Happy New Year 2011

Hi my dear blogging friends,

Wishing you and your loved ones a blessed and happy new year and may 2011 brings you even more happiness, good health and prosperity.

It has been a tremendous blessings knowing you and allowing our life's paths to cross somehow.

God Bless ....

From Daddy, Mommy and Ryan ...:)

10 weeks!

Date: 29th December 2010

Came back from our regular checkup. He/She is now 10 weeks old and is about 3.57cm. Heartbeat is strong and consistent. We can even see his/her limbs. 2 more weeks before the first trimester is over. Wifey is eagerly waiting for it. Her morning sickness is definitely worse than Ryan's. And her cravings ...swings from butter cake to jelly (agar-agar) on a daily basis. Pengsan liow...hahahaha

Last night out of the blue at 9:30pm, she wanted to eat jelly. Fortunately, we reached a compromise and she wanted egg caramel. At least that is still manageble as I can whipped that out in 20 minutes to satisfy her .....The other night, she wanted butter cake late at night. Baking is not exactly my strong point. So I offered her my finger spread with butter instead!! HAHAHA.

Also managed to contact the confinement lady who worked for us during Ryan's arrival. Fortunately, she is still available for June/July next year. Another hurdle solved. Was a little worry when we couldn't reach her for the past several weeks via her mobile.

I'm actually glad that I have started his blog as I find myself referring back to it to prepare ourselves for his/her arrival this round. And looking back at our journey with Ryan brings back many fond memories of Ryan when he was still so tiny ....:)

Korea - Jeju Island PART 4

Continuing on our recent trip to Seoul Korea, we have heard so much on Jeju Island. So, we booked ourselves with one of the local tours for a 3 days 2 nights tour to this island.

The flight was only an hour away but the trip was pretty expensive. Our tour includes a two way Korean Air air ticket from Seoul to Jeju, 2 nights stay at a 4 star hotel (breakfast inclusive) and a private English speaking tour guide.

On arrival, we told our guide, Peter, that we had not taken our lunch and he took us to have the best black pork BBQ ever. Apparently Jeju is famous for their black pork which came from the domestic black pigs. The pork was so juicy and tender even after we BBQ them unlike those we had back in Malaysia. (They were so delicious that we insisted that he took us back to the same restaurant for lunch before we board our flight back to Seoul).



After lunch, we were brought to this stretch of road known as the Mysterious Road as cars or buses are known to apparently `roll' uphills magically when their engines were switched off. Well, our car did `roll' up the hill and the explanation were pretty interesting.

The road `looked' like it is going downhill but our car has just `rolled' all the way up from the `bottom'. If you look carefully, all the traces of water actually ran `uphill' and not `downhill'.

Next, we were taken to visit the Dragonhead Rock also known as Yongdu-Am located at the western end of Jeju. Because we touched down at Jeju Island at around 2pm, by the time we arrived at Yongdu-Am, it was almost dusk, yet the place was still packed with tourists, all trying to get the best spot to have their picture taken. I'm not sure though which part of the rock resembles a dragon head but the structure does look interesting.

With the fast fading light, it was rather difficult to grab any good shots and without my tripod, all I could do was to support my camera on some rocks and took 3 shots at different exposure and using an HDR software to produce the shot above.

By the time we arrived at the hotel it was almost 8:30pm and we were dead tired but eagerly looking forward to the following morning.

Something new for this Christmas!

Since the days when we were staying at our little condo, we had this little 3 feet fibre optic Christmas tree. I think we had this tree for at least the last 6 to 7 years. I remembered paying something like RM150 for it then and we had not really buy much ornaments to decorate it as we always find them super expensive.

Since moving to our current house, this old faithful tree now seemed a little small for our living room. For the first year when we shifted in, we placed it on top of a cabinet to make it appeared taller. Last year, we had it on the floor with all the presents but we could hardly see it. So, this year, we have decided to get a taller one, maybe a 5 footer.

We still wanted a fibre optic tree as it takes out the hassle of having to put on the strings and strings of lights (which always get tangled up!). We were also hesitant knowing that it would cost us a bomb just to buy the tree not forgetting the super expensive ornaments to make it look at least presentable. Then a colleague of mine recommended this shop down at the Petaling Street where he said is a wholesaler and could get me a good discount.

So, off we went 2 Sundays ago, found the shop but unfortunately all the 5 or 6 footer trees have been sold out. We were left with no choice to take the last piece available... a massive 7 footer!! And we got a pretty good deal for it too. The tree only cost RM360! The normal 7 footer tree displayed at the shopping centers alone is retailed at over RM600! We got ourselves some brand new ornaments and the final bill came close to RM500. And finally we have our dream tree, a massive 7 footer with enough ornaments to make it look presentable.

And Ryan of course had the most fun. He has been pestering us to get him a `BIGGG XMAS TUEE' after seeing them at the shopping centers.

Well, putting up the Christmas Tree was a family affair. Everybody was involved. While daddy, kakak and Ryan was busy hanging up the ornaments, little Zoewe was waiting patiently for any ornaments to fall off so that she could grab them to play with. She simply adores balls, especially the shinny ones. Since Mommy can't climb, she took over as the official photographer to capture all these previous moments.

You can spot her as a reflection on one of the ornament, snapping away. And the final product, a massive 7 footer complete with silver and gold ornaments and with ribbon too! We are so proud of ourselves .....hahahaha.

All I've to do now is to get me a mistletoe so that I could kiss my wifey ......;)

Our 2nd Adventure begins!

Yupe. Our second adventure has started and it's been 6 weeks now. Wifey is expecting our second miracle and this little one is a `Made in Korea' kimchee boy/girl. We are obviously excited about it and wifey has been wanting a playmate for lil Ryan for quite a while now.

It seemed that the morning sickness for this one is worse than when she had Ryan. Last week was really bad when she felt nausea the entire day with no appetite to eat and can hardly drink any water.

To make matter worse, one of her tooth which has a previous hairline crack, cracked. It was so painful for her that she hardly got any sleep for 2 nights. We have no choice but to make an appointment with our dentist.

When we told him that she is 5 weeks pregnant, the first response was `OH. Sorry. I don't think we can do anything about it. Can't even give u an X-ray."

We were naturally stunned and worried because how on earth is she going to endure the excruciating pain for the next 8 months? We asked him again whether can anything be done. After thinking for awhile, he said, "I could give you some anesthetic."

The obvious next question that we would ask would be "Is it safe?"

He took out the leaflet, circled a part of the description and pass it to us and said "Read this please .." That part read something like ..."...this has not been tested for pregnant women. However, it has been extensively on pregnant women with no known side effects...."

He looked at us and said "OK?"

I was like "Do we have a choice?" Anyway, after giving it some thoughts and knowing that she would not be able to stand the pain for the next 8 months, we went ahead with the anesthetic. On inspection, it was confirmed that the tooth did crack and has to be extracted. In fact it was so bad that it actually broke into TWO during the extraction.

She was given panadols for the pain which only offered minimal relief. It was a painful day for her and equally painful for me to see her going through it.

Thank God, the pain went away the following day. And thank God, that the nausea only comes in the morning and she has started to have an appertite to eat.

And her cravings is like..."fried rice now, boiled carrots next, brocolli the next instance and longan water in the middle of the night!" Hahahaha...

Like I said earlier, it would not be an adventure if it is not exciting and this one proves to be a real adventure from the word `GO!'

His First CONCERT!

27th November 2010

Months ago, we were informed that Ryan will be taking part in his daycare center's concert this year and he is going to dance. We were apprehensive, stressed and worried whether how the concert will turn out.

Knowing now `sticky' he is to us, we just can't help but wonder whether he will just freezes, stopped, cried and called out `mommy' or `daddy' at the top of his voice, right there in front of all the other parents. And with his recent craze over Ultraman, we were even afraid that he will break into one of his favourite Ultraman stance the moment he sees us down in the audience.

We actually have no idea what he is going to do or what he is going to wear. It was meant as a total surprise to us ....And surprise we were!

Well, the day finally arrived. We managed to get him up by 7:30 a.m. (which itself was a rather big achievement). Got him cleaned up and sent him to Yuk Choy School at Taman Megah. He was making a fuss when we drop him there but we had to and left promptly for our breakfast so that he could get changed into his costume.

His concert was supposed to start at 10:00a.m. His grandmother, uncle, auntie and cousins including his kakak turned out in full force to support him.

After the principal's speech, all the children came out in their costume for the national anthem and OMG, there he was in his cute brown and yellow mouse costume. He looked a little lost and seemed to be searching for us. As he was marching down, he saw his grandma, pointed at her and shouted `Po Po!' We were like ...oh oh...he is not going through with his dance routine...

Anyway, his class was next. Out they came marching in a line and there he was, our little MOUSE dancing to the tune of `The Lion sleeps tonight'. He was shaking his bum, and trying as hard as he could to follow his teacher's every move in front. The moment the song finished, he marched forward and waved at his mommy! OMG! The teacher managed to get him back to his position while he danced next to the tune of Macarena! As I was taking the shots, I just could not help laughing looking at him shaking and waving his hands. He was the shortest of them all and in the cutest costume and there he was, trying his very best to do what he was taught!

And that moment, PRICELESS! AND WE ARE SO PROUD OF OUR LITTLE MOUSE!

Korea - Seoul PART 3 (Mount Seoraksan)

Mount Seoraksan is located approximately 3 hours drive from Seoul. After a visit to the Daepohang fish market, we continue our journey and finally arrived at the foot hill of this mountain after a hearty lunch (pictures of which I will post later). Being early autumn, the leaves have not change colours much in Seoul but one can see the green, yellow, orange and red leaves at the foot of the hill. The view is simply spectacular.

The place was totally crowded and according to our guide is one of the favourite tourist destination not only for foreigners but locals as well. Many will attempt to trek up the mountain and visit the many old temples located up on the mountains.

Mount Seoraksan has many peaks, some of which will be shown in the pictures below. Seoraksan is the third highest mountain in Korea.

We arrived at about 12:30pm and had to wait till 2:30pm for our cable car ride to the top. While waiting, we walked the grounds of the Seoraksan National Park which offered a spectacular view of hundred years old temple in clear running streams and trees in their midst of changing their leaves colours.

The ride to the top was merely 5 minutes. Once there, we tracked down to a small temple supposed to have been there for the last 1200 years!

Next it was a 20 minutes track up the highest peak, the Daechongbong Peak which is 1708 meters or 5603 feet above sea level. Once there, the view was simply breathtaking.

This is one destination that everyone who visit Seoul or Korea should try to explore.

Korea - Seoul PART 2

We had the pleasure to stay at the Grand Intercontinental Hotel near COEX where the G20 Summit was to be held. The hotel service and room is superb and is near to the subway which made it easy for us to catch a subway to go downtown, not to mention that there is also a huge underground shopping mall at COEX itself. (where wifey did most of her last minute shopping).




I've visited Seoul before and this round I was determined to discover Korea outside Seoul. So, I booked myself for a day trip to one of their most famous mountain - Mount Seoraksan. The cost is about USD170 and it will take 3 hours drive to get there and back.

I was lucky that there were already 2 other Singaporeans who have booked the same tour and hence I merely joined them (they required a minimum 2 pax for each tour). The tour operator picked me up from my hotel at 6:45 am the next morning and we were on our way.

It was a cold 6 degress morning. I was a little worried when the van that we were travelling stopped a couple of times by the road side when the tour guide told us that they were having some mechanical issues with the van. I was just hoping that we could get back to Seoul in one piece, especially when we are supposed to be going up and down the mountain roads!

On the way to Seoraksan, we stopped by a traditional fresh fish market at Daepohang (apparently one of the fast disappearing scene with rapid commercialisation). It was simply breathtaking looking at their way of life and the sheer numbers of fresh sea food available!

After a quick tour at the fish market, we went on our way to the summit of Mount Seoraksan ....

Tanjung Rhu Langkawi Day One

Just a quick update.

Just arrived at Tanjung Rhu Resort in Langkawi for a 5 days 4 nights holiday. Took Air Asia and it was the first time for Ryan to take a flight. We wanted to test and see how he fares taking a flight.

As expected, he was totally excited and overwhelmed at the airport. We managed to get him a window seat and he was enjoying himself watching the clouds.

Tanjung Rhu as expected, is amazing just we remembered it. This round, we got upgraded to a much larger room with a sea view balcony. As at this moment, I'm updating this blog while watching Ryan frolicking and having a great time in his own private jacuzzi in the room.

Will update pictures of this trip once I finished uploading the pictures of our trip to Seoul.

We took a package that is includes all food (room service, mini bar, fine dining etc) and drinks. So it's going to be nothing but eating, drinking, swimming, relaxing and back to the eating routine.

Looking forward to have a round of golf at Gunung Raya Golf Course too.

Korea - Seoul PART 1

I was rather busy with my work recently and desperately needed a break. So, when my wife had to go to Seoul Korea for a 3 days meeting, I gladly tag along. Seoul or Korea did not give me a lasting impression when I was there 7 years ago. I was determined to rediscover Seoul and Korea now that I am there for the second time.

My mother in law has been very gracious to come over to take care of Ryan with the help of the maid for the week. (Thank God for mother in law!!) And we have installed CCTVs at home where we could log in from the web to look at him whenever we want.

We left on late Saturday night via Korean Airlines. The journey took approximately 7 hours. I could not sleep much and was really tired when we touched down at 6:50 a.m. in Seoul. Took a cab to our hotel (Hotel Grand Intercontinental) located at COEX (where the G20 Submit was held recently). While waiting for our room, we walked around our hotel, grab our breakfast and took some pictures.


View of our hotel. It's autumn now in Korea and the leaves had just started to change colors. I was hopeful for more dramatic pictures of red, orange, yellow and green leaves. The morning temperature ranged from 2 to 6 degrees, hitting 12 to 18 degrees in the afternoon.

After checking in, we took a nap (which ended up to be a pretty long one!). Since it is autumn, the day is rather short and the sun set by 4 to 4:30pm.

We went for a relaxing walk at a typical Korean temple near our hotel.

Some of the pictures captured at the temple.

A view of some modern skyscrapers from the traditional Korean Temple grounds.

I have the entire following day to myself. A quick check with the daily tour brochures and I decided to book myself for a day trip to Mount Seoraksan located 3 hours away from Seoul and it turned out to be a trip which totally changed my perception of Korea. Watch out for the pictures coming next .....

Ultraman - Reliving my childhood moments!

Ultraman! OMG! I never knew that this little figure brings back so many fond memories of my own childhood.

This is Ryan's latest craze now. Whenever he goes, he wants to bring this `Man' with him. Even sleeps with it. Needless to say, he has been imagining that we are his monsters and he is the ultimate Ultraman, kicking, punching and ever crossing his arms to sent out a burst of deadly laser ray. And raising his arms to `fly away' victoriously with that ever recognizable `huiiizzzzz' sound when we, the 'monsters' pretend to roll over and `die'. Many of my friends have been cautioning me of letting him watch this seemingly `violent' shows...but hei...I grew up with Ultraman and I turned out OK. Yes...there were years when I too were secretly hoping that I could pull out one of those cool penlike gadgets and turned into this superhuman figure that would chop and kick the monster butts and dispense them (at the very last minute with my beeper going `beep beep beep beep) with a burst of my deadly laser rays....

Looking at this figure, it reminded me of my childhood, when television were a rare commodity (and they were only black and white then) and only a few household in the neighborhood would have one. Unfortunately, my grandparents could not afford them. So, when the evening arrived (usually around 4pm) when the show was scheduled to be broadcast, I will make sure that I get the best `seat' outside my neighbour's home (with TV) to watch my favourite hero. And I can remember all our `friends' doing the same thing, glued to the TV for that 30 minutes, `saving' the world in my imagination. Occasionally, when it rained, the neighbour would let us into the house to finish the show.

So attached I am to this hero, that I could still draw him simply by memory today. I remembered that I even drew a couple of my own `comics' of him fighting my very own created monsters and with my own storyboard. I would faithfully coloured them and then sell them to my classmates for RM0.50 !! (Rm0.50 was a lot of money back then!). I would pay a fortune to buy them back because they represents a portion of my childhood and growing up.

Over the years, I grew up and move on to other heroes. But just when I thought I have forgotten him .....he came back into my life...and I'm glad....to relive my childhood moments once again....:)

BTW, this is Ultraman Tiga, created in the 1996 and 1997. The one I watched was the original Ultraman created in the late 1960's and early 1970's.

Have there been items / shows etc that brings back sweet memories of your childhood??

Butter Cream Chicken

There were two dishes that I like and have always wondered how they were cooked. Since I started developing some interest in cooking the last couple of years, I have always wanted to try cooking these two dishes.

So, a couple of nights ago, I've decided to give this two dishes a go.

The first is butter cream chicken cooked with curry leaves. Actually it was rather simple. First I marinate the chicken with some Chinese wine, black pepper, salt and sesame oil. Then coat them with corn flour and deep fried them. To make the sauce, I simply put butter, whipping cream, milk and curry leaves into a sauce pan. Add black pepper, salt and sugar to taste. (If you like it hot, adding some chopped `chili padi' would do the trick). Once the sauce starts to shimmer, simply add in the deep fried chicken and thoroughly coat the chickens with the sauce and serve hot. Verdict (from my wife and in laws....) yummy...hehehe..:)

Next, deep fried kai lan. This dish is pretty expensive when ordered in restaurants. It does look intimating to start with and I thought that it would be rather difficult to attempt. Anyhow, I wanted to quench my curiosity. And surprisingly it was rather simpe to prepare. First, separate the kai lan leaves from their stems. Cut the kai lan leaves into long thin pieces. Marianate with some salt. Next, prepare the wok with oil. Ensure that the oil is hot before placing the cut kai lan leaves in. Simply fried till the leaves are crispy. Once they are crispy, take them out from the oil, drain excess oil and serve while hot. (The only set back...this dish is time consuming to prepare and too much oil used)

2 more recipes into my personal log ....eemmmm...what should I attempt next?

An Evening with Zainal Abidin

Date : 13th Oct 2010

We have always passed by the Dewan Filharmonik Petronas at KLCC without bothering to find out what they are playing. The thought of going for a concert has actually NEVER occurs to us (and we were paying USD just to watch Broadway shows in New York!).

Then a good friend bought us a ticket last Sunday for the afternoon show. The classic Psycho movie accompanied life by Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO). We went with much anticipation because going to an orchestra performance is like so...emmm...formal and cultured...hahaha... We were worried whether we were dressed right etc etc etc.

Well...I have seen the show a dozen times before ..but...to literally see, listen and feel the drama, suspense and passion from a life orchestra right before your eyes is another experience all together ....Needless to say, both of us were hooked and we booked ourselves the next show ...a night with one of my favourite local singer..Zainal Abidin ...


It started with a sand art presentation by one of our local sand artist, Loong Bee. It was quite an experience seeing him creating beautiful displays by simply using sand and a pair of very skillful hands.

We got ourselves a box seat nearest to the stage. And the moment finally arrived, he walked in in all his charisma...the man himself ...Zainal Abidin.... He went straight into belting out a medley of old malay folk songs accompanied by the MPO led by conductor Kevin Field. Songs like Chan Mali Chan, Burung Kakak Tua, Enjit Enjit Semut and Kenek Kenek Lah Udang never sounded so beautiful, sung with vocals so strong and powerful, backed by instruments so majestic ...

It was just 30 minutes with the man ...and...when he sang Ikhlas Tapi Jauh, he brought the house down! (The tune is still playing in my head ...). His parting song, Hijau was one of my all time favourite, singing out the need for us to go green and the preserve our mother nature was just simply breath taking ...

We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. And for the very first time in our lives, we actually queued to get the souvenir program booklet autographed by him ...and to grab a quick picture of course ...(it was an anxious moment though, cause my DSLR was giving me a memory card error the moment I switched it on!!!)

It was a wonderful night, all the more so because I have my wonderful half with me to share it. To cap it all, we went for a nice Japanese dinner at Zipangu Shangrila. (And all this time, where was Ryan you might ask ....at home with our maid while daddy and mommy are enjoying themselves ...hahaha..)

And you know what, we have booked the next show tomorrow night. Another favourite of mine, a hands percussion presentation by MPO.....Just can't Wait !!!

Rice Cooker Chicken Drumstick ....

Wife was exceptionally busy this week, organising a big event for her company. So, I'm left with my little monster at home together with the maid. I was lazy to go out for dinner because firstly, I really don't know what to eat (and I'm sick of eating noodles for dinner since I have been having that for most lunches) and I had enough of Ryan not wanting to sit still and insisting of getting down and running all over the restaurant. There is really no peace in eating that way.

Instead, I've decided to cook something real simple and quick at home. Someone in a restaurant taught me and I think it's probably the simplest and fastest way to cook a chicken dish.

I bought two chicken drumstick, strip off the skin and cut into smaller pieces. Marinate them with soy sauce, salt, pepper, sugar, oyster sauce, ginger slices, garlic slices and plenty of chinese wine. Leave them alone for 15 to 20 minutes. Put them into a rice cooker and cook for 15 minutes. And they are done.

So for dinner last night, it was a simple meal of soy sauce chicken drumstick cooked with my rice cooker and baby spinach soup. Not only (I think) was it a better meal as compared to eating hokkien mee outside, at least I can eat more peacefully at home, not having to stress over Ryan running all over the place.

Temptations @ Ara

30th September 2010

My wife's birthday.

Initially I have wanted to have a nice quiet dinner, just the two of us at Zipangu Shangrila KL and made the reservation for it. Wanted to give her a surprise but on second thoughts, knowing how busy she is with her work, I gave her a call a day in advance to inform her. And luckily I did, because she will be attending some function at Petaling Jaya on that day in the evening and it would not make any sense for us to travel back to KL for dinner.

So, after some thoughts, I guessed the best option would be to turn our home into a mini restaurant to serve our VVIP guest for the night.

Did some quick planning on the menu and informed my maid to be prepared for some cooking that day and that evening for our special guest. For desert, my maid helped me to prepare one of my wife's favourite...Tiramisu.

On the day, I took half day off from my work and went about shopping at Cold Storage at Solaris for the ingredients necessary for the evening dinner. I wanted to make sure that the food are prepared well in advance so that I don't have to be stressed out serving our VVIP guest that night. So, the afternoon was spent in the kitchen, busy preparing with my maid who turns out to be a great help.

And at 7 p.m., Temptations @ Ara is finally ready to serve our special guest for the night .....

The menu for the night .......

One of your her favourite drink. Soda with lemon, lemon zest, ginger with a dash of mint, served chilled.

Soup : Seafood Chowder with clams and shrimps

For the first starter : Asparagus wrapped in bacon, pan seared to perfection, served with a dash of mustard

Followed with the second starter : Pan seared Scallop served on a bed of green salad with home made tartar sauce and thousand island dressing.

Next, we have Lightly pan seared tuna slices served with tartar sauce.

For the main course, pan grilled medium rare ribeye steak, marinated with shiraz, served with black pepper sauce.

For desert, sweet wine tiramisu to wrap up the evening on a sweet note.

My two very special guests for the night. All in all, it turned out to be better than dining at any other restaurant down town.

Toys! Toys! Toys!

Who said that times are bad? Who said that people would only spent on absolute necessities?

We certainly don't think so after visiting the Mattel toy warehouse sale held recently at the Atria Shopping Center.

I was informed by a friend of this fair 2 days in advance and it was also advertised in the newspapers. Since Ryan is a fan of cars and planes and since Mattel do carry Hotwheels and Matchbox models, we have decided to have a look 2 Saturdays ago.

It was supposed to be the very first day and the warehouse would start from 10 am to 10 pm. So, when the Saturday arrived, we woke up leisurely and after getting Ryan ready, off we went to Atria. I thought we were early. It was barely 10 am. I figured we could have a good breakfast at Seri Penang before heading up to the warehouse sale held on the 1st floor.

When we reached Atria, we could not find an empty spot on the ground or the 1st level car park, which is highly unusual at 10 am on a Saturday. With no other choice, we drove up the open car park on the highest level and found ourselves a empty slot. As we were making our way down, we saw parents carrying bags after bags of ....TOYS!!!! (and it was only 10:30 am)....

I told my wife that we better head on to the toy fair first before having our breakfast. I was shocked when I reached the entrance. The entire floor was packed!!!! There were empty boxes everywhere and there were also parents hanging on to boxes filled with toys and they were still grabbing for more! I could hardly get near to see what is on offer. It was like a big mad house!!! My `kiasu' gremlin got the better of me that very second. With one hand hanging on to Ryan, I squeezed myself in between some grumbling mothers, fought my way past some frowning fathers, and grab whatever Hotwheels or Matchboxes that I could laid my hands on. There were no price tags. I asked and nobody seemed to know the actual price and by the way everybody is buying, nobody seemed to care.

While I was busy scanning for more toy cars, my wife was on a mission of her own, squeezing in between humid bodies grabbing whatever she thinks will be a good buy (with absolutely no idea of the price ... go figure). After 30 minutes, I had enough. We have managed to grab about 15 items in a small little box, a pale comparison to many who have theirs in two or three large cardboard boxes.

I signalled my wife that we should pay and get out as Ryan is starting to get rather impatient, not to mention me. When we got to the payment line, another shock awaits us. 5 long queues, all waiting to pay. It was another 25 minutes or so before I finally got to pay for my stuff. Were they cheap? I have no idea. I spent over RM300 on toys that morning. But judging from the boxes others are pushing along with their feet, it's merely kacang puteh (peanuts) to Mattel.

As I was about to make way out, I remarked to the cashier that it was quite shocking, looking at the crowd at 11:30 am on the first day of the sale. She looked hardly surprised and calmly told me that people were already lining up waiting for the warehouse sale to start as early as 8:30 a.m!!!!

We walked off, leaving behind scores of parents still waiting for new boxes and bargains to be offered and long queues of parents still waiting to make payment for the toys they thought were a real bargain. As we walked past parents just arriving with their children, I said a silent prayer and wishing them good luck, all the best and happy squeezing and shopping.

FOUR!!

No no...don't start thinking that I am contemplating marrying FOUR! One is already a handful. And no, I'm not thinking of having FOUR kids either. One at this point in time is enough to drive me up the wall.

Four is currently Ryan's favourite number or the only number that comes to his mind the moment if he is asked to give an answer in numbers.

Daddy: "How old are you?"
Ryan : "Four"
Daddy: "NO...two!!"
Ryan : "NO...FOUR!!"

Ryan : "Nen Nen (Milk Milk)"
Mommy: "How many (although the correct grammar should be how much)?"
Ryan : "Fourrrrrr..."
Mommy: "Three !"
Ryan : "Fourrrrr..."
Mommy : "Five??"
Ryan : "No ..FOUR!"
Mommy: "Six?"
Ryan : "NO NO FOURRRRRR!"

Ryan : "Lizat (Lizards)"
Daddy: "How many lizards?"
Ryan : "FOUR!"
Daddy: "NO..only three ...One, Two, Three .."
Ryan : "...Four!" (smiling cheekily)

Getting Patriotic

Date : 30th August 2010

We received an email that Ryan's daycare will be having a mini merdeka celebration for the children and they are requested to dress in traditional costume to go to school as part of the celebration.

An quick sms to the principal confirmed it and was requested to dress him in Chinese tradtional costume. So, we took the opportunity during the weekend to shop for suitable piece for him in Sunway Pyramid. After walking around several shops, we still could not find a suitable Chinese traditional costume for him (besides being extremely expensive).

Then, remembering that we are so near to Hari Raya, there would be plenty of traditional costume on sale. So, we decided to get him a Malay costume instead. We got a few pieces for him to try on and finally, he chose a green one complete with a sarong. We had wanted to get him a songkok as well. Unfortunately, the songkok was a bit too large for him and, coming with a price tag of Rm25, we finally opted against it.

Honestly, I think we had more fun shopping and getting him to wear the costume than him and quick frankly, I think that he looks pretty good in it too ...don't you think?

Another Round of Roseola Viral Rashes and Fever

When we brought Ryan back from the daycare on Monday evening, we noticed that his body was warm. Checking his temperature, confirmed that he was running a fever of about 37.8 degrees. Gave him his paracetamol and the fever subsides but only for as long as the medicine effects last. So, for the next two days, we had to constantly monitor his temperature which fluctuates between 37.8 degrees to as high at 39 degrees. On the third day, we noticed small red rashes on his body and we feared that we might have contacted the roseola viral infection again. (He got it once in June recently).

So, we took him to his favourite but expensive `uncle' for a checkup. One look and he confirmed it. To make sure that it was not dengue, a blood test has to be taken.

This super naughty rascal didn't even flinch when his finger was poked the first time. But because he did not drink enough fluids, the doctor was having a tough time getting enough blood for the necessary test. So he had to poke him again and this time, he had to squeezed enough blood for the test. It must have been painful. (His mommy dare not even look and had to look away). But...he didn't cry out loud. He frowned with pain and anger and JUST STARED at the doctor. He all actually had a good laugh over it.

Well, just like the doctor said, the fever subsided on the third day but the red rashes were all over his body and even more this round as compared to the last. It's so pitiful looking at him BUT he is as active as ever !! There is no stopping him from having a good time, playing with his favourite toys ....his daddy and mommy.

His rashes are still there today but is slowly subsiding. I just hope that he will recover fully over the weekend. And meanwhile, daddy will continue to be the monster and he will continue to be his Ultraman, giving me a good whack every now and then.

Finally brushing his teeth!

We have been trying to get this little monster to brush his teeth for ages now. We have bought him his toothbrush and toothpaste months ago but he just refused to do it.

I have to almost use force every morning using a wet cloth to clean his teeth and risking getting my fingers bitten by him (which can be an extremely painful experience).

Well, the good news is he finally agrees to brush his own teeth with his toothbrush and even insisted on having his own toothpaste. The trick is daddy has to brush at the same time. And the major factor why he enjoys brushing his teeth now is because he gets to squat next to the wash basin and plays with the running tap water while he brushes his teeth.

Well, at least he is willingly doing it now every morning before he goes to his daycare and every night before he goes to sleep. And I don't have to risk getting my fingers bitten again.

FIFA 2030

I have not been updating this blog for quite a while now due to several factors: Busy, Out of the country and LAZY!! ..hahaha...

Just got back from a holiday to Washington and New York. Will post some pictures of that later. We left our Ryan with our new maid (thank God that she is ok after the fiasco we had with our ex Cambodian maid who replaced my previous Indonesian maid) and Ryan's two grandmothers...!

Yupe. You heard me right. We had two grandmothers taking care of him, living in the same house and trust me...don't try it. Will yak about that in another post.

We were transiting in Amsterdam the day Holland qualified for the finals and boy, the entire Amsterdam was orange. And the beauty of FIFA 2010 was, I was watching the finals in Washington with a good friend from college (in his house) whom I have not met for over 20 years !!!! How cool was that! It will be the most memorable FIFA for me ever .....

Of course, come FIFA 2030, I will be even more anxious.......

Cause, Ryan is going to attempt to be the top scorer for that season. Why? Judging from the way he is handling the ball now that he is only 2, I am quite certain that he will get there....Don't believe me, have a look at the pictures above and judge for yourself .....

His first DSLR

I've busy taking pictures whenever I have the chance with my new Nikon D90, enjoying a passion that I've since my younger schooling days and which I have set aside until recently. My younger sister too has got her new Canon iXUS and hence, we have been busy snapping away, either at food, places we visit or our model, Ryan himself.

Obviously, he has been observing us and recently, he has also learnt to pose for us whenever we asked him to.

A few days ago, my sister bought him a toy camera and what transpired about that was nothing short of amusement and awe. Immediately, he was imitating us, turning his camera this way and that and even attempts to take his subjects from different angles or from under the table.

We have now the youngest photographer at home......

Milestone : First Sports Day and First Medal

26th June 2010

This is Ryan's very first Sports Day organised by the day care centre that he has been attending. Actually, I think we are more excited about it than he is. Just can't imagine seeing him mingling with the rest of the kids and competing. Just can wait!!!

The biggest problem was getting him to get up in time since he has to assemble by 8:15 am. He normally doesn't get up till 9:30 am. So, we tried to get him to sleep early the night before. The next morning, we got up by 7:15 am ourselves and we tried to be as noisy as we can in the room to try to wake him up to no avail...We finally managed to get him to get up at 8am.

After getting him ready, we marched him to the playground where the sports was to be held. Luckily, it was just opposite our house. He, as usual was sticky to us. We finally managed to get him to settle down and once that is done, he was having fun, mingling around with the other children and even `bossing around'.

Watching him taking part in the parade and the event was fun. Although he is the second youngest in the entire group of more than 60 children, somehow, we felt that he has really grown.

And to top the event, he got his very first medal for his event. What proud parents he made us!!!

Looking Cool!

Ryan is learning words pretty fast nowadays. This is particularly evident once he passed his 2nd birthday. The other day, while tidying up the room I gave him my Hardrock black golf cap. Then gesturing with my hand, I taught him the word `Cool!' Then he took my wife's swimming goggles and put it over his head.

What you see above is his version of being cool.

3rd Wedding Anniversary

9th June 2010

This is a belated post since I was pretty caught up with work and uploading Ryan's 2nd year birthday celebration.

We celebrated our third wedding anniversary recently. Time flies and with the blinking of an eye, we have been `officially' together for 3 years. These three years have been interesting, exciting and fulfilling. While we have only to think for ourselves when we have not started a family, the last three years have seen our priorities in life changes once we tied the knot. Just as the theme we have selected for our wedding, our marriage is truly `A Journey', and it is the journey that we must learnt to enjoy and treasure....

To celebrate this year, we made reservation to have lunch at Shangrila Kl Laffite, a place that we truly enjoy, both the food, the service as well as the ambience. I've got them to arrange a dozen white roses which is her favourite and they arranged a very nice hand bouquet at a very reasonable price.

As we embark on our 4th year together (with lil Ryan), I'm sure the journey ahead is going to be equally exciting, challenging and enjoyable...

Ryan's Birthday Celebration Finale

12th June 2010

Ryan turned 2 on the 30th May 2010 but we can't organize a party for him earlier as most weekends were either not suitable for most of the guest or we were not free.

Finally, we managed to arrange one on the 12th June 2010 and it was like a grand birthday celebration finale for the lil one. It was supposed to be a small event among close friends but it didn't turn out to be as small as I expected. Instead of a small group of 20, we ended with over 45 guests !

Our decision to arrange for a mobile steamboat (lok lok) van turned out to be an excellent decision. The guests enjoyed themselves and we were totally freed from the hassles of having to prepare food or the clean up after the party. Besides, we also ordered some nasi lemak and satay with plenty of beer, soft drinks and packet drinks to go around.

Ryan was having the greatest time in his life. He found a friend in the son of my wife's colleague and they were literally `break dancing' at the car porch to the delight of all the guests who surrounded them for the show!

The last two years watching him grow from a 2.22kg pre-matured baby to a bubbly hyper active boy that he is now has indeed been an adventure, experience that one could not attached any monetary value. As we watched him grow, he has taught us the right values and priorities of our life too. We are certainly looking forward to celebrate his next birthday and I'm sure the next one year will be another year of adventure filled with fun, anxiety and priceless moments.

Footballer of the Year ! World Cup Fever

With the World Cup just around, world cup fever has reached a feverish pitch. We see football advertisements almost everywhere. Every establishment that I know are trying to cash in make full use of this event where almost every Tom, Dick or Harry would be talking about from now for the next one month. Everybody has a favouraite team and favourite players.

But for me, I've already decided on my most talented footballer of the year who should be awarded the golden boot. And that player is none other than RYAN! Just have a look at his pictures and you can tell that he is a natural with the ball...

@KLCC

6th June 2010

Woke up on Sunday and was wondering where should we bring Ryan for a walk and run. My wife suggested KLCC since she has to go back to her office to get some stuff. So, off we went and drove downtown. Being a Sunday, it was a pleasant drive and we arrived just before lunch.

Was looking for a place to have our brunch and decided on Chilis. It was a good thing that we arrived early because the place was packed with a long queue waiting for their tables when we left at 12:30 p.m.

Took Ryan down to the fountains and he was having a field day running about, stretching his mucles and legs and spending his boundless energy. His dad and mommy of course was a spent force by the time he had enough. (Where do these little guys get their energy from??)

By the time, we got him into the car and gave him his milk, he was in his la la land within minutes (as usual). Another Sunday well spent with quality time with loved ones .....

Breakfast at Alexis @ BSC

5th June 2010

Woke up and was wondering what to have for breakfast this morning. Dressed lil Ryan up and then decided to take a drive while we decide. Ended up in Bangsar Shopping Center and was searching for a good place to eat. Unfortunately, BSC doesn't have a comprehensive directory categorised by type of business. Instead, they only have a directory listing down their tenants alphabetically. Who on earth would know which tenant is an F&B outlet by merely looking at their name?

For example, what you think a shop that goes by the name `Ninety nine lights temptation' sells?

Anyway, we ended up in front of Alexis cafe and bistro and since we have been here before, we decided to have our breakfast there. Nice ambience and good food.

Ryan just could not sit still. Once we finished our food, we allowed him to run around BSC. He saw this shop selling baby products and made a dash inside. Found himself, tonnes of toys to amuse himself and we ended up spending close to an hour there, watching him enjoying himself, until he bump his head while riding a toy car...Good indication to go home. (Otherwise, he would probably still be there running about refusing to leave).

Got into the car, gave him his milk that he was asking for, and within minutes, he was fast asleep, tired out from all the activities that he was having. We gave a sigh of relief that we too can finally have some peace and quiet at home, giving me a chance to update this blog...

Till the next adventure, adious.....

His 2nd Birthday Celebration Begins!

Ryan's 2nd birthday celebration has begun.

First round : A pre-birthday holiday to Tanjung Jara Resort
Second round : A buffet lunch at Lemon Grass Garden Shangrila KL with family members, grandmothers, aunties, uncles and cousins.
Third round : A night out at the PUB at Shangrila KL
Fourth round : A seafood dinner with crabs among close friends at a restaurant near our home followed by the session of presents opening and assembly (as seen above)

Next: A birthday party with close friends and a planned `lok lok van' 2 weeks from now...

I'm not sure whether he is having more fun or his mother and his many `nannies' who are finding reasons to organize a party....Hahaha

Stay tune for more birthday celebration pictures then ....

Our little Holiday at Tanjung Jara Resort

Tanjung Jara Resort - Dungun

Ryan just turned two recently. As part of his birthday celebraton, we wanted to take him for a short holiday. We have hope to go to Shangrila Rasaria in Kuching but unfortunately, we have some issues with the air tickets. So, at the very last instance, we opted for a local holiday instead. While surfing the web, we came across this resort in Dungun, Terengganu and it looks pretty impressive.

So, we decided to take the 5 hours drive from KL to see it for ourselves. Needless to say, we were not disappointed at all. In fact, we were very impressed with the level of service, quality of food and the overall ambience of the entire resort. Ryan was having a great time as well, especially with his very own private sunken bath in the garden of our Anjung room. We stayed for 3 nights and took the package that includes breakfast, lunch and dinner. As you can see from the pictures of the food, they are not buffet.

My wife and I have always wanted to see a sunrise together. The last trip we made to Kuantan purposely for that was unsuccessful. We finally, did witness a glorious sunrise together and it was magical.

The service was excellent. They got to know about Ryan's birthday and they gave him a surprise complimentary birthday cake and a little toy as his present.

We told ourselves that we are definitely going back, probably for our next wedding anniversary celebration.....

Dial 1 for .... Dial 2 for ....

I have the best laugh today....
My wife was planning to redeem a gift from Citibank from the points she has accumulated but unfortunately, she can't find the item in the web site when she logged in today....

Not being one to let go easily, she tried to call the Citibank hot line to clarify, but only to find herself listening to a voice machine for over 2 minutes and having to quote her credit number twice. And after all the hassle, she just could not figure out how she could actually talk to a REAL person. Patience is obviously not one of her virtue, she was cursing and frowning after not being able to voice her dissatisfaction to a REAL person after being on the phone for over 25 minutes.

Not one who would easily give up, she wanted to give her FEED BACK! So, she logged into her Citibank website and was busy for the next 20 minutes typing her long and well positioned complaint. After rereading it for the umpteen times and satisfied that she has expressed herself, she was ready to submit the complaint..and guess what when she clicked on the submit button???

An error message flashed across her screen and informed her that the page was unsecured. Fuming, she re logged in and retyped her entire complaint, (as close as she could get to her first message). I was almost rolling on the floor, laughing at her at this point in time. Satisfied that she has got her message well written and positioned, she was determined to express her dissatisfaction to the higher management of Citibank. And she clicked on the submit button !!!

And the wonder of new technological break through ...

An error message flashed across the screen and kicked her out from the web site...!! And this was after more then 40 minutes trying to submit a feedback ...

After wasting more than 50 minutes of our life, we are back to square one. The machines have taken over!!! The end is near!!!! Next, we might have a Terminator at our doorstep....

First Day at Day Care

Date : 3rd May 2010

After more than 1.5 years, we have finally decided to sent Ryan back to a Day Care centre. There are a couple of reasons why we wanted to start him back on Day Care. Firstly, it is because we have a new maid and we really don't fancy the idea of leaving him alone with this new maid that we have a lot of trouble training. Secondly, we wanted him to start learning socialising skills as well as some form of discipline.

He is supposed to get to the Day Care centre which is located 2 roads away at 8:30am. However, our little rascal just refused to wake up till 9am. Since this is his first day, the principal recommended that he has someone familiar to be with him for the day. So, his grandma will be with him today.

By the time, he gets there, while we were busy getting his application processed, he was already happily playing away in the garden with the other kids and grandma of course.

Just hope that he will get used to this soon. Looking forward to seeing how he actually fare when we pick him up this afternoon.

H1N1

When Ryan was down with virus infection a couple of weeks back, the doctor adviced us to get H1N1 vacination for Ryan once he gets better. So, over the weekend, we brought Ryan to get his H1N1 vacination done. Cost us RM100 but somehow we felt so much more relief, knowing that he has got the vacine. Moreover, with the new maid at home (who is giving us a different set of nightmare and headaaches), we planned to get Ryan back to a day care center next Monday. The objective is to get him to learn some discipline and socialising skills.

Can't wait to see how he would react going back to daycare since he stopped going when he was 5 months old. We sent him to a day care when he was 4 months old but because he was constantly sick after he attended the day care, we have stopped sending till now.

Wish us luck.

Roseola Infantum - Another Harry Potter spell!

Last week Ryan came down with on and off fever averaging between 37.8 C to 39.9 C for a three days. With the H1N1 issue around, we were quite worried as the normal fever medicine seemed to able to just bring it down for a couple of hours. However, a comforting thought was that he was active as ever and did not have a runny nose.

On the third day when the fever still refused to break and we noticed that his eyes a little puffy, we brought him to see his favourite `uncle' , his doctor. One look, and my dear friend uttered another word akin to a Harry Potter spell - ROSEOLA INFANTUM! We were like OK...errrrr...what kinda of a spell is this???

So, we were taken on a whirlwind 5 minutes medical lesson.

Roseola Infantum is a viral infection that usually infects children of between 6 months to 24 months. (How lucky we must be. Ryan is now 22 months!) It is known to be caused most commonly by a virus known as human herpevirus 6 (HHV-6). It is a mild viral infection which can be mildly infectious.

Symptoms include 3 to 4 days of relatively high fever. Other symptoms include puffy eyes, swollen glands in the front or back of neck, bulging `soft spot' at the head (fontanel) and mild diaahea. And just as the fever breaks on the 3rd of 4th day, red rashes which is not itchy will break out throughout the body and will finally subside only after 3 to 4 days. Apparently, this infection is often confused as `baby measles'.

No medicine is necessary except to control the fever to prevent it from going unnecessary high.

To eliminate the possibility of dengue, Ryan has to `donate' his blood for a blood test. He is definitley much much braver than his mommy. He did not make a single sound even when his finger was poked and a tiny syringe was inserted to draw the required amount of blood from his little finger. He was looking intently at his finger and at what the doctor was doing, curious I am sure. The moment it was completed with a plaster over his finger, he then turned to us with his recognisable frown and show us his wrapped up finger. As usual, he required a kiss on his tiny finger from both of us to assure him that everything was alright.

As informed, the rashes did come after fever went away and the rashes did subside after 2 days. As for Ryan, he had a good time showing his wrapped up finger to everyone including his kakak, asking for a kiss.

And we have just put another spell into our arsenal of Harry Potter spells that we have accumulated so far in our parenting journey....

Super Glue Syndrome

Ryan is going through his `Super Glue Syndrome' phase now and believe me, it is a nightmare for us.

We used to be able to get the maid to feed him, play with him, entertain him and bath him even when we are around. But lately, he has grown SO VERY ATTACHED to us (especially my wife) especially when we are around in the house.

Whenever when we are around, he would just refused to go with the maid and throw a big tantrum if we `forcibly' push him to the maid if we have to get certain things done in the house. He is so sticky that he would not want to maid to feed him, bathe him or play with him. He just want US! I can't even take a bath without him tagging along into the bathroom.

Going to work in the morning is a nightmare because he would be wailing and yelling his head off and not wanting us to go to work. So, I have been trying to leave for work even before he wakes up in the morning to avoid having to see him crying pitifully, wanting to follow.

I wonder when this phase will end because it is extremely tiring going through this `super glue syndrome' with him. Any advice?

My father, My refuge, My rock

It was pouring dogs and cats yesterday evening. I was working on my study table while little Ryan was with the maid downstairs having his meal. It was a thunderstorm. Lightning was flashing everywhere, thunders were roaring and the wind howling. My little Zoewe the toy poodle was literally trembling and just won't leave my side. Suddenly, with one mighty flash and a thunderous roar, the power supply was cut!

I rushed down and found my maid carrying Ryan. The moment he saw me, he stretched out his little arms and wanted me to carry him. I took him over and held him close to my chest. Being curious as he is, he pointed to the lightning and thunders and was making his famous frowns with his eyebrows. Then another lightning stroked not too far from our house. I can literally see the lightning bolt zig zagging down. He immediately snuggled his little head into my chest and put my hand over his ears. I held on to him to assure him that I'm there and everything will be alright. He stayed perfectly still (something that is very unlike him). The thunderstorm went on for a good 30 minutes and throughout the whole period, he just hang on me with my hand over his ear. Then I found out why he was so still. He felt asleep amidst the thunderstorm. He must have felt so secure, so calm, so safe and so assured that the thunderstorm meant nothing to him anymore.

That moment was so precious (to me at least) because I felt that I being his father, I have managed to provide him the sense of security that he needed. I was determined to make sure that he felt safe and calm. I was determined to stand there with my hands over his ears as long as it takes. I was prepared to hold him close to my chest for as long as he needs. That moment defined what fatherhood is all about.

And then, I was reminded that I was taught years ago that our Father above would love us, protect us, shield us, comfort us and will provide a refuge for us whenever there is a storm. I never really appreciate nor understand how He would feel and His determination to provide that assurance until I saw Ryan sleeping soundly hanging on to me amidst the lightning and thunder clapping all around us. Now I must said, that I have a slightly better understanding of how much He would go through for His children because I would go through anything to make sure that my previous Ryan is safe and well.

Rock of Ages, Cleft for me
Let me hide myself in Thee...

A roaring Tiger year for a little mouse ...

2010, the year of the Roaring Tiger. I'm 20 months old now and this Chinese New Year, we did not go back to my grandma's house in Kampar. Instead, we managed to convince her to come to our house to celebrate the Chinese New Year with me. And this is how I spent the first few days of my Chinese New Year ..and it was FUN FUN FUN!

It all started with our reunion dinner with both my grandmothers at our favourite restaurant, Ta Ta Di near our house. As no Chinese new year is incomplete without the traditional `low sang' I had my very FIRST `low sang' with both my grandmothers. It was fun seeing adults playing with their food and they allowed me to do the same for once. Wish I am allowed to do this everyday!!!

I've learnt the second thing that Chinese New Year must have is gambling and it mahjong is a MUST. Since I am Chinese, it doesn't really hurt to start young. So, here I am, having my very FIRST mahjong game! Apparently, the harder you slammed the mahjong on the table, the more fun it is! Interesting!

Since the weather during Chinese New Year is so very very HOT, I went for a dip at my aunt's condo swimming pool.

On the second day of New Year, I went to my maternal grandmother's house for dinner and my dad introduced me to something called the motorcycle. But the power of the bike is a little too small to my liking. Bring on those 500cc monsters and then we will be rocking! (But for now, I settled with this)

Of course, since this is only the second day of New Year, every dinner is only complete if we have another `low sang' and playing and tossing with my food. So, here I am, playing with food with the adults again and this time, I managed to get more food OUT from the plate onto the table...hehehe...

And of course, to sharpen my skills to prepare me for my adulthood, I have to played more mahjong ....

Since this is the Tiger year, my mommy made sure that I have my tiger outfit to sleep with. So, here I am in my own version of my Tiger skin (minus the tail of course!)

And daddy made sure that I know that he loves me by kissing me and tickling me pink...Sigh...To make him happy, I just have to endure his pricky pricky face brushing my still silky smooth cheek....A son got to do what a son got to do....

And I get to play with my favourite toy, my very own bubble gun! Woooweeeeee......

I must said that Chinese New Year is certainly FUN and TIRING! After all those excitement, I think I'm going to take a nap and get ready for more. By the look of things, I think daddy needed the nap and the break more than I do....hahahaha

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR EVERYONE AND MAY THE TIGER BRINGS YOU AND ALL YOUR LOVED ONES A YEAR OF ROARING SUCCESS, HEALTH AND WEALTH....