Sketches of Life

Today is really a fruitful Sunday. We had fruit feast and some work are done around the house.

The men cut down a coconut tree because it was too near to the durian tree; a bridge for the squirrel to cross over. Then they made a bench using the coconut trunk. Now we have a bench under a rambutan tree for us to sit to enjoy our rambutans in a month time.

The fruit feast started with Watermelon while the men were busy making the bench. Then we had some fresh young coconut from the tree that has just been chopped down.

After some hard labor, their stomach started to growl and we had our durian right under the rambutan tree. While enjoying our durians, one durian dropped. Yay! Fresh from the tree!!! No pix though coz I was busy eating durians too!

In the kitchen, the maid was busy cooking Pengat Durian; durian cooked in coconut milk and gula melaka. We are too full to eat that. We shall savor it before dinner.

The children was not left out…they had so much fun playing with the sawdust!

If you are looking for jobs in Boston, be ready to bid farewell to this kinda life.

That will be the colour of hubby’s car next week. We went to the auto parts shop in my kampung on Thursday to inquire about the price and also whether they can fix my car door; they can! And the owner recognized me! “Eh, you anak dak Chai kan?” Opps! I still have my dad’s resemblance! I thought I don’t look much like my dad anymore like when I was a teenager.

Since we are not buying any new car, we gonna just spend some money to make new the existing cars. I think I wanna re-paint my red junk too. Not metallic colour though; too expensive. I am thinking of very light purple. My 2nd girl favorite colour.

I have finally decided not to buy a new car. I really hope I will stick to this decision. It has nothing to do with the petrol hike. I was thinking, what is main purpose of getting a new car? My answer is, so that we can travel outstation or go holiday without borrowing other’s car. Then I thought to myself, how often can we go for holiday? The most, maybe 4 times a year (locally of course) because we do not have the time and on top of that, petrol is so expensive now. Which means everything else will increase price too.

Rather than paying about RM500 a month to own a new car so that we could go for holiday 4 times a year, I’d rather rent a car which would cost about RM400 for 3 days. We can’t go away for a long holiday, we have work commitment. Like I wrote before, we might not afford to go for frequent holidays if we have the car loan to pay ever month.

The last trip to Genting, we rented one of hubby’s brother’s car since we knew that he need every extra cash he can get to pay for his home loan. Rather than giving our money to strangers, better give to our own relative. Got discount some more!

So any relatives reading this blog and in need of extra cash, do let us know. Our next trip outstation would be in August and we need to rent a car.

Yay! I am eligible.

Rebates:
> RM625 per year
For private vehicle with engine capacity of 2000cc and below, including private pickup trucks and jeeps with engine capacity of 2500cc and below.

> RM150 per year
For each private motorcycle with engine capacity of 250cc and below

> RM200 reduction on road tax
For private petrol and diesel vehicles with engine capacity above 2000cc

> RM50 reduction on road tax
For private motorcycles with engine capacity above 250cc

I heard that they will rebate when we renew our road tax and insurance. In that case, they have to pay me instead because my road tax and insurance is about RM400 only. Will they actually pay??? If they are, gonna spend that money buying office furniture for hubby’s internet cafe.

Unfortunately, I will be affected by this…the 18% increased in the electricity rate.

Electricity tariff restructure
> Households using 200kWh and below every month will not be affected. This covers 59% of households in Peninsular Malaysia with a monthly bill under RM43.60.

My electricity bill is more than RM200 these days. It used to be around RM60-80 per month. The most it goes up to RM90 when some of the in laws come back for the weekend.

Oh well, I can’t say much about it. Just work harder to pay up bills.

Read the rest of the news here.

On Sunday, after church and after a plate of wantan mee each, we head over to hubby’s apartment near MMU to start cleaning the apartment. The student has left and left us with a very dirty rooms and stained toilets and kitchen.

When we go to church, we wear our best so before leaving home for church hubby packed a bag of our stay-at-home t-shirts and shorts. And he expected that I bring the bag into the car and I thought he stuffed everything in the car.

Do you think that we sweep, mop, scrub the apartment in our Sunday’s best? The answer is of course not, we can’t be going home soaking wet.

Do you think we went out to get a pair of t-shirt and shorts from somewhere? We have no time to waste because hubby has football friendly match at 5pm. We have 3 hours to get all things done.

At the end of the day, not a single drop of water wet our Sunday’s best.

Go figure.

Belle the Dog, not my daughter Annabelle. =P

She died 3 days ago due to sickness and partly we think she also misses MIL a lot. She’s MIL dog. Anyway, I am glad that she died because she does not have to suffer so much anymore.

We buried her under one of our durian trees; the one beside the well.

All Dogs Go To Heaven. If this is true, see you there, Belle.

One of kampung folks whom was my primary school teacher and also related to my family and also a well known man in my village who heads the Peranakan Baba Nyonya Association here is marrying his son this Saturday. According to my mom that he asked my dad whether he can borrow my dad’s grandson which is referring to MY SON!

No, he is not replacing my son as the roasted piglet dowry. He wants my son to role and jump on his son’s wedding bed so that his first born would be a boy. This is a believe to many Chinese and Baba Nyonya in Malacca; I do not know about other states, which is superstitious lar. It is God who blessed a couple with either a baby girl or boy.

Well, thank God my mom opposed to it and told my dad that my son is way too young for all this kind of ritual and we as a Christian parent won’t allow it.

Anyway, we will be attending the wedding dinner this Saturday at EQ. Both hubby and I was his student. Must show face lar.

Last year June was a new chapter in our life when hubby resigned from serving full time in church and started our own business in September. In the same month too, we were blessed with a son that we are anticipating for.

This year June, there is going to be another new chapter in our life. No, I am not having another baby. =P

I am going to be a full time Mommy!!! I am so excited about it. And I really hope that I know how to prioritize my time to spend with my children and my time online. =P

My replacement is here. She came today and it seems that she is going to stay because the company that she were attached too is far worst than mine. I hope she can absorb as much as possible and as fast as possible so that I can leave in peace by end on June 26.

Moving from one place to another is no joke. I experienced it twice when my grandmother “requested” my dad to move out from her house. That time I was only 15 years old and I didn’t know what actually happened. All I know my dad told us that we are moving to our own house. Our own house is only 500m away from my grandmother’s house. It was a rented house and later found out that it is haunted too!

Since it is quite near, we moved our things bit by bit and bought a lot of new stuff. If the house was far, we would have hired a moving company like Boston Moving Company. Can’t imagine moving without the help of a moving company.

Two years after that, my grandma begged my dad to move back in because she had a stroke, her youngest son who was supposed to stay with her moved out. My dad was reluctant but since my sister was being disturbed by the evil spirit that haunt the house and was advised told by the medium that if we did not move out, my sister will die! So, there we go again. Packed our things and move back to my grandmother’s house. We stayed there until today.

Posted on May 15, 2008

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!

My Mother’s Day dinner. Unplanned. Simple and Mouthwatering if you like the food that we ate.

The restaurant is just 100m away from the Pontianak favorite hang out. Oh ya, get didn’t get to wish her Happy Mother’s Day. Btw, I don’t think it is wise to do that even if we meet her. It will cause her more grief. hehe

Black Pepper Lamp Chop

In the menu, there are Fish, Chicken, Pork and Lamp. I want Beef! No beef, so settle for lamp lor.

Seafood Tomyam

Hubby’s all time favorite. This the reason hubby pick the restaurant. To satisfy his craving. The gravy is thick but the BeeHoon is very little this time around.

KFC Snack Plate

To fill our half empty stomach while we chat away in an air-cond place.

We went to visit SIL Yen at Mahkota Medical Centre yesterday. She has her cyst removed; all 3 of them. Before the operation the doctor found only one and told her that will cost her around 5k. After the operation, he told her that there were all 3 of them and the charges would be different. Fuwah! Like that one ah? Like that arh, if he wants to earn more, he can always say he found 5 or more! I wonder how he can prove that there was more than one cyst.

SIL was in pain when we met her, a day after the 4 hours operation. She said there is a lot of wind in her stomach because they pump in oxygen into it before the operation. I do not know what’s the procedure called; they dug 3 hole in her tummy.

She has also canceled her trip to Langkawi with another BIL and MIL at the end of this month. I thought of filling in for her in case the hotel room has been booked but then cannot lar, I have no car and dare not drive all the way to Langkawi as hubby won’t be going. My Johnston and Murphy suitcase shall rest longer in the store.

Hubby asked me how much is the market price now for a medium cost house. Btw, got such term arh?? Those single storey terrace house with 3 room (70×20). A few years back, the price is around RM70k, now at least RM90k a unit.

He said he wanna buy for his son as an investment and also so that when his siblings return home, they would have a place to stay since the current kampung house can’t accommodate everyone anymore; families expands yearly.

Anyway, that is just a thought, we don’t have the means for one now even if we can get loans from mortgage lenders, we are not ready to be more tied down with more loans.

I am crying as I am typing this.

You wanna know why?

Because I am VERY VERY VERY VERY sad.

My 2nd girl will have to start wearing glasses come this Monday.

Her power is over 400 on one side of her eyes! And the right side has Astigmatism as high as 200!

And she is only 3 years and 4 months old.

If only I watch my diet when I was carrying her.

If only I eat!!!

I was so selfish!

It’s all my fault…

I wish I can turn back time. If only…

Mommy is very very very sorry, Clarissa.

I left my son with my mom whenever we want convenience when dining out, going shopping and the recent, going for a short vacation. Most of the time, my 2 girls will tag along. They are older and independent. So, no need carrying, no need feeding and they speak. Furthermore I don’t think we can handle 3 active and stubborn tiny feet in a crowd at the same time.

As a mother, I don’t feel good doing these. I felt guilty for leaving him out. So to compensate it, I am planning for a special birthday celebration for my son. I planned for a 2D1N trip to a beach resort in PD that has Water Park. It will be just us; hubby, my girls, my boy and me.

Thanks to my mouth; I blurted it out to one of my sister in laws and she told me that she has free one night voucher to that resort and she is going to give it to me! Praise the Lord, I saved RM320. That’s the price for one night stay in that resort; kinda expensive ya?

I hope the resort provide free Wi-Fi wireless broadband Internet access like the Indian Creek Hotel. Then I wouldn’t miss my WWW so much coz there’s nothing much to do once the children are asleep. Psst…that’s my menses week.

I have a few more assignments to complete but I am so short of time. Didn’t even have time in the afternoon because I was busy napping with my children. A good 2 hours nap. I am not guilty about it like I usually did when I nap more than half and hour because I slept less than 4 hours last night. Not because of assignments but because I slept too much in the afternoon due to my runny nose. Due to it, I finally managed to doze off after 3am after watching Spiderwick and an episode from Heroes then walking up at 6.30am. My body clock is set to 6.30am since my girls started kindy.

So, after work it was assisting my eldest girl with her school work that last until 2pm then they played outdoor while I shower. Then we nap from 3pm till 5pm. Let them have some peaches and my son mess up himself. So I bathe them. By 6pm, I started cooking for them. A quick one; fried rice. After finished feeding them dinner, hubby came home and we went out to Pasar Malam.

Then the rest of the night, it was playing, messing up, drawing, finding bantal busuk, and bedtime.

I managed to write a few post plus this one and then off to bed by 12midnight because we need to wake up by 6am tomorrow to go for a jog because we are so unfit and fat.

My home is lively again with in laws, screaming kids and a baby for these 2 days. Something that we don’t often get to enjoy everyday. The family came home to celebrate the Cheng Beng; the Chinese All Souls Day. Food is abundance but since I am not feeling well all those food seems tasteless to me.

Anyway, most has returned even though they, especially the kids are reluctant to go to their respective home. In half an hour time (7pm) the house will be back to its status quo. I think this home is something similar like Villa Nicoletta for the town people. Once they are here, they do not want to go home and they will sure return whenever possible.

Read the rest of this entry »

After the trip to Genting Highland, buying a Persona is not practical. No doubt I like the car quite a lot and it is affordable too but since it is not practical, I don’t want to regret later.

Reason being, my two girls fight for the back seat when they wanted to take a nap during the journey. And, my son is not in the car then. We did not bring him along.

As they grow older, their feet will get longer and I don’t think they can share sleeping like the above. No place for my son too. I don’t think in one year time, he would mind being left behind when mommy, daddy and jiejie go to have fun.

So, I need a MPV and…I was advised to get a new car. So Toyota Unser is out of the question because we can’t afford the new ones (btw, I think Toyota has stopped production for Unser). So Toyota Avanza is so far the most affordable (I can’t say cheap because it is not cheap to me :P). The price is about RM60k.

After *%+-/ (not cursing here, ok) I need to save RM20k for downpayment so that I need only pay RM500 for 9 years.

*sigh* I wonder when can I get the car.

Why money don’t fall down from Heaven one??? We have Our Father in Heaven what? He is super duper rich some more. Dad, can you please throw some money down? RM60k enuf d.

*****

I got a lot to share about my recent vacation but my mind isn’t working too well, still on holiday mode.

Hubby’s car broke down and until today it is still not fixed. His mechanic is super busy to come to our house; hubby car cannot start you see.

Since Genting trip is nearing we decided to rent a car. After a call to the rent a car company, we decided to rent from hubby’s eldest brother. Since he needed the money, better give it to him rather than to strangers. We got it at a very reasonable price too.

So we will be traveling to Genting Highland in a Waja.

Nya kasi gua tau yang Kor Kor Kim Lee nampak kesan yang ‘Cik Kong balik pada hari ketujuh.

Dia nampak kesan darah dan nana dari tok datuk sampeh bilik Kor Kor Chik.

Sebelum dia mati, kaki dia memang ada nana. Sebab tu Kor Kor Kim Lee tau yang tu ‘Cik Kong punya.

I did ask whether he went to his own room. That is what I heard normally dead people do. So what they will do is make the bed nicely and see whether there is anyone disturb the bed the next day.

My grandaunt told my mom that he did not visit his room because they removed his adjustable beds.

To me, that’s the work of the devil. We, the living wants so much to believe that the dead will come back after certain days. So he makes it that way so that we will continue to believe and worship the ancestor.

My family has a history of Congestive Heart Failure (CHF). The common term that we always hear is Lemah Jantung; direct translation, Weak Heart. The heart pumps slower compared to a healthy heart.

My grandfather had it and my dad too after he reach 60 years old. Since then he has to go for regular check up to monitor his heart. I hope I won’t inherited this problem.

My FIL died of a heart attack months after I get to know hubby. I think he was only in his 50s.

With both side of the family have “heart” history; I really have to take care of my children’s heart. Two main things that I must do to reduce or avoid them from getting heart problem are to reduce their salt intake and exercise regularly.
I read that oral chelation could help reduce lots of heart problem. It safe, fast and cost effective way to clean our veins and arteries.

Liquid EDTA (Ethylene Diamine Tetra-acetic Acid) is used in the Chelation therapy. What it does after being absorbed into the bloodstream is begins to chelate toxic and heavy metals, along with excessive mineral deposit thus increasing the blood flow. No more blockages.

I wonder who is going to be my youngest sister’s bridesmaid. Normally for bridesmaid, we will choose the prettiest cousin or niece or our favorite niece. Since she is not a Christian yet, she won’t be having a church wedding which means only one bridesmaid is enough. So she does not have to crack her head to think about bridesmaid gifts. Only give angpow. Then ask her to buy her own gift. I wonder who she will choose.

During my wedding, I only have 1 bridesmaid too; my 2nd sister but I have 5 flowers girls. I can’t remember whether I buy any gift for them!

In my culture, if you don’t get any term life insurance quote and purchase them, your family need not worry so much about burying you when you are dead.

Friends and relatives that come to visit will surely give some cash. That cash will be used for the funeral. From the coffin, the tent to the kuaci, peanuts, mineral water, porridge, nyonya kuih and noodles that is being served to those who came. If you have rich friends and relatives, your grave will also be sponsored by them.

If you have death the family, be sure to guard the “Milo tin” (that’s where we normally keep the cash) with your life! I heard many occasion, the cash in there will go missing. Too many people come and not all are there to give but to take.

I wonder how is my youngest sister’s Wedding Planning going on. To tell you the truth, we hardly chat with each other. Maybe due to the age gap. From small we always do things on our own and never depend on each other. We are very independent. I can’t remember what my dad did to make us this way.

Anyway, I heard from my mom that she is going to buy gold accessories before getting her dowry because the price of gold is getting more expensive each day. By the time she got her dowry, maybe she could only afford a thin necklace.

I just came back from my granduncle’s funeral. My sister went around taking pictures of everything, even the corpse in the coffin. My uncle told my sis to take it!

It would be so cool to be able to post the picture in this blog. I can’t do the same for my grandfather because I didn’t have a camera then. But after asking a few bloggers, it seems that the Chinese are quite superstitious about displaying dead man’s photo.

Are you?

My one and only living granduncle (my late paternal grandfather youngest brother) finally passed away yesterday at around 1pm at home. He has been suffering from Alzheimer’s disease for at least 5 years; bedridden and can’t communicate at all like he is in a world of his own.

The only significant memory about him that affected me was of him calling me “Bayi”. “Bayi” is a Malay word for “Baby” but that was not what he is referring to. He has been calling me by that name since I told him that is my name until he stopped talking due to Alzheimer’s.

My Chinese name is May Lee. I can imagine at 2 years old when I started talking, this granduncle of mine whom I address him as ‘Cik Kong asked me my name; May became Bay and Lee became Yee. Branson hotels can turn into Handsome hotels. hahaha.

As I grew older, even though I corrected him, he will still call me by that name, Bayi. In a way, it makes me feel special. I am always a Baby!

End of last year one of my BILs and family went to Phuket for a holiday. This coming school holiday, in May, I guess, they are going to Langkawi and then Bali at the end of the year. 6 of them in the family plus MIL. That does cost a lot of money. I so envy them! Praise God for His blessing upon their life.

I did ask them when they are going for honeymoon, without the kids. They told me that for honeymoon they planned to go to Europe. Wow! I can imagine how wonderful it would be traveling from one Europe country to another and staying in Vacaciones Hoteles. I doubt that would happened to me. If I have that much money, I would not spend them on myself only.

I have been whining and complaining that I am fat but did not do anything about it, so I plan to start my dance workout tonight but with my BIL and SIL around, I don’t feel comfortable doing it. Shy lar letting them see in my aerobic attire and dancing like crazy a woman.

Oh ya, if you do not know already, I like working out late night. Two reasons; one, the children are all asleep. Two, I sleep better after sweating and getting all exhausted.

They are late sleeper too coz SIL usually come home from work around 10pm. In this case, I have to wait till they retrieve to their room. I hope before 12mn coz I need my beauty sleep too.

At Tesco last night, hubby was greeted by a Malay couple, his customer. They spoke in Malay of course. Another Chinese couple was there and the husband took a second glance at me. His 2nd glance was not pleasing at all. It has the angry and disgusting (menyampah) look. I almost could read what was on his mind. I hope he did not curse me for going out with a “Malay” man.

That is the “problem” when others see us in the public. This is due to hubby’s Malay look and me with my very Chinese feature.
I wonder how many curses have been spoken unto me since I started going out with hubby. Thank God for the power of the blood of Jesus Christ, I am protected from all these curses.

MIL fall sick again. She said that she is having runny nose. She slept most of the time. We are quite worried lar but in a way, it is good that she rest as much possible. That is what I would do if I have runny nose, sleep, sleep and sleep.

It is just that she is old and has been hospitalised that makes us worry when she sleeps all the time and not wanting to eat food or eat medicine. We are praying that she will stay healthy until the day the Lord took her home without needing any medical equipment to help her continue the remaining of her life on earth.