Friends leave footprints in our hearts. What about mums, dads, siblings or husbands?
Monday, October 11, 2010
Friends leave footprints in our heart.... what about???
11 October 2010, Monday
Friends leave footprints in our hearts. What about mums, dads, siblings or husbands?
Friends leave footprints in our hearts. What about mums, dads, siblings or husbands?
What do I miss?
11 October 2010, Monday
I miss the good old days, of bell-bottoms and 3-inches Japanese slippers.I miss running around my house compound with not a care to the world. I miss hearing the sound of crickets and the 'bai roti' clanging his bell to sell bread and tid-bits.
I long to relieve climbing rambutan and magosteen trees.
Most of all I miss the delectable aroma coming from Mak's kitchen. And I miss scampering out of the house and putting my arms around Ayah's legs upon hearing his roaring scooter signaling that he's back from work. I simply miss the good old days.
I miss the good old days, of bell-bottoms and 3-inches Japanese slippers.I miss running around my house compound with not a care to the world. I miss hearing the sound of crickets and the 'bai roti' clanging his bell to sell bread and tid-bits.
Most of all I miss the delectable aroma coming from Mak's kitchen. And I miss scampering out of the house and putting my arms around Ayah's legs upon hearing his roaring scooter signaling that he's back from work. I simply miss the good old days.
I like my beverage piping hot!!!
11 October 2010, Monday
It's funny that drinks, regardless whether it is coffee, tea, cocoa, chocolate, wheatgrass, green tea or teh tarik taste wonderfully better when it's really piping hot.
When hot drink is served lukewarm, it tastes awful. I like my hot drink PIPING HOT!!!
When hot drink is served lukewarm, it tastes awful. I like my hot drink PIPING HOT!!!
Time sure flies!!!
11 October, Monday
Before you realize it, almost half a month of October is gone. Time sure flies. Soon, with the blink of your eyes, you'll be welcoming the new year!!
Before you realize it, almost half a month of October is gone. Time sure flies. Soon, with the blink of your eyes, you'll be welcoming the new year!!
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Mirror mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all?
10 October 2010, Sunday
I was at my Auntie Sarah's house in Kedah recently. One evening, while I was on the way to buy dinner with my Uncle Zaghlul and husband, my uncle asked me about my late dad's wife.
Without as much as a blink, I answered him, "That is a phase of my life which I do not wish to remember. If truth be known, I've erased that phase from my memory."
I've always wondered the origin of the word step. The word step comes from the Old English word steop. It is defined as "related by marriage rather than blood." Step is also associated with bereavement or loss, and in reference to stepmothers, it takes on several different meanings: such as one step removed, second best, or stepping into someone else's shoes (and most of the time, it is ill-fitting)!!!
Even as a little child most girls daydreamed about the day they will become a stunning bride. Sometimes, those flight of imagination may quickly diminish into disillusionment. You never hear any little girl wish to be a stepmother when she grows up.
Alas, the term stepmother is nearly unheard of unless the word "wicked" is associated with it. Although mothers are perceived as loving and kind, what is it about stepmothers that educed them an instantaneous negative nuances and overtones?
Is it preposterous to say that some women are born with the word "wicked stepmother" stamped on their foreheads, as a kind of doom and destiny? Or does one become a "wicked stepmother" because of circumstances?
To become a stepmother one must first become a bride (regardless of whether you become a bride at a young age or at a ripe old age). And
aren't
brides, like mothers, usually connected with positive impression and aura? However, if
after becoming a bride, that woman also becomes a stepmother, it's astounding
how fast that positive aura can be negated and swapped with the wicked
stepmother
syndrome.
Ostensibly, it looks as if a positive relationship between a stepmother and her stepchildren was never expected. Several references were made to distinguish and differentiate mother versus stepmother. If you were experiencing a lucky, or good day, it would be considered a "mother day." However if you were having a bad day, or unlucky day, it might be considered a "stepmother day." Men from the native country were from the "mother country," while immigrants were living in a "stepmother country".
Clearly, from these examples, stepmothers were certainly of less or no value, compared to a mother. In Greek mythology a dying wife made the following comment to her husband: "And do not remarry and impose on these children a stepmother, who, being a women more ill-intentioned than me through jealousy will lay hands on your children and mine. For a stepmother comes as an enemy to the children of a former union and is no more gentle than a viper".
Evidently, this subject appealed to me because I personally have experience of having a step-mum who was married to my late dad for 8 years. I became a step-daughter at the age of 42. And apparently, my step-mum lived to the billing of a step-mum to a T!!!
I was at my Auntie Sarah's house in Kedah recently. One evening, while I was on the way to buy dinner with my Uncle Zaghlul and husband, my uncle asked me about my late dad's wife.
Without as much as a blink, I answered him, "That is a phase of my life which I do not wish to remember. If truth be known, I've erased that phase from my memory."
Although he was stunned by my answer, I was amused when he replied, "Say what everyone likes, step-mums are step-mums the world over." "And step-mums usually live up to their billing as step-mums." I was chuckling at the back of the car upon hearing his reply. Uncle, you may never know how spot-on you are with your wry and apt description of a step-mum, in particular, in relation to my experience of a step-mum.
I've always wondered the origin of the word step. The word step comes from the Old English word steop. It is defined as "related by marriage rather than blood." Step is also associated with bereavement or loss, and in reference to stepmothers, it takes on several different meanings: such as one step removed, second best, or stepping into someone else's shoes (and most of the time, it is ill-fitting)!!!
Even as a little child most girls daydreamed about the day they will become a stunning bride. Sometimes, those flight of imagination may quickly diminish into disillusionment. You never hear any little girl wish to be a stepmother when she grows up.
Alas, the term stepmother is nearly unheard of unless the word "wicked" is associated with it. Although mothers are perceived as loving and kind, what is it about stepmothers that educed them an instantaneous negative nuances and overtones?
Is it preposterous to say that some women are born with the word "wicked stepmother" stamped on their foreheads, as a kind of doom and destiny? Or does one become a "wicked stepmother" because of circumstances?
Ostensibly, it looks as if a positive relationship between a stepmother and her stepchildren was never expected. Several references were made to distinguish and differentiate mother versus stepmother. If you were experiencing a lucky, or good day, it would be considered a "mother day." However if you were having a bad day, or unlucky day, it might be considered a "stepmother day." Men from the native country were from the "mother country," while immigrants were living in a "stepmother country".
Clearly, from these examples, stepmothers were certainly of less or no value, compared to a mother. In Greek mythology a dying wife made the following comment to her husband: "And do not remarry and impose on these children a stepmother, who, being a women more ill-intentioned than me through jealousy will lay hands on your children and mine. For a stepmother comes as an enemy to the children of a former union and is no more gentle than a viper".
Evidently, this subject appealed to me because I personally have experience of having a step-mum who was married to my late dad for 8 years. I became a step-daughter at the age of 42. And apparently, my step-mum lived to the billing of a step-mum to a T!!!
101010 - not for another 100 years
101010 seems significant if you look at the numbers being perfect 10, but life is never perfect. And for me 101010 is just another day, whipping up dishes in my kitchen....
Saturday, October 9, 2010
I admit I made a mistake
9 October 2010 (30 Syawal), Saturday
The six most important words: I admit I made a mistake. The five most important words: You did a good job. The four most important words: What is YOUR opinion? The three most important words: If you please. The two most important words: Thank You. The one most important word: We. The least important word: I. ~
The six most important words: I admit I made a mistake. The five most important words: You did a good job. The four most important words: What is YOUR opinion? The three most important words: If you please. The two most important words: Thank You. The one most important word: We. The least important word: I. ~
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Is Writing a Death Knell?
7 October 201 (28 Syawal), Thursday
I'm at wit's end. Why is it that these days, students find writing so difficult!!! More often than not they get mental block when they hear the word WRITING.
When it comes to the topic on WRITING, they'll be squirming, writhing and thrashing. Some would be puffing and gasping, while others would start having cold sweats. Why???
Today, I have a class with a Form 4 student and the topic was Writing. You guessed right what prompted me to touch on this topic. For two solid hours, all the student did and managed to come up with was a few liners when asked to write supporting details to Topic Sentences. When asked to write on "Why I Hate Writing", she managed to wrangle a few sentences such as "I don't know how to write in English", and "I don't know why I hate writing but I think writing is important."
Oh boy!!! I wonder how such students fare in their class and in their exams. How can they come up with 350 - 500 words essay if it's already such an arduous and daunting task for them to come up with simple supporting details to support what is written as the Topic Sentence.
Personally, I would attribute it to the declining state of education in our country. Children and students no longer have the passion for learning. They are in school because they have to, not because they enjoy doing it. And to make matters worse, students are not encouraged or motivated to read. Hence, they find it such a chore to write. Each time, they are asked to write or when I reach the topic on Writing, it is as though it is their death knell.
During my time (back in the 60's and 70's), writing comes naturally. We don't even put much thought to it. Writing was a part of our student lives back then. However, I remember the drills that our English teachers drilled into us. Spelling was something compulsory and so was Dictation. And we were given History quizzes on almost a daily basis.
And books were aplenty in the Class Library. I remember laying my hands greedily on the Enid Blyton books, which were the rage those days, way back in the 60's. Oh, the likes of The Famous Five and Nancy Drew. I reckon the environment back had been rousing and inspiring in cultivating our reading interest and passion amongst people my generation and those before me.
Back then, we didn't have internet, nor blog, nor e-Games. There were no Facebook, nor Twitter. Basically books were your closest companion, and believe me, I thank Allah for that.
And playing creative games was the norm, games where you practically use things that were around you, the likes of chicken feathers (to make a Game called Chapteh), slippers (a game known as "Curi Ayam" (Stealing the Chicken"), the ground to draw lines and boxes to play Hopscotch and "Ibu Ayam" (Mother Hen), and many many more appealing, alluring and charming games that not only excited us, but stimulated our brain too and kept the brain active and allowed us to think creatively.
Mastering two or three languages simultaneously was a breeze for most people those days, but, today!!! They have difficulty grasping not only English but Bahasa Melayu or their mother tongue too. What's gonna happen to our future generation if this slide is not arrested? Only time will tell.
I'm at wit's end. Why is it that these days, students find writing so difficult!!! More often than not they get mental block when they hear the word WRITING.
When it comes to the topic on WRITING, they'll be squirming, writhing and thrashing. Some would be puffing and gasping, while others would start having cold sweats. Why???
Today, I have a class with a Form 4 student and the topic was Writing. You guessed right what prompted me to touch on this topic. For two solid hours, all the student did and managed to come up with was a few liners when asked to write supporting details to Topic Sentences. When asked to write on "Why I Hate Writing", she managed to wrangle a few sentences such as "I don't know how to write in English", and "I don't know why I hate writing but I think writing is important."
Oh boy!!! I wonder how such students fare in their class and in their exams. How can they come up with 350 - 500 words essay if it's already such an arduous and daunting task for them to come up with simple supporting details to support what is written as the Topic Sentence.
Personally, I would attribute it to the declining state of education in our country. Children and students no longer have the passion for learning. They are in school because they have to, not because they enjoy doing it. And to make matters worse, students are not encouraged or motivated to read. Hence, they find it such a chore to write. Each time, they are asked to write or when I reach the topic on Writing, it is as though it is their death knell.
During my time (back in the 60's and 70's), writing comes naturally. We don't even put much thought to it. Writing was a part of our student lives back then. However, I remember the drills that our English teachers drilled into us. Spelling was something compulsory and so was Dictation. And we were given History quizzes on almost a daily basis.
And books were aplenty in the Class Library. I remember laying my hands greedily on the Enid Blyton books, which were the rage those days, way back in the 60's. Oh, the likes of The Famous Five and Nancy Drew. I reckon the environment back had been rousing and inspiring in cultivating our reading interest and passion amongst people my generation and those before me.
Back then, we didn't have internet, nor blog, nor e-Games. There were no Facebook, nor Twitter. Basically books were your closest companion, and believe me, I thank Allah for that.
And playing creative games was the norm, games where you practically use things that were around you, the likes of chicken feathers (to make a Game called Chapteh), slippers (a game known as "Curi Ayam" (Stealing the Chicken"), the ground to draw lines and boxes to play Hopscotch and "Ibu Ayam" (Mother Hen), and many many more appealing, alluring and charming games that not only excited us, but stimulated our brain too and kept the brain active and allowed us to think creatively.
Mastering two or three languages simultaneously was a breeze for most people those days, but, today!!! They have difficulty grasping not only English but Bahasa Melayu or their mother tongue too. What's gonna happen to our future generation if this slide is not arrested? Only time will tell.
Monday, October 4, 2010
What a frenzied weekend!!!
4 October 2010 (24 Syawal), Monday
Oh boy!! What an eventful and frenzied weekend it had been!!! Both, my other half. and I had an extremely hectic weekend (not that other weekends are less busy)...but last weekend was really frantic.
Saturday morning saw us driving to Subang Jaya to fetch my weekend maid. I'm extremely thankful to my sister Sofiah for agreeing to second her maid to me every Saturday. I've been without a maid since August, so all the help that I could get is very much welcomed.
After sending her back to my house and leaving instructions on what she needed to do, both my husband I rushed to Mardi to attend a Hari Raya gathering for former students of Kolej Pertanian. Not that we were former students. My husband had seen their invite on Facebook and had taken the liberty to invite himself as he wanted to meet some of the important faces at the gathering at Mardi to discuss some important office matters relating to Kolej Pertanian. Next year, his office (UPM) is planning to hold an exhibition and he wanted help from them.
We only managed to sample a little of the food before rushing home as we had an appointment with ASTRO to fix our faulty ASTRO reception. And right after that we sped off to Putrajaya to attend my husband's colleague's wedding invite.
After sitting down and helping ourselves to some yummy food, we left to go to Bangi to attend to another wedding. By then, my stomach had felt so bloated, not so much due to over eating, but drinking. It had been an extremely hot day and all I wanted was to quench my thirst and drink as much water as possible.
By the time we reached home, it was close to 4.00 p.m. We finally managed to laze around briefly before we had to leave for Subang to send my part time maid home.
After dropping her off at Subang, we headed to Amcorp Mall to pick up our Nikon camera which had been sent for service. And next we stopped at Digital Mall in Petaling Jaya as I wanted to buy a couple of stuff there.
Despite being a non-stop eating day, my stomach was growling by the time we left PJ, hence we stopped at Q-Bistro at Taman Permaisuri (one of our favourite eating haunts) and ordered a plate of Mamak Mee which I shared with my husband. Each time we order the Mamak Mee, without fail, I would comment to my husband how delicious it is, and would proclaim the Mee as "The Best Mamak Mee in Town!"
And if I thought Sunday was gonna be any different, I was in for a disappointment. Even though, we had a short reprieve in the morning after breakfast, and managed to laze around briefly, we had to leave for Equatorial Hotel Kampachi Restaurant just before 12 pm. My student, How Yoke Seng had wanted to buy me Kampachi's Japanese buffet lunch.
Oh my!!! By the time we reached the restaurant, the place was a hive of activity and was full to the brim. Nevertheless the buffet spread was really fantastic. My husband, eldest son and I had a jolly good time tucking in the delectable Japanese food.
By the time we left, it was close to 3:00 p.m. and we had felt as though the Salmons, the Dorys, the Cods, the Prawns, and the Crabs were swimming frantically and trying to find their way out in a sea of Japanese green tea. And, not to be outdone, red guava, banana and vanilla ice-cream juice concoction were fighting for attention with Japanese green tea ice-cream and sesame red bean and mini pancakes. I promised after Kampachi, not to indulge in so much seafood and dessert!!!
After leaving Hotel Equatorial, we drove to Kuang to visit my father-in-law who has not been well lately. We spent about an hour with him before going off to Jaya Jusco in Maluri.
By the time I finished my weekend marketing it was close to 7 p.m. I was really spent as it had been a tiring 2 full-days of activity. I was in no mood to cook for the kids, so all the boys had to prepare their own dinner. My husband and I - we survived on tuna croissant for dinner.
I'm looking forward to next weekend where I'll be free of outside activities as my husband will have to attend UPM's convocation over Saturday and Sunday. As for me, I look forward to a reprieve and 2 days of rest and hopefully bliss and peace and some quiet.
Oh boy!! What an eventful and frenzied weekend it had been!!! Both, my other half. and I had an extremely hectic weekend (not that other weekends are less busy)...but last weekend was really frantic.
Saturday morning saw us driving to Subang Jaya to fetch my weekend maid. I'm extremely thankful to my sister Sofiah for agreeing to second her maid to me every Saturday. I've been without a maid since August, so all the help that I could get is very much welcomed.
After sending her back to my house and leaving instructions on what she needed to do, both my husband I rushed to Mardi to attend a Hari Raya gathering for former students of Kolej Pertanian. Not that we were former students. My husband had seen their invite on Facebook and had taken the liberty to invite himself as he wanted to meet some of the important faces at the gathering at Mardi to discuss some important office matters relating to Kolej Pertanian. Next year, his office (UPM) is planning to hold an exhibition and he wanted help from them.
We only managed to sample a little of the food before rushing home as we had an appointment with ASTRO to fix our faulty ASTRO reception. And right after that we sped off to Putrajaya to attend my husband's colleague's wedding invite.
After sitting down and helping ourselves to some yummy food, we left to go to Bangi to attend to another wedding. By then, my stomach had felt so bloated, not so much due to over eating, but drinking. It had been an extremely hot day and all I wanted was to quench my thirst and drink as much water as possible.
By the time we reached home, it was close to 4.00 p.m. We finally managed to laze around briefly before we had to leave for Subang to send my part time maid home.
After dropping her off at Subang, we headed to Amcorp Mall to pick up our Nikon camera which had been sent for service. And next we stopped at Digital Mall in Petaling Jaya as I wanted to buy a couple of stuff there.
Despite being a non-stop eating day, my stomach was growling by the time we left PJ, hence we stopped at Q-Bistro at Taman Permaisuri (one of our favourite eating haunts) and ordered a plate of Mamak Mee which I shared with my husband. Each time we order the Mamak Mee, without fail, I would comment to my husband how delicious it is, and would proclaim the Mee as "The Best Mamak Mee in Town!"
And if I thought Sunday was gonna be any different, I was in for a disappointment. Even though, we had a short reprieve in the morning after breakfast, and managed to laze around briefly, we had to leave for Equatorial Hotel Kampachi Restaurant just before 12 pm. My student, How Yoke Seng had wanted to buy me Kampachi's Japanese buffet lunch.
Oh my!!! By the time we reached the restaurant, the place was a hive of activity and was full to the brim. Nevertheless the buffet spread was really fantastic. My husband, eldest son and I had a jolly good time tucking in the delectable Japanese food.
By the time we left, it was close to 3:00 p.m. and we had felt as though the Salmons, the Dorys, the Cods, the Prawns, and the Crabs were swimming frantically and trying to find their way out in a sea of Japanese green tea. And, not to be outdone, red guava, banana and vanilla ice-cream juice concoction were fighting for attention with Japanese green tea ice-cream and sesame red bean and mini pancakes. I promised after Kampachi, not to indulge in so much seafood and dessert!!!
After leaving Hotel Equatorial, we drove to Kuang to visit my father-in-law who has not been well lately. We spent about an hour with him before going off to Jaya Jusco in Maluri.
By the time I finished my weekend marketing it was close to 7 p.m. I was really spent as it had been a tiring 2 full-days of activity. I was in no mood to cook for the kids, so all the boys had to prepare their own dinner. My husband and I - we survived on tuna croissant for dinner.
I'm looking forward to next weekend where I'll be free of outside activities as my husband will have to attend UPM's convocation over Saturday and Sunday. As for me, I look forward to a reprieve and 2 days of rest and hopefully bliss and peace and some quiet.
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