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 […]
Continue readingCategory Archives: Family Pics
On top of spaghetti all covered with cheese
A list of our family’s adventures through this simulated universe. Strangely, this is represented by several methods. Firstly, my thoughts in words and then a host of two-dimensional images configured for the human visible spectrum. Finally the blog itself as a medium of information. Also, sometimes there is cake.
Boy 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 readingThe Smell of Blood, Finally Realised
Long have I read in books where the author describes of the scent of fresh blood, especially in crime novels where a gruesome murder had taken place, or a horror novel where some unfortunate soul gets his or her skin flayed for whatever reason. Long have I also thought (each time I read such thins) that I know not the scent of fresh blood. Perhaps it was because I rarely visit places where gruesome murders, or supernatural flayings, or accidents in blood banks occur. Recently, during Aidiladha (Happy belated Aidiladha everyone) we went back to Pasir Mas where as it was normal during the celebration, many bulls and cows were slaughtered for food to be given to family, friends and the less fortunate. So there I was at the yard of Ain’s uncle’s home in the neighbouring village of Lati. We were there a couple of hours late, so we […]
Continue readingIrfan, Uncles and Anti-Gravity
Irfan went swimming this morning at the building’s swimming pool. With him went his Opah Cu and his uncles, Pak Ngah and Pak Cu. Thanks to exotic technology that manipulates gravitons, Irfan, Pak Ngah and Pak Cu were floating about on the water using anti-gravity. Atuk Irfan was there to take pictures of the amazing event with his camera. Here are several images of the wire-fu hijinks. [[image:jumpwater01.jpg:We’ve lost artificial gravity!!!!:center:0]] [[image:jumpwater02.jpg:I know kung fu:center:0]] [[image:jumpwater03.jpg:Repair that damaged gravity! Yes sir!:center:0]] [[image:jumpwater04.jpg:Buddies in a road trip… into the water:center:0]] [[image:jumpwater05.jpg:Nathan Petrelli? He’s got nothing on these guys.:center:0]] Suddenly, the gravity comes back on…. and then, splash! [[image:jumpwater06.jpg:Impact!:center:0]]
Continue readingIrfan Gets a Diploma
There was a ceremony today. It was organised by the owners of the kindergartens, one of which was Irfan’s. So today Irfan got a diploma. Before that, though, there were a couple of speeches and performances by 5- and 6-year-olds. Irfan’s class performed a little dance. The music went along the lines of “going to the zoo”. Some kids were the zoo animals. Some were trees. Irfan was the middle ‘O’ of the word ‘ZOO’ and was in the middle of the back row probably because of his height. No surprise, cause that’s where I was usually placed in old school photos as well. [[image:letter_o_01.jpg:O RLY?:center:0]] [[image:letter_o_02.jpg:The march to the stage:center:0]] [[image:letter_o_03.jpg:He loves his white gloves:center:0]] [[image:letter_o_04.jpg:Assembly onstage.:center:0]] [[image:letter_o_05.jpg:Performance is over:center:0]] Then, the camera batteries died, and I had to switch to my phonecam for the diploma-giving. [[image:convo01.jpg:Getting ready to get onstage:center:0]] [[image:convo02.jpg:Irfan and friends get their diploma:center:0]] [[image:convo03.jpg:Irfan and […]
Continue readingGuess Who’s Back In Town?
[[image:uncleaunt.jpg:Cik Dik, Ayah Cik and Irfan in between:center:0]] What the title says….
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Meanwhile At Irfan’s School (or The 500th Post)
After Aidilfitri, Irfan also had some events at school, before exam week begins. The first being his belated birthday celebration at school, which apparently everyone has. Great for him. We were lucky to have the teacher wish up a happy birthday back in our days. In any case, the vanilla cake with the chocolate topping (and strawberries, as astutely observed by Irfan’s classmate) was delicious. We believe the orange-coloured fruit is apricot. Irfan’s gang huddle around their prey, the poor defenceless cake. If you mouseover the image below you will find the words “The cutting of the cake” appear on it. The cake is distributed by the teachers to the little humans. Happy Belated 5th Birthday at school, Irfan! Also, there was a belated Aidilfitri celebration which happened a day after the day with the vanilla cake. Here is Irfan prepared for school in full Raya getup, with baju Melayu, […]
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ACS Kids at Aidilfitri
At Aidilfitri Irfan met and played with a whole bunch of kids of his generation whose parent(s) were former students of ACS Sitiawan. Here are some pics of Irfan and friends. Too bad we didn’t get photos of children of Lan, Dila and Gnana. Here’s Chris C’s (the other Chris C) daughter Aleyxia whom Irfan invited to play with the hamsters brought back from Kuala Lumpur by Irfan’s Opah Ngah. The small dark on is called Ciki and the big orange one is called Oren. Irfan loved to go upstairs and feed the little guys seeds and carrots, loudly and spiritedly commently on everything they do. Then, Irfan tries to escape the camera, to no avail Awi and Hanim came with young Aisyah. She found Tok Irfan’s fish pond and Irfan’s plastic toy car very intriguing. She was also very friendly with Ain, trying to get Ain to help her […]
Continue readingOur Seventh Year
[[image:7thanniversary.jpg:Seven Years Already?:center:0]] It’s been seven years since Ain and I were married, more than eleven years since we met. Through all that time, there’s been a lot of ups and a lot of downs. And I’m glad I went through it all with Ain giving me strength at my side and I’m looking forward to more years like that.
Continue readingEid Mubarak From Sitiawan
[[popup:aidilfitri2007.jpg:(thumbnail):Everone but Sila & Vin:left:1]]Click on the thumbnail on the left for a photo of everyone present for Aidilfitri this morning. Although it wasn’t perfectly done, the different families are colour coded for ease of identification. 🙂 Although you can’t see them, Sila and Vin were also present by way of Skype video call and were privy to the regular Raya ruckus. Ain’t information technology grand? Their actual presence are missed by us all and we’re looking forward to them able to make it for Hari Raya in the coming years.
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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