Moved! Yes...again

My apologies....... after a lot of house-keeping and careful consideration, I have transferred this blog over to Wordpress. All previous posts have been exported over. My (few) loyal followers, please do re-map this blog to the link below:

www.beingliq.wordpress.com

See you there!

The Newbie

As usual, when Hubby is away I will always do or buy something new for the garden. Stumbled upon this chilli plant at the nursery. I think it is kinda cute...

And re-arranged some of the potted planst. I thought it is a good idea to place the two heliconias outside the slim windows... so when we are inside looking out, there is always something green, something blooming :)

All By Myself

Hubby is now in the Netherlands attending a 5-week course, while yours truly is home-sitting again.
June is going to be a very busy month at work, so at least I will have plenty to do for most of the days, and maybe weekends. Meanwhile, I suppose I can fill the quiet weekends reading and doing little bits of home stuff e.g. like throwing out 2-year old goodness-knows-what from the fridge. Sounds like a splendid idea. And the two dogs will always enjoy a few cuddles from time to time :)

Counting down the days till my mom and dad arrive in Miri to keep me company later this month....

On the Road

We started the road trip on a wonderful morning, bright sunshine, blue skies... but then it started to get real hot and no fun anymore after that :( I drove the first part of the journey up till Sipitang - a small seaside town in Sabah, and hubby took over from there. It was 2pm. I started driving at 7am. Overall it was an enjoyable road trip; passing the little towns, driving along the Crocker range, ferry trips across rivers and oh, not forgetting the hour we got lost at Lamunin in Brunei. Well, we decided to take the road less travelled... and I suppose it is less travelled for a good reason. We ended up driving in circles for a while. Oh well, at least we got some view of the Bruneian countryside... not much of it anyway. Very thankful indeed we had a safe and enjoyable journey. Kota Kinabalu was scorching hot and we spent most of the two days there eating, window shopping and watching movies. And I also caught up with an old college friend there, who was visiting KK for the first time with her husband. Here are some pictures, not many but we snapped some for the heck of it.

Yay! We have reached Limbang! Out of Brunei, into Sarawak again.

Limbang old airport - air strip actually. This is the old airport 'building'

Old Limbang air strip...just alongside the trunk road

Ferry service across the river after Limbang. RM8 per vehicle for a 15-seconds ride I think... I gotta buy me some shares in this company. It is making a lot of money
What?? RM8 and we have to fight for life jackets?

Optional : if you drive REALLY fast your car might be able to fly across this river

Hmm at least they didn't increase the price for the past 5 years...

Suspension bridge across Sungai Lawas. What a pretty river

Immigration checkpoint at Lawas/Brunei border. A shoplot...

Pretty green scenary along the road

Tune Hotel 1Borneo Kota Kinabalu - "pay only what you need" bed, aircon and room only. Ok at least the sheets, water and toilet paper were free

What? We have to pay for the bedside bulbs too??

Much awaited seafood dinner in KK. This is Luyang Seafood recommended by a friend's father. Our fish, prawns, seafood noodles, vegetables and drinks for two came up to RM59

Local Barley

Look what I found at the "tamu" (local market) recently.... Barley!!! Grown just outside Miri! Fancy THAT! Well, doesn't look like the usual barley that I get from the grocery store though. But it has a slightly fragrant smell and tastes.... odd, but in a good way. I like that it is not starchy like the normal barley. This is going to go real nice with 'leng chee kang' I think.

A Cool Change

It is finally raining !! OMG it is raining !! At least for today, no more steamy weather or eye-piercing sunlight !

For those not in Miri at the moment, you are probably thinking...

"What the....?"

But mother nature turning the temperature down a wee bit is a blessing indeed !

Selamat Hari Gawai!

Selamat Hari Gawai and Hari Kaamatan to all in Sarawak and Sabah, respectively.

We're back from our road trip and spending Gawai lounging at home. I am going to work occasionally and then catch up on some reading. Too lazy to upload road trip pictures now lah!

Road Trip: Two Days to go...

The past few weeks had been good. Work was good, I had a couple of good things done and the holiday week of Gawai is coming up very soon! Gawai is the harvest festival, celebrated in Sarawak in early June every year. It really is a huge thing here, much like how Hari Raya or Chinese New Year is celebrated in West Malaysia. But over here, cities just shut down for about a week and a half and everything just goes quiet. Similarly, our office will be closed for a week, it is a compulsory holiday. Much better than Hari Raya or CNY huh... :P

I am already feeling festive! And gearing up for our road trip. We will start early on Thursday morning and planning to get to Kota Kinabalu by late afternoon; while planning to stop by lunch in Lawas by noon or so. The total driving time is anticipated to be six to seven hours or so, with multiple stops along the way for immigration and customs check. Why multiple?

Because the journey goes like this:

Miri (Sarawak) ---> Kuala Belait and Tutong (Brunei)
Tutong (Brunei) ---> Kuala Lurah (Brunei) ---> Limbang (Sarawak)
Limbang (Sarawak) ---> Temburong (Brunei)
Temburong (Brunei) ---> Trusan (Sarawak)
Trusan (Sarawak) to Lawas (Sarawak) to Merapok (Sarawak) ---> Sidumin (Sabah)

Click on the above map for a clearer picture of our route.

Every crossing from Sarawak (Msia) into Brunei and back into Sarawak and then to Sabah will require a stamping on the passport. So yup... no worries about not having enough rest stops. From Sidumin, it will be all the way through Sabah passing a few more small towns like Beufort and Sipitang. One of my favorite part of the journey is the route by the Crocker mountain range, where we drive by the endless green mountains until we reach Kota Kinabalu, sitting beneath the watchful peaks of Mount Kinabalu.

One more working day to go tomorrow... then we're ON THE ROAD! La la la!

Paris or Prague ?....

Neither. Hubby's training is now postponed to June (he will be leaving in 3 weeks) and in the end we decided to just cancel the whole trip. No particular reason. We both got caught up with work and various other things that it turned out better to just stay at home and enjoy each other's company instead. In all honesty, I was more excited about having him at home in February till June rather than me being alone that month (I was still emotionally recovering from the miscarriage and Grandma's passing then).

From that, I realized that what matters most is being together. Whether it is in Paris, Prague or just Miri. :)

The Little Things

I came across these few short clips on the importance of family while watching a movie in Singapore and thought that this is well worth sharing...it made me cry in the cinema.

Remembering Grandma and Our Heritage

During a recent trip to Singapore to visit my brother and sis in law over the Wesak long weekend, my brother passed a collection of DVDs to me of a series called The Little Nyonya. He said that I have to watch it, it will make me realize what I am and what I should be.
It is a local production by Mediacorp TV Singapore on the story of a Peranakan family. Since it is almost unheard of for my brother to actually sit through 34 episodes of chinese drama, I was curious to find out why.
The amount of research on the Baba and Nyonya culture that went into the making of the series was truly remarkable. After sitting through the first episode of the series, I could understand why my brother insisted I watch this. It reminded him so much of our upbringing at home, of our maternal Peranakan side. The daily lives depicted in the series were so real, so familiar. I could not help but feel a slight tightening of the chest, trying to stop the sudden onslaught of emotion.
My brother said, we take who we are so much for granted. We do not realize all the painstaking years Ah Mah and Mom spent trying to bring us up as good Peranakan children. Now, one might wonder, how does that differ from our peers?

I used to feel that I was treated unfairly at home. Why? Because as a child, I was not allowed this, and that. Especially Ah Mah, she would knock my head and tell me;

I must not walk with giant steps
I must not stamp my feet - we lived in a wooden house; when I am walking upstairs I must not make a single sound with my feet
I must not speak too loud
I must never yell
I must never be rude, always be polite and always address the elders correctly - Ee Por, Ah Kor, Ah Chim.... I truly did not understand what all the difference were
I must not ever sit with my legs apart, up on the chair nor crossed my legs on the floor. I must always sit with both legs to one side
I must close doors and not make a single sound. Slamming the door (either by purpose or by accident) will earn me a painful 'cubit' (painful pinch)
I must not hit the wok or any pots/pans with a spoon or any utensil and make a loud clanking noise. It is not ladylike
I must not chew with my mouth opened nor speak with food in my mouth
I must not ever talk back to my elders nor ever raise my voice to them. My parents are considered always right no matter what happens

So I went to school and I saw how other children could run and play and scream their hearts out. Mom and Ah Mah would tell me, it was not lady-like. The good girl in me then would not retaliate or disagree. But the rebel in me looked at things differently and I favored my brother's toys and playing with his friends instead. That was the only way I could 'do things the way I like'.

At last, we grew up, Ah Mah and Mom , did not need to constantly nag at us no more. All the years of rules stuck in my head. It now aggravates me when a door is slammed, or someone chews noisily or I hear a utensil being hit loudly against the wok to remove food that is stuck to its surface. It absolutely isn't acceptable at all when someone noisily moves things around in the kitchen - plates, containers.....
My brother, on the other hand, is probably the most loving of all sons. I am so proud of how he would, without further thought, rush to the family's aid in all situations. Like myself, he is also extremely close to our parents and Ah Mah.
I truly am enjoying watching the Nyonya series. It brings back so many memories, good and bad. It makes me feel a tad guilty for all the good Nyonya recipes that mom had taught me, but I rarely replicate. Sitting next to Hubby watching the show, and him seeing my culture for what it truly is for the first time (he's not Peranakan), I realize just how much I take it for granted.

Well, I think I am going to try my best, again, to be the good Nyonya daughter and grand-daughter that mom and Ah Mah had wanted me to be.

Our family home in Alor Setar, where we grew up
Ceramic water container with dragon motifs; little treasures from our ancestors

Ah Mah and one of our Kor Por

Ah Mah, in her fine Nyonya kebaya and sarung. It was the only outfit she wore daily from as long as I could remember. While the designs were simpler and more plain while at home, she wore exquisite embroidered kebayas when on outings, complete with hair in a perfect chignon and pins.

Road Trip!

Hubby and I decided to relive our days of road tripping to Kota Kinabalu from Miri this coming Gawai. We'll have a week off from work then, before Hubby flies off for a 5-week course in the Netherlands (boo-hoo!!).

In about 2 weeks, we will be off, this time in a more comfortable ride. The previous two trips we drove my humble little mini car Kelisa. This time, we can take the Vios instead. Yay yay! I am brimming with excitement of what to pack, where to stop and all the quiant towns we will be passing by. It is going to be great... packed meals in the car, the ice box stocked with drinks and stopping by unknown little food shops. Brilliant ! I cannot wait!

Living in Heat

Contrary to what the title of this post suggests, the situation I am currently in is far from desirable....

The Miri heat wave and haze is back after 2 or more years in hibernation. Oh gosh.. earlier at the beginning of the year, it was the never-ending downpour. And now, the days are so so hot while the nights are stuffy and extremely hazy. One can actually sit and watch smoke swirl underneath the glare of the street lamps!!

I suppose this is what we have to endure living in a place with ample land all around. In normal times, it will be lush green. On the other hand, times like this - a simple flick of a burning cigaratte butt will set a whole area going up in flames. Sigh...when will the next rainy season come....

Random Bits of Info

1. I have Siamese blood from Grandpa and very proud of it
2. My mom used to be EXTREMELY strict with me as a child (think caning and slapping and pinching) but I think I am a better person because of that
3. I wished I had a sister
4. I have no idea how my parents met or when they got married.
5. I am secretly pleased I have dimples (and hope my children will get them too!)
6. I LOOOVVVVVVVVVVEEE eating carbs - potatoes in particular. How the heck will I be able to stay trim when my metabolism goes downhill ???!
7. I like collecting mugs - for no particular reason
8. Untidiness drives me nuts
9. I still miss my late Grandma. I regret not hugging her during my wedding :(
10. I hate the way my hair grows out of shape within days after a trim
11. I wonder why I have hair like barb wire when mom has such a fine silky mane
12. I have such a wild imagination - I wonder if I am normal
13. I had 4 volumes of personal journals written in coded language when I was 12 ( I have no idea how to read them now )
14. I am unable to sleep with my toes exposed
15. I like small stuffy spaces
16. I shamefully cannot drive a manual car anymore since I got my automatic vehicle
17. I am afraid of my parents aging and I do not know how to live without them
18. I am missing a tooth from my upper right gum
19. I am sometimes terrified that I do not have a career path in my mind!
20. I wish hubby would fold my laundry for me because I hate doing that

...to be continued...

Things to be Thankful For

I have been miserable sometimes in the current few months of trying (and failing) to conceive. Then yesterday, all of a sudden, it occured to me that beyond that bubble of gloom that I live in occasionally now, I still have so many other things to remind me that my life is still very much blessed.

1. I have a job. And steady income.
2. I have a (more than) comfortable home, and it totally belongs to Hubby and myself.
3. My parents are well, happy and I am able to provide them with the best things in life.
4. I have such a wonderful husband who takes such good care of me.
5. I am living life with no regrets so far.
6. I have so many good friends - from kindergarden, primary school, ex-workplace, current workplace....
7. I have been having good-face days for months - probably from all the junk that I am NOT eating lately
8. I have been to Loch Ness
9. I have an Ipod
10. I actually like (most) people I work with

So, I guess I need to slap myself sometimes, and remind myself not to sulk too much. If one thing does not turn out right (yet), there may be 10-25 others that are worth smiling for.

Earth Hour 2009 - Our Contribution

28th March, 8.30 pm - For one hour, the world will turn off its lights and embrace Earth Hour. Every little change together, will make the biggest impact. I am pleased to see the media reaching out to the people and turning this event into something 'cool', which returns more pledges from everyone to support this good cause. My company too, has made its pledge to turn off all non-essential lighting for the hour.

Closer to home, Hubby and I have plans for a home-cooked dinner by candle light. That's our little way of showing our support.

Singapore Here I Come!

Business reasons will put me in the heart of Singapore in 2 weeks. I am excited!Of seeing old colleagues and friends. And of course, the possibility of getting new shoes...... hmmmmmm

Growing Older, But Not Yet Wiser?

I will be blardy 32 years old this year!

I am using eye cream for wrinkle control that has a 3-digit price tag, I started watching carbohydrate intake (Kill me....) for fear of weight gain due to potentially sloppy metabolism rate, I started thinking about retirement homes (London, French Riviera or Bagan Serai-Penang?) and my aging parents (God please bless them with good health). But for all the grown-up things that I am doing, I fear I still look at the world through adolescent eyes.

I wonder if my reluctance to accept the way of the world will ruin me one day. For instance, at work, I refuse to believe that things cannot be done if one does not dabble in office politics. I acknowledge its existance, as a separate business entity that I may or may not participate in. But I still believe things do work out if one is an honest, hardworking and smart employee. I think being responsible and knowing one's trade will eventually get things through. I do not like pushing blame around. It drives me nuts. I think simply owning up to mistakes and fixing it works better than trying to find a cover up. No? I only recently stood up and submitted the paper for my promotion to the next job level, simply because now I know I deserve it. It makes me uncomfortable when people tell me, I should ask for it because I should. But I couldn't do it if I know I did not deserve it. Yes I know. I am such an idiot.

I still believe good things happen to good people. And every person has a reason, for all the evil things that they do. I cannot remain annoyed with someone simply because it takes up too much effort to be angry. It is more tiring to dislike someone that to like someone. Life is short. Why waste it, hmm? If I do not like something, I must change it. If I cannot, I have to learn to live with it and manipulate it to my advantage. Complaining isn't going to help and will only make me upset. No?

Idealist, they call me. I say I am just happy being me. For as long as I can keep it up. No?

Musical Magic

My parents started me on music school at Yamaha when I was about 7 years old. My very first teacher was a young lady named Miss Q. I started with playing nursery rhymes, learning about rhythms and tones. She was a good teacher, patient and managed to get me through 3-4 levels of examinations with commendable passing scores. Through those years, music school was something I attended every week as an activity. It was fun, kind of.

Then, Miss Q went off for a short leave and a rugged scruffy looking male teacher became her substitute. He was Mr Christopher. Our disciplined class turned upside down. And that was the day that changed the way I approached music.

Mr Christopher was someone who lived for music. He would whip out our lessons book, turned to the page that we're supposed to be playing for that week and then cast it aside. He then presented sheets of paper containing the same song, but re-arranged by himself to suit our class. He would always make the 5 of us students participate in playing the same song, together. Each person had a part to play - be it the main tune, chorus, in charge of rhythm... something. Together, when we played, it was sheer joy! With him, music was playtime. The tunes hum in our ears long after we left class, and day after day after each class, I practiced dilligently. Playing music became such a passion. It was wonderful. My favorite piece from Mr Christopher was a song originally sung by Sheila Majid - Antara Anyer Dan Jakarta. Again, he re-arranged that for us - five 8-10 year olds, romancing the keys on our organs and pianos; our minds twirling in the magic of the melody we made; euphoric - kinda like puppy love perhaps :)

I went on stage for the first time playing a piece by Christopher. I enjoyed it more than anything. With him, I could play with my eyes closed. He taught us to play La Mer (French tune by Charles Trenet; in English called Beyond the Sea - as in the movie Finding Nemo), he told us to imagine the sea; try to imagine waves lapping at the shores. He taught us how to play with our hearts. Music wasn't something you just read off a score and reproduce on the white and black ivory keys. A piece of music always has its own story - of joy, of a tragic loss or first loves. When I was up there on stage with my two other classmates, all I saw was the three of us, and the beautiful tune we were producing.

Mr Christopher left soon after Miss Q returned from her leave. Music class was never the same after that. It was back to the days of perfecting notes, hitting the right timing blah blah blah. Although I had a beautiful song to play for my final exams, it just was not the same anymore. The classes soon became a chore and I finally managed to convince mom and dad to let me stop. I was thirteen. I never touched the ivory keys since.

My parents probably thought I just lost interest in music, and I should not be forced. But in reality, I loved it. It was indeed the very first thing I found passion in, and my teacher Mr Christopher showed me just how wonderful it could be. Alas, I soon lost that passion when I had to look at it so technically, so very work-like. I always wonder, what if Mr. Christopher had never left? What if I had continued to play under his guidance? Wishful thinking.... but I could've been good?

Whatever it is, despite what others may think of me for stopping music school, I never regretted having had had the chance to learn and play. For now when I listen to a song, it isn't just a song. I can appreciate rhythm, its tune and imagine its story. A song becomes so much more beautiful then.

This post is written in appreciation of Mr Christopher Chan, music teacher at Yamaha Music School Alor Setar, 1980s.

Lovey Dovey Yummy Valentine

I spent almost all of today working at home. What an uninspiring way to spend Valentine's Day.
But then, past 5pm, hubby and I took a nice evening walk, hand-in-hand, and shared a nice word or two with neighbours who were also taking evening walks along our street. After that, I settled down to wait for our Valentine's dinner. Because.... tonight, I wasn't the one cooking. Instead, hubby whipped up a mouth watering delicious meal of rosemary and garlic seasoned pork chops served with a fresh salad. My hubby... cooking ! That deserved a publication in BOLD.

I think we had a nice cozy Valentine's today (despite the fact I had to write a risk assessment report ! ^%$#%^^%$). Alright now, I want to go put my feet up and enjoy what is left of my Saturday with wonderful hubby. :)

Happy Valentine's Day people! MUAH !

Here It Goes Again

It is time to return to reality after the festive season. Stress, agitation, heartache and cold sweat from work are back knocking at the door. Oh well, time to keep my chin up and charge ahead then...

Boy, am I glad I like the people I work with ... that keeps me sane day after day. Have a great year everyone !

New Year Shower

The rain is still steadily pouring, refusing to budge and let some sun out to dry up our soggy muddy garden. Chinese new year is usually steamy hot, and one will wish for snow even. It seems fairly odd to be raining so much.
The global weather is going berserk, I tell you. Must be all the fuel that we burn and the unnecessary air-conditioners that we use even when there is a breeze? (<-- Hubby, are you reading this?). But okay, the sun has gone AWOL for days so Hubby is kind enough to let me open the windows to let in some fresh air, minus the artificially cooled air (if you haven't noticed by now, I kinda don't like being in air-con all the time).
Sigh... what is there to do on a day like this ? I think I might go finish up my book (currently reading Beach Babylon) and then perhaps start on a new one.

Gosh, the rain just got heavier and it's barely 10 o'clock in the morning....

Lunar New Year 2009

THAT time of the year again...so soon..??! (This is me, still not over the fact that 2008 is off and gone..)

The lunar new year is yet again a cool, cloudy and extremely wet affair. It is the Chinese New Year eve today and along with dodging the heavy rain that's steadily pounding against the windows, the morning was spent throwing out more stuff we've been hoarding for years, vacuuming the house and making a vegetable and meat broth for our annual new year eve's steamboat tonight. At least the weather is giving us a free auto-cleaning service for the outside of the house.

As a form of respect for Grandma's passing late last year, we are not celebrating Chinese New Year this year, so no decking of the house in shades of red or having a jolly good time. But hubby and I will still have our little intimate steamboat for two. To all my readers of this blog, Chinese or otherwise; wishing everyone a happy and prosperous year of the Golden Ox.

Gong Xi Fa Cai!

The Perfect Weekend

It has been raining throughout the whole of last night and right till now; noon the next day. There is no sun at all and the rain is still steadily beating down on the rooftop. I am lying here on my favourite chair about to read a book, feet up, with a steaming mug of tea by the side. Classical music playing in the background and all the windows flung wide open.

What a perfect way to start the weekend.

My Sexy Job

My company did such a great job in advertising. I never knew working as an engineer can be so sexy.....hmmm...



I wonder if he works in one of our offices...yummy...heheh...

Alternatively;

Shell Clearing the Air FIlm

TWILIGHT

Oh goodness! What is it with this book? The moment I started reading the first page, I was transfixed! I am mesmerized by the use of just simple words, but put together to form sentences that create such vivid images and emotions in the reader's mind. I had scoffed at my brother's first attempt to get me to read it, I told him it was teenage chick romance. I am now hooked, and spellbound by this narration of a young girl's entanglement with a vampire (whom the author describes as totally mouth-wateringly gorgeous). Uhuh, I know what you non-readers of Twilight are thinking... what is wrong with me? But I read not only the stories in books, but I read how the authors write as well. The way authors string words to form sentences in an attempt to draw readers into the world of their stories, fascinates me. And THIS book, is charming me right to my toes! I cannot put it down!

A New Year Ahead

I over-reacted a few days ago. Things are back to normal and I am utterly glad. I even spent new year's eve in a bar with my brother and hubby, and had to drive them two half-drunken men back via the back roads just in case the law enforcers decided to do a road block that night. And oh, did I forget to mention I woke up on January 1st with a slight hang-over? We had THAT much fun....
I have some things to look forward to this new year and I hope it brings good things to my family and myself.
I should get on to having a list of things I would like to achieve in 2009 and beyond, shouldn't I?