Go Figure!

Kayrin had read exactly those words, the title of a cheesy Disney film, when the words came on at the start. I was stunned! She left shortly after the movie started, to go upstairs with daddy. I stayed on and watched it, about a teenager wanting to be a world-class ice skater.
Back to reading. Kayrin has been reading for a few months now. She can differentiate between "on" and "no." Makes me so proud.
She's also wanting to learn the meaning of some words. Yesterday, it was "honeymoon," because daddy said those photos she was looking at were photos 0f mommy and daddy honeymooning at Pangkor Laut Resort.
Here's how the conversation went..
Kayrin: What's honeymoon?
Me: It's a period where people think they've found someone they love, and that it's a perfect world. It is, for a while. So that's why, when people say honeymoon period, it means people are happy and not hit by reality yet.
Kayrin: Is there any honey?

Blogs

Why do we so love reading blogs? Must be because it's like peering into someone's diary? That's how I feel when I trawl people's blogs for links to blogs they read.
It's like I'm trespassing on others' privacy, reading their thoughts. Then again, they put their jottings down on sites where the whole wide world, or anyone with an access to the Web, could read. I'm not prying then, right? Tell me what you think, if you happen to stumble onto this site!
I've left my jottings on the site of at at least one other person, to encourage her to continue her battle against lung cancer. There are a lot of brave souls out there and it's not so bad if I manage to find some and send them good karma their way, even if I'd only found out about them via their blogs.

Being Malaysian

I loathe to defend this country. This, after all, is the country that treats me like a second-class citizen. But when others start saying how another country is better compared with MY country (note the brilliant me, with a pun on my and MY), I'd like to come to this country's defense a little.
Malaysians aren't the most courteous lot. But when it comes to "guan xi" (relations), we win hands down.
Yesterday, I was buried in my book while attempting to take a train home. Not paying attention to the complicated Ampang-train-now-Sri-Petaling-next, I hopped on and some 20 minutes later, looked up to see I'm in Cempaka station. Wrong station, wrong line. That means I have to pay, get out, cross to the opposite side of the train and pay again to make my way back to right station.
Instead, the guard let me out without my swiping my ticket and the other guard let me in without my paying too. How's that for great service. or the Malaysian touch. I wouldn't want them on my payroll if I was an employer but it was good for me as a passenger, a Malaysian.

Mr. Bean

Kayrin loves Mr. Bean shows, cartoons and his movie, Mr. Bean's Holiday. And of course, his iconic mini minor too. Yesterday, she had this conversation with daddy..
Kayrin: Daddy, I want a mini minor.
SF: Where are you going to get the money?
Kayrin: Can you give me the money?

This is rather amusing for now, and puts a smile on SF's face. Wonder how he'll take it when this conversation is repeated 20 years down the road.
Poor little Kayrin is now recovering from gastroentritis, which brought with it fever of as high as 40 degrees Celsius.

Woan's Anniversary

Dear Woan,
It's been a year since we last spoke. A year since I massaged your feet as you lay in bed. A year since you called me "cher."
We miss you terribly and the pain of losing you has come flooding back lately but as Lyan reminds me that we will be with you again one day. That comforts me, and serves as a wake-up call that I should appreciate my loved ones here every day, because I won't be here forever either. It's love that lives on when we're gone.
Well, Woan, I'm sure you're happy up there in heaven, where things are beautiful. You're a smart girl, learning to play the piano on your own, living on your own all the way in Seremban and Terengganu. ;) I shall recall our memories together, when we were growing up in Baling, in Butterworth, and share them with Kayrin and Ivan. She loves to hear stories of when we were kids. I haven't been telling Ivan but I'll do that starting now. That's all for now, we'll talk again, Woan. I miss you so much.

Cher

Lost in Translation

Things about Kayrin, age 4 years and almost 5 months:
1) She loves playing with make-up, and so SaSa is a must-enter, so that she can dip her fingers in the samples of eye colours. That means mommy has to carry her as she's too short to reach those display of magical, shimmery powder!
2) She adores her cousin Ivan, and would want to hold Ivan's hand when they are out together.
3) She attracts mosquitoes like ants are to honey!
4) She translates into Cantonese whatever phrases she knows in English, for the benefit of her mah-mah and yeh-yeh. Yesterday, back from Bukit Jalil Park, she told yeh-yeh that she just went to the park that has "mao-mao fish."
Sure cracks Shaw Feng and I up! It's her translation for catfish.
5) She's learned the phrase "funky," to my amazement. Two days ago, when showing her the gym clothes that I'd bought, she described one as "funky." Floored me, thoroughly.