typhoon!!!

got a call this morning at 7a.m. telling me my big meeting was cancelled today due to the typhoon...this only happened like 2 times in 15 years (lucky or what???)...since most of the delegates are staying in the hotel, we still can have the meeting without all the "canggih" equipment la (like barcode scanners)...but nevermind loh...gotta make-do how??...now frantically arranging for the meeting to be held in my hotel instead of the important office we were suppose to hold it...when entering the important office...gotta be frisk and scan...and ID check (must remember to bring passport!!)...actually everywhere in manila... i get frisked and my bags get checked that it has almost become second nature to unzip bag...and lift up both hands! not just at the airport.

anyway...they say all this will blow over by today....fingers crossed!!

miss u girls...hopefully it will not drag on...i wanna go home on time...

away from my angels

see how addicted i am to this blogging...so far away and got so many meetings but still sneak in some time to blog...am i crazy "sot jor" or what?

anyway...1st day here in manila...nothing special la...not bad for our national carrier...was on time...in fact was 15 min early...woohoo! good or what...but i miss my angels from the time i left my home...hopefully the flight home would be early too! see la...just arrive thinking of going home.

when i was packing for manila...erika suddenly asked me..."mommy why are you bringing diapers?"...that was quite funny and the truth is i was so relief to bring those "diapers"...no there were no accidents of any sorts...i made sure of that...the reason was i didn't need those adult diapers as my body didn't ovulate for exactly 1 year and 2 months after ellisa was born...it's not that i am looking forward to it...it was great not having it (you know la...how messy it can get) all i can say is i am now an ovulating woman...so gotta be more cautious than ever!! daddy if you are reading...get the message!

chit chat

ellisa & erika has an "illegitimate" god-mama and for some reason i can't chat with her online due to her office no-online chatting policy...of cos there are other options available...they can't really stop us from chatting...can they?

her company has blocked all access to social web networks and online chat rooms, armed with heavy-duty office policies, manuals, hardware and software programs to cut out from this "interactive" activity...or stern disciplinary action will be taken ??...you scared or not???? msn, yahoo, icq, etc...all xxx-listed or x-ted!

however, due to some strange circumstances, she is allowed to continue chatting on the phone...and mind you...they are well informed that all conversation is recorded...i wonder who is sooo free this days to sit down & shake legs and just listen to our yakity-yak...of cos illegitimate god-mama will take the opportunity to happily obliged and entertain the eavesdropper with all the juicy gossips and profanities...just to make their day!

i guess the moral of the story is ~ use your mouth not your fingers to do the talking. in fact fingering is considered obscene and rude! hahahaha!

wonder what they say about sign language then?

playing school

pretend play is one of erika's most favourite game...she will pretend to be a mommy, a teacher, a princess and even as a daddy on somedays...so i will play along with her and when i do, she always wants to be teacher...coz she love the power of "telling" or "commanding" me to do her will!

some of the conversation in the play goes like this:

scene 1
e: good morning children
me: good morning aunty xx
e: children..(louder) children...listen to me...today we are doing spelling test (evil laugh)...hahahah
me: ok
e: open your book....spell "spin"
me: s...p...i...n (pretend writing onto book)
and erika continue drilling and bombarding me with words!

scene 2
e: ok children story time...today i have a nice story book...look at the cover...very nice and colourful pictures right?
me: (looking at the tv show and half-heartedly answer) yes teacher
e: (shout at me) look here (point finger to her book)...(then she point her finger at the door) did i ask you to look there?
me: no
e: (point her finger at the tv and stern voice) did i ask you to look there?
me: (meekly answer) no (OMG!!...this is sooo teruk la...is her teachers like this or am i getting a teacher from hell??)
e: look here...hands on your lap...be quiet...are you ready children? i won't start if you are not ready
me: (sit crossed leg, hands on lap)
e: (look at me...happy...then she start) i will read the whole story and when i finish then only you can ask me questions...understand? put up your hands when you have any questions. (looking at you in the eye) only after i finish
me: okaaay (got the message!)
e: (starts telling the story...and pointing to pictures like a professional...)

scene 3 ~ imaginery play with imaginery students (mommy tired of being harrased by a power-crazy screaming teacher)
e: (both hands on the waist) children...i am so dissapointed with you...didn't i tell you that u cannot blah blah ...i am soooo dissapointed...

scene 4
e: give me the pen...my one got no ink...cannot write.
me: no erika...i need to use it
e: i am the teacher...you are supposed to be scared of me..mumm...
me: are you scared of your teacher?
e: yes la
me: no la...i see you talk to them a lot and you speak so loudly some more (hahah)
e: NOOOO.....nautiiiiiii mommy....don't laugh at me...you promised
me: i promised what?
e: not to laugh at people (sulked)
me: ok...sorry darling

payday

well it's not actually payday yet...but since i am the one-leg-kick here...only 2 staff in my office...me and the other person i report to...so i get to do everything (lucky me or wat??) even licking the stamps, ordering water to more glamourous work like events manager (the good part is get to travel a bit la...and to countries that are not in my-to-go list! sad~so you can imagine the "exotic" places i visit!), project work (research? more like search the net like crazzzy, copy, paste and edit ...hahhaha), public relations (chit-chatting and rub shoulders with the partners of big firms, too bad when they are in this position, already old lioa...not much oogling work here!) to the mundane - editorial (copy and paste work again la) and accounting (1+1 = 3 synergy mah!).

the good part is i get to write my own cheques every month...unfortunately...i can't add more numbers...or else kena gantung kerja...or worse...so today is the day i wrote my cheques...this month i have to do the cheques early (not complaining at all) as the office will be close for the whole of next week....all the staff (wah like so terror-menearor- actually just 2 only) will be in having meetings in manila...so no blogging until october 2nd.

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squeezed out!

when we first got married, we had a king size bed...even then mommy managed to snuggle into daddy's space and squeeze him out of the bed! so when erika came along, we said she will sleep in the cot...but somehow...it was too tiring moving her from the cot...feeding her...putting her back...that she end up sleeping in the middle of our bed and she spread out like a STAR...so we were left to our tiny little side and clucthing onto the bed for our dear lives. (we were also afraid that we squashed her while she happily kicked and pushed for more space!)

so when ellisa came along, daddy said...we are gonna sleep better...we took out our king size bed, moved it to erika's room, bought a queen and super single and another single bed...that makes out to be about 11 and 1/2 feet of mattress space (wall to wall) for all 4 of us...good idea right?

erika turn out to be just like mommy...insisting that daddy hugs her to sleep...so when she's asleep...daddy moved to the single bed to have a peaceful sleep...then erika feel, feel, feel...no warm body...wakes up in search of daddy..found him...squeeze into his single bed...daddy suddenly feels cramped...then quietly move back to the queen...that's when he realised mommy has taken half the queen and baby ellisa is occupying the super single all by herself (also like a star)...nevermind, still got half the queen...happy to go back to dreamland...opps...something heavy just dropped on him again...aiyoo this erika is back on him! now he has only half a queen for him & erika...he gives up...this cat and mouse game!

no wonder daddy says he wakes up so refreshed in hotels when on trips!

weekend

i hardly cook...even if i do it's simple all-in-one meals like macaroni & cheese (from the box), or cabonara spaghetti or mashed potatoes...these are erika's fave. food. so on weekends, we usually go out and eat...we love japanese food. another reason for going out to eat during weekends is we have mom's home-cooked dinners on weekdays.

so last saturday, after daddy is back from s'pore, he took us out for pizza at the curve...then we browse a bit as i was hoping to get a few pair of pants for erika, she is required to wear pants for park play in school and since she is so fussy on her pants, we only have 1 nice pair and she needs to wear pants on tues, thurs and fri...

went into one shop...not much selection so i told erika

me:...lets go, not very nice here (daddy was quite tired, wanted to go back and rest)

erika: i like the shirt here

me: not nicela...we are here to buy pants...not much choices also...we go another place tomorrow ok?

erika: why you bring me here and then not buy anything....you waste my time only!!

me: i waste your time?

erika: ya la...(drag herself out of the shop...continue grumbling and complaining i waste her time!!)

fly-day...fry-day...yahoo

we went to visit yeh yeh yesterday before he goes to singapore today...so on the way back home, ellisa was happily sucking then she started coughing and making the puke-king sounds...i tried to comfort her by rubbing her back...then she puke right onto my shoulders...but it's ok la...my baby sick...whatever comes out from her...i can take it...the funny thing was after all the phlegm and stuff came out...she felt better...and instantly asked for nen-nen...then continued her sucking...like nothing out of the ordinary happened...even though her face was flushed and her eyes were watery!

this morning the whole family woke up at 5am...to see daddy off...as daddy is the designated driver for the s'pore trip...ellisa woke up because she was running a fever...so gave her medicine...thankfully most of the 5ml went down without too much struggle...after that...she went to disturb erika...call her "che cheh"...erika woke up...made a fuss...complained that i hug ellisa more...what is new! so we say bye-bye to daddy...and hope yeh-yeh will be well soon as this will be his 3rd chemo...

went back to sleep...

woke up again...this time late...rush...erika complained about her toothache, donwan to go to school...i go make dentist appointment...this will be her 3rd visit for filling...why?

no. 1 inconsistant brushing...some days brush 2 or 3 times...some days none

no. 2 don't like the tooth paste...bought the expensive baby tooth paste - dohwan...then bought the disney princess one...she only use a tiny dot just enough to clean the tip of the toothbrush rather than her molars.

no. 3 the main culprit ~ kong kong the sweets supplier...never fail to give a sweet when he picks her from school and one when he goes home...trying so hard to discourage this...maybe i should just BUY the sweets...but suger-free ones...so win-win situation...since i can't stop them...i might as well join them.


then negotiate with erika and sent her to school...reached office late...heard lots of siren from the main office door...i thot aiyoo no need such a grand entrace la...late only what...then kpc...found out got a murder in one of the hotels near the office!

thank GOD it'f fry fly day...zzzzzzzzzzz

sister rivalry

everyday, without fail i will hear this complain from erika..."you don't love me, always, always hug ellisa, never hug me, you only love ellisa"...or it could get even worse...

e: you hug ellisa all the time, you only hug me for a while only
me: (i go hug erika la...console her) no la...i love you, she is still a baby, when you were a baby i hug you all the time...
e: i got no sister ma...
(oh..oh...ellisa saw us and now is throwing a tantrum ~super jealous, whining and literally throwing her whole body onto us)
e: don't carry her, don't carry her, let her cry la, only hug me
me: please erika don't say that...she is your sister (i go pick up the teary-eyed ellisa, ellisa stops crying immediately...give us her victory look)
erika: always like tat wan, hug me for a short time only...(then erika will sulk and show me her ugly long face...)

aiyoo...both girls so sticky...sometimes i complain to daddy...as usual he is not sympathetic at all...that's because he is super J...he wishes the girls were clamouring over him for attention and love instead of me...so to spike me he will say "you like it what...you enjoy it right, so you gotta deal with it la"...

hmm...come to think of it...i should be enjoying this attention...excuse me, as a mom of 2, not easy to get this kind of adoring, unadulterated attention anywhere not that i am craving for those "kind" of attention...(i don't need to complicate my simple life)...coz i know they grow up fast and will surely be eyeing their attention on things of their fancy rather than mommy!

now is the time to enjoy being the queen of their hearts for as long as it will last.

yiiindiian food

since working in this area for more than 10 years (aiyoo so looong lioa!...ok i am still young...started working vely vely young mah..hehehe)...my stomach has been so accustomed to the food here that if i were away for a short working/holiday trip...i will miss the yummy hot yindian food. well, when i first worked here, i really had not much choices, as there are like 10 yindian stalls to one cina...and the cina stall gotta walk quite far some more...so i learn to appreciate this cuisine.

there are not that many indian area in town...so i shall not blab where it is...if u know KL...sure vely easy to guess...KL such a small city.

now i can wallap "tairu", "payasam", "rasam" without a blink of an eye...i remembered during my secondary school, i visited an indian fren's house for lunch and they served "tairu"...i really cannot makan....pui pui pui...now different story loh! i had so much especially during my pregnancy with ellisa as it was suppose to be nuetralised the acid in me...had some problem with accidity in my system...pregnancy does that to you.

anyway...i also visited india...must try the "oregener" food from the origin country mah...wah it was good la...of cos i only went to delhi...so it was less spicy...i had lots of paneer and lassi...lucky me not lactose intolerant.

play things

we try our best to make this tradition of meeting at least once a week for dinner at yeh yeh's house...yeh yeh looks forward to this day as he will prepare lots of goodies for the grandchildren...clothes, sweets, bubble gums, toys, ballons...yes...if u haven't noticed...he does go overboard in indulging the grandchildren. of cos he also plan a yummy feast for us.

last sunday, he gave ellisa a little talking singing baby...ellisa must be thinking this baby quite fun can sing and move but after a while boring also la...i think i am more interested in the empty box...more interesting to play as it is more colourful, have some clear plastic wrapping which makes noises when i step on it, and i can put things inside and still see it...hmmm...maybe i can go into the box too!

as usual, going home time, we cart those toys home and store them in moving pods.

ellisa vocab is continuously growing...and if she don't want something...she says "tak maau"...wah! bahasa also can. and she mimics everyone's conversation as she hears them...one of the most special thing she does is give loud, sweet kisses to everyone she knows and she also says "tan gue" when she receives something...as most of the time i do not understand her, i take it that she's speaking in tongues.

stressful week

it has been a very draining week for me...a lot to deal with at home and at the office...somehow...all the suey things come together at the same time...erika & ellisa coughing, work - big meeting coming up and gotta go manila and also prepare for the turkey meeting, no maid...ellisa just threw up again yesterday...writing to the bank so that we don't have to pay so much penalty for settling a loan...ahyee asked to sell the shop, business not doing well...stressed la...i can literally see my beautiful black hair turning white! aiyoyo...

thank god i have a prayer group in the office which meets once a week so that we could pour out all our burden to HIM...thank you GOD for listening...i thank God for my family as dysfunctional as can be, we are still together eating dinner and meeting everyday, sometimes biting off each other for the tiniest mistakes - giving the silent treatment then reconciling...actually we act just like our children...

The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble.

He cares for those who trust in Him.

Nahum 1:7

monkey business

cambonia trip...

as we were coming out of Ta Prohm (the temple that has been swallowed by the jungle and is now in restoration by India under the UNESCO program), as usual we were harrased by children selling souvenirs postcards and books. it was a long walk since this temple is situated in the middle of the forest...we were relieved to finally see the tar road after walking in the jungle path for so long.

once we were out and boarded the bus, uncle jack said to erika...i just saw a baby monkey on the side of the road...u wait ah...when the bus move ...then i show u the baby monkey...go to your daddy's window....i think i see the mommy there also.

so all of us were curious and went to the left side of the bus to see the baby monkey...uncle jack said...wait ah wait ah...almost there...then BOOM! we saw monkeys alright...the 2 monkeys were happily humping there in front of a bus of tourist! what baby monkey? helloooo....the whole bus load of people burst out laughing....

as for erika...sex education starts early.

cold calls

yesterday, i received a caller soliciting business. that's fine la...but this caller started the call with

c: hello...can i speak to your boss?
me: (weii...who u think u are huh?) he's not in.
c: what's his name?
me: (crazy or what?) excuse me, what company are you calling from? what is this regarding?
c: my company is xxx...what is your boss name? i want to speak to him. i want to sell him .......xxx....
me: (chi zin! why do i bother with this bozo)

i have received many cold business calls but this is the worst...i think for sure this guy cannot "fatt tat" la...make one simple call also all scewed up! how la..dunno how to "bodek" the gatekeepers, how will they expect to reach the top man!! u can bet till your shiny last sen he won't be able to get anywhere near to kiss the boss's ass!

culture exchange

as i mentioned before, erika kindy program for this year is on the 7 continents so they invited a mommy of their kindy mate to speak on her country and their culture. she is a japanese and erika told me that she made rice balls for them to eat...erika said it was salty and yummy and they asked for seconds.

erika said she brought a boy costume and nobody wants to wear it...finally dominic agreed and he look good in it. everyone laughed to see him in the costume.

the japanese word that erika know is ...oh oh tatayor!

blog break

finally a holiday...

back from siem reap yesterday and it was quite relaxing...didn't tax ourselves with over ambitious plans to visit all the 'wat's or the markets...spend more time at the massage parlour - hehe!

on the 1st day ...plane delayed...cheap ticket...service like tat la...evening...we went to Bakheng hill to enjoy the sunset, erika love the short jungle walk up the hill and also climbing the steep neck-breaking steps up the wat...going down is another storyla...up no problem! there were dark clouds looming and very windy...after the climb...up on the wat...it was great with the strong breeze and the view of the sunset over the lake...we didn't bother about the handicraft or cultural centres(too touristy for us)... dinner came with the apsara dance performance. erika enjoyed the costume...anything shiny she likes...the music i should say is an aquired taste....the one hour performance was a little too much for us to bear.

2nd day - we did the angkor wat thing...aiyoo a lot of walking...daddy said we have walked an-18 hole run! and we only did that for half a day...it was hot & humid and the photos show erika starting the day all smiles but soon the smiles turned upside down and she was in a bad mood from all the walking and the heat...cannot deny the ancient city is beautiful...after lunch...cannot move anymore...straight away check-in for a foot massage....then erika did her most fave. thing...play in the bath tub then snooze till dinner time.

3rd day...off to see the tonle sap lake and how the people live on the water...the children were amazing, with just a round bathing pail and a paddling stick, they are able to paddle and push water out of the pail & also ask for $ all at the same time...back from lake...a little shopping at the market...then more massage session, we actually planned for an hour body massage..but erika slept, so we did another hour of foot...when she woke up...we were all refreshed and ready for dinner. had dinner at the famous pub street...ate khmer food...then ordered a "happy herb pizza"...the happy herb suppose to make u "highly" happy from intoxication...but the happiness didn't seem to kick in...the pizza was nice...& not cheap US$10 for a large one.

4th day...tapau baguette home from the street stalls...not that special...& it was wrapped in recycled photocopy paper...i would say overall the food was nice, edible...it's like a cross between thai and vietnamese cuisine...with french influence. alcohol was cheap...cheaper than fizzy drinks.

the biggest impression of the place for erika must be the children...some of them were younger and were either working hard selling souveniers or begging...and they can speak at least 4 languages...jap, english, mandarin, cambodian. erika kept asking us to give them money...but i told her that it was not the right way to help them. we gave a hotdog to a young boy who was begging...and that made erika sooo happy, laughing with him as he enjoyed his hotdog...i guess it made her feel good. erika spent a lot of time just looking at the children. i am not really sure in what way is she curious about them...it could be she wants to play with them, but dunno how to initiate...she looks and talks different from them...or is she sympathetic to them?

she missed ellisa...so did we!

when we got back home, ellisa was sooo happy to see us..and she seem to have so much more vocabulary...she can say..."i wan mi"..."miao miao" for cat..."wo wo" for dog..."tai ge" for tiger...wah...so impressed with my little princess...she has also became a tyrant...spoilt by po po...i say this becoz if she is playing with her plate and spoon...and i touch the plate or spoon, she will go into a fits...screaming and crying that i mess up her things...maybe she is learning to be independant or she just want things HER way or NO way!