Nasyitah

Moving on...

2009-03-08T09:40:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time since I have last written. A lot has changed and it feels strange to carry on here.

So, I am working on Nasyitah Part II . Insya'allah it will be up and running by the end of this week.

As I always say: It can only get better! :D

Bag Story 2

2008-12-17T16:15:00.000-08:00

Another frivolous post. It's the holiday mood. Really!

A happily-ever-after one:

A friend's loving husband wanted to surprise her and went to a certain branded bag sale during his lunch break to buy her a birthday treat.

You know how it is at these kind of sale events. Hordes of people pretending the bags are now at pasar prices...

So the good husband chose a classy-looking piece quickly - You know guys - and brought it to the counter. The sales person packed it in a dust bag, he paid at the cashier and rushed back to the office.

The dust bag stayed out of sight for a few days until he took it out on her birthday.

You bet she was surprised and very happy. Then she opened the dust bag and went: "You bought me two bags?

"No. Just one."

"Huh? But there are two bags in here."

"Oh"

What happened after that? I'll leave it to your imagination.

:D

Bag Story 1

2008-12-10T17:21:00.000-08:00

Dear fellow bag lovers,

This is a true story, I kid you not:

A bag collector decided to organise her closets one day. So she went through one closet in the house after another and separated things she wanted to keep, things to chuck and things to bring to Salvation Army.

Then she came to the one with her bag collection. She lovingly organised the bags according to their colours: the whites, the browns, the yellows, the denims. Guccis, Furlas, LVs and the works. I did say she is a SERIOUS bag collector. Of course the bags not going anywhere except back into the closet.

So happy with her organisational skills she forgot about the whites.

The next day, she threw away the junk, gathered everything else she left outside and drove to the Salvation Army.

A few days later, she was looking for a white bag to match her outfit and could not find any of them.

She panicked. Then realisation hit her.

She drove back to the Salvation Army.

And of course the story did not end happily after all.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A week later, the S.B.C. started collecting again.

Inspired by the story, yours truly drove all the way to the Salvation Army Family Store. And found nothing. :s

Ah well.

Dead Poets' Society

2008-11-28T09:02:00.000-08:00

Carpe. Carpe Diem. Seize the Day. Make your lives extraordinary.
- John Keating, Dead Poets' Society

A really dated line from one of my favourite movies from secondary school days.

It is almost 2 am in the morning and I am kept awake by watching the movie on YouTube.

2.02 am. Almost at the end of the movie.

Why? Don't really know.

One thing I do know: I AM older now.

And yes. It can only get better. Has gotten better.

:D Smiling in my dreams

The Holiday So Far...

2008-11-27T15:35:00.000-08:00

My holiday began when I touched down at Changi International two weeks ago.

Warning: This piece is going to as random (in a sort of planned way) as the past two weeks have been.

It's only two weeks but feels like a long time already. Who says times flies when you're having a jolly good time! :D
Catching up on sleep, catching up with friends and family, FB-ing, getting healthy again, making healthy food, exercising, reading, having darling kids over, growing plants (one pot of Basil herb to be exact) and experimenting with IT (you'll see an example of it below. Thanks for the pointer Afiqa! :D).

Most importantly, spent lots of time with Mateen. :D

Thought: Hmm I'm supposed to be slowing down right?

I am I am! For one, I have stopped making lists though I really think I should cos there are things that needs to be done. Just going with the flow. :) Do if and when you can! Love it! :)

Carpe Diem!

Ah Dead Poets' Society. Feeling nostalagic already. Maybe I'll try to get a copy of it and watch later! :D

Has it been THAT long?

2008-11-23T17:54:00.000-08:00

It's been almost a month since I last blogged!

How time flies.

Redundant and cliched but true.

Am at odds with myself here:
Can't wait for time to fly faster so 31 Dec and love will finally appear.
Can't time sloooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooow
so the hols stay near?
For there are family and friends to catch up with,
curtains to make swell.
Delicious nutritious meals to be whipped up
so the little boy grows well.
Personal pursuits to realise,
plans to crystalise.

Before I get too cheesy,
I better go easy.

With the rhyming.

Till later.

About Cabbages....

2008-10-25T17:39:00.000-07:00

I have a confession to make.

Economic recession or not, I bought a $7 Sugarloaf cabbage. Why? It could be any or all of the following reasons:

- Novelty
- From Australia (as opposed to you know where! Hmm maybe even produce from non-youknowwhere countries will one day be declared unsafe! Sigh! One can either at this point in time scoff any attempts to maintain a healthy lifestyle and diet and just live dangerously or embrace organic produce whole-heartedly. As for me however, as always, I'll remain moderate and enjoy every minute to the fullest! :D)
- Healthy indulgence
- Enticing label listing its properties (the sugarloaf is supposed to be sweeter and tastier than other varieties)
- Curiosity (is the Sugarloaf really sweeter?)
- Cheaper than the Savoy cabbage (which looks prettier and fresher with it's rounded shape and texture and mix of crisp green and white) at double the price

Blanched it for the Tauhu Goreng dish I prepared for my friends yesterday. DOUBLE YUMM! I'm quite sure it's not placebo effect when I think the cabbage does taste better than what we used to eat.

REALLY!

In any case, did a search on the net and found the following article on the benefits of cabbage.

FORMULA FOR LIFE
http://www.formulaforlife.com.au/asp/vegetables.asp?cmd=show&vegetableid=14&letter=C

Nutritional Information:
Cabbage, in all varieties, is a low joule food with 80 kJ per 100g (3/4 cup cooked). Cabbage is a rich source of the anti-oxidants indoles. These anti-oxidants may have an anti-cancer role in the human body. Cuttings increase the indole content dramatically.

Cutting causes up to a 400% increase in the amount of potential anti-carcinogenic agents found in cruciferous and Brassica vegetables (cabbage, cauli, brussel sprouts, and broccoli), according to results published in Cancer Letters.

Populations that consume large amounts of these vegetables appear to have lower rates of many types of cancer, in particular of the gastro-intestinal tract. The benefits appear to be linked to a range of compounds including glucosinolates. Glucosinolates are water-soluble and up to 50% may be lost with boiling, but if you chop your cabbage, you stimulate a rapid rise in the presence of these biologically active compounds - an increase up to 400%. Research published in Cancer Letters, a prestigious scientific journal, suggests that cutting triggers a defence mechanisms similar to the wounding by insects and slugs which is known to increase the indole glucosinolates, glucobrassicin and neoglucobrassicin. These indoles appear to be responsible for the anti-carcinogenic activity of the cruciferous vegetables.

So what are you waiting for? Start cutting those cabbage leaves. It's time for a crisp summer slaw! :D

Drool Worthy Indeed!

2008-10-24T10:46:00.000-07:00

With Arts Fest completed and everyone happy about it (especially me!), I shall indulge in a most frivolous entry to unwind. :D

BAGS. Ah Bags!

Are we in bag heaven yet?

The LUPO ABANICO. That's the IT bag for me. (I will of course continue to drool over the Bottega clutch or the Hermes Birkin since possessing them is never going to be a reality)

It's funky, functional and apparently very well-made. Super hip! Got to be if the only boutique outside of Spain is in Tokyo!

Check out the pictures from http://shop.seriouslygifted.co.uk/lupo-14-c.asp

This is the one I was eyeing a while ago. Very nautical. Off season but who cares!

Now this one, this one's a real beauty. See the heavenly sheen? But it's also SOOoooooooo expensive!

Ah well, let's come back to earth from bag heaven now.

With the recession, I think I better cepat cepat lupa LUPO!

Finally going to bed,
Nasyitah :p

My Son, NOT the artist

2008-10-24T09:56:00.001-07:00

This is Mateen's entry for a colouring competition he is confident he will win because his is the most colourful.

Well, it is evident from the photo that Picasso he is not.

"Wow! It's so nice!" I said when he kept showing his work-in-progress. I must say he had really put in effort, motivated by the prizes promised to the winners.
"I want to win so I can shop and shop and shop at Takashimaya!"
Alas, the art teacher in me know the impossibility of that but careful to not crush the fragile bloom of confidence, I asked:
"What if you don't win?"
"But I will!"
Whoa! "Why do you think you will win?"
"I will because mine is the nicest." He replied without even batting an eyelid.
Hmm this is going to be difficult. "But what if there are people who coloured nicer than you have?"
"No. Mine is the nicest so I will win."

Okay. At least he comes out tops in the confidence department.

"Wah! Very nice!" says the father, when shown the work via Skype and as soon as the son walked away whispered "Hmm must send him to Haroobee already huh?"

I guess you'll not be too surprised now if I were to tell you that under the comments for Art and Craft in his term report, the boy's teachers have consistently written "developing" or something to that extent to describe his development in the aesthetics area. The same remarks are applied to the Speech and Drama component.

Did I mention that I am an Art and Drama teacher?

To be absolutely honest, I must say I do feel a twinge of guilt for not trying harder to help develop these areas at times. Who wouldn't want her child to have a term report that reads "A", "A", "A" and "A"?

Thank goodness this desire to see a perfect report more often than not lasts for mere seconds before the voice of rationality sets in:
Do I want my son to only walk in my shoes and be a mini-Me? NO.
Do I want him to decide for himself what road he should take starting from the things he puts on paper, the words he utters and the actions he musters? You can bet it is a resounding YES.

Perhaps this is an unconscious attempt to assuage my guilty feelings. Or perhaps this is the means by which I justify not investing in so-called quality kinder education and enrichment classes.

I don't know. I can't be sure.

What I do know is that when I see him colour the competition entry, it was with drive, superb focus, good control of material and clarity in the choice of colours. And when I hear him talk about his work, it is articulated clearly with unwavering confidence.

At the end of the day, that is what is most important isn't it?

Ah well, I can only hope I am right.

Good Morning,
Mummy Nasyitah

All The Best!

2008-10-19T07:56:00.000-07:00

Just read a blog entry which reminds me of the mountains my dear students must begin climbing tomorrow after months and weeks and days of rigorous (in some cases a bit more relaxed) training.

All the best people! That is if you still read my blog at this point in time.

It boils down to mental strength now.

Ggrrrrhhhhhhh!

Go for it man!

:) Mdm Nasyitah

Counting down...

2008-10-19T07:20:00.000-07:00

One more week and school's out!

Two more weeks and Marryatville here we come!

Three more weeks and it's detox time for Mateen!

Four more weeks to reach my detox goals!

Five more weeks to catch up with friends.

Six more weeks to Josef's birthday.

Seven more weeks to Hari Raya Haji.

Eight more weeks to get ready for school 2009.

Nine more weeks to the husband's return!

YEH!!!!!!

Super Mateen and His Food

2008-10-15T09:00:00.000-07:00

And the conversation over the phone went like this:

"Hi mummy..."

"Yup?"

"Em mummy..."

"Yup?"

"Can I E-A-T some more?"

"Can you what some more?"

Deliberately now "E-A-T some more..."

"What?! Why? What do you want to eat?"

"Just a little bit more. Pleeease?"

"......................."

"Pleease?"

Outcome? Of course mummy gave in. She knows better to fight with the food forever law at nenek's house. Especially she's far away at their own home where Mateen has strategised to not return for the night.

A while later............

"Mummy!"

"Yes?..."

"Nenek doesn't want to eat the food I took for her!"

"Huh? You went out to buy food?"

"No. I took kueh kueh for her but she doesn't want to eat. Bibik also don't want..."

"Ehuh? Nenek and Bibik don't want..."

"Yah! I'm so upset. I take out..."

"Okay just put the kueh kueh back..."

"Auhhhhhh, Cannot."

"Why not?"

"..........................................."

"Emm you want to eat is it?"

"Errrmmmm yah."

With a HUGE sigh "Okay just one huh? Only one ok?"

"Yeh!"

"Only one ahhhh!"

Waves the white flag.............................................................

Then the phone rang again.

"Mummy I cannot tahan!"

"What?! What can't you tahan?"

"Yah I cannot tahan!"

"Cannot tahan what?"

"I cannot tahan not E-A-T / I-C-E/C-R-E-A-M."

"So you want to eat the ice cream?

"Yah!"

"Can you not eat cos you have already eaten a lot!"

"But I cannot tahan!"

They know every single trick in the book don't they?

Sigh. Thank goodness it was just one day.

The Boys

2008-10-15T08:50:00.000-07:00

Two boys made a big difference in my life.

One made me less judgemental and enjoy life more, the other taught me patience and add joy to life.

Blessed indeed I am. :)

P.s. Sorry about the duplicate of photos. Really like this one. :D

2-And-A-Half Months is a rather loooonnngggg time

2008-10-12T09:25:00.001-07:00

That's father and son at the Changi Airport T2 Swensen's 2 hours ago. Sheesh. Has it been 2 hours already?

Well the husband is now on his way back to Belfast on the delayed-by-20-minutes Qantas flight. Funny how the wife always mope around for a bit when this happens. She always over-estimates herself, no doubt about it. Ah well life goes on. She'll adapt, yet again, to daily Sin Ming Avenue/Woodlands/Ang Mo Kio/Woodlands/Sin Ming Avenue trips and life as the temporary single parent. Good thing she enjoys driving. And is a highly adaptable Cancerian. :D

This Cancerian will now go to bed so she can wake up tomorrow... to continue mope-ing? Hopefully not.

Help!

2008-10-03T17:00:00.000-07:00

I just did the unimaginable.

Yup.

I spent almost 1 hour 30 minutes, no, wasted more like it, on Facebook making comments, watching Ugly Betty on You Tube, checking multiple email accounts and now BLOGGing!

Life is supposed to be simple and untainted by all these Info Com Tech gadgets! True they serve their various functions of helping one stay connected and entertained but the dangers! Oh the dangers! The amount of energy it takes to pull myself out of the IT grip is out of this world!

ArghhhhhhhhhhharghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhArghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAARggggggggghh

NOW!

Some Kids In My Life

2008-09-16T05:35:00.000-07:00

The dishes need washing. The house needs tidying. School work awaits.

Well, they can wait a while more.

So many things happened that I want to write about and share but let's begin with some photos first shall we?

Nadir, Najya and Mateen

Lilo and Nurul

The O Drama People

ATC Puppetry Workshop People @ The Arts House

The Little Boy Who Couldn't, CAN!

2008-08-23T18:56:00.000-07:00

Read the article on Weekend Today about Michael Phelps.

Apparently this eight-Olympic Gold medalist was terrible as a child by his teachers (unfortunately) He couldn't sit still and concentrate when it came to sit-down-and-read-and-write type of tasks, didn't get along with other kids in school (he was bullied according to his mother) and was eventually diagnosed as ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder). His mother agreed to have him put on medication and thought he improved somewhat then but he requested for it to be stopped. The journalist also made clear that there was a lot of communication between the Phelps children and Mrs Phelps. At the same time he was excelling in swimming and could sit patiently for 4 hours just to swim a 5 minutes race.

That's the gist of the article and as a gist goes, it's really diluted so if I were you, I'd read the article if I can be you a student, a parent, a teacher or in any other role.

Page 26, Weekend Today, THE LITTLE BOY WHO COULDN'T.

As a Mother and a Teacher, one thought hit me the hardest: Every child has a talent no matter what label they have been stuck with by whom. It is so so so so important to look at and listen to our children without judgement (By that I mean NOT PIGEON-HOLING THEM). Guide (NOT MOLLY CODDLE, SHIELD THEM FROM RESPONSIBILITIES AND DEFEND THEM UNTHINKINGLY!!!) them with their best interests at heart.

That was one thought and its elaboration...

As a pragmatic and cynical Optimist, I go on to think: Even if we the supposedly all-wise and knowing group of the human race found the patience and humility to do the above, nobody can guarantee that our children will be the success Michael Phelps is. So what do we do then? Well, Optimistic Me says that the process (bringing up of the children) is still key and if the process is done with compassion and guided by sound values, the children should be able to take care of themselves as grown-ups. So adults, let us not have unduely heightened expectations and be disappointed. And children, let you not let us the adults assume all responsibility for your lives because as you have read correctly, it 's YOUR LIFE.

HAVE A GOOD WEEK AHEAD!!!!! :)

Disclaimer: Due to a lack of time, this blog has not gone through the vigorous rounds of editing it should and thus might contain grammatical errors or worse, not make sense. Apologies in advance an if you do spot something amiss, kindly point it out. CHEERS!

Thought of the Day:

2008-08-15T18:45:00.000-07:00

This comfortable S.C. W. has just decided that she's going to have fun while exercising too so Aerobics here I come!!!!

P.S. Okay this is a really frivolous post but must keep to my promise of at least 1 post a week, especially after clearing the O Level Drama Coursework!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YIPPEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D Will blog about CELEBRATE DRAMA later if I can.

Yoga and I, English and the Descendents of the Dragon

2008-08-10T18:47:00.000-07:00

Went to the gym for classes yesterday morning. One was Hi-Lo, an hour long session combining high and low impact aerobic moves. The instructor energetic and friendly, her routine fun and challenging and the music was good. I liked the instant "high" the class gave me.

The class which follows was Yoga. Despite my history with the exercise (I fell asleep and snored in a class) I thought I will give it another go cos a good friend swears by it. (In fact she told me the reason I fell asleep was because of a restless mind.) Maybe age has made me more grounded. This time round I didn't fall asleep. Thank GOD! The instructor gently guided us through a series of yoga stretches and poses. Didn't feel strenuous at all. Didn't seem challenging. Definitely not fun. So I thought to myself: Okay! That's enough Yoga to last me for a LONG, LONg, LOng, Long, long time.

Then I woke up this morning and, ooowwwwhhhooooooo, I felt deep muscles that I didn't even know existed aching away. My Yoga session yesterday was so deceptively innocent! That I guess is the beauty of this form of exercise. It gently reaches into your body and works it without you being aware of it and I did feel very zen-like and serene at the end of the session.

I suspect it is good for me. It is exactly what I need to counter my adrenaline-filled and anxiety-driven self.

HHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

One CAN'T JUST do the things one likes right? Things that are fun, exciting and purely indulgent right? (These are rhetorical questions in case you try to answer them.)

Just look at the China in Pek Siok Lian's Crazy About English. The intensity at which the people of China, especially Beijing, embrace the learning of English in anticipation of the Beijing Olympic Games is just phenomenal. The documentary offers a glimpse into the ordeals and triumphs of the people learning the language. It features a cast of motley crew, the two most memorable ones for me are the oldest and the youngest of the lot. The former is an old grandpa who began learning the language in 2001 when he is 68 while the latter is an upper primary school girl who attended an intensive 10-day English camp. The grandpa has since formed a Learn English Club for seniors and is one of the 200 qualified English-speaking volunteer guides at Beijing's Forbidden City while the little girl's dream to work in a "big American company and make a lot of money" appears to be within grasp given the drive and ability she has shown in her language acquisition.

I don't know if the grandpa and the little girl love English at the beginning. What is quite apparent to me is that they, like the rest of the nation who holler English words and sentences from their seats in community club classrooms; squatting, sitting or standing at the school parade square; packed into a multi-purpose hall of an army-like camp, have found a purpose for doing what they do albeit physical and cultural difficulties. Guided and driven by their sense of purpose, these people never give up, no matter how difficult it got.

As the Chinese saying goes: Those who can endure the bitterest of the bitters will emerge the man above all man.

It is perhaps time that we take a good look at ourselves and see that it is the process of sticking with and conquering the subject/task/routine/topic we never seem to do well in/is boring/is difficult and therefore dislike, is what will make us into the man or woman above all man.

Moral of the story for this comfortable Singaporean Chinese Woman? STICK TO YOGA

What about you? What is the moral of the story for you?

Zen-fully yours,
S.C.W.

New Toys

2008-08-10T18:03:00.000-07:00

Thank goodness for the National Day holidays and a sister and brother-in-law who love kids! (Thanks Kak Mas and Abang Udin!)

Away from school and kid and having indulged in some self-nurturing activities, it's time to get down to the business I've been wanting to do, thinking about doing but unable to do for a long long time.

WRITE.

Just realised this is an activity that I really really enjoy. Woohoooooo! And I'm doing it NOW! :D

And writing from my new Mac Book, plugged into my new iPod Touch makes it even sweeter! Yup! Your eyes have read what I have written correctly. Me, the once-proud tech dino is now the proud owner of 4 tech toys: a new handphone which does more than I know it can, a PDA which helps save trees and the Apples.
DISCLAIMER: I am really not boasting. REALLY! You'll know I'm telling the truth when you look around at the number of tech gad wiz kids less than half my age.

Seriously, I'm amazed at the speed at which I have given up resisting the lure of efficiency and the-world-at-your-fingertips promise offered by IT and am embracing IT whole-heartedly. I'm even more amazed at the speed the good people at Apple made possible for me to obtain my machines at affordable prices. It took a mere 15 minutes to order the goods and another day for them to be delivered.

So here's my (er-hem, random) parting pearl of wisdom for the aspiring entrepreneur: Make good your products and make easy the way your customers acquire them that they cannot refuse you.

THE END

Happy Youth Day

2008-07-06T09:51:00.000-07:00

It is almost 1 a.m., 7th July.
To all the youths I know, happy Youth Day.

To some of the youths I know, have a happy IRONY-laced Youth Day for I know you'll be busy preparing for your final performance for assessment.

Being a teenager has never been easy. These days, it is intense business.

Thus, I maintain my unoriginal and cringe-worthy but thoroughly inspiring-to-myself motto "It Always Gets Better". :D

STOP RUBBING IT IN NOW!

Yes I heard you and so I will stop. Instead, I shall share a story:

Once, there was a tween called Wallie.

Wallie had a very concerned and watchful mother who made sure that Wallie ate healthy and not fall into bad company. Wallie's father worked very hard and was quiet most of the time.

Wallie was generally an obedient tween who experienced flashes of rebellion. As much as Wallie loves Mother, Wallie wishes Mother can be more relaxed, less watchful.

One day, Mother had to go away and Wallie was having a great time doing whatever Mother disallowed. Father worked even harder and contnued to be quiet most of the time.

Then Wallie grew to become a teen. Now, teen-hood is a precarious stage but nobody knew then. Many things happen inside a teen and these things often make the teen confused and angry.

Wallie became a nightmare for Father and a pain to other adults.

Wallie did not talk to Father. Wallie screamed or hollered.

Wallie thought nothing of the adults. What do they know, old-fashioned fools!

Somewhere along the way, Wallie concluded that it was fun doing nothing. Nothing better to do. Better to not do anything. It was cool to not do anything, to not be responsible, to conclude that adults were just having strange moods when they nag or become serious when irked by Wallie's inability to organise, plan, be focused, critical and responsible.

The truth is, Wallie did not feel like this all the time. Wallie really enjoyed having intellectual debates or meaningful conversations with adults who listened, who gave their time and smiled a lot. Although many a times there was really nothing very deep or mature about the give-Wallie-your-attention sessions, those adults understood how important they were to Wallie.

Wired to live life to the fullest, Wallie chose lessons to attend and spent the rest of school time idling at fast food places, the mall or cooking up a feast at a secret venue and breaking school rules all the time despite adults who understood.

Wallie did not worry about the future. What? Future? Bo..o..o..ring! Adult's stuff...

Okay, that is not entirely true. Wallie did think about the future once in a while. The problem is, the future seemed so far away!

Wallie strove to be happy and why wouldn't Wallie be happy?

As a teen, Wallie did not known regrets, did not feel the sense of urgency to DO something before the end draws near, did not have to be responsible for many things and many other people and was not fettered by pragmatism.

Of course Wallie was happy.

THE END

Moral of the story? You'll have your own but for me, it screams "Youths, enjoy while it lasts. Adults, remember when you were youths..."

At last,
Nasyitah
2.33 am

Only When You Dream

2008-06-08T14:12:00.000-07:00

It is again been quite a while since my last entry. Seems like I am unable to keep up with the desire to blog as often as I wish.

Well, I'm not going to waste time lamenting the lack of time now.

It seems timely for me to add another entry to my blog before too many things happen and I do not know where to start.

Hmm, WHERE indeed should I begin?

First, a big THANK YOU! to Sally-Salmah for the beautiful photos of Only When You Dream. Do visit http://s281.photobucket.com/albums/kk214/Salmaaah/KidsFest%202008/ to view more photos. You'll likely have to copy and paste the web address to see the page cos the computer I'm using now does not allow me to post a direct link.

It was a most magical show and working towards performance day with a really strong team of teachers, ex-teacher, students and alumni (namely Masturah) has been wonderful. Although Miss Lee had been the overall I.C. and director of the performance, I'm sure every single person involved felt a great sense of ownership and pride with what ATC has yet again achieved. I certainly did.

I can go on and on about how worth while all the back-breaking work and seemingly endless production hours have been but that would be way too indulgent. What's more, I should be really getting to bed now that my bloatingly rich meal of Indian food and glorious Gelato is nearly totally digested.

Ahhhhh... The Gelato is really very yummy
as one can see from my very satisfied tummy.

Who would think that I can, and have put on weight travelling in Catholic Italy?

WHEEPEE!!! The Holidays are Finally Here!

2008-05-25T09:25:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time since I last blogged.

Really want to blog but...

Arrrgggggghhhhhhhhh!

No INSPIRATION!

Too tired.

Too tired to think.

Too tired to write anything decent.

Like now.

Luckily not too tired to learn a new lesson:

ONE SHOULD DO NOT BLOG FOR THE SAKE OF BLOGGING. IT'S PATHETIC!

Whatever it is:
* THANK GOD THE HOLIDAYS ARE HERE!
* ATC will be putting up yet another exciting and beautiful play. :D
* Best of all, in 5 dyas time we'll be leaving on a jet plane... Though I wish I can sing Don't know when I'll be back again, get real! Of course I can't but who cares! I'll be far far away from all the madness.

I want my cup to be forever half-full, so here goes:

WHEEPIE! The Holidays Are Finally Here!

I finally got myself flickr and Youtube accounts! :D

Alright! I will really put an end to your misery now.

GOODNIGHT!

Nasyitah

Not Mousey Anymore

2008-05-03T08:51:00.000-07:00

Wednesday.

Huddled cozily on the Black Box floor, the audience waited for the Houselights to dim, signaling the start of the show by the Finger Players, Not Mousey Anymore.

This, I shall boldly declare, is The Finger Players at its best. It is What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get Theatre. Honest Theatre.

There are no dazzling lighting effects, no expensive set and slick set changes, no fancy costumes and hairdo, and no mind-boggling Avant Garde trickery or perfectly written script. There are no trappings that one might associate with theatrical blockbusters the likes of _______________. Do fill in the blank as you like. There are too many of those floating around.

I think I need to clarify at this juncture that this entry does not set out to be a critique of popular, slickly-produced shows. This is just a Drama teacher's and ardent theatre fan's reflection about a most simple yet engaging and subtly powerful performance. I found myself most satisfied and enriched by what I saw and was a part of.

In role as a rag and bone lady, Ms Tan Beng Tian, co-founder of The Finger Players skillfully breathed life into puppets meticulously made from found objects. There was a vacuum cleaner tube rattle snake and a rubber glove chicken. There was also detergent bottle Miss Mouse, her father and rattan basket Cat amongst a whole host of other puppet creatures. Every puppet was manipulated with ease and expertise. With just her voice and body, Beng Tian created personalities for each of the puppets she handled. What a great lesson it is for my dearest students who have been sold on lighting, sound and other special effects which at times can totally over-shadow the craft of the performer!

This brings me to my only gripe of the show. Its sound scape. Admittedly, it worked to create appropriate atmosphere at various points of the show but there are times when it BECAME the show. It is not always true but in this case, less is DEFINITELY more.

Call me an idealist but I think it takes an extremely brave performer or theatre group to attempt to engage an increasingly over-stimulated audience with just a good story, a simple stage and darn good acting skills. Not Mousey Anymore might have been designed for a younger audience but judging from the audience reactions on Wednesday, it certainly managed to capture an older (teenaged-and-more-cynical) crowd with its magical lure.

Someone commented after the show that it was a bit of a disappointment but I stand unwavering in my opinion: That Not Mousey Anymore is the best of The Finger Players I have seen.

Firmly yours,
Nasyitah

N.B. Do take what I have said with a dollop of salt for I have only watched 3 other shows by The Finger Players. :P

Why I Really Like to Blog

2008-04-30T22:44:00.000-07:00

My first encounter with the world of Bloggers was an unpleasant one. A boy, basking in youthful self-centredness, had posted rude and vulgar remarks about his elders in his Blog. Accompanying these remarks were digitally doctored photographs of the elders which made some foreheads creased, anxious about the wilful generation they are raising, and others turn red with rage at such audacity. Surprise, surprise.

When discovered by one of the elders he defaced and dismissed in his Blog entries, the boy suffered consequences which rendered him a meek and polite person afterwards. He always made sure he greeted all his elders courteously and never got into trouble ever again. While some elders continued to complain that the consequences should have been more severe, most elders cheered and rejoiced about their success in setting yet another wayward boy on the path to righteousness.

Then there are those who feel that a Blog is after all another form of diary and the boy should be able to enjoy freedom in expression. Sure there is a need for the boy to know that he must be socially responsible and not sprout whatever he wishes fuelled by frustration and anger since there is no real privacy in cyberspace but now, thinking about what happened in retrospect, I hope the boy's sense of self and confidence had not been damaged due to the reform-to-conform process.

Now, pardon me for appearing random: Thinking about the boy, and recently seeing and hearing people say how the Internet, particularly political Blogs have revolutionised Malaysian politics, I realised Blogs offer a voice and empowerment to otherwise insignificant individuals in the way it is able to reach the masses.

I myself have felt this sense of empowerment many months ago when I decided to take the Blogging plunge. However, as someone considered an elder due to my age (and the increasing number of white strands on my head), I am ever so conscious about the responsibility I carry on my shoulders. The responsibility towards myself to not sell myself short due to the need to vent frustrations and the responsibility to whoever who might end up reading my writings to not mislead them with self-indulgent rantings and raving. Thus, I find myself letting things I feel an urge to write about swim for a while in my head, distance myself from them a bit before taking them on. Unlike friends who prefer to continue keeping their thoughts to the diaries kept in locked drawers or secret corners of the wardrobe, I appreciate the process I go through before banging on the keyboard.

That's all I have for today folks. The little one needs my attention now. I'll let my brain takes a little swim before I write again! :)

Back From The Realm Of Domestic Bliss

2008-04-28T10:22:00.000-07:00

The husband has come and gone again. He had been able to steal 4 weeks away from school to be back home. It was great! We did fun things, jalan jalan-ed on weekends and ate everything. Some of those I know I probably should avoid but things like that don't matter when you just want to enjoy yourself with your loved ones. We are after all true-blue food-driven Singaporeans!

Now, I am back to my husband-away routine.

I have not written for so long that there are so many things I want to say, tidbits I want to share but don't know where to start. I want to rave about the various experiences that have added colour to unavoidably monotonous adult routines: the simple, subtle but powerful National Language Class, decidedly THE best local production I have watched so far; the witty and heartfelt indie hit Juno and its equally enjoyable soundtrack which the little one is hooked to; the written word in On Chesil Beach and Three Cups of Tea that conjure up worlds other than my own.

Perhaps 1.30 am in the morning is not the best time to do this. Especially when tomorrow is another school day and I have two piles of Drama file waiting for my attention.

Before I go, two final words: REGIMENTED CLONES

This will not be the last you hear of them.

GOOD MORNING!

Is Singapore Chinese?

2008-03-14T23:22:00.000-07:00

An article in Weekend Today reads International school with a Chinese core

It is basically a report about Avondale Grammar School, the latest kid on the private school's block, offering Chinese Language as a core subject. So what is wrong with it. Absolutely nothing! It is great that an Australian international school has decided to embrace the plurality of 21st century existence by introducing a language and culture not of its kind.

What I found rather disturbing though is a comment that a parent, a certain Mrs McLean, made:
"We will be here for a least three years and we want [the children] to learn the language and culture of the country they are living in by the time we leave"

The LANGUAGE and CULTURE? The last I checked, this country is also made up of Malays, Indians, Eurasians and peoples of various cultures and languages. Strangely enough, I am not the least proud to note that someone has equated Singaporean culture and language to that of China's though by race, I am 100% Chinese. I am also a Muslim, married to a Malay man and my son is half-Chinese and half-Malay.

Perhaps I am blowing a fuse too quickly and jumping to conclusion.

Maybe what Mrs McLean wanted to say was:
"We will be here for a least three years and we want [the children] to learn ONE OF THE the languageS and cultureS of the country they are living in by the time we leave".

I wonder if the good reporter noticed that and pointed that out to poor Mrs McLean who is under the illusion that Singapore is a mono-cultural society or one that has brutally disregarded the sensitivities of everyone who has played a part to make it home.

I wonder.

Japanese Cheese Cake

2008-03-09T09:46:00.000-07:00

Here's another Cheese Cake recipe:

Ingredients:
Whipping Cream 350 ml
Cream Cheese (KRAFT Philadelphia)
227 g
Butter 125 g
Top Flour 30 g
Corn Flour 25 g
Eggs (seperated) 10 nos.
Sugar 180 g
Cream of Tar Tar 1/2 tsp
Vanilla Essence 1/2 tsp

Steps:
1) Double-boil the cream cheese with whipping cream until warm. Stir in the butter till melted. Filter it.
2) Whip the egg white with sugar and cream of tar tar till stiff.
3) Add in the top flour, corn flour and no.1 mixture. Stir evenly.
4) Add in egg yolks and mix well.
5) Steam bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes and reduce to 150 degrees Celsius for 15 minutes.
6) Leave it to cool in cake tin and then refrigerate.

Cheese Cake

2008-03-09T09:37:00.001-07:00

Ooohhh... Here's a recipe that I use often back in those indulgent days. Some of you have been asking me for it. Here goes:

CHEESE Cake

Filling
Ingredients:
Cream Cheese 500 g
Caster Sugar 135 g
Plain Yogurt 85 g
Whipping Cream 45 g
Eggs 3 nos
Orange 1 (need zest and juice)

Steps:
1) Cream the cheese with sugar till smooth
2) Slowly add the yogurt and eggs and mix well
3) Finally ad the whipping cream and orange juice together with the zest
4) Pour into the biscuit mould and steam bake it at 150 degrees Celsius for 1 hour

Biscuit Base
Ingredients:
Muesli 180 g
Unsalted butter 80 g (melted)
Biscuit mix/flour 80 g
Sugar 60 g

Steps:
1) Toast the muesli for 5 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius
2) Blend into a coarse texture
3) Put all the ingredients into the bowl and mix well
4) Press the biscuit mix into the mould and pour the cheese filling over and bake

ReCipeS

2008-03-09T09:11:00.000-07:00

Did I mention I love food? All kinds of food? In my bid to build a strong foundation for a healthier life for all at home, I think about what delicious and healthy meals I can cook up all the time. My experiments so far have worked with the little one. Pat on the back :D

Here's a recipe that I found on the Internet. Looks healthy but I have yet been able to try it:

Curried Lentils

Ingredients:
3 tbsp butter
1/2 cup lentils
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1 tsp curry powder
1 small onion
1 tbsp lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Steps:
1) Wash lentils and soak in milk for 12 hours
2) Melt butter, slice onion & fry till pale brown, add curry powder, milk, water, seasonings and lentils. Simmer for 2 hours & add lemon juice just before serving.

Hmm, perhaps this is not the healthiest recipe but it sure sounds mouth-watering!

How about some dessert now? This is really healthy. And tasty! Even the family food connoisseur said so!

Gelato

Ingredients:
2 cups cashew butter
1 1/2 cups maple syrup
2/3 cup almonds, coarsely chopped

Steps:
1) Mix cashew butter & maple syrup
2) Fold in chopped almonds.
3) Freeze and serve frozen.

Nut Butter

Ingredients:
2 cups of raw nuts
1/2 cup freshly-squeezed orange juice, coconut water or apple juice

Steps:
1) Grind nuts to powder & add liquid.
2) Use as little liquid as possible.
3) Lasts in the fridge for a few days.

Do let me know if you tried any of the two and found it good! :)

The Thick, Red, Rubber Band Me

2008-03-03T04:54:00.000-08:00

A little butterfly once asked me if I were to choose an object to represent myself, what would it be. I didn't know what to say then but it hit me suddenly while driving from Woodlands to school: A rubber band. The heavy duty thick red ones.

The very, very tough, very, very elastic kind.

My Secret

2008-02-29T18:39:00.001-08:00

I have a secret to tell.

Well it is not really a secret because anyone who knows me pre-22 will know my secret. Nevertheless, it is still something that I hide in the photo albums, buried in a dark corner of the wardrobe.

There. I've come clean. This is me more than 10 years ago. Don't think I need to tell you how much I tipped the scales at to convince you I was big.

Gosh! Yes I can hear you gasp. Why is she doing this?! (Gasps repeatedly) Gosh!

Masochistic Me was a cute chubby baby whose cheeks adoring adults loved to pinch. As the story always go, the cute chubby baby grew day by day into a not-so-desirably-big pre-teen. Worried about how I might be oppressed by the majority of image conscious people in the world, my mother went on a campaign to make sure I continue to grow horizontally. I would be salivating while my brother wolf down trays and tray of sinfully delightful fast food, packets and packets of savoury and sweet snacks, cups and cups of fizzy drinks. Salivating. Yup, I was salivating all the time. Perhaps that is why when my mother is no longer around to carry on with her campaign, I decided to chomp my way through the delicious fare that has eluded me for the longest time. You know how the story goes.

To cut a long story short, I discovered that my mother was correct. But did I care? Let's just say I really enjoyed the food and the comfort it provided. :D I was Miss Jolly Rolly Polly all the way through Secondary School, J.C. and Uni. Thank god for the lack of TAF Club then. Life was good. Okay, J.C. and Uni life was good. In addition to savouring yummy food, I was also experiencing life as a Drama student.

Life was still good even when a doctor discovered a rapidly growing cyst in my abdomen in the second year of Uni. It was expanding so quickly that I was operated on within a week. As a subsidised patient at a government hospital. That was how concerned the doctors were. The cause of their concern? A beautiful waxy ball of water weighing about 2 kgs. Anyway, with that taken out and having to take really light foods like fish porridge and fish and kai lan soup, the weight slowly came down and I realised I could do a lot more being lighter! I felt stronger too! Oh I was strong when I was obese but being lighter allows the strength to come less effortlessly. Before I know it, I was running and swimming and strength training and really enjoying it! The best days of my life. Intellectually challenged, relaxed and fit. Balanced.

Now, I still love my food. All kinds of food. I also love working up a sweat. I crave for my fruit salad with lemon juice, steamed fish, seafood pasta, chocolates and good ice-cream. I crave for long walks, fun in the sun and strength training. I'll never be thin, a word which definition defers from person to person, and I never want to be thin. All right, who doesn't want toned and cellulite-free limbs and taut abs from time to time. Come on, be honest! I constantly dream about that perfect lipo job that will take the oil bags away from me forever... Oops! Well what's another secret at this point right? But I am enjoying myself indulging in my cravings and maintaining balance.

So why did Masochistic Me exposed herself? She could be disturbed by the number of normally-sized young and older people she comes into contact with who think that they are fat for one reason or another. They go on potentially life-endangering diets to whittle and whip themselves into the ideal shape and size. There are also young people, generally happy with they way they are, suddenly dropped the fat bombshell and enlisted into the TAF Club. Some perform their TAF run and stop eating. Some perform their TAF run and carry on eating like mad. So much for getting healthy.

Maybe people cannot escape from the Thin equals beauty and power or the Acceptable BMI equals healthy, happy people traps. But that's what they are. TRAPS.

To sum it all, what Masochistic Me is trying to say is that anyone can be fat, healthy, balanced and happy! :D

Thinking and Pesky Parasites

2008-02-23T18:44:00.000-08:00

My brain has been feeling like it is slowly being shrink-wrapped with fibre glass mesh for the past few weeks.

Thank god I am not a hypocondriac (as my lovely husband believes) or I would have gone crazy with worry. Nope, I do not think I am going to die from the condition but I do think that it is a manifestation of the things that might kill me...........................................................................
Okay it is not that bad. Maybe my brain feels that way because I think too much... Yup! I think about Kamal my husband, Mateen my son, Nasyitah myself and all the things I need to do, how to do them and sometimes why do I need to do them, what will happen if I do not do them and how happy I will be if I do not do some of them.

But I like thinking! Especially about the people I love and things I love to do for and with them. (Them : includes family, friends and little boys and girls I see from Mondays to Fridays)

Imagine making a mistake and not thinking about it. I bet the mistake will happen again. It is like a phenomenon I observed during Art lesson: When asked to draw a circle, student X draws a somewhat-like-but-not-a-circle shape. When asked to assess what he/she has done, student X is able to see that what he/she had drawn is not a circle but that unique shape. So being a dutiful and eager-to-do-right student, he/she immediately erases the shape furiously and re-draws with great care. Guess what? More often than not, student X always end up unknowingly tracing the invisible shape that he/she has drawn before. Once the unique shape is erased and forgotten, student X will do what is familiar: drawing it again! So you see, the same mistake gets remade over and over again.

Research on the aging brain also revealed that brains engaged in meaningful activity are less likely to suffer from monsters like Alzheimer's disease and Dementia.

I can go on and on about how thinking is definitely good for us but I think I might be missing my point: shrink-wrapped brains.

It is the parasites. Yup! My compressed and deprived-of-air brain is reacting to the parasites in my life. They can be anywhere and can take any form. Some will pretend to be good for/to you but once you are not careful, you will fall into their trap and be enslaved to feed their self-serving aims. Look closely around you and you might find yours too.

One thing is for sure, if your brain is screaming at you like how mine is, it is time to inject a big dose of enthusiasm, laughter and bright-eyed innocence to fight the baddies!

Time to go for a good, long, walk and banish those parasites!

Otherwise, viewing this video works for me too!

The Optimistic and Adaptable Cancerian

2008-02-19T02:05:00.000-08:00

Since my darling husband left for N.I. again 3 weeks ago, I busied myself with adjusting to life without him around. Thought that I would have gotten used to him coming and leaving by now but I knew I was wrong when I moped on the day after his plane took off. Thank god for meaningful things to do! The best way to get on with it and move over the moping stage is to occupy oneself. You can take it from me that with all these things, important and frivolous ones, there is no chance I have time to waste, dragging my feet around like a love-sick animal.

Here is by no means an ordered or exhaustive list of things I enrich, or distract, myself and Mateen with:
1. Keeping the house spick-and-span. While this is something that I maintain all the time, I am all the more meticulous and rigorous now, cleansing with the amazing Kao Magic Cleaner.
2. Making sure Mateen gets his greens (and yellows, oranges and reds. This requires some cunning here for the trick is to mask the appearance of foods he had labelled as enemy) and homework done (which I find stressful especially when it comes to Malay!).
3. Plus, making sure that he has lots of opportunities to run about and interact with his peers. This means that I must be really productive in school so that I can fetch him from school to come home early enough to go to the playground where I am now a semi-regular. You know that when you begin to chat with maids and little children when you pass them at the void deck or meet them somewhere else in the neighbourhood. I must say I enjoy this tremendously.
4. Exercising as often as my schedule allows me to and I am feeling the positive effects it has on me already. I am totally sold on the physical and mental connection theories. I was really starting to feel stupid during the period of inactivity.
5. Reading as much as I can. So far I have been able to keep to my target of devoting at least 30 minutes (1 free period) to reading the newspaper when I am in school. I am very happy about that. :) Also finished one of the best books I have ever read. Time Was Soft There by Jeremy Mercier. The book is another Blog entry.
6. Devoting more time to my religious obligations. Never thought of myself going this way but the more I learn and practice, the more I see the logic and beauty of Islam... :)
7. Dreaming up new remodeling/redecorating plans. So far I only have time for the dream stage, which is good enough for now.
8. Being the best Drama teacher I can be!
9. Spending time with friends.
10. Updating my Blog.

Lest anyone think that I am alluding to the fact that a husband-less woman is a more productive woman, I really wish that my husband is not so far away.

But no worries! I am an optimist! :)

Loving Being Married

2008-02-18T13:37:00.000-08:00

On a certain Monday at training, two ladies were exchanging tips about juggling parenthood and work. (Of course! What else would 2 working mothers away from work talk about right?) At the same time, a group of swinging singles were having an animated conversation about...about... Well this working mom haven't the faintest idea what they were talking about and that's not important. What is more important is the conversation that followed:

Swinging Single: Aiyoh will the two of you stop talking about parenthood!? We
feel so left out.
Working Mother 1: Why? It's never too early to pick up parenting tips what. (with
a smile)
S.S.: Huh? What makes you think I want to get married?
W.M. 1: (Gasps in horror) You mean you are not!?
W.M. 2: (Tongue-in-cheek wisdom) Hmm, it's better to have loved than not
at all yah?
S.S.: What makes you think I wouldn't have loved if I'm not
married? I would have loved many times over!
Mixed reactions from the other S.S.s and the W.M.s. Imagination needed here.
S.S.: Say, if you were born again, would you still want to be married?
W.M. 2: Actually it'll be nice to be a swinging single like you guys.
(not meaning what she said)
W.M. 1: (Without hesitation, cutting into W.M. 2's reply) I would want
to be married again.
S.S.: Wah! (Tickled and looking slightly impressed or disgusted.)Must
tell your husband!

Marriage, living and negotiating with another person with his own opinions, having a baby and raising him with patience and love are definitely not things I imagined for myself 15 years ago. 15 years is a long time and people change. And change I am glad I did for the marriage, the man and the baby who has grown into a little man have made me a much better person than I was.

To prevent this intelligent, funny, kind and generous man from cringing in his room far away from home (and to make sure I send the little man to his grandma's before getting to training on time!) I better stop writing.

See you soon my darling husband! :)

The Sad State of Integrity

2008-01-19T18:05:00.000-08:00

Integrity.

The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines it as:

1 : firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values : incorruptibility
2 : an unimpaired condition : soundness
3 : the quality or state of being complete or undivided : completeness

A synonym of Integrity is Honesty

But integrity is more than just honesty. It is the ability to do what is right when what is wrong is so much easier to do. In my book, it is one of the most difficult but important value to hold true to.

.....................................................................................

Whaooh! Hang on there. Why should you be bothered about doing the right thing when you can get away with what is easier? When the wrong can sometimes be so wickedly enjoyable? Integrity is for silly romantics with prescribed rose-tinted lenses. Where are you going to find time and space in today's progressing-at-a-maniacal-pace society to be a person of integrity? Stop being foolish. Take a leaf out of your boss's book. Surely you must know by now that by holding on to your silly romantic ideals you will only end up more disappointed, more tired.

.....................................................................................

Sad is the day when One has to convince Oneself that nobilty has gone to the dogs.
Sad is the day when the young, knowing the right from the wrong, choses to err.
Sad is the day when the elder, thus assumably wiser, encourages it.
Sad is the day when the same elder, more powerful, attempts to bully One into submission.

Thank God it stopped at just an attempt for there is only so much sadness One can take.

Sad will One be no more for One rejoices for holding on to One's beliefs;
For there are far more worthy subjects demanding of One's energies.

As for the elder and her young, One wishes them all the best in their charge forward.

One wonders how far they can go before they fall into the quicksand of dishonesty.

2008-01-19T17:52:00.000-08:00

It has been 21 days since my last post.

Feels like 21 weeks have already gone by.

It is amazing how a fleck of badness can contaminate and make obscure everything good.

Amazing.

No longer amazed. Just avowed to eliminate the badness.

A good walk, bonding with a girl friend over a refreshing drink and snacks should help.

In The Eye of The Tornado

2008-01-02T18:54:00.000-08:00

Yes. That's what I feel like now after one-and-a-half day of school. Instead of dreaming my nightmare where I run like crazy from one place to another, I am dreaming it instead.

And I suspect I'm not the only one.

Time to review what's going on. I certainly do not welcome spending my time in a tornado the rest of the 363 days this year.

No siree!

Of course by now I would have come up with a plan of action to anti-tornado myself but will not bore you to tears with the details.

If you are like me, feeling droopy even before the day is over, like the dear, ex-bubbly girl whom I spoke to, try not to get suck into any tornado! NO matter what anyone says:
"But you are the only one we trust to do this!"
"You must do this cos you are the best in it!"
"We must have this! We've had it every year!"
"Why are you so tired all the time?"
"Remember to ________________, and ___________________, and ___________________, oh and also _________________________________________________!" (Fill in the blanks with appropriate words)
"You're so good at doing what you do!:)"
"But there's no one else to do it."
"Can you help this once?"
"I really need you to ____________________________________________________________" (ditto)

In case you think that the above is a declaration of me entering slack-hood, I must reassure everyone that it is far from that. It is a declaration that I will take good care of myself so I can take care of whoever and whatever that needs it.

Beautiful Day

2007-12-31T20:09:00.000-08:00

Hello 2008!

It's going to be a great year! I feel it in my bones!

I've finally finished my cards and gifts. Hip Hooray! Not at all an easy feat considering how rusty my skills are due to years of high dependency on readily-bought merchandise. Excuse: No time! Well, getting in touch with my creative side of gift-giving is one thing I am glad for due to family budgeting.

This was going to be about the things I am looking forward to this year but the little one awaits his mummy at his grand aunts place so I'll be back!

Whatever it is, I am NOT going to waste time with BACK-TO-School-BLUES!

Neither should any of you affected ones!

Good bye for now and have a beautiful day!

Looking Back at 2007

2007-12-31T05:49:00.000-08:00

It is 2 hrs and 10 minutes to 12 midnight.

We have come to the end of another year. Another eventful year with many things happening. There were changes, activities and celebrations taking place throughout the year.

Of all of these, two things affected me deeply: my darling husband leaving for a land far away to pursue a dream and a brighter shared future and my father-in-law's passing, both taking place during the holy month of Ramadhan.

While I got over the husband's absence very quickly, my mother-in-law was badly affected by the death of her husband. Like my husband, sisters and brothers-in-law, I was anxious for her to adjust to life without the person she has spent everyday of 50 years with for I have grown to be very affectionate of this couple who has been always accepting of and generous to their Chinese daughter-in-law. Thankfully, with strong family ties and support, she has since regained her zest for life. This is the power of the family, the very people whom, unfortunately, we all take for granted at one point in time or another.

My mother-in-law is still confined to the house because of the mourning period of 3 months 10 days but is looking forward to the activities planned after she is able to go out of the house. I'm sure my mother-in-law misses her beloved husband, still carries him in her heart and will continue to do so. I too miss my father-in-law's gentle ways, shy smile and rare cheeky grins, especially when I tuck into a good bowl of Tom Yam soup. You guessed it. That's one of the favourite dishes of the kind foodie.

1 hr 25 minutes more to go.

My darling husband is finally home for the holidays and research work, and have finally gotten over his jet-lag after a dose of melatonin. About time, for the little boy of ours was starting to drive me crazy with questions of why his father is busy sleeping all the time. All I can say is it is definitely good to have him back so I'm not going to waste time writing about it. All these rhetoric can continue when he goes back to his books in February.

HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone! 2008 is going to be a great one!

Looking forward to a slower 2008

2007-12-30T15:42:00.000-08:00

It happened again.

I woke up two hours ago, my heart pumping like mad, as if I had been running a marathon. Well you would be too if you had been having a dream which got you running up and down steep flights of stairs, catching buses, forgetting the younger brother (who in reality is already 30 years of age), running up and down steep flights of stairs and catching buses again to retrieve him. I am starting to feel breathless again just by talking and thinking about it.

It's just a dream. I hear myself saying. Don't over analyse it.

Of course, of course. Dreams are illogical and most of the time incomprehensible. It would be definitely wise to forget about them and just get on with the waking hours. However, I have a nagging feeling that it will do me good to not ignore mine for I am still able to recall the dreams which woke me up with the same cardiovascular effects within the space of two weeks.

Can't be healthy right? Which is really ironic as what I have been trying to do the past weeks is to get into a state of overall wellness and health for myself and the little one: I am eating lots of vegetables and fruits (and making him do the same); exercising (Creating opportunities for him to run about as much as possible. Cutting down computer use helps! :D); using face and body products like scrubs, masks and moisturisers; getting ample rest;...................................................

AMPLE REST!?!

Okay. I am coming clean here. This is one thing that I find myself struggling with at times. There are just too many things to do! The house to clean, laundry to wash, healthy and tasty meals to cook, cards to make, gifts to create, friends to catch up with, bills to pay, school work to tidy up before school reopens, students to see for O Level Drama ............. There is more to the list.

Why am I not surprised to find my heart racing again?

The problem is: I ENJOY DOING EVERY SINGLE THING I HAVE LISTED!

The solution is: STOP TRYING TO BE SUPER-Person,Mother,Wife,Daughter,Daughter-in-Law,Teacher COS YOU ARE NOT MEANT TO BE!

Easier said than done but you can be sure it is what I will be trying, no!, doing my best to achieve in 2008! For this, I think I can count on my xiao mei mei, new staff room neighbour, friend and colleague for help! Min Er don't forget to keep me balanced on my scales all right? :)

Come on 2008! I'm waiting for you!:D

Poor, Unsuspecting Aunty Sharmilah and the Not-So-Little Adbul Mateen

2007-12-25T09:23:00.000-08:00

Yes! I did it! With a little ingenuity, time and effort, I finally managed to sneak asparagus, carrots, potatoes and some other very healthy but definitely not saliva-inducing ingredients into the little boy's food!

The Unsuspecting Boy

Heh heh heh! Looks like poor Aunty Sharmilah is going to lose her little Meat-arian, All-Things-Fried-and-Sweet-arian friend to this mother who is pulling out all stops to detox and healthi-fy her son.

Who-hoo! Sorry Aunty Sharmilah but I am on a quest to bring the little boy to optimum health and nothing is going to stand in my way... Okay maybe some things will continue to thwart my efforts: the little boy's father whose weakness is fried and savoury food; visits to the homes of people who love with the forbidden foods; the little boy's mother's anticipated lack of time and energy to keep up with her guerrilla tactics when school begins; etc...

Well, these things are not going to stop me! Not at all! You can be sure I'll push on against all odds Aunty Sharmilah!

Whooo-hoooo!

.....................................................................................

Okay. I don't know who I am trying to kid.

I am sure Aunty Sharmilah knows that I am, despite my I'll-do-whatever-it-takes appearance, after all a pragmatic person. That means I will never dream of creating chaos and pandemonium by demanding the husband to go junk food-free and requesting the good people to stop their loving-with-food ways.

But Aunty Sharmilah must also know that I am a mother trying to do my best, albeit seeming a bit too over-zealous to other people, for my little boy. So Aunty Sharmilah, just wish me lots of luck will you? And remind me to not tear my hair out should I stumble or fail in my mission.

Thank you Aunty Sharmilah.

Mateen and Mummy

2007-12-16T07:44:00.000-08:00

It has been almost 6 years since I tumbled down the snowy slopes of Mount Hutt as a Novice skier with a little thing nestled in my belly. I have not become one apt at the art of ski-ing but the little thing which tumbled together with me has grown into a fine little boy call Abdul Mateen, one and a half months shorts of 5 years of age.

Honestly speaking, I have never been a big fan of babies and little people. Then, Mateen came along and I have since realised what a blessing he is. These 4 years 10 months and 17 days of seeing him discover and make sense of the world around him has been a most fascinating period for me. I find myself growing together with him, learning day by day how important it is for me to be a better person so I can be a better parent. I learnt to listen better, to empathise, to compromise, to be forgiving, to be patient, to be tolerant and to have a sense of humour.

It is indeed an understatement to say that being a parent is really tough. It is so tough that there are times when I wish I am not working so I can devote all my energies to being a good mother. But then there are also times when I appreciate the richness of my life as it is, the balancing act I do everyday which keeps me on my toes and never taking anything for granted.

With 2 weeks left of this holiday, I am determined to spend time meaningfully with this little boy who sometimes have the knack to appear so mature that I forget that he is after all still an active, energetic and growing 4 year old who needs proper nourishment, physical activity, intellectual stimulation and a huge dollop of LOVE. So far, I managed to bring him to the playground and watched on as he learnt to negotiate with other children in an informal, non-adult-structured setting. I also managed to trick him into eating vegetables and persuaded him to eat more healthily. (Guerilla tactics, said his father. Well, whatever works! It will definitely take some strategising to keep up with this when school starts and he goes back to Nenek's house.) Some other "achievements" include the cutting down of computer days from 2 to 1, visiting the library and borrowing books other than comics, walking and taking public transport, "working out" at the children's garden and limiting daily sweets intake.

It will be a challenge to keep up with all these things but as a mother set on giving the best she can to her little boy, you can be sure I'll do my darnest best! Wish me luck, cunning and tenacity for I'll need them!

Untitled by Abdul Mateen. Novemmber 2007

Three Months Is A Long, Long Time

2007-12-16T03:50:00.000-08:00

3 months ago, this woman's husband left for Northern Ireland to begin life as a student again. The day after he left was one of the worst days of this woman's life. She moved around the entire day with her eyes glazed-over, shoulders hunched and limbs watery. Everything she saw, heard, felt, thought and spoke, she did so from behind a layer of thick, thick fog. Nothing was able to lift her spirits.

She was definitely more depressed and affected then she had imagined she would be for she had been the one who encouraged her husband's pursue of scholarship. What made her even more depressed was that she hated the way depression wastes time! Se often thought and declared:

Why dwell on the inevitable and unchangeable when more often then not we have the power to make things better or even happen the way we want them to be?

Great. She was not only depressed, she also hated how she was not able to extract herself from the grip of the depression monster that she knew then has a place inside her. Just then, another sneaky thought poked her from behind: Was she not able to fend for herself and take care of the family after years of having someone handle mundane and boring things like paying the bills on time, maintaining the budget, servicing the car... Definitely not something she wanted to ponder over at that time given her weakened state of mind.

That night, this woman who misses her husband and her little boy who misses his papa hug one another to sleep.

Fortunately, she was only depressed like that for that one day. The many days that follow saw the woman busying herself with work, family and self matters that she forgot to be depressed. She was probably at her most introspective and productive. She worked hard at keeping the house spic and span; worked hard at being a good mother, wife, daughter, grand-daughter, niece, sister, daughter, daughter-in-law and sister-in-law; worked hard at becoming a better person; and worked hard at work as usual. She also made an important discovery. A rediscovery come to think of it. She rediscovered her voice and courage one day at work and has never since looked back.

Despite the busy-ness, she continued to miss her husband. Thank God for SKYPE! It is amazing how someone so far away can seem so close. The equipment instrumental for tearing people apart is also an instrument to bring people together.

Finally. Her husband is coming back for the holidays after 3 months. You can be sure this woman is over the moon with joy! She had already gotten the already-in-order house in order (with help of course!), bought all kinds of local fruits her husband enjoys and will be preparing a yummy, steamy hot meal of fish curry and mango sticky rice dessert for dinner.

Yes, she will be working hard again tomorrow and she will be very, very happy.

ADDICTION

2007-12-08T10:14:00.000-08:00

I think I'm addicted!

There a so many things I feel compelled to write about:
- thoughts on parenthood, the little one's diet
- my responsibility in keeping the Earth a wee bit more healthy
- strating a detox programme
- the absolutely GORGEOUS production of Y Gret by Cake Theatre.

But they'll have to wait.

Later.

Back from Chiang Mai

2007-12-08T08:04:00.000-08:00

We are finally back from Chiang Mai. It was a most exhausting but interesting trip.

Though I had been to Chiang Mai 6 years ago, this trip was a totally different experience. For one, I was travelling with two other adults and my little one (who unfortunately came down with fever and diarrhea the last two days of the trip). While the last trip was a leisurely D-I-Y, pseudo back-packing one (pseudo cos I had bags and bags of shopping every time I returned to my accommodation. I even had the assistant from the Thai Silk factory come to my room for me to fit the Thai silk ensemble that I ordered!), this one has been a whirl-wind of a holiday, with us trudging to the coach as early as 645 am one morning and only returning close to 12 midnight. So many things happened so fast that there was not time and space to really breathe, much less to think. Perhaps that is what I really needed: to not think; to give my overworked brain a much deserved break. Let someone else do the planning, the talking, the thinking.

Sit back, relax and breathe...
Helps that Chiang Mai is relatively free from pollution and our tour guide is really friendly and funny.

But why then did I feel this nagging strange-ness nibbling away at me, almost undetectable but definitely unsettling, every single hectic day?

Perhaps what I really needed was more sleep and not days of chasing one tourist attraction after another.

Or perhaps I needed to be alone. I mean all by myself. Alone. No friends. No little one.

I never got to answer the question as I was too busy doing what the good tourist does: eating, shopping, take photos, eating, shopping, take some more photos... Don't get me wrong! These touristy things are pleasurable! Shopping is good and cheap (not by Thai standards though), food was Halal and very yummy and the photos we took were nice. My two other travel mates were also really cool and helpful.

Maybe I don't know a good experience when I meet one.

Nevertheless, I played the role of your regular, well-behaved tourist for the most part of the trip, boarding the coach on time (with only one exception), visiting every factory and being cordial towards other tourist in the group of 31. Then on day four, the little one developed a bad stomach and felt feverish. He slept a lot and I ended up skipping the tourist attractions lined up for the day.

That night back at the hotel, he was convinced as usual, being extremely distrustful of doctors and medicines, to take lots of fluids and none of the rich and sweet foods he so loves. Another incentive for him to get well was the lure of the hotel pool which he had eyed since day one but had no time to enjoy. So he rested and probably willed himself well. Thank god for the free-and-easy day five! No longer obligated to hurry from the bed to the coach and trapped within its confines, we were able to enjoy a leisurely breakfast and a dip with many splashes in the blue of the pool despite the still rumbling tummy.

At this point in time, I don't know where I'm heading with this. I suppose I'm thinking out loud, figuring things out.

Sorry if I had somehow led you to expect a neat conclusion, or maybe even revelation. Sorry for the cop-out way this has to end for I think my brain must cease to function for the day.

A very good morning to you too.

I Blog Because...Part III

2007-11-27T17:09:00.000-08:00

CATHARSIS!!!

Confronting the Monsters

2007-11-27T16:00:00.000-08:00

There is a monster in us all. Sometimes, there is more than ONE.

"Wha.aa...t?", "Nonsense!", "Aiyoh you talk rubbish again!", "Are you all right?", "Maybe you should stop thinking so much", "Let me feel your forehead", "Do you know you're already 32?", "Stop being stupid.", "Ridiculous!", "Don't waste my time please. There are more important things in life than your imaginary friends.", "Go talk to somebody else.", "Not clever don't act like clever ok!"

See. That's them again. Some of them remain blur blobs and distant splots while some have emerged triumphant.

Yeh! Another Human Trophy!

Not so fast you creeps! Hiyahhhhhhh! [karate chops in head]

Wah! This one coming fast and furious man! Wahhhpiiiaah!

I block! I duck! I block again! I attack! SSssssss.....!

Ei this one kungfu not bad leh... ON GUARD!

Hahah! Watch this! Catch that! Here's another one! YAchahhhhhh!

Hah! We also block, we also duck... and CHARrrrrrrrrrrrrrGE!

..........And this continued for two thousand five hundred and eighty-five minutes and 59 seconds..........

Fighting, we got scarred. We also got to know one other very well and came to an understanding.

My monsters have become my friends. Let me introduce my new friends to you:...

What?! What do you mean "confidential"? WHAT do you mean "you are shy"? After all the DAMAGE YOU HAVE DONE? AFTER ALL YOU PUT ME THROUGH?!?!? STOP ASKING ME TO CALM DOWN!........... OKAY! BREATHE! In and out and in and out. Oxygen in through the nostrils deep into the diaphram and carbon dioxide out from the mouth. Out rubbish out, out garbage out, out negativity out... Okay.

Looks like my new friends are not ready to meet anyone yet.

One day I promise, one day...

Random thoughts...

2007-11-24T16:47:00.000-08:00

1) Working too hard. Slow down slow down.
2) Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out. YAWwwwnnnnn. It always helps.
3) A big hug for the baby and smell. Helps too.
4) Get moving.
5) Fort Canning Centre - Wellness Fair to nurture the body, mind and soul.
6) Run about in the park.
7) Hit the gym!
8) 2nd Dec - Chiang Mai Here We come!
9) 17th Dec - The Husband Returns! :D
10) Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out.
11)

Mom and Dad... pre-my brother and I!:)

The Triplets of Belleville! What a Delight!

2007-11-19T09:00:00.000-08:00

It happened again! My palate, laden with the cloying after-taste of predictable Hollywood flicks and simplistic home-grown sitcoms (the two most obvious examples of many mind-numbing mass popular entertainment), has yet again been cleansed by Sylvain Chomet's layered, fabulously told and sensitively illustrated 2003 animated feature film: The Triplets of Belleville.

..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Okay that was me trying for the past 10 minutes to begin discussing the film in a way that does it justice. This is a sign of my brain stopping to function beyond a certain time in my old age.

Now stop laughing!
I must assert that I am not making any excuses for my temporal inability to wax lyrical about the beautiful work of Art I watched twice! Those who know me well will know that 10 pm is the witching hour for me and it's already 1.17 am!

I will definitely be back with more about the Triplets! Look out for it!

Thank you Mrs Goh for the recommendation! Do keep them coming! :)

In the mean time, you can check the film out at http://www.sonyclassics.com/triplets/#

What's in a Name?... Everything! Part II

2007-11-17T09:53:00.000-08:00

As much as I appreciate the multiple meanings of my name and various parts of my identity it points to, it confuses me.

Do I introduce myself as "Wahling", "Mdm Tan", "Nasyitah" or "Mrs Kamal"?

The first makes me feel Chinese.
The second, married.
The third, a Muslim.
The fourth, a wife.

So who am I really? All of the above surely! But how can I convey all of these identities when introducing myself?

"Hi. I'm Tan Wah Ling@Nasyitah Thara Tan Abdullah"

Not only it is a mouthful (I might just turn purple doing that once too often and frighten people off!) it is also more confusing than clarifying. So I continued to ponder about the name I introduce myself with and what it implies about the way I see myself. I continued to debate with myself over the implications of my self-introductions. Until now.

Writing this, I am slowly coming to terms with the fact that I am all these names and it is alright to feel more Chinese at one point and more Muslim at another. I am learning to accept that one name is used more instinctively than another at times and that I have to stop feeling guilty about that.

So there you have it. Call me "Wah Ling", "Mdm Tan", "Mdm Nasyitah", "Nasyitah", "Cik(aunty) Nasyitah", "Aunty Thara", "Mrs Kamal", "Tammy"(Ah! Dear husband and old friends of mine, I understand old habits die hard).

It really does not matter any more.

Perhaps there is wisdom in the youthful utterance of love-lorn Juliet after all!

I am still who I am regardless of what you call me.

Okay, with the exception of "Kamal". Stop calling me "Kamal" because it is not my name!

What's in a Name?... Everything!

2007-11-17T09:03:00.000-08:00

"What's in a name?" asks Juliet.
"That which we call a rose
by any other word would smell as sweet.
So Romeo would, were he not Romeo called,
Retain that dear perfection which he owes
Without that title."
- Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare

Ah but a name is not just a name dear Juliet.
It defines who one is.
It gives one history, a sense of roots.

Consider this example:

Tan Wah Ling (Chen Hualing):
Age 0.
"Tan" is the surname shared by millions of Chinese all over the world, mostly Hokkiens or Hainanese. This "Tan" happens to be Hainanese with relatives still residing on Hainan Island.
"Wah" is the middle character allocated to this generation of this particular "Tan" clan to ensure prosperity and good fortune.
"Ling" calls to mind brightness and femininity.

Sandy:
Age 13 (or 12).
Doesn't mean anything.
Chosen purely for the that fact that it opposed "Tan Wah Ling", an extremely CHEENA and difficult to remember name.
Sub-conscious disassociation with Mandarin-speaking mother who just passed on?

Tammy:
Age 17.
Meaning?
Wanting to be cool, to fit in.
Mindless youthful rebellion against birth identity?

Tan Wah Ling@Nasyitah Thara Tan Abdullah:
Age 26.
Chinese Muslim.
"Nasyitah" means "energetic; full of life"
"Thara" means "wealth"
"Abdullah" refers to a convert.

Mrs Kamal:
Age 26.
Wife of Kamal.

So dear Juliet, how can a name be just a name?

To Lead Is To Listen

2007-11-12T07:41:00.000-08:00

"When a leader hears by chance, his views are easily swayed. He may hold conflicting opinions, but is unable to come up with clear thoughts because he lacks focus and direction.

A leader who listens by choice develops clear thought because he is not judgmental. He pauses to think. He questions what is being said. He seperates facts from opinion. He has an open mind on divergent views and is ready to adjust his position.

He is assertive without being commanding. He stands by his beliefs and values, and provides sufficient facts to support his arguments. He allows others to share their views, but he eventually influences them with clear talk.", writes I. Warton Ong in the Today Newspaper, 5th November, 2007.

Oh how I agree with Warton Ong!
Oh how I long for leaders who inspire all to reach for greatness,
who do not put personal agendas before the welfare of us workers,
who receive feedback objectively,
who welcome dialogue and embrace diversity.

Oh how I long for the day my leaders,
confident and fair,
listen without discrimination.

Nasyitah
12th November 2007

What If....

2007-11-10T09:16:00.000-08:00

I was having a conversation with a colleague who mentioned she was going to have lunch with her mom. That made me wonder about the nature of my relationship with my mother should she be alive today. I often wondered too, how differently I would have turned out should she had been around during my teenage hood. Would I have studied as hard as I did for my PSLE and secured a place in her dream school for me? Would I have gorged myself with the forbidden delights that she was so careful to keep me from eating for fear of me blooming into a little Michellin kid? (Well Mother is more often than not always right for I did bloomed, more like ballooned, in the way she was trying to prevent.) Would I have rebelled by taking TSD (Theatre Studies and Drama) in JC, develop overtly anti-establishment ideas and behaviour and kept the numerous late nights I did? Would she have opposed vehemently to my relationship with a Muslim boy? Would I have defied her and converted to Islam and married this boy? The answers to these questions I will never know and are not the point of this reflection.

My mother has always been the centre of my life, and later, my brother's life. She is the one who put the crayon in my hand and tirelessly troop me to one Art competition after another, convinced that I had artistic talents. She was also the one who inspired my love for the Mandarin language and performance. I remember performing cross-talk as a kindergarten kid and parading as Zhu Ba Jie, the pig in Journey To The West . I also remember the weekly story-telling sessions we attended at Queenstown Library before hopping over to Blk 81 Commonwealth Close where my Grandma lived. There was no where we went and nothing we did without my mother. My father, by the time I was twelve, was a blurry memory. Whatever I know about him I found out from old photographs and stories my aunt told. Except for the time when we ate at Pizza Hut and watched Back To The Future. But that is another story which I might tell later.

My mother had always been a pillar of strength, never saying no in the face of adversity. There had been many a nights when she sewed late into the night to add to the household income. With the pedaling of the Singer machine as my lullabye and colourful fabric of various textures and hues adorning the room my brother and I shared, I fell in love with the art of tailoring and dreamed of being a fashion designer a long time ago. Her dedication to every single piece of garment she was sewing was and still is unparalleled. Her tailoring was precise and meticulous, standards that I applied when looking for a seamstress to sew my wedding garments. How I wished the that my mother was still around to make me the beautiful dresses she used to make.

Maybe Mother worked too hard. Maybe fate had something else in store for all of us. She was diagnosed with Lukemia when I was in Primary 6 and nose-dived into the depths of the illness. No longer did the pedals of the Singer sewing machine sound late till the night for Mother spent more time in the hosital than at home. For a long time after her death, I cannot for the life of me remember how I felt than. I can only rememeber doing everything that I couldn't do when she was around at home, looking down from the kitchen window, waiting for me to come back from school. Perhaps for the longest time I was guilt-ridden about feeling liberation from Mother's watchful eye. So free that I felt that I hadn't the slightest idea how much she was suffering until both my brother and I were called to the Principal's office during recess one day. Someone had come to fetch us to the hospital.

There were lots of people along the corridor leading to my mother's room. My father's siblings, my mother's siblings and many people I do not know. When I eventually got into her room, the sight of her bloated body made me burst into tears. I cried for a long time in the room then I stopped crying altogether. In my 12-year old mind, I somehow had rationalised that eveything happens for a reason and the reason why my mother died was because she would have suffered even more. I was convinced that she had gone to a better place and that she was still watching over me, protecting and guiding me.

Now as an adult, I continue to believe that her passing on happened for a reason but as a Muslim, I have stopped thinking that she is my guardian angel. I now remember her in my prayers and thank her for everything she had done for me for they made me who I am today.

But I still can't help wondering, "What if....?"

Nasyitah
11th Nov 2007

I blog because... Part II

2007-11-07T07:41:00.001-08:00

Some of my favourite Hari Raya photos.

This is the practical, on-an-economy-drive-me "speaking".

I blog because it's a really effective and no-cost way to share photos with my beloved husband who is currently so far away!

ENJOY THE PHOTOS! :)

I blog because....

2007-11-07T07:18:00.000-08:00

I began blogging about a year ago because of the need to communicate information to a group of students. Somewhere deep in the recesses of my brain, I must have thought that having the blog put me in the category of "Hip Teachers". I must say I had been grossly delusional. Looking at it for the last time before I hit the "DELETE" button, I realised that my blog was anything but "hip and cool". It is, in actual fact, an embarrasment. No regrets about laying that one to rest.

So why am I blogging again? Well let's just say that the husband's current fervent blogging is inspiring the wife to establish her voice in cyberspace. Maybe in cyberspace I will finally be left alone to rant and rave as much as I want without people telling me to observe proper chanels when giving "feedback" for fear of rousing unwanted emotions and creating unnecessarily tensed situations.

As if I have that kind of power. This is even funnier than Khairi's "Your Mama" jokes!

Oh I am going to have so much fun with this!