Day 1 at Pangkor Laut. This place is fantastic. If only it doesn't rain so much.
Kun Sam was fortunately behaving himself. He surprisingly allowed himself to be strapped in a lifejacket for the trip to Pangkor Laut too! He was so tired that he fell asleep half standing though, with his chin supported by my hand. :-)
Wish I can upload all the pix from here now, but alas I don't have the cable with me.
Jeez... It feels a little uncomfortable updating my blog in such a public space. Maybe I'll update when there are less people around me / after going back (hopefully I have the time!)
Can't wait to share all the beautiful pix of this area. If the pix didn't turn out nice, it's the camera & camera man. Definitely not because of this heavenly place.
p/s: heavenly if you can afford it... Not so heavenly if you can't! ;-)
Sunday 30 October 2011
Friday 21 October 2011
A Mother's Dilema: Am I Spoiling Him?
As much as I said I don't want to spoil my boy; sometimes it's quite hard keeping that resolve! It's indeed much easier said than done. Especially when he's your 1st and not to mention he came after many years of trying.
Last weekend, we went out to use up some cash vouchers we received as a present & what did we use it for? A "Bu Dao Ong" i.e. Self-righting-toy aka humpty-dumpty. Although it's only RM9.99, but still... is that spoiling him?
He loved it though... He laughed with glee when we hit it & the walrus-shaped bu dao ong bounced back tusk & all (no kidding, the bu dao ong is in the shape of a walrus with tusks!). It saved dede (daddy in Canto) a lot of effort when taking care of Kun Sam while mummy is on the computer working.
This week? Well, we're going for 2 coming trips as a family - Cameron & Pangkor. The hotel we're staying in Cameron has a pool as well, so I justified that it'll be great to bring Kun Sam swimming. Hence, we'll need a float! So off we went to buy a float. You can't imagine all the shapes, sizes, colours, cartoon characters etc that they have on floats now a days. We got the one that the middle of the tube had a seat so that he can sit in it rather than relying on his hands to cling to the float. I wanted the cute yellow duck that looked like the rubber ducky we float in bath tubs, but hubby said - "My son is not sitting on any Duck. He's no Duck!" (Cantonese nickname for a Gigolo is - you guessed it! - Duck). So we finally settled on a giraffe at RM14.
So.... am I spoiling him? He's only 9-months and look what I've already got for him! If I didn't control myself, I was sorely tempted to get him that push car in the shape of a tiger too (fortunately it costed RM140, so it was thankfully a huge turn-off)!
Now, the pertinent question - Am I Spoiling Him?
Last weekend, we went out to use up some cash vouchers we received as a present & what did we use it for? A "Bu Dao Ong" i.e. Self-righting-toy aka humpty-dumpty. Although it's only RM9.99, but still... is that spoiling him?
He loved it though... He laughed with glee when we hit it & the walrus-shaped bu dao ong bounced back tusk & all (no kidding, the bu dao ong is in the shape of a walrus with tusks!). It saved dede (daddy in Canto) a lot of effort when taking care of Kun Sam while mummy is on the computer working.
This week? Well, we're going for 2 coming trips as a family - Cameron & Pangkor. The hotel we're staying in Cameron has a pool as well, so I justified that it'll be great to bring Kun Sam swimming. Hence, we'll need a float! So off we went to buy a float. You can't imagine all the shapes, sizes, colours, cartoon characters etc that they have on floats now a days. We got the one that the middle of the tube had a seat so that he can sit in it rather than relying on his hands to cling to the float. I wanted the cute yellow duck that looked like the rubber ducky we float in bath tubs, but hubby said - "My son is not sitting on any Duck. He's no Duck!" (Cantonese nickname for a Gigolo is - you guessed it! - Duck). So we finally settled on a giraffe at RM14.
So.... am I spoiling him? He's only 9-months and look what I've already got for him! If I didn't control myself, I was sorely tempted to get him that push car in the shape of a tiger too (fortunately it costed RM140, so it was thankfully a huge turn-off)!
Now, the pertinent question - Am I Spoiling Him?
Thursday 20 October 2011
Shameless Plagiarism?
They say Plagiarism is the greatest form of a compliment to the original author. I hope this Special Columnist of a Chinese Daily will view my article this way. :)
This morning hubby shared with me 2 very interesting articles from this Columnist.
1. Steve Jobs passing is a great loss to the US.
US has lost 3 great talents in recent history - Johnny Cash, Bob Hope and most recent of them all - Steve Jobs. They've left a great void in the music, entertainment & technology industry. What is more ironic is that, their passing also reflected the plight of the American. With them gone, the Americans are also left "Jobs"-less, "Cash"-less and hence "Hope"-less (as in out of / no hope not that they're useless).
What a clever play of words.
2. Three Apples has changed the history of mankind.
1st Apple - The apple that Adam ate
2nd Apple - The Apple that fell on Newton's head
** Hubby went on to add - imagine if it were a durian / a coconut! Newton wouldn't have been alive to share his discovery! Of which I replied - Duh! Where got durian & coconut at the place where Newton was born-lah!?! Come to think of it, what's the biggest fruit that can come crashing down on him? Apple? Orange? Pears? None that can cause permanent head damage.
3rd Apple - The Apple that Steve Jobs co-founded
Sometimes getting this interesting articles 2nd hand via hubby; & I'm sure there's a lot of missing nuances & messages that got lost in translations; makes me wish I know how to read Chinese characters. :p
This morning hubby shared with me 2 very interesting articles from this Columnist.
1. Steve Jobs passing is a great loss to the US.
US has lost 3 great talents in recent history - Johnny Cash, Bob Hope and most recent of them all - Steve Jobs. They've left a great void in the music, entertainment & technology industry. What is more ironic is that, their passing also reflected the plight of the American. With them gone, the Americans are also left "Jobs"-less, "Cash"-less and hence "Hope"-less (as in out of / no hope not that they're useless).
What a clever play of words.
2. Three Apples has changed the history of mankind.
1st Apple - The apple that Adam ate
2nd Apple - The Apple that fell on Newton's head
** Hubby went on to add - imagine if it were a durian / a coconut! Newton wouldn't have been alive to share his discovery! Of which I replied - Duh! Where got durian & coconut at the place where Newton was born-lah!?! Come to think of it, what's the biggest fruit that can come crashing down on him? Apple? Orange? Pears? None that can cause permanent head damage.
3rd Apple - The Apple that Steve Jobs co-founded
Sometimes getting this interesting articles 2nd hand via hubby; & I'm sure there's a lot of missing nuances & messages that got lost in translations; makes me wish I know how to read Chinese characters. :p
Monday 17 October 2011
Wouldn't you love to say this to someone?
Hahaha... Received this today. I wonder when I reach a ripe ol' age similar to this lady - will I be able to say it out without getting anyone offended? Afterall, people will then tend to dismiss me as a cranky old lady with too much time in her hands. :-p
Saturday 15 October 2011
Pictures from Ming's Graduation
Jump for joy! Merdeka!!
Kun Sam holding tightly to the scroll.
Kun Sam is happy to get hold of that bear-bear.
Pressure... I'm only 9-months old lar popo... Setting the expectation for me to graduate next?
Yay! A family photo with Kun Sam distracted by a helium balloon nearby.
1 for the family! Kun Sam is again distracted by the helium balloon.
Yee Khaw having a hard time carrying both babies. Kay Lynn is looking worried... dejavu? Looks like a similar expression that Kun Sam had on in the earlier post.
Yay. This is nice... How often do you see the son-in-law standing so close to their mum-in-law? *wink* *wink*Pictures from 2011 Chinese New Year
Kun Sam a matter of days away from his 1st month milestone being carried for the first time by Yee Khaw. Even at such tender age, he's already wise enough to be worried... ;)
Hehe... So small already know how to complaint that Yee Khaw is not carrying him right!
This is Yee Khaw's doing! It's baby's talkum powder supposedly to keep the bum dry but used to "make-up" Kun Sam's face.
Our family photo for 2011 CNY. The rare few of the more serious variety. Wait till you see the others!
Us doing the "Lou-Sang" of the "Yee Sang" - chinese version of the salad. Can mix but can't eat. I was still in my confinement period, so I can't eat a lot of stuff. Sigh...
Hehe... See what I mean? Our silly family potrait # 1. Lean to the left everyone?! Shen doing that silly face. Mum looked like she's surrounded by loonies...
Now lean to the right!! Tihi!
Now everyone do the Love Arch! Purrrrrrrr-fect!
Random Pictures from 2010 & 2011
Popo just a few months before she passed away. I'm glad we took this picture. It's a testament to her sporting-ness & her spirit! Love you popo!
Never in a million years would I ever imagine us taking such a photo of mummy & daddy! Gagagagaga.... Definitely something to keep to show the grandchildren! The King & Queen of the house!
I love this picture. It was taken at Taiping Lake and Kun Sam was only 2-months old. How I wish I can do something about my handbag slung over hubby's shoulder though. So un-macho.
Hihi... Kun Sam's in Chin jiji's arms (Kun Sam's Grand auntie).
If I crop this pix a little, think it'll look like he's the one taking this pix using a handphone camera! :) Here's Kun Sam being carried by Nicole in her house.
Kun Sam at Puchong with "Yee Khaw" (i.e. 2nd uncle)
Kun Sam giving that "manja" look with "Khaw Foo". Wanna "bodek" for something?
At Shen's wedding. I must say I like this pix. It would have been nicer if Kun Sam were to face the camera, but not complaining.
Book Review: A Partisan's Daughter by Louis de Bernieres
I don't know... Maybe it's just me. I don't know how to appreciate this book. It's not a drag. It's not boring. It's not difficult to read. Yet I don't particularly fancy this.
It's about a regular guy in his 40s who's stuck in a boring marriage where both husband & wife have fallen into a regular routine & any love that was there (if there were any to start with) was no longer evident.
One night, he chances upon a Yugoslavian girl in her twenties whom he assumed was a prostitute from her dressing. Upon inviting her into his car & sending her home, he lost whatever guts he had earlier, to even ask for her "service". In fact, she even denied that she's a prostitute.
They proceeded to talk. She doing most of the talking, he - a keen listener; drinking in all her words. She started sharing tales from her past. Some sad, some interesting, some enlightening, some morbid. It got him hooked for more. Day after day he'd come more for the tales that she told; that the line between truth & tall tales began to go blurry. He continues to be the avid listener who's shocked / sometimes disturbed by the stories / "revelations", yet felt the constant pull to come back for more. Needless to say, as the books suggests, she's a Partisan's daughter.
In turn, she's also addicted by his presence. As an adored artist with a loyal fan. She can't fail him. She wants to continue feeding him with interesting stories that will keep him coming back for more.
Eventually, as in all relationships, something happened to end their regular meets. They lost touch & he's left story-deprived, with no clue as to where has vanished.
The whole book is actually a patch-work of stories that this 20-yr-old Yugoslav girl told this man, interjected with questions and dialogs between the 2-characters & sometimes the eccentric housemates of the girl. Just like the ones where Scheherazade's tells her tales every single night to satisfy her King & in return, be allowed to live for another day (though admittedly, I think the stories were less entertaining).
If this is your cuppa - can give it a try. If you know your taste is similar to mine in terms of books; then don't bother. :)
It's about a regular guy in his 40s who's stuck in a boring marriage where both husband & wife have fallen into a regular routine & any love that was there (if there were any to start with) was no longer evident.
One night, he chances upon a Yugoslavian girl in her twenties whom he assumed was a prostitute from her dressing. Upon inviting her into his car & sending her home, he lost whatever guts he had earlier, to even ask for her "service". In fact, she even denied that she's a prostitute.
They proceeded to talk. She doing most of the talking, he - a keen listener; drinking in all her words. She started sharing tales from her past. Some sad, some interesting, some enlightening, some morbid. It got him hooked for more. Day after day he'd come more for the tales that she told; that the line between truth & tall tales began to go blurry. He continues to be the avid listener who's shocked / sometimes disturbed by the stories / "revelations", yet felt the constant pull to come back for more. Needless to say, as the books suggests, she's a Partisan's daughter.
In turn, she's also addicted by his presence. As an adored artist with a loyal fan. She can't fail him. She wants to continue feeding him with interesting stories that will keep him coming back for more.
Eventually, as in all relationships, something happened to end their regular meets. They lost touch & he's left story-deprived, with no clue as to where has vanished.
The whole book is actually a patch-work of stories that this 20-yr-old Yugoslav girl told this man, interjected with questions and dialogs between the 2-characters & sometimes the eccentric housemates of the girl. Just like the ones where Scheherazade's tells her tales every single night to satisfy her King & in return, be allowed to live for another day (though admittedly, I think the stories were less entertaining).
If this is your cuppa - can give it a try. If you know your taste is similar to mine in terms of books; then don't bother. :)
Book Review: Cupid's Melody by Karen Fox
Nic Stone is a super hot Faery who fell in love with a mortal, Anna. He doesn't want to lose her, so asked the Queen of the Fae to grant Anna immortality. Little did he know that to gain immortality, Anna will have to die first and be reborn as an immortal.
He had to wait 25-years before he get to find his wife in the mortal world. Why 25-years? Well, his wife is reborn as a mortal, she can't be immediately grow to adulthood. So he had to bid his time before going after her again. However, it turns out the Queen of Fae wanted Nic for herself, so she made it difficult for him... His Anna will have no recollection whatsoever of their relationship or their love for each other. So even if he were to ever find her in the mortal world, he'll have to win her over all over again!
He finally found her - in the form of Dianna Fielding, who is the spitting image of his wife Anna. Anna - Dianna, shouldn't this be a second indicator besides her look?! In this life, Dianna's a famous singer who is already engaged & lives in a large property with her sister cum manager, Stacy. In order to have the opportunity to get close to Dianna to enable to make her fall head-over-heels in love with him all over again, he masquerades as the new gardener of their large property.
However, the strangest thing is he found that other than Dianna's looks, nothing else resembles his lost love - Anna. Strangely, he seem to be attracted to Stacy instead. Is he falling in love with another woman (i.e. Stacy rather than Anna) or he's under the spell of the Queen of Fae to sidetrack him from his quest. After all, she threw in another condition that he has to win his Anna's love or lose her forever & he'll be hers for all eternity. So what's stopping her from pulling another fast one at him.
So despite the strong attraction / pull he felt for Stacy, his stuck his quest to winning Stacy - with fiancee / not? I'll let you guess the ending (which I guessed half way through the book) or better yet! Go ahead and read it!
This is definitely a light read / chick lit suitable for a lazy afternoon during the weekend.
He had to wait 25-years before he get to find his wife in the mortal world. Why 25-years? Well, his wife is reborn as a mortal, she can't be immediately grow to adulthood. So he had to bid his time before going after her again. However, it turns out the Queen of Fae wanted Nic for herself, so she made it difficult for him... His Anna will have no recollection whatsoever of their relationship or their love for each other. So even if he were to ever find her in the mortal world, he'll have to win her over all over again!
He finally found her - in the form of Dianna Fielding, who is the spitting image of his wife Anna. Anna - Dianna, shouldn't this be a second indicator besides her look?! In this life, Dianna's a famous singer who is already engaged & lives in a large property with her sister cum manager, Stacy. In order to have the opportunity to get close to Dianna to enable to make her fall head-over-heels in love with him all over again, he masquerades as the new gardener of their large property.
However, the strangest thing is he found that other than Dianna's looks, nothing else resembles his lost love - Anna. Strangely, he seem to be attracted to Stacy instead. Is he falling in love with another woman (i.e. Stacy rather than Anna) or he's under the spell of the Queen of Fae to sidetrack him from his quest. After all, she threw in another condition that he has to win his Anna's love or lose her forever & he'll be hers for all eternity. So what's stopping her from pulling another fast one at him.
So despite the strong attraction / pull he felt for Stacy, his stuck his quest to winning Stacy - with fiancee / not? I'll let you guess the ending (which I guessed half way through the book) or better yet! Go ahead and read it!
This is definitely a light read / chick lit suitable for a lazy afternoon during the weekend.
Book Review: Shakespeare's Apprentice by Veronice Bennet
It's interesting that this is a novel of an unknown within Shakespeare's circle. Of course, the main character in this novel is a fiction of the author's imagination. However, it's truly a rare find that Shakespeare the great artist / playwright plays second fiddle in this novel.
It's about Sam Gilburne. A farmer's son who has ambitions to make it big in the world of theatre under the great (though not exactly that great yet at the time of this tale) Shakespeare. During the time when no women are allowed to play women's roles; they are performed by boys who've yet to developed their post-puberty low octave voices. Sam Gilburne is one of them. Not the leading female role though. Most of his roles are minor roles.
In comes the heroine - Lucie Cheetham, the niece of Lord Essex, a favourite courtier of Queen Elizabeth. Same old storyline of the gap between the rich & the poor, the powerful vs the weak, the influential vs. a nobody, the cream of the crop vs. the weeds in the common field - but love is blind to status & wealth. Naturally the love pair did not have it easy, but they had Master Shakespeare on their side.
Eventually circumstances changed. The ones in favour ran out of favour and with a bit of drama (read for yourself!), the lovebirds finally got together. The End... Yea, unlike Master Shakespeare's works, this actually has a happy ending.
A good light read over a weekend. Must warn, it may be termed chick-lit to some.
It's about Sam Gilburne. A farmer's son who has ambitions to make it big in the world of theatre under the great (though not exactly that great yet at the time of this tale) Shakespeare. During the time when no women are allowed to play women's roles; they are performed by boys who've yet to developed their post-puberty low octave voices. Sam Gilburne is one of them. Not the leading female role though. Most of his roles are minor roles.
In comes the heroine - Lucie Cheetham, the niece of Lord Essex, a favourite courtier of Queen Elizabeth. Same old storyline of the gap between the rich & the poor, the powerful vs the weak, the influential vs. a nobody, the cream of the crop vs. the weeds in the common field - but love is blind to status & wealth. Naturally the love pair did not have it easy, but they had Master Shakespeare on their side.
Eventually circumstances changed. The ones in favour ran out of favour and with a bit of drama (read for yourself!), the lovebirds finally got together. The End... Yea, unlike Master Shakespeare's works, this actually has a happy ending.
A good light read over a weekend. Must warn, it may be termed chick-lit to some.
Friday 14 October 2011
Book Review: The Self Preservation Society by Kate Harrison
Boy - were there ever a draggier start than this novel. Throughout my whole 10-days stay in the maternity ward post-Cesarean, I was reading (or trying to read) this book and I only managed to reach page 16 by the end of my stay!
One of my quirks is that I can't stand leaving a book unfinished. Once I started reading one, no matter how draggy, I'll feel like I've left an incomplete "business" if I don't finish it. So I "persevered" :-) Surprisingly it took a turn for the better & by the time I reach the middle, it became interesting enough for me to complete the read in less than half the time taken for the 1st half.
The heroine - Jo Morgan, is obsessed in self preservation after watching a documentary about the Hiroshima nuclear bombing & its effects on the survivors. The sysnopsis on the back cover summarizes her nicely - "As a little girl, she stockpiled baked beans in case of a nuclear holocaust; now she works in accident prevention, trying to protect the world from conker injuries, killer-cosies and death by chocolate."
One day she got involved in an accident - a cyclist hit-and-run while she was crossing the road (yea... despite all her efforts in ensuring self-preservation). She was hospitalised and was in a coma (yet get to hear a lot of discussion around her). When she finally "woke-up", suddenly her view of life changed. She met an old retiree at the hospital who helped prod her towards taking more "chances" / "risks" that she'd not dare to before. In the process she got to know the grandson of the old man who had issues of his own. Rather than revealing too much in case you'd be interested to read the book, suffice to say, they ended up "healing" each other.
By the way, I got to know the terms for the many phobias out there. Each chapter interestingly starts with a type of phobia & its' definition. Thought of listing them all down:
1) Nucleomituphobia - Fear of Nuclear Weapons (who's not?)
2) Tyrannophobia - Fear of Tyrants
3) Ephebiphobia - Fear of Teenagers
4) Gamophobia - Fear of Marriage
5) Alliumphobia - Fear of Garlic (Dracula / Vampires ;p)
6) Gnosiophobia - Fear of Knowledge
7) Nosocomephobia - Fear of Hospitals
8) Russophobia - Fear of Russians
9) Nostophobia - Fear of Returning Home (so where do they live?)
10) Soteriophobia - Dependence on Others
11) Phengophobia - Fear of Daylight or Sunshine
12) Bibliophobia - Fear of Books (this will definitely NOT happen to me!)
13) Xenophobia - Fear of Strangers or Foreigners
14) Cibophobia - Fear of Food
15) Frigophobia - Fear of Cold Things (no ice-creams? oh no!)
16) Ergophobia - Fear of Work (who doesn't? Wonder if there's fear of lack of work?)
17) Ichthyophobia - Fear of Fish (hmm.... I had that in my 1st Trimester. Can't stand the smell of it!)
18) Potamophobia - Fear of Rivers or Running Water
19) Cenophobia - Fear of New Things or Ideas
20) Radiophobia - Fear of Radiation
21) Atychiphobia - Fear of Failure
22) Tachophobia - Fear of Speed
23) Syngenesophobia - Fear of Relatives
24) Melophobia - Fear of Music
25) Theatrophobia - Fear of Theatres (I'll miss knowing Phantom of the Opera!)
26) Dishabiliophobia - Fear of Undressing in Front of Someone
27) Illyngophobia - Fear of Vertigo
28) Xyrophobia - Fear of Razors (fortunately there's convenient cold wax now. Otherwise, will be very hairy indeed)
29) Dromophobia - Fear of Crossing Streets
30) Taphephobia - Fear of Being Buried Alive
31) Arachibutyrophobia - Fear of Peanut Butter Sticking to the Roof of the Mouth (Wow!)
32) Enochlophobia - Fear of Crowds
33) Optophobia - Fear of Opening One's Eyes
34) Pyrophobia - Fear of Fire
35) Oneirophobia - Fear of Dreams
36) Athazagoraphobia - Fear of Being Forgotten
37) Tropophobia - Fear of Making Changes
38) Euphobia - Fear of Hearing Good News (errr.... ???)
39) Doxophobia - Fear of Expressing Opinions (I know a couple of those... Storm?? *wink*)
40) Philophobia - Fear of Falling in Love
41) Ouranophobia - Fear of Heaven (and the person would rather go to Hell?!?)
Good to know huh? :D
One of my quirks is that I can't stand leaving a book unfinished. Once I started reading one, no matter how draggy, I'll feel like I've left an incomplete "business" if I don't finish it. So I "persevered" :-) Surprisingly it took a turn for the better & by the time I reach the middle, it became interesting enough for me to complete the read in less than half the time taken for the 1st half.
The heroine - Jo Morgan, is obsessed in self preservation after watching a documentary about the Hiroshima nuclear bombing & its effects on the survivors. The sysnopsis on the back cover summarizes her nicely - "As a little girl, she stockpiled baked beans in case of a nuclear holocaust; now she works in accident prevention, trying to protect the world from conker injuries, killer-cosies and death by chocolate."
One day she got involved in an accident - a cyclist hit-and-run while she was crossing the road (yea... despite all her efforts in ensuring self-preservation). She was hospitalised and was in a coma (yet get to hear a lot of discussion around her). When she finally "woke-up", suddenly her view of life changed. She met an old retiree at the hospital who helped prod her towards taking more "chances" / "risks" that she'd not dare to before. In the process she got to know the grandson of the old man who had issues of his own. Rather than revealing too much in case you'd be interested to read the book, suffice to say, they ended up "healing" each other.
By the way, I got to know the terms for the many phobias out there. Each chapter interestingly starts with a type of phobia & its' definition. Thought of listing them all down:
1) Nucleomituphobia - Fear of Nuclear Weapons (who's not?)
2) Tyrannophobia - Fear of Tyrants
3) Ephebiphobia - Fear of Teenagers
4) Gamophobia - Fear of Marriage
5) Alliumphobia - Fear of Garlic (Dracula / Vampires ;p)
6) Gnosiophobia - Fear of Knowledge
7) Nosocomephobia - Fear of Hospitals
8) Russophobia - Fear of Russians
9) Nostophobia - Fear of Returning Home (so where do they live?)
10) Soteriophobia - Dependence on Others
11) Phengophobia - Fear of Daylight or Sunshine
12) Bibliophobia - Fear of Books (this will definitely NOT happen to me!)
13) Xenophobia - Fear of Strangers or Foreigners
14) Cibophobia - Fear of Food
15) Frigophobia - Fear of Cold Things (no ice-creams? oh no!)
16) Ergophobia - Fear of Work (who doesn't? Wonder if there's fear of lack of work?)
17) Ichthyophobia - Fear of Fish (hmm.... I had that in my 1st Trimester. Can't stand the smell of it!)
18) Potamophobia - Fear of Rivers or Running Water
19) Cenophobia - Fear of New Things or Ideas
20) Radiophobia - Fear of Radiation
21) Atychiphobia - Fear of Failure
22) Tachophobia - Fear of Speed
23) Syngenesophobia - Fear of Relatives
24) Melophobia - Fear of Music
25) Theatrophobia - Fear of Theatres (I'll miss knowing Phantom of the Opera!)
26) Dishabiliophobia - Fear of Undressing in Front of Someone
27) Illyngophobia - Fear of Vertigo
28) Xyrophobia - Fear of Razors (fortunately there's convenient cold wax now. Otherwise, will be very hairy indeed)
29) Dromophobia - Fear of Crossing Streets
30) Taphephobia - Fear of Being Buried Alive
31) Arachibutyrophobia - Fear of Peanut Butter Sticking to the Roof of the Mouth (Wow!)
32) Enochlophobia - Fear of Crowds
33) Optophobia - Fear of Opening One's Eyes
34) Pyrophobia - Fear of Fire
35) Oneirophobia - Fear of Dreams
36) Athazagoraphobia - Fear of Being Forgotten
37) Tropophobia - Fear of Making Changes
38) Euphobia - Fear of Hearing Good News (errr.... ???)
39) Doxophobia - Fear of Expressing Opinions (I know a couple of those... Storm?? *wink*)
40) Philophobia - Fear of Falling in Love
41) Ouranophobia - Fear of Heaven (and the person would rather go to Hell?!?)
Good to know huh? :D
Thursday 13 October 2011
Book Review: Empress Orchid by Anchee Min
I love a good historical fiction. Geography is not a matter. It can be England, Egypt, Greece, Rome, China, Tibet or Timbuktu, if it's a good blend of real historical figures with fictitious plots or storyline (closely linked to true historical events) or behind the scenes of the events. I'm a sucker for it if it fulfills that criteria.
Let's just say that this book fulfills all the above expectations and more.
I've read and heard a lot about the Last Empress. More often than not, in bad light. She's always that "Dragon Lady" who's nasty to her subjects, heartless on the account of how she manages the "love life" of the emperor, her "son" and her penchant for draining national resources on frivolous projects without a care.
This book however, gave me a totally different view of the Last Empress. Instead of "judging" her actions (as we mere mortals tend to do), the author managed to present possibilities that her various historically "evil" / poor decisions & actions may not be borne out of any malice! There are possibilities that she may be the victim of circumstances. The strong & resilient woman (at an age where women are seen as only good enough for breeding, mending & cooking) taking the blame for the fall of an ancient empire - regardless of the fact that the empire was already a very sick "dragon" by the time she came too power.
Historically, across the Globe, we're a race (& I mean the human race here) that tend to pass judgement & "assign" a scapegoat to any downfall. In this case, the person to take the blame & carry that "shame" for all eternity as part of records we call "history", just happens to conveniently be the Empress Orchid (Yehonala). No (or I should amend - to a lesser degree) blame was heaped on the emperor himself or the emperors before him (caveat: I must exclude Kang Xi & err... I can't remember the other great emperor; from the list), who did not have the foresight nor take the effort to keep up the ancient glory of China in comparison to the progress of the industrial revolution in the West.
This novel explores the various historical events including the infamous marble "entertainment boat" that was commisioned under the empress' name - and present a different view. The view of the empress herself. What if she did not commission that expensive & frivolous project? What if it was all an attempt of the court official's "smear" campaign to tarnish her name to hand-over the reins to the next of kin that they can better / easily manipulate? What if she's a victim - who's forced to take up the rein? What if the officials around her & court politics were so life threatening that she had to go along with some of the decisions put forth by some powerful ministers despite not being the best course of action? What if she truly wanted to bring in smart & fresh new blood as part of the advisory team within the ministries but were hampered by the traditional Manchu ministers who are unable to accept Hans among their midst? What if she very much wanted her son to take over the rein, but the rein was thrust back to her in pursuit of more "fun" endeavors like "accumulating" concubines?
Are we truly reading "history" and facts when we go through the various scribes of the period? It may very well be recorded based on the perception of the scribe / historian - not the actual dynamics behind that occured behind the scenes. If so, could we have "prosecuted" the Empress by our righteous judgement of her supposed actions?
Yea... amazing isn't it! I got all this from reading "fiction"! :)
Summary: I'm truly satisfied - both in entertainment & mental stimulation. Not for those who find history a bore & too tedious to recall the various characters that fleet through the various scenes. I must also warn that at times it's also very depressing (even for me, it got rather difficult to continue) - especially towards the end when losing is inevitable & just a matter of time.
I came across a quote once that "History is written by the victors". This piece of work indirectly demonstrated such possibility. She's in the losing team in this case - so are we reading records of the victor or hers? Points to Ponder.
Let's just say that this book fulfills all the above expectations and more.
I've read and heard a lot about the Last Empress. More often than not, in bad light. She's always that "Dragon Lady" who's nasty to her subjects, heartless on the account of how she manages the "love life" of the emperor, her "son" and her penchant for draining national resources on frivolous projects without a care.
This book however, gave me a totally different view of the Last Empress. Instead of "judging" her actions (as we mere mortals tend to do), the author managed to present possibilities that her various historically "evil" / poor decisions & actions may not be borne out of any malice! There are possibilities that she may be the victim of circumstances. The strong & resilient woman (at an age where women are seen as only good enough for breeding, mending & cooking) taking the blame for the fall of an ancient empire - regardless of the fact that the empire was already a very sick "dragon" by the time she came too power.
Historically, across the Globe, we're a race (& I mean the human race here) that tend to pass judgement & "assign" a scapegoat to any downfall. In this case, the person to take the blame & carry that "shame" for all eternity as part of records we call "history", just happens to conveniently be the Empress Orchid (Yehonala). No (or I should amend - to a lesser degree) blame was heaped on the emperor himself or the emperors before him (caveat: I must exclude Kang Xi & err... I can't remember the other great emperor; from the list), who did not have the foresight nor take the effort to keep up the ancient glory of China in comparison to the progress of the industrial revolution in the West.
This novel explores the various historical events including the infamous marble "entertainment boat" that was commisioned under the empress' name - and present a different view. The view of the empress herself. What if she did not commission that expensive & frivolous project? What if it was all an attempt of the court official's "smear" campaign to tarnish her name to hand-over the reins to the next of kin that they can better / easily manipulate? What if she's a victim - who's forced to take up the rein? What if the officials around her & court politics were so life threatening that she had to go along with some of the decisions put forth by some powerful ministers despite not being the best course of action? What if she truly wanted to bring in smart & fresh new blood as part of the advisory team within the ministries but were hampered by the traditional Manchu ministers who are unable to accept Hans among their midst? What if she very much wanted her son to take over the rein, but the rein was thrust back to her in pursuit of more "fun" endeavors like "accumulating" concubines?
Are we truly reading "history" and facts when we go through the various scribes of the period? It may very well be recorded based on the perception of the scribe / historian - not the actual dynamics behind that occured behind the scenes. If so, could we have "prosecuted" the Empress by our righteous judgement of her supposed actions?
Yea... amazing isn't it! I got all this from reading "fiction"! :)
Summary: I'm truly satisfied - both in entertainment & mental stimulation. Not for those who find history a bore & too tedious to recall the various characters that fleet through the various scenes. I must also warn that at times it's also very depressing (even for me, it got rather difficult to continue) - especially towards the end when losing is inevitable & just a matter of time.
I came across a quote once that "History is written by the victors". This piece of work indirectly demonstrated such possibility. She's in the losing team in this case - so are we reading records of the victor or hers? Points to Ponder.
Tuesday 11 October 2011
Brother's Convocation
Last Sunday, was my youngest brother's (Ming) Convocation. It was held at his university's Cyberjaya campus (MMU).
The family activities however started as early as Saturday. Ming arranged for a studio photo shoot. What was supposed to be his graduation photo shoot turned into a family photo shoot! Not just the family at large but even the individual families (i.e. Shen's family & of course moi). I even went to set my hair! :-) One thing about family portraits, you better get it right, or else it's going to be there on the wall to haunt you for the rest of your life!
We also took the opportunity to take a black & white photo of Kun Sam on the crawl pose. What was supposed to be a single 8R photo ended up being 5 x 5R photos and 1 x 8R photo... tihi... sigh... but they're so good at capturing his nice pix that I can't resist taking almost all of them! I would have taken more if it doesn't cost so much already!
So by the time we finished it was 7pm. We had lunch at a restaurant nearby & went back to the hotel in Kajang (Metro Inn) that Ming booked. Not too bad at RM193/night for 2 Super single bed with breakfast included; if not for:
1) the room smells like the inside of a "smoking room" at the airport lounge - the cigarette smell was so thick & strong tht I had a sore throat after just sleeping a night there
2) the room's window is blocked by a massive signboard, so it's always dark without the lights on
3) due to the lightings of the signboard, the room was very hot. With the aircond on full blast, it was still hot that daddy who's normally afraid of the aircond can sleep shirtless! Needless to say dear hubby was sweating like a p*g.
4) Breakfast was really bad. Porridge was cold, only boiled eggs (no fried), wilted salads, baked beans was as cold as if they just dumped out from the can without bothering to heat it up, sausages were sliced & cooked with burnt-black onions (I sure hope it was not prepared by a chef - or he / she should be ashamed for even graduating!), fishballs cooked in chili sauce, fried noodles & fried rice. The only thing nice in the whole buffet spread was the fried noodles. In summary, you'll do better to starve!
Anyway, back to the story at hand - Ming's graduation. :-p
Mummy, Daddy & Ming left much earlier to attend the Convocation itself since there's only space for 2. So the rest of us only go over after breakfast & after the whole ceremony. Upon reaching there, it's another few hours of photo taking. Poor mummy was by then so hungry (they didn't have much for breakfast), she had to take some cream biscuits.
Kun Sam surprisingly did not fuss much despite the sweltering heat. He was busy observing things & people around him. He grabs at the scroll case & refuses to let go. He wore his uncle's mortar & get his pix taken like a pro. He then eyed all the helium baloons around him with dreamy eyes that it tugs grandma & grandpa's heart strings... **shakes head**. At the end, he got his wish when grandma & grandpa got him an "Angry Bird" helium baloon! Really... It's true when people say it's always the grandparents who does the spoiling... I said to them "I think you'd not have bought it if it were to be for your own kids right?"; of which they unanimously answered "YES!" **roll eyes**
It was 2++pm by the time we're done & I've given Ming his graduation pressie (a CAT watch & a congratulations card including Kun Sam's signing off as "your lovable nephew"! ;-p). Lunch was at Alamanda Putrajaya at 3pm. Not knowing where to eat, we finally selected Manhattan Fish Market. It's my first visit there. The food? ok ok lar... but not really worth the prices. RM200++ for 7 pax! I know... it's cheap for a Western eatery (vs TGIF, Tony Roma's, Bubba Gump etc), but still... the fishies were Dory... the squids were reconstituted... can't blame me for expecting more for that price. But to be fair, part of the bill is for 16% services + government tax, which is also quite a hefty sum. Not even sure wht am I paying for in tht 16%.
All in all, the weekend ended too fast. Despite wanting to drop by at the Big Bad Wolf Book Fair, can't make it this weekend. Fortunately they're having it across 2 weekends. Crossing fingers nothing disrupts my plans. Will post more updates on the Big Bad Wolf later...
The family activities however started as early as Saturday. Ming arranged for a studio photo shoot. What was supposed to be his graduation photo shoot turned into a family photo shoot! Not just the family at large but even the individual families (i.e. Shen's family & of course moi). I even went to set my hair! :-) One thing about family portraits, you better get it right, or else it's going to be there on the wall to haunt you for the rest of your life!
We also took the opportunity to take a black & white photo of Kun Sam on the crawl pose. What was supposed to be a single 8R photo ended up being 5 x 5R photos and 1 x 8R photo... tihi... sigh... but they're so good at capturing his nice pix that I can't resist taking almost all of them! I would have taken more if it doesn't cost so much already!
So by the time we finished it was 7pm. We had lunch at a restaurant nearby & went back to the hotel in Kajang (Metro Inn) that Ming booked. Not too bad at RM193/night for 2 Super single bed with breakfast included; if not for:
1) the room smells like the inside of a "smoking room" at the airport lounge - the cigarette smell was so thick & strong tht I had a sore throat after just sleeping a night there
2) the room's window is blocked by a massive signboard, so it's always dark without the lights on
3) due to the lightings of the signboard, the room was very hot. With the aircond on full blast, it was still hot that daddy who's normally afraid of the aircond can sleep shirtless! Needless to say dear hubby was sweating like a p*g.
4) Breakfast was really bad. Porridge was cold, only boiled eggs (no fried), wilted salads, baked beans was as cold as if they just dumped out from the can without bothering to heat it up, sausages were sliced & cooked with burnt-black onions (I sure hope it was not prepared by a chef - or he / she should be ashamed for even graduating!), fishballs cooked in chili sauce, fried noodles & fried rice. The only thing nice in the whole buffet spread was the fried noodles. In summary, you'll do better to starve!
Anyway, back to the story at hand - Ming's graduation. :-p
Mummy, Daddy & Ming left much earlier to attend the Convocation itself since there's only space for 2. So the rest of us only go over after breakfast & after the whole ceremony. Upon reaching there, it's another few hours of photo taking. Poor mummy was by then so hungry (they didn't have much for breakfast), she had to take some cream biscuits.
Kun Sam surprisingly did not fuss much despite the sweltering heat. He was busy observing things & people around him. He grabs at the scroll case & refuses to let go. He wore his uncle's mortar & get his pix taken like a pro. He then eyed all the helium baloons around him with dreamy eyes that it tugs grandma & grandpa's heart strings... **shakes head**. At the end, he got his wish when grandma & grandpa got him an "Angry Bird" helium baloon! Really... It's true when people say it's always the grandparents who does the spoiling... I said to them "I think you'd not have bought it if it were to be for your own kids right?"; of which they unanimously answered "YES!" **roll eyes**
It was 2++pm by the time we're done & I've given Ming his graduation pressie (a CAT watch & a congratulations card including Kun Sam's signing off as "your lovable nephew"! ;-p). Lunch was at Alamanda Putrajaya at 3pm. Not knowing where to eat, we finally selected Manhattan Fish Market. It's my first visit there. The food? ok ok lar... but not really worth the prices. RM200++ for 7 pax! I know... it's cheap for a Western eatery (vs TGIF, Tony Roma's, Bubba Gump etc), but still... the fishies were Dory... the squids were reconstituted... can't blame me for expecting more for that price. But to be fair, part of the bill is for 16% services + government tax, which is also quite a hefty sum. Not even sure wht am I paying for in tht 16%.
All in all, the weekend ended too fast. Despite wanting to drop by at the Big Bad Wolf Book Fair, can't make it this weekend. Fortunately they're having it across 2 weekends. Crossing fingers nothing disrupts my plans. Will post more updates on the Big Bad Wolf later...
Mid Week Rambles II - continued
As I drove home the other day after posting the Mid Week Rambles II, I discovered that there are several more to be added to the list:
11) Why does the fast lane tend to be the slowest to move?
12) Why does a motorcyclist need to occupy the middle of the road when they're already "invading" the entire stretch in between cars making it impossible to change lanes (refer to the earlier comment in II)?
13) Why do people slow down to look at what they thought was an "accident" only to discover it's a car / lorry that has broken down so speed off disappointed, but in the process had caused / left behind a 5km crawl behind him / her?
14) Why do we have people who drive at 1st lane speed but occupying the fast lane, causing the 1st & 2nd lane to move faster than the 3rd lane (I may have answered #11 :-p)?
15) Why do I get the stink eye / "royal salute" finger / a kick at my boot when I have given ample signal that I'd want to turn & the only inconvenience to the motorcyclist was the fact that he / she had to slow down?
16) Imagine coming out of a junction to a main road where the crawl started even before the junction, am I supposed to drive opposite direction to get to the back of the line so as not to cut que? That's ridiculous right? Yet I get the same stink eye / "royal salute" / much blinding flashing of headlights, but this time from car owners. "Pardon me, I don't intend to cut que, but I really was coming out from that junction over there!"
It's things like this that makes me want to work from home more often...
11) Why does the fast lane tend to be the slowest to move?
12) Why does a motorcyclist need to occupy the middle of the road when they're already "invading" the entire stretch in between cars making it impossible to change lanes (refer to the earlier comment in II)?
13) Why do people slow down to look at what they thought was an "accident" only to discover it's a car / lorry that has broken down so speed off disappointed, but in the process had caused / left behind a 5km crawl behind him / her?
14) Why do we have people who drive at 1st lane speed but occupying the fast lane, causing the 1st & 2nd lane to move faster than the 3rd lane (I may have answered #11 :-p)?
15) Why do I get the stink eye / "royal salute" finger / a kick at my boot when I have given ample signal that I'd want to turn & the only inconvenience to the motorcyclist was the fact that he / she had to slow down?
16) Imagine coming out of a junction to a main road where the crawl started even before the junction, am I supposed to drive opposite direction to get to the back of the line so as not to cut que? That's ridiculous right? Yet I get the same stink eye / "royal salute" / much blinding flashing of headlights, but this time from car owners. "Pardon me, I don't intend to cut que, but I really was coming out from that junction over there!"
It's things like this that makes me want to work from home more often...
Wednesday 5 October 2011
Mid Week Rambles II
I was just thinking to myself this morning that I really need to post some comments on road etiquette in Malaysia (or KL specifically) but never got around to doing it. What better time to do it if not now while I'm waiting for the cumbersome processes do its work.
Some of my observations of KL's roads & its many users:
1) notice tht when it's gridlock jam, the emergency lanes just disappears?
2) the jam escalates to a standstill because people jump que via the emergency lane
3) when faced with a 3-lane road where 1-lane is to turn out (& is jam packed at the moment) while the other 2-lanes are to continue straight (with no traffic beyond the fork), all 3 lanes will be on gridlock because motorists use the 2nd & 3rd lane to jump que into the 1-lane. So despite having dual carriageway to handle the massive traffic flow, it's still of no use because it's being exploited by the inconsiderate few (or rather, many...).
4) the motorcycles are not on the inner lanes but in between cars of a 2-3 carriageway & there were a constant stream of them that despite putting on corner lights, you'll still get honked. So in the end you're confined to the lane that you got yourself in until you come to the junction that you absolutely need to turn. Then how? Turn very slowly & risk getting honked by the motorcyclists + the cars behind you + the cars at the junction where you want to turn in to.
5) you'll need to watch out for the safety of the motorcyclist. Their safety is YOUR responsibility, not theirs. If the motorcyclist suddenly swerve out of a junction into your path, it's YOUR responsibility to slam on the emergency brakes & risk getting hit by the car behind you. If the motorcyclist overtakes dangerously close to your car, it's YOUR responsibility to swerve as well to avoid them (but at the risk of driving into the car on the lane next to you).
6) Yet, if a motorcyclist were to fall near you within 50m radius - BEWARE! the blame will be on you. Despite stopping in time, the fingers will immediately point to the car nearest to the fallen motorcyclist because it's always assumed that the big motorist always "bully" the smaller motorist. Err... Who's the bigger bully here (refer to 5)?
7) Despite having Puspakom checking our lorries & trucks & buses, we still hear a lot of traffic reports over the radio that announced "a stalled trailer is currently obstructing traffic on xyz road" / "if you're coming from abc, pls be aware that there's a stalled bus on your right lane....". I'm not accusing / claiming anything... I'm just stating the obvious. If someone "tasted" the heat / spice, well it must have came from somewhere... **wink**
8) When a motorist spots a traffic police, the speed will suddenly reduce from 180km/hr to 18km/hr; resulting in a massive crawl 10km away at the back. Why bother slowing down in front of him. If indeed it's a speed trap, slowing down will not change the result - you're still getting that ticket... (or... **wink** I didn't say anything...)
9) Potholes the size of a sinkhole! How can the road ever qualify being a KL road if there aren't any! My suspension suffers
10) Heaven forbid if there's a night market nearby! Double & triple park is legal, as long as there's still 1-lane left for the motorist to move... it's fine to continue encroaching the main roads.
Well, I've finally got all of the road frustrations off my chest... night night...
psst... & I finally get to finish work & leave! Hurrah!
Now to face the dreaded traffic I listed earlier.... sigh...
Some of my observations of KL's roads & its many users:
1) notice tht when it's gridlock jam, the emergency lanes just disappears?
2) the jam escalates to a standstill because people jump que via the emergency lane
3) when faced with a 3-lane road where 1-lane is to turn out (& is jam packed at the moment) while the other 2-lanes are to continue straight (with no traffic beyond the fork), all 3 lanes will be on gridlock because motorists use the 2nd & 3rd lane to jump que into the 1-lane. So despite having dual carriageway to handle the massive traffic flow, it's still of no use because it's being exploited by the inconsiderate few (or rather, many...).
4) the motorcycles are not on the inner lanes but in between cars of a 2-3 carriageway & there were a constant stream of them that despite putting on corner lights, you'll still get honked. So in the end you're confined to the lane that you got yourself in until you come to the junction that you absolutely need to turn. Then how? Turn very slowly & risk getting honked by the motorcyclists + the cars behind you + the cars at the junction where you want to turn in to.
5) you'll need to watch out for the safety of the motorcyclist. Their safety is YOUR responsibility, not theirs. If the motorcyclist suddenly swerve out of a junction into your path, it's YOUR responsibility to slam on the emergency brakes & risk getting hit by the car behind you. If the motorcyclist overtakes dangerously close to your car, it's YOUR responsibility to swerve as well to avoid them (but at the risk of driving into the car on the lane next to you).
6) Yet, if a motorcyclist were to fall near you within 50m radius - BEWARE! the blame will be on you. Despite stopping in time, the fingers will immediately point to the car nearest to the fallen motorcyclist because it's always assumed that the big motorist always "bully" the smaller motorist. Err... Who's the bigger bully here (refer to 5)?
7) Despite having Puspakom checking our lorries & trucks & buses, we still hear a lot of traffic reports over the radio that announced "a stalled trailer is currently obstructing traffic on xyz road" / "if you're coming from abc, pls be aware that there's a stalled bus on your right lane....". I'm not accusing / claiming anything... I'm just stating the obvious. If someone "tasted" the heat / spice, well it must have came from somewhere... **wink**
8) When a motorist spots a traffic police, the speed will suddenly reduce from 180km/hr to 18km/hr; resulting in a massive crawl 10km away at the back. Why bother slowing down in front of him. If indeed it's a speed trap, slowing down will not change the result - you're still getting that ticket... (or... **wink** I didn't say anything...)
9) Potholes the size of a sinkhole! How can the road ever qualify being a KL road if there aren't any! My suspension suffers
10) Heaven forbid if there's a night market nearby! Double & triple park is legal, as long as there's still 1-lane left for the motorist to move... it's fine to continue encroaching the main roads.
Well, I've finally got all of the road frustrations off my chest... night night...
psst... & I finally get to finish work & leave! Hurrah!
Now to face the dreaded traffic I listed earlier.... sigh...
Squeeze it!
Oh Gosh! This is just too funny not to be shared (not to mention a good de-stresser from work... hmm... there's still 3 people around me... what's wrong with these people!)
Mid Week Rambles
It's one of those days when you thought things are going surprisingly smooth & that maybe... just maybe, you can go home early... and suddenly... WHAM... "disaster" strikes and you need to go on a frenzy to tie everything up before the day ends. Dateline is today (be it now / 12midnight, it doesn't matter - but today)
That day is today.
It's past 6pm and I'm still waiting for one person down the chain to get something completed before I can activate the next action to be completed by another person at the other end of the chain... At this rate, am not sure when I can get home! *sigh*
Strange that a few years back I wouldn't have complained & worked till midnight if I have to. The baby really changed me. Now I'm not sure if I can get back to my old self of putting all in for work & dateline...
But hey... I'm still doing it now, so I guess it's a given. The difference is the willingness (& the amount of grumbling at the background... :-p)
That day is today.
It's past 6pm and I'm still waiting for one person down the chain to get something completed before I can activate the next action to be completed by another person at the other end of the chain... At this rate, am not sure when I can get home! *sigh*
Strange that a few years back I wouldn't have complained & worked till midnight if I have to. The baby really changed me. Now I'm not sure if I can get back to my old self of putting all in for work & dateline...
But hey... I'm still doing it now, so I guess it's a given. The difference is the willingness (& the amount of grumbling at the background... :-p)
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