my sweet escape

Food Friday: Salted Fish (Ikan Masin)

2012-01-20T16:41:00.000+08:00

Fried salted fish, topped with sliced shallots and birds chilli and drizzled with the salted fish oil that I used to cook it in.

All this time, I have been buying Pharmaton, Appeton, This-ton, That-ton, and my children still don't put on weight. They have healthy appetites, especially Buddy, but Allie eats like a bird. So yesterday, I finally got around to frying some salted fish -- ikan masin ikan merah -- that my mom bought from Tawau (Monica's hometown -- so ask her to bring back for you if she goes back this CNY! hahahaha) .

Apparently, this was the ultimate appetizer for the kids. Despite putting bird's chilli and shallots on it, they still walloped the food. Sometimes, I cook enough rice to last until dinner (when the hubs is off at work), but this time, it didn't last half an hour. The kids had 3 plates of rice each! Amazing.

Today, Buddy asked for more salted fish. And he says he wants it the same way, with the "bawang and cili". Ohhhkay then, I just hope it won't give my kids high blood pressure. As for the husband, he ate 4 plates, and I am definitely hiding this from him if I cook it again. I want him to eat, but I don't wanna kill the man!!

I, on the other hand, HAVE to go jogging today. A half marathon won't be able to burn the amount of calories I consumed!! Oh and whoever wants to join me jogging at Subang park, just holla and we can run together-gether. New mommies out there, you can join me and jogging, with the new baby jogger city select 2012, you can bring your baby with you, too!! ;)

Salam Jumaat and have a great weekend, everyone!

Thankful Thursday: My Gratitude List #8

2012-01-20T16:25:00.000+08:00

My Thankful Thursday segment is a little late due to the frustrating internet connection I have at home. I was writing this last night but I wasn't able to post it. So anyways..

This week, I'm grateful for:

Coffee. Sometimes when you're stressed out and you just don't know where to resort to for that little pick me up, the answer is always coffee!

The little things in life. A smile from a stranger. A neighbour's helping hand. A hug from a friend. My children's spontaneous kisses. Beautiful quotes. A nice blog comment. A funny tweet. Smell of fresh laundry. A thank you. Great conversation. Passion. Fairy lights.... the list can go on forever.

Gift from my best friend, Moose. Haven't even finished Anna Karenina yet! Haha

Books. Need I say more?

My internet connection. It's been acting up this past week. I know I always take my internet connection for granted so maybe after this it'll behave after I show how grateful I am for it. haha

Well, that's about it for this week's entry. To all my friends celebrating Chinese New Year, I hope you all have a wonderful time with your family. May this year be even more prosperous than the last! Gong Xi Fa Cai!! Enjoy your holidays, be safe and be good! ;)

Music Video: Baru - Estranged

2012-01-18T10:10:00.000+08:00

As you can see from the lack of posts here on my blog, I have hardly been online lately.. But when I finally got around to going online, I was thrilled to know that the music video for Estranged's latest single, Baru, is already out. I really couldn't wait to see the outcome of the video since Bella and I "busy-bodied" ourselves behind the scenes of the 2nd day of the video shoot.

The song has cool written all over it and I dig it. A lot. There just aren't many local bands as good as Estranged. So check out the music video for Baru by Estranged:

I gotta say though, I would be a helluva lot less calm than that if my bag was snatched. Just sayin'. Oh and wouldn't it be cool if the biker snatch thieves wore gmax motorcycle helmets? Haha you know, just for kicks. Haha. I guess that's why I'm a homemaker and not a music video director.

The music video was directed by Nadia Hamzah from Wayang Works.

Nadia Hamzah

She's young and amazing. As is Mo. Adam Sinclair was also on hand to assist the directing of the music video. Director of Photography was done by Wan Chun Hung, who, if you must know, was DOP for the film Seru. The lead stars in the music video is Omar Yunus, a newcomer and actress Tunku Norhanis.

Tunku Norhanis and Omar Yunus on set

Hanafi, Din, Rich and Andy were all awesome guys and my deepest thanks to the band for indulging us and our inane conversations and questions. Especially crazy ones like me asking Andy for his Foo Fighters tee (as seen in video). Yes, I am not ashamed to take a shirt off of someone else's back. But of course Andy didn't give it to me. I wouldn't give it to me. You know, if I were him. But, it was worth a shot. Haha. My mom always says, "Ask and you shall be given". It didn't work this time, but hey.. can't blame me for trying.

Estranged getting ready to rock it out on Carrefour rooftop

ANYWAYS, I had a lot of fun with Bella on that set thanks to the crew. We were fed, we were plied with drinks the whole evening, we were entertained... at a rooftop no less and it was my first time being behind the scenes of any shoot. I had a pretty good time.

Yours truly and Bella with the band

Thanks Levis for the opportunity.. especially to Paolo and Carmen.

Also lots of thanks to Afiq and Azzad (the biker guy in the video) for being so hilarious and entertaining. Thanks to Fadhil and Teoh (who I call Steve, coz he looks like a Steve -- suka suki je tukar nama orang) for the pictures and videos taken on set.

Lots of fun. Hope to do it again. Hear that, Estranged? Call us. I'm dead serious, yo. Haha.

p/s: All photos taken by Bella Enveeus and check out more photos of what went down behind the scenes.

The Domesticated Life

2012-01-18T09:13:00.000+08:00

Oh wow. This is only my second post of the year and it's already approaching the 3rd week of Jan. I haven't been on Twitter or Facebook much either, but for what it's worth, I miss my online buddies.

I was just catching up with my buddy Ane yesterday and was telling her how moving to this new place of mine has made me so domesticated. Not that I wasn't before, but really, I can rival these aunty-aunty living on my block. I'm already up by 6.30am, do my morning prayers, get the kids ready, make breakfast, walk my son to school, then come home, and immediately start with the chores.. which includes...

wait for it... wait for it.....

brace yourselves.....

GARDENING!

I remember telling Marzie before that there's no way I'm gonna be doing any gardening and now...

YES. Time to EAT my words.

And not only am I gardening, I'm starting to become Madam Fix-alot too. Perhaps my husband is rubbing off on me more than usual, but I don't really need the husband to come to my rescue nowadays when I need some minor fixing done. My husband has everything from a hand drill to cutting tools and I'm beginning to appreciate the handyman in him even more.

When I was staying at my old small apartment, perhaps the small space made me so chillaxed that take my time going about things. Most probably I'd go back to sleep after sending my son to school and start only around 10am and take my own sweet time doing them too.

Anyways, if you can't tell, I'm happy in my new home. Now, I can't even fathom why I was sentimental about leaving my apartment.

Good Feeling

2012-01-02T05:15:00.000+08:00

Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right. ~Oprah Winfrey

It's the start of the New Year.. I truly hope and wish that 2012 brings a lot of great moments, an abundance of everything wonderful -- health, wealth, love, joy, peace, laughter, happiness, contentment and blessings from God.

I feel GOOD about this year. It's this feeling that I have.

Perhaps, I'm still feeling the high of having completed a lot of last year's resolutions and I just hope it carries on into this year. I've written down all my wishes, plans and dreams for this year and we'll see if I can keep up with them.

Time to focus on more positive stuff, leave the negative energy and forces behind and so, to kick off the New Year and the first Music Monday pick for this year, here's Flo-Rida with Good Feeling. Enjoy!!

Oh and it's time to break out dancing spidey. He's been on a break for far too long! :)

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. Rules are simple. Leave ONLY the ACTUAL LINK POST here and grab the code below and place it at your blog entry. You can grab this code at LadyJava's Lounge Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.

PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!

My 2011 Revisited

2011-12-31T21:18:00.001+08:00

January - There's no better way than welcoming the New Year in your PJs, right?

Celebrating with my mom, sister and kids with fellow residents of USJ 19, Rhythm Avenue.

2011 started off as the year my son started school! A very proud moment for me, because it's a sign that not only did I survive raising my son, but he survived me being his mom! LOL!

Buddy's first day of school!

February - Flew back to KK to help plan my brother's wedding as well as attend my dear friends' wedding! They both looked gorgeous that night.. and to see them finally get married after a long 14-year courtship, it just made me feel over the moon for them! :)

March - My older brother's wedding.. I barely had any sleep helping them plan this wedding and I was glad everything went well. For weeks, I couldn't stop watching their wedding video.. it was beautiful.. but what I loved most of all, is that I gained a new sister to join the family! Welcome to the family, Dahlia! :)

April - Allie had a minor accident. She split her chin open and needed stitches that cost more than constructing a new chin. *rolls eyes*

Mom and Seri came down for a visit to celebrate Buddy's 7th birthday. First time the whole family spent the day in Sunway Lagoon! Then off we went to Canoodling at Bangsar Village 2 upon the birthday boy's request.

May - My birthday month! I don't know why, but we ended up at Canoodling, again! LOL! I guess we just enjoy it there.. food is good and cheap! Kids are occupied with drawing the whole time... what's not to like?

June - I managed to score some invites to behind-the-scenes and Gala Premiere of Magical Musicals.. which I thoroughly enjoyed. Met up with Isaac and Caroline for the first time! Always a wonderful plus, to meet new friends. ;)

July - The month Harry Potter released the final film. My childhood has officially ended!! :( :( :( Thank God I scored premiere passes!

In July, I helped out my sister plan her big 3-0 birthday in Bali.. and as a gift, I went all the way to KLCC to go to Nigel Barker's book signing. My sister is a big fan but since she was in Bali, she couldn't make it. And guess what? I managed to make my way into Nigel Barker's blog post. Try and spot me. ;)

August - Hari Raya Aidilfitri! After a month of fasting, the family and I returned back to KK to celebrate Hari Raya with the family!

September - We decided to move out from our place and find a bigger house since the kids were getting bigger. I also cut my hair out of boredom because I'm stupid impulsive like that. But I like changing my hair up because I can't bear to wear the same style for long.

October - Allie turned 4! We celebrated her birthday at Chilli's @ Citta Mall. Nothing major. Just us. Mom came a couple of days later and all we did was cook and cook and cook. In fact, I feel like making my meatloaf for New Year.

November - After months of training, finally managed to run my first 10km run! I'm pleased that I managed to strike down one of my New Year's resolution -- Join a 5km race. Instead of doing a 5km I went for a 10km and I'm super pleased with how it went. Which in turn made me cross out another New Year's resolution -- Lose weight. Thanks to all that training, I managed to lose 9kgs, this year. However, I'm still far from reaching my goal.. so I can't get excited just yet.

Before the race

Happily finishing the race

Also managed to score some behind the scenes and Gala Premiere tickets to Aladdin the Musical which was just wonderful! I enjoyed it a whole lot and can't wait for more musicals to come our way.

December - The year ended just how I wanted it to be. Crossing out my major New Year resolution for 2011 - moving in to a new home!

Also, I joined my 2nd 10km race which encourages me only to join more races in 2012 and who knows, by end of 2012, I'll be able to run a half marathon. *wishful thinking* Crazier things have happened, you know.. hahah

Before leaving for KK, Bella invited me to join her at the Video Shoot of "Baru", the lastest single by Estranged and we had ourselves a good time that night at the Carrefour rooftop! Haha!

Spent the last 2 weeks of December with my family back in KK.

Oh! And my beautiful cousin, Rina, is now engaged! So happy for her! Congrats Rina and Syakair! :)

I am now back in KL to usher in the New Year in my new home and hoping to start a new chapter in my life! I'm so grateful to the Almighty for giving me this blessed life full of wonderful people and wonderful things. Alhamdulillah!

Next, I have to start planning and plotting some new resolutions and I can't wait to start crossing them off like I did this year. Oh and as you all know, I made it my resolution this year to own a camera.. and guess what? I can check that off my list!! Stay tuned for that..

With that, I'd love to wish all my readers a Happy New Year. May God bless you all throughout the year with immense joy and wealth, happiness and health and insurmountable love! Happy 2012, everyone!

Come Together

2011-12-13T02:33:00.000+08:00

In the mood for great music. The Beatles. Ahhh.. bliss! They make joo joo eyeball sound sexy. My groove is so ON right now..

My 10km Race #2: MPSJ 10km Race

2011-12-07T13:51:00.001+08:00

Last Saturday was super hectic. That was the day we decided to move and it was super tiring. We only managed to have our dinner by 11pm and get the furniture re-assembled (the bed, wardrobe and dressing table) even later. I had another 10km race in the morning and with all the moving and all, didn't manage to put in any mileage of training during the whole week. That meant that since the Nike Run, I haven't ran at all.

In the end, I managed to get to bed at 1.30am. Definitely not enough rest for me before the race. I set the alarm at 6am because this time, the race was close to home. When I woke up, I nearly didn't want to go. The hubs got ready and woke me up, but I just ignored him. In the end, I knew I'd be really mad at myself if I didn't go after paying for registration so I got up anyway.

By the time I got ready, it was already 6.30am and flag-off was at 7am. I didn't even have time to take my toast and Redbull for breakfast (which I learnt was the fuel that kept me going during the Nike Run).

Oh and another thing that didn't start me off well that day. I set my clothes the night before on my dressing table. My husband woke up earlier than me and used my race shirt. It's technically his Adidas sports shirt but it was the dri-fit kind and I haven't unpacked mine from one of the many suitcases. I didn't want to use the actual green Herbalife sponsored racing shirt but since I didn't dare take the shirt off my husband's back, I had to concede to wearing it. ARGH!!

So anyways, we reached there in less than 10 mins and noticed there were far less few people which got me worried. I didn't want to be the last few to arrive at the finish line. I mean who would want to be the last, right?

But since USJ area is home, I knew the route will be much easier than the Nike race. And besides, Nick assured me it would be much easier. So yeah, I'll go with the pro's advice.

I started in the middle of the pack this time (I didn't want to be the last to arrive, remember? Haha) and when I started, I knew it was going to be a good race. This time, I brought my own bottle since I knew the drinking stations were my biggest downfall the last time. It was a good strategy because I could steadily sip my water when I was thirsty and continue running. I don't know about other runners, but gulping down water when running just makes it harder for me to run.

So anyway, this time, since the route was easier, I just kept with my pace, I didn't want to go fast because there were no indicators of how many KM were left to run, so I wanted to conserve all my energy as much as I can.

When I arrived near my house, I realized I was making good time and just decided to take it easy and enjoy the run. By the time I reached Taipan, it was 1 hour and 10 mins in.

The the worst thing that could happen, happened. I was stopped at the traffic light to give way to the cars. And when I stopped, that's when the fatigue came crashing down. I didn't literally stop, I jogged in place, but it wasn't the same as continuing running. I had just one long stretch to go (to the end of Taipan and u-turn and run the home stretch to the finish line). I could envision it in my head and was excited that I had made good time.

So after that "pitstop" (thank you Mr. Policeman.. NOT!!), I continued running but it was so bloody hard. It was hot, the sun was beating down on my back, the Herbalife shirt was so musty smelling because I didn't have time to wash it, and the rather small incline seemed never ending. BUT, I still persevered and just continued.....but at the same time, it's not fun when you see people brisk walking faster than you're jogging and passing you by. Very disheartening, I must admit.

Anyways, I caught up with someone who kept passing me and who I kept passing throughout the race and he asked if we should finish the race together. So I agreed hoping I'll be motivated and I did it. We ran together but once we reached the MPSJ track leading to the finish line, I sprinted. Hahaha I didn't have to but I'm just competitive like that. I wished we would have run together earlier, because maybe just maybe, my pace wouldn't have been so slow during the last km stretch.

I finished the race in 1 hour 24mins and 48secs. I shaved 3-4mins off my Nike race but I was still peeved. I wanted so badly to make it in 1 hour 20 mins or below after all, it was an easy route. The only consolation is I did better and I finished without breaking my run. I RAN THE WHOLE WAYYY!!! YAY! So that's a major improvement. And I didn't finish last. LOL!

After the race, I took my goody bag (Thank you, Herbalife) and called the hubs to pick me up. This time he didn't wait for me at the finish line -- I guess the novelty of seeing me finish my race wore off after the first time. LOL! The hubs suggested I walk home, but I so wasn't in the mood to.

The rest of the day, was spent cleaning up the old house that we moved out from. My hubby didn't want to return the house to the owners in the state it was in (dusty and dirty from the movers footsteps) so no rest for me. It was one of the most tiring Sundays I've ever had.

My next race is....... undetermined. I have an eye on the Multi Purpose Insurace Run next January BUT:
1) I am not ready to tackle the Padang Merbok route again.
2) It's 12.3km and I don't know if I'm ready for that.
3) It's the first weekend after school starts so I know I'll be tired with adjusting to my whole new routine.

So I don't have my next race lined up but I am looking forward to continue my training and continue registering for races. I do enjoy it. I love crossing that finish line. I love the fact that I know I can do something I've never done before. It's a wonderful feeling and great way to end the year. ;)

My 1st 10km Race: Nike We Run KL

2011-12-07T13:22:00.001+08:00

Okayy.. so this is a loooong overdue post.. but I still need to blog about it before I blog about my MPSJ run so here goes. My pics are still in the hubby's phone so will update it and upload it here when I get my hands on it.

So the Nike We Run 10KL was on the 27th of November 2011 and I was a mixture of nerves and excitement. I had prepared my shoes and outfit earlier and went to bed at 9.30pm coz I needed to be up by 4.30am. That would give me ample time to bathe as well as get the hubby up before morning prayers.

We reached the race destination at about 6.15 am (by which time I already ate some bread and drank RedBull) and coincidentally parked in front of my friend Izuan (another avid runner who has been most encouraging). Caught up with him for a while and then the hubs and I headed down to the race village and where the race starts. Saw Nessa (the person responsible for roping me in to join this race in the first place) and her hubby talking and walking but I didn't want to bother them. I'm not normally a shy person, but yeah, I didn't want to approach them for some reason which I think was shyness. LOL!

I purposely chose a position towards the back because there were so many people and I knew they'd be speeding once the race began so, just to avoid being trampled on, I stuck to the back to start my race easy.

After waiting patiently alone, (the hubs had left earlier to go to the mosque) the race finally started and it took me a good few minutes to cross the start line, due to the crowd, and when I crossed the start line only did I start my stopwatch to get my personal time.

The route was difficult for me as I'm used to training only at Subang Park and the gym and it wasn't enough to prepare me for the inclines but I did okay, considering. I managed to not break my run until the 7km mark I think. Then it just got difficult. I ran, I stopped. I ran, I stopped. The drinking stations were my biggest downfall because I stopped and whenever I stop, fatigue sets in. I knew I should've brought my own bottle.

The 8km hill incline was a BITCH. I stopped running and brisk walked all the way up and during the last drinking station I grabbed a cup which I thought was water and gulped it down. Little did I know it was 100Plus and it got stuck dab right in my throat and made me sputter. I don't normally drink carbonated drink so it caught me by surprise. After walking a little bit more, I began to feel a pain in my chest.. like gastric pain. It almost doubled me over but I really wanted to cross the line within 1 and a half hours time.

So I just stuck to it and continue brisk walking and when I saw the 9km mark, I just started running and sped all the way when I could start seeing the finish line.. Bloody hell it felt good. I finished in 1 hour 28 mins and 36secs. Not good but it was within the goal that I set for myself. So I was happy with it. I could work with that.

I arrived right in time to see Mizz Nina start her performance but I was too busy getting my banana and "finisher's medal".

Picture borrowed from Nick (hope you don't mind. Nick!)

So yeah, that was about it.. Next up.. MPSJ 10km race on 4th December 2011.

Hey Big Spender

2011-12-07T12:07:00.001+08:00

First of all, I want to say thanks to everyone for all their well wishes on the move to the new house. I really appreciate it.. and as for requests for the housewarming party.. well, I'll definitely think about it. I just have to rush back to KK to pick up the kids who are on their school holidays with their Nana. I haven't seen them in over 2 weeks and only this week are they beginning to miss their mommy and daddy. :(

Anyways, I've got a lot of things to do. Surprisingly, unpacking was much easier than packing. It only took me 2 days to unpack everything and get them in order. The night we moved, I already unpacked the kitchen and cooked! LOL!

I'm not gonna lie though.. it has been stressful and my skin was breaking out and I was developing ulcers.. Definitely STRESSED OUT!

The expenses of moving were also skyrocketing high and I have to think of the kids' school expenses next. Not to mention going back to KK expenses and everything else. My mom's friend here in KL did approach me and asked if I'm interested in Dietician or Nutritionist Jobs because he's in the health line and he definitely can use someone.

But me?? Dietician?? Hahahaha my idea of a balanced diet is a cookie in both hands. So it will definitely be a contradiction, no? ;) Buuuut, I really need the moolah right now. Like seriously, seriously.

Finally Moved!

2011-12-04T17:45:00.001+08:00

Yay! I have finally moved into my new place! I'm so happy that everything the whole moving process is over.. and now the nightmare of unpacking begins!!

We moved yesterday afternoon and due to the amount of people using the storage elevator and the loading bay, we only got out of the place at night. Which meant we had to fix the beds and everything else quite late. We didn't eat the whole day and only ate dinner at 11pm.. and I had the MPSJ 10km race in the morning. Finally slept at 1.30am and really didn't feel like running in a couple of hours. That story, though will come later.

Anyways, I'm just happy that we're settling down into a new home but the movers sort of broke my ironing board in the process so now I need a new one. So if you guys know where I can get the best ironing boards, do let me know!

Will update more in a couple of days once I'm done unpacking. And Marzie, no.. I'm not starting gardening now.. hahahaha I'll leave that to the hubs. Everything I tanam, memang tak jadi! LOL!

It Will Rain

2011-11-28T19:30:00.001+08:00

I absolutely love this song by Bruno Mars and I chose it for Music Monday just because. :) Hope you guys enjoy it.

p/s: Despite hoping that it won't rain coz I need to move out of my place as well as train for my 10k this Sunday, it still does!

Moving Out

2011-11-24T17:01:00.001+08:00

I will be moving out by middle of next week and I just hope that the weather will let up a little. I can't imagine what it will be like if it were to rain like mad like it did the past few weeks. Our area at USJ 19 was flooded to the car door level on the road. The water rose so fast! Luckily, we didn't get stuck!

But still, I'm grateful that it's not snowing on our side of the world. If it were to snow here, I'd definitely have to get one of those MSR lightning ascent snowshoes to get around. Can you imagine that? I definitely don't want to go through that hassle.. since moving is already a hassle enough. So, that's another thing to be thankful for!

Get Charmed by Pandora

2011-11-24T16:49:00.001+08:00

I've always loved Pandora charm bracelets and I really can't wait to start my own charm bracelet one day. I am looking at the gold charm bracelets because compared to the silver or mixed, it looks the best. I'm not a fan of gold and much prefer white gold instead, but the gold Pandora charm bracelets are just super hard to resist. Especially when it's complete with it's charms. I especially love the Murano glass charms with gold settings or the gold charm with semi precious stones.

However, the gold bracelet itself.. on it's own.. costs about RM7k and the gold charms start at RM1k and above. So I may have to start my charm bracelet by buying the silver or silver/gold bracelet which starts at only RM300+ and RM1000+ respectively. The mixed ones are pretty nice too.. I just love the full gold charm bracelet more, though.

The rings are really pretty too! Guys, if you're looking for something different like rose gold engagement rings for your ladies, you should check them out. I know I don't mind receiving one! The husband is immune to hints so I better just ask him right out. LOL!

Here's to me asking the hubs for one and waiting forever on bated breath! LOL!

Thanfkul Thursday: My Gratitude List #7

2011-11-24T14:25:00.001+08:00

Silent gratitude isn't much use to anyone. ~G.B. Stern

This week, I am grateful for:

New friends. I'm the type of person who likes to be around people and make new acquaintances. And I like it when acquaintances become friends that I enjoy spending time with. I have met a lot of new friends over the course of these few years of living in KL and I'm grateful for that. That also includes all my blogging buddies. I wonder when we'll get to meet up again for another gathering.

Our national Malaysian football team. Even though Malaysia lost to Syria last night, our team has a lot to be proud of. Defeating Indonesia earlier this week at the SEA Games was a big highlight in the careers of our Malaysian team and I'm grateful that not only our team has made me a fan of Malaysian football but also 'coz it brings unity among all the Malaysians -- young and old. I wish them all the best against Bahrain in their upcoming match. Hitam kuning all the way!! :)

Contest wins. Allie and Buddy both won their first contest that they joined. Allie won a pair of Barney slippers from an Angelina Ballerina magazine contest while Buddy won a Bumblebee figurine from the Transformers Dark of the Moon collection from the Transformers magazine contest. It was a really cool contest win and they were beyond psyched. I, on the other hand, scored invites to the Gala Premiere for Aladdin the Musical and I'm totally excited. Also, I am now awaiting some official results for a contest I joined.. and I hope I'll be able to win that contest too! So I am really grateful for all the rezeki that I have been given, whether big or small.

Moving. I hate packing but I am grateful that I will be moving out of my little abode into a bigger house which is more comfortable and much needed what with my little ones growing up so fast. I know I'll miss all the convenience my current place has to offer but I know I have to move on to a different phase in my life and I welcome the change. :)

There are a couple of people in my life that have been so wonderful to me and I'm thinking of getting them some wonderful thank you gift baskets. Sometimes we do feel grateful but we just don't show it. So what better way to show my gratitude, right?

Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it. ~William Arthur Ward

To all my friends celebrating Thanksgiving, I hope you all have a wonderful holiday and a wonderful weekend to all of you!

Behind The Scenes of Aladdin the Musical @ Sunway Lagoon Amphitheatre

2011-11-21T17:11:00.001+08:00

Aladdin -- The story of a boy dubbed “the diamond in the rough” winning his way to the princess's heart through sheer courage, bravery, charm (and not to mention a little help from a lovable genie) is definitely a classic favourite with my family.. and I'm sure with many of you out there.

Thanks to Sunway Lagoon and West End Productions, Aladdin the Musical will be showing on our shores this 25th November 2011 until 2nd January 2011!

Last Saturday, yours truly was invited to join other bloggers and members of the media and publications to get a sneak peek at what goes on behind the scenes of Aladdin the Musical! There were about 20-30 people this time around, which was more than half the amount of people who attend behind the scenes of Magical Musicals. Was a bit sad not to see Lily, Sherlynn, Camie, Diese, Devi, Serge and Merryn this time around.

Bloggers together with members of media and publications.

We were greeted at the entrance by Mr. Loke Kah Peng, PR Manager of Sunway Lagoon and was brought to the amphitheatre's studio where we were greeted warmly by the musical director, Chris Colby and choreographer, David Kort. We were then introduced to the 6 main principal actors from the West End Production as well as the rest of the cast and dancers.

Chris Colby (left) and David Kort (right)

The show begins with the "Slave of the Ring"

Joshua Tonks plays the role of Aladdin.

Peter Jamieson as the Sultan and Nikki Mae as Princess Jasmine

Michael Morgan plays the evil Jafar

Gareth Heesom as Genie

Joshua and Gareth as Aladdin and Genie rehearsing a scene from Act 1

Josh and Nikki as the lovable Aladdin and Princess Jasmine

The rest of the dancers

See any familiar faces?

For those of you who attended Peter Pan the Musical and Magical Musicals, you'll be thrilled to see the familiar faces of Michael Morgan, who played Captain Hook in Peter Pan as well as Peter Ball Jamieson who played Smee. Not forgetting Gareth Heesom who was also in Magical Musicals.

We were treated to a sneak peek of Act 1 and Act 2 and since my readers couldn't come with me, I decided to bring back a special sneak peek for you guys! :)

Mr. Aaron Soo, Chief Executive Officer of Sunway Lagoon Sdn Bhd was also on hand that day to talk and brief us of what to expect for this upcoming musical and let me tell you, you will be blown away with the whole production! This musical will boast a couple of firsts for live theatre productions in Malaysia.

Mr. Aaron Soo, CEO of Sunway Lagoon Sdn. Bhd

1) It will be the first live theatre show in Malaysia with a horde of live animals on stage. *cue chicken, duck and goat sounds*

See the goats and parrots come for rehearsals?

2) It will be the first live theatre show in Malaysia that features a zip line from the top back of the amphitheatre all the way to the stage.
3) It will be the first live theatre show with 3D effects!!!

Yes, Aladdin the Musical has 3D effects in store for you!! Isn't that exciting?? (3D glasses will be provided).

Talking to Chris Colby regarding the musical, he explained to me that although Beauty and the Beast was strongly favoured to be featured here in Malaysia, the reason that they decided to go ahead with Aladdin was because it has an amazing storyline and shares similar elements and fit well with the beauty, nature, surroundings and culture of Malaysia! Meanwhile according to David Kort, although Aladdin is set in the Middle East, you can expect the dances featured in the musical to be a range from ballet to modern dance. So there's definitely something for everyone!!

Khairul Nizar and team, who did the stage design for Magical Musicals outdid himself on the stage design for Aladdin the Musical. Check out the amazing stage!

Director Chris Colby showing the "Cave"

Isaac graciously posing for me

Princess Jasmine in her full costume joins us on stage

Here comes Aladdin in his full costume

The gorgeous couple on the balcony

However, for those of you expecting a direct adaptation of Disney's Aladdin, let me tell you right here and now that this West End Production of Aladdin the Musical will be putting a modern twist to the story we know and love and will have different elements and angles from the 1992 Disney version. So don't expect to see the little cheeky Abu jumping up and down the stage. But don't fret! It will still be as awesome, fun-filled and just a refreshing change.

I PROMISE YOU! :)

As for musical choices, only one song from the 1992 Disney version will be adapted into the musical. I'm sure everyone can guess what song that will be, right?? :) Here's an exclusive sneak peek of "that particular number"!

Okay, that's it, people! That was just a little something something to whet your appetite! I'm not going to give too much away! Want more? Book yourself some tickets to the show!!

And if those behind the scenes videos and pics haven't enticed you enough, then perhaps the cute Joshua Tonks who plays Aladdin will be able to entice you guys to come to the event! Here's a special message that he left exclusively for my readers out there.

Excuse the background noise -- everyone was busy interviewing the cast. Btw, for all of you who want to know more on Josh, you can follow him on Twitter.. and FYI, his favourite musical is Spring Awakening! ;)

L-R: Michael Morgan, yours truly, Peter Jamieson and Chris Colby

Me and the wonderful Peter Jamieson! He's such a darling!

Special thanks to Mr. Aaron Soo, Chris Colby, David Kort, West End Production cast and crew, Sunway Lagoon crew, Mr. Loke Kah Peng, Pat from Avante, Michael from AMBP for having us there that day. It was a great experience as always and it was total fun to be surrounded by familiar bloggers like Bella, Caroline and Isaac as well as making new friends. Thanks also to Lighthouse Sunway Lagoon for providing the refreshments. Great way to end an awesome day!

Aladdin and Princess Jasmine with little ol' me!

Note from Mr. Aaron Soo: It is not advisable for children under 3 years to attend the musical. I'm sure parents can understand how crying babies can make the whole experience less enjoyable for others. DSLRs, on the other hand, are ALLOWED in the amphitheatre.

I hope to see you guys at Aladdin the Musical. Click the following link for more info on where to get tickets, ticket prices and seating chart. See you there!!

Dedication To My Ex

2011-11-14T01:49:00.000+08:00

Dedication To My Ex (Miss That) is a song from Lloyd ft. Andre 3000 (from Outkast) and is one of my fave songs at the moment. Yeah, it's a bit vulgar but I love the song 'coz the beat is awesome, it's catchy and Lloyd has that Michael Jackson vibe going on. First time I heard it few weeks ago, I thought MJ did a song with Andre 3000 before he died.. it's not exactly the same.. but still, it's pretty close! I think it has awesome sauce poured all over it!

Speaking of ex-es and break ups, the Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries divorce will probably be the straw that breaks the camel's back. Kim Kardashian is finally losing fans and popularity. A lot of people are ridiculing her decision of filing for divorce after only 72 days of marriage.

Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries Divorce (Image from: YouKnowYouCare)

I actually do follow the Kardashian's reality show (just because I love to watch other people's drama) and while I've never particularly liked Kris Humphries, Kim is just so ridiculous for making a mockery of the institution of marriage. The Fairytale Wedding was aired on our shores less than a month ago. It was a lavish ceremony and the money that went into the preparation of that wedding could probably save thousands of lives in poverty stricken countries! And to see that Kim treats the unity with such indifference that she HAS to file for divorce citing irreconcilable differences, is just so ridiculous. Such a famewhore. I'm sure everyone saw that coming, though. I know I did.

But still, in this economy, where people are being retrenched and losing jobs, living costs are skyrocketing high, healthcare has left a lot to be desired, minimum wage is literally at it's minimum, fans are seeing how unfair life is that people like Kim Kardashian are making tons of money for being a talent-less twat. Excuse my French.

Oh well. Kris Humphries would probably be dedicating this to his ex soon enough. As for my ex, we're on good terms, thank you very much. Cheers to that! LOL! So here, take a listen and watch the music video for Dedication To My Ex by Lloyd feat. Andre 3000. Oh yeah, and it's time to bring out dancing spidey.

Enjoy this song! Happy Music Monday! :)

What's New?

2011-11-12T02:05:00.001+08:00

Hey you guys! :)

I miss my blog quite a bit. I've been busy ever since mom came over to visit us.. and I haven't had enough time to just be online and update my blogs. Excuses, excuses... hehehe.

My mom arrived on the 1st of November and will be going back to KK on the 15th. She'll be bringing the kids with her and that means I'll be "single mingle" for a while. It won't be much fun and games anyway, since I have to concentrate on the packing. I'll be moving out of my current place and into another place so I my mom is such a gem to take the kids off my hands for a while during this hectic time.

Last week's Hari Raya Aidiladha was pretty fun. My cousins came over and my mom made her Sarawak Laksa and it was still awesome despite my mom not having huge prawns, fresh coconut milk and the KK cili padi. She didn't want to have overweight luggage on AirAsia coming over, or else she'd have brought all those ingredients with her.

My mom, my cousins and my children on Aidiladha 2011.

Laksa Sarawak

I have been gaining weight ever since my mom came. It's so ridiculous the amount of weight I put on in 10 days. It's nuts, really. I look like I'm preggers. -_-" Plus, my race is coming up on 27th Nov, and I've only been training once. ONCE! And even that session was pretty pathetic. I hope the remaining two weeks will be enough to have a decent run come race day. I'm not expecting much, anymore. I have the MPSJ 10km run a week after that so I hope I do better for that one.

Lately, I have this hankering for durian.. and it's not enough that I satisfy my cravings once, twice or even three times!! I'm still craving for it!! Crazy!

Oh yeah! I lost my diamond earring!!!!

My mom gave them to me as a gift after giving birth to Allie. I was out with my mom shopping in Midvalley and we were having lunch at Madam Kwan's when I realized one side was missing. I asked my mom how long it had been missing and she said she didn't notice. I'm so upset. I don't think I can afford to replace it any time soon. or EVER for that matter. It's not like one of those casters that you can just buy at a store if one goes missing. :( My mom is still optimistic that I'll find it somewhere at home, but I don't share her sentiments.

I will miss having a gym and pool to go to once I move out of this place, so I think I'll bring the kids swimming early tomorrow morning or evening. Depends on the weather.

I am desperate for a camera. I really need one. I'm sick and tired of not having a camera at my disposal. I'm tired of relying on someone else's camera (in this case, it's my sister's camera). I've got to wait forever to get the pictures transferred and uploaded and it's just no fun. Using my camera phone is even worse. Here's one of Allie's recent 4th birthday that I managed to get from my sister's camera.

Allie's 4th Birthday @ Chilli's - Citta Mall

It's 2.21am. Nothing special happened on 11.11.11. I saw a tweet that was mulling over the special attention to that date. People say that 11.11.11 is a date that we won't be able to experience ever again but then again, every second of our lives that passes by is also a time we won't ever be able to experience again. I totally agree. But to those who want to celebrate this day, then by all means, go ahead. I'm not judging.

With the amount of food I've been consuming, I think it's just right that I get some detox going on in the tum tums, no?

TruDTox.. recommended by bem69

So, that's about it from me right now..

Till the morrow,

Food Friday: Shemah's Meatloaf

2011-11-04T13:53:00.000+08:00

My mom arrived in KL on Tuesday and even before she came over, she already had a request in advance. That I make my meatloaf. My meatloaf has been somewhat my family's favourite dish. I guess it's because I seldom make it and it's hard to get anywhere else. Oh and plus, it's scrumptious!! *angkat bakul sendiri sebab siapa lagi yang nak angkat kan? bukannya ada maid pon!!* Hahahaha..

I posted my meatloaf recipe years ago on my blog -- back in 2007 -- but it didn't come with pics (you know me and cameras, right?) so today, I will be sharing my "revised" recipe with you here.. WITH pics.

So after spending some time at Cold Storage and getting the ingredients the day before, last night, I set out to make my meatloaf. It's so simple to make, it's fast and easy and definitely something EVERYONE can make.. even those who don't believe you have any cooking skills at all. As long as you have an oven, you're good to go. My oven isn't even that big. See?

This time I made a few adjustments in my recipe, though.. because I saw a couple of stuff at Cold Storage that I wanted to add in to my meatloaf. I don't really follow any recipe, I just put in what I think would go well with my main ingredient.. which in this case is minced beef.

A lot of things go well with it.. and as long as you have the core ingredients of making meatloaf (chopped onions, ketchup, worcestershire sauce, egg and breadcrumbs), then you can pretty much add whatever else you want. I normally add some dark soy sauce, evaporated milk, oregano and in last night's version, I added about one and a half handfuls of garlic and rosemary dry rub (that I initially bought for my leg of lamb) and chopped parsley. Seasoning: salt, black pepper and brown sugar.

Since you can't taste the raw meat, what I normally do, is I go by smell. If you smell too much of something, then most probably the taste isn't balanced yet. If you can smell the meat and the mixture of every other ingredient you put in there, and it smells as delicious as eating it, I say you're good to go. Then just drizzle your baking dish with olive oil and shape your meat into a loaf. Like so..

Cook for some 25-30 minutes, take it out and pour out all the meat juices (for your gravy), and baste the meat with your basting sauce. In my case I used bbq sauce, ketchup, worcestershire, brown sugar and honey. Then put it back in and cook for another 5-10minutes. It depends on the amount of meat you use. I used about 1.2 kgs of meat, so my cooking time was about 40 mins, all in all.

Important: Don't forget to rest your meatloaf under an aluminium foil fpr a couple of minutes after you take it out of the oven, so you get all those yummy juices running in the meat and it's all juicy and not dry at all.

Serve your meatloaf with gravy and mashed potatoes! :) It's quick, delicious and a hearty meal that is guaranteed to make your family happy! :) Enjoy!

Note: If you wanna try this recipe but don't have an oven, don't worry. Instead of making the meat into a meatloaf, you can always shape them into burger patties (as big as you want) and cook your burger like you always do. :) It's equally yummy!!

p/s: You can omit putting boiled eggs inside your meatloaf, but my family likes it that way. For instructions on how to do that, go to the Shemzo's Meatloaf recipe. My mashed potatoes this time around consisted of a chunk of butter, cream, chopped parsley, a handful of that garlic and rosemary dry rub and salt. Added some wholegrain mustard on my mom's. :)

Happy cooking!

Sabah Railways Train Collides with Fuel Tanker Causing Explosions in Kota Kinabalu

2011-10-31T20:12:00.001+08:00

A Sabah Railways train collided with an oil tanker triggering explosions along the Jalan Kepayan-Jalan Lintas junction right opposite the Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA) this evening.

Picture tweeted by Decipher_BKI

The collision, which happened around 5.35pm is rumoured to have claimed 21 lives as of this time (7.47pm) with dozens injured. There has been no confirmation whatsoever and we're waiting for more reports. I so hope that's not true. My mom called a few minutes ago to tell she was near the Sabah Medical Centre (SMC) and reported that ambulances are rolling in and said to hope for the best.

Please pray for my hometown.. please pray for the people of KK. This tragedy breaks my heart and my prayers go out to all affected. #PrayforKK hashtag has been trending on the Twitter timeline, so please continue to spread the news and prayers for everyone in KK..

Here's a video taken just minutes after the explosion.

Fire now spreading to the rest of the train carriages along the length of the railway.

For more info, please follow @SabahInfo or @KKCity on Twitter for more news and updates.

Aladdin the Musical @ The Amphitheatre, Sunway Lagoon

2011-10-31T19:26:00.002+08:00

Calling all musical lovers out there! Another musical is back in town and this time, it hails from the magical land of Askabar....

Aladdin the Musical!

In another West End Production coming to Sunway Lagoon, Aladdin the Musical will add a modern, musical twist to its stage play. Integrating contemporary pop music with the classic storyline, Aladdin The Musical is a production that all walks of life will enjoy.

Audiences can expect to see familiar characters such as Aladdin, Princess Jasmine, The Sultan, Jafar, Slave of the Ring and of course The Genie of the Lamp himself. The six principal characters will be played by talents who hail from London’s famous West End. They will be joined by an international ensemble cast of dancers, fire eaters and stilt-walkers.

“Following the immense success of our earlier productions, Peter Pan The Musical and Magical Musicals, we have decided take our stage production expertise to the next level with Aladdin The Musical. We are very excited for this upcoming production because of the ‘magical’ quality to this age-old tale. From flying carpets, pyrotechnics, snow to other aerial performances, our production team will be bringing the magic of Aladdin to life,” said Aaron Soo, Chief Executive Officer of Sunway Lagoon.

I have attended both Peter Pan the Musical back in 2010 as well as Magical Musicals back in June, and I've gotta say they just get better and better. I've enjoyed myself immensely during both musicals and I am definitely expecting to enjoy the wonderful and extravagant production for Aladdin! My family and I, especially my children are definitely fans of all the West End Musical productions! :)

Director Chris Colby and choreographer David Kort will be teaming up again to bring this exciting musical to life. I've had the chance to talk to them during a "behind-the-scenes" session of Magical Musicals and and I'm excited to hear what they've got in store for this production this time.

Director Chris Colby (right) and choreographer David Kort (left)

For fans of previous musical productions as well as first timers who want to know what the big hooha is all about, do come and check out the opening night of Aladdin the Musical, held this November 25th, 2011 at The Amphitheatre, Sunway Lagoon.

The show will be running from 25th November 2011 - 2nd January 2012. Here are the following showtimes for the musical.

Aladdin the Musical Showtimes

As you can see, there will be no shows on Tuesday and there will be 2 shows only on Saturdays (with the exception of 25 December and 1st January -- which falls on a Sunday).

The seating chart and ticket prices are as shown below:

Aladdin the Musical Seating Chart (click to enlarge)

Aladdin the Musical ticket prices

You can purchase the tickets to Aladdin the Musical at these following outlets:

1.Online at www.AirAsiaRedtix.com

2.Sunway Lagoon - www.sunwaylagoon.com (TEL - 603 5639 0000)

3.Rock Corner outlets:-

The Gardens, Mid Valley (TEL: 03 - 2283 4893)
Mid Valley (TEL: 03 - 2283 1423)
KLCC (TEL: 03 - 2161 9417)
Subang Parade (TEL: 03 - 5636 9520)
The Curve (TEL: 03 - 7729 6313)
One Utama (TEL: 03 - 7725 5667)

4.Victoria Music outlets:-

Sg Wang(TEL: 03 - 2148 7208)
Amcorp (TEL: 03 - 7956 0592)
Tropicana (TEL: 03 - 7722 2955)
BSC (TEL: 03 - 2093 1093)

For enquiry only:
Please call AirAsiaRedtix Ticketing Hotline at +603 - 8775 4666. Hotline is operational from 9am-6pm on weekdays.

For more information, you can also contact Sunway Lagoon via their Facebook page as well as their Twitter.

I hope to see all of you fans there!!

One Step at a Time

2011-10-25T02:36:00.000+08:00

When I announced earlier this month that I will be running in my first 10km race, most of you have voiced your unwavering support and encouragement. For that, I am really really grateful! :) Most of you have also said that you will NEVER be able to join such a race, but let me tell you something. Even though, I have always been an active person, I was not built to be a runner. During my high school days, I have participated in 800m -- at best! Even that, I felt like my lungs would burst.

At the risk of sounding like Justin Bieber, I say ... NEVER say NEVER.

Some of my friends who are avid runners now, have never ran more than 500m in their life before. Seriously. Now, they're serious runners and highly addicted to it too. So if we can do it, you can do it too. You really might surprise yourself. In life, you can't ever be worse off than you were before, if you just try. Have you ever heard of a person who got worse and worse after practicing and training? No. You only get better.. in running, you'll only run faster and further. That's what I hope to achieve one day.

I didn't ever think I could run 2km.. now, after few weeks of training, I have managed to up my distance to 6.5km non stop. Not much compared to other seasoned runners, but it's my personal best. The reason I stopped was because it was already late and getting dark. Lately, it's been raining so I couldn't train much but I hope to up my distance soon. *hoping for the best*

Anyways, this song has been a great motivation for me. Honestly, I sing the lyrics when I get too tired and push myself through.

When you can't wait any longer
But there's no end in sight
when you need to find the strength
It's your faith that makes you stronger
The only way you get there
Is one step at a time

We live and we learn to take
One step at a time
There's no need to rush
It's like learning to fly
Or falling in love
It's gonna happen when it's
Supposed to happen and we
Find the reasons why
One step at a time

Nessa is right. I would need a lot of motivating mantras to keep me going. Nick and Massy is right too. Running without music helps you keep a steadier pace. So these running gurus are definitely my source of inspiration. So my Music Monday pick is dedicated to them and to all those who don't believe they can do this!

One Step at a Time by Jordin Sparks

Dancing Spidey likes it, too! ;) Happy MM everyone!

Wordless Wednesday: The Sick Little Man

2011-10-19T18:34:00.001+08:00

My son had a hard time waking up this morning and he said he didn't want to go to school because he was sleepy. I told him that he HAS to go to school because it's exam week right now. Besides, he slept before 9.30pm so there's no reason for him to be "sleepy". When the hubs picked him up from school today, he found out that our little man vomited and spent some time resting in the teacher's office.

When he got back, he said he felt better after vomiting but around 2pm just now, he began developing a fever and his face looked flushed. So I guess he'll have to sit out his exam tomorrow. Allie was so concerned over her brother and won't let him out of her sight! So sweet.. very funny too looking at her being so "matronly". Hahaha..

But then again I can't blame her, because last week, Allie was the one with the fever and vomiting.. (doc said it was just a stomach flu bug). When she was sick, Buddy was the one who took care of her. It's so nice to see them like this instead of fighting all the time (on normal days).

But looks like another sleepless night for me!

Frustrations over USJ19 Gated Community

2011-10-19T14:52:00.000+08:00

Like most of you know, I walk my son to school everyday -- or on days when my husband isn't around to send and fetch him from school. So this recent Monday, I went to pick up my son from school at 1pm and I noticed that the USJ19 housing area that we normally walk through to reach my son's school has become a gated community. (It was previously a "guarded" community, where they have 2 guard stations. One at the entrance and one at the exit.)

I'm so frustrated with MPSJ for even approving this project and I'm not just saying that to be spiteful but I have my reasons.

1. It's a public school area. Dozens of school children walk back home which is less than 10 mins away. With this gated community being set up, school children now have to walk close by to the main road and no longer at a safer distance (which is in the housing area).

Prior to the area being gated, all school children will walk through the housing area to avoid the main road because there are less cars and it's generally safer to avoid motorists.

The USJ 19 gated community

Schoolchildren (including my own two kids) now have to walk by the main road

Has everyone forgotten the case of the acid splasher guy?? Weren't we told to avoid walking beside the main roads??

2. The school's side entrance. My son's school has a side entrance and now, that the area is gated, there's just no way we could access that area without walking double the distance and perhaps some issues with the "guard". It's a school area, which means it's open to public. How selfish of the residents to think they can just block people out of it. Whoever approved it must be an imbecile to the highest degree!

*click on photo to enlarge* School's side entrance and safer walking path now blocked.

3. There is a Taska/Montessori school that is located IN the gated community. A lot of parents, from my residential apartment, send their children over there. It's just across the road. Now that the area is gated, what do you expect the parents and the toddlers to do? Climb over the fence???? Yes, instead of walking just a few feet to reach it, they have to walk around the perimeter of the gated community and enter through the main entrance of the housing area. I feel sorry for the little children to have to walk that far.

4. This particular gated community houses less than 30 houses. It's just four rows of houses, believe it or not. Perhaps, about 24 units. So they are inconveniencing the public to protect 24 or so house owners.

The path that I'm talking about is used daily by parents, school children and college students who need to go to school, bus stop, etc. I think it's a selfish, selfish move and there are many parents who are really peeved about it I'm the only one among them who has an outlet to voice out my grievances. OUR grievances.

Seriously, MPSJ? Seriously??!!

My children walking home from school at the safer path.. taken before the area was gated.

Fine, if they MUST have a gated community. But must they take up so much space? Why not leave the path open to public???

I tried the "Aduan Online" link on the MPSJ website, but it's not working for some reason.

Peeved,

My Happiest Moment

2011-10-18T12:20:00.000+08:00

“Happy moments are fleeting, but when captured, preserves the feeling and keeps the memories alive” - Shemah

If you go around asking mothers what their happiest moments are, I could guarantee that almost all (if not all) would probably give you an answer that's related to their children or spouse. I, personally, can definitely relate to that. My two children, my husband and the rest of my family are the center of my life. Without them, I am nothing.

Thinking back to the happiest moments in all my 28 years of life, I COULD say that the birth of my two children will be top on that list.

But I WON'T.

Why?

Well, like some people say, happiness is a state of mind.

Ever seen a woman in labor? Want to know her state of mind?!?!?! In as much as I truly believe that my children are my life's best achievements, giving birth is not exactly my definition of contentment and pleasure! Ask a woman in throes of contractions and ask her, right then and there, if THAT moment is the happiest moment in her life and you'd probably be wearing a hand print on your face for 2 whole weeks! That is, IF you're lucky.

With that being said, although one of the happiest moments to share in my life would be the obvious choice of my children or husband, I rather share the part of my life that I've never really talked about before on my blog. The part that was undoubtedly one of the best times of my life; MY CHILDHOOD.

Real elation is when you feel you could touch a star without standing on tiptoe. ~Doug Larson

Oh, to be a kid again! No stress, no sadness or grief, no worries, no obligations, no responsibilities... just pure unadulterated joy! I attribute my happy childhood to my parents. They weren't wealthy by any means but we wanted for nothing. We were hauled off overseas so my parents could continue their studies and despite being students and doing odd jobs to make ends meet, (my father worked as a part time janitor at his university and my mom would cook and sell food to fellow Malaysian students – including making and selling salted eggs!), they always made time for us.

My father has always been a hands on dad. He would be the one to take over my mom when she had to concentrate on her finals or had early morning classes. Therefore he would do the cooking, bathe us and in the evenings, bring us cycling. By night fall, he would always read to us; the highlight of my days, which was also perhaps the reason why I started reading when I was only 3 years old. During the weekends, he'll either bring us on a road trip to the neighbouring county or he'd bring my brothers fishing.

And if there's one thing you must know about my father, is that he's PASSIONATE about photography. He took pictures of us every possible chance he could get. If we were to receive a penny for every picture he took, he probably wouldn't have to work anymore and just sit down lounging in a yacht off the coast of Bora Bora! LOL! Everything my siblings and I did, was a Kodak moment to him.

One of my favorite photos he took of me was also one of the happiest moments of my childhood. :)

I was 5 years old. It was the first Halloween that my sister and I were allowed to go trick or treating with the rest of the kids in the neighbourhood..

So all we had to do was decide on what we wanted to go as... BUT on ONE condition.

We had to choose our costumes from the 99cent bin at K-Mart because my parents couldn't afford extravagant costumes.

Honestly, I didn't care one single bit. I was just excited that I could go AT ALL. My sister decided on being a Moon Dreamer because that was just the 'shiznit' back then. I took a while to decide what I wanted to be. I wanted to go either as a Smurf or Snoopy (I was OBSESSED with both). So when we made our way to K-Mart, I saw the costume that I instantly fell in love with and knew it was THE ONE. Snoopy's sidekick.

My happiest moment! Taken by my dad on Halloween night 1988. *click pic to enlarge*

Woodstock. Halloween of '88. Best costume ever!

My sister and I were soooooo happy that we didn't even care that all the other kids had super awesome costumes that must have cost so much more! I thought I looked smashing!! I felt like I was sooooo “rad” and NO ONE could top my plastic costume (HAHA!).. well, except for that one Freddy Krueger. HE was so real looking, I almost cried.

Looking back at these preserved memories that my father happily shot, I can't help but relive that moment of getting ready, going out, and coming back with BAGS of candy. This 23 year old memory makes me so sentimental especially since Halloween is just around the corner! To think that only a 99cent costume would make a child so happy that it resonates through to adulthood!

A great photograph is a full expression of what one feels about what is being photographed in the deepest sense, and is, thereby, a true expression of what one feels about life in its entirety. ~Ansel Adams

I am forever grateful that my happiest moments are forever immortalized in beautiful still photos that my father captured whether by Polaroid camera, point and shoot or his SLR. I'm a bit mad at myself that I'm not more like that with my own kids. The camera that I own right now, is still operating on AA batteries!! None of that fancy DSLR stuff and I have to constantly replenish the batteries. On days when I don't, the special moments just passes me by. Whether it's my kids' crazy antics, or not having a proper photo with Nigel Barker when I went to his book signing last July (NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!), or just candid photos of random things in my life. Not only that it's an EPIC FAIL as a blogger.. but as my father's daughter as well. God's honest truth, a piece of me feels like I'm disappointing my father.

My father passed away less than a month after my 18^th birthday. It's been 10 years already yet I still grieve and miss him like it just happened yesterday. It devastates me that my father never got to meet his granchildren and vice versa... yet, I know his passion and legacy still lives on with us. It would devastate me even more if my children weren't able to share their pictures with THEIR children like I have been able to do with them. For that, I have my late father to thank for all the wonderful photographs he took.... and, because of my late dad, I'm able to share these never-before-seen pics of my childhood here, with all of you.

My Childhood – photo credits: My dad.

By the way, speaking of happy moments, have you guys seen the new Olympus Pen Lite E-PL3 and the Olympus Pen Lite Mini E-PM1?? It's fantastic!! The specs are so awesome! This is THE camera to get! You guys know how much I've been wanting an Olympus camera right?? I've blogged about it for months! Since June, I believe!! Anyways, the ad couldn't be more perfect! So apt and nothing short of cool!

The best part is, YOU have the chance of getting your hands on one of these beauties, thanks to Nuffnang and Olympus. Just head on over to Nuffnang's blog and find out how you can win them!

Hope you enjoyed my happiest moment, and feel free to share your happy moments with me in the comment section!

Toodles,

*my sweet escape*