Archive for May, 2009

Celebrating Harvest

Sunday, May 31st, 2009

Mamarayou

(Words & Music by Bios Solingkin, Borneo Praise Music)

Mamarayou oku’d Kinorohingan

(I will praise the Lord)

Tontok tadau, do pitinungan diti

(As we meet in this place today)

Sumayau om suminding oku di Yesus

(Dancing and singing for Jesus)

Nokointalang noh kosianan-Nu

(You have shown your love)

Korikatan-Nu minamasi dahai

(When You came to save us)

Royohon noh ngaran-Nu

(Your name is worthy to be praised)

Unsikohon dahai kasari

(We are forever thankful)

Id suang ko id ginawo dahai

(You are deep in our hearts)

Poingompus yahai tumanud Diya

(We follow you all the days of our lives)

Bookmark and Share

Kotobian Tadau Tagayo Do Kaamatan

Saturday, May 30th, 2009

Happy Harvest Festival to my fellow Natives of Sabah.

(I’ll use this term lest there be any more strong feelings about it…)

Have a good celebration and may the Lord continue to bless us with bountiful crops for many more years to come.

Yang aramaiti tu, jan sampai tiwas ah…

Salam mesra,

Bookmark and Share

What I Learned This Week

Friday, May 29th, 2009

School Holidays are HERE! I am so ready to turn my back on everything school-related! From the early morning drudgery to homework badgering and exam revision three-point drill. (Woah. I just made that term up. I’ll get to how I coined it for a later post. MUCH later.)

Anyhoo.

This week, I learned that I have the potential to be what is called the ‘hovering parent’. I am always fussing over all aspects of my Children’s development. Have they grasped the concept that was taught at school? Were they able to see the consequences of their actions? Do they realise the depth of our love for them?

Sure, a parent ought to care for, protect and guide children during the 7-9 y/o window of opportunity, when they are most likely to retain most of their childhood memories, which subsequently shapes their values as they enter their adult life. If there be any strength in this pursuit of my Children’s life however, when worked to the extreme could become a weakness instead.

I had to remind myself of this especially at swim lessons this week. Let the Coach do the work of teaching. Stop asking the Child whether she gets what is being taught. Maybe I should excuse myself from the pool while lessons are going on.

Sounds a tad OCD no?

Tsk.

I also learned this week that I gained some new subscribers to my blog. Yay!

And finally, I learned that Big Sis was selected to represent her class to sing an English song at the School’s Inter-Class Singing Competition come next semester, in June. She was selected based on good diction.

Hmm. Okay.

So, what did YOU learn this week?

Head on over to Musings to see what everybody else learned this week. ;-)

Bookmark and Share

Review: 15 Minute Cookbook

Thursday, May 28th, 2009

Alright. You would have noticed that I recommend this Cookbook on the Amazon.com widget I have on this blog’s sidebar.

When I was a full time working Mom, I was always on the lookout for time-saving (or time-stealing) ideas to help me get more out of a given  day. This Cookbook was one of those ideas I was able to get a hold of. And true to its 15-minute promise, it has been an invaluable resource for me even now that I am a SAHM running around after my Kids. The time-saving / time-stealing ideas still work. Always good to have something that lasts, yes?

Included in the chapters of this Cookbook is one titled ‘The 15-minute Kitchen’ where you are given a breakdown on the essential items to have for your kitchen to work superfast! Here’s a line about whisks that I like:

‘A metal balloon whisk is great for softly whipping cream and sauces to a smooth consistency. Whisks are available in all shapes and sizes. Don’t buy an enormous whisk that is difficult to use and will not fit into pans. Mini-whisks are not essential – you can always use a fork instead.’

You know how when you go shopping for these things and when you find them, they come in a set of S, M, L sizes? Not essential. In today’s economic climate, buy the One you need.

It’s good to find some attention to detail in the pages of this Cookbook. It’s the little things yaknow…

Then there’s the REAL 15 minute recipes.

Among the dishes that I’ve made from this collection is the Corn Fritters, which the Hubby loved. The recipe called for slicing the kernels off of corn cobs, but I made things even simpler by using those Del Monte Whole Corn Kernels packed in a tetra pak.

15minutecookbook2

This dish quickly became a favorite because it goes well with main dishes, on its own, and even for an afternoon snack with tea or coffee. (Typical of the Malaysian ‘makan’ culture)

And who knew you could have Barbecued Lamb with Red Pepper Salsa on the dinner table in 15 minutes tops??

Wanna know something else that’s cool? After using a few of these recipes, I found myself slowly coming up with little time-saving tips and tricks of my own. Handy huh?

Now how do we get hold of this Cookbook you say?

To be honest, I got it off the Doulos Book Shop when they were docked here last.

BUT.

Have no fear Girlfriends!

Thanks to the wonders of technology, now you can buy this off – you guessed it – Amazon.com.

And *shameless plug alert!!* if you click through my sidebar and make your purchase from there, you’ll be helping this housewife jingle a little pocket change in her small purse.

And did I mention this Cookbook comes with pictures for some of the steps? Easy peasy!

(I’m trying to find something I DON’T LIKE about this Cookbook, so that you know, you’ll have a balanced review, but I just heart it. What can I say??)

Bookmark and Share

Thank You

Wednesday, May 27th, 2009

Against my better judgment, I went ahead and checked my feed stats today.

*gasp*

One is advised to check on one’s blog stats at the end of the month, so that you know, one does not live on stats alone. But I’m a woman. And a Mom. We’re always itching with curiosity. Or at least our fingers are when it comes to our blogs.

So I did the ill-advised and checked.

Well what do you know. There was a jump on my feed stats! (Or it could be a resolution of feedburner’s technical glitch, but stick with me here.)

Yay!

I shall not reveal my base count and subsequent to that, my jump count, for the very real fear of stat sickness that catches on as a result of the discovery. I suffer severe side effects from it.

But I will THANK ALL OF YOU for subscribing to my feed.  I am truly grateful.

It’s not the end of the month yet, so I won’t be checking on my Analytics to see if that post I made about RSS in Plain English had anything to do with the jump.

Still. If you haven’t already read that post, it really is a wonderful discovery!

Here it is again and once more Thank You, THANK You, THANK YOU.

Bookmark and Share

Because I Was Too Busy To Blog

Tuesday, May 26th, 2009

Did you miss me already?

But wasn’t it just some 24 hours ago that I gave you sumthin’?

Well okay then.

Anyhoo. Today was supposed to be Opinion Post day for me but with the grind of daily activities a heel away from me, I hadn’t been able to sit at my computer to churn a coherent opinion. Another day then. Leave you wanting and all that.

Swim lessons however are taking off really well.

Just look.

swimlessonday2b

And it’s still fun!

swimlessonday2

This time I took to the dried-tree-branch-debris-filled water too. Weee!

That being the case, I am now kaboosed.

Still, I just wanted to tell y’all I’m still blogging the good, the bad and the mundane.

Bah. Baiklah.

Bookmark and Share

And Then What?

Monday, May 25th, 2009

One more week of school, then it’s the school holidays. Woohoo!

No waking up at the crack of dawn to get to school by 7am. No long queues to pick the Kids up after school. And no pack-for-school routine in the evenings.

For TWO weeks!

Woohoo!

But wait.

Then it means the Kids will be home the whole day.

Which means there will be backyard science experiments pile up, strewn toys to pick up and bickering between Sisters that we womenfolk do so well to referee.

For TWO weeks!

What shall we do?

Bookmark and Share

Winner’s Cheer

Saturday, May 23rd, 2009

Got this from Mr B’s blog.

It was pretty much like this in our home too. Hehehe…

YouTube Preview Image
Bookmark and Share

Exams Are Over!

Friday, May 22nd, 2009

Yay!

And swim lessons begin.

Double yay!

As if all those learning and assessments weren’t enough, this week begins another round of learning and assessments. Only, this one is fun!

1stswimlesson3

1stswimlesson4

Ms Jun: Let's have some fun while we're at it huh?

Ms Jun: Let's have some fun while we're at it huh?

Doesn’t the water look inviting?? I was kicking myself for coming to the pool without my swimsuit! Next lesson then. And I have to get the Kids swim caps. Messy hair.

About 10 minutes into the lesson, Spunky decided she had enough learning for the day and went off to do her own ‘learning’.

Here she is declaring to the other little kids in the pool that she can swim.

1stswimlesson

Spunky: “I can swim you know. I can put my head in the water oh. And my swimsuit is pink you know. And my goggles is pink too.”

Spunky took to the pool like fish to water. When we’re done with formal swim lessons, we’ll be making regular visits to the pool so they can all ‘practise’ their swimming.

water confidence. going to the deep end of the pool.

water confidence. going to the deep end of the pool.

Guess who else is enjoying these swim lessons.

Yup. Their Mama.

The thing about extracurricular activities for the Kids like this one is how they go home ready to eat and retire for the day. After some excited recaps to their Daddy, they fell sound asleep at 9pm. Tired but happy.

*bliss*

A day when they can readily make their way to bed without coercion nor compulsion is for me a good day.

Now, we are ALL looking forward to the next lesson.

Bookmark and Share

YAAAY!

Thursday, May 21st, 2009

Kris Allen takes the `American Idol’ title

LOS ANGELES – Kris Allen’s smooth vocals and boy-next-door image propelled him to “American Idol” victory Wednesday, turning the theatrical powerhouse Adam Lambert into the most unlikely of also-rans.

“I’m sorry, I don’t even know what to feel right now. This is crazy,” said a stunned Allen, 23, of Conway, Ark.

As host Ryan Seacrest said in announcing the result of the viewer vote, “The underdog, the dark horse, comes back and wins the nation over.”

Now to watch all the excitement of the two-hour spectacular at 6pm.

Cy’all!

Bookmark and Share