So those of you who romanticize snow, and think it’s cool and stuff, sure it looks pretty until you realize that in order to get out of the house you have to shovel the entire driveway or you’re stuck. Here’s poor Vin, shoveling first a path to the mailbox (so he can pick up the mail and his newspapers): [[image:snow20.jpg:Shoveling the front porch first:center:0]] Here’s a little comparison – first photo is the front porch prior to shoveling, second photo is after: [[image:snow16.jpg:Can’t even see the front porch, snow level with the 3rd step:center:0]] [[image:snow23.jpg:Front porch shoveled:center:0]] See how much snow Vin had to remove? Sheeesh. Anyway, more pictures below, as always mouse over for captions: [[image:snow21.jpg:Lily watching Vin shovel:center:0]] [[image:snow22.jpg:Unearthing the second step:center:0]] [[image:snow24.jpg:Made it to the driveway!:center:0]] [[image:snow25.jpg:Shoveling shoveling:center:0]] [[image:snow26.jpg:Are we there yet?:center:0]] Vin shoveled a path to the mailbox first, and the next day shoveled most of […]
Continue readingAuthor Archive: sila
GRRRRRRRR SNOW GRRRRRRRR BLIZZARD
OK, people! What is the deal? It is freaking March 8th, 30 miles north of Kentucky, and what do we have? A foot of snow on the ground! Blizzard conditions! WTF???? Look at this stuff!!!?!?! [[image:snow11.jpg:Snowdrift in back corner:center:0]] [[image:snow12.jpg:Snow hanging off:center:0]] [[image:snow13.jpg:Snowy basketball court:center:0]] [[image:snow14.jpg:Cracking open the side door:center:0]] [[image:snow15.jpg:Look at that snow!:center:0]] [[image:snow17.jpg:Lamp is not spared from snow build up:center:0]] [[image:snow18.jpg:The back stairs:center:0]] [[image:snow19.jpg:The driveway:center:0]] [[image:snow16.jpg:Believe it or not, this is the front porch:center:0]] Dang it! I was looking for a picture of the front porch without snow, and all the pictures from last years are either vacation, food, or cat. Huh! I will have to take a picture of it when this snow stuff is over (if it ever ends!) and put up a picture of the front porch to compare with the last image here, just so you can see the difference. There are 3 stairs […]
Continue readingBoy or Girl? DON’T TELL US! – Part 2
So, seven weeks after the first ultrasound, we are at 21 weeks and 3 days for our next ultrasound. Again, Vin and I do not want to know the gender, so if you can tell from the pictures, don’t tell us!!! 🙂 As of today, (s)he weighs in at 1 whole pound. I just checked the previous entry, and (s)he was 3 ounces only at the time! (S)he is growing at a normal rate. We will see the OB next week to review the progress. Anyway, here are the pictures: [[image:likely_face_0306.jpg:Facial View:center:0]] The right-hand sphere is the head, (s)he is facing us. You can see the eyes, nose ridge, (s)he is getting pretty fleshy and formed there, compared to seven weeks ago! The two black dots on the abdomen (the larger sphere), I believe, are the kidneys. [[image:likely_foot_0306.jpg:Foot:center:0]] Obviously, that is his/her foot 🙂 [[image:likely_profile1_0306.jpg:In profile:center:0]] Now (s)he is showing […]
Continue readingThe Halfway Mark
I have been a total spaz about blogging lately. I’m so behind on all kinds of entries that I’ve been meaning to write and have been writing in my head. But as you might imagine, Vin and I have been occupied with other things lately. 🙂 Monday February 25th was our “official” halfway mark. Twenty weeks down, twenty weeks to go. Here’s what I look like, twenty weeks along: [[image:halfway.jpg:20 weeks:center:0]] I’ve been told I don’t look too pregnant yet, but you tell me! 🙂 In the meantime, some random thoughts on this whole experience: 1) How do men with potbellies deal with it? I mean, I no I’m not beanpole skinny-girl, but I was at least proportionate. I carried the weight in a balanced fashion. This whole belly thing is upsetting my equilibrium and not to mention the expanding belly does force one to compensate and walk differently or […]
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And now it’s Yope’s turn!
February 1st, the day that Wilayah Persekutuan gets off, Hisham graced us with his presence thirty-five years ago. (Well, I wasn’t there at the time) Happy Birthday, bro! May you be happy and healthy always. You’ve been the best brother anyone could ever ask for, and thanks for being there for us. Love yas. *p.s. – I know the entry says February 2nd, but it is STILL February 1st over here, k? 🙂
Continue readingBoy or Girl? DON’T TELL US!
This is Vin’s and my new project. If you can tell the gender, please don’t tell us because we want this to be a surprise, something we will find out after (s)he arrives in the world. Here’s what (s)he looks like as of today (14 weeks and 3 days), and (s)he weighs 3 ounces: [[image:likely_macarena.jpg:Facing us, one arm stretched over the head:center:0]] Doesn’t it look like (s)he’s doing the macarena?? And this one: [[image:likely_flexing_bicep.jpg:Head down, showing off one arm and fingers:center:0]] Flexing the biceps?? 😉 (S)he was very active when being scanned, and was just dancing and turning around and around! It was just amazing!
Continue readingPerth – Part 4
It’s now our third day in Perth, and it is one day before EJ and Indra’s wedding. We start off the day when EJ came to pick us up in a rental van. We then drive down to Cottesloe where Hsu and David are staying. [[image:oz45.jpg:EJ and Vin by the van:center:0]] [[image:oz46.jpg:View from the street:center:0]] [[image:oz50.jpg:Beautiful beach:center:0]] [[image:oz47.jpg:Pete, David and Hsu admiring the view:center:0]] [[image:oz48.jpg:EJ and Vin by the beach:center:0]] [[image:oz49.jpg:Group photo:center:0]] We did have to walk on the beach and feel the water (which was a little cold). [[image:oz51.jpg:Walking on the beach:center:0]] We decide to have lunch by the beach. Can you blame us? [[image:oz54.jpg:EJ and Hsu:center:0]] [[image:oz55.jpg:Pete and David:center:0]] [[image:oz56.jpg:Vin, EJ, David and Hsu relaxing after lunch:center:0]] [[image:oz53.jpg:Unexpected and rowdy guests:center:0]] I guess, Down Under, pine needles grow upwards for a reason? [[image:oz52.jpg:Pine tree:center:0]] This one is for Abah: [[image:oz57.jpg:Some kind of MG?:center:0]] After we hung out for […]
Continue readingPerth – Part 3
After our nice outing, we hung out some more with EJ until he dropped us off at Mei’s place – he was off to the airport to pick up some more people. Can you guess who they might be? 😉 In the evening, Mei, Colin, Vin and I piled into the mini and drove to EJ’s for dinner. BTW, when trying to fit Vin and 3 other people in the mini, always place Vin either in the front passenger seat in front of Mei, or behind the driver’s seat if Mei is driving. Everyone has plenty of room with this arrangement! 🙂 Here are the pictures at EJ and Indra’s place (please mouse over the pictures for captions): [[image:oz29.jpg:Vin and Colin:center:0]] [[image:oz28.jpg:Peter and a bit of Hsu-Yi:center:0]] [[image:oz44.jpg:Mei manning the barbecue:center:0]] [[image:oz30.jpg:Hsu doing the dishes:center:0]] [[image:oz31.jpg:EJ and Mei:center:0]] [[image:oz32.jpg:EJ gawking at the tomatoes:center:0]] [[image:oz33.jpg:Sasha and Boris:center:0]] [[image:oz34.jpg:Indra on tippy-toe and […]
Continue readingPerth – Part 2
After a good night’s sleep, Vin and I were ready to tackle the first full day in Perth. While poor Mei and Colin had to go to work, EJ picked us up and took us to see the sights. [[image:oz05.jpg:EJ and his car:center:0]] *Note – please mouse over the pictures for captions. [[image:oz06.jpg:Perth across the Swan River:center:0]] [[image:oz07.jpg:Perth Skyline from the Swan Brewery:center:0]] [[image:oz08.jpg:Vin and EJ:center:0]] [[image:oz09.jpg:Pretty Tree:center:0]] After lunch at the Swan Brewery, we headed to Kings Park. We decided to feel the wind in our hair, drive with the top down! [[image:oz10.jpg:EJ driving:center:0]] [[image:oz11.jpg:Vin enjoying the sun:center:0]] Here we are in Kings Park. Look at the lovely trees: [[image:oz12.jpg:Tree-lined road:center:0]] EJ pointed out some interesting Australian flora: [[image:oz13.jpg:Kangaroo Paw:center:0]] [[image:oz14.jpg:Blooming plant – I forget the name:center:0]] [[image:oz15.jpg:Vin and EJ with Perth Skyline in the background:center:0]] [[image:oz16.jpg:Cenotaph – A War Memorial:center:0]] [[image:oz17.jpg:Vin and EJ by the Cenotaph:center:0]] [[image:oz18.jpg:Inside the […]
Continue readingPerth – Part 1
Just a short entry on our arrival in Australia. We arrived in the late afternoon in Perth, and my best friend Mei picked us up from the airport. We stuffed the luggage and ourselves into the mini (Note: Vin fits quite nicely into a mini cooper!) and headed to Mei and Colin’s place. We settled in, and then met up with Eu-Jene, Indra, Colin and some of Mei’s work friends for drinks and then dinner at EJ’s favorite restaurant: Uncle Billy’s. [[image:oz04.jpg:Vin, EJ and me:center:0]] [[image:oz01.jpg:Vin and Colin:center:0]] [[image:oz02.jpg:Mei and EJ:center:0]] [[image:oz03.jpg:EJ and his (then) future bride Indra:center:0]] As you can see, Vin and I are looking a little rough – we’d flown from the US to KL just a couple of days ago, then another 6 hours on the plane to Perth. Whew! We needed a nap after our dinner. Tune in later for more adventures in Perth!
Continue readingMalaysia Trip – Part I
I know I’ve been quiet. I don’t know why but somehow I sort of slipped into a bit of a hibernation period. I haven’t really done very much, haven’t swept the floors either (that’s next on the list). I really have to get started on sharing the pictures from our awesome 4-week trip (3 weeks in Malaysia, 1 week in Australia). So here it is, the beginning of the sequence. These are the pictures that I took the first few days we got home. I admit it – I was pretty exhausted and didn’t take as many pictures as perhaps I should have, plus then the camera battery conked out and all kinds of excuses. We were only in Malaysia for 2 and a half days before we had to set off for Perth. So we stayed on the 10th floor (enjoying the view) with Hisham and the rest of […]
Continue readingUpdate on Travels
Vin and I just got home from a month-long trip home to Malaysia, with a short side trip to Australia. And we’re staying home now, for a while. So I figure I should first do a little update on the map of countries that I’ve visited. I’ve been to 11 now (up from 8 in 2006): create your own visited country map or check our Venice travel guide The 11 countries are: Malaysia, US, Canada, UK, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, and Australia. My percentage has gone up from 3% to 4% in a year. Woohooo! I think if I hit Russia, China and Brazil, this map will really fill up quick! 😉 In the meantime, we have also visited some new states. Last year I had 27 states listed. This year, I have now been to 32 states (62%)! create your own personalized map of […]
Continue readingOctober Reading list (aka “The Janet Evanovich Month”)
[[image:plum_1cover.gif:One for the Money:center:0]] Books Read A Year in the Merde by Stephen ClarkeOne for the Money by Janet Evanovichnumber9dream by David MitchellTwo for the Dough by Janet EvanovichThree to get Deadly by Janet EvanovichShadow of the Giant by Orson Scott CardFour to Score by Janet Evanovich a Books Bought A bunch of Stephanie Plum novels by Janet Evanovich OK, so I usually like to vary my reading and try to even things out (male author, female author). But last month was a little bit different. It started out normally enough with me reading A Year in the Merde. This book is about an Englishman who moves to Paris for work, and the year he spent there, learning the ins and outs of the Parisian way of life. It covers the difficulties in finding an apartment, French girlfriends, and the complications of ordering coffee! It’s hilarious, and sort of reminds […]
Continue readingHorror Tag
Since Simple American tagged me for this Horror Movie meme, here we go! Sorry for it being a few days after Halloween but my days have been pretty hectic lately! In all honesty, I’m seriously a coward when it comes to horror movies. The supernatural just freaks me out for some reason! I mean, give me a good old blood and gore flick, and I’m totally fine, but throw in any element of the supernatural (ghosts, ghouls, ESP, whatever) and I’m outta there. I used to have nightmares when I was little, so I stopped watching horror movies. I can’t even be the last person downstairs and walk upstairs turning the lights out as I am convinced “something” will jump out of the darkness and get me, or that if I look back, I will see red eyes shining right back at me. But, since Jerry wanted to know what […]
Continue readingSeptember Reading List
Books Read Kitchen Confidential by Anthony BourdainFruit of the Lemon by Andrea LevyWill Write for Shoes by Cathy YardleyThe Spy Who Came In from the Cold by John LeCarréChasing Shakespeares by Sarah SmithYsabel by Guy Gavriel KayA Spot of Bother by Mark HaddonThe Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood Books Bought Will Write for Shoes by Cathy YardleyA Year in the Merde by Stephen ClarkeThe Breads of France by Bernard Clayton, Jr. September has just flown by and somehow I ended up reading quite a few books. Although a few of them weren’t very large books so maybe I bolstered my numbers by reading smaller novels? 😉 Anyway, I started off by reading Kitchen Confidential, which is written by one of my favorite Food and Television personalities, Anthony Bourdain. This is his first book, the book that launched his TV career, since it contained such truthful and witty descriptions about how food […]
Continue readingPacific Northwest: Part XII (Blue Skies on the Final Day)
Finally, the last day of our trip dawned with blue skies. The irony, right? Our final day and then the sun comes out. [[image:pacnw160.jpg:Beautiful morning:center:0]] Whatever, we weren’t complaining. [[image:pacnw161.jpg:Nice view, eh?:center:0]] We checked out of the hotel and decided to go to Lynn Canyon for a quick excursion. But I promised you pictures of the asian mall next door? Check out the food court. Not one western food eating place!! [[image:pacnw162.jpg:Asian food:center:0]] [[image:pacnw163.jpg:More asian food:center:0]] [[image:pacnw164.jpg:Even more asian food:center:0]] I was totally amazed that I had come to Hong Kong by way of Vancouver. The day before when I ordered my food, the girl at the cash register had to get somebody from the back to translate my question which was “What kind of meat is in this?” I’m totally serious. Not one word of English, basically! Aiya! So anyway, back to Lynn Canyon. It’s got a suspension bridge […]
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