Sudah Besar part 2 - home alone

Looks familiar? I was trying to get him to replicate this actually...

But he kept on laughing away... payah betul wanna get a good "home alone" shot!

We got this....

and this...

Anything but the correct one! Hehehe... apa - apa lah! Noel memang sudah besar. If you'd recall, I've mentioned before that now we are selling food at a tuition centres on Saturdays. This normally involves us cooking, packing, going over to the school (1/2 hour away), sell, pack, drive home, cook, pack, drive back to the school, sell and finally, pack to go home. It's very hectic. And Noel has been a gem and a great sport to ikut - ikut us the whole day.

But the discussion of him staying home alone keep coming up and last Saturday, he said he want to try to stay home alone. And so he did. We left food, drinks etc reading for his disposal and he took his sweet time to sleep in, shower, watch tv, play his guitar, practice his drums, drew some nice notes for Mommy, eat, drink yada, yada, yada. And he stayed home alone for BOTH morning and afternoon sessions!! What a brave little guy!!!

Apart from one incident where the little broken record was still home and broke his Ather's drum notes file, Noel did such a great job... as a matter of fact, so great that it scared me if after this, he would just opt to stay home instead of going out with me instead!!! HUaaaaaaaaa!!!!

I'm a confused Mom... want him to grow up but refusing it at the same time!

pssstttt: While mucking around with the camera, Nenek came and we got this... unintentionally... see Nenek in background... ahahhahaah... PRICELESS! And Noel almost got the correct expression in this one!

Sudah Besar part 1 - the guitarist

Mesti korang think - Oh NO!!! Dy sudah besar balik??? Cepat jugak??? hehehe... nonono... not me... My son... si Noel... besar sudah.... heheheh...


He is now the "official" guitarist for Sunday School. Actually, not really - coz he's not supposed to be learning the guitar yet. According to the music teachers, best wait till they are after 9 years old to start formal guitar classes. But, but, but... Noel's been playing since keluar dari perut and how can we stop him from observing us play right?
He observed Dad and I playing and he caught a few simple chords like D, G, Em, A. So when the Sunday School wanted to make a presentation (and they didn't have a guitarist), we suggested him play the guitar for them. So he did!

Go watch the video at http://bm.tmc.org.my/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2240:aku-laskar-kristus&catid=156:bm-service

Sementara itu, Del is also already besar... the little "broken record" now joins BM Sunday School and simply LALALALLALAl TUSSS (Aku Laskar KrisTUS).... hehehe...

Before and after...

Warning: This is a vain post! Please leave if you do not wish to vomit your last meal out. (muahahahahaha)

Before: I was... 30kgs more than my ideal weight... my face was... ROUND to say it in a nice way...

After: God put in my heart to ikut the 40 days fast and prayer thingy. And He wanted me to go on full fast. I obeyed His instructions. I managed to lost 10 kgs as a "side effect" (there goes all my "treasures" in Heaven!)

Do you see any difference? Hehehe... my dagu makin runcing right right right?? and at least you can see my neck. heheheh... kes perasan max...

But anyways.... this serves as my own personal record bah... to remind myself actually can :) without the help of pills etc... can, surely can do it... also as motivation bah this... to everyone out there... CAN! (and that men will not die even without food for 40 days!

I'm 20 kgs away! YIPPPIIIEEEE!!! Anyone mau join my journey? :)

Mid Autumn 2011 - 12th Sept

Contrary to last year, the mooncake festival didn't creep on me this year. I looked in wonder and awe at all those blogger sites with their beautiful and yummy creation. I wanted to try making mooncake jelly, but alas, my laziness got to me. Perhaps next year? :)

Annndddddd, I thought I still kept last years lanterns, but after searching high and low, nope, can't find them. So, had to grab some new ones after school yesterday and Noel insisted on Angry Bird lanterns. I don't get the hype surrounding these mean looking birds (and weird grren pigs) but oh well, once in a while. So got 2 for the kids.

While the kids played in the dark (well... Del only had his for a short while as his fidgetty hands didn't hold the tanglung tight enough and it dropped and got burnt) we adults sat around and chat whilst enjoicing a small piece of mooncake each. My bad - I only got one mooncake this year. To my defence, I didn't know my next door Uncle / Aunty / cousins would join us. Besides, that's what mooncake is about right? A dear ex colleague told me this just today - why mooncake is round? The meaning is tuan yuan in chinese - meaning get together. Just a while ago the mooncake was only one piece, but now cut into pieces; taken by each one of us. Many, but one.

Cook and Share a pot of Curry

Well, well, well... my friends are away having a super duper time (I hope!) in OZ.... tsk tsk... poor me....sad sad... But... since they are away.... I should document this for their reading material when they get home! Ya, ya... as if!

Gangs - read THIS and THIS.

Now, eventhough I'm not in Singapore and I didn't cook my pot of curry between 11 - 11.30am, I still feel strongly about this. One's gotta tolarate each other if one wants to live in a multicultural country (even like us Malaysia!!) I remember those days staying in Kajang, we had so many "interesting" neighbours; sights, sounds, smell... you get my drift... but we all still tolerated one another. I am sure, we ourselves were not that easy to tolerate as well. I recall our neighbour staying in our Rumah Kota in Kajang Utama even was rearing chicken!!

So yes, I cooked a pot of curry - though not one I'd normally (or ever) cook before. Dhal Curry. I am a fan of this - I'd normally ask for lots and lots and lots of this whenever I come across at Mamaks. There was an eating place in Uni which we frequented for breakfast daily and I'd laddle HEAPS on top of my choice of carb. SLURP!!! And if I have Nasi Briyani.... I'd just ask for a whole bowl to save the waiter numerous trips to refill my plate! :)

As I said - I never cook this before - so why do I choose to do it? Well, coincidently I was doing Creative Ministry with my youth and had them bake bread from a handful of flour + oil. So at the end of the lesson, they had their own bread with this Curry.
And so I did cook and shared my pot of Curry. Here's to a peaceful Malaysia (and Singapore)!

Start of something new...

30th July: Lun Bawang Food Fair - sales was such a big flop!! Things ended up down the drain (literally) or went below cost. Blah.

"The" school

But on that very same day, a gracious lady (hereafter referred to as Lady V) took interest in our little stall and offered us what seems to be a very interesting venture. She asked if we would be interested to cater for students in her school on Saturdays. And there's about 600 students each Saturday. So with much anticipation, Mom and I went to "have a look" on the 6th Aug (last Sat), to be told to give our price list for promotion to the kids and their parents. And would you believe the big blessing we have on our lap right now!!! It's incredible... we're setting up a mini canteen at the school starting this Saturday (13th)! Woot!!!

Orange butter cuppies with chocolate ganache made for the school's staff meeting on 8th Aug

Whilst this is a GREAT opportunity, I know this too will be like an endurance test... For as it is, rest like little known to me right now; even without this Saturday side and now, full dependence on Him is the only guaranteed source of strength.

I have to admit, I have a mixed feeling about the whole thing... but please pray along with us as we start this new venture... this is indeed the start of something new!

Egg Mayo sandwich made for the school's staff meeting on 8th Aug

¹⁴ The LORD replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

¹⁵ Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. ¹⁶ How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?”

¹⁷ And the LORD said to Moses, “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.”

~Exodus 33: 14 - 17~

Caught unprepared...

Last night a colleague was caught unprepared when her mom passed away unexpectedly. She was only 57. After a short series of "can't-be-so-serious-sickness", she left. What a sad, sad day... our hearts were so broken, what more to say her and the family... Karen, if you're reading this, am praying for strength for your whole family... for Amberly who didn't get to meet her Wai Po, for Ah Bell who will not have a play mate during the day time, for your lil' sister who's so far away, for your brother who will not have your mom there for the set wedding and especially for your dad; who had lost his life partner. My heart goes out to all of you...

Really, life is short. I sit and ponder today.... I guess I will never be prepared to loose either my mom or my dad.... ever.

Dear God... what can I say... how can I thank You... I'm blessed as it is to have my parents with me... but I'm not ready and I guess, I'll never be ready to lose them.... please give us some more time to be with each other on this earth....

p/s: Photo courtesy Jenkay's Collection... thanks Jane for this perfect photo of the 2 of them.