Oh christmas tree..

It's Christmas eve, I'm at work, so is BH. But it feels like the last day of school, cos there are no patients, we are just sitting around waiting and we've got a Christmas lunch planned for today. Heh.

Why work then? Cos I get paid lah...double heh. And we still haven't got the whole uploading of pictures done yet, we haven't even been taking many pics. Sigh..I really dunno how we ended up so busy and lazy. But, it's a 5 day break for me, so I'll be taking pics and playing with a new notebook (hopefully) and my new birthday/christmas present from BH. Will get internet at home in the new year kwa. Things here more slowly..sooooo slowly. Most service orientated stuff isn't open weekends/public hols. Like Telstra customer service..closed on weekends. Cis..tak guna, but makes me appreciate Telekom Malaysia more!

Planning next year's flying schedule now. Sorry Shades, we can't make it back for your big day. Very, very sorry. My folks are coming over the same time. All the best to you & Karryn, aiya..there goes my chance to dress up as Cinderella! My skin is already hitam from all the UV now. eh, you got Skype ah? Can we skype in?

Anyways..Merry Christmas & Happy 2009!

Because Mervin made me.

Yes Merv,have not been blogging. Cannot lar, house no internet. Things here moving sooooo slowly..just to get a fixed phone line is taking ages! (Thanks Telstra). So, I'm now at work, doing what I'm not supposed to..blog! Cis..patient here somemore.

Anyway, we finally found a place to rent for the moment, with one extra room, so anyone who doesn't mind a small palce is ever welcome. Merv, Ben wants to meet you..

Went to an asian grocer yesterday and just went apeshit. Bought like 88 bucks of dried stuff for tong sui/ soups..oh well.

Ok, my patient's gonna lose it soon if I don't see him, so.. Until someone else tells me too..see ya!

Yes, I'm still alive!

Yea, it's been a while since I actually accessed the blog. Sorry ler..things are busy. Heck, I now wake up at 6, then by 7 it's off to work. This week, it's a two hour drive to work. I'm in a rural clinic..so...I get back by 6, which is also a two hour journey back.

It's not so bad. On normal days, it's only an hour to get to and from work. Plus, there's no jam..I'm going the opposite direction of traffic,heh.

Must get car soon..and find a more permanent place to call home. Currently living with Bern's cousins and 3 dogs..it's nice, but we both miss our own space.

Melbourne is interesting..especially Phahran..hehe. The weather is still like a woman on pms. It was 28 yesterday and its 19 today..sigh..

Oh well..back to work!!!!

One week later......

It's now 9.59 am, here in Melbourne. I was supposed to be at work. Just like a week ago, I was supposed to have been on a plane. It seems that life here for both Bern and I are full of minor delays. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining, I get to spend time with Bern walking on the beach and all. But heck, I am anxious.

What happened this time? Was waiting for a letter from Malaysian Dental Council ( MDC) which got stuck in the mail. Finally had to fax MDC a copy to fax back to Australia. Some registration requirement that it has to come directly from MDC and not from me, although I have a perfectly legitimate certified copy of said letter here with me and wanted to submit in person. Oh well...everything must have it's red tape, huh?
Still looking for our own pad. This will take a while. Renting here is tough, as there aren't many places available with what we are looking for. Plus agents here don't need to work as hard as back home.

We have found a church though, just walking distance from where we are now, in Port Melbourne. Nice people and all la, but nothing like back home, of course. Somehow, Malaysian warmth and hospitality is still better.

The weather is a bit like a woman on PMS..one minute hot. like 30 degrees yesterday. And today, it's 18...

Well, that's all for now I guess.

Santhi & Bern's excellent adventure..yea dude!!!

So, ours was the goodbye ( at the airport ) that wasn't to be. Got up bright and early today to pack up, dry some clothes that were damp, pick up parents and drive to the airport. Got there like by 9 and all the while I thought the flight was 10.30....so..aiya, not late la kan?

Well, checking in, our baggage was overweight, by like 10 kilos...had to open up the cling wrap and try to chuck excess stuff..while panicking and doing all that and wondering where the heck Bern's parents were and if we'd get to say proper goodbye's and not just a quick I have to rush one, the MAS officer came up and told us..well, the flight is double booked, overfull and they could fly one of us at 10 ( our actual flight time) and the other at 9.30 TONIGHT. Wasn't paying attention and he had to repeat for me to have any reaction. My jaw dropped...

Then, the guy says..they will upgrade both to business class. Once I got what he was saying, I asked.."Did you sell OUR tickets?" You know what he replied? Yea, we were the last to check in and they OVER BOOKED it..then he starts throwing in other stuff..excess baggage fee waived.

My dad starts to ask for an explanation..and I'm thinking..hey, if we both fly later, we fly business leh..made a quick call to Australia, to change my 9 am appointment to later and settle some stuff with the new boss ( Ben) ..and so...we didn't fly.

Then, the guy hasn't finished yet..gave us breakfast vouchers and says he'll give us compensation..400..( see's my sad face)..( adds) each..oh, and hotel stay at Pan Pac..hehehehehe. Apa lagi? Ambik je lah!

So, by then Bern's parent's had arrived, rushing in, htinking they'd missed us,. and our church friends and pastor had come, all thinking they's see us flying off..heh..all asked, "flight delayed ah?"

No la, flight not delayed, it left on time, we just didn't get on it.

So, we ended up having breakfast for 12 at Burger King, checking into Pan PAc, getting lunch, snack and dinner for free, upgrade, baggage for free, but most of all and most importantly of all, we got to spend just a little bit more time with the ones we love...that, was the true blessing in disguise. We had a wonderful breakfast with our parents, had time to say proper goodbye's and Choowie even found time to come over for tea to send us off! Something I had hoped we'd get round to doing..heh..

So, guess where Santhi & Bern are right now? We're in the MAS club lounge, drinking champagne and blogging..heh..gotta go now, time to go spend our 800 bucks!

Time to say goodbye

It seems like just yesterday we were busy with wedding dinner and church prep and moving in..now, we are busy packing up to move out. Yea, Australia here we come. Ready or not, the Wongs are on the way...heheheheheh.

Will miss the numerous nights with the jokers, each time was supposed to be the last send off, but heck, when there's booze, there's Gobi...and Edward..hehehehe. Sorry Joel, we couldn't wait for you. You were too busy in Genting what? Thanks for Jack though, heh, what was left of it la.

So, we're off in another day's time, on a new adventure. Maybe for 2 years, maybe for longer, maybe even for a few months..nothing ever is certain, right? What's certain is the love we have for our family and friends, whom we will miss very much, every darn day.

So erm..G'day

Desperate Housewives

Ok, Ive been having too many marathons featuring 40ish good looking ladies who do nothing all day but gossip,because my life since 31st August, mirrors them.

Typical day...wake up, make breakfast for BH, go to gym after BH goes to work, lunch, shop a bit,then head off for 2 hour massage, then get home to cook dinner ( 2 dishes one soup kind), then have dinner with BH, go for after dinner stroll to buy groceries, then a late night swim in pool then back home to spend time with BH in front of tv.

Ah..the life of a See Lai...nice? Well, I forgot to mention the other things I've been doing, like packing up, all our stuff into boxes, settling the car loan so it can be sold, legal matters that have to be sorted out regarding our home,running around with mum and dad for his eye surgery, trying to sort out dad's and BH's dental issues, trying to get some studying done, I have to sit for an exam soon, getting new employment requirements done...

Yeah, soon my housewife days will be over, then it's will be wake up at 6, breakfast of cereal, head to work which is a 1 1/2 hour drive away, work till 5, head home which is another 1 1/2 hrs, maybe make a quick dinner, then zzzzz and repeat the next day for 5 days...

Heh.

MERDEKA!!!!!

Initially, I'd wanted to blog on the very last day of work. However, it was last Saturday and like every Saturday, it was busy. Plus I was lazy,heh.

The last day, well, the last week was a trying week indeed. It almost always is, I figure. But in that last week, I learnt many things, good and bad. And even though I told myself, no tears, well, they welled up when Devi, my assistant started tearing. I'm a sucker for other people's tears. Sigh..I'm gonna miss her. And Nor, Rozi, Noraini and Prema. They made my life there easier, we shared hopes, dreams, frustrations ( mostly about work) and of course laughter.

Nor and I have been at the practice for 7 years now. Time flew by, we never gave goodbyes a thought. But eventually, it was time. I wonder what Devi's day would be like today, now that I'm not there. I can only hope that she and the others will be ok.

As for me..heh, Merdeka celebrations were indeed Merdeka celebrations! Sunday was fun filled and sleep deprived. BH and I awoke early cos we had to make refreshments for church. heck, I'd only been baptised 2 weeks and they already gave me "privileges". Heheheh..not complaining,ok? But it was fun, as it usually is, cooking with BH.

Sunday was also our pool party..aka lets throw Gobi into the pool event. There were floating branches and even one wet Jr. Lots of food, new friends made, the beer boys learnt how to appreciate a Cosmo and Booker now has new fans. Yup...another late night at DPC, the guards must think we're Party Central, I think they're right. The usual suspects refused to leave, as usual, until the rooster crows. Ok, this time they left early, at 5am. I think the next time, I'll just have them bring sleeping bags. Might as well have breakkie after, eh?

Will blog about Sunday once BH does the pics. It's more fun blogging about it with pics of the floating branch..until then, I'm sure Nut has some account of the proceedings, so go to www.tykeonabike.blogspot.com

Fly away with me....

It's done, we've booked the tickets, we're going..now all I can hope for is that things work out. It's gonna be tough, but it's better than living from day to day, like a frog in steadily boiling water, complacent and happy being stuck in a rut.

Yup, our adventure begins October 6th!

Ten things

To do before the end of September:

1) Handle legal affairs

2) Sell the car

3) Sell the apartment

4) Rent out the apartment

5)Make a trip to Penang ( thanks Nut, for bringing up the issue of Penang Food!!!!)

6) Make a trip to Bukit Tinggi ( I've never been), Langkawi( Just for the booze), Camerons ( Bern's never been), PD ( Just for the heck of it, why not do a berkelah-kelah outing?) and wherever else I can't think of now

7)Pack up stuff and ship over

8) Settle parent's teeth

9) Get facials/hair do's/massages all done, cos it probably costs a bomb there. Besides, I still have unused treatment sessions.

10) Say goodbye..sniff,sniff...sniff......wah!!!!!!

Yea, we are going.

Faith

Faith, you gotta have some, cos that's the only thing you can fall back on, when times get tough. Be it faith in zeal, faith in God, faith in yourself or faith in others. And sometimes, with faith, you gotta let go.

Yup, faith...

Waiting..

Yelar, some people really know how to make me wait. Punctuality is gone these days, heck, if we were punctual, wedding dinners would start on time, right? And we ALL know that doesn't happen, not unless pigs fly, right?

Wokay, since I'm waiting, I might as well blog. Well, I'm bored..scrabulous friend busy at work, Bh also busy at work and I'm broke, otherwise I'd work my credit card out...heh. So, what should I blog about? Hmm..how about chicken pox? Yea, Varicella Zoster primary infection. ( secondary one is shingles,lah..so if you never had pox, you'll never get that nasty ring of roses from hell lah.)

Yea, Chicken Pox..not to be confused with the deadly Small Pox. Chicken Pox is highly contagious, apparently, some American researchers claim that if you were in a different aisle at the supermarket from someone who was contagious, you could get it too. Oh, but don't worry, chances are past the age of 20, you'll probably have gotten it already. If you haven't, join me..

Normally it takes about 7-10 days after getting the virus that you exhibit symptoms. If you are an adult, that means fever first, then the blisters or pox which normally starts from the abdomen to the face/hands/legs. Kids get the rash, then the fever..What does the rash look like? Red, fluid filled blisters, ALL OVER, not just ONE..

How long does the rash lasts? Typically a week, then it dries up and scabs over..unless of course there's some mega new treatment whereby after even one week, there are no signs whatsoever of the pox at all..no scabs, nothing.

Then again, maybe it wasn't chicken pox after all..

Which reminds me..I should go get myself immunized..

Monday Blues..

Time to chase them away..some pics of Ed post-nip & tuck surgery..hehehehe

Ok, so it's right after surgery, the surgery itself didn't start to work yet, hence....

But he still looks cute anyway, right?

See? Didn't change him one bit..still can grab his ball..heh

I wonder....

If leopards change their spots?

If a man who sashays rather than walks is gay?

Why do people paint their car the colour of Brinjal ( Aubergine,la)?

Why people jump to conclusions which are very often the wrong ones?

What my life would be like after Sunday?

It's Wednesday, and I've got issues..:)

Making myself and people happy

It's a miserable Monday, especially when your vision does not tally with your office colleagues. Luckily I have BH and his amazing camera skills..enjoy!

Bit by the Bug and it's raining twins!

Well, at least in Hollywood anyway. The latest being the King's daughter, joining a whole list of celebs...it's like the in thing. First came the little doggies that fit in a purse ( remember Paris?), then came getting preggers ( Nicole Ritchie, Ashley Simpson,Jessica Alba) just before getting hitched and now, to trump even that, they are breeding in multiples!

Ok, the first two, us mere mortals maybe can follow lah, but the twins thing? Can't imagine going on fertility drugs just to keep up with the Brangelinas, can you?

Anyway, it's flu season, in case you're one of the few chosen ones not to have picked it up. Bh and I aren't...one of those who escaped it. We've been sick for half a month now, on and off. Well, its a bug, we probably picked it up from the pool..or my patient who happily announced he was sick and said "I hope I don't pass it to you"..right...

So yea, the bug. And by the way, if you happen to be on antibiotics you cannot, I repeat CANNOT, drink...duh? Ok, Mr. "If I were to take it in the morning can I drink in the evening"?
Kudikaran!

Watched Wanted last night. Totally unrelated to the title, I know, but why not? BH found it entertaining. Apart from the scenes from the trailer, I thought it reminded me of a Stephen Chow movie..total and utter nonsense. Yes, Angie looked hot, but other than that, come on..no way lah! Buy the dvd, don't waste money at the cinema, seriously.

Oh..Online Pub's today's special is Pork Chops..there goes the blardy diet

Naked women or koala?

Obviously if you're HRH Nut, you'd chose Koala, right? Well...we gave him naked women once in a while. And if you're suddenly thinking he's gone the other way, think again. The naked women were printed on shot glasses filled with tequila. And since GoBI only brought 2 shot glasses, the other option was koala. Need more glasses for round 2!!!!

It was fun..heck, why wouldn't it be? Seeing as there was food, music and friends? Especially when you have friends like Jack Daniels?

It started early for BH, with him going over to mum's to cook the curry. ( While I was at work, and yes, I am so lucky to have a hubby who cooks..;)) When that was done, we still had time for a quick swim..hehehehe..yes, I can swim a bit now!!!

By 7 plus, Bel was the first to arrive, minus her sister & BIL, but with brownies..yummy! then came the folks with the food and friends slowly trickling in. I thought it would be 20 plus people, cos someone over in Kuching told me Eric was bringing a party of 8! Did he mean 8 actual people or 3 flers with the appetite of 8?

The kudikarans were the last ones to show up and the last to leave..obviously. Can't remember much of that night now, except certain scenes with Jr. spilling wine on himself, Chris not knowing how to play Uno and BH totally wasted by 2 am. Oh..do remember that Faz's modular noodle salad was good, Bel's brownies were yummy, the tequila was not as bad as I thought it would be and the curry...woooo, my baby can cook.

For a more lucid description of what went on, go here. For description on the brownies, go here. Can hardly wait for round 2..how's the 30th?

Change

Everything changes, nothing really stays the same..and so it shouldn't. Holding on and resisting is just futile, I guess one just has to go with the flow.

( phone call from unknown number)
Then
Me: What? WHo? Aiya..wrong number la! I'm not selling anything.

Now
Me: Yes, 3XX ,corner , negotiable, with balcony, facing pool, ya..ok?

( shopping in Carrefour)
Then
Aiya..must get coffee and cereal and get out! All done in 10 minutes.

Now
Hmm...I wonder if this tomato/asparagus/celery/canned stuff I can use..what should I cook? Oo...new cleaning detergent, cheaper somemore..wait, I think I need cereal and coffee and milk and ooo...tuna..oooo fresh lettuce...oooo...prawns look good today. It's an hour before I leave.

(at the pool)
Then
Eee...I sked..unexplainable fear of water..what if I drown? 2 feet also can drown, la! What more 4 feet? I just splash-splash can?

Now
Oooo...I wanna practice what I learnt the other day...yippeee....only 4 feet mah,heheheh..I can float!!!

( in the kitchen)
Then
Mum:Oi, get out! Don't get in my way la..I need to cook

Now
(MY OWN kitchen)
Me : Eh, sayang, what we cooking? Ok, need onion right? I chop up with garlic. Some more? Oo..must cut other things, hor? Eh, why not we add this/that into the dish?


Yea, change..it happens..

And We're Back...( warning, this one's a long one)

So, go back in time to June 24th, ok? It's 4 day's to D-day, by now, things should pretty much be settled, right? Wrong..

We were supposed to move in June 24th, cos Merv said it's a good day. So we told our renovation guys, do or die, Tuesday, June 24th, we're moving in..we did, into the second room which we didn't want them to touch. And this, is what the living room looked like..

Yea, that huge box in the left side of the pic? Our fridge, the boxes in the middle? Our kitchen cabinet lor...never mind, still got time wor..We moved in, with portable gas stove, into a construction site, but we moved in!

When Wednesday dawned, we thought they might get to work early, and get things done by Saturday, 3 days away. We were wrong. Well, that's what happens when your reno guy only comes to work after 12 in the afternoon. Sigh.The other units, by 9am, we can hear guys banging away, doing their jobs. Our place? (insert sound of crickets)....

Even our photographer, who came by that day, wondered how the heck we'd get it done by Saturday? Me and my big dream of leaving OUR house TOGETHER to church..seemed like it was slipping away. This is what our master bedroom looked like by Thursday..that railroad looking thing on the right is my window seat, or part of it..I think?

Friday was panic day! ONE day before, June 27th! Man! Our house was like Restaurant Makeover. We had about 20 guys in the house all in one go! Everyone was busy doing something ,except two bangla who had the time to smirk at the other foreign workers who were from Myanmar. Their conversation went something like this:

Bangla: Oi, you mana punya?

Myanmar: Myanmar

Bangla: Kita BANGLA tau?? ( in a snobbish, I am waaaay better than you voice)

Even foreign worker also got hierarchy..and on that note, the Myanmar fella was waaay better than the Bangla, not so lazy.

This this, boys and girls, was what the living room looked like, at 8 pm, Friday!

Needless to say, we had to work over time. The guys had to work way past 5 and they eventually packed up the place. While they were doing that, BH was in church, doing the final deco, I, too freaked out/stressed out..was bawling my eyes out at my mommies house..nah, I was trying to sleep. Too many sleepless nights already!!

When we got back, it was about 9pm, 11 more hours to D-day and the house? WAS A MESS! The things were cleared, but it was sooo dirty, cement/plaster/dust everywhere! Then I started bawling, seriously! Who'd ever heard of the bride, crying in desperation the day before the wedding? Well, Bh got on the phone, and basically screamed bloody murder. In the end, this is what we got..

The only responsible half of the "reno guys", Edwin...he came back, and helped clean up..

And this is what the groom and his driver did 10 hours before the wedding. What was I doing besides taking the pic? No, was not crying..whats the point? Was busy washing the toilet lar and cleaning the master bedroom..

And so, if you haven't seen our wedding pics yet..go here. Now you see why we both looked so tired. Though BH was snoring away ( we only got to bed at about 3 am, D-day). I was filled with anxiety. Didn't really sleep. To excited/nervous..

In the end, I think we were lucky. Yea, the whole renovation drama, was a great story. Our photographer used it and we got so comfortable with him, he appears in one of our wedding shots..hehehehe. Yea, he was more of a "friend helping out" than "the guy hired to take pics".

As for Edwin? Well, BH's cousin was supposed to be driver, but by 8 am D-day, he was still on the plane from Melbourne. So guess who volunteered to be the driver?

D-day was soooo much fun. Just go to the link, see how many shots people are just laughing?And we were not posing, genuine laughter, all around! Bh's boo-boo just made everyone laugh even more. He forgot ( he says he didn't hear Pastor), his lines, which were: "I take you, Santhi to my...bla..bla.."Hehehe.

And of course there's the jam tart incident, which will forever haunt Gopi, the tartwhoretm. ( trademarked to Pickles). I had not seen my mother/father and especially brother so happy in a long time, and the friends who showed up..made my heart sing!

By dinner, we were just running on coffee fumes and joy. More smiles and laughter..it really was magical. The family and friends who come together ( some from very far away) just to celebrate us being together..WOW! We both feel so blessed! Things just fell into place. Like our wedding car? Courtesy of Pastor's wife..old Beluga..go see the pics!!How many people get to use that vintage as a wedding car?

It all went better than expected. In fact, so good, that we had guests follow us home, to party with us longer, till 4 am..( you know who you are, you kudikarans and tartwhoretm.) Someone even said it was so nice to go to a wedding that was actually fun! And btw, the bride and the groom had just about as much fun, at their own wedding too, which I hear isn't always the case! But that's what happens when the bride and groom just cannot be bothered with having the perfect wedding and just wanna wing it and have a good time with some friends. Heh.

And what about our house? Well, we left on Monday, 30th for langkawi, expecting to return to a completed home on Thursday, July 3rd. What do you think happened? Let's just say, today, they're still fixing stuff..sigh. But now of course, its 90% done la. It was 80% on Saturday, July 5th.We went on honeymoon, so they also honeymoon la..until we came home and made noise again.

So, now all that's left is the housewarming and farewells...yea, after all the stuff that's happened, guess what? We're moving down under..for 2 years at least..heh. Oh well.. more reason to party and have people (read kudikarans/ tartwhoretm) over.

Whew..told you it's a long one!

Wedding commentary intermission

Photo's not done, story cannot go up..so, I will bla-bla on nonsense and daily stuff until story/pics ready, ok?

It's 3.20 pm, on a Saturday...with no more patients for the day, I'm outta here. Yippppeeee!!!! Time to go play masak-masak with BH..hehehehe..

Those of you who wanna play masak-masak or minum-minum or throw me a (surprise) farewell party or help me warm my house...don't shy-shy, just tell me.. Call me/text me/ facebook me, comment here/ whatever...let me know, bisa di-atur,k?

Will accommodate even single party ( with or without noodle salad or any kind of food) , upon availability of drink. My house kering, then it's BYO, ok?

Those of you who want to come MULTIPLE times, most welcome to as well..again, no such thing as being uhm..SHY. Please, please don't wait for me to invite you, invite yourself..seriously.
Time is short people...get to it!

Now then..masak-masak today...hope I won't burn the water this time.

Homemaking

You know something's just not the same anymore when at work, all you can think about is going home to do the laundry ( with the brand new washer), washing the brand new bathroom (did I mention yet with rain shower?) and cooking ( over the new Rinnai).

It's been a liitle more than 2 weeks since we moved out, and maybe just about a week comfortably settled in, with most things in the house ready. It's nice, it's cosy, it's quiet and best of all...we have the whole place to ourselves!!!!

Sigh...I don't wanna leave.

Finally Back!!!

It's been three weeks since my last entry. In the last 3 weeks, Bh and I managed to miss Miracle, run helter- skelter around trying to finish up the house, manage our families and the church blessing. It's been busy..So, here's what happened, in a nutshell. Will try to get pics up and elaborate later.

It all started Tuesday, June 24th. Bh and I were supposed to move into our new home. Guess what? House not finished, in fact, FAR from it. We managed to move into the second room, with the rest of the house, including the master bedroom still a construction site. At least the lights were in!. Oh, no gas, ( yet) , but we had our fans, heater, pump and air cond in already. Did I forget to mention that our sofa and living room was still non existent?

Wednesday, Thursday and Friday was pretty much a blur, with Bh trying to get the house done, and me, trying to get the wedding done! By Friday, ONE day before D-day, the house was NOT ready! In fact, it was in such a mess! The floor/windows and every exposed surface was covered in dust.So guess what the Bride and Groom did the night before the wedding? We cleaned up the place lar..till 3 am D-DAY!!!!! With the help of our driver aka one half of the contractors aka Bh's good friend, Edwin.

D-day dawned, with not enough sleep from a late night and all the excitement, Bh and I were still all smiles...Our photographer ( who also saw the state of our mess 4 days before, arrived on time). So, for pics..go here.

I thought D-day would be one heck of a loooong day, but to my amazement, I was having so much fun, time just flew by. There were hitches and glitches, but it was fun! No wonder people get married! Hehehehehe...

The rest of the story will proceed, like I said earlier, once the pics are up. So hang in there. And no, BH did NOt take pics of the food at our banquet!

I wish I could blog but got no time larrr

Things are hitting full swing at the moment, cos it's only err 10 days to D-day. Yikes!

Really short of time and energy at the moment, cos Bh and I have been super busy running up and down with renovation and wedding prep. Oh boy...at times, it seems we've both lost our heads and are basically doing very accurate impersonations of headless chickens.

Thank God for faith and family and friends.

All I can hope and pray for is that everyone at least enjoys the show..and oo...I am soooooo looking forward to Lannngggg Kaaaaa Weeeeeeee!

( Oh, did I forget to mention that our Firefly flight from Subang had been cancelled? As of June 9th, although the ads say they fly from Subang to Langkawi, they don't. Route discontinued..our flight, got "upgraded" to a MAS one, from KLIA...Bh still trying to get them to reimburse travel expenses. Last I checked, KLIA is what 60 km from Subang? Next time, fly Air Asia man!!!!)

Dragon Unleashed in Desa Park City!

Remember when this happened? Yea well..just over a year after that incident, guess what happens? My Car kena bang again lar..ok, I'm exaggerating. The paint got scratched, on the bumper, by yet another woman..sigh..

It was about 9 plus pm, Bh needed cash..we had been to the apartment just to check on things. And guess what? Nothing was done..everything was just as we left it a few days ago, despite us rushing our contractor. Needless to say I was pissed and pretty upset. Eh, you try being a hormonal woman planning wedding,renovation, career change and busy work schedule at the same time and see? I bet you'd be emotional too, ok?

So there I was, in the car, waiting for Bh who had walked into the bank. And then I feel the car get raised and a thud. So I jumped out lar..and see this young chiku, had double parked her car, right onto my bumper!!! And best of all, she didn't even realise she'd hit my car. Talk about dumb..plus, it's DPC lar..there's like a foot of pedestrian walkway space from the parking lot onto the road, ok? And this girl..went straight into the bumper.

Apa lagi? Me with bad mood all..poor girl. Hell hath no fury like me when I'm upset. Bh came out to see his normally cool wife (under most situations) just blasting the poor girl. ( Poor and not so smart lar). All over a paint scratch. I now realise it wasn't that bad lar..but at that moment, huiyo!!! The fire dragon in me was let loose lah.

Even the security guard came to see what the commotion was about. I'm sure he was pretty glad I was screaming at the girl, cos he'd been spending his whole evening shoo-ing people who'd double parked..and you know what? There was ample parking available..just walking distance away. .a point the guard happily made as well.."A lot of parking lah!!" those were his words..

After much of me yelling..we finally decided to let the girl off until we get the damage evaluated. Small re-paint, would costs about 200 bucks. Thankfully she was the honest type and actually paid for the damages and at this very moment, Khar is being repainted..I bet she ( the young chiku) learned her lesson. Oh, and she just got her licence but was driving without a P..tsk,tsk.

And what about my contractor? Hmm.. after some noise from me, his new associate, a more responsible guy, has finally started on some work, with some good deadlines. This guy, who'd just joined like a week ago, suddenly found himself thrust into a project which was a mess and worse still, with a very,very upset client. But at least he's been reassuring..now all I can hope for is for the job to be done on time and for me NOT to unleash the dragon again!

I can't breathe..but I can blog about it!

Yea, planning a wedding ( or in our case the blessing and dinner, since we are, technically wed) is a huge stress..Planning a wedding and home renovations at the same time, an even bigger stress. Planning a wedding, home renovations and possible career changes at the same time...now that's stress!!!

All things happen at pretty much the same time these days..and to top it all off, work is hectic for both BH and I. And so, both of us are barely breathing most the time. Ahhh time..something we don't have the luxury of these days.

Currently our biggest stress is our home. It was supposed to have been completed a month ago, what our contractor initially estimated, but now, 2 months plus since work began, it's not done. Apparently, this is a norm. When your contractor says 2 weeks, he means 2-3 months or there abouts. And we didn't even do much..sigh.

So, these days, we actually have a valid excuse not to go for Shades class..and when we do show up, our sleep deprived, food deprived ( diet mah) bodies just give way..heh.Looks like we won't see much of a gym in a while yet..maybe after the honeymoon lah!

Sorry Shades..can't stalk you tonight. Wanted to, but it looks like we have to go shopping for taps and kitchen fixtures. It seems, when we get the stuff for our contractor instead of relying on him to source for it, things move faster. We're on a deadline, I really hope we can make it!

Of BH

As many of you know, Bh and I actually met at the gym..which is why THE gym is using our faces on their website ( haha FBB..can't skip seeing us, now!!!). But of course, all this, him-me, how we met, how it ended up this way, everything, basically is , for lack of a better word, kismet.



See, when me met, I was in Cheras LM..anyone will tell you, that's miles from where I live. Why was I there? I was following my PT who left Cali for FF in LM..so yea, from being able to work out right where I work, I drove all the way to LM.



When we met, Bh was just recovering from a romantic setback..strangely enough, so was I. And, we'd both decided to hang the people who hurt us and move on..



The timing must have been right, the stars aligned..cos I stood, in combat class, right smack in BH's usual spot.



A smile turned into an exchange of numbers which turned into a date which turned into a relationship which turned into a marriage.



You know what else is cool? Wilson..yea, Wilson, the senior who's shoes I remember so well. You know why? Cos Wilson, was Bh's classmate in school. Wilson, was my senior in dental school and Wilson still has no freaking idea that BH and I got together..I'm sure he'd be mind boggled as to how it happened.



Plus, I went to Bh's school for sixth form..by then, he'd left for college, so we never met there. And you know what else? Bh's brother was classmates with two of my childhood friends brothers, his brother's friend is a patient, his boss knows my brother ( and they went to a rival school of ours) and Bh's surname is the same as my neighbours and my brother's in-laws.( though all not related).



So yea..kismet..or coincidence, small world, smaller town..heh.

Orientation week

A few things triggered memories of many years ago..10 years, to be close. One was of course I-ben's mail on prom dresses that should never see the light of day, the other, I-ben again, recalling my horrid hair days and thirdly and more importantly, the addition of a senior into a friend's facebook circle..It's amazing how much these facebook notifications can upset you!

Yea, so there we were, all green and wet behind the ears..into the first week of our 5 year long torture..suffice to say, most of the torture was in that one week, the rest was on and off sadistic bits of pain.

I still remember it like it were yesterday, looking at Wilson's shoes ( there's a funny story about this fler, to come later), cos we weren't allowed to look up. Only allowed to look down, at the floor..not at our seniors faces. So we identified them by their shoes..Wilson's were always spotless and shiny. Of all the seniors, I liked him ( and Larry) the most.

Anyway, I-ben and I did many strange funny things, we were forced to pretend like we were Moulder and Scully, and run around the lecture hall, fighting aliens only visible to us. Him being Scully and me, Moulder..why? Cos' I-ben actually is a Scully..heh.

It was ok lar..Malaysian styled ragging. I really don't know why we took it at all. One of us actually rebelled and did they them to shove it, by not showing up for orientation "sessions". He ended up Cleo Bachelor of the year..so much for being the obedient kids.

But what I hated the most was this one particular senior..she was I think 2 or 3 years our senior. It wasn't what she made me do, it was what she said that hurt the most. Plus she had this snide look on her face, the kind you just love to hate. Pretty though that face was, it was not pretty to look at, because of what comes out of that mouth.

That day, I wore a very long dress, one of those things I had back then, when money ( and fashion sense) were a little tight. I recall her saying,

"Why are you so fat? You look like you're pregnant"

I can't remember just what it was that made her say that, or why she did. Why would my weight ever matter? All I can remember is feeling very,very bad..on top of all my insecurities ( being in a new environment, away from home and all), she had to pile on the weight issue. Yea, I was chubby, but did you have to be so mean?

Well, needless to say, for a while, that broke me, my self confidence dropped a bit..but thanks to I-ben and many other friends, eventually, it went away..right after graduation, with some money to spend, guess who joined a gym? Guess who lost all that weight?

And oh...guess who's on Marie Claire's 10 Women of Style and Substance this month? Ya, that right, that would be me.

It must be a chinese thing..

Yea, nothing compells the Indian bit of me to grab a mic and wail my lungs out in a darkened room to background music with lyrics projected on a screen to ( occasionally) corny music videos..

Bh's first uncle turned 70 recently, and Bh's cousin's decided to throw him a surprise party.... at a karaoke joint. The whole family is in on the karaoke thing..and some, pretty good at it too, like Uncle Wilson. He crooned out oldies like a pro!

But me? I stayed away..heck, I'm Indian darn it! I only feel compelled to sing in the shower/ in my car when Queen or Aerosmith plays on the radio..not in front of relatives. Unless of course, it's on a big stage, in front of many people and I'm a star, like Jacklyn Victor..but still, I can't imagine her doing karaoke.

Hence, it can't be an Indian thing..especially with Bollywood being mostly lip-synced productions.

More proof was in the language selection of said machine..

1) English
2) Malay
3) Chinese
4) Hindu

Yup, if Indians frequented the joint, someone would surely have pointed out the mistake..it's Tamil/Telegu/Urdu/Malayalee/Gujerati/Punjabi/whatever dialect from India, because EVERYONE knows that Hindu is a religion, not a language, right?

Unless of course, they actually have songs in Sanskrit..the language used in Hinduism..now that, would be amazing!

So yeah, I'm thinking it's a Chinese thing..well, probably not an Indian thing..or maybe..just not a me thing.

This one's for Merv..sorry Edward!

Things I like part 1: My new COACH bag!!!!!! ( And matching purse)

I was walking by, after a massage, waiting for BH to come pick me up. He'd decided he needed RPM, I'd decided I needed a massage..so after an hour and a half of being kneaded all over like cookie dough, I still had to wait for BH, who's finish and hour of pedalling/weights but had not showered..

So, whats a woman to do while waiting at a shopping mall? Hmm...million dollar answer..walk about la, window shop. Walked by the Coach outlet at Gardens, saw a whole lotta people inside, when it's normally empty and a whole lotta people outside, queing!





What up? Sale ka? No signs of it, but by the line to get in getting longer and the people inside getting frantic..something was up..peeped in the side window and saw a tiny sign..:CLEARANCE.


Any woman will tell you that when that sign flashes in our heads, the lights go out and a primitive, sublimal gatherer instinct kicks in, with only one thing in our minds....I WANT!!! So, guess who went and joined the queue?


After about 40 minutes of being in the line ( it moved so slowly, because they were controlling the number of poeple in the store), BH was on his way and I was getting tired and really wondering if it were worth the blady effort! But by the time I wanted to get out of the line, It was almost my turn and BH had'nt shown up yet..hehehehe..



BH..stealing a pic from outside, through the window
When I got in, went towards that all so tiny sign..and checked out the stuff..saw one bag that looked lovely..then another..and another..then saw BH's face, peeping through the window..visual communication ensued as to which looked better..and I decided.

Was queuing to pay, which again, was super slow to move, when yet another person popped by the window..Hazrin. ( BH had by now gotten bored and wandered off someplace) Another Visual communication session ensued, which went like this..I imagine two jokers, mouthing the following conversation:


Haz: What's up?
Me: Sale
Haz: How much off?
Me: 30 %
Haz: Only?



Then he mouths for me to call him, after which..the conversation that ensued was as follows:


Haz: What's up?
Me: Sale
Haz: How much off?
Me: 30 %
Haz: Only?



Yea, funny guy, this Hazrin. Oh, he's also the genius who coined "shanticombat"..so..


And so, people, this kid walked out, and hour plus later, made BH wait for her, all hungry and all for this...



Dinner was on me when Bh found out how much they costs...at least the dinner cheered him up a bit. the way to a man's heart truly is through his stomach,heh.

And yeah, will be on a bread diet the rest of the month..

Am I nervous?

On the gmail chat the other day, Yuffie asked me, "So, d-day approaching, are you nervous?" My very prompt reply was "Nope"

You know why? Cos' I'm already legally BH's wife! Even if I screw up ( and I sure hope I don't, ok?) the I-do's, heck, he still can't get out of it, now can he? For all intents and purposes, the dude is mine! (and technically, this gal is his too). So heck, I'm not nervous..nope.

I mean, a million things could go wrong ( am guessing quite a few would), like the church programme gets screwed up, like the caterer screws up, like the flowers get screwed up, like the restaurant guys screw up, like our mc's screw up ( Shades, you better NOT screw up) or even you know, we run out of liquor (God forbid!!!!!)..I'm not nervous..

Ok, maybe a teensy weensy..but...wait..nah..

Can't wait for June 30th!!! ( in case you're not in the know, d-day is June 28th, one month away).

What's with June 30th? I'll give ya a clue..what comes after the church ceremony and the dinner and the many congratulatory hand shakes and of course the hang over from the party after?

Nice white sandy beaches, a plane ride, good food ( I hope), duty free shopping ( for the after celebrations liquor party, lar), beautiful scenery, relaxing time away and the two of us not really leaving the room to enjoy all of this? Teehee...

I've been thinking....

Traffic slow...time to increase it again..so, for your viewing pleasure, I present, Ed Hill ( soon to be Ed Hill Kung-kung)..at 10.5 kilos!

"Eh, don't whistle lar...I don't like it!"

"I told ya I don't like it"

"Why you always taking picture of me one? What you up to ah?"

"Ok, if I let you rub my belly, would you STOP whistling?"

Just for Shades

Well, not really...cos am just blogging about Merv..who is Merv? click la, and find out. Oh, he's on the roll as well, under The Art and Science of Feng Shui..or, you can pick his brains about tea. how to serve it, how to drink it, how to appreciate it..For me, I'll stick to coffee,heh.

Sorry lar Shades, takde ilham lar..

Just for Joel

Ok, and Ai Ziah, and whoever else who quietly reads this blog just for updates!

How you guys? Good? Whatcha doing this fine, lovely day, which is also a Public Holiday? Shopping? Sleeping? Movie? Nothing much? Good on you..I am, well..working! Apa lagi?

Won't be working on any more darn Public Holidays I can tell ya..nope, no way, no how! Yee ha!!!!

Oh..coming right? Food, drinks, company...what more can you ask for? Oh, right, there's also the entertainment value. And no, Joel..not inviting him!

Rocking the boat...

Well, I just HAD to do it, didn't I? Go and ROCK that BLARDY boat..geez! Can't just be a happy little froggie swimming in water..even if that water is in a pot, over the stove, now can I?

Shucks..now I..wait WE really have to make a huge decision..aiyo! This could mean a whole new world and getting back to the books again..my frozen brain needs to be thawed out! Or..be the little froggie, hoping that the water won't boil.

Good bits: Goodbye stupid office toyol, who loves to sabotage me and steal my things and make life hell.

Bad bits: I can't take cold lar!!!

Quickie

Playing ketchup today..trying very hard to catch up with appointments and still trying to slot in emergencies. Bh out of town, busy writing cards and catching up with people, face getting pimply from stress and lack of sleep, worrying about new house and renovations, just remembered to worry about wedding dinner and last but not least, got a visit from author of The only political blog I allow on my links, who came in as usual, with a gift.

I hope I can find the time to read it.

One of those days

When you wake up in the morning thinking you really shouldn't get out of bed.

Yea, by the time I finished removing that darn crown from patient number one of the day, I regretted not taking the day off. The 2 hours spent bent over with a dull bur didn't do much to boost morale.

By my last patient, I was abut to give up..the whole day I have been questioning myself..why oh why did I decide to do what I do? Shucks..should have just become a pen pusher, working 9 to 5..too late for that now, eh?

I should have been a Si Lai..hehehehehe.

Lets hope tomorrow is a better day.

Choosing a mate

In the animal kingdom, to ensure survival of the fittest, apparently animals seek out the strongest to be their mates. Animals will always chose the strongest partners, for example only the alpha male gets to mate with the females in his little harem. I guess it's nature's way of ensuring only the strongest survive and the gene pool just keeps getting better, i.e those with diseases, etc don't reproduce.

I wonder...does that apply to us humans too?

Is that why we look for certain qualities in a mate too? Like looks, a nice body, a healthy bank account? I mean, maybe it's genetically pre-programmed for us to seek someone who can give us good looking, healthy kids who wont starve?

But I still think it's weird when someone calls off an engagement just because the other person isn't rich enough..that, to me, it's just wrong. I don't get it..I always thought if you love someone, you take the person the way he/she is, cos you love him/her..money, should not be that big an issue. Sure, it's important, but heck, these days, women work too, right? Gender equality and all that? Why should the guy be the sole income provider then?

I just don't get it..and this post, is just a personal view.

Photo shoot part two..aka what we did last weekend..

Will let the pics do most of the talking...Make up...one inch thick minimum, with mascara soo thick my lashes almost broke off from the weight! All just to make sure I look like got BIG eyes.

BH..hehehe..getting his hair done..
So, where did we go? I'll give you a hint...go Claude!!!Mana lagi? SJI lah..being former students has its priviledges..get to take wedding pics with nice architecural background! Where else can you find a building as red???

Our cameraman Ah Leong and his assisstant Winnie...he laid down on hot roads and surfaces pretty much a lot of the time, just to get the right shot. And Winnie, she was fun..nice kid, was on hand to ensure the baju in the right place, etc..

See all the people here? Looking in the direction of the camera? You know why? Co's even in my full make up and wedding gown, this girl, muka tebal enough to walk into Yut Kee and have her lamb chop! EVERYONE had an entertaining Sunday Lunch..probably at our expense..oh, what the heck? Even the boss lady congratulated us..heh.

Where do you think this is?


Nice shots leh? Before you think that these are the actual shots that would end up in the album, think again. These were actually taken by BH..my BH, talented also, hor??? Which is why all the pics are of me...heheheheh.

Of course..must fool around for the camera also lar...

I think this session was better than the last, especially since the cameraman said I'd lost weight..kekekeke..but we also enjoyed ourselves more, since we got to go back to SJI and direct a few shots ourselves. Can't wait to see the final product.

Labour day cooking adventure..

We started with this....
And this...That went into this....And finally became this....We also needed some vege..so...We had this..And what was BH doing while I was cooking? This...When doggie was nice and clean and doing this...Bh cooked his dish..Which was this...And when we sat down..we finished it all and only this was left..

The Twelve Labours of SC

For Labour's Day, decided to get into the spirit of it..

1) Sweep floor of entire house

2) Mop floor of entire house

3) Wash and dry clothes

4) Banking

5) Filling of housing documents

6) Feed doggies

7) Clean doggie's yard

8) Play with doggies

9) Finish watching Gone Baby Gone

10) Clean up mess in room

11) Get some zzz....

12) And my most important task..cook lunch! ( pics of this and what was cooked..in the next post!!)

Flown the coup...also the reason for not blogging.

Why Haven't I been blogging? Been too busy taking care of the baby, yep, you heard it right, THE baby..














Doesn't he just look soooo cute, with his bone in his mouth?


My parents, suffering from chronic empty nest syndrome, decided to do something about it. They decided to leave us at home and fly far,far away..on holiday. Which means, BH and I are left with the task of taking care of the house AND the dogs..


If you think he looks sooo darn cute and innocent, think again. These days, we don't need an alarm to wake us up. Before the crack of dawn, like a crowing rooster, Ed, howls..



Why? Just because he can,just because every time he does it with mum, she comes out to play with him.



So these days, he gets sleepy, bleary eyed me, dragging my sorry ass ( that just wants to plop back in bed), to the back yard, to clean his "business" and his mess and feed him and play with him and oh..wash the place. Not that I'm complaining,heh. Oh, and his mess (smelly, wei)..the boy tears up the papers almost every time...dunno if it's because he's upset with the news and what not, or again, just because..and did I mention that we have to rush back home right after work to feed him?



Jackie on the other hand, good little doggie that she is, doesn't mess up anything, eats without having to play fetch first and basically just IS..she's missing her playmate, my mum, terribly though, cos she keeps looking for her. The only time we get any emotion from her, is when Ed, tries to take her treat or bone..ooo..all hell breaks lose, with Ed, running, cowering behind us and yelping in fear..heh..silly boy, he still does it every once in a while, hasn't quite learnt his lesson. Don't mess with Jackie's stuff!!!

THE baby with "ball"..we taught him how to fetch it on command, he can identify "ball" and retrieve it, but still has issues on giving it up..
Ed, with his bone..and a look that says it all..I dare you to take it from me..come la, I dare you..

Cute? Hmm...until he sees other dogs..not a friendly pooch, this one.

And that's, what we've been up to..