HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!!!!!

Here's Destinee (and on behalf of pappy and mommy) sending every blogger, who's celebrating Chinese New Year, a Big Glutinuous Rice Cake and Happy Chinese New Year!!!

4 - Tag

I was tagged again!! I was very sure I won't escape and this time I was tagged by the lovely mommy of Wien and Lyon - Jesslyn.

Okay, in order not to 'hutang' for the Chinese New Year, here goes:

The 4 jobs I had in my life
1. Stenographer in a lawyer's firm in P.J.
2. Typesetter in P.J.
3. Typesetter in Pudu, K.L.
4. One leg kick (in the sense of sweeping the floor, washing the toilet, listening to calls, doing simple accounts, typing, attending to clients ... etc, etc, etc) employee in present company.

4 movies I could watch over and over:
1. Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (Hindi movie starring Shah Rukh Khan - my idol and I forgot how many times I've watched)
2. Chin Yi Chin Chum (don't know the English name. Strongly recommended by my sis June and she brought it back from HK for me. It's a Japanese animated film of course dubbed in Cantonese and it's Destinee's favourite too)
3. The Sound of Music (love to listen to the songs)
4. King and I (either by Yul Brynner and Deborah Kerr - got influenced by my 3rd uncle, or Chow Yun Fatt and Jodie Foster - Anna and the King)


4 TV shows I love(d) to watch:-
1. TVB series (Astro Channel 30 and 34)
2. Singaporean Series (Astro Channel 19)
3. Documentary shows
4. Entertainment shows

4 places I've lived:-
1. Kuala Pilah, Negeri Sembilan (my birth place)
2. Seremban, Negeri Sembilan (my hometown)
3. Petaling Jaya, Selangor (college days)
4. Cheras, Selangor and Salak South, K.L. (working days)
(can make dat 5 ar?) and
5. Now in Seri Kembangan, Selangor

4 places I've been on vacation to:
Oh, oh, bit of problem here cos I don't quite like travelling and no money to travel.
1. Most places in West coast of West M'sia.
2. Singapore
3. Haadyai
4. Gosh, no more - poor me.

4 places I would rather be in:-
1. My Home Sweet Home
2. My Home Sweet Home
3. My Home Sweet Home
4. Shopping Complexes
(hee, hee, I'm a very homely person)

4 of my favourite foods:-
1. Sharksfin soup
2. Crabs (and all seafood except oysters and the 'siput' type - no matter in what style they are being cooked)
3. Fried Noodles (Cantonese Style) - 'Kong Fu Chow'
4. Beef Noodles Soup (near my working place)
Alamak, all very high cholesteroled food (no choice cos they are my favourites)

4 of my favourite beverages:
1. Oats (my daily cup of beverage in the morning)
2. Milo
3. Iced Leong Fun
4. Cendol (oops, is this a beverage?)

4 (or more) websites I visit daily:
1. Tracy's Nest
2. Mybabybay
3. Blogger's blog
4. The Star

4 unfortunate souls tagged:-
1. Rachel (haven't tag u b4)
2. Elyss (better update ur blog)
3. Michelle (better not use Tim or Emily as excuses this time)
4. Sabrina (want to know u better)

Okay, should know me better by now, rite?

Golden Crispies

Actually I didn’t have the intention of baking any cookies for the coming CNY until I read Zara’s mama’s blog about her cookies and suddenly had the urge of baking some cookies for the coming CNY.
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Okay, first of all, I have to take my trusty oven from the storeroom cos there’s no place for it in the kitchen. Told maid to have it cleaned. Put it on a small table in the hall (reminding Destinee not to go near it every now and then). Got my maid to get and clean all my baking equipment which were nicely placed in a container in the storeroom too and told her dat ‘mam’ wants to start work.
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I have so many types of cookies in mind which I would like to bake but what should I start off first? Suddenly struck my mind dat kiddies loves my Golden Crispies. So if there’s anyone interested, here goes:–

Ingredients:
60 gms butter
80 gms cornflakes
50 gms rice bubbles
60 gms almond flakes
1 tablespoon of fine sugar
3 tablespoon of honey
Small paper cups (of course they are for the crispies and not to be added with the ingredients)

Method:
1. Heat up the oven first – i.e. turn it to 150°F.
2. Melt the butter in a pot and leave it aside.
3. Dump and mix all the ingredients in a mixing bowl (or whatever big bowl u can find in ur house).
4. Don’t forget to pour the melted butter in and mix again until the ingredients are of a sticky appearance.
5. After the ingredients are mixed, get a teaspoon to scoop a teaspoonful of the mixed ingredients into each paper cup.
6. Lay all the paper cups of crispies onto a tray and they are ready to be put in to the oven.


7. Set the oven to about 125°F and for 8-10 mins.
8. After about 4 mins., keep a watchout. As for my trusty oven, I have to turn the tray of crispies from one side to another.
9. The crispies will turn golden in colour and that means they are ready to be taken out of the oven.

10. The crispies will not stick when they are still hot, therefore u have to leave them to cool before entering them into ur containers.
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The above ingredients will make about 100 golden crispies (about two containers - size of the container is as shown above) depending on how much ur teaspoonful is.

What I did was double all the ingredients and in one go I had 4 containers and a little extras (about 20) in a small container for Destinee to munch. She loves the crispies very much.

HAPPY TRYING!

Youngest typist?

Destinee loves to disturb me whenenver I'm at my PC doing my work or chatting (my sis June, Rachel and Sabrina will understand cos they have seen her disturbing me on the webcam) and she'll always wants to join me. Whenever I need to work, I'll have my cane with me, then she'll go away once she sees I have the cane around.

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She can find and type the alphabets from A - Z (of course under mommy's supervison, ha, ha, ha) but she can easily find the keys (alphabets) to her name - DESTINEE. She knows where the delete and enter keys are too.

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Her favourite games are from the Disneyland's website. I was really amazed at the time when I taught her once by moving the mouse around and clicking at correct positions and the next moment she was moving the mouse like an expert. But I do have a specific time for her to play with the computer i.e. only on weekends.

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One thing for sure, I won't be allowing her to follow my footsteps.

Destinee's Toys

Posting this to let Destinee know how lucky she is. Besides her Barbie dolls, she has lots of toys to play with but she still wants to play with mommy's cooking utensils. Her toys are being well kept (under the supervison of mommy) in plastic containers. Mommy's a very 'fussy' person whereby the house will be searched if there's a missing toy/block from the set and will be questioning 'kakak' (maid) 'ini/itu sudah pergi mana, mesti simpan baik-baik selepas Yau-Yau (Destinee) sudah main, tau tak?' Fussy mommy, rite?

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Destinee's first (baby) toys.

Ironing board, iron, hangers and water sprinkler

Vacuum cleaner, broom, dustpan, mop, pail. The vacuum cleaner is battery operated. Although it's a toy, it does suck bits of paper and the bits of plastic foams (provided).

'Masak-masak'

The kitchen stuff in the box has yet to be assembled and was presented to her by mommy's sis (her Auntie June) during her 2nd birthday. Mommy sometimes play 'masak-masak' with Destinee and it's fun.

Tricycle and Giraffe 2 in 1 rocker.

Furry toys - her favourite's the little Pingu (penguin), a present from 'Kai Ma' Elaine. She'll always want her Pingu to accompany her to sleep.

Educational toys.

Blocks, VCDs, CDs, Flash Cards.

Baby and Children songs.

Story Books.

And her 'Jap Pa Lang' (mixed) toys.

Barbie Dolls & Stuff

Destinee loves to play with Barbie dolls and she's lucky

dat mommy is oso crazy about Barbie dolls.

This girl of mine will never allow anyone to share with her Barbie dolls

except mommy, kakak, 'ka jeh' Elyss and niece Charlett.

Of the three Barbie dolls, she likes the Ballerina most.

There are two dolls (the one she's holding and the one sitting

on the floor) which Michelle helped me to buy and

couriered them from Penang to me.

The one sleeping on the bed (comes with the cats and pram)

was a present from 'ka jeh's' MIL.

Mommy has kept them nicely and all are still in one piece.

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Destinee with her collection of Barbie dolls, VCDs, bags,

some stationery and bedroom set.

She's wearing the Tiara from Barbie too.

Dat's the hall set.
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Another view of the hall

Barbie's bedroom set.

Got tagged again

I was tagged by Jesslyn. This tagging game seems never ending but sounds interesting. What will they come up with next? Okay, before my lazybones lurk me, better do my homework.

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The Rules:

Remove the blog in the top spot from the following list and dump everyone up one place. Then add your blog to the bottom spot.

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1. My All

2. All about Zara

3. Faythe's Baby Blog

4. Jess2princesses

5. Tracy's Nest

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Then u select five people to pass the love on to. Here's my selection:

1. Jefferene (My Little Sunshine)

2. Chanel's Journal

3. 1 + 2 mom

4. Two Little Fellas mum (cos u tagged me b4)

5. Whoever wants to be tagged (seems dat most of u out there has been tagged)

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1. What were u doing ten years ago?

Gosh! What did I do ten years ago? Sometimes I can't even remember what I did minutes ago. Getting old liao. Okay, 10 years ago, hmmmm.... mmmm ..... I was staying in Cheras, still struggling with the ups and downs of life. Trying to get a nest of our own after having some problems staying with my MIL and elder SIL - aiyo long story lar (ppl out there staying with In-laws will understand, execpt Jess and Chin Nee, whom I know, are happy with ur in-laws). Hubby and I tried to have bb but unsuccesful.

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2. What were u doing 1 year ago?

Trying to get my maid back when Destinee was being mistreated by babybsitter. Was so happy dat she decided to work for me again. Started to visit blogs and started chatting and got to know a lot of mommies where I can share my experiences with them (so glad I did). Bought two new PCs for the office.

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3. Five super fatty and high cholesterol snacks u enjoy:

1. All crispy chips

2. Pisang goreng

3. Chocolates

4. Cakes

5. Yau Char Kwai

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4. Five songs which u know all the lyrics in ur head rite now:

1. Twinkle, twinkle little star (both English and Mandarin)

2. Ke Ren Lai

3. Tien Mi Mi

4. Ni Jem Mo Suo

5. Negara Ku (who doesn't know this should bang ur head on the wall, kakakakaka)

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Aiya, why only five, I have lots more, but mostly kiddy songs. Though I don't know Mandarin but the songs I sing are mostly Mandarin songs (hee, hee, dunno why). I have a lovely voice leh *cough .. cough ....*

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5. Five things u would do if u were a millionaire (actually how far can u stretch a million dollar nowadays?)

1. Buy myself and family a landed property

2. Buy my 2 daughters, sisters June and Kuen, and brother Tuck a bungalow, or maybe a villa, each.

3. Visit all Disneylands

4. Donate some to the needy

5. Keep some for further use

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Still got lots I would Iike to do wor. Alamak, a million in RM? Enough or not ar? Maybe million in British pound or Euro or USD lor hor. Ya lor, (actually how far can u stretch a million dollar nowadays?) should be enough lar.

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6. Five bad habits

1. Go to toilet whenever I feel excited

2. Always daydreaming

3. Bad tempered

4. Hold the cane to threaten Destinee whenever she's naughty

5. 'Ngi ngi ngo ngo' hubby (luckily hubby's very patient if not die lor)

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7. Five things u like doing:

1. Watching TV programmes and TVB series

2. Shopping

3. Lazying on the sofa

4. Chatting on MSN, Yahoo or phone

5. Eating

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8. Five things u would never wear, buy or get new again:

1. Mini skirts, bare backs, tight fitting clothes (ppl will be laughing until their dentures will drop if I still wear those but still can wear short pants though)

2. Expensive clothes for Destinee (hee, hee, Auntie June and Elyss jeh jeh will buy)

3. - mind's blank -

4. - mind's blank -

5. - mind's blank -

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I don't think there's anything in my mind which I would never buy or get new again. FYI, buying things is one of my favourite hobbies.

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9. Five favourite toys

1. My little girl and little cucu

2. My PC

3. My Cooking Utensils

4. My Handset with camera

5. My TV and DVD Player

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Well, Jess, got to know me better?

Something I like about S'pore

View taken from BIL's 'flat' in Singapore.

With no fencing and security, yet the surroundings are so well-kept. Take note of the cleanliness of the surroundings. Our so-called 'condominiums' in M'sia with fencing, security and maintenance are far behind compared to the 'Flats' there. The playgrounds are very well maintained too. There is no hap-hazard parking and there are ample multi-storey car parking spaces – even for visitors (but with a parking fee of course). A food court and a convenience store will be nearby and it is so conveniently located (walking distance). It is oso very convenient to move around, from one place to another, with the abundance of taxis and the LRT system.

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Okay, call me "Ah Lian" if u wish. I haven't been to Singapore for quite a long time but I find dat the environment and the air there are still as clean as ever. Even the old buildings there look newer than our new buildings here (I'm talking about the flats). I heard from my BIL dat the buildings has to be repainted every 5 years (I was thinking 'huh?' 5 years? The outlook of the buildings in M'sia are in a deteriorating state after 5 years and most of them are not even painted after the first painting was done and some of the buildings are oredi 15 year-20 years old!).

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The roads are clean and smooth. Smooth in the sense dat there are no bumps and 'ambush' holes everywhere. U see, Singapore once belonged to Malaya, it's so near to Malaysia and yet there is such a vast difference between the two countries. Once I made my exit from Singapore and reached Johore Bahru, I can feel the difference oredi. Immediately, on the roads, I could see holes, roads being dug, rubbish everywhere .... sigh .... usual sight of Malaysia's surroundings. If there are 'big shots' coming from other countries, the place will be beautified only at the last minute.

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BIL’s restaurant:
MacPherson BBQ Seafood
Located at:
34, South Bridge Road in Singapore

The restaurant serves a lot of varieties of seafood. It's situated near "Ngow Cheh Sui". Operating hours are between 11.00 a.m – 11p.m. There are set lunches between 1.00 p.m. – 2.00 p.m.

My Maid

My maid is a Muslim from Java Timur, Indonesia. Her name is Marsiti. She was 29 years old when she first came to work for me, now she’s 32 and has 2 children of her own – 15 and 13 years of age. She comes from quite a secluded area where there's no electricity and telephone lines. So when she first came I’ve to teach her how to use the electric appliances and almost everything. She takes and loves to eat khinzir’s meat. She hasn’t tasted the meat before and doesn’t get to eat meat (beef or chicken) unless occasionally on festive season or when a person passes away (dat was what she told me). Her food back in Indonesia will be rice (breakfast, lunch and dinner) with sambal chillies and sometimes veggie from her farm. She plants her own padi and veggie. She told me she doesn’t mind taking khinzir’s meat. If I buy outside food, I’m sure to order fried chicken for her. Now her favourite food is Kentucky Fried Chicken.

She was with me since Destinee was a month old. She went back to her hometown after the expiry of the contract of 2 years. I sent Destinee to a babysitter (thought to be a fren) but somehow Destinee was not being well treated. After about a year, I have to have a maid to do the house chores as I decided to go back to work (sorry, I’m not the type who can stay at home to look after my kid) and dat was when I was lucky to get my maid back again (I dared not get a new one for fear dat she’ll not be able to get along with Destinee and I’ve to start ‘teaching’ her from the beginning). I was so glad to hear dat she has built herself a house when she went back and she was so happy dat I decided to employ her again. My maid is one of those who really come to M’sia to work and not to ‘play play’.

This time round, I taught her how to cook and prepare soups and now sometimes my hubby praises her cooking. She takes care of Destinee, treats her as if she’s her own daugther and very protective of her too. She’ll never allow other kids to bully her. My maid used to sleep with Destinee when she was a baby but now I have Destinee to sleep with us and I’ll make sure dat Destinee ‘sticks’ to me whenever I’m around.

Sometimes I do raise my voice on her when she forgets but I’ll explain to her dat I’m teaching her and I’m glad she’s a very understanding one. She’ll sometimes say “Aiyo, saya tak da otak”. She hasn’t shown me her sour face before and always ever ready to learn and take my advices. Now she does her jobs without being told.

She used to eat a lot when she first came (at least 2 big plates or rice) but now she takes only 1 bowl of rice. And I’ll separate her food from ours i.e. once the food is cooked, I’ll immediately leave some for her and not after we’ve eaten therefore she gets to eat immediate cooked food too. She doesn’t waste food, eg. when we have leftovers, she’ll reserve the food for her next day’s lunch. She doesn’t like to go out, she dislike travelling in the car. She would rather stay at home with or without Destinee. Whenever we want to have dinner outside, she’ll request us to bungkus for her.

Whether the maids are young or old really depends on our luck. I can say dat I’m one of the lucky ones to get a good maid (keeping my fingers crossed).

Dat's my maid, Marsiti, with Destinee

Autopass Card & Maid's Exit Card

When u are driving into Singapore in ur own vehicle (vehicles with M’sian registration plate are treated as foreign vehicles), don’t forget to get ur Autopass Card (effective since 1st June, 2005 - dat was new to us). The card can be obtained at the Singapore Immigration booth or at the Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP)/Toll offices. U have to insert the Autopass card into the card reader at the Immigration booth.

A form has to be filled in when applying for the Autopass Card and its priced S$10.00 (Singapore dollar). Once the Card is handed to u, automatically S$6.00 will be deducted for the price of the non-refundable card and the stored value of S$4.00 is just enough for u to leave Singpaore (Toll charge at Checkout points is S$3.70).

U can drive into Singapore for 10 days without paying VEP (Vehicle Entry Permit) fees. After the 10 VEP-free days have been fully utilised, drivers will have to pay the prevailing VEP fees for subsequent days if they continue to use or drive their vehicles in Singapore. This card is oso used for the payment of any ERP (Electronic Road Pricing) charges (e.g. tolls).

So, make sure u top up ur Autopass Card with enough value. Topping-up can be done at any 7-Eleven convenience outlets. This card is not tranferable to another vehicle. And please bring along ur Autopass Card each time u drive into Singapore. Under the law, it is an offence to drive a foreign-registered vehicle into Singapore without an Autopass Card. The penalty is a fine up to a maximum of S$2000! Wua lau eh! Dat’s about RM4560!!!!!

AND BE SURE TO SLOT UR AUTOPASS CARD INTO THE READER AT THE IMMIGRATION BOOTH BEFORE U LEAVE SINGAPORE!!!!!

My hubby FORGOT to slot his Autopass Card when we left the Singapore Immigration Booth!!!!! …. *slap head* …..

I called the LTA (Land Transport Authority) of Singapore and was informed dat we could not do anything. We have to go to the Singapore’s Immigration the next time we visit Singapore and will be advised what to do. I asked the officer if I could send the card to my BIL to do the slotting for us and the answer was NO (hee, hee, was trying to be smart). The car and the Autopass have been registered and once u slot the Autopass Card, the registered vehicle has to pass thru as well. Boo hoo hoo … now our car has been BLACKLISTED! (maybe can ‘talk talk’ over with the Immigration officers when we visit Singapore the next time) Or …. another alternative is ….. we have to travel in another vehicle and apply for a new Autopass Card. Or even have to travel by plane, bus or train.


Maid's Exit Card

Another matter which I would like to bring up is regarding my maid again. When u bring a foreign maid OUT of Singapore, u have to fill in a card again. I didn’t know dat I have to fill in another card (they call it the ‘pak card’ (white card) in Cantonese or the Exit Card) to get her out of Singapore. The card can be obtained from the Immigration Booth. I thought the one which I filled when we entered the country would be sufficient but no, I had to fill in another card. What the …. Luckily there were spaces for us to park our car if not ‘jialat liao’ with the queue behind us and so ‘lau kui’ (embarrassing). After filling the card, the butt was returned to me and I have to attach it to her passport for future use when she leaves Malaysia. My hubby was grumbling all the way – why so troublesome, why need this and that and I was …… speechless (I was thinking, next time we better travel by bus, train or plane and don't bring maid along).