ahead for their next step.
I miss her a lot and hope she is having a ball swimming with the dolphins and catching up with Papa G.
I am directionally challenged outside of shopping malls and exhibition halls. You won’t easily find a worse case than me. Pick a nook or corner of a newly-opened plaza, square or centre fully occupied by retail shops to meet and I will be there, just not on time. Blindfold me in 100,000 sq ft of display booths to find the errant exhibitors who haven’t paid their monies, I will locate them with little effort.
BUT, I somehow always have trouble remembering where I parked my car if I don’t write it down. Driving in unfamiliar surroundings is another nightmare. I have only driven in downtown Seattle once, when I missed a turn out of SeaTac Airport and ended up circling the city streets. It took me over an hour to find my bearings for the drive home! And yes, I did stop a few times to ask for directions.
David is the one who suffers whenever I get lost. My distress calls are unpleasant to deal with, no tears but a free flow of natural impatience punctuated with complaints of numbered compass pointed streets instead of named ones. The last occasion drove him to sign up a new phone for me that includes an on-the-spot navigation program. Of course, I haven’t had reason to use it yet.
Last month, he bought the Garmin GPSMAP 276C which I thought was another toy to add to his already somewhat ridiculous collection. How wrong I was! I have since hijacked it and he's getting another for himself. This navigational gadget is simply FANTASTIC!
I call it New Wife since it is literally a companion for Old Faithful, our 1976 ton of German steel which are my wheels. This is how it looks ...
The best feature for me is automatic route finding with turn by turn, voice and screen instructions. I just have to look for a map destination or key in an address. It calculates the route from where I am, according to my preference of Faster Time, Shorter Distance or Off Road. This is done in less than a minute. The instructions not only tell me what to do at each turn but what is ahead and gives me a reminder as the next turn approaches. I can view part of or the whole route. All routes are tracked with selective details - ETA, driving speed, distance to go, GPS, etc - and I have the option of displaying any 4 on my driving screen. Idiot proof driving at its best!
The voice instructions come in many international languages, two version of English - American and British - but no Bahasa Malaysia or Chinese yet.
When I make a detour, it automatically re-calculates the route to original destination according to my location. Can I say my traffic jam days are numbered? There was a physical road detour on one of our weekend trips resulting in us telling the GPS to avoid the blockage on our return journey. It did just that, set up an alternative route and found us a new back road!
It is also able to find points of interest by category – food by restaurant names, entertainment, shopping by stores, gas stations, etc. The details are impressive!
David initially bought the GPS for navigational purposes on our sailing trips. It is probably sold as such with prominent oceanic functions like chartplotting, anchor watch and DSC - Digital Selective Calling capabilities. When we hook it up to our VHF radio (that's DSC enabled) all we need to do should we be in any trouble is push the panic button on the radio. The GPS sends our position to everyone else who has a DSC radio, including the coast guard. We can also use DSC as a telephone to talk to friends and view their position on the GPS without alerting the whole world that we're facing minor woes.
The anchor watch function tells us if the boat has moved away from it's anchoring location by sounding an alarm if the boat goes outside of a given radius, which usually means the anchor is being dragged. This is the chart of our last anchor watch at Blake Island. The "bowl of spaghetti" is roughly centered on where our anchor is located on the bottom and is a "radius" of roughly 200 feet. We had 90+ feet of anchor rode out, and we're pretty sure we dragged a bit during the night. The alarm went off twice, once when the tide turned and again later on, we just adjusted the alarm radius a bit after checking the island we were anchored next to visually to make sure we weren't drifing too far...
Besides being a navigator, numerous other functions of the GPS - celestial views (tides, sunrise & set, moonrise & set, etc. information), calendar (as in sun/moon and hunting/fishing informatin for specific days), night vision, alarms, track and points storage - make sailing safe and comfortable when we are on open waters.
Last but not least, the unit is usable anywhere in the world. All we need to do is download the map of the places or cities we plan to visit. Isn't that cool?
So how? Are you impressed?? An addition to Santa's list, perhaps?
IMPORTANT NOTE: This is NOT a paid post. The Gonsalves genuinely like the Garmin GPSMAP 276C. If any Garmin representatives would like an official quote or two, we are open to contra- deals. Seriously!
The rain continues to fall steadily in Seattle. I should be happy but I'm not.
The Pittsburgh Steelers clad in terrible towels rained on the Seattle Seahawks yesterday shutting them out with 21 unanswered points! So much for avenging Super Bowl XL. Sigh. Usually, my eyes will be glued to the TV for the whole duration of a Seahawks game but this one was so boring I started to cut recipes out of magazines during the 2nd quarter and by half time was playing with Lola as well. On the 4th quarter, I got up to make Chef Gertrude's lettuce wraps ...
My ball of lettuce was kinda pathetic, so the wraps did not turn out picturesque like Gert's but as Dave Niehaus would say, "My! oh my!" They were absolutely delicious, so yummy, my husband asked for seconds twice. He ate 8 wraps!
I am not sure what Gert meant by it being a quick lunch. Am guessing easy for her to make? Not at my end, though. The only speed I achieved was in eating them! It took my amateur fingers a long time plus some drama to prepare the ingredients. The knife got stuck in the jicama on first cut and had to be rescued by David. Also managed to poke the tip of knife into my first finger while slicing the chillies, and that was right after slicing "tears inducing" onions. What did they say about pouring rain? I know, should have used my Cuisinart Food Processor to dice, slice and julienne. Next time. For the stove process, I went the traditional Chinese route and ended up having to cover the wok for the jicima to soften, stir every few minutes to prevent sticking and tasting each time. Again, not sure if that was necessary or not! Gosh ... I am such a sorry case when cooking with basic recipes!
Still, very much worth the kelam-kabut (chaotic) effort. A light meal these wraps may be but they kept us sustained to skip dinner. I just needed a couple of corns which David bought from a farm on Saturday at 10 for $1. Yes, one whole buck for 10 good ears of sweet corn! This is our cheapest purchase by far ...
I plan to try making Pak Idrus's bubur jagung tomorrow. Oh, maybe I shouldn't, huh .... tak ada (don't have) step-by-step instructions! LOL!
... one of David's Christmas presents in 1997!
As usual, David gave me first choice and I picked the HP, simply because of its larger screen and docking station with a booming speaker. Josh Groban singing "You Raise Me Up" at boobs plus heart level was a new sensation, somewhat inspiring. Blush-blush.
