Five and Almost 10

Little Karen is five months and two weeks old today while Kayrin is 11 days away from having a two-digit age, so Kayrin tells me.
At 5 and a bit months, little Karen has just learned how to flip onto her tummy from her back. She's turning only on her left side so far. No more leaving her on the bed alone.
Kayrin is enjoying being left to sleep alone in her bedroom and discovering that time at school can be more fun than being at home.
How we reminisce about good old school days. I went to five schools in all. But the two that made the biggest impression on me had the motto "Simple in Virtue, Steadfast in Duty."
Some of my best teachers were there. In my primary school of SRK Convent Butterworth, there was the super fierce Ms Law. She made us tremble in fear but she also ensured I came out with straight As in the Standard 5 national exams. Mrs. Wong the librarian allowed us to scramble for books during library hour. She told us stories of her time at missionary boarding school.
In SM Convent Butterworth, I had a bigger host of teachers whose dedication made an imprint till now.
Madam Lee Mee Lin taught English in Secondary 1. She made us complete our essays in class. That made me enjoy writing so much that writing became a career for two decades. I must look her up. As our class teacher, she also started this question and answer time where we could drop questions anonymously into a box. A classmate asked about VD. She answered frankly.
There was Mrs. Thong our Geography teacher. Fierce and all, I later got to know her son and visited their home for years to come.
Mr. Saw, our Form 2 mathematics teacher, taught us the subject in a different way. We understood Maths! During one lesson, he drew circles with chalk on the pavements of school and told us to measure the ratio of the circumference to the diameter. That was our introduction to pi.
Mrs. Michael taught us Geography that year and she'd draw a map of Australia, South America and Africa free hand on the blackboard. She'd make us laugh too. I had many more great teachers and the two best ones I had at home. My parents. They taught others outside our home and they taught me everything from Mandarin to parts of Geography I didn't understand. While I was very sure I didn't want to be a teacher, the ones in my life I must salute and thank. Where'd I be without you.

2012: Karen Arrives, Kayrin Rides

Another year wraps up. In 2012, chronological-wise, we moved home, i changed job and welcome baby Karen. The bonus baby's an exact replica of Kayrin when it comes to looks.
To end the year, Kayrin learned to cycle the same evening she got on a two-wheeler belonging to a neighbour. Her own smaller bicycle had been languishing at home because mommy didn't have the time to teach her.
I'm reminded of the time, in 1981, when I learned to cycle on a neighbour's bicycle in Butterworth. Swiveling left and right to balance myself at the backlane of the house, I crashed into a tua pek kong by the side of the lane. I cycled right after.

I Miss Google Maps

I may not be very good at navigating when it comes to maps but I've always loved looking at maps. World maps, street directories, wall maps and atlases all fascinate me and I'd peer for hours at any one of them.
Back in the days when the Klang Valley street directory was a thick book of several hundred pages, I'd pore over the maps each year a new book is published.
When Google map came as an installed app on the iPhone, it became a regular fixture in my life and I took it for granted. My life was made easier and I never asked, "What was life like before Google map?"
Then, Apple did something so idiotic it astounded me. Apple replaced Google map with something so lacking and not ready for use that I realized right away how dependent I had been on Google map. I almost cried.
Waze is fun to use but nothing beats Google map in its clarity. Please, please, someone get me a proper Google map app please.

Before I Forget

Before I forget, I cried when you were brought into my arms.
Tears of relief you've arrived, safe and sound, without harm.
Before I forget, you were both colicky,
Making a straight night's sleep impossible as can be.
Before I forget, nursing you was rather tricky,
One boob was not what you sought initially.
Before I forget, my favourite thing to do was inhaling your scent continuously,
even though grandma said that'd make you naughty.
Before I forget, my heart sings when told by daddy,
how hearing my voice would make you more than happy,
I was the cow whom you chose gladly.
I won't want to forget the days of having you with me as I went to work;
I don't want to forget how you squirmed inside my tummy,
Your hiccups inside made me laugh crazily.
Long after you've said your farewell, don't forget how much you matter to me.
Because I've forgotten everything but the perfect you, one arriving two weeks late,
and the other two weeks early.
I won't forget,
the joy I've had,
not once, but twice in this lifetime -- lucky me.

(Dedicated to my lovely girls)

Where Are My Biwas?

In June 2011, coming home from Tokyo, I had brought with me half a dozen Biwa fruits. They were so delicious that I wanted to share them with Kayrin and SF.
They weren't keen so I ate them. The seeds, I figured, could be germinated.
They did sprout in a pot in the old house and I was planning to move them to bigger space.
Sadly, they never came along when we moved home in February.
Awake at 1:07 a.m., with a sweet little girl asleep in my arms and a thunderstorm brewing outside, I longed for Biwa, the sweet, juicy orange-coloured fruits that remind me of early summer in Tokyo, when the rains made it too cold to walk to Bic Camera from Marunouchi.

I Bake

Make me climb the roof to fix an antenna, make me clean a car engine, make me polish my VW, and I wouldn't protest too much.
Make me stitch, or cook, and I want to cry.
But hey, I baked my first loaf of bread today. I baked my first anything, to confess.
It's all with the help of the Noxxa oven and plenty of advice from good friend Jacqie.

Potty-Trained

We have two such little potties at home, from Kayrin's days of being a baby in Singapore.
That little girl was potty-trained by grandma at two-weeks old.
Now, we've managed to train Karen. At a month old she'd pee when put to the potty even though her behind's not big enough to fill the rim. Amazing little girls.

Movies I'd Watch Again, and Again

Some movies stay with you forever. Here's my list of some of them, not in any order of preference. They've hit a nerve. They have scenes you never forget. They make you thank God for your idyllic, uneventful life.
(This is a post that will be in progress a long while)

- The Shawshank Redemption (1994; director Frank Darabont; Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman)
- Life Is Beautiful (1997; Roberto Benigni)
- The Green Mile (1999; director Frank Darabont; Tom Hanks)
- Gladiator
- The Sixth Sense (1999, M. Night Shyamalan)
- The Hurt Locker (1999; Katherine Bigelow)
Tell me what movies you play back in your mind from time to time.

(First published 24 Sept. 2012)

Note from Aug. 10, 2018:

A new movie I'd like to add to the list:
- The Post (2017, Steven Spielberg). watched it on the flight home from Washington DC to Dubai.

Kayrin's Little Sister

On Aug. 10, Kayrin's little sister popped into our world. We'd wanted a sibling for her and this tiny thing is a surprise when we knew of her conception. Arriving at 2.76 kg and 45.5 cm in length, she's a whole kati lighter than her elder sister.
We thank God for bringing her into our lives.
Little Karen's arrival also connected us with a bunch of friends again, from childhood friends we haven't seen for years such as cute Iwan's parents to my former lecturer and his wonderful wife whom we adore.
Such is the happiness of a baby at home. Family and friends sharing in our joy.

Transitioning Into 2012

Life goes on even if one doesn't blog. Time flies and on some days, time crawls by. In the past six months or more that I haven't come to this site, Kayrin has had to have a colonoscopy, I've changed jobs, moved house and crazily, conceived.
Who'd thought I'd be helping expand the family. Last year must have been the time I gave up hope. I returned a good friend's bag of maternity clothes, gave away Kayrin's baby toys, books, stroller. Some of that happened in 2010. Guess it was a case of fading hope.
Then, we went on holiday. Nowhere too far. Just to Singapore. A relaxed mind allows for babies to be made, so I'm told many times over by now. How wonderful that Kayrin will now have a sibling. For that, I bow my head and thank God.

Bonus Day

Another year wraps up soon and 2012 will be with us in two days or so. This morning, while speaking to the little girl over the phone, I drew her attention to the coming year, which is going to be special.
"Do you know what happens in a leap year?" I asked.
"Yes, there's one less day in February," she replied.
"Actually, it's one extra day," I said.
"Oh no, one more day at school!" she said.

Petronas Towers at 7 a.m.

Petronas Towers at 7 a.m.
Originally uploaded by leechingshen

It's a working weekend for me, and that's two full days on Saturday and Sunday. Pretty tiring, considering I've had five full days prior to them. With tomorrow a Monday, that will be a stretch of eight full work days. The thought of that is enough to cause me to wilt. But there are highlights to working weekends. A lack of traffic driving into the Kuala Lumpur city centre is a big factor. Another is a very-empty gym.
This weekend, being car-less as we sell the little Merc A-class and awaits the arrival of the Golf, SF had to do the chauffeuring. This is our very rare chance to chat. A 20-minute conversation between two adults, and what do we talk about? People and their nice, beautiful cars.
Dropped off outside the building, I caught this gorgeous view of the majestic tower. This phrase from American Top 40's Casey Kasem comes to mind: Reach for the stars but keep your feet on the ground.
May we all reach for the skies!

A Great Musician

In the mid 1990s, after migrating to KL, I had the opportunity to watch this talented chap perform at a pub. It was somewhere in Damansara. Those were the days when I was a poor journalist. Amir Yussof's brand of acoustic rock music was great, resonating with me. And so I set out to lay my hands on his album.
His Some of This Is Real CD proved impossible to track down. For many years, I searched for it, enlisting the help of my then-boyfriend. SF and I hunted high and low prior to the days of music downloads. It was an elusive ``search for the Little Bird,'' as SF calls it.
SF and I married, moved away to Singapore, had the little one. The search was put on the backburner, but Amir's music wasn't forgotten. After we returned to KL, the family became regulars at the Malaysia Philharmonic Orchestra, and for the 2010/2011 season, who to turn up on its program but the man himself.
Amir's performance on Feb. 21 was truly enjoyable. Amazingly beautiful songs written by him too. And he'd brought two of its three albums with him. I got hold of Some of This Is Real and Aquarius. There is culmination to a one-and-a-half decade search for them. Still missing is his second album, Altered Native.
Now I've found Amir a new fan. Nature's Gift is Kayrin's favourite.

2011

I didn't write anything to mark the end of 2010. This can only mean that it wasn't too dramatic a year. No drama is good. I'm no longer a sprightly 25-year-old and with being older, comes the joy of enjoying uneventful days, peaceful months and quiet, serene years.
Kayrin completed her first year in school, scoring fourth position in class. I'm happy for her but being a mom, I somehow think she could do better. Oops, a tiger-mom inside me.
We had very great holidays during the year, from making our way to Bangkok for the Lunar New Year to Taman Negara in June and Pulau Lang Tengah at the end of August, and short ones to Port Dickson, Taiping, before ending the year with a visit to very good friends in Singapore and culminating with the very beautiful Kota Kinabalu.
Grandma passed away on Aug. 31. She was remembered as being quite bitter that she was dealt a difficult hand in life. But I also recall her being one to remember that I love her yam fried rice, and she'd call me when she cooked that. Bless her soul. I do have lessons to take away from her life. Let go and learn to live.
This is also the year I re-learned scuba-diving, and I'm able to do it only because SF has been encouraging me to keep my license alive. He's had to mind Kayrin the times I decide to scare myself silly going into the sea.
All in, a rather fun year. And now, almost a quarter of 2011 has flown by. Kayrin's had her first exams of the year, caught two bouts of cold and started learning ballet (something she begged for). She simply loves her pink leotards, pink little skirt and all. Wait till those ballet shoes arrive ;)

Christmas

Me: It's Christmas tomorrow. Have you been good all year?
Kayrin: Not really...but MOSTLY! I'm naughty but nice.

For this Christmas, I'm getting Kayrin a Lego set. Another one to add to her dozens of Lego assemblies. I'm amazed that she hasn't gotten tired of Lego after years of playing with them. SF is also feeding that addiction by supplying her all sorts of things that can be assembled with those little coloured bricks. He's probably reliving his childhood days.
As for SF, he's getting something `very useful' this year. I bought myself a present too and I can't wait to get started on it. Canvas and acrylic paint. I'm going to start painting. Let's see what the painting will turn out to be.

Changi

Changi
Originally uploaded by leechingshen

For the year-end school holidays of 2010, we made our way down south to Singapore for the company's annual gathering, staying at the Fullerton, and then moving to Kayrin's godparents' place. It was great fun catching up with that very kind and generous couple. They are so loving that it's an inspiration to me. Not the cloying kind of love but just a lot of adoration n respect for each other. We also caught up with another family, good friends stationed in the Middle East, on our trip to Universal Studios. The theme park seems fun but with Kayrin still not daring enough to take the rides, and the heat overpowering and the rain just too drenching, we didn't do very much except wander around in good company. Kayrin and the S-boys had lots of fun together and she simply enjoyed having them to play with.
After four days there, we flew on to Kota Kinabalu on Dec. 1. Hyatt Regency was very convenient a location as it was downtown, just a 10 ringgit tax ride away to the best seafood we've had -- at Sedco complex. Next to the hotel are the travel agents that provide tours to the Tunku Abdul Rahman marine park and to the beautiful Kinabalu Park. SF likes the park for being left very much in its original state. Poring Hot Springs was adventurous enough for us, with Kayrin braving the drizzle to hike up to the canopy walk and taking on the canopy without any fuss.
Kundasang seems promising too though we didn't stop there. The place is the Cameron Highlands of Sabah.
SF also minded Kayrin, taking her snorkelling while I get to make two dives at the marine park.
Headed home on Dec. 4, Wei, Lyan, Patrick, Khoon Eng, SF and I then proceeded to take ma to Port Dickson on Dec. 6. Avillion Admiral Cove is still nice on a second visit but I'd definitely avoid the Vista Wing in future. Much too dark for Kayrin's liking!
By the time we were done with our trips, I was getting disorientated with where I was when waking in the middle of the night. And poor old SF had to have chiropractic treatment from all that walking.
*This pix was of Kayrin at Changi's Terminal 3 en route to Kota Kinabalu from Singapore.

KLCC

KLCC
Originally uploaded by leechingshen

Somehow, the photos I took that have grabbed people's attention are those snapped on my iPhone. Not to say that the phone has a great camera, but when I spot something, pictures should just be taken right away. They make some of the most amazing ones in my collection, Here's one taken above the lobby of the Petronas Twin Towers, when SF, Kayrin and I attended a Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra performance in the season ended June 2010.
The chandeliers that were lit made the swirls on the floor even more amazing. And the two figures there just added a new dimension to the picture.

Raya Open Houses

Raya Open Houses
Originally uploaded by leechingshen

Kayrin's arm being beautifully painted by a very talented artiste at Aireen Hana's birthday party and Raya open house. After years of being uninvited, this year, we went to two Raya open houses in one day! Aireen's was big and beautiful, while Jacq's was warm and cosy, with lots of laughs discovered along the way.

Hari Raya

Hari Raya
Originally uploaded by leechingshen

The Sept. 10-11 Hari Raya break saw us making our way to Port Dickson for a short break, this time via Lukut to eat the massive chicken-curry-within-a-bun. Three other families -- the Tans, Wongs and Liews -- made for an entourage of eight kids and eight adults.

Port Dickson

Port Dickson
Originally uploaded by leechingshen

At Port Dickson, we stayed at the Avillion Admiral Cove. While the resort is without a beach that we can wade into, the pool was wonderful for the kids. The studio room, or is it apartment?, was new, with a large king-sized bed and a day bed big enough for SF. Yes, the poor fella who's been paying for our holidays never get to go on the main bed. Kayrin hogs her side of the bed and I get the other half. After PD (yes, we shorten all our places to acronyms in Malaysia: KL, KB, KK, JB), it was a very long drive home: We detoured to the boondocks of Banting, for one of the two famous beggar chicken dishes. The highlight there turned out to be pig maw pepper soup. Lashings of pepper corn made it a very tummy-warming slurp all the way through.