A week in Memorandum

I am going to review my week and share my ups and downs with you (Monday: 21 January to Sunday: 27 January ). It had been a very interesting week. As per usual, I started the week with positive vibes. Alhamdulilah. The blessings & law of attraction came in bountiful. Rx, my gorgeous good friend presented me with a beautiful and personalised diary with pictures of my furry friends. Ahhhhh....thanks Rx, you are the greatest...a true star!! Unexpected gifts were also received from three kind friends (Big kudos to BBF (mwahhh!!!), Myanmar & S---r--). The blessings didn't stop there, Ns, a sweet and lovely good friend, gave her time to help a friend of the family. Ns, you are the best babe! I think I am the luckiest and the most blessed because I have friends who are truly genuine, generous and beautiful inside and outside. Thanks people, I love you guys!. I am all choked up now!! hee hee hee

I also got to spend time with the kids. We had Japanese food for dinner at one of the restaurants in Gadong. For those who know me, i am a bit strict when it come to table manners and kids. However, when you are with kids..... age 2, 5 & 6, come again, what is table manners??. It was a bit chaotic at the dinner table!! Nevertheless, we had a wonderful dinner and a good bonding session.

Other good news of the week, S-l-n- R-o got her MA result. She got a Merit!! Congratulations!!!

During the week, I was in the cooking mood. Tuuu E and R-o were the lucky recipients of my talent. Har!har!har! Thanks MM, Tuuuu E & R-o for sleeping over. I know you enjoyed my company tremendously!!! Well, you can't help yourselves!! hehehehehehe. I must say that it was a really wonderful girls nite in. Lovely session -- we slept at 4:30am. Poor girls...they had to rise early for work whilst moi was able to sleep in and catch up with my beauty sleep. hehehehe. Big kudos to Bubu for giving me a lift to S-b-i--'s place. Lovely food at S-b-i--'s, the rest of the clan were there too. Had an interesting time with Tuuu I--t; J-n-y P--s and other members of the family.

Work-in-progress: A family project which will be unveiled when its ready. I am so excited about this!!

At work, it had been fruitful. I was able to meet all my deadlines...hurrah!!. Yes, I had run ins with my frenemies but it didn't affect my whole week. I refused to let it so. Note to self; the power of visualization is extremely handy. The usage is highly recommended.

BBF is the icing on the cake. What can I say, she is my kindred spirit.

A special dedication to F-o who is tremendously beautiful, get well soon and will pray for your speedy recovery.

Today is R-s's birthday. Happy birthday to you. May your today starts with good things in life!! Otherwise, it has been a lazy sunday, watching Tv with Tuuu E and later we are off for some Indian food. As I write this, Tuuu E is still on the couch (she was up briefly to make toasts for us). Yup, she hasn't taken her shower yet!!! Hehehehehe. Smell-good-moi has been up and busy since this morning!!!

In summary, it has been a good week. I am blessed with loving family and good friends. Note to self: Remain positive and be grateful for each blessing.

Picture Perfect

I was looking at my collection of pictures. I thought these are beautiful....hmmmm, of course moi took the pictures!!! Hee hee hee, false modesty or not, I am sharing the snapshots with my adoring public!! har!har!har! These wildlife are our treasures and it is our duty to protect these beautiful creatures for our common future.

Plate 1. Orang Utan

Plate 2. White Tiger

Plate 3. Ring-tailed Lemur

Plate 4. Two Sharks

Plate 5. Isn't she lovely???

Frenemies II

Today, I am going to vent about 4 frenemies. These species have been getting on my nerves recently, more so than usual. Some days, i just ignore these insignificant insects/rodents. It has been extremely trying these past few days for me!! I have been filled with the following negative emotion: anger, rage, loathe and dislike for these 4 (four) frenemies!!! There's even this little robotic voice in my head that says"kill! kill! Kill! Exterminate!!!". Frankly, I need a Terminator!!

Introducing the Frenemies

1. The Bitch and the W*#ke*. Do be v.v. careful--these two are extremely poisonous!
2. Freak of nature. Rotten, pesky, irritating, sly, crafty, creepy crawlies! Shelltox anyone?
3. Absolute Prick. It is what the name suggests and more!!!!

Wouldn't it be just swell to swat them like flies???!!! After the deed is done, I can boast to the whole village and say, "four in one blow" - tee hee hee. I am really FED UP!! I have been STRAIGHT with THEM and said N0! N0! N0 M0re! Enough! Get a life!! Shove it up your Fu*k**! A*#!, Do they understand?? Nope!! Stupid buggers!!! Total nincompoops!! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!, they deserve to eat poop!! hee hee hee

Frankly, I am tired dealing with numb-skulls. I don't want to get angry and attract negative energy. It's not good for me!!! I refuse to allow these nincompoops to have power over me! This entry is one way to vent and heal me. However, before the healing process begins, i have a wish list;

• Throw frenemies in a pool of s#*t!!! There's where they belong!!!
• Turn them into toilet-bowls!!
• Let them eat s#*t for breakfast, lunch & dinner for eternity!!

Now, that feels really good. I am no longer angry. I am amused. The power of visualization create pictures in my mind and I am laughing now!!! Who can get angry with s#*t!!!!!

Things to remember

• Anger can lead one to lose self control
• Negativity is poisonous
• The power of visualization is sublime
  
• I am going to treat myself with love and respect so that I will attract people who show me love and respect
  

Mantra for today
"When people irritate you etc, use the power of visualization - imagine them as s@#t!!!!"

Sun Therapy

Recently, a friend lent me a book called "Sun Therapy". It was a very interesting read. The book offers valuable insights into the techniques and benefits of sun therapy that can help you lead a healthier and more fulfilling life.

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that the sun is the source of life on earth. The solar energy technologies harness the sun's energy for practical ends. Modern solar technologies provide heating, lighting and electricity. According to the book, the solar energy can also be used to treat various ailments of the body. The following are some highlights from the book which I like to share with everyone;

• Fill clean bottles of orange, green and blue colours with drinking water, leaving one-quarter of the bottles empty;
• Close these bottles with lids and keep in the sun for 6 to 8 hours, ensuring that they are kept apart, so that their shadows do not fall upon each other;
• These bottles now contain solarised water which has medicinal properties. They can be stored and administered for 4 to 5 days.

Blood Pressure

• Take solarised green water and solarised blue water for high blood pressure
• For low blood pressure, take solarised green water and solarised orange water twice or thrice a day.

Cold and Cough

• Solarised green water is ideal for cold and cough

Migraine

• Take solarised green water and solarised orange water frequently

Ulcers

• one dose of solarised green water and two doses of solarised blue water before meals

Try it...after all, the sun is free for us living in the tropics. It has been said since time immemorial that sun rays have healing powers. Believe it or not??!! Old wives' Tales???!!!

Superstitions

Have you ever done the following: touch wood for luck; avoid walking under a ladder; do the sia-sia pun; twirl your belly button when ever you hear / see undesirable things, say "jauh palis"??? Now, all these are old wives' tales, myths, folklore, urban legends and superstitions. Suffice to say, every cultures have them and old wives' tales are definitely found all over the world. Superstitions are perhaps as old as language itself. They are part of our oral tradition and generally passed down from one generation to the next. It is interesting to note that despite modern advances and modernization, we still cling to old wives' tales, myths, folklore, urban legends, superstitions.

Most old wives' tales are false / nonsense (this claim will definitely inspire some debate!! -- some will say that old wives' tales are based on truth and have merely been distorted by the passage of time or interpretations!!). Old wives' tales can be 'used and abused' (tee hee hee) to discourage unwanted behaviour in children. There are of course some truth in the tales but the veracity is likely coincidental. The following should be taken with a pinch of salt;

You will catch your death of cold by walking around with wet hair.
If you keep pulling faces, one day the wind will change and you'll get stuck that way.
Chewing gum, if swallowed, remains inside your body for seven years.
Amber beads, worn as a necklace, can protect against illness or cure colds.
It is bad luck to cut your fingernails on Friday or Sunday.
Pulling out a white hair will cause ten more to grow in its place.
If the palm of your right hand itches it means you will soon be getting money.
Horseshoes and rabbit foot will bring you luck.

Old wives' tales permeate every aspect of our lives. It has been said that if you suspend a ring held by a piece of thread over the palm of the pregnant girl you can predict the sex of a baby. Apparently, if the ring swings in a circular motion the baby will be a girl. It's a boy if the ring swings in a straight line. Believe it or not!! According to old wives' tales, you can also predict a child's character based on the day of the week s/he is born.

Monday's child is fair of face;
Tuesday's child is full of grace;
Wednesday's child is full of woe;
Thursday's child has far to go;
Friday's child is loving and giving;
Saturday's child works hard for a living.
But the child that is born on the Sabbath day is fair and wise, good and gay.

The question is "do you believe in superstitions?? They have been around the human cultures for thousand of years. Shall we debunk the so-called old wives' tales in the name of modernization and progress??? What do you think???

This entry is dedicated to Ns and Rx. Thanks for the inspiration.

Kids! Kids! Kids!

Kids can be our greatest joy, pests and irritants!!! hee hee. DON'T GET ME WRONG, i love kids in general and i am extremely fond of those that I know. Personally, I have some up close and personal relationships with different types of children --"plucked chickens" a.k.a newly borns/babies - hee hee, toddlers, kids and teenagers!! Kids or children in general are like the four seasons - they can be very unpredictable; changelings; tempestuous and temperamental.....one minute they can be very loveable, cute, angelic, fun and the next, they can be boisterous, annoying, quarrelsome, mischievous, envious, pesky, sulky, cry-babies, stubborn, telling tales, self-absorbed and spoilt!! I will be alternately going between aahhhh (so cute) or grrrrrrr (clenching my teeth!!!)

I will shout it from the top of a mountain that I love peace and quiet!! I also like round the clock well-behaved children -- what am i saying is so totally against the grain!!! Misbehaving and children go hand in hand together!!! They can be good for a few hours and then, it's back to normal selves!! When they are very, very, quiet, be on alert...it's dangerous!! They are up to something!!! Anyway, when they misbehave --well, i try my utmost best to be very patient, accomodating, ignore them, bear and grin it, so to speak....but when its a continuous misdemeanour -- its grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!! roooaaaarrrrr!!!

Recently, I was on hols with 2 (TWO) kids (age 11 and age 6) on my own for (3) THREE whole days!!! Usually, I have help -- maids and family members. Can you imagine the pounding headche..no scrap that, the migraine (on my part that is!!!); imagine also the constant whinging, moaning and groaning and not forgetting the petty fights; imagine too poor moi getting stressed and very, very, exhausted!!!!! By the end of the day, it's not surprising that I was a total wreck, extremely knackered and very, very shattered!!! Morever, its amazing, despite them pleading "fatique" when i mentioned the word "shopping", when these magic words "ice cream", "play" and "Macdonald" were uttered.....hey presto! they were suddenly so full of energy.....its like live wire -- What's the fairness in that??!!!

Plate 1: Child no 1, H age 11


Plate 2: Child no. 2, A age 6.

Having said that though, I enjoyed the me time together with the kids. It was fun although I admit that I lost it a couple of times when I couldn't handle the squabbling, the pushing and the pinching between the two kids, the crying, the sulks and the telling-tales!! Kids huh!!! It was a good adventure for the three of us - the two kids and I. Adults are so very jaded and blase about life and stuff. I think in some sense we have lost that starry dust in our eyes. Not so with kids. It was indeed wonderful to re-experience things with the kids. The looks in their eyes, the excitement, the sense of wonder, the joy, the laughter and the fun of experiencing new stuff in their young lives. I am grateful to be able to experience those first time feelings with them again!!!

What have I learnt about my time alone with the kids??? Despite, sending lots of text messages telling tales of woes to loved ones, don't expect any sympathy or empathy but to expect laughter and mockeries from the so-called loved ones. I vow not take the help/assistance from family members and maids for granted ever again!! They are God send. I salute mothers, especially single-mothers all over the world. They deserve a special day dedicated to them. Looking after children is no easy task and i also salute parents world wide for their patience, endurance, support and love for their kids. Here, I record my greatest appreciation and thank to my parents. I kow tow to them.

Grateful Journel

Oprah Winfrey once said, we should be keeping a "grateful journal". In it you "list five things that happened this day that you are grateful for. What it will begin to do is change your perspective of your day and your life." I confess that i keep a grateful journal and i write in my diary once a week instead of the recommended once a day!!!

It can be challenging to write a grateful journal because some of the stuff that i wrote tend to be repetitive and hence not interesting!! I was reading Icheh's blog yesterday and in it she listed "interesting and be interested" as one of her new year resolutions. It struck a chord for sure. How to ensure that I remain appreciative, and don’t slip back on to the easy to adopt bad habit of continually wanting more and always desiring what ever the “Joneses” have.

I am not going to lie and say I don't wonder about the grass on the other side of the fence. I am sure we all do and think of "what if...?" or "shall i jump over to the other side?". Sometimes, it’s easy to forget how lucky we are. I am “counting my blessings” and making sure that it's a regular part of my life. In general, I am going to share 10 things I have listed in my diary over the years.

10 Things I am grateful for;

1. My family is not perfect but we all make sense!! Idiosyncrasies aside, we love each other!!

2. I have a superb, fantastic and wonderful BBF

3. I have loved and been loved

4. My felines are my greatest joy

5. The kids love and adore me

6. I am a superb cook, a fact that thrill my nieces (esp Tuu E--- and Bubu) no end!!

7. I am shy but people percieve me as this dynamo with big personality!! (hehehe)

8. I live in a beautiful and peaceful country with lots of greenery

9. I am grateful for my sounding boards and good friends: Ns, Rx, Icheh & LT

10. A muslim woman born in Brunei, not in the Middle-east


I am tagging the following people to list down 10 things they are grateful for;

1. Padian
2. Balsy
3. Iskiness
4. Jacqui
5. Silly Gooseness
6. Ns
7. Rx
8. Icheh
9. Long Long
10. Anyone who reads this blog

Finally, my advice to all, "if you think the grass is greener over the other side of the fence then spend more time tending to your own garden!"

Favourite Moments 2007

I have some wonderful memories of 2007. These are my 10 top favourite;

1. Family gatherings

2. S-br--a's engagement

3. The wedding of the year-- J & JJ's and coordinating the flower girls & bridesmaid's frocks

4. A Seplise in the family; Hello to new friends Biru; Y-li; MM's December Collection & Dixie

5. Tuuu I--t got her Distinction and H-z-q got his 5 As.

6. Pr-ci--s was hatched; M-r-y-h (Ns's daughter) was hatched

7. A sojourn to Limbang with my good buddy; L--u T---n

8. Bonding sessions with the kids; nieces & nephews and siblings.

9. Moments with my BBF

10. Ns, Rx, I-h-h are my essentials and favourite people :)


Below are my top pictures of 2007

Plate 1. The kids at Empire

Plate 2: The kids at the beach

Plate 2. Mr. C & Silver Tabby

January Babies

It's my wall of january celebrants. I like to wish "january hatchers" a very, very, happy, happy birthdays. There are family members who are celebrating their hatch days this month near and far -- all my prayers, hugs and love are with you. Enjoy the day people!!

19 January
P-m-k-n

Janis Joplin (Singer)
Edgar Allan Poe (Poet & writer)

21 January
Ka S-l--h

Geena Davis (Oscar nominated actress)
Benny Hill (Famous comedian)

23 January
T-n-

John Hancock (the first person to sign the United States Declaration of Independence)
Edouard Manet (French Realist / Impressionalist Painter)

24 January
J-l-s

Mischa Barton (Actress)
Neil Diamond (Singer)

27 January
R-s

Lewis Carroll (Writer - Alice in wonderland)
Mozart (Classical composer)

29 January
S-az-
P-e-i--s

Oprah Winfrey (TV Talk host show, philanthropist)
Tom Sellect (Actor)

Happy Birthdays. Enjoy the day as today is your present.

Happy New Year 2008

Good bye 2007.... Hello 2008. Lets hope this year will be a future of hope, personal growth and opportunities. Some of you will be making new year resolutions as a way to mark/celebrate the beginning of a new you. However, I am not going to bother because......

10 Resolutions I shouldn't bother to make


1. To give up chocolate altogether

2. To stop making excuses

3. To stop from impulse buying/shopping

4. To convince people that I'm shy really...for some strange reasons, they mock me!!!

5. To exercise religiously...

6. To stop saying " I have nothing to wear" :)

7. To declutter my office and wardrobe....be more organized!!!

8. Be nice to frenemies

9. Be more gregarious --- anti-social attitude to be banished from my dictionary!! NOT!!

10. Shouldn't bother with new year resolutions...

To everyone ---- Happy New Year 2008. May this year brings us positive changes, good health, fruitful endeavours, love and happiness. Though on a personal note, I like to order my own Mr. Darcy, preferably stinkingly wealthy!!! hehehehehe