First Time Dad

Hello Dolly!!

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 04:28:00 +0000

I want Emila’s cute handmade dolly because I secretly like playing with Dollies…wait that didn’t sound right. Seriously, I’d like to win it for my dear little daughter to love and cherish. She’s at that age where she hugs her favorite dollies to sleep every night. Audience cue ... Awwww

(word count 50)

Happy Birthday Emila –
you’re really an extraordinarily gifted person who loves giving. May you have many happy and healthy years of success in all your endeavors.

Malaysian Safari?

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian) — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 22:37:00 +0000

Recently I posted about a trip to Bangkok and the fun time we had at the Bangkok Safari...well this has got nothing to do with it! LOL Last month the family went for a little restaurant hopping to celebrate our wedding anniversary and my birthday, which is only a day apart.

No this is the first ime we've done this but I was pretty down then and wanted to just celebrate. hehehe

A moment of peace...

On the day eve of my birthday we went to Tony Roma's of course...my favourite joint (which reminds me that I haven't been there in a week because of that blasted flu). I'm not going to elobrate cause the food there is excellent and we always have a good time. Then on my actual birthday we ended up in Chili's for another wonderful meal. The day after that was our wedding anniversary...now for that I wanted to go to somewhere different. Oddly enough someone in the office gave me a keychain that day and it was from Africa. The tagline was out of Africa...after the movie. That reminded me of this restaurant near my place that goes by the same name. So i actually googled it and found that it was a great restaurant that was highly rated by one of the expat magazines, which meant one thing to me....authentic.

My fav ribs...all 10 of them just for me...unfortunately could eat only 3...

Okay so we watch TV when we're out too...wife and her darn spy cam

To think that it's been around for ages and was so near by (five minute drive) that I have driven past it many a time and that had great reviews and that we had not been there at all. So we of cours decided to go there to celebrate our 16th wedding Anniversary! We didn't really want to eat that much because it was the third day of celebrations but the minute I saw the Johannes Burger with blue cheese grlled on an open flame...I had to have it and it was excellent. The next time I want to try the Broewars sausage....

Entrance to Out Of Africa

The restaurant was actually quiet when we got there becaues we went early and pretty soon it was filled to the brim as there was a group of visiting African students and their Malaysian and South African counterparts there for some gathering. The pictures below don't realy do justice to the place as the athmosphere was really great and I'd recommend this place to anyone.

My Johannes Burger with melted blue cheese

We were still enjoying ourselves actually. So we went for the fourth day of celebrations. It was Saturday and we went to Bubba Gumps in the Curve. They had a set menu promo and it was the ribs again for me...but this time it was babyback ribs which gave Tony Roma's a run for their money. Being loyal is one thing...good ribs is another LOL It's always fun when the family goes out...in fact I rather go out because at home I'm glued to the TV like a moth to flame. LOL

Nelson mandela was there to say hello...NOT

Entrance to the bar...err...or was it the toilet... That deer gave up it's life to bring us closer to Africa and it's preserved wildlife...pun intended LOL

This was the set at Bubba's

My favourite gals...

Green Jeans

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 05:25:00 +0000

My good friend and fellow Genie Marzie is having another one of her fab contests over at her Mariuca's Perfume Gallery blog. This time it's in conjunction of her upcoming birthday and the prize is a mini Green Jean's Mens Perfume.

I rememeber having a bottle of baby Blue Jeans a long long long time ago and I think I still have the can it came in somewhere around the house. Winning this Green Jeans perfume will bring back some memories considering the fact that wifey did own an awesome pair of green jeans before...er the denim kind that is hehe

One of the rules of the contest is that I have to guess how many mini bottles of perfume Marzie has in her collection. Boy that is gonna be tough cause I think she has a million or so hehehe

Anyway after some sluething my official guesses are 130, 133, and 135. I'm keeping my fingers and toes crossed and making a Genie King Wish that I guess right!!

ALAKAZAM

Bangkok Safari

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian) — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 22:26:00 +0000

Another thing that we did on our recent trip to Bangkok that we have not done before was to go to on a Safari. Yes you read right a Safari! You see now that the little one is older and more demanding LOL we need to find stuff that is more entertaining for her. So instead of the usual shopping and stuff we have to find new and improved things to do.

Now when I first heard about the Safari I too was skeptical but boy was I in for a pleasant surprise.

There were birds and macaws of wonderful colours at Birdland. This picture was take by my little girl.

There was a Sea World that had several dolphins and beluga whales in the show which was very impressive.
Above you can see one of the whales taking a bow and below are the dolphins lined up for treats.

This is at the beautiful entrance. As you can see we take the part of looking like tourists very seriously LOL

There was a neat place to have lunch with food cooked fresh from little boats.
This little black swan took a liking to us and we gave him some goodies for his troubles. Pic by daughter.

This was the Orangutan show that was pretty amazing. At firstI thought it was going to be totally exploitative but it wasn't so bad. There was a fake boxing match, with cheering fans, nurses, drives, stretcher bearers and boxers and all Orangutans.

There was even a few polar bears. This big guy looked so cool and relaxed in his enclosure.

There were a lot of crocodiles and this one looked nasty...probably wondering who's going to be his next meal.

This was also at the entrance. These girraffes look like they are having so much fun...but they are fake...hehe...the real ones are at the safari side of the park.

This is the entrance to the dangerous animals enclosures at the safari park. It's all drive through.

Here are the bears. They were huge.

This fellow was having a nice cool dip in the pool. Reminded me of Yogi bear LOL... Wassamatta Boo Boo?

This was after we realized that the windows should be wound up. DOH The bear looks like he is at a Japanese restaurant where the food is on a conveyor....and we are the food. LOL

The tigers looked lazy...I guess they were waiting for dinner...and we were invited...as the main course LOL. The real feeding time was a little later.

Here is a picture of a lion looking real majestic. There were quite a few big lions around and I caught one snacking in the distance with the videocam. Just wondered which tourist who left the car was the snack...hehe

We then left the predators enclosure..these are either wilderbeest or Kudu...nice pair of horns dude...hehe

This strange creature was found in the car...LOL

There was a nice little "flintstones type house" for the deer to mingle and have a "beer" LOL

Stork island...there were loads of stork and flamingos all around the lake...one part was practically covered with them

More birds of a feather flocking together...

A little lost mousedeer...okay he was not lost but he does have that deer in the headlights look LOL pic by daughter...

This is not a close up of a rhino...this was us real close to a real big rhino....

The big fella was trundling along as we drove past...I couldn't help thinking that we'd be toast if he decided to give the car a little nudge

One of the camels...this guy is probably wondering why he has to have those horrible humps to carry water when there was a lake nearby LOL

Another strange creature...hehe

Zebra... Bubt, butt, butt!!!

More rhinos and some giraffe in the distance...you can feed the giraffe over there...nice shades dude LOL

Actually this is the first picture we took...of some ostrich...we were excited cause we could actually drive in the park Then we knew why they put the ostritch at the begining...this nasty fellow came right up to the car...reminded us that it was still wild animals and we should stay in the car :)

We'll that was only some of the pictures...there were loads more to do like the Cowboy show, the Spy Show and the sealion/walrus show, not to mention a jungle cruise and loads of other things to see. I only wished that we had more time but it was our last day in Bangkok and we departed that night so we couldn't stay until later. If fact I really must thank my friend Ning who took us there. It was a fourty five minute drive each way from our hotel.

Cheers!

Bangkok by Night

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian) — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 16:13:00 +0000

Okay okay buddy...before you start getting any of those filty little ideas that only your perverted mind could have I want to state it loud and clear that it was a family night out in Bangkok! LOL

Me messing with my new toy while the little one looks on as we wait for the cruise.

On by recent working trip to Bangkok wifey and the little one tagged along. We were only there for a few days but we wanted to make the most of it since the last time we came the little one was only just starting to walk.

That the ship in the background slowly coming to dock. Check out the beautiful background sky.

We had heard a lot about the night river cruise decided to try it on the first night. It was a great experience and we enjoyed it once we got there. Getting there was a whole different story though. It started at the concierge who recommended that we take the skytrain (BTS) since it was rush-hour. Believe be in the past I'd never take a cab in Bangkok at rush-hour...it was so much easier to walk or take the train. Hmmmm...now we weren't prepared for that because the station is a little hard to get to but rather than risk missing our cruise that we hed booked earlier we took the advise.

Close up of the ship/boat all lighted up...again check out the beautiful shades of blue in the sky.

The minute we got into the hotel shuttle the little one dozed off. By the time we got to the shuttle stop she was fast asleep. So we had to carry her up the stairs to the sky train station which as the name goes is "Pretty darned high up". Fortunately we had a easy time on the train as the kind people of Bangkok actually got up and gave my wife their seats. That happened at the hotel shuttle, the first train and the connecting train. Believe me we were drained but could see that traffic was indeed at a standstill as always.

Don't ask me what building it was but that was the hull of another cruise boat gliding past..

Once we reached the last station we were beat and then had to find the hotel. That too was a small challenge as we could see the dock but not the hotel. Finally after some queries we found the hotel but it was on the wrong side so we got a tour of the Shangrila...well we had to walk through the hotel and it was a really nice hotel. We finally reached the boarding area...where we sat and took pictures as we waited.

Another place with no name...I could bluff you and you wouldn't even know right? LOL

The boat was really very nice...it had better be for the price we paid. The food was excellent and there was dining on the deck as well as in the air conditioned cabin. We opted for the cabin because it looked like it might rain. Fortunately it didn't and we were able to move outside freely to enjoy the sights. There were many things to see and I was busy with my handycam (okay I haven't downloaded the clips yet). It was a really marvellous experience.

And this is the view of the...urmmm...whatever. I must say that the river was really clean and odourless plus theere were dozens of boats all over. There were even barges that were running silent and dark so as not to be obtrusive to the tourist. Very well done.

Some folks actually dressed up really spiffy (not you Spiff) and we did wonder if we should have worn our Sunday best...errr NOT...it was a cruise on the Chao Phraya and jeans was okay if you ask me...but we did think that if we did it again we dress up too LOL Just for the fun of it!!

The temple by the river...might have been the palace...DOH!

All in all we had a nice experience and the food was simply excellent. I guess I should have taken some pictures of the food but wifey was holding this camera so I'll just blame her...besides she's fast asleep now and can't defend herself LOL

Okay this is my in my favourite pose...drinking my coffee while gazing out...I kinda like the little hand on the side too!

Well that's it for the cruise. It was an delightful event and I recommend it. There are several different boats and we saw one huge one speed by while blaring Hindi music....I guess it was for the tourists on board. However, our little Shangrila boat was kinda cozy and romantic and I guess that says it all.

Cheers!

Whacky Wednesday - "Life" with a Computer

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 00:13:00 +0000

This post is dedicated to the millions and millions of computer users worldwide. The source/s is unknown but it's still funny nevertheless. Cheers folks and hope this brings a smile to you today!

A fun day at the beach!

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 07:27:00 +0000

It was a beautiful day...

spent making sandcastles on the beach

and taking walks along the shore...

even venturing into the waters edge for a taste of the sea...

and a taste of the best Curry Laksa in PD...

capped off with a gorgeous sunset upon the gentle waves!

It was fun in the sun for the family over the weekend as we took a quick trip to a nearby beach. It was a really good break and we had a fun time. Going with my best buddy ensured that I had the best possible time with family and friends. Also after a long time, I didn’t have to worry about assignments that were due and could just relax and enjoy the retreat.

I think that my little girl had the best time of all. Although she one doesn’t know how to swim yet and we couldn’t really venture to the sea she really enjoyed walking into the waves, making sandcastles on the beach and frolicking in the pool. The smiles and laughter are precious and I’m glad I brought the camera.

The best thing about it was that although it was an overnight affair, but because we went early and checked in early we had so much more time on our hands. We were on the beach and then the pool and then the beach again and the pool again…I lost count. We were so tired that night but my good buddy and I wanted to stay up late like old times.

Unfortunately we are like “old timers” now and couldn’t stay up past 12. We did try to talk a walk on the beach after the kids went to bed but the place was pretty deserted. I recalled the time I went to Siloso Beach in Singapore and how crowded the place was and couldn’t help wondering why our old beach which is the closest to the capital can’t have even the slightest semblance of what is at Siloso.

My buddy and I could see the potential for so many things and wished that we could be given a half mile of beachfront and we would turn the place around with the right planning. Maybe it was just wishful thinking but I think there is potential for more. After all it’s not that far from town and great for a quick rendezvous, all it needs is a touch of class to attract the crowds back.

Anyway the next day as we drove into town for lunch we did see that there were certain stretches of the beach that had started to do what we were thinking about so there is still hope yet. Speaking of town, we also discovered what I think is the best curry laksa and the best ABC – Air Batu Campur (literal translation “solid water mix” or as the stall owner so aptly put to a foreign customer “it’s like Malaysian ice cream”) in Port Dickson!

The curry laksa was think and creamy and the ingredients were plentiful, even the sambal chili was laden with dried shrimp and really spicy. The ABC on the other hand was not too sweet and full of red beans that were cooked to perfection. It was lip smackingly good food for a very decent price. I strongly recommend the place if you happen to stray over to PD town someday.

Anyway that was it. A quick getaway that ended all too soon. Wish we had more time to stay but maybe next time. We're planning to do this more often...considering that it's only an hour or so away...it does't get any closer that that! Sometimes you get stuck in the parking lot of a mall for longer than that hehehe

Cheers and have a nice week!

I’m Back!!

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 02:52:00 +0000

I’ve finally handed in my last assignment and I’m unofficially done with my Master's degree. Of course I need to get my results for my last two papers this semester but after that I’ll be graduating. Woo hoo!!!

This has dragged on for more than a year and a half and I’ve totally neglected my blogging pretty much throughout the whole period. Worse I’ve neglected all my blogging buddies during that time too! SORRY FOLKS - I'll make it up to you!!

Wow so much has happened since then! The worst news was the recent passing of Michael Jackson! I have grown up to his music and been a fan of his for a long long time and it was unbelievable when I heard the news that morning that there were unofficial reports of his passing. I quietly wished that it was just a rumor but within minutes, the news was confirmed.

We spent the whole weekend catching up on the news and tributes to the King of Pop. As I watched past performances it reminded me of just how remarkable he was. One funny thing was as we listened to the car radio on Saturday morning while on the way to breakfast, my little girl who is only four and listening to MJ’s music for the first time remarked that she liked the music. She doesn’t usually say things like that about any songs whenever we listen to music. Unfortunately I can’t remember which song it was because I was thinking that even in death MJ’s music is timeless and can still reaching out to win over a new little fan!! Amazing!!!

I remember when MJ performed in Malaysia for the first time, I without hesitation went for his concert (I am not the concert going type and this was my first and only paid music concert that I have ever attended). While I remember the show very well, what left a lasting impression was after the show as we were walking back to the car. There was only a few of us on the road as the majority of the fans were still at the stadium trying to catch a glimpse of MJ. As we crossed the road and were standing on the divider I look up and see Michael’s vehicle drive slowly by right in front of us and he is happily standing up and waving through the sun roof. I personally call the place Michael Jackson Road whenever I drive past. Just goes to show that although his performances were out of this world, he was really a down to earth person. Rest in Peace Mike!

Okay that’s it for now.

Peace!

PS I’m long overdue for a Blog makeover so stay tuned!!

Oh to be young again...

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian) — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 16:32:00 +0000

No no I'm not feeling down or anything. It's my little girl's 4th birthday today and I'm as happy as can be! I've been so busy lately that I feel that I've been neglecting her a little and wifey and me almost did not have a party because we have exams both this week and next. But try explaining that to a little girl. Besides it's something I've wanted to do since last year and I didn't want pust it another year. Moreover she asked for a party this time. She is growing up I tell ya! My little girl is growing up!
Anyway we somehow managed to get things done between classes. It wasn't ahrd getting a caterer. In fact I had my mind set on this new Eurasian Restaurant that serves the lovliest food. It's my new hang-out on weekends. The food is tasty and reasonably priced too. So of course we had them cater. Simple. I'll post pictures of the food tomorrow if I can spare the time. Remember I have a party to plan and an exam to study for too.
Now when decided to have a party it was not just going to be any party it had to have a theme. Of course I ain't no fan of Barbie or Disney Princess etc. And we already had a Winne the Pooh theme for her first birthday...not that she remembered anything. Anyway, when the little one wants to watch cartoons it's usually something we both agree on. I like the action toons...yes always have and always will. Superman, Batman, the Justice League or the Legion of Superheroes...okay so I'm a DC fan. She on the other hand loves the Pink Panther, Tom and Jerry and Ben 10 so of course dear old dad has to keep her company....I must say I am still a pink panther fan and although I never liked Tom and Jerry after watching their antics...they kinda grow on you. Now BEn 10 you say...what is a little girl doing watching Ben 10...don't look at me...I started watching becaue of her. The cartoon is pretty nifty and the dialogue is quite funny too. So like I said when it came time for her party the Ben 10 theme just screamed at me. I had an idea for the tables...gonna make them look like Omnitrix's...Ben 10 special aliean changing watch thingymajig. I elicited the help of my best buddy to come up with the back drop and he didn't disappoint me...he never does. I'll bet you'll see pictures on his party blog tomorrow night...well before mine being the avid blogger he is!
Now it's just time to wait for morning to come to give her her present...of course the latest Omnitrix...boy do those guys sure know how to squeeze a parent dry. I don't think it's worth the price...but you can't have a Ben 10 party without a Ben 10 toy I guess. To my delight Secret Recipe also has a Ben 10 cake promotion. No not a price reduction type promotion, more like a higher priced specialized Ben 10 type cake. believe me I went to the branch next to the restaurant I was catering from last Sunday to place the order after ordering the food and would you believe that y it was their last day in business and they were of course not takign any orders. DOH!! Godo thing I knew of another nearby outlet. Talk about luck! Anyway, February was a pretty bad month for me luck wise and I hope all that bad mojo is gone.
Today after the exam we rushed to get some party packs for the kids. We didn't invite many folks just some close family and friends. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day. Can;t wait to see the look on her face when see sees what we got her!! :) She's really looking forward t the party and I hope the weather holds. We ned to put up the balloons and the banner and decorate the tables and pick up the cake too! Oh this is gonna be so much fun and such distraction from studies!!
Cheers or in the words of Benjamin Tennyson...It's Hero Time!!

Lost

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian) — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 16:04:00 +0000

Okay Okay...so I've been lost for a while. Can't help it....busy at work and busy at school and of course busy with the little one. Yes, it's a juggling act of enourmous proportions. This term is deemed to be a short term, which essentially means that we ahve to cram three months work into two months. In addition to that at work we're down two staff at the office so basically it's just time time time or the lack of it.

Actually I've been meaning to post about my little one's first day at school....which was of course last month. Man were we proud parents just beaming at the sight of our little one in her new school (pre -school that is) uniform. The camera was snapping away like crazy because we wanted to record the momentous occasion. Alas as fait would have it the day I wanted to post about it, I tried to download the photos and lost the whole lot. Boy was I disappointed and so was wifey when I told her. Fortunately everyday is still an adventure for us.

Her first week was fine. We took the whole week off to try to get her used to the routine. It was us who actually needed to get used to it. She took to school like a duck to water. Never turned back. We felt kinda sad but also a little happy too to see her love to go to school. Of course getting up in the morning is another issue.

One thing abut school is that that there are a load of germs around...cause she got sick after the first week and then in the second week too. It seems like this is normal for all kids and helps them strengthen their defences. Don't know how true that is though.

For the first month, whenever we asked her what she learnt in school the answer was an outright "nothing". Doh...I wasn't sending her to school to learn nothing LOL However, this month she seems to have opened up more and is busily telling us about what she did and which teacher did what and about her friends and what snacks she had. So we breathed a small sigh of relief....hehehe

In fact on Monday, because wifey and me were both on leave, we popped in to school to talk to her teacher and we were pleasantly surprised to hear that she is attentive and active in class. Our first Parent Teachers Meeting LOL It sorta reinforced that we've been doing okay with her at home.

Her birthday is coming up next month and I'm also trying to squeeze in being a party planner. She is a Ben 10 fan for you cartoonaholics and we want to have a Ben 10 theme. Yes just having a party is not enough....some people are just suckers for punishment. I've got a few ideas and have aske dfor help from my good buddy. He's graciously volunteered to do the backdrop and the table centerpieces. I'm planning to make each table look like the fact of the Omnitrix....again for not cartoon type people....google it please. I also got the help of a Ben 10 subject matter expert...my 9 year old nephew...and he suggested pin the tentacle on Vilgax...as opposed to my pin the tail on the alien. That should be fun....in fact planning hte party is half the fun....the last time we had a party for her was her first birthday...and last year because of exams we ahd to forego it....this year is the same....I mean exams...but I can't postpone this party any longer. The show must go on hehehe

Now all I need is a caterer that will serve alien gunk LOL

Cheers!

Merry Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian) — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 00:36:00 +0000

We' like to wish you all a Very Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year!

If you know the tune Grandma Got Run Ove By A Reindeer...play it or Hum it before starting this clip...my gift to you all! HO HO HO

Bear With Me...

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian) — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 06:01:00 +0000

My good friend and magical Genie Princess Marzie is celebrating her 2nd Blogiversary this year! What an achievement! Congrats!! To commemorate the event she is having another one of her great contests!! The prize…a Mariuca Teddy Bear….the challenge naming the bear!

Well that's easy…a name came into mind right away… I dub thee.....

Marzipan!!! and my sister Penelope!

Why I chose Marzipan…well firstly because it has Marzie in it and secondly because the color of the bear was a shade of almond and since Marzipan is also made out of almonds, plus Marzipan s sweet just like Marzie is, so what better name could it be.

An almond...notice the color similarities with the Mariuca bear!

Not enough just to name the bear I decided to do a little research….and came up with some interesting facts…

From Wikipedia…(scroll to the end of the article for the main point)
Marzipan is a confection consisting primarily of sugar and almond meal.
It derives its characteristic flavor from bitter almonds, which constitute 4% to 6% of the total almond content by weight. Some marzipan is also flavored with rosewater. Persipan is a similar, but cheaper product, for which the almonds are replaced by apricot or peach kernels.

Marzipan is often made into sweets: common uses are marzipan-filled chocolate and small marzipan imitations of fruits and vegetables. It is also rolled into thin sheets and glazed for icing cakes and is traditionally used in wedding cakes, Christmas cakes, and stollen. In some countries marzipan is shaped into small figures of animals as a traditional treat for New Year's Day. Marzipan is also used in Tortell, and in some versions of king cake eaten during the Carnival season.

In Italy, particularly in Palermo, marzipan (marzapane) is often shaped and painted with food colorings to resemble fruit — Frutta martorana — especially during the Christmas season. In Portugal, traditional marzipan (maçapão) fruit shaped sweets made in the Algarve region are called morgadinhos. There are other regions, as Toledo in Spain in which marzipan is shaped into simple animal shapes, and usually filled in with egg yolk (yema) and sugar. In Latin American cuisine, marzipan is known as mazapán and is also traditionally eaten at Christmas, though "Mazapan" is generally made with peanuts in place of almonds. In the Netherlands Marzipan figures are given as presents to children during Saint Nicholas' Eve.
In the Middle-East, marzipan (known as lozina, which is derived from the word "lows", the Arabic word for almonds) is flavored with orange-flower water and shaped into roses and other delicate flowers before they are baked.

The South Asian sweet Badam Barfi is also made from almonds.

History
Although it is believed to have originated in Persia (present-day Iran) and to have been introduced to Europe through the Turks, there is some dispute between Hungary and Italy over its origin. Marzipan became a specialty of the Baltic Sea region of Germany. In particular, the city of Lübeck has a proud tradition of marzipan manufacture (Lübecker Marzipan). The city's manufacturers like Niederegger still guarantee their marzipan to contain two thirds almonds by weight, which results in a juicy, bright yellow product of highest quality. Historically, the city of Königsberg in East Prussia was renowned for its marzipan production. Today, the term Königsberger Marzipan still refers to a special type of marzipan in Germany.
Another possible geographic origin is Toledo, Spain (850-900, though more probably 1150 during the reign of Alfonso VII, then known as Postre Regio instead of Mazapán) and Sicily (1193, known as panis martius or marzapane, i.e., March Bread)[1]. In both cases, there is a reason to believe that there is a clear Arabic influence for historical reasons[1] (both regions were under Muslim control) and there are also mentions in The Book of One Thousand and One Nights of an almond paste eaten during Ramadan and as an aphrodisiac[2]. Other sources establish the origin of marzipan in China, from where the recipe moved on to the Middle East and then to Europe through Al-Andalus[2]. In Toledo, Mazapán is also one of the city's products. Almonds have to be at least 50% of the total weight, following the directives of Mazapan de Toledo regulator counseil[3].

Under EU law, marzipan must have a minimum almond oil content of 14% and a maximum moisture content of 8.5%. Optional additional ingredients are rosewater, honey, pistachios, preservatives, and sometimes hazelnut. In the U.S., marzipan is not officially defined, but it is generally made with a higher ratio of sugar to almonds than almond paste[4][5]. One brand, for instance, has 28% almonds in its marzipan, and 45% almonds in its almond paste.[6] However, in Sweden and Finland almond paste refers to a marzipan that contains 50% ground almonds, a much higher quality than regular marzipan. In Germany, Lübecker Marzipan is known for its quality. It contains 66% almonds.

Etymology

Bears made from marzipan.

The German name has largely ousted the original English name marchpane with the same apparent derivation: "March bread. (This is the clincher because Maricua was the name given to Marzie by her old Italian professor when she was in the univestity….and she is a hopeless romantic, 3rd & 4th degree)" Marzapane is documented earlier in Italian than in any other language, and the sense "bread" for pan is Romance.

Next fact (5th degree)
How many bears do you know who have birthdays? Well this Polar bear named Knut does and how does he do it? Well on his first birthday last year Berlin's biggest celeb rings in the occasion with massive marzipan cake LOL I guess that means he also celebrates being two this year on December 3 ….the same day the contest end too...

Knut the polar bear with his 1st Birthday Marzipan cake!

And finally (6th degree)…

Seeing as how the US elections are going on right now (just in case you’re from Mars and didn’t know!) a Presidential fact - "Teddy" Bears are named after former US President Theodore Roosevelt. His distant cousin Franklin D. Roosevelt was also a US President and married to Eleanor Roosevelt, who my daughter shares her name with and whom I'm writing this post for to win the little bear!

Teddy and the bear

So those are the BEAR facts that I came by in my little quest to win Marzipan the Bear on Mariuca’s second anniversary with a little six degrees of separation thrown in!

Extra Extra Read all about it!

I just realized that Mariuca's Perfume Gallery is also celebrating her birthday! Two for one! Happy belated birthday Marzie for MPG! She is also having a competition to mark the special occasion and me being me (shameless and all) decided to try to give a name the bear Penelope after Penelope Pitstop of the Wacky Races cartoo series! I'm not going to be as elobrate as before but here is a little fact about the name that I found out after giving it...err from wikipedia again...
Penelope
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In Homer's Odyssey, Penelópē is the faithful wife of Odysseus, who keeps her suitors at bay in his long absence and so is eventually rejoined with him. Prior to recent readings, her name had been associated with faithfulness.

I kept it short this time but Homer's Odyessy...LOL I couldn't help myself because that was my first and only avatar when I started blogging! Doh!!

Penelope and Homer and pals! Priceless!

Cheers!!

Defining moments....

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian) — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 22:27:00 +0000

There comes a time in a persons life when you have to take a step into a new stage in life. Yesterday was such a day for our little girl. It was the day she got her ear's pierced, well more like the day we got her ears pierced.

We've been wanting to do it for a while but have not had the opportunity because of classes and all. So this time since we have a decent break from school and work too we decided it was time. After work we mustered up the courage and took her. Wifey wanted to have the little one's hair trimmed too which is something I was slightly against since I like her hair long. Alas for practical reasons wifey's arguments prevailed. So after a quick visit to her regular hair salon we went over to the goldsmith where they do the piercing. It's supposed to be very quick because they use two guns so no time for protests after the fact. I kept insisting on getting the best people for the job as I was getting a little apprehensive. They reassured me that it was okay and everything would be fine. Wifey held the little one tight and the two girls marked the ears and cleaned the spot with alcohol. Then everything went quiet...well for me at least as I waited for them to put the guns to her ears.

She was such an angel and did not protest although you could visibly see that she was uncomfortable. I went over to look at some little earrings for her to choose from so as to distract her. I found two that I thought she'd like, dolphins and dragonflies. She picked the dragonflies. Then it was time...to be honest it happened pretty fast since they did it at the same time. I had my phone ready to snap a shot and did...just a split second before she burst into tears from the pain or fright or attention. I don't know....I was just feeling guilty for inflicting unnecessary pain to her. Wifey quickly distracted her and she was alright in a minute. I was relieved.

The studs are in there now....they are put automatically when they use the gun...Okay so i don't know about these things and it was all intriguing for me. Anyway, only after a couple of weeks will we be able to use the real earrings. I tried to snap a picture of her with the studs but she just refused to sit still. Will have to do it quietly without her knowledge. hehe

It's HARI RAYA today and I'd like to wish all Muslims a very Happy Raya especially, Marzie, Lady Java and Emila. Peace to all!

PS Don't forget the rendang folks....hehehe

Happy Merdeka (Independence) Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian) — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 22:49:00 +0000

I've been so busy lately that I've totally neglected my blog and to a certain extent going out for a little fun! So yesterday, ont he eve of Independence Day we got up late and had a heavy brunch of thosai and coffee at our old haunt and then headed to the park. Our little one...well she's not that little anymore but she'll always be little to me...aw you know what I mean!!

We haven't taken he to the park in ages and she loves going there so we made it a point to go. When we got there we hear a lot of music and loud goings on! It was a pre-Independence Day Celebration organized by the city council. We didn't really want to get involved because we thought it was for invited guests only at first so we headed to the slides and swings for some action. We had fun, when I say we, I mean my daughter had most of the fun sliding down while Mummy and Daddy had the honor of carrying here up for her next bit of fun. The apparatus were a little too high for her so to make things easy that's what we did! Liek I said, we had FUN!! LOL

Anyway, we heard that there was an art competition and a sand art competition too. Since the little one loves sand art we decided to mosey on there for a look see. There were a whole lot of kids there and they were happily drawing and "sand-arting" away. So we got Ellie one of the thingys to get going. With a little help from Mummy to remove the stickers, she happily colored her sheet. By the time it was completed it looked pretty nice and we went back to the booth to get the cover . The attendents there asked us to join in the competition and we said okay since they were going to announce the winners in a little while and we stil had some swinging and sliding to do. So we submitted her little "masterpiece" and she was the last entry or at least thats what the attendents said because it was supposed to close at 11.30 and it was 11.35 then.

So we went back to the swings and slides and continued with the fun. It was getting pretty late and after a while we decided to head back. So we went to retrieve the sand art from the judges table and gave her name. They said not to go back because she had won something. We were elated because it was totally unexpected. So we headed to the tent and waited a few minutes more for the announcements and soon heard her name being called up for the kindergarten category. The announcer called her name first and said that she had won a consolation prize, she also said that she was the youngest competitor. We were happy and a little excited since it was her first "official" competition and all. So Mummy helped ehr up stage amidst the clapping and cheering since the crowd saw that she was so little and encouraged her. Proud parent moment!!

After that we headed for home since it was getting late and we had a group assignement to work on that afternoon in college. So we made a quick stop to get her her favourite "Hor Fun noodles" at her favourite restaurant "Old Town White Coffee". She just loves the place and doesn't wanna go anywhere else and we give in because she is a fussy eater. We got home and after a quick rest it was time to go to school.

When we got back from group we decided to take her out for dinner. Wifey wanted to try somethign new and we decided to go to "Bubba Gump" at the Curve. We almost regretted the decision because they had blocked several roads leading to the place to facilitate a performanc ethat was being held there in conjunction with Independence Day. Somehow we hmanaged to take the right turnings and ended up at the mall without too much hassle. We headed to Bubba Gump and found that it was a nice place. A litttle like being on a boat, especially upstairs where it was all woody and well decorated. The place ws packed and many had made reservations but being first timers we had left it to chance and I guess we had to make do with whatever seats were available, which were upstairs. Fortunately a booth opened up and we went back downstairs and made our orders. It was there that we saw the staff "perform" for someone birthday! I won't reveal too much but it was very entertaining!!

For the little one we got her some linguini that came served in a little paper boat which she was delighted with. Also instead of fries we got to substitute it with fruit, a healtier option. Me loves shrimp... so we ordered "shrimp heaven" which came with four baskets of shrimp and some sauces...the most unique being the marmalade and mustard I think...Me like. We also ordered the "Pulled Beef" Sandwich which turned out to be pretty tasty and might be high on my favourites list. We were getting prety full but we just had to order some dessert. The ice cream and chocolate chip cookie....oh mama...that was so nice...Ellie and Mummy finished most of the ice cream and I got most of the cookie which was pretty darn good...it came in a small pan which was a BIG COOKIE!!. We didn't finish the sandwich and the cookie so it was all packed up and brought home. Fortunately the trip home was less stressful and we didn't have a jam to contend with.

A rather fulfilling day don't you think. We got back pretty tired and played with the boat which we had to bring back if you get my drift. Soon we were all tired and went to bed...it was twelve by then and we heard the sound of fireworks in the distance as we drifted of to sleep. What a day...

Today I'm looking forward to the rest of the pulled beef sanwich and that chocolate chip cookie. Ah the little one just wok up...talk about timing...I'm gonna get her to hold up the sand-art for me to take picture of...

Happy Merdeka to all!

My New Pet

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian) — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 23:29:00 +0000

I haven't had that many pets in my time that I can remember. Our first family dog was called Bingo and he was a nice old fellow. Of course I was rather small at the time and the story goes that we used to cling on to him and we'd pull us around. Well at least that what my elder brother told me...I was young and gulliable then! Old Bingo went to Doggie heaven one fine day and we never had a dog who could replace him.

My mother, told me that my uncle had once brought a baby monkey for me as a pet. Of course I never even saw that one. Mum gave her brother a earful and so went my chances of having my own little monkey....that would have be so cool!!

One pet that I do remember very well was my parrot, his name was Bobby! We used to try to teach him how to talk and he was a bundle of fun for a youngster like me back then. I was like eight or nine then and had just lost my father to illness. I remember everyday after school I run to his little corner to play with him. I had so much fun. in fact the whole family enjoyed him.
One day though after school I found him motionless at the foot of his space. I couldn't believe it. I cried so much. My brother and sister were so nice that they got an old shoebox and put Bobby in there. Then we had a small procession in the garden and buried my little pet red parrot. In hind sigh we must have looked wierd but I still remember that day and it meant a lot to me to put Bobby in a nice final resting place.

After that we never really had any pets...we had fish and bird, budgies to be exact and bubbies too. We once had a grey bunny that we called Bugs and he was still a wee fellow...after work we'd take him and his sister, Blackie, out for a few minutes to have fun in the garden. One day, we went into our routine and all was well until our insurance guy came along. So left the bunnies outside for a moment near the budgie cage and went inside. All was well until we heard the budgies making a huge ruckus. Budgies a re pretty quiet bird but this time they were shreiking. We ran outside only to see a stray cat with little bugs in her mouth. He was still alive so I gave chase. Cats can move real fast when they want to and he bolted throught the garden and over the wall in a blink of an eye. We searched all over for hours but that was the last we saw of poor old bugs.

Okay all my stories seem to end with my little pets meeting their maker but thats why they are pets, right? Anyway, I have one more story of our arowanna fish that also met an untimely death but that was due to an accident and while w like that fish...he was almost two feet long he was just a fish.

Anyway, my new pet is actually a plant. Yes, folks you read right!! A plant....a venus flytrap to be exact. I've always been fascinated by this insect eating carnivorus oddity and I've finally got my hands on one. They are pretty rare and I've looked through countless plant shops but to no avail. So would you believe that I found it in Carefour hypermarket!! Of all the places. He's just a little baby right now and who knows if I feed him right and treat him well he migh grow into a giant tree that eats more than just mere little insects Muahahaha

Simple Economy of Cows

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian) — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 01:54:00 +0000

SOCIALISM
You have 2 cows.
You give one to your neighbour.

COMMUNISM
You have 2 cows.
The State takes both and gives you some milk.

FASCISM
You have 2 cows.
The State takes both and sells you some milk.

NAZISM
You have 2 cows.
The State takes both and shoots you.

BUREAUCRATISM
You have 2 cows.
The State takes both, shoots one, milks the other, and then throws the milk away...

TRADITIONAL CAPITALISM
You have two cows.
You sell one and buy a bull.
Your herd multiplies, and the economy grows.
You sell them and retire on the income.

SURREALISM
You have two giraffes.
The government requires you to take harmonica lessons.

AN AMERICAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You sell one, and force the other to produce the milk of four cows.
Later, you hire a consultant to analyse why the cow has dropped dead.

ENRON VENTURE CAPITALISM
You have two cows.
You sell three of them to your publicly listed company, using letters of credit opened by your brother-in-law at the bank, then execute a debt/equity swap with an associated general offer so that you get all four cows back, with a tax exemption for five cows. The milk rights of the six cows are transferred via an intermediary to a Cayman Island Company secretly owned by the majority shareholder who sells the rights to all seven cows back to your listed company. The annual report says the company owns eight cows, with an option on one more. You sell one cow to buy a new president of the United States, leaving you with nine cows. No balance sheet provided with the release. The public then buys your bull.

A FRENCH CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You go on strike, organise a riot, and block the roads, because you want three cows.

A JAPANESE CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You redesign them so they are one-tenth the size of an ordinary cow and produce twenty times the milk. You then create a clever cow cartoon image called 'Cowkimon' and market it worldwide.

A GERMAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You re-engineer them so they live for 100 years, eat once a month, and milk themselves.

AN ITALIAN CORPORATION
You have two cows, but you don't know where they are.
You decide to have lunch.

A RUSSIAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You count them and learn you have five cows.
You count them again and learn you have 42 cows.
You count them again and learn you have 2 cows.
You stop counting cows and open another bottle of vodka.

A SWISS CORPORATION
You have 5000 cows. None of them belong to you.
You charge the owners for storing them.

A CHINESE CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You have 300 people milking them.
You claim that you have full employment, and high bovine productivity.
You arrest the newsman who reported the real situation.

AN INDIAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You worship them.

A BRITISH CORPORATION
You have two cows.
Both are mad.

AN IRAQI CORPORATION
Everyone thinks you have lots of cows.
You tell them that you have none.
No-one believes you, so they bomb the shit out of you and invade your country.
You still have no cows, but at least now you are part of a Democracy...

AN AUSTRALIAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.
Business seems pretty good.
You close the office and go for a few beers to celebrate.

A NEW ZEALAND CORPORATION
You have two cows.
The one on the left looks very attractive...

Source Unknown

The Return of the Genies!!

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian) — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 15:40:00 +0000

Alakazam!

The mighty Genie King and the beautiful Genie Princess from the magical Land of Faraway are back! Upon escaping the clutches of their Evil Master after being held captive for 1000 years, the magical genies have been busy flying on their Magical Flying Carpet, granting wishes and spreading love throughout the blogosphere.And now, the genies are back with a special gift for everyone! Behold the sacred, Magic Lamp of Luck! With this magic lamp, your blog will enjoy much good luck and fortune, warding off all things evil lurking around in the blogosphere. We would like to share this magic lamp with you so please pass on the Magic Lamp of Luck to those in need of some good luck. Remember, do not be greedy or unkind, evil or vengeful and good luck & fortune will always be with you! Join us on another exciting magical adventure as we spread goodwill and good luck to one and all!

* Start Copy Here*

1. Add your site(s) to the list once you have received the Magic Lamp of Luck.
2. Pass on the Magic Lamp of Luck to as many people as you like. After all, everyone needs some good luck!
3. Leave a comment HERE once you’ve passed on the Magic Lamp of Luck. Once the Genie King and Genie Princess have visited your site to make sure your links are complete and proper, you will then be added to the Master List.
4. To ensure everyone receives equal link benefit, please UPDATE your list regularly!

1-First Time Dad 2-Mariuca 3-Mariuca's Perfume Gallery 4-Emila's Illustrated Blog 5-The Other Side of Emila 6-My Sweet Escape 7-Bay Head Blog 8-Roxiticus Desperate Housewives 9-LadyJava's Lounge 10-Petty Ramblings of a Petty Queen 11-The Real Deal 12-Pinay Mommy Online 13-Perpustakaan 14-LadyJava Life's Pages 15-Make Money Online 16-Cat Tales 17-LadyJava's Food Paradise 18-Being Woman 19-Spicybug 20-Biz-N-Honey 21-Aeirin's Collections 22-Sasha Say s 23-Project Heavy Traffic 24-Picture Clusters 25-My Wanderings 26-Maiylah's Snippets 27-Moments of Colours 28-Life Quest 29-BigMoneyList 30-The Best Parts 31-Morphed 32-Buhay Pinoy 33-Galatayo 34-Blogging Tips 35-Apples Of The Eyes 36-My Own Utopia 37-Sasha's Corner 38-Under One Roof 39-Say Cheese 40-A Great Pleasure 41-A Life in Bloom 42-Because Life is a Blessing 43-Digiscraptology 44-Xixi 45-Ode to Adrienne 46-CrankyDave 47-Simple Life 48-Dew Drops 49-The Journey 50-Mastering Your PC 51-Day Break 52-A Little Girl Talk 53-Mom Knows Everything 54-Day to Day 55-1 of a Kind Wis 56-It's a woman's world! 57-Breather 58-Photo Hook 59-Letterbox 60-Asian Mutt International 61-Dream Doe Philosophy 62-MommyAlehs Up-Close And Personal 63-Livin' the Life! 64-Restnrileks 65-English Corner 66-English Grammar 67-Bodybuilding & Fitness 68-Everything you need 69-One Stop Games 70-Blockbluster Movie Trailers 71-Bodybuilding & Human Growth Hormone 72-World of Tennis 73-Men's Health & Tips 74-Internet Marketing Strategy & Tips 75-Latest Technology 76-Tentang Binaraga 77-Berita Seputar Selebriti 78-Panduan Kesehatan 79-Insurance For You 80-Crissy's Zone 81-Crissy's Library 82-Crissy's Haven 83-sHeNzEe's wOrLd 84-Voice Of The Spirit 85-Best Cuisine Recipes 86-Stand My Ground 87-SeeNRead 88-This Is A Miracle 89-I AM KCAT 90-Traipsey Turvey 91-GBeX & DOm 92-Spun By A Seanachie 93-ISL Family 94-D' Cooking Mudra 95-'Story' the Great 96-UmmiRosma 97-Munirah Abd 98-Atie 99-Hit-or-Miss 100-Twisted Sister 101-Laketrees Artist 102-Blessed Sanctuary 103-Comedy Plus 104-Blogging By Sandee 105-Living Life to the Fullest 106-Speech-Less 107-Happy Life 108-My Discoveries 109-Strangely Out Of Place 110-Rooms of My Heart 111-The Paper Vision 112-Luxurious Retreats 113-Reef 114-Weekend Snapshot 115-Blessie's Finds 116-Confessions of An Army Wife 117-My Pooch Life 118-Five Martini Lunch 119-TIPS FROM THE TRAILER 120-PoeARTica 121-STAY AT HOME MOM 122-Rantings of a Woman 123-Sjtl's Weblog 124-Turn-u-Off 125-My World in My Own Word 126-Shawie 127-A New Saga 128-Janeth Vicy's Life Journey 129-Simple Reveries 130-Berry Blog 131-Touts4u 132-My So Called Life 133-La Vida es Hermosa 134-Speedcat Hollydale Page 135-mangosteenskin 136-Choc Mint Girl 137-Of Colors And Styles 138-Pinaymama's Diary 139-My Life's Rollercoaster Ride 140-My Life...My Journey! 141-Bonoriau 142-Jenny and Belle 143-Read My Mind 144-A Sweet Taste Of Life 145-Shopping Blog 146-Precious Moments 147-Feydakin 148-Hot Shit Form Here 149-A Mother's Simple Thoughts 150-Daily Ramblings Rendezvous 151-Miss Moneypenny's Comical Posts Undercover 152-My Precious Niche 153-FunFierceFabulous 154-Colorful World of Shiela 155-Me,myself+2 156-Ozzy's Mom 157-Let's talk about MJ 158-Great people make us feel we can become great 159-A Family Man 160-Just the way it is... 161-In Depth 162-Attitude, the ULTIMATE POWER 163-Are You Grateful? 164-Complain Complain Complain 165-My Little Black Pot 166-Notes By Marvic 167-Aku Pelukis 168-Jiwasintetik 169-Foster Me Up 170-Life: Thoughts & Inspirations 171-The Callalily Space 172-Mommyhood and Me 173-Bits and Pieces 174-La Place de Cherie 175-Through The Rain 176-Blogfixes 177-New England Lighthouse Treasures 178-Chez Francine 179-Tsinay 180-Hailey's Domain 181-Hailey's Beats and Bits 182-My So-Called Life 183-PinayWAHM 184-Rusin Roundup 185-Sweet Temptation 186-Lynn's Chic Spot 187-Kai Kriye 188-LiLo n StiTcH 189-Lights and Shade 190-Easycrafts 191-Ideasmoney 192-My creations 193-Sukanya-hobbiesandcrafts 194-My Kraft 195-Adam: @geNda iNsPiRaSi 196-The Working Mom 197-My Touch Of Heaven 198-Her Name is N.O.Y. 199-Fida Abbott 200-Hesitant Wife's Blog 201-YOU Next!

*End Copy Here*

And now the genies would like to pass on this Magic Lamp of Luck to Nick, Jean, Janice, Jackie, Speedcat Hollydale, Ann of a Nice Place in the Sun, Mel of Attitude, the Ultimate Power, Juliana's Site, Rusin Roundup, Grow Rich Along With Me, Comedy Plus, lynda's loft, Amel's Realm, MAX, Complain Complain, Life Is A Roller Coaster, Sugar Queen's Dream, Life, My Life, My Thoughts, DatCurious.com, Little Aussie Cynic

Now Go Forth and Spread the Good Luck and Goodwill!!

ALAKAZAM!!

Happy Father's Day

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian) — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 10:43:00 +0000

I'd like to wish a very Happy Father's Day to Nick and especially fellow First Time Dad Sean, my two best buddies. Guys we're all finally in the same boat...times have changed so much since we first knew each other (see pic above...err we were a lot skinnier back then). Nick's boys are actually fast approaching the age we were when we first met. Time sure flies, so enough of our good old days, we've got new memories to make so lets get it on!!

I'd also like to take this opportunity to also hand out a little something to some of my best blogging friends who left comments on my little Humpty Dumpty Story! LJ, Nick, Marzie, Jean, Janice, and Jackie! It's an brand new "Grade AA" award I 'whipped up' today just for special eggheads like you!! I know there are many other friends around that I should pass it to...but you know what...you guys were the only ones thick 'shelled' enough to want something for commenting!! LOL Well you are deserving besides the squeaky wheel always gets the 'hot' oil!!! Feel free to 'scramble' it around to your friends too! As the old saying goes...if you can't 'beat' them...sunny side up will do!! LOL Okay enough of the egg 'cracks' Doh!! There I go again...don't 'fry' me okay! LOL

A Happy Father's Day to all Fathers and Father's to be!

Humpty Dumpty

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian) — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 17:18:00 +0000

I was in the supermarket the other day when I stumbled upon this sight. I've never seen such an eggciting mess before so I whipped out my phone and snapped off a picture to the protests of the staff there. Some clown of a customer actually put the basket on a shelf and left it unattended...tsk tsk tsk

It reminded me of good old Humpty Dumpty...I wonder if all the King's Horses and all the King's men could have a nice omelette with this lot.

Cheers!

The Concert

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian) — Sat, 17 May 2008 16:06:00 +0000

Today our little Ellie amazed us both. It wasa getting close to her bedtime when out of the blue she suddenly seemed inspired. She left whatever she was doing and sudenly said she wanted to have a show. A show...we thought? Odd...so we asked her what show she wanted...and she said she wanted to have a special show. We were a little confused becasue this was the first time she's done this. So we exchanged looks of bewilderment.

Ellie made me hold up a strip of plastic (for her clips) as if it was a spotlight Then she ran to the room and dragged out the maid...another of her audience. Next she grabbed one...mind you she said only one..of her xylaphone sticks and then came out. I wasn't allowed to put the strip down even for a moment...No Daddy...must hold it up...was her command! LOL Then she picked up all the cushions and laid then in a row to form a stage of sorts...we wondered where she got all the ideas from. We didn't teach her for sure.

These pictures were taken some time last month but those are the yellow sticks that she's holding!

Then she went under the "spotlight" and started singing on the stage...using the xylaphone stick as a microphone!! Well it was the favorite nursery rhymes...A, B, C, D...and twinkle twinkle little star then a combo....it was so cute...I wish I could have taken a picture but I was busy holding up the lights!! LOL Next she made her mummy sing too and then it was my turn while mummy held the "lights" LOL We really had a blast. My visiting Aunt was enjoying the show too!!

After a bout of songs and some dances too the show ended but not the nights festivities...

Next she ran into the room and got a blue cloth and laid it on the floor. Hmmm...what now? Okay mummy...come swim in the ocean with me. I am a small shark and am going to bite you okay!! So she pretended to swim the length of the ocean and then proceeded to shark attack poor mummy. LOL After that it was laps in the pool...first she and mummy...Daddy don't forget German...German???...has she been watching Telematch I wondered...then it dawned on me...Ladies and Gentlemen. Gentlemen became German!!! hahaha So daddy became the annnouncer...ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls...etc. LOL and I had to announce the swimming competition!! So she and mummy did "laps" while I gave a running commentary!! After that it was my turn to take a dip LOL

I really had fun tonight and learned a little more about my daughter! She is amazing to me and wifey!! Either that or it was the delicious orange and poppyseed cupcakes that wifey baked tonight...then again she didn't have any until after the show!! LOL

You know those proud moments fathers have of their children...Yup...I had one tonight! Cheers

RED MARBLES

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian) — Fri, 02 May 2008 02:17:00 +0000

Someone sent this to me last week and with the global food crisis that is upon us PLEASE spare a moment to think of those who are less fortunate and do your part to help them ease their burden.

I was at the corner grocery store buying someearly potatoes. I noticed a small boy, delicate of bone and feature, ragged but clean,hungrily apprising a basket of freshly picked green peas.

I paid for my potatoes but was also drawn to the display of fresh green peas. I am a pushover for creamed peas and new potatoes. Pondering the peas, I couldn't help overhearing the conversation between Mr. Miller (the store owner) and the ragged boy next to me.

'Hello Barry, how are you today?'
'H'lo, Mr. Miller. Fine, thank ya. Jus' admirin'them peas. They sure look good.'
'They are good, Barry. How's your Ma?'
'Fine. Gittin' stronger alla' time.'
'Good. Anything I can help you with?'
'No, Sir. Jus' admirin' them peas.'
'Would you like to take some home?' asked Mr.Miller.
'No, Sir. Got nuthin' to pay for 'em with.'
'Well, what have you to trade me for some of thosepeas?'
'All I got's my prize marble here.'
'Is that right? Let me see it' said Miller.
'Here 'tis. She's a dandy.'
'I can see that. Hmmmmm, only thing is this one isblue and I sort of go for red. Do you have a red one like this at home?' the store owner asked.
'Not zackley but almost..'
'Tell you what. Take this sack of peas home with you and next trip this way let me look at that red marble'. Mr. Miller told the boy.
'Sure will. Thanks Mr. Miller.'

Mrs. Miller, who had been standing nearby, came over to help me. With a smile she said, 'There are two other boys like him in our community, all three are in very poor circumstances. Jim just loves to bargain with them for peas, apples, tomatoes, or whatever. When they come back with their red marbles, and they always do, he decides he doesn't like red after all and he sends them home with a bag of produce for a green marble or an orange one, when they come on their next trip to the store.'

I left the store smiling to myself, impressed with this man. A short time later I moved to Colorado , but I never forgot the story of this man, the boys, and their bartering for marbles.

Several years went by, each more rapid than the previous one. Just recently I had occasion to visit some old friends in thatIdaho community and while I was there learned that Mr. Miller had died.

They were having his visitation that evening and knowing my friends wanted to go, I agreed to accompany them. Upon arrival at the mortuary we fell into line to meet the relatives of the deceased and to offer whatever words of comfort we could.

Ahead of us in line were three young men. One was in an army uniform and the other two wore nice haircuts, dark suits and white shirts...all very professional looking. They approached Mrs. Miller, standing composed and smiling by her husband's casket. Each of the young men hugged her, kissed her on the cheek, spoke briefly with her and moved on to the casket.

Her misty light blue eyes followed them as, one by one, each young man stopped briefly and placed his own warm hand over the cold pale hand in the casket. Each left the mortuary awkwardly, wiping his eyes.

Our turn came to meet Mrs. Miller. I told her who I was and reminded her of the story from those many years ago and what she had told me about her husband's bartering for marbles. With her eyes glistening, she took my hand and led me to the casket.

'Those three young men who just left were the boys I told you about. They just told me how they appreciated the things Jim 'traded' them. Now, at last, when Jim could not change his mind about color or size....they came to pay their debt.'

'We've never had a great deal of the wealth of this world,' she confided, 'but right now, Jim would consider himself the richest man in Idaho '

With loving gentleness she lifted the lifeless fingers of her deceased husband. Resting underneath were three exquisitely shined red marbles.

The Moral : We will not be remembered by our words, but by our kind deeds. Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath..

A Post

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian) — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 16:00:00 +0000

For the lack of a better title I'll settle for that!! Today wifey went to Singapore for a business trip and will be back tomorrow! No big deal right! We'll it is to me. It's been ages since she last went on a trip and the last time she went was whe I started my blog...can't remember when but I know it was close to a year ago. Okay that got me curious...it was in May and my second post was "Cathastophe Averted"...my first was just a welcome message because I wasn't sure what i was doing here!!

Anyway, it just brings back memories of me putting the little one to bed and then using my old dial up line struggling to publish a little post about my day! It was my frist time alone with the little one then and I was worried how she'd be missing her Mommy and my fears weere justified. I was kinda pround that I managed to survive that episode and be a better dad because of it. It's not easy trying to put a two year old to bed especially when she is so used to having her mummy around. Anyway that episode was in the past. Today was supposed to be the same except that the little one is now 3 and we hope she might be a little more understanding. We told her that Mummy will be away in singapore yesterday to prepare her. Wifey called and said good night to her today too and she seemed okay with that except that ever so often she would ask "Where is mummy...in the room" Which started my spidey senses tingling...okay I don't have spidey senses but daddy senses don't sound as nice.

Well like I said everything seemed to be fine until I took her to bed. Tried to get her to calm down but she was restless as usual and wanted to play. Lately we've been trying to be a little firm with her and so me being me raised my voice a little and then all hell broke loose. DOH!! She just started wailing and just wouldn't stop. I tried my best to calm her down but everything I did was absolutely fruitless!!! I walked her, talked to her...tried everything but she wouldn't stop. So I took her outside to try to let her watch some of her cartoons and the maid woke up because of the ruckus. Fortunately she was able to calm her down and before you know it she fell asleep!! Boy these little things sure put a mighty dent in your precieved fatherly capabalities. So here I am feeling rather guilty for making the little one cry before bed when her mother is away and I can't sleep! Darn... fatherhood is not easy is it? You think you have the answers but you are always learning new things.

Muffins Anyone?

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian) — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 17:16:00 +0000

Okay okay!! I know I haven't been around much lately and I've also not been doing my usual rounds on the other blogs! Don't even talk about leaving comments and responding to comments or tags that I've failed to do!! Taking this course is really taking up most of my time and what ever time I have left I spend with my little one so I hope you understand. Work has been busy too so no chance of sneaking a post here or there. I guess when it rains it pours as the old saying goes.

Anyway, today was no different except we had to do some grocery buying and also needed to get a couple of new toys to distract the little one. More toys? Well the maid/helper we have will be leaving for home soon and the new one will coming. Our little girl is understandably very attached to the current one so a little smoke and mirrors will be needed to help with the transition. It's not going to be easy but at least it'll keep her mind off the old helper, well at least that is what we hope.

We got her a few books and some finger puppets and a few other things and then had a quick lunch at our favourite place and then headed home. We didn't want to take her along as she has a cough and cold. When we got back we decided to bake some chocolate muffins...well wifey did and I just set the oven. This time it was my favourite chocolate chip muffins.....mmmm... unfortunately I have a sore throat too so only sneaked one....can't wait till tomorrow...

Well I really wanted to share the muffins with you guys who have been visiting although I've hardly been posting! You're all wonderful frineds! Enjoy!!

Hot from the oven!!!

Monday Morning Madness

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian) — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 00:46:00 +0000

LET ME TEST YOUR IQ....DID YOU GET THE ANSWERS?

A first-grade teacher, Ms Neelam was having
trouble with one of her
students. The teacher asked,"Boy, what is your
problem?"

Boy answered, "I'm too smart for the first-grade.
My sister is in the
third-grade and I'm smarter than she is! I think I
should be in the
third-grade too!"

Ms. Neelam had enough. She took Boy to the
principal's office.

While Boy waited in the outer office, the teacher
explained to the
principal what the situation was. The principal told
Ms Neelam he would
give the boy a test and if he failed to answer any of
his questions he was
to go back to the first-grade and behave. She
agreed.

Boy was brought in and the conditions were
explained to him and he agreed
to take the test.

Principal: "What is 3 x 3?"

Boy: "9".

Principal: "What is 6 x 6?"

Boy: "36".

And so it went with every question the principal
thought a third-grade
should know. The principal looks at Ms. Neelam
and tells her, "I think Boy
can go to the third-grade."

Ms. Neelam says to the principal, "I have some of
my own questions. Can I ask him ?"

The principal and Boy both agree.

Ms. Neelam asks, "What does a cow have four of
that I have only two of?"

Boy, after a moment said, "Legs."

Ms. Neelam: "What is in your pants that you have
but I do not have?"

Boy: "Pockets."

Ms. Neelam: "What starts with a C and ends with a
T, is hairy, oval, delicious and contains thin whitish liquid?"

Boy: "Coconut"

Ms. Neelam: "What goes in hard and pink then
comes out soft and sticky?"

The principal's eyes open really wide and before he
could stop the answer, Boy was taking charge.

Boy: "Bubblegum"

Ms. Neelam: "What does a man do standing up, a woman does sitting down and
a dog does on three legs?"

The principal's eyes open really wide and before he could stop the answer...

Boy: "Shake hands"

Ms. Neelam: Now I will ask some "Who am I" sort
of questions, okay?

Boy: Yep.

Ms. Neelam: "You stick your poles inside me. You tie me down to get me up.
I get wet before you do. Who am I?"

Boy: "Tent"

Ms. Neelam: "A finger goes in me. You fiddle with me when you're bored. The
best man always has me first. Who am I?"

The Principal was looking restless, a bit tense and took one large Patiala Vodka peg.

Boy: "Wedding Ring"

Ms. Neelam: "I come in many sizes. When I'm not well, I drip. When you blow
me, you feel good. Who am I?"

Boy: "Nose"

Ms. Neelam: "I have a stiff shaft. My tip penetrates.
I come with a quiver. Who am I?"

Boy: "Arrow"

Ms. Neelam: "What word starts with a 'F' and ends in 'K' that means lot of
heat and excitement?"

Boy: "Firetruck"

Ms. Neelam: "What word starts with a 'F' and ends in 'K' & if u dont get it
u have to use ur hand?"

Boy: "Fork"

Ms. Neelam: "What is it that all men have one of it's longer on some men
than on others, the pope doesn't use his and a man gives it to his wife
after they're married?"

Boy: "SURNAME"

Ms. Neelam: "What part of the man has no bone but has muscles, has lots of
veins, like pumping, & is responsible for making love?"

Boy: "HEART."

The principal breathed a sigh of relief and said to the teacher, "Send
this Boy to the University, I got the last ten questions wrong myself!"

Baking & Booking

noreply@blogger.com (Adrian) — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 14:01:00 +0000

It' s been another hectic week what with classes and the usual stuff. However, we decided to do a little baking between the "booking". Anyway since I'm not a man of many words lately I'll do another pictorial...hey pictures are supposed to paint a thousand words right! LOL

Wifey made some delicious chocolate brownies...I baked sausage rolls...
close up of my little creations hehehe

Wifey tried her hand at cupcakes...

the blue berry kind,,,none survived!

as you can see! hehe

Then it was time for books...
and a little sunshine...

and more books...

and finally group study at my place!!
Yes...books strewn everywhere...sad ain't it!

But it was fun to tell you the truth...if it weren't for the assignments and exams I am really enjoying this!! Cheers!

And thanks Ellie for helping me with this! :)