counting the days

Last Friday was my last official day at work ...I didnt even know it till lunchtime that day ...was so busy with marking and keying in the marks that I had forgotten about checking my leave. Once the marks were endorsed, and when I wanted to apply for leave, I realised that I had 6 days leave to take ..and I can only take 4 days since there is a public holiday next week hahaha and guess what, i had mixed feelings about all this ..one the one hand, I am excited but I am somehow feeling something is not right ..like I am leaving a place that is so comfortable and familiar ..and somehow it is difficult for me to let go ...but  i know i have to go ..coz it is my dream. I have been fighting so hard for this chance ...

and since yesterday I have been trying to be realistic ...I have started to pack some of my stuffs ..much to the displeasure of Al - who kept on pulling things out from my luggage ...and I also started to spend more time (as much as I can) with the kids ...I am so gonna miss them!

And being realistic means I am finally making a list of what I should do, bring or buy ...amongst other I have to:

(i)   get all my documents copied and certified,
(ii)  settling all my standing orders so that all my payments are on time;
(iii) clearing personal items from my office; and
(iv) making time to meet my close friends for farewell hahaha and that usually involve food!

But one thing that I am so happy to have done before I go was to spend the weekend with my besties ...had a really fun weekend in KL last week ...just chilling and relaxing with friends ...an awesome weekend!

Christmas at the longhose 2012

We celebrated Christmas at the longhouse last year ...Dad has been renovating the longhouse for months and it was basically done (except for the finishing touches) a few days before Christmas. And it is also the first time EVER that all of us were there together to celebrate Christmas ...the whole clam was there, including Umang who visited Sarawak (and the longhouse) for the first time ..so it was a very noisy affairs with 3 kids and 7 adults in the house :-)

We went back to the longhouse on 23rd Dec - and believe it or not, we used 3 cars! Too much stuffs to bring with us, specially with the kids' stuffs taking about half of the storage space...we also transported the presents and the food stuffs ....luckily we have a spare Christmas tree at the longhouse, so i was tasked to set it up and re-arrange the presents ..mountains of presents this years - and more than half are for the three kids ....Al was the most excited at opening presents hehehehe and he helped adik to open adik's pressies.

Christmas is usually time for family - to know new family member, rebonding of the relatives and strengthening family ties ...we have 2 new family members this time round - Umang and her daddy ....dad was introducing them to our close relatives ...we had a private bbq party at the cottage on Christmas eve ....which was a roaring success ...everyone was very happy ...to finally be on holiday hahaha I was the odd one coz I was on leave since the 20th december :-)

Dom and family plus mum went to chrch early on Christmas day, while I stayed back and do the cooking ..a very untypical christmas dish ...as making sup tulang (request from my dad), and re-heating the dishes that my mom had cooked before she left ....Umang and my sister also stayed back coz they are preparing to go to her inlaws' place after lunch that day ....she wants to wait for everybody to get back from the church and to open our presents together ....

Umang having her breakfast on Christmas morning

Mum wanted a portrait with all her grandkids ..but it was not a smooth process ..all three kiddos were not co-operating as they were more interested in doing their own things ...hahahah poor mum ...after a few attempts, the pic above was the best shot of the lot ...both al and adik were doing their own things hahaha

Umang's other aki came just before lunch to pick them up ....also Umang's first trip to her dad's longhouse ...they left after lunch, and after we opened our presents ....and guess what, coz we were so disorganised (hahaha) we completely forgotten to have our family photo on Christmas morning!

The rest of the holidays were great ...lots of visitors - my cousins and their families came over to see mom and dad ....other people from the longhouse visiting from door-to-door ...it was such a merry holiday :-) Usually Gawai is merrier than Christmas ...but somehow, I just feel that the last christmas was awesome ...dad had a grand time ...I had a good rest, doing absolutely nothing but eat, sleep and be merry ...

we also went to Pantu to visit family friends .. this elderly couple has been friends with my parents for a long time.

We waited for Umang to come back to the longhouse on 29th before heading back to Kuching. Dom & family meanwhile, headed to his inlaws' on the same day as they were spending the NY with jane's mom. It was a tearful scene again when we bid goodbyes ...especially for my sister and Al ....Coz by the time Jane and the kids came back to Kuching on NY day, Umang would have already reached KL ...so, that's explains the tears and the sad faces

the sad scenes - it was always like this everytime these two say goodbyes to each other!

It was a great and memorable time spent with family. It is very seldom that we get a chance to be together under one roof every Christmas ...at least dad was very happy to see everyone there. He kept on saying that, if his parents are still alive, my grandparents would have been very proud of us ...my granddad died in 1987, whilst my grandmother died in 2004 ...that's why our longhouse is empty, and we only stay overnight there like 1-2 times a year ....but now that dad has renovated the place, and it is beginning to look like home, i think we will be going there more often ...

countdown to Christmas

Our tree is up ...and all the presents are wrapped ...all that is left to do is to enjoy Christmas with my family

Umang and her parents are spending Christmas here with us, and with their arrival, our family are complete ...everyone under the same roof ..and that really makes my parents happy ...

will be leaving for the cottage soon - and will update more on our christmas countdown later :-) it will be Umang's first Christmas ... and my last christmas in my 30s hehehehe ....

Shopping for dad

last saturday we went shopping for dad ....he has been asking us to accompany him but I was always too busy...till mum reminded me about dad's plan ...actually dad was at the point of sulking coz he thought that we are not paying him any attention :-(

dad got his early Christmas present

but truth be told, i think we (the children) are, to a certain extend, just focus on our own timetables, and ignoring his needs, or request. we just assume that he is as capable as he was before. On my part, I always see my dad as this very independent person, who is very organised and just go for what he wants ...he seldom request things from us, he is always quiet and contend with what he does ..he is the one we go to when we are in trouble...he is quiet but he gives sound advice ....someone we rely on very much and the one who provide us with basic grounding to life.....along the way, I forget that he is getting old (he retired in Jan 2003 at the age of 55 years old) ...i forget that he may need us more now than before ..and that he might feel "useless" as he is no longer working / earning and have to rely on us for something ....i mean, he is financially independent, never ask a penny from us ....in fact he is the one who give money to the grandkids ...and the one who pay for the utilities bills in my house (he insisted!)....in my dad's case, he is relying on us to chauffer him around Kuching ...he admits that his reflexes are not as fast as before, and he does not want to drive in Kuching, where the cars are just everywhere ....he would still drives himself to Sri Aman and the cottage and the longhouses as those routes have less traffic ....

A friend of my said, she also faces similar situation with her dad. The more she tried to take care of her dad, the more her dad rebels ...the dad said, he felt very useless and he is not allowed to do anything anymore ...so that same friend advised me to just let my dad does anything he wants, and tried not to restrict his movement ...and to ask them, from time to time, to help me with something - so that he will be useful again ...it is something that I never thought of myself...I just want to take care of them ,and put them in a bubble wrap ...and do nothing ...as i feel that it is high time we, the children, are looking after him ...but I never realise that the parents might construe the situation differently ....

I hope I will have more time with my dad (and my mum too, of course) ...i could not imagine my life without him ....and leaving in January is hard for me now that my dad is unwell ...i hope, and pray that he is blessed with good health, happiness and longevity ...I love you dad!!! I may not say it often, but I do ....

Adik - then and now

was browsing the lappy to get photos of adik ...I am in the process of selecting photos to be printed off ..and also thinking of having a photobook made to document certain phases of our life...like Adik's and Al's early years ...our family holidays and what nots ....my parents are not satisfied of having pictures of their grandkids in digital form, they prefer the hardcopy versions - in the albums!

anyway, found these pictures of adik ....i think he was 1 year old at this time ..some photos are blurry as they were taken using my mobile at the time ....and what strikes me was that Adik does not change much over the years ....

and also, we noticed that most of adik's clothes are RED ...hahahaha ....red suits him very well as he is fair ....his favourite colour which I started on him since he was born. I always, without fail, will buy him several red item of clothing for every special occassion - birthdays, christmas, gawai and what not .....i really think red suits him :-) power colour gitu ...

it was the, and here's the "now" pictures (taken in 2012):

he is a big boy now ...and a very cheeky one at that! He is somewhat impatient (like me) ...and he can definitely imitate my mulut muncung! In fact, his mulut muncung is so me that my closest family notice and often commented on ...hahaha a boy after my own heart :-) His daddy often said that he is mama's little boy coz he always run to mama for help, he always look for mama when things dont go his way, and his tantrum is very much similar to mama ....i think the next step is to introduce adik to Uncle Fendi and Aunty Liz - so they can verify if adik's mulut juih is similar to mine ...hahahaha

my little heroes

People always made a mistake when they saw me with the boys ....even my aquaitances whom I knew through FB or twitter made the same mistakes ...they thought these two monkeys are my sons ...well, they are actually my nephews but i have been taking care of them since they are little ....especially when their mummy and daddy were working outside Sarawak a couple of years ago ....mummy was in Ridyah for a year, and at the same time daddy was in KL ....but the boys stayed with me in Kuching ...so, yeah, in my heart, I consider them as my own :-)

my manja boy, Airell

my cheeky monkey, Alistair

I was talking to a group of friends from the office a couple of weeks ago, and they said that they have stumbled upon my 30-something blog, and were among the silent readers ...hehehe thanks guys (said they prefer the BM version!) ..and one of them said your sons are cute...are you taking them with you to NZ? I told her that these are my nephews and she was so surprised ...said she always assumed they are my sons ...afterall, they called me mama, and we were very close .....deep down in my heart, these monkeys are more than my nephews ...love them like my own! definitely going to miss them terribly next year when I am gone ......

Dresses for lil Umang

got something for Umang ....since my mom is going to KL in 2 weeks time, I decided to get Umang something ...i have not get her anything since she was 1 month old :-) so, last weekend, i took mom and dad to the shop and get something for Umang ...seriously, shopping for baby girl is soooooo fun! so many things to choose from, so many colours, so many patterns and so many accessories ...... but dad put a stop to my unstoppable spending ...said I can only get one dress as Umang is such a fast-growing baby, better to get her a few things first, and get her Christmas gifts nearer to the time ...well, point taken dad!

i bought the sleeveless white dress...and my dad bought that pink short cardigan ....said better not expose Umang's bare back! when I told my sister, she said that she had the right hair band for this dress lol i think she has hairbands in all colours imaginable at the rate she's buying these things online!

then my brother also shows us the dress that she got for Umang during his trip to Singapore recently ...very girly and princess like! We just love to shop for little girls :-)

complete with a matching hat and bracelet!

we have been saying that it is so hard to choose for girls when it come to clothes ...so many choices ..furthermore, Umang is our first neice, so we tend to go overboard buying thins for her ....but for Christmas, we already got a message from her mommy that we should not get her more clothes, instead we were told to get some toys .....i am sure that I will be buying her dresses as well ..i mean, who can resist pretty clothes right?


for my boys, I still dont know what to get them ...I may be going to Toys r Us soon to survey what is available...Alistair is so into his train set now, I might buy him and adik some train sets, and maybe a couple of shirts ...and books ....now that both are attending school, I think books are the best gifts ...to encourage them to read :-) (well, one can only hopes!)

craving mode: pamelo salad

it is one of those cravings ...out of the blue i have this craving for pamelo salad ...i have not had the dish for over a year, but suddenly last night i was salivating at the thought of pamelo salad ..its tartness and the sweetness are oooo so yummy ...the problem is I dont have any pamelo at home! desperate punya pasal, called my cousin at the longhouse and ask them whether the pamelo tree at the cottage had bear fruits or not, or whether it is ripe enough to pluck ...and the answer is yes, there are a few fruits at the orchard, but no, it is not ripe enough for plucking! Punah harapan jap ....

the one I made earlier (years earlier lol)

Fear not, I am so determined to get this elusive fruit ..so, am going to pasar tani this weekend to get it, and pamelo salad will be the dish of the weekend! couldn't wait!

last night we had a sumptuous tapau dinner ....like Fendi said, I went overboard (probably because I was hungry when I ordered the food)...dad called me to ask me to get some takeaway dinner coz mum was not feeling well ....so, i stopped by my favourite seafood restaurant to get some of their yummy dishes ...alang2 menapau, biar tapau yang terbaik! ended up with calamari dish (sotong masak telur masin), baby kailan braised with garlic, braised tofu with all the trimmings, chicken in dried chillies mix, and seacucumber soup ...the soup is my mum's all time favourite, so something hot for her to sip since she didn't want to have any rice last night .... and it was way too much, ended up as leftover which we (my parents and I) had for lunch just now ....as usual, nafsu makan mengatasi segala2nya ....nasib baik tak membazir!

am getting home late tonight as I have to invigilate a mid-term exam (my own paper)..but my SIL already texted saying that she will get some take away meals for us for dinner ...so that mum can rest. And knowing my SIL, am sure tonight's meal will be veggie-less ...as she hates vegetables! macam macam hehehehe

hairband obsession

My sister is very obsessed with hair accessories right now ...not for herself, but for her baby! She was the one who was adament that nobody should get her daughter anything in pink as she hates pink and considered it as too girlish ...i was warned very early on not to get Umang anything pink ...or not to get Umang anything with frills or any girlish accessories ....all the warning did not affect our judgement ...i bought Umang tonnes of pinkish rompers, and clothes ....my brother and SIL also did the same, we just ignore the mother's request (ON PURPOSE!!!) and my dad was the one who said that we should just ignore my sister's request :-)

that is why we were so surprised when my sister started buying hairbands and other hair accessories for dear Umang ...and not just one, or two pieces ...but A LOT! she even texted me to hint that if i were thinking of getting Umang some Christmas present, I may like to get some hair pieces to complement the dress ...shocking! a complete 360 degree change for someone who dislike pink and dislike girly outfit ....

my sister sent me the above photo for hints! LOL so I asked her why the change of heart. her answer is hilarious! She said she is treating Umang like her doll and she just love to doll her up ...hehehe and she said, Umang might not like being dolled up when she grows up, so now is her only chance to make her daughter looks pretty! Hilarious ...but dad said that, having a mother who is a tad tomboyish - dislike skirts, girlish outfit and hates pink - there is a slight chance that Umang may inherit that taste in the future ...

looking back when we grew up, I was always the one in skirts and dresses and proper girly shoes ...my sister was so into denims, shorts and t-shirt ....but people change kan .. and it is great to see Umang being dolled up hehehe i just love going shopping for her ..so many girly clothes to choose from ...christmas shopping this year should be more fun!

Going gaga over bread!

Not everybody has the time for leisurely lunch ...or even a good choice of eateries near their workplaces ...like a dear friend always said, she is stuck with her canteen food and have not much choice either ...

I am lucky in a way coz we have a number of eateries just outside the campus ...but the downside is we have to drive there and sometimes it is just not convenient ...especially when the timing clashes (when my lunch buddies are free, i am stuck with classes or other errands) ...or when i have classes during lunch hours ....or it is just plain maniac busy that I'll have to sacrifice lunch and just sat in front of my workstation all day trying to finish my work ....the scenario sounds familiar right?

and today I am bringing packed lunch to work. Bemen has a full schedule today, and that means I'll have to do lunch on my own. I dont to go out by myself (I always thought that only loser sat out to lunch on his/her own ...without friends hehehehe) so my solution was to pack my lunch. Since there are two loaves of fresh bread that has yet to be sliced at home, I decided to make myself a sandwich ....

 hahaha i had already taken a few bites before I remember to take a photo :-)

a simple sandwich ...with chicken slices, lectucce and tomatoes with a dash of coleslaw sauce to gel them together .....yummy! but most importantly, it was quick and easy!

My brother had his breakfast of eggs and chicken slices with this yummy bread as well this morning ...in fact the whole family is going gaga over this loaves :-) Al had this with his favourite nutella spread and mom had hers with peanut butter and grape jelly spread ...while jane and dad had theirs with eggs (dad had poached eggs and Jane took some of my scrambled eggs to put on her bread). All these can be done in seconds and will make a filling lunch or breakfast treats :-) I might be having tuna and sweetcorn sandwich for lunch tomorrow ...my all time favourite since my uni days ...

talk about uni days, bread and sandwiches were my good friends ...had them nearly everyday ... tuna sandwiches, tuna and sweetcorn sandwiches ...sampai muak! but now that I am home, i kinda miss those moments ... tuna pun tuna lah asal dok overseas hehehehe ....

who knows, I'll revert back to this routine when I am in NZ?

spending time with family

the weekend is here again ...seriously, time flies really fast nowadays!

Now that I am still in a limbo, not knowing when (if ever) I will be leaving, I plan on enjoying every available moments with my family ..coz I may be "directed" to go as soon as possible - only Gods know ...and it is weekend already ...and weekend seems to be the time when everyone is relax and just be there with each other ...there is no rush to do anything, no rush to take shower in the morning (hahahah) that everyone may still be in their PJs well into the afternoon .....no rush for lunch as we will be sitting round for heavy brunch (am planning on cooking something this weekend  - not sure yet what it will be though!), then a relaxing afternoon ...and leisurely time for dinner ....and same thing again on Sunday ...sound peaceful, right?

well, there were times in the past when all that is just a dream ...I was always busy with my work ....if it is not preparing for lectures, I will be involved in some research - which means my weekends will be spent poring over books, writing reports - or even field trips away from Kuching ...this year, all that has gone.Not time for family activities ...but part of that years, I was alone...with mom and dad in KL taking care of Al and what not ...then Airell came along and stayed with us ....I tried to make time, but it was hard ...but this year it all changes... Basically I have not been that busy this year coz I have decided to cut down my research as I am concentrating more on applying and preparing for my PhD ..that's why my weekends are more relax compared to previous years ...

and that's why this year, I have more weekend trips with my family ....

 beach side break during Easter this year

 walk at the park

 and I have more time with the kids ...they have this habit of barging into my room first thing in the morning ..and play in my room before they go to bed ... adik likes to watch DVD in my room, play on my bed, same with Al....he even run to my room if he is quarelling with his parents ...and sometime he choose to use my bathroom to do his business! If that is not a close bond, i dont what else to describe it :-)  I know I will them terribly when I am gone!!! I have yet to go, but i can feel that I will miss them so much ....

I am about to cry now (such a watery faucet!) and i better stop writing.  But yes, i am planning on spending as much time with my family nowadays .. and next weekend we will be gong for another shortbreak - this time at Damai Resort. To celebrate Adik's belated bithday and Dom's birthday ..and my belated birthday as well  ...

Guys, dont work too hard. Stop for a while and enjoy your time with your precious ones ..coz once it is gone, it will be lost forever ....time and tide wait for no men, so get your act together. Work is work, and it will always be there ...but family? your kids will grow up and you might miss the moments ...your parents will grow old, and you'll miss seeing them the way they used to be ....

Happy weekend people!

tall or short??? Fat or Thin???

Al's vocabulary is definitely increasing in the past months ...he would recite what he learns in school and tries to teach us on his new words ...we often hear him asking questions - whereby he sounded more like a teacher and we were his students ...

   Everybody please be quiet and sit down.

   Please stop talking and do you work ...

   well done, that is very nice

and it goes on and on ....

Four nights ago, he was playing in my room. I was reading and he was playing with his Thomas and Friends train set. Suddenly he asked "mama, are you tall or short?". Aikkkk, I was gobsmacked ...height is a big issue for me ok! So I ask him, what do you think ...he sort of think for a while and said (with a smile) "mama is tall, Al is short" ....phewwwww was happy that he thought I am tall ahahahaha  that was until he said, "mummy is tall; daddy is tall; Adik is short; Mama is short" ....pulak!!!

and the following day, he was waiting for me at the door when I arrived home from work ...his very first question was "mama, are you fat or thin?" aiyooooo soalan maut ok! then he answered his own question; "mama is thin" hehehe i love that boy!!!Coz to him; the fat ones in the family is daddy and Mama Atun hehehehe am so excited that I have been categorised as thin by a 5 years old ...you win some, you loose some :-)

Sunday breakfast - nasi lemak with the family

Last Sunday everyone was in the house ..it is quite rare for all of us to be in the house together on Sunday morning ..usually mom and dad would left the house early for their weekly jaunt to the markets, or Dom will be on his never-ending fishing trip ..or with Jane and the kids for breakfast at their fav cafes ....so, when i woke up on Sunday and saw everyone there, I told them that Iwould cook nasi lemak for breakfast if they are interested ...and to that they said Yes, please hahahahaha

I seldom cook ...i mean there is no point in cooking breakfast if there is no one to eat it - right? so, it was quick ...cook 2 cups of rice, with coconut milk ...and it was special coz I added pandan leaves ...hehehe usually, I did not put pandan leaves as there always no stock round the house.

while the rice is cooking away in the rice cooker, i started to make its accompaniment ....

sambal bilis

hard-boiled eggs

fried egg sunny side

fried salted fish

then I realised we dont have any cucumber left in the fridge ...Dom nipped out to the corner shop and get us some. In the meantime, another look inside the fridge and I saw a leftover dish of rendang beef .,...so, had that heated up and served with the nasi lemak as well ...

the verdict: all was gone ...nothing goes to waste and everyone had second helpings ....dad even said that we should have breakfast at home together more often ..and look at  me as if saying I should do the cooking???

travelling by plane with infants - the essential items to bring

It is easy when you have to travel on your own ...just pack your bags and head to your destination ...if you forget to pack some essential items, you can always (i) buy new one, or (ii) go without it ..but travelling with kids can sometimes be a nightmare ...especially travelling with tiny tots

adik at 4 months

Adik was 4 months old when I had to bring him to KL with us ...for his baptism ..by then he was already 3 months staying with me and my parents ...we were afraid of a lot of things - what if he cries in the plane? what if he is inconsolable? and many more questions ...my friend Elena told me to do a checklist of the things that a baby needs ...she pass me a copy of her checklist (she travels abroad a lot and her kids often travel with her) ...

here's the main item that she said a must when travelling by plane:

#1: birth cert / My card (and baby's clinic car - just in case, especially if it is a long holiday)
#2: formula, bottles etc - airlines do provide hot water for the formula, so it would be easier if you have a few bottles handy. We are ask the stewardess to help heat the bottles
#3: pacifier and comfort blanket (bantal busuk etc)
#4: fav toys or books - anything that you can use to pacify the baby when he/she is cranky
#5: spare clothing/ diapers/ etc - and also a spare cloth for yourself in case the baby puke on you!
#6: wet wipes - one of the best things ever invented!
#7: stroller - dont worry, airlines staffs will store these for you one you are at the door of the plane

What we did was to feed adik with a bottle during take off and another bottle during landing. That helps to ease his ear pressure. Apparently the sucking motion lessen the impact of ear pressure, which is said to be greater during take off and landing. The use of pacifier is also encourage in this case. Our pead, Dr Tan, told us to bring pacifier for adik when she knew we were taking him flying then.

another tip that I often get is that keep the baby up i.e. dont let the baby sleep before the flight ..this will make them tired and, hence, will sleep soundly (fingers crossed) when they are on board ..so far, we have never encounter any problem with adik during our frequent flights KL in his early years ...he is a great baby, he might cried a bit but can be pacified using his toys, or books or by feeding him ...

and my dad is always stressing on the need to use a small bag - so that it can be stored underneath the seat! Reason, it means that you'll have easy access to the items in your bags ...convenient especially if you are travelling alone with the infant. His motto is travel light - only bring the baby's items - you can leave your cloths behind or have them checked in :-)

adik aged 2.5 years - on our trip to KK ..he was reading most of the time!

and now he is turning 4 this sept - but getting to be harder to please during the flight. The recent flight to KL saw him getting impatient when the flight was delayed ...my mum just had to give him his bottle before we even boarded the plane ...thankfully, he did not experience any discomfort to his ear during take off :-

waiting to board the plane at 8.00am @ KLIA

like a brother ...

The two best friends since childhood ..they are actually cousin, my dad's mom and my uncle's dad are sibling ...they grew up together and their relationship is actually more like brothers ..they are closer to each other than to their own brothers ...both have said the same thing over the years ...

I grew up being close to my Uncle K (as we called him) and his family ..we visited each other often ...have dinner together, family trips and what nots ...when they are living far away from us (on a few occasions that he was transferred to other parts of Sarawak), we always met up especially during holidays ...and that tradition continues till this very day ....we visited each other when we have the chance - and not just during festivals ...

taken last June, during our Gawai visit to Uncle K's house ...and their favourite drinks!

and both of them are happy that their kids (me and my siblings and our cousins) get along well with each other ...as my aunty always said, we dont ask for your money, we just want you guys to visit us ..after all, we are family :-)

christmas 2007 ...during one of our visits :-)

My cousin who stands next to me in the picture is actually the same age as me ..we went to school together ... my aunty always scolded us back then, coz we were often late when it comes to getting ready for school ..we were attending afternoon classes back then ...and to make matters worse is when it was my Uncle K's turn to send us to school ...the reason: he drive REALLY REALLY slow ...and if it is his turn we were always late!!! and that habit of his still persist to this day ...he still drive very slow ... it has become a private joke in the family :-)


Now that both my uncle and my dad are retired, they dont live in the same vicinity anymore...my uncle live in the village after his retirement, but often live a nomadic life - visiting his children in Sri Aman, Kapit and Miri ...whilst my dad lives with us in Kuching and going back to the villages frequently ...so now, their meeting place is the coffeeshop at the village! Can't wait to catch up with him and his family this coming Raya holidays ....

that's what family are for ...

just got the news that my little neice, Umang, as she is fondly known,  will be staying with us for a while ....maybe till she is 6 months old. It was decided that, due to babysitting problem, that she will be taken care of by us in Kuching ...till she is bigger ..and until my sister find a new arrangement in KL ...

we are so looking forward to having her with us ...there was no hesitation whatsoever when my sister told us of her predicament, everyone just says send her over, we'll look after her ....my SIL went back to her mom's house this morning to get back all of adik's baby stuffs ....to get them ready before Umang arrives on Saturday ...the house will be full of baby noises again :-)

but one person who is so excited is none other than Al ...he is asking us to go to the airport to check if Umang's flight has landed! hehehehe

my cheeky monkey

sometimes they can be really handful ...really naughty ...and ignore what you are saying ...
but they are such a delight ....manage to turn the most tense and frustrating day into wonderful moment in split seconds ....it just seemed like yesterday that adik is one month old ...now he is 3 and a half and getting to be quite handful most of the times

 showing his cheeky side :-)

Today he cried loudly when he saw the grandparents left for the cottage ..he wanted to go with them ..poor boy ...he often chose to sleep with the grandparents rather than the parents ...he would rather stay at home with the grandparents than going out with the family ....he would love to go out of both nenek and aki tag along ....and now, as I am typing this post, the poor boy is already asleep ...AFTER he spoke with the grandparents on the phone :-)

I am going to miss this boy terribly when I leave ....

Visiting Mama's New Office

These photos have been kept in the draft for a while now ...and I kept forgetting to do a posting on them! Been busy and lazy .....a bad combination :-)

Anyway, a while back I took Al to my office. He always visited me at my old office but that afternoon was he first time he set foot at the new office ...this was in Nov 2011 (i think!) ...his first impression was "mama, this is not your office" ....i had to tell him that this is now my new office...that I am no longer at the other building ...he was still not satisfied and started asking to see Aunty Has, Aunty Elena and Aunty Wong (my neighbours at the old block) ....but they were not around that day (cannot remembered why) ...

While waiting for me to finish some work, I told him to do some writing ...he was ok with that as he wanted to try my pencil, my desk etc etc ...so he took over the desk and I had to use the smaller desk ...just to indulge him! By the way, my book shelves looked empty huh? well, I have yet to unpack my things at the time ...even now, 6 months after moving in, my stuffs are still scattered round the office, and I still have one unopened box underneath my desk!

he even took his smelly, stinky red pillow with him that day LOL

and when he was tired of writing, and or running round the room, he went to a corner and refuelled ...his comment was "there is no bed or mattress in mama's office ....no best" ...emmmmm, he did not know that I actually stow my sleeping bag and light blanket in one of the drawers in my room .....

Every now and then, he would ask whether he can visit my office again - and I have yet to take him ....perhaps will bring him again when I have to come in during weekends :-) Pity there is no such thing a "bring your kid to work Day' here ...