Sketches of Life

For the Year 2007.

Otak Otak as appetizer

Our main dish, Yong Tau Foo, Malay style with lotsa of cow’s intestine, seaweed and fishballs too. Mmmm…my favorite but unfortunately it was not hubby’s fav. He said, fishball is tasteless. I thought men like fishy stuff.

While waiting for the food, there was a Malay couple, still very much in love. I can see from how they look at each other with much adoration. The way they chew their food caught my attention. Then I look at other customers. You see, we are the only Chinese there. (half Chinese to be precise…hehe). My question, “Can’t they chew with their mouth close?” Maybe the meat is too tough but even cows chew with their mouth close.

I think this is typically Malaysian. Talk with your mouth full, chew your food with mouth open and must have the chap chup chap chup sound. The louder the sound, the tastier the food is.

I tried eating with my mouth open like them. I can’t chew my food properly. I am just cutting it but not chewing it. Wow! Their tummy must really work hard to digest their food.

Anyway, the food is good but a lil too salty. I think it is because they added a lot of MSG too. I am very thirsty now. Maybe I need a colon cleanse to start the New Year.

Enough ranting.

I am here to wish you a Blessed New Year and May God’s Blessing Be Abundant in Your Life.

I am sad to say that I start the New Year with sick children and sick me! But things will be much better in days to come. I have more that 300 days to feel good and healthy.

Until today I still have not get hold of any cash back credit cards. How come none of the credit card provider calls me offering this kind of card??? Every time when I receive call from them, it will sure be about insurance. I only buy insurance from church members only, okay.

I would prefer cash back than reward points because most of the things in the reward redemption are not to my liking. Well, I think I better start doing my homework and start to Compare Cash Back Credit Cards and get one for myself before I resign. Once resign, no more proof of income.

I was watching the show “The Apprentice” after midnight a few days back. As usual there were two groups of apprentices that are aiming to be selected as part of Donald Trump managers. I do not really like to watch this show because of the backbiting, gossips and hatreds that normally is shown among the contestants. However, since there are no other interesting shows in other channels, I just stick to the show. I was more interested in the tasks given to these groups and how they proceeded to fulfill those tasks.

As always, Donald Trump will appear in the show with his egoistic personality. He would always meet with the apprentices for just a minute or so and then leave to attend his own “meetings”. In that particular show, he gave the task of promoting and marketing Priceline.com products i.e. deals on flights, hotels, rental cars, vacation packages, cruises, last minute deals, weekend deals, and in particular their sweepstakes. There after Donald Trump board his private plane and whizzed to attend his “meetings”. I wonder whether he has heard about Private Jet Charter Flights and uses the service. Well, maybe not as being rich, he can afford his own jets and aeroplane.

Well, if given the chance I too would want to experience flying in a private chartered jet, and not sit in the economy class seats in the budget flights. Maybe some day that would come true.

Mandrake, a blogger friend and also my webmaster was in Malacca on Christmas Day but he was only here for 30 minutes so I was not able to meet him and see how “BIG” he is.

He was complaining that Malacca is very hot. That surprised me coz it is rainy season now here, a few places in Malacca are flooded. Maybe it was slightly hot on Christmas day but not damn hot (that’s the exact word that he used :P). Hello! Singapore snowing is it?

He told me that the tour guide told this group of HOT Singaporean that Malacca is hot due to the metal ore in the ground because Malacca used to be a mining town. Huh???

When I studied history and geography, I don’t remember anything about Malacca being a mining town. Ipoh maybe lar.

Hmmm…maybe ah, these Singaporean complaint so much, the tour guide told them that to keep their mouth shut!

One of my blogger friends wants to invest in stock options after seeing her hubby earning thousands in a week. She asked me whether I know anything about it. I know a few friends and my boss who is into these. Other that that, the only thing that I know is that with she needs to get the SmartSearchXL® option screener technology to help her Find, Compare, Analyze, and Make Money On Stock Option Trading. I think she can do without a remiser with help from option screener then she can earn more without needing to pay commission to the remiser.

I used to have my own tailor but she has retired from sewing and helps her son runs a restaurant. It is not easy to find a tailor that know your style and know how to hide your tummy!

At this time of the year, I really miss having her around. I used to make a lot of dress with her before I got married. I think she can afford a Bose home theater with the amount of money I spent making dress after dress with her. Her price is very cheap too compared to other tailor.

Finally after a few shops, I spotted a decent blouse at Hush Puppies. The price is RM69.90 for just a blouse but I have not much choice since most blouses are very expensive these days. I am so happy to know that I still fit in “S” size. But I still need to diet a lil bit to hide the flabby tummy.

Then I saw a white long sleeve blouse that comes with long necklace. It looks so Hongky but not showing off cleavage. I bought a black slack to go with it.

That’s all for CNY. I hate buying clothes nowadays. The fashion is mostly from my mom’s era!

On the way to Dataran Pahlawan we were stuck in a very slow moving traffic. I was so worried about my car’s temperature. I kept reminding hubby to keep an eye on the temperature but he kept teasing me that the car is going to explode anytime! You see, I still have not got my car’s radiator fix.

Oh ya, if you are driving a Ford which I am not. Radiator.com is the best place to go for radiators. They have stock for thousands of aftermarket Ford radiators and upgrade radiators for Ford models of every year, both new and classic, including Mustang Radiator, aluminum Ford truck radiators and more.

Beside the cleavage showing blouse, most of the blouse are tight on top and flare at the bottom. I dunno what this type of blouse is called. Only the slim and tall can wear this kinda blouse. I tried one, it not only makes me look pregnant but fat and short too!

I whined about it and hubby commented that maybe it is because too many young people get pregnant before they got married, so they design this kinda of blouse to hide their tummy!

After going into a few outlets like MNG, Elle, Padini etc I almost give up and go home. Since it took us one hour to reach there, hubby will surely show his sulky face if I did not buy anything. I have to buy at least a blouse or two.

Wonder why I wanna give up? Most of the blouse cutting at very low at the front. Not only it will show your cleavage, I think if you bend, your breast also can be seen! I tried one, felt like I am wearing a lingerie!

If you are a die-hard football fan, you definitely not going to miss the Super Bowl XLII. By the way, XLII is how many ah? Anyway, Super Bowl XLII is set to take place on February 3, 2008, at the 73,400-seat University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. If you have not got your super bowl tickets yet, you better be quick. Since this is a big, huge game of the year, fans are fighting for tickets. And do you know that you die die also want the ticket days before the game, you might need to pay up to $3,000 for just a ticket. Crazy right?

Wondering what am I doing now?

I am at home taking care of my sick girl, Clarissa. She is beside me now playing games on the PC. I am blogging and chatting with the ladies using my laptop.

In between chatting, blogging and picking games for my girl, I am feeding her Kuay Teow Soup. Her breakfast.

At the same time, my mind is thinking what to write in my resume!

Since we are at Dataran Pahlawan, we had lunch at 2pm at Johnny’s. At first I thought of just ordering the Belacan Fried Rice and Waterchest Nut to save money coz I know my clothing sure expensive one. But hubby said since we are at Johny’s it won’t be complete if we don’t eat their steamboat. Since hubby gave the green light, and let me “spend”. I ordered a set of steamboat and a plate of the Belacan Fried Rice. Spent RM29 something for 2 people. Okay lar.

In my work place, one of my responsibilities is to make sure that the inventory is low. In a manufacturing plant, assets not only take up a lot of the cash but also the space in the warehouse. Since I am also the purchaser, I am in the best position to control the accumulation of assets in the company.

Some huge company, engages Asset Management Recovery Consulting firm such as Surplus Capital Management Group (SGMGT) to provide a comprehensive set of services, including an internet-based utility to help their company systematically and efficiently identify, redeploy and dispose of surplus assets.

On Christmas eve, I went shopping at Dataran Pahlawan. I dragged hubby along and he made a lot of noise coz it took us one hour to reach the place where normally, it will only take 20 minutes to reach the shopping complex. Eve of public holiday, what to do. I still need to do my shopping before CNY and I am off on that day. Takan wanna go alone. Boring. No one to hold my hand. hehehe

Who else, the maid lar! On Thursday, we were about to go out to the beach, she picks collected our shoe and slippers to wash. Since she so hardworking, I just let it be and find other slippers to wear.

She was squatting picking up our shoes, pointing to Belle’s pink slipper asking me, “Ini kasut merah mau cuci?” (The red shoe wanna wash?) I said, “Yes.”

I got a shock of my life when I went to the bathroom to see that she is washing my leather shoe!!! I quickly grabbed me precious leather shoe from her and told her that leather shoe cannot be washed.

You know what, Belle’s pink slippers is still at its place. She was actually pointing to my leather shoe which was in front of Belle’s slipper! Leather is brown in color lar. I wonder whether she is color blind. Must test her afterwards.

Msau got so frustrated with PBB’s Customer Service; she decided to cancel the debit card that she applied after more than on month of waiting. I really thank God the same did not happen to me. I got my card within 3 weeks instead of 2 weeks and my pin number a week after that. The only hiccup is they have not link my debit card account to my savings account.

I wish they have service offered like www.CardFusion.com where you can get instant credit cards, also known as Instant Approval Credit Cards. Your credit cards application will be processed instantly and we will know about our eligibility for a card of our choice in a matter of seconds. No more waiting and wondering for weeks whether the application will be approved or not.

We Are The Reason

As little children
We would dream of Christmas morn
Of all the gifts and toys
We knew we’d find
But we never realized
A baby born one blessed night
Gave us the greatest gift of our lives

We were the reason
That He gave His life
We were the reason
That He suffered and died
To a world that was lost
He gave all He could give
To show us the reason to live

As the years went by
We learned more about gifts
The giving of ourselves
And what that means
On a dark and cloudy day
A man hung crying in the rain
All because of love, all because of love

I’ve finally found the reason for living
It’s in giving every part of my heart to Him
In all that I do every word that I say
I’ll be giving my all just for Him, for Him

He is my reason to live

I would like to wish ALL my readers and fellow blogger friends a Blessed Christmas & A Most Blessed New Year.

My mom told me that after eating the above cute red and white glutinous rice ball, I will be older by one year. Because I do not want to be older by one year each year, I avoided eating them.

Sometimes, only sometimes when I am not lazy, I enjoyed helping my mom roll roll the above. I like the red ones. Like laying PlayDoh like that. My girls helped MIL last night, making dinosaurs instead of Kuih Ee. Oh ya, we the Peranakans call it Kueh Ee. I just learnt that the Chinese calls it Tang Yuen. Tang = Soup, Yuen = Round.

Eating Kueh Ee is the mark of the beginning of Winter Solstice. I Google it and found something really interesting.

In Ancient Greece, the winter solstice celebration was called Lenaea (Festival of the wild women). According to Greek myth, a man representing the harvest god Dionysos was sacrificed and then eaten by nine women!

So which part would you choose to eat?

In my culture, my grandma told me that the Kueh Ee were to helped mend/cover the hole in the sky so that it would stop raining. It is rainy season here now right? Lotsa places already flooded. I wonder whether it would stop raining tomorrow. hehe.

And when she is around, she would stick 2 of the Kueh Ee, one colour each on each door to the house. I can’t remember the purpose for it. Anyway, we the younger generation does not practice it anymore.

Year 2007 left 10 days to go but I do not have any more annual leave to go. Some bloggers has started their holidays and some already gone for vacation. I wonder whether any of them gone for the Cancun Vacation. My youngest sister just returns from her China vacation. My family and I are still stuck in our hometown reading and listening to others holiday experiences. The only “beach holiday” we can afford now is a day trip to nearby beach. I think I will go again on Christmas Eve and imagine I am at Riviera Maya enjoying the sea breeze and the sound of the waves while my children playing on their white-sand beach.

I have Diamond Water at home and I am able to enjoy it without coming out a single cent (maybe only the water bill) for it. The BIL who recently move back into this house brought his Diamond Water along. hehe. Well, so far I only took 1.5L, my one bottle. Shy lar…take people’s water. His wife did not offer whether we can drink her water. I wonder why they did not bring back their Hansgrohe faucet. If not, my kitchen sink will look classier with it. haha.

Maybe I should start an online shop selling gifts. All the existing gift shop online sells only expensive stuff. What about those who can only afford a gift plus delivery at RM10 only? No online gift shop is available for such budget.

Actually there are a lot of cheap and nice gift out there. Recently I went to look for Christmas gift and I found a bracelet that cost only RM1.50. I got a shock. It was a very beautiful bracelet. I look at the price tag a few times to make sure that is it not RM15.00.

And RM1.50 is the selling price. I am sure the cost is much lower. By selling it at RM10 plus delivery by courier service, I can earn at least RM5.00. Not bad right?

With Ashop ecommerce software, starting an online shop would be a breeze. With their award winning shopping cart software and great technical support and customer service, I would be able to start my business in no time. Maybe I will try their 10 days free trial first.

I think this month I really need payday loan to help me pay my credit card bills if I still receive this few offers till end of this month. Besides spending on clothing that I bought for my children for Christmas and Chinese New Year, I still have my medical insurance to pay, kindergarten fees, a short holiday trip that I really long for and own Chinese New Year clothes.

Sorry folks, this year, no Christmas card or present from me. Over budget already. I can only afford to buy candies and chocolates for the children in church. Adults? Go buy your own chocolates and candies.

Here’s another easy one. You don’t need an oven to do this.

1/2 cup butter
3 cups miniature marshmallows
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp green food color
4 cups corn flakes
red hot candies
silver dragées

Melt butter, add marshmallows, stirring until all marshmallows are melted. Add extracts and food coloring; stir until it is a uniform green color. When mixture is smooth, add corn flakes; mix well but gently so as not to crush the cornflakes. Form into wreath shapes on sheets of waxed paper, decorate with red cinnamon candies and silver dragées. Let cool.

3 cups Rice Krispies
1 cup dessicated coconut
3/4 cup powdered milk
1/2 cup powdered sugar
60 g (2 oz) mixed candied fruit, chopped
60 g (2 oz) red and green candied cherries, chopped
1/4 cup raisins
125 g (4.5 oz) white vegetable shortening (Chopha or Crisco)
125 g (4.5 oz) white chocolate chips

Brush a 9 x 13″ pan with oil. Line base and sides with paper. Combine Rice Krispies, coconut, powdered milk, powdered sugar, and all fruit in a large bowl. Chop up the shortening, place with the chocolate in the top of a double boiler over simmering water. Stir until mixture is melted and smooth. Combine chocolate and Rice Krispie mixture. Press into the prepared pan and refrigerate until set.

Remove from the pan, allow to stand for 10 minutes. Cut into squares with a sharp knife.

I feel so fat now. I think after weeks of having late night snacks and supper, the fat finally makes it’s to entrance under my skin. I really need to exercise but I don’t want top just exercise. I want to have fun and love the exercise that I going to do. The only form of exercise that I would enjoy now is swimming but the public pool is so far from my house.

If I am rich, I would already hire the phoenix pool builders to build a small swimming pool in my compound. Did I mention that I have a big compound at home? Many times I guess. Hehe.

I fried Keropok for the Christmas Party. Cheap, fast and everyone loves Keropok. It is actually free for me coz someone bought it and left it here. It has been on the shelf for months.

About the party, this is my first experience and next year, I will just send my girls there and go home.

No presentation from the children. Just singing, dancing and games for the children. Parents are not involved. Most of them sit/stand around and chat with each other. I have no chat partner coz I speak English! Most of them, or maybe ALL of them speaks Chinese.

Hubby smart. He left after the children have taken their dinner there and only came back at 10pm to fetch us home.

Normally at my children’s kindy, when they have party that involves the parent, they will inform us in advance to prepare a some food for the party.

Two days ago, I saw the message in my girl’s Message Book that there will be Christmas Party tonight. Hmmm…how come the Principal or the teachers did not inform me about food preparation??? Yesterday, I asked the Principal.

He told me to just bring food for my children and if I can bake the Steam Chocolate Cake, it would be good coz the teachers love it but he does not expect it as it was late a minute arrangement. Tahu pun Furthermore, it was my sis who baked it and she is in China now.

Today it strikes my mind that he said, “Bring food for your children” Eh…party without food? Cannot be lar. So I called his wife who runs another kindy and we are going to have the Christmas party at her kindy.

She told me that food will be provided. The kindy will prepare some and parents too! Ok ok, I don’t like going there empty handed. Will think of something to prepare within an hour time from now!

I think my girls principal know I no money this month! Not like this lady who just bought LCD TV recently.

After my aunt telling me about the cost of TESL locally, I gave up searching for it here. It is so costly here. I don’t know why, out of many online degree programs my eyes, my mind and my heart is in education instead of business or information technology. Maybe that is my calling; to be a teacher, to teach.

When I was in campus, during my final year, I received prophesy about me being a pen, being used to write upon the lives of others. One of it is, I will teach. So in order to teach, I need to equip myself with enough knowledge and skills about teaching and that is why I am seriously considering signing up for TESL course.

This blog post is based on information provided by Blogitive. For more information, please visit Blogitive.com.

They say that a picture is like a thousand words. Well sometimes, a picture is less than that if the mind is not working. A thousand words would only appear when the mind starts to think about the pictures. As for me, most of the pictures are about 100 words as I do not think much about most of them. Sometimes I do not even understand what the picture is trying to portray.

I like to see pictures where the author put funny captions on it. It is much easier to understand the picture or what the picture is trying to portray if the captions are there. There is one website where you can do so with your pictures. It is called The Bubblenator. It is very easy to use.

You will need your picture to be uploaded into the net. This you can do so with Flickr or Photobucket or any of the photostorage service available on the net. Then you enter the url link in the Bubblenator and there after you can add ’speech bubbles’ wherever you want on your picture. You can put up to three bubbles onto your image. Then fill in your desired text for each bubble or you can change its sizes. Thereafter, they will provide you with HTML code that you can use to put your captioned image on your web site, or blog,

Go try it out and show me your funny pictures.