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Thursday, January 31, 2008

Fraudulent Advertiser

This morning, I logged in to an advertising network website and had wanted to start drafting a post when I saw this message :

Opportunity Is Under Review :

This advertiser appears to be fraudulent. While we are investigating this advertisers account this opportunity will continue to be inactive.

Luckily I had not worked on the post earlier, otherwise all my time and effort would have gone down the drain.

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Trying Her Best To Be Chummy With The Kids

My new temp Cambodian maid is trying her best to be chummy with the kids and her efforts are paying off well. Alycia really likes her whilst Sherilyn who seems to be rejecting and resisting her is beginning to accept her, though she still insists that mummy bathes her and feeds her. Today, Sherilyn allowed my maid to carry her when she played 'catching' with the gals. They were having so much fun playing in the living room and were laughing away. This is one plus point with my maid.

However, some of things that she does can be quite horrible and shocking. For example, the clothes she folds are all uneven and look terribly crumpled. Even Alycia and Sherilyn can do a better job. After folding the clothes yesterday, she put them into a laundry basket and put the basket in our room. When I kept the clothes, I saw unfolded and unturned panties, singlets and socks in between folded clothes. Besides, she's also very dreamy and looks clueless and blur. After turning on the switch to boil water in the kettle, she will stand next to the kettle and stare at the kettle, waiting for the water to boil. I told her she can do other work whilst waiting for the water to boil and she gave me a silly smile and mumbled something which is not comprehensible, and I was too tired to ask her what she was trying to tell me.

She also eats like she's famished all the time. I had bought her a box of Jacob's wholemeal crackers and the next day when I checked the box, I was shock to find that it's empty! I think she must have come from a family who's really poor where food, especially meat is really scarce. She never likes to waste food and even finished every single drop of salty soup from the 'yong tau foo' that I had bought several days ago. She even eats all the chicken that we had used to boil soup, something which my previous maids never did and were all too spoilt for choice with their food.

Overall, she's tolerable and work performance is acceptable. She's also very patient with the gals, which is very important to me.

Problem With Streamyx Again

I have been having problem accessing to blogspot blogs since yesterday. As for my own blogspot blog, luckily I can still access it, though it will take ages (10 - 15 mins) to upload the page and I am unable to upload pix at random. For those blogspot blogs that I can access, the page is either blank or I can't see the 'comments' section. I've called up Streamyx and was told that there could be a problem with my pod. They have asked a technician to check my pod and line. I'll see how fast they can come as I told them specifically that I can't afford any downtime, and also exaggerated a bit to make it seem more urgent. I can never place too much hope in Streamyx.

Real Estate Agents

We have gone through the process of buying and selling a home and both times, it wasn’t a pleasant experience as we did not engage a good real estate agent. We even had to follow up on certain legal documentation all the time (which was the real estate agent’s job) and make calls to the bank to make enquires as the real estate agent was too busy to provide assistance at the speed that we wanted. It’s pretty hard to get a good real estate agent like GMAC Real Estate who can provide you with satisfactory customer service, expertise and advice that we need. The real estate agents at GMAC Real Estate can even provide expertise for first time home buyers, employee relocation, military relocation, vacation homes, retirement homes, new construction homes and much more. So if you need to purchase or sell a home or need advice on matters pertaining to real estate, be sure to check out gmacrealestate.com.

Fukuya Japanese Restaurant

We went to Fukuya Japanese Restaurant in Bangsar for lunch 2 Sundays ago. Hubby's friend is a sashimi chef there. The food there was really good - the raw fish and seafood were very fresh. The chicken teriyaki from the Bento set also tasted very good - the skin was very crispy and fragrant.


Soft shell crab maki - very tasty.


Chawan Mushi with Unagi, which comes together with the Bento set.


The platter of raw fish and seafood which made me salivate whilst hubby savoured them.

Hubby ordered a plate full of raw fish and seafood that really made me salivate..... I had a grilled cod fish and the gals had a Bento set. Also ordered many other miscellaneous items. It was the first time my maid ate Jap food and for someone poor from Cambodia who is quite deprieved of food, she enjoyed every bit of the delicious food. The soft shell crab maki was very tasty too. Alycia and Sherilyn loved the California rolls and maki. Even Sherilyn who hates meat ate the soft shell crab maki.


Alycia enjoying her maki.


Sherilyn enjoying the crispy seaweed sheets which the sashimi chef gave her.

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Relaxing Foot Reflexology And Body Massage



This is a back-dated post. 2 weeks ago after dinner one night, hubby said he wanted to have a foot reflexology as he had been working late and needed to de-stress himself. So we all went to KL Valley Foot Reflexology, a foot reflexology and massage center with branches around KL. Most of the masseurs at the centers are men and women hired from China. We went to the one located near our house. I was a tad apprehensive about having a foot reflexology during pregnancy but the masseurs there reassured me that it is ok as long as they did it gently.

The massage was really relaxing. First, the masseurs massaged my shoulders, head and arms. Then, I had my feet soaked in some warm herb water and had a hot pack placed behind my back and my nape. The massage was truly relaxing till I dozed off..... but I find it too gentle and not 'chee kek' enough! A 45-minute massage session cost RM40 per person. I will definitely go back for more.





Whilst hubby and I were enjoying our massage session, Sherilyn our samseng climbed up and down the massage chairs, hopped around like a monkey and made so much noises. It was really embarassing as most of the customers had dozed off during the session.

Monday, January 28, 2008

Pretty Mummy

Have been tagged by this giddy but pretty mummy from the North.

The rule to the e-mail was that, once you have been hit, you have to hit 5 pretty Moms, including the one who thought of you today & sent it to you. The idea is that if you get hit again, You will know you are really pretty!

So I thought lets just turn this into a tag instead. But that “hit” part won’t work very well in a tag. So instead of giving a “hit” to the one who tag you, you add your name at the bottom of the tagged persons list, and without bumping the person at the top or bumping anyone off and let the list grow.Hit 5 pretty moms on your list to let them know they are pretty!

Before I was a Mom
I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby.I didn’t worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom
I had never been puked on.Pooped on.Chewed on.Peed on.I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts.I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom
I never held down a screaming child so doctors could do tests or give shots.I never looked into teary eyes and cried.I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom
I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn’t want to put her down.I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn’t stop the hurt.I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.I never knew that I could love someone so much.I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom -
I didn’t know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.I didn’t know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.I didn’t know that bond between a mother and her child.I didn’t know that something so small could make me feel so important and happy.

Before I was a Mom -
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache, the wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom.I didn’t know I was capable of feeling so much, before I was a Mom.

Here’s the first chain of tags :


The five special mommies I am tagging are:

Clumsy Mummy
Montessorimum
Lovely Mummy
Shern's Mummy

Hip n Cool Momma

Sunday, January 27, 2008

This Is How Sher Eats With Her Chopsticks

That's how Sherilyn eats her California roll with a pair of Japanese chopsticks. She refused to let our new Cambodian maid (next to her) feed her or touch her..... and she prefers to feed herself eventhough she makes a big mess.

Saturday, January 26, 2008

Flavored Kit Kats


Have you ever seen strawberry flavored and green tea flavored Kit Kat here? I have not but my mil recently got some back from Japan. I find them a tad too sweet for my liking. I still prefer the good old original Kit Kat.

Good Habits Are Never Too Early To Instill


From young, I've instilled a reading habit in the gals. I normally read to them when they are seated on the potty or on the dining table. Now, Sherilyn always asks for her favorite Dr Seuss mini flip-the-flap books or nursery rhymes books whenever she sits on her potty to do her big poopie business. When I have time, I will read to her, else she will read the books herself.

Friday, January 25, 2008

What's So Fantastic About J.Co Doughnuts?



I really don't know but each time I go to the Republic Food Court @ Pavillion, the J.Co Doughnut outlet is ALWAYS packed with fans making a long bee line and willing to queue for at least 15 mins to 30 mins for their turn to buy those sweet doughnuts. And hubby is one of the die-hard fans. For an impatient person like him, he is willing to queue up with the rest of the die-hard fans just to get a dozen of those doughnuts laced with sugar, chocolate and cream.

We were at Pavillion on Wednesday and hubby joined in the craze by queuing up for at least 20 mins to get a dozen of those doughnuts. I really can't find anything special about those doughnuts, in fact I find them terribly sweet. I still prefer the old-fashioned doughnuts sprinkled with very little castor sugar but still, I am never a doughnut person. I prefer cream puffs and ice cream.


Do you find these doughnuts tempting and appetizing? I don't know, but I really find them very jelak, just at the sight of them.... and I did not eat any of these. Instead, I ate the 'yau char kwai', 'mar keok', soya bean and tau foo far from the 'Yau Tiow' stall at the Republic Food Court. You should try those instead - very nice... but sinful! I was too busy eating them till I had forgotten to snap pix of them. Next time I will!

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Sherilyn My Keen Helper



For one week after our maid had gone back to Indonesia, Sherilyn never fails to help my mum whenever she hangs the laundry out to dry.... and she did quite a good job. When the clothes were dried, she even helped to fold the clothes, though the result was not exactly acceptable but good enough for a toddler who is not even 3 years old.


Blogging Frenzy Days Are Over

Offers from advertisers are pathetically scarce for PR0 blogs lately but I'm too busy to grief over it. In fact, I find that it's a blessing in disguise. I'm just too busy training my new temp Cambodian maid. Though she's hardworking, she's really slow. I have to do some of the house work myself like boiling water, washing bottles, bathing the kids, feeding Sherilyn (which is the most time-consuming as this brat doesn't like to eat and just stores the food in her mouth for hours), etc. Sherilyn still does not want the new maid to feed her or bathe her. I'm having a bad backache now from all the back-breaking tasks of bathing 2 hyperactive kids who won't stay still before, during and after their baths. Plus, I find it hard and painful to squat down now as my belly is getting bigger.

Now that Alycia has gone back to pre-school, I have to coach her in her homework everyday, besides reading to her and Sherilyn. I am really tempted to create another blog in my own domain and let this new blog be free of 3P posts in the hope of earning a good PR but with my 3rd baby arriving soon, I really doubt I will have the time to do that. I guess I will have to put this plan in the back-burner and wait till the end of this year.

First Link Love in 2008

This is my 2nd tag for 2008. Thanks to this mummy who can bake very well who lives in Canada.

I have randomly selected 5 of you below to be tagged and I hope that you will similarly publish this post in your blog.
You will have to tag 5 other bloggers and just keep adding on to the list. (Do not replace, just keep on adding! Yes we hope it will be a long list!)
It’s real easy!
Tag others and see your Technorati Authority increase exponentially!

The benefits of Viral Linking:-
1) One of the fastest ways to see your technorati authority explode!
2) Increase your Google PageRank fast
3) Attract large volume of new traffic to your site
4) Build your community
5) Make new friends!

Those in the Link Love :
The Strategist Notebook Link Addiction Ardour of the Heart When Life Becomes a Book The Malaysian Life Yogatta.com What goes under the sun Roshidan’s Cyber Station Sasha says Arts of Physics And the legend lives My View, My Life A Simple Life Juliana RW, Hazel,Sweetiepie , Healthfreakmommy,

Now I am tagging Tot's Mum, Hui Sia, Jasmine, Chin Nee, Barbara.

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Fish Spa Theraphy



Remember I wrote about the fish spa at Pavillion? We were supposed to go there on New Year's Eve but our plan did not materialize as we ran out of time. Today, we finally made a trip there and had an experience of our lifetime at the fish spa named Kenko Reflexology & Fish Spa located at Level 5 of Pavillion. Hop on to my other blog to read on and to view more pix.

Yummy Pineapple Cakes



These mini pineapple cakes made in Taiwan are my favorite and they taste even better than our local pineapple tarts. The crust is milky and the pineapple paste has chunks of pineapple and walnuts bits. They are sold in Taiwan and Hong Kong and my mil brought back 2 tins for me when she came back from HK recently. There goes my weight.... I think it will shoot up within the next few days as she had bought so much yummy and fattening sweet treats for us.


Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Fish Head Noodles

This fish head noodles is supposedly one of the best in KL. This shop, Woo Hin Fish Head Noodles located at Taman Desa, Old Klang Road was featured in the newspapers a couple of times. By 12 noon, the shop will be packed to the brim every single day. We were there last week and managed to get a place to sit as we arrived before 12 noon.



We ordered 2 bowls of fish head noodles,


and a large bowl of 'yue watt' or fish paste.

I find the fish paste and the soup too salty.... so salty that my tongue felt numb after the meal. The food here is not really suitable for toddlers as I find they contain too much salt, MSG, pepper and cooking wine in the soup. Even Alycia and Sherilyn who love fish paste and noodles didn't like the food. They kept complaining that the noodles and fish paste were spicy and salty and kept drinking water instead of eating.



The shop serves very good 'foo choke pak kor yee mai' or barley boiled with tofu sheets and gingko. Another must-try drink is the boiled pumpkin with gingko water - very refreshing and it's sugar-free. The drinks cost RM2 per glass.

Monday, January 21, 2008

MIL Is Here





My mil is back from Hong Kong for 1.5 weeks before she flies off again for an overseas holiday during the CNY. Read more here.

Overloaded


Sherilyn is normally diaperless when we bring her out. Since we were maid-less last week, I put her on a diaper whenever we went out as I don't have the strength to carry her when she needs to pee. I was also advised by my Obs not to carry her.
When we came home after lunch one day, her diaper was so overloaded with her pee that it almost dropped off her waist.... and she was walking around in the house with the heavy diaper as we were all too busy to remove her diaper! See how messy my room was, with things scatterred everywhere on the floor and an unmade bed.

Methane Gas Detector

I got a scare yesterday afternoon when I smelled gas everywhere in the house. I suddenly remembered that my maid had made some hard boiled eggs and boiled some barley water in the morning. When I went to the kitchen to check, I discovered that she had forgotten to turn off the stove or it could be the flame had extinguished by itself while the stove was turned on and my maid did not notice that. That was just so dangerous and if we had anyone lighting a cigarette in our house at that time, I dread to think what would have happened. This new maid of mine is quite a scatterbrain. I think very soon I will need to buy a cooking gas detector to detect gas leakage from the kitchen for the safety of my family. I wonder if there is such a device, just like the methane gas detectors from methangasdetectors.com. The methane gas detector is a pretty cool gadget which can detect a methane gas leak by just pointing and shooting a ‘laser gun’.