Aren't they cute?
No-no, they're not dead.
They're not playing dead.
That's how they like to sleep.
I couldn't stop looking at them :-D
Give Blood, Save Lives 2
9 years ago
Monday, May 31, 2010
Monday, May 24, 2010
Reminder in a Cup
When things seemed to be pulling me down, when it seemed like I was swimming against the tide, I get a reminder :-)
Met someone for discussion at Secret Recipe last Wednesday. The waitress said that it was not intentional. Wow.
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Monday, May 17, 2010
Learning Mandarin
Went to Tawau last weekend to give a health talk. I gave the talk in Cantonese to a mandarin-speaking audience, and tho my 'presentation-Cantonese' is half-past-six (not so good), my audience could understand me (I hope!). They were laughing. (Ermm... or maybe they were laughing at my chinese?)
I could understand some Mandarin, but I can't seem to get my brain and my tongue to connect! Can't get the words out! But once I know the word, I have been told my pronunciation is as good as any native speaker (ahem!).
I know Mandarin is really so important, and not knowing how to communicate in Mandarin is a draw-back. It's been a struggle for me to learn Mandarin. But even so, I did not send my kids to a chinese-medium school. Many reasons.
Yes, they're real bananas (yellow outside, white inside). But I do believe when they want to, they'll learn the language.
When Damian was around 5, I sent him to this learning center to learn Mandarin. He'll be whining and crying each time, until I gave up!!! But now, he's asking me how come I didn't let him learn Mandarin? I reminded him what happened and he has the audacity to look embarassed. He said "Yar, it's better this way. I prefer to learn now that I'm interested and not forced to do so." (Why the interest? His friends are all speaking Mandarin around him!)
So now, I have a teacher come to the house to teach Mandarin once a week for 90 mins. Some asked "Can learn meh? Just 90 mins a week only wor?"
I think can lor. When you are interested enough. Kids can understand a bit, but they can't really speak yet. Never mind... they'll be ok. No need to speak Mandarin professionally. Just enough to get by... but hopefully a lot better than me. Hopefully, the advantage of their age would allow their brain and tongue to connect!
I could understand some Mandarin, but I can't seem to get my brain and my tongue to connect! Can't get the words out! But once I know the word, I have been told my pronunciation is as good as any native speaker (ahem!).
I know Mandarin is really so important, and not knowing how to communicate in Mandarin is a draw-back. It's been a struggle for me to learn Mandarin. But even so, I did not send my kids to a chinese-medium school. Many reasons.
Yes, they're real bananas (yellow outside, white inside). But I do believe when they want to, they'll learn the language.
When Damian was around 5, I sent him to this learning center to learn Mandarin. He'll be whining and crying each time, until I gave up!!! But now, he's asking me how come I didn't let him learn Mandarin? I reminded him what happened and he has the audacity to look embarassed. He said "Yar, it's better this way. I prefer to learn now that I'm interested and not forced to do so." (Why the interest? His friends are all speaking Mandarin around him!)
So now, I have a teacher come to the house to teach Mandarin once a week for 90 mins. Some asked "Can learn meh? Just 90 mins a week only wor?"
I think can lor. When you are interested enough. Kids can understand a bit, but they can't really speak yet. Never mind... they'll be ok. No need to speak Mandarin professionally. Just enough to get by... but hopefully a lot better than me. Hopefully, the advantage of their age would allow their brain and tongue to connect!
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Happy Mother's Day!!
It didn't feel like much, but we celebrated Mother's Day anyway because ... it was expected?
Got my maid to cooked some curry chicken and fried bee-hoon and took it over to Mother-in-law's house on Saturday. She has a fall a week ago, and hurt her back. Moving around isn't so easy for her. So we thought a simple celebration of home-cooked food should lift her spirits. I think it did.
My MIL is 84 years old. She's the kind of mom who gave everything, and expects nothing, and even when her kids wants to give back, she makes a big fuss out of it, and ends up making us feel unappreciated. Well, maybe after 15 years of me just brushing off her 'protestations' that she doesn't want anything, she gave up protesting. This time, she quietly accepted our gifts of food and angpows. Good improvement.
My mom - on the other hand - she doesn't demand too much - but we know she loves getting gifts from us - especially the monetary kind :-) I think this is healthier and makes for a happier dissposition. We kids, give what we can, and sometimes what we can't anyway! But then, how much time do we have? If we don't give now, then when?
I've heard it said before "No matter how your relationship with your parents was, you'll miss them when they're gone". I think it's true.
So, we had Mother's Day lunch at my Mom's - KFC, satay, a cake and some Haagen-Dazs ice-cream(!). Yummy! :-P
My kids gave me this :
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Got my maid to cooked some curry chicken and fried bee-hoon and took it over to Mother-in-law's house on Saturday. She has a fall a week ago, and hurt her back. Moving around isn't so easy for her. So we thought a simple celebration of home-cooked food should lift her spirits. I think it did.
My MIL is 84 years old. She's the kind of mom who gave everything, and expects nothing, and even when her kids wants to give back, she makes a big fuss out of it, and ends up making us feel unappreciated. Well, maybe after 15 years of me just brushing off her 'protestations' that she doesn't want anything, she gave up protesting. This time, she quietly accepted our gifts of food and angpows. Good improvement.
My mom - on the other hand - she doesn't demand too much - but we know she loves getting gifts from us - especially the monetary kind :-) I think this is healthier and makes for a happier dissposition. We kids, give what we can, and sometimes what we can't anyway! But then, how much time do we have? If we don't give now, then when?
I've heard it said before "No matter how your relationship with your parents was, you'll miss them when they're gone". I think it's true.
So, we had Mother's Day lunch at my Mom's - KFC, satay, a cake and some Haagen-Dazs ice-cream(!). Yummy! :-P
My kids gave me this :
See the card? It's a hint from the kids asking for another baby in the family!
And they did try their best to be on their best behaviour. Jeremy only cried once :-D
Monday, May 3, 2010
A smile to brighten up my day
Whenever I go grocery shopping at Carrefour, Endah Parade, I always look forward to meeting him.
He always greet me with a cheerful smile, a happy 'thank you' and a wave of the hand.
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He always greet me with a cheerful smile, a happy 'thank you' and a wave of the hand.
He's none other than the guy who collects the parking fare.
I'm sure that despite his humble job, if he keeps his cheerful attitude, he's heading towards a great, happy life. All the best to him :-)
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