Hey Guys! I have 2 beautiful nieces and I¡¯m considered their second mommy. I think of them as my own children. Hahahahaha. But I do have newfound respect for mothers¡ever since I became an Aunt! I only have to babysit my nieces 1-2 days a week¡and usually its for about 5-6 hours. I have to entertain them, feed them, bathe them and get them ready for their bed! But man! When they leave about 7pm, I¡¯m in need of my bed too!
I¡¯m not sure how you ladies do it¡but I am certainly impressed! I admit, my concentration span has increased and I¡¯ve started to use my peripheral vision like a pro. They certainly do keep you on your toes.
So not too long ago, maybe a month back. I took my nieces out for lunch on my babysitting day. The eldest, Keia, was not feeling well so she put her head down on my lap in the restaurant. The youngest, Elie, was happily eating away. I had ordered some sausage dish and had carefully cut them into small pieces.
Suddenly, I heard a gasping, choking sound from my youngest niece. Her face was all red because a sausage had been stuck in her throat. I quickly opened her mouth and used my finger to poke her throat. I was not really sure what to do at a time like that. I stood behind her and patted her back¡had she continued choking, I would have attempted the Heimlich maneuver. But thank God that was the extent of my doctoring skills.
It just goes to show that children depend on you to keep them safe and happy. The youngest acted like nothing was wrong and continued eating. Thank goodness she won¡¯t remember that experience because I think I¡¯ll remember it enough for both of us! Stay on your toes when kids are around you¡watch them like a hawk¡.it only takes a second for them to pull something down and touch something hot or sharp. And watch what they put in their mouths! I use to think baby sitting was a pretty easy job but quickly learnt that people trust you with their children and you¡¯ve really got to be careful when they are in your care! Good luck guys!
Not sure if most of you know that I¡¯m actually from Kuching! Yay! Kuching is awesome! I could never say a bad word about it. As a kid growing up there, it gave me some of the best memories! Even though it was a small town, it was full of things to do!
Although I don¡¯t live there now¡I do think about home often. When I first came to KL I¡¯m sorry to say, I absolutely hated it! It was so fast paced, there were people everywhere, it was too loud! It was too different. Kuching was a quiet sleepy town and KL was the exact opposite of that.
Although I studied overseas since I was 11¡Kuching was always the one place I wanted to be back in. Even now, when I think about home I think about the good ol days. But alas! Everything changes! I began to like KL for what it was! Jams and all! Crowded streets, bustling life, fast paced. But after a year of not seeing Kuching, I was itching to touch base!!!
My gosh, is that place becoming more like KL! Our airport it like a mini terminal of KLIA. We¡¯ve got awesome malls made of marble (and its prettier than the malls in KL!), Cold Storage, Chicken Rice Shop, Manhattan Fish Market, Secret Recipie, Guess, GAP, everything you would find over here! My little Kuching home town was getting a makeover! Hahahaha¡whatever it is, I guess we can¡¯t stop progress! But it got me thinking that maybe I¡¯m not so far from home after all! ; )
When I¡¯m on a small budget and am dying to get out of KL for the day¡.I head to KKB¡Kuala Kubu Bahru. It costs about RM50 there and back for petrol, toll costs about RM15 there and back and if you pack some sandwiches and food for the trip, you cut down on food prices.
However, the town of KKB is breathtaking! Its fairly untouched and the buildings maintain their old structure. The mountains cup the small town and I believe myself that the air is fresher and cleaner up there! Hahahaha.
The drive up is very pleasant and once you pass the dam, you really feel ¡®free¡¯. Just trees and lakes as far as the eye can see. There are a few waterfall treks to go to¡one of my favorites (and quietest) is the road heading toward the new Orang Asli Settlement. There is another waterfall around the area, that in order to get to it, you have to pass 7 river crossings which is pretty cool, but it tends to be pretty packed.
There is a ¡®back road¡¯ that you have to be familiar with in order to hit the waterfall at a higher level which not many people do. The trek up is over an hour and half of it is uphill, but once you get there¡the waterfall is breathtaking!
All I bring is my mp3 player, a towel, a good book and by the time I head back to KL, I¡¯m reborn!! Hahahaha...its a great trip for the family, with friends or with your partner¡but I warn you now¡the water is FREEZING!!! Hahahaha¡.enjoy guys!
These days I find my weekends a haven from the world! On the odd times I've attempted to go out and see people on the weekend, its usually with an undertone of grumbling and complaining following it! Everything, everywhere is packed! Going into KL is jammed, malls are filled to the brim, pavements are flodded with people, cinemas are bursting at the seam!
Before, I use to need to go out on the weekends and be 'free', but now...I prepare for my weekends well in advance! I go into hibernation mode! Hahahahaah...nothing planned this weekend which is great! Only a sunday family lunch...so I've stocked up on movies, junk food and drinks until I emerge from my slumber, for Sunday lunch!
Hope you all have a good weekend too!Its only a day away!!!!!
So far this year there hasn¡¯t been a movie that¡¯s been better than The Spiderwick Chronicles. Although I¡¯m sure a lot of you won¡¯t agree with me¡there was something about that movie that ignited a child like wonder in me! I¡¯m normally not one for reading fantasy, but that movie had me watching it with my mouth on the floor!! I was so taken with the movie and the feeling it brought me that after it was over, I actually wanted to go out into the forest and catch a winged sprite! Hahahaha¡
Its been awhile since a movie really moved me! Other movies that I really love are ¡®Shawshank Redemption¡¯, ¡®Braveheart¡¯ and ¡®300¡¯ to name a few¡but if you¡¯re looking for the ultimate love story, you can¡¯t go wrong with picking up a copy of ¡®The notebook¡¯. One of the best love stories I¡¯ve seen so far. If you haven¡¯t seen it...you have to get it. And make sure you have a box of tissues near you because it is a tear jerker!!! If there¡¯s anything you think I should watch, past or present¡..lemme know!
I seriously quit smoking, nearly 9 months to the day and although I miss it dearly¡I have to say I do feel the benefits! I basically quit when I had others quit around me¡that and the fact that I was on the verge of emphysema! I don¡¯t want to harp on about the dangers of smoking¡but I took a chest X-ray the other week and was over the moon when the doctor told me that my lungs were clear!!! I had been a smoker for 10 years! The last time I had my chest examined the doctor said it sounded like the Philharmonic Orchestra warming up before a song in there! So I couldn¡¯t believe that the Doc said it was clear. On top of that, she told me that if I quit for 2 years¡my lungs will return to the state it was before I ever picked up one of those sticks of nicotine!
But in all honesty¡I do miss it dreadfully. You see¡I¡¯m one of those people who quit and knew that it would not be easy. I knew it would be a continuing uphill struggle to beat the addiction. I¡¯ve seen people become social smokers or once-in-awhile smokers but they all eventually become smokers again! It might sound as if I¡¯ve blown the whistle before the race has even started! But actually, that makes me more aware that I¡¯m around temptation everyday and everyday my will is tested where I win! Eventually, it will get easier, until my lungs will look brand new again!
I¡¯d like to be able to inspire all soon to be trying-to-quit smokers, but its different for everyone and this was my journey! I know friends who were fine and hunky dory after quitting and others couldn¡¯t even make it past breakfast!! But none-the-less¡you can only quit if you want to quit!!! So until you¡¯re ready to quit¡I¡¯ll be waiting in the wings! Hahahaha
It¡¯s hard to please everybody all the time. I say that because I¡¯ve learnt that being on the show puts me in a fish bowl and opens me up to criticism. I¡¯ve always been use to being behind things, never in front. I¡¯m not here to defend myself¡I am here instead to say this: You¡¯re never going to be able to please everybody BUT at the same time you should take whatever critique comes your way and work it to your advantage.
Realize that there are good things going in your life and don¡¯t dwell on the bad ones but don¡¯t ignore them either! Sometimes people give good critique and to acknowledge that is one thing but to work hard to overcome it, is another. Rise above it when you can my lovies!!!!
X SaraI can¡¯t believe I¡¯m doing this but I must share!!! Now, I like to play games as much as the other person. Computer games that is! But I could never get into the X-Box, PS3, Wii, kind of games. The latest console I have is a PS2 holed up in a corner collecting dust¡and that buy was really only based on the Guitar Hero game.
If you find your mind wandering, I do have a point! Hahaha. One day I happened to chance upon a game site (when I had absolutely nothing else to do in the office) and clicked on a few items that dragged me into this realm of ¡®Find & Seek¡¯ Games or ¡®Hidden Object¡¯ Games! These games will peel hours away from your life without you even noticing! Items are cleverly disguised in a picture and you have to find them! Now¡the reason why I¡¯m talking about games is because you mind is like a muscle. It needs to be fed. It needs to be exercised and not many people really get to sit down and exercise their brain.
By exercising your brain it really means you give your brain something to work out, a puzzle, a riddle, a painting, a book¡anything that makes you think! Our brain can get old too! And if we don¡¯t exercise it, it will get duller and slower and lack concentration etc¡
But if you happen to be online one day, download a gamed called ¡®Madam Fate¡¯. It¡¯s stuffed with food for the brain and its actually fun, because it¡¯s different! Agreed, it¡¯s not a game everyone is going to like, but for those who do try it¡good on you!
I am pretty passionate about the local music scene. I was once upon a time, very active in the scene myself as a struggling musician hahahaha¡.but through my experience I have learnt one thing. Malaysia has talent! Take the likes of our very own folk songbird Pete Teo! If you tune into Lite for its mellow sweet tunes, I¡¯m pretty sure you could appreciate his music. Although its not considered ¡®mainstream¡¯¡it is a real gem once you hear it!
Other local musicians that I listen to are Tempered Mental, Reza Salleh, Mia Palencia¡all these people are amazing artists! If only the rest of Malaysia could see this. Its such a shame to not have the support on your local turf but at the same time, its an enormous testament to the drive of these artists to stay alive in the music scene, because its definitely not about the money! If at all possible, lets help support the music scene and give our Malaysian talent a chance to shine brighter!
We had a Dial and Dine last Saturday at Jogoya Japanese Buffet at Starhilland apart from my nerves (which I hope was hidden well) I actually really enjoyed meeting LiteFM listeners and new people! We sat next to a funny couple from Subang, Daniel and Shamiela and talked all the way through dinner. The sweetest thing was that there was an elderly couple there who had won tickets to the dinner and were celebrating their 31st Anniversary as well!!!
I¡¯m sorry if I didn¡¯t get to meet everyone that night¡I was a little nervous as it was my first Dial and Dine and didn¡¯t know what to expect really. But toward the end, myself and Rex were the last to leave, after trying to make people listen to us through their yawning! We eventually got the hint and left. Thanks to everyone for being so nice!
X Sara
