a costly blunder

WAAAHHHH!!!!!!!! rm500 just flew off the window!!!!
am i getting old or what????

i was e-mailing a friend regarding dad's flight details to melbourne next month for the purpose of buying his travel insurance when i realised that there was a mistake on the ticket!!! instead of 27 march for his coming home date, it was printed 27 april instead!!! AAHHHH!!! horror of all horror! dad only wanted to spend 2 weeks in melbourne and not 6 weeks!!!
so i quickly got into airasia website and went to change the date. sob sob sob! the new date costs me rm500 extra and of course i am pulling that amount from my own wallet. what a costly blunder! but luckily we realised the mistake now and not when date was about to board his flight back from melbourne. sob sob sob!

and i thought that i had tuition this afternoon. i had put out all the 5 seats. and just now, it struck me. all the 5 kids had come on thursday and we even had 3 pizzas and 2 garlic bread! damn! i think i need a break. i had been doing quite a lot of thinking and planning for others. can i empty the recycle bin in the head so that it does not overflow?

painted 2 malls red on a friday

i have officially brought my sis and brother-in-law who came back from australia for 2 weeks to 4 main malls in kl in this cny period. midvalley, one utama, klcc and pavilion. i think i am the best guide to these malls. what other places can you go to when you are in kl? i can think of frim but i think everyone just want to escape the heat and stroll in malls nowadays.

this is the first sight that greeted me when i got downstairs. was supposed to leave for kl at 9a.m. but i only woke up at 9a.m. beanie was waiting patiently at the door for someone to feed him. he was there patiently for about 10 mins without making a noise. how adorable. his tail started wagging as soon as he saw us getting down the stairs.

so i drove aunt, sis and bro in law to pavilion first. we walked there from a parking lot near klcc. it was not a sunny day so it was acceptable to walk.
this was our breakfast from the loaf, mr mahathir's bakery at pavilion. i love their danish here. so crispy and so many layers! but i dun like the price of course.

the highlight of the day trip was the food more than the shopping. no major shopping this time around, it was more of checking out the malls since three of my companions had never been to pavilion.

we went over to lot 10 hutong's food court for lunch. i love this food court so much and so do the others! i regretted not ordering the hokkien noodled fried using coal fire! it smelt soo good when i passed by someone eating that dish. must order that next time!! the wan tan noodles was not good at all, i mean it was edible but there was nothing to shout about. i like the dim sum, the pork balls noodles, tom yam and shaved ice-cream. aunt ordered black sesame flavour. i dun like the mini popiah but the rest said it was good. the dim sum was quite expensive, i think it was at least rm6.50 or rm6 for one tray. i think none of the stalls here are halal so this is not a place for muslims.

we walked back to klcc at about 4p.m. and met cousin en there. it was aunt's birthday so i think she purposely came out to meet us. too bad, we had no opportunity to buy aunt lunch or dinner. we did not even have dinner because we were all still full from lunch. well, we had our lunch at 3p.m.
i finally got to try godiva's shake. we ordered dark chocolate decadence and dark chocolate raspberry. raspberry's better. rm22 per cup. once is enuf lah.
isetan had sigg bottles promotion. they were selling some of them at rm69.90 but of course they are still expensive. i found them really light in weight though. i was kinda surprised because i had similar bottle from kathmandu last time and it was heavier. so am considering getting one next time. hehehe...i have unshamefully asked someone to get it for me for this year's birthday. i like the bottle with keith haring's design. i am buying some art too when i am buying the bottle.

my legs are aching now. i spoke too soon about the relay race not affecting my muscles. gosh, even my abdomen muscles are all numb and stiff now. no sneezing please. it hurts. but it feels good knowing all the muscles are all toned up as well. makes me feel motivated to start sit-ups or do circuit training or run just to make sure that all the muscles remain firm. let's keep up the good work.

cny will end tomorrow if i am not wrong. it is chap goh meh or chinese valentine's day. so if you do not celebrate v's day on 14th this year, you have tomorrow to do so. no more ang pow after tomorrow. but the cookies are still around and all the packet drinks. sis and husband are going back to melbourne on monday. things are getting quiet again.

of winning and losing

it was a hot day, no, it was very hot. however, that was better than the rainy morning we had yesterday. after all, it was the annual sports day so of course everyone prayed for full sunlight and a dry field.

this year's competition was no less exciting and intense than last year's. although i was not the head of the sports house, i felt so involved because the kids just came to me. i spent 2 afternoons making, designing, cutting, pasting, etc the props to be used in the march past inside my cool living room with the kids. well the effort and time spent were worth it- we won! quite a few years in a row.

there were of course tears of frustration and joy. i hate this part! there were calls of unfair results, unsportsmanlike behaviour, injuries, etc. sports people should know that the results of the judges are final and it was not up to us to rectify the results on our whims and fancies. those who learn in the process are the real winners because you would have gained something which cannot be exchanged with a medal or cash.

well, some might said that i could say what i like because i won and my team won (sapu habis all the big piala). i won because my team won the 4x 100m relay. i could not hear the shouts when i was running. i only knew i had to push myself to the maximum and reach the last person who was to receive my baton. the lungs felt like exploding...it had been a long long while since i last had this kind of feeling. man, it felt good. i was happy with my performance and all the praises i got from both male and female adults and kids were the icing on the cake.

i think i have digressed from what i wanted to share earlier. there was this regret of my action on the sports field which happened in district sports meet where i was to take part in the 200m race. it still felt like it had only happened yesterday. i made it to the final but before the race, i had cold feet. i had a feeling i would not win the race and told my coach that i wanted to pull out from the race. the coach could not do nothing already because i had totally given up at that time. so he told me to just get into my lane and start the race but not run the race. get it? i was only to start that few steps and then walked out of the track. that to me was one of the most shameful things i have ever done in my life. i even got the other runners disoriented and they also stopped running thinking that there was a false start. the race was started for the second time and i really did walk out. so i know how it feels to lose because i think my loss is greater than a runner who comes in last in a race. at least the last place runner has tried his/her best and completed the race. so no matter what it is nowadays, i am not going to let anyone repeat my mistake and regret it years later. i have also learnt not to laugh or tease at others with the intention of shaming them because i know how it felt.


on a happier note, i have kids coming to me asking me to teach them how to run. and yesterday, someone told me that she chose to do what i am doing now because she wants to be like me. owww....how touching was that? some ppl felt that i have wasted my talent and not being able to climb higher ladder (i do think so too sometimes....greedy ma) but when i hear ppl saying they are inspired by me, i knew that i have done alright despite my shortcomings. it is the best gift one can ever get.

randomness

• nail polish aint good for the fingers. remember my quest to have my nails polished every week and see how long one bottle of nail varnish will last? well, it is taking a break this week. i have noticed the nails getting dry and brittle at the tip. i dunno how some ppl can have their nails polished everyday. there is still more than half in the bottle of varnish. can it last a year? and keeping the bottle in the refrigerator is indeed better- it is easier to apply and it does not dry.
• relay race- it feels good to be involved again in a race for gold. this time it is 4 x 100m. 2 males and 2 females representative from each house and the mark will be counted to determine the placing. tension you. ours is the last event before tug-of-war. everyone said i am going to win, but it is not a one-person race. so i am just keeping my fingers crossed. the females are more keen and excited.
• work has been quite relaxing these few days. rehearsal, rehearsal and rehearsal. tents are going to be set up, field will be decorated, bunga manggar is being made right in front of me now....it is the annual sports day!
• the work week ends today because tomorrow is not a working day. on friday, going to paint 2 malls red again-klcc and pavilion. can't afford to spend anymore. please tie my hands.
• i love wearing new clothes! ;P

f4f4f4f4f4f4f4f4

lai lai lai......no!!!!! i dun want to go to work!!!!
one utama centre court- new wing.

work starts tomorrow. sigh.
i have two eye bags which are so long and deep that they reach the middle of my nose.
but i dun care. i haven't finished watching boys over flowers- the korean version. well, if you dunno, it is a japanese manga adaptation and the group f4 is made famous in this manga.
i have watched the taiwan version, i have watched the japanese version and now i am soooo into this korean version. i think this one is the best because all the characters are equally developed and the guys are more handsome.
yesterday...err...actually this morning, i only went to bed at 5.30a.m. and i couldn't wait to get up to continue watching. so i jumped out of bed at 9.30a.m. and continued the marathon session. i still have 4 more episodes till i finish...that is 4 more hours to go! no...i am not doing that now. tonight....definitely tonight.

i have packed up all my things and waiting for dinner to be served so i can gobble some and head back to bidor. there is some cleaning to do after abandoning the house for 1 week.

today, the hokkien celebrate their new year too so i bet there will be firecrackers at midnight. well, i won't be complaining because i am watching my series right?

i can get so into this kind of thing....or maybe most of the things i decide to drown myself into? remember twilight saga? sammi?

and damn it, the rain outside is getting heavier! well, i am glad i am on the side of the road where there will be no congestion. ok...dinner time.
happy back to work on monday. i hope it is going to be a good week because it is only 4 days long and thursday is sports day!! untungnya!!!

new year at the malls

today is the 7th day of the first month in the chinese lunar calendar and according to this calendar, it is everyone's birthday. we called it 'ren ri' in mandarin.

someone got a surprise in the sms when i wished him a happy birthday. he thought i had gone crazy. luckily i am still not that ignorant of chinese cultures. so i wish all readers a HAPPY BIRTHDAY. it means everyone now is one year older whether your actual birthday has come or not. that means i am already 33. the double 3. well, the thing is, i dun feel 33 at all. i feel much younger. i hope it is not a case of not wanting to admit that i am getting older.

for the past few days, things have slowed down soo much and the weight has been piling quite a bit i think. going to the malls means eating and shopping right?

i have spent 2 days this week in 2 malls- mid valley and 1 utama on tuesday and friday respectively. next friday, 2 more malls to sapu-suria klcc and pavilion. no, i am not suddenly rich from all the angpows i can still collect. i am just playing the role of a driver and guide to my sister and brother-in-law who has not been home to malaysia for the last 4 years. but ah, you put me in the mall, then you won't see me leaving the mall empty handed. gulp! yesterday i got 3 dresses from one u. i love dresses, especially those A-line ones. they just flatter my pear shape figure and wearing a dress to work is just so convenient. so now i have like 5 new dresses to show at work. hahahaha. and of course sis and broinlaw also got something lah. after all the aussie dollar has appreciated so much against rm. what a bargain.

the deco in the centrecourt in midvalley.

lunch at sushi zanmai. some of the dishes we ordered are missing. the chopsticks flew too fast as soon as the dishes were put on the table and the photo opp was gone in that few seconds.

our dinner at oriental cravings in one u yesterday. i like the hotpot they served....i think it is only available during cny??? this might be the only restaurant in one u that is non-halal and business there is definitely brisk.

oh i watched valentine's day too with aunt. it is a very light and all sugary-coated movie just right for v's day. i like it although i dun have my sweetheart or darling next to me. well, i'm glad that my aunt enjoyed it too. but she admitted that she fell asleep for a while halfway through the movie. haha...not because the movie is boring, but because she had to wake up at 6a.m. that day to send my youngest sis to the airport.

on the same sweetheart note, i think as the year passes, my grandpa is getting more concerned about my single status. sigh. i overheard him talking to grandma today in the kitchen about me being unmarried and my sister being married. he is also concerned about the youngest sister being single and i think he told her to look for someone back in australia. well, there is no shortcut to this kind of thing and i will just disappoint him but remain happy myself. sorry sir, i can't just go out and make you happy and put myself into all sorts of predicaments to bring home a man. the matter of the heart is a complicated one.

happy chinese new year rawr!!!

yo happy chinese new year to all chinese celebrating this festival and i guess to all malaysians who are having a break these few days too.

it has been a slow day...even for the dog. beanie did not bark at all seeing strangers coming into the house. i guess the heat is really opressing till he could not be bothered to get up and move. he only slept the whole day.

we also did not feel like going out of the house. the only time i went out this afternoon was when i had to become driver for yee. but later at 9p.m. i am going out again to friend's house. nothing much i guess and there won't be many ppl as well. the few of us would definitely be at the table playing gin rummy and eating crackers while doing that. there will be more open houses to go to tomorrow when yeeboon comes back from singapore. she never fails to do so every year.

these are what we had yesterday...after collaging all the photos, only did i realise that there are only 2 colours in our food- brown and green. not good enuf for nutritionist i bet. well, the white in the chicken and fish did not come out and the prawn qualifies for orange. everyone did not eat much yesterday because it was freaking hot. everyone could not wait to leave the dinner table actually because of the heat. 3 fans were switched on in the kitchen.

this is us, dressed in all our fineries on the first day of cny....haha..not that we are going to show it to anyone. red and purple seem to be the dominant colours here. well, it is cny, you can't escape the red.

so do you have a good first day of cny? or are you celebrating valentine's day?

the end of report on penang

our second morning in penang was spent at the national park in teluk bahang. it was not advisable to go to kekloksi as the way there would be congested due to the thaipusam celebration. hence, the concierge of the hotel suggested teluk bahang. it was on my plan as well, and off we headed there.
yeelin cursed the trip because i think it was the first time she had walked that much in her entire life and she had to do it in sandals. hahaa.....wei was doing it in his birkenstock. the rest of us were equipped with our shoes but no backpack. we had our handbags. hahaa..

this national park is the smallest in the country but it is good for day trip. you can trek from one side of the island to the other side for the beach.
some ppl who dun wanna trek can hire a boat to bring them to the beach on the other side of the island. you don't have to pay to enter the park, but make sure you register yourself and come out by 5p.m.
we paid rm5 each for the canopy walk at the entrance. it was my first canopy walk. it was fun.

some of the trails we took. all in all we walked more than 4 km, it was fun. we really had a good workout. those sweats were pouring out from every gland in our bodies.

we then decided to go to kekloksi via the balik pulau way. it was winding drive and we actually lost our way.
nevertheless, we still got there but maybe 15 mins off the supposed arrival time.
lunch lunch lunch. we needed food. so there was a row of stalls at the foot of the way to kekloksi and the once famous laksa was there. a friend actually recommended me to try the laksa at the foot of the way to bukit bendera, but i din find it. so we just parked ourselves here and ate whatever we could find. i like the harmchimpeng! very very nice!!!
the laksa is not good at all. so dun ever try it ok....it is a thing of the past!


view of penang from the top of the temple.
the highest kuan yin statue in the world? the tallest pillar? not quite sure but it was majestic.
you can make a prayer for your family by donating rm30 and write them on a piece of roof tile which will be used in the renovation of the temple.

after kekloksi we were deciding whether to go to bukit bendera or not...and in the end we called it off.
went back to the hotel and rested.
at night went to ferringhi to check out the stalls selling knick-knacks along the road and had dinner at one of the food courts there. bad choice. none of the food we ordered was good. well they cater mostly to foreigners i guess. no one bought anything.
back at the hotel, they played chi kam while i finished reading 2 days' newspapers. arrrghh...the workout at teluk bahang was great. but still, i think everyone put on weight.
and that was the end of our short trip to penang on a weekend. a lot of walking and exploring and bonding but unfortunately no good food. what a trip.

sights of penang

well, this is kinda waaaayyy belated...but why waste the photos i took. those of you who have chance to go to penang should explore georgetown on foot....well with an umbrella and good sneakers of course. you get to see so much.

cathedral of the assumption


st george's church

haha..i dun even know what this is

pinang peranakan mansion, home of one of the kapitan's of penang. rm10 per entry. only my sis and aunt went


fort conwallis. it was closed when we went at 6p.m. not sure if you have to pay

a trishaw ride on the esplanade. the fleet of trishaws we saw were ferrying a group of photographers from different countries in asia.

war monument
city hall
town hall
high court


the goddess of mercy temple

inside the pinang peranakan mansion


we had dinner in one of the restaurants near komtar. wei been there before and he told us about the charcoal fire steamboat. it was good.





our adventure on lebuh utama where the thaipusam celebration was held.

ice lolly and rojak anyone??