treasure memories

Yvonne Foong and Life with Neurofibromatosis

2011-12-29T01:51:00.003+08:00

28 Dec 11

I read about Yvonne Foong from Facebook.

She is a girl who was diagnosed with Neurofibromatosis Type 2 at the age of 16. Despite her condition, she is a very courageous and strong girl in the fight of her life. My tears dropped reading her blog, especially her Bio page. She has done 10 surgeries in the last 9 years!

Yvonne has written a book “I'M NOT SICK, JUST A BIT UNWELL” at the age of 18, her story growing up as a healthy child, through the development of a complicated genetic disorder. This story winning Yvonne Foong the title of Most Outstanding Youth at the 2005 Dream Malaysia Awards.

She is in urgent needs of RM100,000 for her shunt revision surgery which I've posted it on this blog earlier. If you wish to help Yvonne in this time of desperation, you may contribute directly to her Maybank Account (details found in her website) or purchase her book (in English and Chinese) and T-shirts. If you wish to visit her, help selling her things or any way you can think of, she is living in PJ Old Town and her email is yvonnefmn@gmail.com.

I wish and hope Yvonne successful in raising fund for her surgery in LA.

Maid renewal - Passport and Levy

2011-12-29T01:38:00.001+08:00

28 Dec 11

It is time of the year again ... maid renewal.We are glad that our maid decided to continue to work with us. This will be the 3rd year that she works for us.

Our maid agent asked us if we require her service. The following are the charges:

Passport renewal

Passport charges - RM200
Agent fee for passport renewal - RM200

Renewal of permit

Fomema charges - RM190
Levy - RM500
Agent fee for renewal of permit - RM170

We have done the renewal of permit several times by ourselves and we decided to continue doing it. We engaged our agent to do the passport renewal part.

Hubby sent our maid to the agent office at 9am, 6 Dec 11 as maid is required to go to embassy for passport renewal. The agent prepared a simple document on "Agreement of Increase Maid's Wages" and asked Hubby to sign on it. It is required by the embassy for the extension application.

I took the opportunity to ask the agent's counsellor to remind our maid on good working attitude and give her a refresh session to remind her on the right attitude and good working ethics. Our maid was back home after about half a day.

The next thing is to get Fomema medical check up done. On 13 Dec 11, I took a day off from work to clear my leave for the year, went to bank and bought 2 cashier orders:

Fomema Sdn Bhd - RM190
Ketua Pengarah Imigresen Malaysia - RM500

Maybank charged RM5 for each cashier order. For the levy payment, the immigration office does accept cash payment.

For the Fomema medical check up:

I downloaded Fomema registration form from Fomema Sdn Bhd and complete the form.
Make copy of maid's passport
Bring the cashier order for registration fee

Hubby dropped me at Fomema office. Based on our previous experience, it took us longer time to find carpark than to get the registration done at Fomema. I reached Fomema office at about 3.25pm and went to the Information counter to queue for number. There were 12 persons ahead of me. My number was called at 4.06pm and I left Fomema office about 4.10pm. I was in Fomema office for about 45 minutes.

FOMEMA Sdn Bhd

Lot G1-G10, Level 3, Block G

Pusat Bandar Damansara

Damansara Heights, Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03 2094 6188

Fax: 03-2092 5610

On 16 Dec 11, Hubby brought our maid for medical check up at clinic in our neighbourhood which was very convenience for us. We brought our maid's original passport and Fomema documents along.

I checked the Fomema medical check up results online. The medical results was ready on 27 Dec, 11 days after the medical examination date.

Since the medical results was ok, we need to go to the immigration office to get our maid's passport stamped. We brought the original copy of maid's passport and cashier order for levy payment. We went to Pusat Bandar Damansara and were informed by the security guard that immigration office has moved to Sri Hartamas, Jalan Duta. They did not know the full address.

Hubby drove me to Jalan Duta and we guessed probably the immigration office is located in Kompleks Kerajaan. We passed by Kementerian Dalam Negeri and drove towards the IRD office at Kompleks Kerajaan. Then, we were told that the Immigration office is located in Kementerian Dalam Negeri building, which is luckily nearby to the Kompleks Kerajaan.

The immigration office is located at 1st Floor of KDN building. In fact, there were quite a number of government offices in the building. I went to the wrong departments and only got it right after 3 enquiries.

Jabatan	Pejabat Imigresen Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur
Alamat	Kompleks Kementerian Dalam Negeri (KDN), No.69,Jalan Sri Hartamas 1, 50480 Jalan Duta, Kuala Lumpur
Telefon	03-62012423
Faks	03-62011191

We reached KDN building at about 10.45am and queued for service number with 17 persons ahead of me. I submitted my passport to the staff at "Maid" service counter, paid levy fee at payment counter, submitted the original copy of maid's passport back to the "Maid" service counter for the stamping of permit on maid's passport. We left KDN at about 11.40am.

We are glad that the entire process of maid renewal is done.

Merry Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T23:16:00.002+08:00

25 Dec 11

It's Christmas Day! I'm not a Christian but somehow, I'll share the joy and celebration too. I like it when we stop, no rushing here and there over our busy lifestyles ... just to smell flowers!

We were invited by Audrey to her house at Amelia for Christmas tea on last Friday. She made fruits cupcake and blueberry cheesecake in a glass. We had them with coffee over a good chat and catch up.

On Christmas Eve, Aunty YC invited us to her house for Christmas Eve dinner. I made potato cheese cake and brought a bottle of appetiser white wine. Aunty YC roasted lamb and made sweet potato & carrot soup, garlic bread, salad, steam broccoli and cauliflower, etc. It was a feast!

After dinner, Aunty YC gave us Christmas gifts. Jared had Star Wars Collection and Diary of a Wimpy Kid Cabin Fever book.

Jared finished reading the Wimpy Kid book the next morning. He told me that he loves his Christmas gifts very much.

Jaden had Lego Duplo Cars 2 set.

Hubby had digital AV adapter for his Ipad and I received a set of pearl necklace and earrings and silk shawl.

Thereafter, we had Royce potato chip chocolate brought by Jui Liat and coffee with Baileys. It's heaven!

On Friday, I bought this Chocolate Sponge with Chocolate chips Christmas cake for Christmas party at Jared's tuition center. Jared said the cake was very nice and he ate 3 pieces.

My nephew will be celebrating his 4th birthday in 2 days time and I decided to go to the same bakery and bought the same cake for him.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish you, your family and loved ones happy holidays and have a great well-deserved rest during the festive season.

Merry Christmas!

Test of faith – RM80,000.00 in two weeks!

2011-12-21T23:14:00.001+08:00

21 Dec 11

Christmas is just round the corner and Christmas is about giving and sharing. As we look forward to Christmas celebration, enjoy festive food and exchange gifts during the festive season, Yvonne Foong is in urgent need of funds for her brain surgery in LA ... Test of faith – RM80,000.00 in two weeks!

You may read more about Yvonne from her blog "Alive and living with Neurofibromatosis". Yvonne sells t-shirt and her book "I'm not sick, just a little unwell" to raise funds.

Have a blessed Christmas ... to you, family and loved ones. Let's not forget Yvonne during this festive season. Do help to spread the words and in any way that you may.

Laman Padi Langkawi (The Rice Museum)

2011-12-17T15:00:00.003+08:00

24 Nov 11

One of the objectives of taking our boys to Langkawi was to get them closer to nature.

I’ve read the review on Laman Padi from Trip Advisor. It was a mix review but we’ve decided it will be good to take Jared and Jaden to see how rice was cultivated. I read about the free guided tour of the paddy fields and the guide, Rosti who was very friendly, enthusiastic and explained about the production of rice with chance to plant rice ourselves.

We reached Laman Padi at about 2.15pm, right after our lunch at Nam Restaurant. Having read Trip Advisor’s review, we knew it would be useful to have a guide. We went to the Admin Office and we were told that they were having meetings. We were disappointed that no guide was available.

We visited the museum on our own. It was a small working museum and interesting gallery which gave a great insight and detailing how rice was grown in the past and today.

This rice museum is surrounded by paddy fields, with herb garden, spa and a restaurant called Jimmy's Cafe (Padi Cuisine) with views out over the paddy fields.

Paddy fields with each patch of different heights of paddy plant.

Educational session from Hubby on rice plantation

We hope to be back to this Laman Padi, to have lunch at the café and hopefully, to have a guided tour around the Paddy field.

We had hope for a more educational visit and a bit disappointing without a guided tour which could have been more educational and interesting. But it is still a well worth visit in Langkawi.

Nam Restaurant at Bon Ton Resort and Restaurant, Langkawi

2011-12-11T00:46:00.002+08:00

24 Nov 11

After we rented a car and filled in petrol, we were hungry and tired. Hubby drove around to look for decent restaurant.

I saw Bon Ton from the main road and remembered reading good review about this place on Trip Advisor. We decided to give it a try.

The restaurant was set close to fields, with lots of greenery padi field.

The service in Nam Restaurant is quite slow despite there were just a few table of diners. We had Chicken satay (8 sticks for RM19.80) and Nyonya fried rice (RM48.40). The food were tasty but small portion and expensive. We had the most expensive fried rice at almost RM50 per plate!

There were cats in the restaurant. Jared and Jaden playing with the cat while waiting for their lunch.

Animal Kaiser Battle Tournament in Genting Highlands

2011-12-05T01:58:00.010+08:00

4 Dec 11

On Friday, Jared asked Hubby to take him to Jusco for Animal Kaiser game. Since they had been generally good boys over the school holiday and finished their Kumon homework, we took them to Jusco after our dinner.

After the first game, the arcade machine dispensed the Animal Kaiser's ultra rare card ... The Lion of Light "Galleon". Jared gave the card to Jaden.

On Sunday, we reached Genting at 12pm+ and went straight to register for the Animal Kaiser Ultimate Animal Battle. We registered for Moch, Jared and Jaden. There were 32 participants participated in the tournament and they were paired for the challenge.

Everybody used the same cards provided by the organiser. Those participants who won the first round went into the 2nd round and Jared and Jaden got thru the first round.

Through draw lot, Jaden was the 2nd player and Jared the 8th player.

I did not bring my video cam and camera as I did not expect them to go so far. I thought they will be knocked out at very preliminary stage. All the photos here were taken from our hand phone and Ipad.

In the 2nd round, the 16 participants used the same Animal (red) card provided by the organiser and used their own Miracle (blue) and Strong (green) cards. Jaden won in the 2nd round battle and move on to the 3rd round. Jared did not make it. He was a little disappointed but he went on to cheer for his brother.

In the 3rd round, the 8 participants used the same Strong (green) card provided by the organiser and used own Miracle (blue) and Animal (red) cards. Jaden won again in the 3rd round battle and move on to the 4th round, the semi-final.

Jaden was so cool throughout the tournament. He was tired too as it was his afternoon nap time.

In the 4th round, the 4 participants used the same Miracle (blue) card provided by the organiser and used own Strong (green) and Animal (red) cards and ... Jaden won again! The lucky star was by his side and he moved on to the final round.

In the 5th and final round, Jaden met with the boy who battled against Jared and beat him at the 2nd round. Now, Jaden had to battle with him in the final round. In this final round, the 2 participants can use their own cards and Jaden had been holding and using the same 3 cards throughout the tournament. This final was decided by winning two rounds (best of three).

Both finalists used the Animal Kaiser's ultra rare card ... The Lion of Light "Galleon" and Jaden was lucky in having good defensive cards since the spins were not going his way initially.

Jaden had played AK less than 10 times (with his brother) over the past 6 months. There is a large element of luck as well as the cards they have in hand.

Luck was on Jaden's side and he won the battle! He is the tournament champion after going through 5 elimination rounds and competed in a group of 32 participants ranging in age from 4 to 20. The announcer kept on announcing "The youngest boy, only 4 years old won the battle. Amazing!"

The Japanese guy is from Namco Bandai Games Inc.

The price for Champion ... a gold case and an exclusive Champion Gold Card (Great White Shark) that is only bestowed by Namco Bandai to tournament winners.

The "Battle Tournament Gold Champion" limited edition, exclusive card

Jaden generously gave his Champion Gold card to his brother, Jared since he is happy to play with his Galleon which he used in the tournament.

The children had great time and we are happy that both Jared and Jaden had the opportunity to participate in the Animal Kaiser battle tournament in Genting Highland. Winning the battle is a bonus!

Milk Teeth and Dentist

2011-12-04T19:11:00.042+08:00

3 Dec 11

In mid this year, Jared had his first tooth extraction. His front bottom tooth has grown but the milk tooth had not dropped but loose and shaky.

I took him to dentist and had the milk tooth extracted. He didn't like the injection part.

A few months ago, there were 2 permanent teeth started growing on his front upper teeth, at the back of his milk teeth. However, his milk teeth were still there. One of it was loose and started to shake.

Last week, Hubby took him to a dentist near our house. The dentist said "its too late, new teeth came out too much, must wear braces for 5 years now, etc". Jared got frighten and Hubby got upset. Jared refused to have his teeth extracted then. The dentist recommended us to take Jared to see orthodontist. This sound so serious!

I talked to my sister, colleague and friend and asked for their advice. They advice me to take Jared to see dentist and extract out the milk teeth. Hopefully, the permanent teeth will move and adjust itself to its proper position.

I made appointment with another dentist near our house ie the same one that Jared had his first teeth extraction. At first, Jared was reluctant to go. I persuaded him and told him that it's better for him to be in pain for a few second for the injection than to wear braces for 5 years. We also promised Jared to take him to Genting Highlands for Animal Kaiser Tournament. Jared wanted to bring his Animal Kaiser cards along to give him comfort.

Before the dentist checked Jared's teeth, I briefed her and told her that Jared was very frighten. This lady dentist was good with him. She talked to him nicely and praised him for being a brave boy.

As two permanent teeth has grown, Jared needed to have 3 of his milk teeth to be extracted. The dentist advised Jared to use his tongue to push out the new permanent teeth. Hopefully, the teeth will align itself.

It was scary to him and me too but we are glad that it's done and over.

Car rental in Langkawi

2011-12-04T00:10:00.000+08:00

24 Nov 11

Our trip to Langkawi was on the 1st week of year end school holiday. Langkawi would also have Lima event 2 weeks after our trip to Langkawi.

I heard car rental will be expensive during school holiday. I called up several car rental companies before our trip to Langkawi. The average car rental was RM100 for Myvi and RM120 for Vios. Some car rental owners have rented out all their cars for those delegates who arrived in Langkawi earlier for Lima preparation.

Earlier, we wanted to hire taxi at RM25 per hour with minimum 4 hours rental. However, the weather during our trip to Langkawi was not so good with heavy wind and thunderstorm. As such, our itinerary has to be flexible according to the weather in Langkawi. As such, we decided not to hire a taxi with driver.

Hubby suggested to rent a car when we reached Langkawi.

As we walked out towards luggage claim area, there were lots of car rental company available. We rented Vios at RM100 per day from FI Holidays which was cheaper than those quoted over the phone.

Hubby inspected the car and ensure the car rental staff noted down all the car scratches and accidents on the car rental form to avoid dispute when we return the car.

Initially, we had this Nissan Sentra at the same price. However, there was something wrong with the car gear and FI Holiday arranged for Vios for us.

The car came with almost empty petrol with petrol signal blinking as we started to car engine. Hubby brought his GPS along and we quickly drove to the nearby petrol station (which seemed very far when the petrol signal kept on blinking).

FI Holiday recommended us to pump RM30 petrol but we spent RM40 on petrol for the 4D3N in Langkawi as The Andaman is located secluded from Langkawi town and attraction places.

The car petrol indicator signal blinks on our way to airport to return the car to FI Holidays. Their staff were stationed at the airport departure hall and it was very convenient for us to hand over the car to them.

Jaden 1st ride on a plane

2011-12-03T23:34:00.003+08:00

24 Nov 11

Jared has his first ride on a plane when he was 2+ years old. We took him to Hong Kong for holiday. He had his 2nd plane ride to Singapore and Shanghai and celebrated his 4 years old birthday in Shanghai.

Jaden hadn't had any aeroplane ride at 4+ years old. Auntie YC recommended us to take him for holiday and offered us her Enrich miles points.

It's not easy to pack for family holidays especially we were taking a flight and not driving. I started packing for our Langkawi trip a few days ahead, started with toileteries and swimming gears for the family. The following day, I packed clothing and on the night before the final, balance of things to pack.

Our flight to Langkawi was at 11am. Taxi came to pick us up at 8.30am to KLIA. Since it was a domestic flight, we did not have the chance to bring Jaden for aerotrain ride.

Jared and Jaden watching Sky Chefs unloading food to the plane.

Playing Ipad while waiting for our flight boarding. This is the first time we have Ipad with us on holiday and it's so useful and convenient for us to browse through internet on Langkawi.

Jaden was so excited to get on the plane.

Jared helping Jaden to fasten the seat belt.

Jaden looked out the window and complained that the plane moved so slow when it was taxing on the runway.

More Ipad games.

It was only one hour flight and we landed in Langkawi airport at 12pm.

Langkawi - Closer to Nature Trip

2011-12-03T22:45:00.002+08:00

25 Oct 11

Life is short and we must treasure our loved ones. In today's busy life and with the invention of technology ie computer games, Wii, PSP, Ipad, Facebook, internet, our days will just passed by without us noticing it. And today, we are already in the last month of 2011.

I was on leave and one of the things in my To Do List is to plan for family holiday during the year end school holiday. Something that I was determined and committed to do.

Since my company has changed the team building location from Langkawi to Pulau Pangkor, we shall go to Langkawi for family holiday then.

Auntie YC has offered free flights for us on her Enrich points. We used 51,000 miles to redeem 4 MAS tickets to Langkawi and just paid RM240 on airport tax for 4 of us. Air tickets - checked!

My cousin, Bryan is working with the Starwood Group hotel and he suggested either Westin Langkawi or The Andaman. For a family holiday, he recommended The Andaman as it offers more kid's activities and have a nice stretch of beach as well. It will be good for Jared and Jaden to get to know more about the nature. Bryan got us a very attractive "Family and Friend" rate at The Andaman Hotel. We booked 4D3N stay at The Andaman. Hotel accommodation - checked!

I browsed through Trip Advisor website to read about Places to Visit and Things to Do in Langkawi. I shortlisted a few interesting places and planned our itinerary for our 4D3N in Langkawi. I will be the tour leader and Hubby will be the driver. Jared and Jaden will be our tourists on all paid holiday on us.

I was so excited by just thinking about the 1st aeroplane ride for Jaden, staying in The Andaman with lots of complimentary activities offered by the hotel, cable car ride, sunset cruise, etc.

Jaden and his most expensive pair of shoes

2011-12-03T14:44:00.004+08:00

23 Sep 11

This is a long, long overdue post. It is an important one and I must not omit this from my "treasure memories".

During the period that we had been in and out of Family Podiatry Centre, there are several information that have been shared by other parents visiting the same centre.

Do not let kids sleep face down or up as feet will become very flexible, but to sleep on their side
No walker recommended for toddler
Toddler shouldn't sit on floor with bend legs as their bones are still very soft. Recommended to sit on little chair.
Pay attention if kids complained tired easily after walk for a short time ie during shopping, jogging, etc
Also pay attention to kids slipper ie one side worn out

We finally had custom molded orthotics made for Jaden with his name on it. We went to Family Podiatry Centre in TTDI to have this done for Jaden.

On the podiatrist recommendation, Hubby and I had been hunting for suitable shoes for Jaden. We need to look for shoes that have :

good arch
firm heel
shoes sole that are wider than heel
shoes string or at least 3 velcro straps

We bought this pair of Adidas shoes from Parkson at RM120 for Jaden to wear it with the custom made mold insert inside our house ie indoor.

This pair of shoes is for Jaden's outdoor wear and it has 3 velcro straps. We also bought it at Parkson at RM150.

The black shoes is not suitable for running in the park and jogging. We bought his pair of running shoes from Adidas outlet at clearance price of only RM79.60

We have looked around at my different brands of shoes. Adidas has good shoes with good feet support and we like that their shoes insert can be removed and replace it with Jaden's custom made mold insert.

These are Jaden's most expensive pairs of shoes. We have spent to date RM1,545 on Jaden's feet and shoes.

Podiatrist consultations fee - RM190
Biomechanical examination - RM305
Feet x-ray - RM55
Casting fee - RM95
Custom molded orthotics - RM550
3 pair of shoes - RM350

There will be follow up biomechanical examination on Jaden's feet. Unfortunately, medical insurance has exclusion on this type of alternative therapy and our medical insurance does not cover these costs.

We feel good that we have this solution for Jaden. We hope he can run like other kids and will not fall so easily.

Angry Birds Cupcakes ... I made it!

2011-10-29T16:18:00.000+08:00

23 Oct 11

I made it! I wasn’t confident that I’m able to make it. Glad that I took the risk to try and I made it.

After my market visit to Kuantan to visit dealers, I took a day off from work. After running my errands, I rushed to Pastry Pro to buy those ingredients that I needed to make Angry Birds cupcake for Jared. I wanted to try the 3D figurines for cupcakes.

I was so lucky to meet a helpful staff at Pastry Pro. I told her its my first attempt to make Angry Birds figurines. She recommended me to use white regalice which only cost RM13.95. I called home and ask my maid to check what other Angry Bird colours (by referring to Angry Bird sticker book, pencil box, etc) that I did not have and bought Christmas Red and Jet Black colour paste at RM4.10 each.

I surfed on the Internet for Angry Bird cupcake. I was looking at the pictures on the Ipad and these Angry Bird soft toy while moulding it.

I started with the Black Angry Bird, my first attempt of Angry Bird figurine for cup cake. Not perfect but I'm happy with the result.

After dinner at my parent's house, while Hubby and Jared played with the new Star Wars Lego set, I tried making the red Angry Bird.

The not so “red” Angry Birds. I didn't use enough of the red colouring and the bird is not red enough. Hubby said there will be new "pink" colour Angry Bird to be introduced soon.

Jared was impressed that I could make these figurines. He said "Mommy you are so smart. I'm so glad that you are my Mother". So sweet of him.

The next morning, after dropping Jaden to his kindergarten for his concert preparation, I made these yellow bird. The colour is very nice.

Honestly, it was so fun. Just like school art project. Breaking up the project into few, small sessions does help. I took it a step at a time and able to focus on the details with no rush. I felt so relax and happy doing it.

After Jaden's concert and lunch, I made these green pigs. Aren't they cute?

I smiled looking at them. The colours are so bright and cheerful.

I also made Golden eggs on nest. I do not have brown colour gel. Hubby helped to surf on Internet for ideas and also colour mixing to get brown colour for the nest.

I made these 16 cupcakes with Angry Bird figurines. Never I thought that I could do it but I did it. It was a great feeling. As Hubby said, it is realising a new skill set that nobody can take it away.

Jo said "wow...you are so pro! the colors are so beautiful ..."

I was very happy with the results. Save RM200 for self learning. Initially wanted to go for Angry Birds class but the timing was not right.

It has been a tiring few days but a very fulfilling one. I received very good feedback on these Angry Birds cupcakes.

My friend Jo said “This is so cute” and My SIL said “Just WOW! They're amazing! You're amazing!” My colleague, Wendy said “Omg it’s so pretty and cute. Well done!” Auntie Jenny said “Wow! I won’t be able to bring myself to eat them! Yr boys must feel the same”. Others said “Nice”, “Beautiful” “These r awesome. So r u”.

These words are so great and motivating.

The following day, we made these cocktail sticks and pizza for Jared's friends.

We also fried chicken and made mango pudding.

Kids enjoying the food.

Watching Wimpy Kid DVD

They danced to the Wimpy Kid.

Playing Lego Star War set.

Jared and his classmates

The kids love the Angry Birds cupcakes. They were choosing and said "I want this".

Each kid took home an Angry Bird cupcake with matching key chain. I bought 6 of this solid plastic container at RM1.10 each.

School exam is over. Its fun time now.

Modern designed bungalow built on elevated land with infinity pool

2011-10-28T23:30:00.000+08:00

20 Oct 2011

Our dream home is near completion and ... we've decided to put it up for sale in the market.

View from Car Porch. Jared particularly love the house roof

Hubby engaged a graphic artist to draw artist impression of the house and he decided to market it himself. He has spent so much time and effort in realising his dream to build this house. As such, he is very passionate about the house and feels that he will do justice to the house by marketing it the way that it is meant to be.

It took us a long time to decide to let go the house. To us, even though we may not have the opportunity to enjoy the effort that we've put it, we hope the house can be sold to someone who appreciate the house the way it is designed to be. Lots of attention, detailing and decision being put in from the width and height of doors and windows, number of storeys, number of rooms and bathroom, roof design, selection of tiles, etc.

As the house was originally built with the intention of our own stay, unlike others who just engaged a main contractor to turnkey the project, we've engaged professionals to ensure the safety of the house design and material and also put in good quality of tiles (from Niro), toilet bowls and basins, etc.

Actual photo taken from upstairs ... valley, greenery view

Nestling high above one of the hills in Seksyen 9, Shah Alam is a modern bungalow with a panoramic view where lush greenery is spaced among the colorful roofs of the bungalows in the valley below.

Infinity pool with water falling into lower garden

This custom-designed bungalow sits on 11,915 square feet of elevated land with a built-up of approximately 7,626 square feet. The property has well-laid out gardens, an infinity swimming pool, a basement with water features and a lovely terrace for outdoor entertainment.

View from Lower Garden

There is a pavilion (slightly apart from the main building) that can be utilized for an office cum study or an additional guest bedroom for added privacy.

The bungalow was designed for flexibility so that the 5 bedrooms originally designed can be increased to 7 if required by converting the designated rumpus room and pavilion to bedrooms. There are 7 bathrooms in the house with sunken as well as al-fresco showers in some of them.

View from Upper Garden

Some of the features in this property are a wide staircase, double volume ceilings, a 50 square meter infinity pool, an AV room, dry and wet kitchens, large pool terrace that is sheltered from the afternoon sun, two store rooms and a study area.

View from Living Hall into Dining and Dry Kitchen

The bungalow is equipped with ducted air-conditioning for the common areas downstairs as well as wall-mounted and cassette air-conditioning units in all the rooms as well. There is a solar heater that provides hot water to the bathrooms as well as the kitchens. A water pump ensures that the water pressure is maintained at a comfortable level. The bungalow comes with CCTVs and security systems to ensure a peace of mind.

View from Dry Kitchen into Dining and Living Hall

The bungalow is located within a very exclusive area in Shah Alam city with wide roads and nice landscaping. Yet it is less than 5 minute drive to Tesco and Giant hypermarkets, Concorde Hotel, SAAS Golf Club and the Federal Highway. There are many other golf courses within a short drive from the bungalow.

The above-said property will be completed by December 2011.

Jared's 8th Birthday ... the way he liked it!

2011-10-25T09:40:00.142+08:00

16 Oct 11

It's Jared's 8th birthday and it's also Jared's school final term exam. Jared has been complaining that his exam always crash with his school final term exam. He can't enjoy his birthday to the fullest.

During kindergartens time, his birthday crashed with the kindergartens annual concert and the teacher advised us to celebrate his birthday after the concert.

We told him that on his actual birthday, we would just celebrate it among our family. After the school exam, he could invite his friends over to our house so that they can play and have fun without having to worry about exam.

Jared wanted to invite his Great Auntie YC for family dinner. I asked him why and he replied "So that Auntie can buy me birthday present".

The Friday before Jared's birthday, my sister baked this black forest cake for Jared's birthday celebration at my parent's house.

The cake was very moist and fresh as it was baked on the day itself.

We asked Jared what he wanted to eat for his birthday and he replied "A&W root beer and fried chicken". Hubby suggested that we take the children for jogging and play at the park so that they can have some exercise and good appetite thereafter.

Jared had his pedometer too and he wanted to have a race with us on the steps.

Can you find Jared?

Father and Son

They found it!

For Jared's birthday treat, his wishes are A&W root beer float and fried chicken. We also bought A&W mug for him too.

Sponge Bob birthday banner greeted Jared on his birthday on Sunday.

We got him this Uno games, bought during Mattel warehouse sales.

As it's Jared's exam period, I did not bake any cake for him as I was stressed up by his exam. Stress is no good to baking, so decided to stay away during exam period. Instead, I ordered Angry Bird cake for him. In the evening, I asked Jared to accompany me to collect his birthday cake. Initially, he didn't want to but as I was getting into the car, he called me and ask me to wait for him.

At the bakery shop, there were green and pink Angry Bird cakes on display. Honestly, they weren't very nice as the bakery did not want to add too much colouring into the icing. The bakery recommended black Angry Bird to me as they used dark chocolate for the black colour effect and I had to add RM4 extra for it.

Jared was very happy to see his birthday cake, which is so much different from those two Angry Bird cakes on display.

This mini sponge cake costs me RM29. I am glad that I bought this. As we got into our car, Jared gave me a hug. I asked "What's the hug for?" He smiled and say "For the Angry Bird cake".

We had simple dinner at home. We made mushroom soup, salad, chicken chop with french fries and moussaka.

Birthday gift from Auntie YC ... Lego Star Wars limited edition set.

Overall, I guess Jared had a good birthday. Over the years as a Mother, I've learnt that the way we like it may not be the way our kids like it. I thought birthday treat must be something nice. I wanted to take Jared for his favourite Italian food but instead, he wanted A&W.

We need to stop the fun for Jared to do his revision for the next day's paper ... BM and Science. The birthday celebration will be continued with his school friends, after the final exam.

The paint is on!

2011-10-18T01:48:00.003+08:00

15 Oct 11

Latest status ... front view of the house.

Pavilion ... that can be used as home office, private study or guest house.

Infinity Pool ... tiling done half way.

Open air bathroom

Out of the sudden, the house construction progresses so fast. Hubby asked me to accompany him to the site and I was surprise with the painting job that was on going.

Dark grey, highlight wall of the dry kitchen. The painter said the colour is very "jantan".

Dulux paints waiting to be utilised.

Rumpus room painted in purple colour ... chosen by interior designer.

We are getting closer and closer to see our dream home materialise. Looking back, it has been 5 years since we decided to purchase the piece of land and construct our own house.

Hubby has been putting lots of sweat, attention to details, hard work and dedication to this house project. I hope the house is able to be constructed smoothly.

The tiles are on!

2011-10-12T01:36:00.003+08:00

24 Sep 11

Hubby has been updating me on the progress of our house. I asked him to take photos for me to update in this blog but he wanted to take me to the site to look at it myself and take those photos that I wanted.

The house is at tiling stage. Tiles for bathrooms were done and the tilers were tiling the living hall.

Young man mixing the cements

Niro tiles

Shining tiles for the living hall

Inititally, we chosed a non-slippery tile as we were concern of tiles getting slippery when they are wet (there will be infinity pool). Ben, our interior designer, prefers a glossy smooth tiles. At the end, we decided to listen to Ben and changed the living hall tiles to the glossy type.

Hubby is very happy with the tiles that we have chosen. There's reflection on the floor ... the sky, trees, house, etc. No wonder he was so excited that he wanted to take me to the site to see it myself.

Grout for consistent gaps in between tiles

When fixing gaps between floor tiles, it is important to keep the gaps consistent. The tiler use grout to space out the square tiles evenly.

Adding more steps ... Omron Pedometer

2011-09-27T01:01:00.001+08:00

26 Sep 2011

We all know walking is good for health but do we know how many steps we make in a day? 2,000 steps, 6,000 steps or 10,000 steps?

2,000 steps represents the average walking steps of desk bound worker. 6,000 steps is the recommended steps for healthier leaving and 10,000 steps are for weight management.

Aunty YC shared with Hubby and I of the walking challenge that her company was participating in. They were given pedometers by her company and she showed us her pedometer. We were surprised by the big gap and different steps a person can clock in ... from as low as 2,000 steps to more than 10,000 steps a day.

A few months later, Fei Yin bought 2 stepometer from Guardians for RM28.98 each under its PWP promotion and that reminded me to get one too. I wanted a gadget that can store memory and a more accurate measurement of walking steps. I goggled in the internet and most of the review recommended Omron as the most accurate pedometer. It has 7 day memory which is great to monitor steps over a period of one week.

Last Saturday, I bought these 2 Omron Pedometer HJ203 from Caring Pharmacy at Tesco Kepong for RM100 each. The green is for Hubby and the pink is for me.

The following day, I put on this pedometer and went to TTDI for my groceries shopping. In the evening, we went for jogging and I jogged 3 rounds around the park and clocked 3,000 steps from the jogging. After the jogging, we went to Tesco Kepong and walked around the mall.

Guess what? For the very first day, I walked about 11,000 steps and Hubby walked 8,844 steps. It was a great achievement for the first day record.

Today at work, I was busy with budget review. In between, I consciously made more steps to the pantry, toilet, out for lunch, etc but I only managed to walk 4,648 steps. I'm wondering how little steps it would be if I wasn't consciously making these extra steps.

Hubby put on the pedometer today too. On day 2, Hubby walked 5,732 steps, a drop of 3,112 steps from day 1 but higher than me.

It was a nice feeling that Hubby and I are consciously making more steps and doing this together. Wearing the pedometer all day long encouraged me to add more steps throughout the day. It is amazing how such a seemingly insignificant gadget may be of practical importance and motivating in achieving a healthier lifestyle.

I shared and show my pedometer to my boss today and he wanted to get one too.

Syahidah Ishak - Acoustic Neuroma: I beg you to spread the words

2011-09-09T22:56:00.004+08:00

"Syahidah Ishak - Acoustic Neuroma: I beg you to spread the words: Hello guys! How are you today? Hope you guys can help me, spreading the words, or buy some merchandise(s) to raise funds. Thank you very much guys!!!!"

Please help to spread the words ...

During this Syawal month, all Muslims are celebrating the festive month. But Syahidah is worry if she can make it to remove a brain tumor at Los Angeles' House Clinic. If you can, do donate to Syahidah, how ever little you wish. It means a lot to Syahidah.

Bangkok - NaRaYa

2011-09-07T00:06:00.001+08:00

6-7 Jun 11

My colleague brought me to NaRaYa during one of my business trip to Bangkok. It's Heaven! The things were so lovely and the prices were reasonable too. He brought me to the Sukhumvit outlet and the outlet occupied 2 floors. According to him, they always shop at NaRaYa as Christmas gifts for family and friends in Kuala Lumpur.

Before our recent trip to Bangkok, I wrote to NaRaYa on my intention to visit their outlets. They replied to me and recommended me to visit the Central World and Sukhumvit 24 outlets, which were nearest to the hotel that we stayed in Bangkok.

Christina and I went to the Central World outlet and it was full of people. Crazy! Everyone was carrying baskets and baskets of NaRaYa stuff as though they were free and both the cashier queues were so long.

After spending few hours in NaRaYa and bought THB1,730 worth of stuff, I still felt incomplete and kept on mentioning that Sukhumvit outlet is bigger and had more varieties.

The following day, Christina suggested that both of us go to the Sukhumvit outlet while the two guys shop at Central World and Siam Paragon ... and so we went. She is such a lovely friend.

We spent another few hours at NaRaYa Sukhumvit and bought THB1,425 worth of stuff. I bought some souvenirs for family members and colleagues in the office and also for myself.

This set only cost THB285 (~RM29)

This set only cost THB245 (~RM25).

Kitchen ware

More kitchen ware

NaRaYa is a good place to buy souvenirs from Bangkok ... reasonably price and very presentable.

At the Bangkok airport, they were so many tourists that carried NaRaYa bags and plastic bags full of NaRaYa products.

Bangkok - Things to Eat and Siam Paragon Food Hall

2011-09-04T23:21:00.000+08:00

5-8 Jun 2011

This blog is about food that I enjoyed in Bangkok. As such, there will be lots of photos on foods and little words in this blog.

Our first meal in Bangkok was at the Food Hall of Siam Paragon. I had Phad Thai and it was yummy. Thereafter, we went to Chatuchak. At night, we had Japanese dinner at Central World that provide complimentary coconut ice-cream as dessert. That ice-cream was yummy and I'm still thinking about it after 3 months.

On our second night, we had Thai food for dinner in a restaurant near our hotel.

Tom Yam Gung

Kailan with crispy pork.

We wanted to have dessert and "Bread with Thai Custard dipping" was the only one that sound alright and this was what we were served. The dinner cost THB605 for four of us.

Thailand is famous with Japanese food and we had 2 Japanese meals there. Our bento lunch at Fuji at Paragon and cost THB1,425 for four of us.

2nd Thai food dinner at Manna, Siam Paragon.

Group photo for the album. We had a great time in Bangkok with the good company of Christina and Yuan Hui.

Spicy raw papaya salad.

Green curry.

Thot Man Pla (Fish cake)

Siam Paragon Food Hall is a place of attraction in Bangkok and it is recommended as a place to visit in Bangkok. place Siam Paragon Food Hall lives up to the hype that Siam Paragon as the 'Pride of Bangkok', The Food Hall covers a good half of the mall's huge ground floor and is divided into three different zones: Food Hall Food Court, Food Hall Gallery and Food Hall Take Home. Walking around the Food Hall after heavy dinner was such a good experience.

Lots and lots of macaron.

A more presentable Bread with Thai Custard dipping

Mien Kam

We first had our coconut ice-cream at Chatuchat market. The 2nd one was at Central World. It was so good that we decided to have it again on our last night in Bangkok. We had this Coconut sorbet ... our 3rd coconut ice-cream during the trip.

After nice, heavy Thai food for dinner at Manna, we walked around Siam Paragon Food Hall and bought dry mango and rice crackers. Thereafter, we had coconut sorbet and this mango glutinous rice for dessert.

On my recent trip to Bangkok, I found this at the Bangkok airport (Thomas and Tonini, towards Gate F)where the staff were cutting mango and packing it. Bought a packet at THB150 each.

I bought these 2 packets of Tom Yam Chili paste and Green Curry paste from the same shop at THB80 each. We just cooked the Green Curry for dinner and we all love it.

Bangkok Loft Inn

2011-09-04T16:40:00.000+08:00

5-8 Jun 11

We stayed at Bangkok Loft Inn during our trip to Bangkok. Christina found this hotel from Trip Advisor. The hotel ranked 7th in Bangkok in Trip Advisor ranking and also Travellers' Choice® 2011 Winner.

We took a cab from airport to hotel and paid THB860. The hotel staff told us that they could arrange airport transfer to hotel at half the price, if we informed them earlier of such need.

The hotel is located in the Thonburi section of Bangkok, with 5 minutes walk to Wongwian Yai BTS Skytrain. Bangkok Loft Inn is a boutique hotel with cozy atmosphere and contemporary style, not too big (four-storey) with personalized services, provided by a hospitable and friendly staff.

At the hotel lobby while checking-in, we were served with welcome drink. There are lots of sweets, chocolate bars, etc at the lobby table. The room was nice and very clean. We had a super king size bed. We only paid RM124 per night.

Christina, Yuan Hui, Hubby and I were truly impressed by the services from the hotel. The reception staff, Pat and Noi had been very helpful. They suggested route and means of transport for us to move around in Bangkok and the expected fare to pay.

I enjoyed the personal touch of the breakfast too. We ordered our breakfast the night before. There were also table of buns, bread, fruits, coffee and tea on buffet style. Every morning, we will have our breakfast there, chit chatting, relax and discuss our itinerary for the day.

Hubby was very happy with the free Internets and computer usage.

On our last day, since we had an early flight back to KL, the hotel staff packed breakfast for us. We had tuna and egg sandwich, fruits, orange juice and mineral water. The hotel also arranged complimentary airport transfer for us.

Since our return, we have been promoting the hotel to our family and friends. I had also submitted my review on the hotel to Trip Advisor.

Bangkok - Things to Do

2011-09-04T00:52:00.004+08:00

5-8 Jun 11

We did it again!

During our last year wedding anniversary, Hubby and I for the very first time had our holiday without kids. This time round, we went to Bangkok, without kids too but with Christina and Yuan Hui. Yes ... just 2 couples went to Bangkok for 4 days 3 nights and no kids allowed.

Thanks to my sister in-law who helped me to look after my 2 boys during our holiday in Bangkok. I invited her and her 2 kids to have their school holiday in KL. At the same time, her kids could play with my kids (they are cousins), my maid would cook for them while she kept an eye on all of them. Before the holiday, I stocked up food for them.

We flew Air Asia to Bangkok and paid RM818 for return tickets for both of us. Christina booked the Air Asia flight tickets on 31 Dec 10, more than 5 months in advance.

There are lots of reasonably price hotels in Bangkok. Unless you are going to Bangkok for relaxing trip, you will hardly spend time in the hotel as you will leave hotel after morning breakfast for shopping, eating and massage and return to hotel for freshen up and sleep only. Find a clean hotel with good reviews from Trip Advisor with BTS skytrain and MRT nearby.

Honestly, I like Bangkok as a holiday destination. Over the 3 days in Bangkok, we basically shop, eat and massage! The good thing is THB100 is about RM10.20, which we divide (not multiply) their currency to ours. There were lots of walking and the weather there was humid and hot. As such, do remember to wear some thing light and comfortable, especially walking with a pair of comfortable shoes and bring a bottle of water in your bag.

The transportation in Bangkok is convenient and cheap too, except for the bad traffic. Taking taxi is convenient, comfortable and bring you to your destination, but you will be spending too much time on the road, caught in massive jam. There are Tut Tut, a good alternative to taxi especially during traffic jam. Otherwise, take BTS skytrain, just be prepared for the long walk along the station itself. A day pass, unlimited ride is for sales at THB120.

Place to Shop

Chatuchak weekend market - Go early morning, spare at least half a day ... way too much things to see and buy.

Platinum Fashion Mall (2 blocks - old and new) at Pratunam - wholesale market with cheaper, nicer design and quality clothing compared to other Bangkok markets. These 2 dresses cost less than RM30 each.

NaRaYa ... All from fabrics

Siam Paragon Food Hall - must visit, just like this happy couple, with lots of food choices

... and not forgetting Central World.

Things to Eat

Japanese Food - lots of Japanese restaurants at reasonable price
Thai Food
Thai dessert - mango sticky rice, coconut ice-cream
Thai fruits - pomelo dip with plum powder
Thai delicacies - dry fruits (mango, papaya, pineapple, kiwi, etc), rice crackers, coconut rolls, etc

We had 2 Thai meals and 2 Japanese meals during over trip in Bangkok and the food there was very reasonably priced.

Things to Do

Massage (very soothing after whole day walking) - We had foot reflexology (THB250 for an hour) at Health Land Spa & Massage (look like hotel with few branches in Bangkok) on our first night in Bangkok and another foot reflexology (THB200 for an hour) at local massage place near our hotel at the 2nd night, both after our dinner.
Clubbing, Pub with life band

Things to Buy

I bought this Osaki iPad 2 cover at THB2,100 for Hubby from Central World that came with a very nice packaging.

Leather stuff - Handbag, shoes, belt, Ipad 2 cover, etc
Clothings - Get them from Platinum Fashion Mall
Spices to cook Green curry, Tom Yam Guong, etc

We brought one medium bag (for our clothing and toiletries) and we brought another empty, big bag for storing our shopping. The above picture was taken at Bangkok airport on our return trip ... lots of bags!

Thank You, Nuffnang. Shoutout to TGV Cinemas. Happy 3rd Birthday to treasure memories

2011-08-27T18:10:00.002+08:00

27 Aug 11

As usual, I check my personal emails on daily basis. I've got a mail ... and it's from Nuffnang that sounds like this.

Dear Nuffnanger,

Happy birthday from all of us at Nuffnang and the good people at TGV Cinemas!

As part of the TGV Birthday Surprise for Nuffnangers, you've been selected to receive FOUR (4) complimentary passes for any movie* at TGV Cinemas outlets nationwide, which we hope will make your birthday a special one indeed :)

It was a pleasant surprise. Hubby dropped me at Nuffnang office located at Heritage House, Jalan Yap Ah Shak. It was awesome to receive these 4 complimentary passes from TGV Cinemas.

During the Nuzul Quran public holiday on 17 Aug, we decided to take the kids out for movie. Jared wanted to watch Transformer. We checked on the Internet and KLCC TGV has Transformer movie showing on the suitable time slot for us.

We had lunch at KLCC food court.

Magnificent view from KLCC food court.

We watched the 12.30pm show of Transformer. It was a 2.5 hours show. Hubby and Jared enjoyed the movie but it was too long for Jaden.

Thank you TGV Cinemas and Thank you Nuffnang for the birthday surprise.

August 2011 also mark the 3rd year anniversary for treasure memories. I intend to keep this blog going to capture and treasure those special memories with my love ones.

Happy 3rd Birthday to treasure memories!

Cake Pop - 2nd Attempt

2011-08-17T23:02:00.021+08:00

14 Aug 11

I've tried cake pop once and it was not a successful one. I was disappointed. I admire those cake pops by Bakerella. Her cake pops are so cute, in so many designs, shapes and colours. It looks simple too.

After browsing through website and Bakerella's posts on cake pop, I am determine to try it again ... one day.

The one day came faster than I expected when 2/3 of my mocha cupcakes did not turn out nice. Rather than throwing them away, which is very wasteful as those cupcakes actually taste very nice, I decided to make cake pops out of the cake crumbs.

I crumble those cupcakes into a fine crumbs form into a large bowl. If the texture is too coarse, run it through a food processor.

Then, I make cream cheese frosting from the following ingredients:

250g cream cheese, at room temperature
113g unsalted butter, at room temperature
200g icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Add the cream cheese frosting into cake crumbs and blend together using the back of a large spoon until well combined.

Roll mixture into 1.25″ – 1.5″ size balls and lay on baking sheet. Luckily, I have my maid to help me out and she actually did a better job than me.

Prepare chocolate for dipping. I used this dark chocolate buttons and melt them using the double boiler method.

Dip the tip of lollipop stick in a little of the melted chocolate coating and insert into the cake balls. (Insert a little less than halfway.)

Cover with aluminum foil or cling wrap and chill in refrigerator for several hours to firm up or place in freezer for about 15 minutes or leave them covered in the refrigerator overnight if the dipping is to be done on the following day.

Once firm, carefully insert cake ball into the chocolate coating by holding the lollipop stick and rotating until covered. Once covered, remove and softly tap and rotate until the excess chocolate falls off. Don’t tap too hard or the cake ball will fall off, too.

Place in a styrofoam block (preferably), or mug to dry.

I wrap each of the cake pop with a small plastic and tie them up.

Honestly, making these cake pop require lots of work and patience. The cake ball will start melting and drop on table. The result from this 2nd attempt is better than the first one. I am more prepare and have done quite a bit of reading from Bakerella's blog.

Brought a few cake pops to office for my colleagues. Wendy said its yummillicious and I brought two more for her the following day for her to share with her 2 sons.