Saturday, March 17, 2012

A Balanced meal

Consist of 5 colors, Vege, tuner, grains..carbo, protein, vitamins? Minerals...perfect satisfying & healthy meal anytime! :)

Friday, March 16, 2012

Hot Air Balloon Fiesta is back

Hi folks!
I been hearing a lot about the four-day event that began yesterday at the Monumen Alaf Baru in Precinct 2, Putrajaya.

The Hot Air Balloon Fiesta will also see the return of the "night glow" event on Saturday night, where balloons will be lit up in a synchronised manner to the sounds of music, culminating in a fireworks display.

It's free-admission with activities such as a para motor exhibition, bicycle exhibition, helicopter joy rides, tethered hot air balloon rides, remote controlled aeroplane model demonstration, meet-and-greet session with the participating balloonists and the Mountain Dew Extreme Zone for the adventurous ones.

No pre-booking service required. The hot air balloon ride (priced at RM10) for the public and is dependent on the weather.

For more details, visit www.myballoonfiesta.com.

The fiesta ends on Sunday.
Are you guys going? Or have you been there with your kids during this school holiday?
I would love to go, yet at the same really scared of the big crowd :P Thinking too much huh..how early we should go to be on the safe side? Any idea?
Cheers!

My Simple Yet Filling Breakfast

Hi folks!

This is my typical no-fuss breakfast I ate daily at workplace. Oatmeal+oat milk energy+fruits(bananas, oranges,etc). At times, maybe an additional bread or toppings like cranberries & nuts. So yummy that I can eat it everyday. It kinda nurture that palette that doesn't crave for oily fried noodles for breakfast anymore ;) which is good for my waistline I feel :)

Note: Pic posted specially for you Azza ;) Healthy eating anytime.. Cheers!

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Conversation with kids about the Farewell

Hi folks!

Note that I prefer to use farewell rather than "death"...

Before we reach the funeral procession, I talked about it in the car with my children so that they are emotionally prepared as it is their first time attending a funeral.

I informed them that we are going to say goodbye to great-grandma and that great grandma has gone home to meet great grandpa.

Some of the Q n A KY and I had:
KY: Where is taipo going?
Molly: She is going back to "Heaven".
KY: Why "taipo": great grandma is leaving?
Molly: Taipo has finished her task here thus decided to go back to join "tai gong" great grandpa.
KY: Oh...then when can we go back too?
Molly: When we completed the task we need to do here then we could go back.
KY: Oh..do we get to go back to Heaven too next time?
Molly: If we keep our hearts "good", no bad thoughts, no getting angry all the time. Always loving, and close to God. Care for others..

Upon reaching funeral place, my mil said to us that KY 7-year old cousin cried loudly just now and demanded to know who killed his taipo...

KY: Mommy, why gorgor;"cousin brother" cry when taipo is leaving?
Molly: Because he misses taipo and can't bear to be apart with her.
KY then walked to him, ask him why he cried, then give him a hug and told him don't cry, taipo is back to "Heaven"..
Cousin: I feel sad that's why I cried, but mommy said I can give taipo something. I want to give taipo flowers.
And this usually hyperactive & rowdy boy became calmer.

It marvels me how kids react and questions about "farewell". It also taught me a good lessons to explained to them while also help them to grieve in a more positive way like what my sil did. The next day, my sil bought a bouquet of flower and place it in front of the great grandma altar/Picture.

I have seen how my mil cried out to her mom, feeling sad that she no longer has a mom to call to. At that very moment, I felt(as her half daughter), what I can do is to show more care for her..as if the taipo is showing me the way, the best way to grieve for her is to shower double care to this "mom" of mine while there are still chance to do so....

Thanks grandma for the reminder...I will remember to call & visit mil more often from now on...y'day(the day after the burial) when I called her to inform about the water disruption as I believe most of us has been too busy to read the news for the past few days...), I can feel from her voice, she's been crying alone...time to go back this weekend....to bring some voices and laughter home by her own grandchildren...kids simply have a magical healing power to transform grief to joy..the gift from God...

Cheers!

Sent from my iPhone

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Water supply disruption on March 14 and 15

Hi folks!

Have you heard the news? Haven't been reading news for the last 4 days due to some family event to attend...someone alert me of the water disruption in KL and Selangor.

Check out the article below for more info:

http://www.nst.com.my/latest/kl-selangor-to-face-water-disruption-next-week-1.56607

I gotta run down to the market to get some essential...and perhaps clean all the laundry today...

Hopefully it won't last more than Thurs. as stated...

Now, we know how important water is....time to educate the kids too!

Cheers!

學會用愛傾聽 Learning to Listen with Love

Hi folks!

Nice sharing...
Note:For those who can't read but can understand Mandarin..like me..copy n paste to Google Translate..on the mic and listen...nice article, especially for us mothers, and working folks...how often we hear sounds which seems irritating? If we listen with our heart, we become more calm and handle the situation much better way! Cheers!

 
學會用愛傾聽

那段日子,我被樓上樓下的住戶折騰得快瘋掉了。我家住在二樓。

住在我樓下的是一對下崗夫妻。為生活,這對夫妻買了一輛破舊的三輪摩托車,那輛摩托車破舊得像個嚴重的哮喘病人,噪聲巨大。
 
每晚,我躺在床上,剛有一點睡意的時候,那輛摩托車就拼命〝咳嗽〞著回來了,攪得我睡意全消。

我樓上的那家住戶,給女兒買了一支簫。每天天剛麻麻亮,就逼著女兒練習。

那聲音嗚嗚咽咽,聽在耳裡,像鬼哭狼嚎。我每晚被樓下摩托車的〝咳嗽〞攪得沒有睡意,早晨又被樓上的簫聲〝哭醒〞。

我想,是該好好與樓上樓下的住戶談一談了。

但臨到伯伯們的家門口,我又猶豫了,樓下的那個住戶,破摩托車就是他們的飯碗,樓上的那個住戶,簫聲就是家長對孩子的希望,難道我要他們放棄飯碗、放棄希望?我不忍心開口。

幾經考慮,我決定搬家,搬到一個清靜的地方,那樣有利於我的寫作,也有利於我的健康。

我找到一位朋友,訴說了我的苦衷,叫他幫我物色一個好的住所。

朋友笑瞇瞇地聽著,然後問我:「你覺得我居住的環境怎樣?」

我說:「就是覺得你這裡清靜,所以叫你幫我找住的地方。

朋友點點頭說:「好吧你先在我家裡坐一個小時,感受一下。」

我在朋友家裡呆了一個小時,這裡的環境確實安靜,但一個小時後,人們陸續下班回家,嘈雜開始顯現。最要命的是,隔壁的陽台上,傳來一陣類似於說話的聲音,像原始部落的人用特殊的聲音在喊叫,聲音刺耳而模糊,聽了格外不舒服。我問朋友這是什麼聲音。

朋友說:「一個9歲的男孩,在學說話。你仔細聽聽,他說的是什麼?」

我側耳傾聽,那男孩無疑在重複一句話,但我怎麼聽都聽不明白他在說什麼,我猜測說:「他好像在說,羊剛撲倒在地

朋友哈哈大笑,說:「你錯了,他是說,陽光普照大地。」說著話,他拉開了通往陽台的門,使那孩子傳過來的聲音更大一些。

我聽到,有一位婦女在不斷地糾正那個男孩的發音。

婦女說的正是「陽光普照大地」。

但無論怎麼糾正,那男孩說的仍是「羊剛撲倒在地」。

朋友問我:「如果讓你住在這裡每天聽到這樣的聲音,你感覺如何?」

我直搖頭,實話實說:「受不了,不但聲音太吵,而且他怎麼學都學不會,聽著都替他急死。」

但是朋友說:「在我的耳朵裡,這孩子的聲音簡直就是一曲美妙的音樂,不但我有這樣的感覺,住在我們這棟樓裡的人,都有這樣的感覺。」

朋友見我一臉詫異,便解釋說:

這孩子是個棄兒,一出生就又聾又啞,所以他的生身父母拋棄了他,是我的鄰居將他撿了回來,不但撫養他,而且到處求醫問藥為他治療。

從他4歲開始,我的鄰居就教他說話,我們都以為這是不可能的事情,但我的鄰居鍥而不捨,堅持每天教他。到他5歲的時候,有一天,他居然開口叫媽媽了,雖然聲音那麼模糊,但我們都聽清楚了。

我的鄰居當時就激動得哭了,我們在場的許多人都熱淚盈眶。我的鄰居含辛茹苦這麼多年,終於讓這孩子開口說話了,你說這怎麼不讓人激動?

從這以後,我的鄰居更加認真地教他說話。我們這棟樓裡的住戶,都覺得這聲音就是美妙的音樂。

在我離開朋友家的時候,朋友說:「你聽這孩子的聲音,很刺耳,讓你很不舒服,是因為你是用耳朵在聽。而我們聽這孩子的聲音,很動聽,是因為我們用愛在聽。只要學會用愛去傾聽,這世間許多聲音,都是美妙的音樂。上帝給了我們耳朵,是讓我們聆聽世間所有紛雜的聲音;而人類給了自己的心,是讓我們將所有紛雜的聲音,轉換成美妙動聽的音樂。」

如果你想享受美妙動聽的音樂,就要學會用愛傾聽。
 
 
 



Monday, March 12, 2012

Farewell atmosphere

Hi folks!
DH grandma has been such kind, strong and thoughtful mom. Even when she chose to leave this world(peacefully in her sleep), she chose the best time when the great grandchildren are having holidays and when it is weekend so that it doesn't requires the grandchildren who are studying and working to miss too much of their work/study. Besides her children are all very grateful to her that her last days are filled with laughter, independance and usual jovial self...no painful/dreadful sick in bed or hospital visits...she just chose to leave peacefully..even with a nice portrait photo taken just in time and nice for the farewell ceremony....

This is the great love of a mom...never want to burden her children....

The farewell ceremony thus far is peaceful and not tearful..
All her great grandchildren, grandchildren, children came back from UK, S'pore etc..all back to send her off for the final leg..may she rest in peace in Heaven together with grandpa and continue to guide & protect her descendants....

My most fruitful part was to get to know each of hubby's cousins better...after hmm..6+yrs of hi-bye kinda relationship..this time round..more time to chat and mingle as everyone needs to stay around for the ceremony...

I am sure grandma is happy to see such reunion...till we send her to her last leg tomorrow...taking CL tomorrow...zzzz now..

Have a restful night all!

Sent from my iPhone