Month: April 2008

Alycia Has Finally Mastered Writing

Two weeks ago, when Alycia came back from school, she excitedly told me that her teacher has given her lots of homework to do. After lunch, she excitedly took our her homework and began writing. From what used to be at least an hour coaching her to do writing, Alycia managed to complete writing her ‘suku kata‘ (phonics in Malay language) in just minutes. I was really impressed and amazed that she has really picked up in her writing in just a matter of weeks after attending pre-school this year.


Alycia can now complete a page of writing in just a few minutes and her writing has also improved by the leaps and bounds. She can also finally write the letter ‘S’ in the correct order, legibly.

No. of times viewed = 207

Interesting Maid Stories… Again

My maid has a tendency to take instructions wrongly and she likes to perform a task hastily to complete it, without thinking whether it is done correctly or not. This morning, my mil asked our maid to boil ‘choke cheh mar tai’ (sugar cane with Chinese water chestnut).  After chopping the sugar cane, my maid peeled the Chinese water chestnuts and soaked them in a bowl of water.  My mil told the maid to later put all the sugar cane and Chinese water chestnuts into a big pot to boil.  In the kitchen was also a big bowl of birds’ nest which my mil had soaked.

When the pot of water was boiling, my maid asked my mil and I if she should put all the sugar cane and ‘benda putih yang direndam’ (white stuff soaked in water) into the pot. Thinking that she meant the Chinese water chestnuts, we said yes. Ten minutes later, my mil went to the wet kitchen to check the pot of sugar cane water.  She was shocked when she found the birds’ nest boiling together with the sugar cane.  She quickly removed the birds’ nest from the pot and called the maid in.  Again, she took instructions wrongly. My mil had earlier told our maid that she should put the Chinese water chestnuts in.  That bowl of birds’ nest costs a few hundred bucks and now it’s partially cooked though not cleaned yet.  Luckily my mil had checked the pot earlier, else the expensive bowl of birds’ nest would have been wasted.  I told my maid that in future, she is to show us everything before she cooks them. This is not the first time she has screwed up a meal.  I have told her countless times that she should check with me before cooking but she often forgets and cooked them herself and screwed up the dish.  She tends to listens to half of what we tell her and the other half is normally forgotten. 

No. of times viewed = 368

O Premium Waters

One of the things that I would like to get for my home is bottled drinking water.  Everyone in my family drinks like a camel, especially moi, the health freak. There is no doubt that water flushes out toxins and impurities from out body and keeps us healthy, apart from keeping our weight in check. However, there are times when the water that flows out from our taps is murky, especially after a water supply cut resulting from burst water pipes, which happens quite frequently in my neighborhood.   With 3 young kids at home, I think it would be good if I keep bottles of clean and pure drinking water at home.  I read that the  o premium waters which goes through 10 steps of purification process is a very high quality purified water and it is inexpensive too.   The company that processes the water has even given their guarantee that their bottled water is purer that anything or we will receive 6 months of bottled water delivery service for free from them!

No. of times viewed = 153

Do You Allow Your Maid To Discipline Your Children?

 

Alycia and Sherilyn can be quite difficult to discipline at times, especially Sherilyn who is really mischievous, hyper-active and willful.  Even I find it hard to discipline Sherilyn and sometimes I spank her to discipline her.  Sadly, it is only through spanking and threats that Sherilyn obeys.  Distraction, sweet-talking and talking in a nice cultured tone do not seem to make her listen to us most of the time. 

Ever since my maid worked for us a month ago, I have not told her that she is not to hit my kids to discipline them.  However, after today’s incident where she pinched Sherilyn’s cheek to discipline her, I have told her that she is not to hit my kids to discipline them.  If she has a hard time making my kids listen to her, she is to tell me and I will be the one to discipline them.

Do you allow your maid to discipline your kids?

No. of times viewed = 638

Maid Stories – Dubious Character (Part 2)

Today, my maid did something which further stoked up my suspicion over her character.  We were at the church in the morning.  Before we went into the church, we brought Alycia and Sherilyn to the toilet.  While I was still inside the toilet, my maid brought the gals out to have their hands washed.  When I came out of the toilet, I saw my maid pinching Sherilyn’s face.  I was shocked to see her do that.  When I asked her why she did that, she told me that Sherilyn was being naughty as she has stepped her new shoes onto the mud.  I was really pissed off with her and told her that even if she was being naughty, she should not have pinched her on the cheek.  I further told her that she cannot hit my kids even if they were naughty.  

No wonder this maid was kicked in her stomach by the previous employer.  I just knew she must have done something very serious to infuriate her previous employer.   But both the maid agent and my maid did not reveal the reason why she was being kicked. From today onwards, I should really be on my guard and never leave her alone with my kids.  No wonder Sherilyn seems to dislike my maid.   I just hope this is not the start of more problems to arise from this maid.

No. of times viewed = 310

Drug Abuse

I wonder why many celebrities are linked to drug abuse. On one hand, they have fame and wealth but on the other hand, their lives are in a mess and they are often unhappy. How ironic.   Take for example Anna Nicole Smith. His 20-year old son’s death may have resulted from a drug overdose or he could have committed suicide, while her own death, at age 39 was also resulted from a drug overdose, combined with several other sedatives that were in her system. According to the official autopsy report, Smith had nine different prescription drugs in her body at the time of her death. Although the medical examiner ruled that all of the sedatives in Smith’s system were at normal therapeutic levels, the truth is that there is no way all of them should have been in her system at the same time. So was her death an accidental death or a suicide? No one really knows. 

If only Smith and her son had gone to a drug abuse rehab, they could have been saved from the wrath of drugs.  Many celebrities who are involved in drugs had gone to drug abuse rehabs and many of them come out clean and sober.   If you know of anyone close to you who is abusing drugs, do them a favor. Coax them to check into a drug abuse rehab today. It could save his / her life.

No. of times viewed = 142

Create Your Own Live TV

If you are a celebrity or a singer wannabe, here’s a chance for you to be just that for 15 minutes and show off your talent in a live show or live broadcast at blogTV.com, the leader in online video and live broadcasting.  It’s really like a live TV where viewers from all over the world can come and share their personal talents and opinions – LIVE!  The site is very user-friendly and easy to navigate and no matter who you are or where you’re from, you will have no problems using and enjoying blogTV’s features and enjoy your 15 minutes of fame. 

All you have to do is log on to blogTV.com and sign up for an account. Then, get ready your webcam and microphone and you’re on your way to creating your own live show and interacting with your audience.  Isn’t this awesome?

No. of times viewed = 176

Discover The Undiscovered St. Thomas Island

Would you like to experience the adventure of your lifetime onboard a submarine and descend 80 feet into the deep sea? If yes, then head on to the island of St. Thomas in the Caribbean Sea, one of the most beautiful islands and desirable holiday destinations in the world and go onboard the Atlantis Submarine.  Your expedition begins with a scenic 20-minute boat cruise through the picturesque St. Thomas harbor to the Atlantis Submarine Dive Site at Turtle Cove where you make the easy transfer to a high tech submarine. As you take a seat in the submarine, it will bring you to a breathtaking underwater journey to experience the wonder of undersea world. As the dive begins, you will see colorful sea creatures, sea life and corals. You may even come face to face with a shark, sea turtle or stingray.

If you want to experience more than a breathtaking submarine tour at St. Thomas, you can choose a sail on a sunset cruise and beach barbecue on Water Island. You can also visit Coral World Ocean Park where you can pet a shark or feed a stingray. These are just some of the many exhilarating activities found on St. Thomas island. Do these sound enticing to you? If you are planning a vacation or a honeymoon to St. Thomas island, you really have to check out the St Thomas Villas, one of the most beautiful and luxurious villas in St. Thomas. Here, visitors will experience the comfort of a comfortable culture that is American yet with a special Caribbean flavor that will make them feel they really had a luxurious and ultimate vacation.

No. of times viewed = 148

Robotic Massage Chair – An Investment Well Spent

There was a short period of time last year when I suffered from insomnia. I found it really hard to get to sleep at night and when I finally got into slumberland, I would wake up a few times in a night. I found a cure for my insomnia by chance when I went back to my parents’ home in my hometown. My parents have a robotic massage chair at home that was a big hit with every single member of the family, including my 2 kids. All of us would queue up to use the massage chair and I can never get enough of this robotic massage chair. Boy, it felt so comfortable to be massaged by that robot that even before the 20-minute cycle ended, I had already drifted into slumberland. So each night, I would sit on that massage chair and let that robot rid me of my insomnia.

My favorite menus are the air compression massage on my feet and legs, head and shiatsu on my back. The 20-minute massage session is so comfortable that I can even sit there and do nothing for the next 1 to 2 hours – with repeated cycles, over and over again!   This intelligent robotic massage chair can help to release stress and tensed up muscles, relieves body ache, headache, helps to rid insomnia, improves circulation and eliminates tension. My parents and I think that this robotic massage chair is an investment well spent and we are really impressed with the massage benefits it has brought us.   I am seriously considering getting one for my home too.

No. of times viewed = 212

Pre-Natal Check-Up At Week 37

Anyone who sees Dr Jason Lim at SYMC (the superstar gynae at SYMC) would know how fast he sees his patients.  That’s the reason why I only go to see him after week 32, for all three of my pregnancies.   Yesterday afternoon I waited almost half an hour and I was the first patient to see him….. and the consultation only lasted less than 5 minutes!  In the past, I had to wait at least 2 hours to see him if the appointment was in the morning!  At times, after waiting for 2 hours, he would be called for emergency deliveries / surgeries and all the patients who were waiting for him would have to wait for another 2 hours!  That’s why he’s known as the superstar gynae at SYMC.

During the ultrasound scan yesterday, he just pointed out to me that the baby’s heartbeat is normal and fluid round the baby is good too. He then told me the baby’s weight, which was apprx 3kg….. and that’s it.  He then said ‘see you next Wednesday on your csection day’ and bade me farewell.  Super fast and I had to pay RM60 just for that and another RM10 for the urine test. 

No. of times viewed = 410

Get The Best Diamonds In The World

I am sure almost every woman loves diamonds and the saying “a diamond is a woman’s best friend” is just so true. I love diamonds too and there’re no qualms about it. Though hubby has bought me a few diamond rings over the years,  the diamonds were all very tiny and they do not have much sparkle and bling. If ever hubby has the money to buy me another diamond ring, I would love for him to get me one with an ideal cut stone.

Do you know that it is necessary for diamonds to be ideally cut at the precise angles and proportions to enable light to be reflected and exit through the top of the stone? Ideal cut diamonds has no light leakage when looking into the stone. Light rays from all sides of the diamond are bent towards the center of the stone and reflected back through the top in rainbow blaze of light. This can only really be achieved in round stones, which are absolutely symmetrical.

Princes cut diamond

Round brilliant diamond

Do you also know that one of the best diamonds in the world come from Canada? That is because of the high quality of the diamonds, which are considered ideal cut diamonds. If you want to buy loose diamonds from Canada, the best place to look for them is at TundraDiamond.com, the specialist in Canadian diamonds. Each of their diamond is ideal cut, gemprinted, which is a unique fingerprinting system for diamonds and comes with a lab certification from either the AGS or the GIA. When it comes to buying something like jewelry and gemstones, it’s best to get them from the specialist.  That’s when you can be rest assured that the jewelry and gemstones are authentic and of the best quality.

No. of times viewed = 151

Maid Stories – Dubious Character

My maid seems to have a dubious character. While her work is considered good, somehow, certain things that she does over the last few weeks make her character appear dubious and I am quite troubled with that.

This morning as I was having breakfast with Sherilyn, I saw her shelling a hard-boiled egg in the wet kitchen when I walked into the dry kitchen. When she saw me, she got startled and threw the egg into the bin and pretended to continue with her work. I did not query her as to why she did that coz I know she had wanted to eat the egg but why on earth did she  ‘tau tau mor mor and kwai kwai she she’ (do it so stealthily)?  She could have just asked me and I will surely allow her to eat an egg as it’s not expensive. In fact I don’t mind her eating an egg a day since it only costs 40 sen each.  When she went out to hang the laundry, I went to the wet kitchen to do some spot checks. When I opened the wooden cabinet, I found her mug, filled with hot barley water. I’ve told her to boil barley water everyday but today, there was lesser than usual. When she came inside, I asked her why there was a mug of barley water inside the cabinet and she just looked stunned and tongue-tied.  I asked her if she wanted to drink the barley water and she just smiled a little but did not answer me, probably she was really scared that I found out. I then told her that should she want to eat or drink anything in future, she should just ask my permission and not ‘sembunyi’ (hide). I told her that I won’t like it if she ‘sembunyi’ food and things from me.

Well, I just hope she has learnt her lesson. I am still very troubled over this incident. Why did she boil the egg and wanted to stealthily eat it? I have yet to query her on this and I will probably ask her one day. I just hope she does not have a mind of a thief and a dishonest character.  After this incident, I think I should be on my guard more and conduct more spot checks on her.

No. of times viewed = 614

Enjoy Your Spring and Summer At Your Patio

Spring is here again. Don’t you think it would be really nice if you and your kids can have your meals outdoor at the patio….. enjoy your breakfast, lunch or dinner while you all smell the fresh spring air and hear the sweet sounds of birds chirping? A barbeque of steaks, burgers, sausages and marshmallows would be great. Or you can even enjoy a cup of tea or coffee whilst reading the newspapers or your favorite book at the patio. I would love to have a set of outdoor patio furniture at my patio so that my kids and I can have our meals at the patio once in a while but the weather here does not permit. It rains so very often here in the evenings and in the mornings and afternoons, the sun will be scorching hot. If I were to place a set of outdoor patio furniture at my patio, the furniture will surely succumb to the harsh weather within weeks.

If you are looking for outdoor patio furniture that are resistant to the harsh weather, there is no other place to look for them than at PatioProductions.com. There is a high-end line of all-weather outdoor wicker furniture that is durable and beautiful. Their line features elegant outdoor dining sets, relaxing day bed, sofa sets and even resin wicker sets. Check them out and get some all-weather wicker patio furniture that can last you for years. Make the most out of the beautiful spring and summer months with your family and friends outdoor on your beautiful outdoor patio furniture.

No. of times viewed = 181

Alycia’s Drawing vs. Sher’s Drawing

This is Sherilyn’s drawing, which is a copycat of Alycia’s.  Sher loves drawing and writing using pens.

And this is Alycia’s drawing.  The picture in orange color is her version of an elf.   Alycia loves drawing with color pencils and all her drawings are multi colored.  Luckily both the gals love drawing, coloring and writing and I don’t really need to coerce Alycia to do her homework.  She’s even more ‘kan cheong’ than me sometimes when it comes to completing her homework.  One time I had even forgotten to remind her to complete her Mandarin homework, shame on me mummy!

No. of times viewed = 311

HEALTH FREAK MOMMY