Life is just like Clayton's abstract painting.

Life is just like Clayton's abstract painting.

Lately, I find myself fighting several personal and work battles. As I take a bird's eye view of each incident, I spotted a common trait of the individuals involved. Lies, deception, betrayal, are three common traits of the analogy. Whether it's politics in a country or work place, people tell lies to get away from trouble. It's so human to do that, it is almost natural.

Everything that is happening seems to reinforce the message that it's time to move out and move on. All events are pointing towards the plan to 'get out' and cross to the other side. I can't wait to take a breather, I seriously need a break. At the end of the day, nothing beats the time spent with Clayton painting and doodling with his new brushes, experimenting with his Pelikan paint palette and cutting cardboard boxes. I felt so relaxed to paint imaginary pictures with him... children's minds are so creative. It is refreshing.

For a moment, everything else doesn't matter - the political and work nonsense - all I want is to treasure those precious moments as I discover the creativity in this little mind.

working at home and moving on...

photo taken by Uncle Jason, one of Clayton's good friend

The week seems to pass so fast. I don't know if it's because we are counting down to our July seminar with Ron Kaufman or we are too busy with parenting and work duties. It's been like this for the last 3 years and 8 months and we are still dealing with new challenges and experiences everyday. That is parenting from home. It's fun, exciting, inspiring and frustrating.

DH and myself are also talking about our plans for next year. It is full of uncertainty at this moment. Yet, we are looking forward to the change. We know it won't be easy but entrepreneurs must embrace change with courage and strength, plus lots of faith. Our hearts are longing for a breakthrough for our personal and work lives. But we are counting our blessings everyday to have come so far and be where we are in our business. Most of all, in the last 3 years and 8 months, we have seen how our little boy has grown... his baby photos on my home office wall brought me lots of comforts and appreciation. We know that we have to keep moving on... knowing that at the end of the day, we are not alone and it's worth it all.

swimming with dad in putrajaya shangri-la

He was excited about his new goggles. I could tell that he couldn't wait to jump into the pool when we took him for a site inspection. Then again, I must admit that Putrajaya Shangri-la hotel does have a beautiful adult and children pool with lovely views of Putrajaya. We had a wonderful and relaxing time at the pool...

don't take security for granted

You can't take security for granted these days, can you? I have heard enough stories from friends and business contacts on how bold those robbers are. Imagine waking up to a missing car with your automated gate intact? Imagine coming back to a plundered home with human poo on your bed just because those low-class robbers couldn't find anything valuable to take with them?

Perhaps every new home should come installed with ademco wireless security systems or maybe a CCTV? According to our security expert friend, all these may not be that effective, not even if you have a few thousand dollars alarm installed in the house. With rising living costs, fuel hikes and economic instability, security will remain an alarming concern in our neighbourhood and city. Be vigilant. Don't take security for granted.

investments come in various options

When it comes to financial matters, I prefer to refer to the man in the house for obvious reasons. I'm generally not a numbers person. Not that I'm hopeless in Math but I just feel giddy when the numbers get more intense. Thus, I consult DH on financial and investment stuff. Contrary to me, he's pretty savvy with figures and he loves to get close to investment and financial matters.

Investment options can be subjective. My mom used to choose gold investing when she was younger and it seems that this trend is still popular among many investors. Gold investment can be in done in the form of coins of ingots and it should be bought from a reputable dealer. If uncertain, you should always check the credibility of the company before making that decision to place your money.

missing singapore, my hometown

Isn't facebook amazing? I've connected with so many old friends from Singapore in the last few days since I left the city in 2000. Like what a friend had said, "You can take the girl out of Singapore but you can't take Singapore out of her!" That's ME he was talking about - LOL.

8 years had passed and I still haven't fallen in love with where I am now. I've tried, given it many chances but yet, it's still going to be a short term place for me. I have to admit that Singapore has changed so much but there are still so much good stuff in the city. It's definitely more efficient, cleaner, safer and more convenient. My hubby isn't going to say I'm biased this time cos too much nonsensical news in the papers recently are causing him to agree with our migration plan.

Oh yes, you can say I'm ranting :P

felt like being vain

Inspired by Karen Cheng's Doing the Karen Cheng, I started snapping photos when trying out a few items at AllDressedUp. I wouldn't be doing that if there wasn't a store wide 30% discount at The Gardens and since I had my camera with me, I decided to have fun with trying out different outfits... I just felt like being vain :P

shopping in US factory outlets

During our trip to the States, I did alot of shopping for Clayton's clothes and shoes. Children's apparel are very affordable in the factory outlets all over the US and all you need is a car, your credit card and lots of time!

I bought myself a pair of Diesel from the outlet though I was hoping to get a pair of Ecco shoes for casual wear. Clayton's Timberland cost merely less than USD$25 and my hubby got himself four pairs of shoes! That was one occasion where he went on a shopping spree. Three pairs within an hour and another one was bought in another outlet. With the US dollar weakening, it seems like a good time to visit the US. Then again, I don't think we would be heading that way for the next one year.

it's time for a summer getaway

My body and mind are both crying out for a break. Since I can't take time off during this hectic period, I have to consider other options to relax those muscles and rejuvenate my brain cells! I am filled with admiration for some of my good friends who will be heading to New York and London... how envious!

If anyone is still planning for a summer vacation, why not check out the Branson vacation website? With lots of attractions for the entire family, this seems to be a great place to take a break. The rides and thrills and outdoor activities that will excite the kids, parents can keep them busy for hours! There are lots of lodging options to accommodate all sorts of travelers, from inns to resorts, there is an accommodation for any budget. You can either choose one of the popular packages on the website or plan your own free and easy itinerary to suit your family's travel needs.

hello Micah!

This little boy stole our hearts... he reminded us of the first days when Clayton was born... so tiny, so sweet, so gentle, so calm, so meek and so cuddly... no words could express our joy for his arrvial to the Ong family... God is good.



He tried so hard to open his eyes!



He was trying to smile in his sleep :)



He was distracted!



I haven't held a newborn for a long time :)



Spreading his eagle's wings!

diet pills won't make you slim :)

It's shopping day today! DH is out of town and it's left with me and the soon-to-be 4yo to comb the mall. I flip the papers with hopes to check out what's on sale in the shops this weekend but as usual, there are far too many slimming centre ads in the media. I can believe that the slimming industry is a big market with many women longing to have slender figures like celebrities and hollywood stars. If you are one of those who are taking diet or slimming pills, it is wise to read about diet pill reviews first before popping any pills into your system. Just remember that diet pills won't make you slim. It's all about what you eat and how you lead your lifestyle that will make a significant difference.

spam text messages are annoying

Lately, I've been getting lots of text messages on sale annoucements via my mobile phone. It seems that sms marketing is getting popular to the extent of retailers spamming mobile users with too announcements and messages. What annoys is that some of these messages are sent late at night and it can cause unnecessary worries for the recipient. If only the mobile phone can be set in a anti-spam mode like our emails and we don't need to be bothered with messages from unknown sources and senders.

predictions of future calamities?

Last Friday, someone circulated an email of a series of predictions by this guy by the name of Mr. Juseleeno, born in 1960(reportedly still alive in 2008). Juseleeno is a Brazilian who has made many predictions, and MOST have come to pass, including Princess Diana's death by car accident (which is instigated by someone near her and will probably unfortunately be written off as a car accident), 911 and the 2004 Indonesian tsunami. He sees the future in his dreams, and has an average of 3 to 9 such predictions per day. When he wakes up, he will write them down, and send warnings to those concerned.

If it concerns only a normal individual, he will write a letter to warn him/her.
If it is a famous person(celebrity, politician etc.), or matters concerning the public, he will not only send it to the individual himself/herself, but also related agencies, government, and media. He urged the media to publicise these predictions, but the reply always went along the lines of rejection for fear of arousing public panic.

Well, here are some of the future predictions:
2008, July: There will be an earthquake in Japan, which will cause a tsunami of 30 plus metres high to occur as well.

2008, 18th September: An earthquake with magnitude of approximately 9.1 will rock China , simultaneously causing a tsunami of more than 30 metres to occur, resulting in the deaths of more than 1 million people.

Although this huge earthquake will happen after the Olympics have ended, there will be a series of relatively smaller earthquakes occurring in China before the huge earthquake. The China government, which is more concerned with the success of the Olympics, will most likely neglect to employ appropriate cautionary measures, thus the high casualty rate. If the China government does not publicise the occurrence of these minor earthquakes and evacuate people, the number of deaths will be as predicted.

2008, 17th December: terrorist attack in America

Well, don't ask me how true are these predictions cos we are supposed to be traveling to Tokyo for our yearly vacation in autumn. I was joking with DH that if this trip had to be cancelled becos of a natural disaster, then I may like to consider Florida and Vegas for the family vacation. Maybe I should start checking out las vegas hotels - just in case :P

a visit to the computer mall

Take a walk in the computer mall in Low Yat or Seksyen 14 and you will be tempted to buy the latest, lightest, coolest, most high tech laptop. We were in the computer mall in Seksyen 14 last weekend and I had to keep myself away from those cool digital stuff! Everyone wants a laptop with the best laptop memory configuration at the lowest price possible. The lightest gadget steals the show and the one with the most features attract the tech savvy. For me, I'm happy with my Macbook Pro since it's been living up to my expectations. Except for slow loading with Photoshop, it's one of the coolest laptops I've ever had.

3.5 yo fascinated with hotels

My 3.5 yo has been asking me about Traders Hotel and Shangri-la hotel every day. He will wake up and ask "Is this Shangri-la or not?" or "Is it Traders hotel or not?"

It all started when we booked ourselves into Traders Hotel Kuala Lumpur during our April event and he was fascinated with this idea of staying in a hotel since! I bet it is fun for a preschooler - new place, new bed, big plasma TV ( we got an executive suite room!), pool, playground at the KLCC park, buggy to KLCC mall and more!

Then I told him that we'll be at the Putrajaya Shangri-la next week and after a preview of the hotel, he's been looking forward to it. This time, he's going to have fun at the fountain court outside the room. I chose the fountain court room for the little patio space and the cosy fountain feature. I bet he's going to have lots of fun at this new hotel next week. So will daddy. He'll be the babysitter while I'm at work.



that was 'him' savouring his lolli on the bed in front of the 40" plasma TV... all by himself :P Oh man!

petrol increase, public outcry and all the bull doze

Petrol is now RM2.70 per litre. When the news was released on Wednesday, I received msn from my buddy reminding me that I should top up our car before midnight. While I believe this will hit many who travel frequently on the road for work and business, it will affect the cost of living for many households.

My hubby was stuck in the jam coming home from a meeting and his description of the jam at petrol kiosk seemed unbelievable. Malaysia is a net exporter of oil and it still puzzles many of the government decision. Whoever says that M'sia standard of living is low and Malaysia is a cheap place to live - I wanna slap his face! I have lived here for more than eight years and can never understand why people are still saying this. With these rising prices in petrol, rice, food and others, I can't wait to relocate - for good, that is. I know by then I will miss my friends here and again, this is the only thing that I will miss. Nothing else, I'm afraid... and I hope my hubby is reading this. I don't need to give him 10 reasons why I can't wait to move... he is already convinced but he's still asking - sigh!

For those who make just enough for the family, I can imagine the stress and struggle they would face in the next many months. So what if road tax is reduced, how many agree that this is just an excuse to ease the turmoil and public outcry. And who would believe that the national oil company will go bust by 2018 should the subsidy continues - what a bulldoze - I really wanna laugh!

lessons of a full time WAHM

These few days, I have been struggling with my active preschooler. The school holidays aren't doing him much good since there isn't any outlet for him to burn his stored energy. I feel bad about exposing him too much TV but the problem lies in the fact that this is a busy period for our business. Plus, he had a couple of toilet accidents which made me so furious. What touched my heart was when he kept asking me if I was happy. He wanted the assurance from me that I wasn't sad or mad at him. I had to keep my composure and looked serious enough so that he won't repeat the mistake.

There is so much to learn from a child. They forgive and forget very quickly. One moment, he would be crying over the spanking on his tushy and another minute, he would be amusing me and resuming his normal self. It is so cute to behold yet there is so much treasure in these life's lessons. Amidst the pressures of work and stresses of full-time parenting, I am thankful for my boy and his life plus the lessons he has taught me, of which no one can show me in his innocent and simple ways.

learning from the west

In the last few months, I have come across a few drug rehab centers in the US that are set in conducive and serene environments surrounded with views of valleys, hills, oceans and valleys. Personally, I believe these centers are great venues for those who are seeking for help from their addiction problems. The environment together with experienced counsellors and effective treatment programs are all helpful in the recovery process for these addicts as opposed to rehabs that are outdated, uninviting who don't promote the sense of well being. Perhaps, rehabs in Asia countries can also learn something from the west - creating an environment that is not intimidating and negative for those who are struggling to recover from their addiction problems.