KiNRaRa Mas..OUR HOME!

Well, it's official now that we have already paid our first 10% & signed all the necessary documents. Actually, this has been happening all the while but I didn't want to talk much about it until everything is finalised.

Couple of days back, we went to the new showroom to sign the legal contracts & settle our payment. Our salesman brought us through the showroom again, which is the same unit type that we chose. So, let's go through a quick tour of how our little place will look like, as I might consider using some of the furniture & fittings in the showroom.

Once u walk in the door, this little +1 room will be mummy's mahjong room
The dining area
Dry Kitchen
The wet kitchen area in the background
Living room
Walkway leading to the 3 bedrooms

Bathroom in the master bedroom
Master bedroom
Built in cupboard with huge mirrors!! This is what I'd surely want!
2nd bedroom ~ for mum & dad when they visit
3rd bedroom for Baobei when she's here with mum & dadSite progress - this is actually Block A. Our Block B is up to 2nd level of carpark only
The neighbourhood

These are the 3 storey terrace houses in front of our condo. That day while walking around snapping these pics, I could easily picture myself taking evening walks with Dada & our children..watching them play with the neighbourhood children, ride bikes & chase around. Haha..dream on~~but it's a nice & sweet dream. Should wake up from this dream & make it happen in real life!

I'm really excited!

OuR JuLY KK TRiP

I'm back from a 10-day well-spent trip back home to KK. Mum, Dad & Baobei, of course..I miss you all dearly. I really long to have more time with you all...

But whenever I see the picture below, my heart just melts from the love & warmth that I get from home. I know they love me dearly...& I love them too.

Family Photos

Dada is also considered part of the family nowadays. My parents pamper him more than they pamper me nowadays! He's getting all the attention! Mum cooks his favourite dishes & dad proposes to go to the restaurants that serve Dada's favourites as well!

How dare he snatch that spotlight from me! Grrr...

But then, he surprised me by volunteering to buy me the GUESS wallet that have been eyeing on since Day 2 back in KK & finally purchased it after I took several days considering whether I really need that new wallet or not. The answer is always..of course..YES, coz I'm worth it!

A gift from Dada

The week that we were back, Baby was actually having her exams. Hence, we had little activities when she was around in order not to distract her. We only go out in the afternoon while she's at school. Poor us..haha..We only managed some of the usuals like haircut, shopping around & looking out for new stuff around the city.

We promised to take her to 1 Borneo, the newly opened 'hypermall' in KK on Saturday after her tuition class. We also promised a whole afternoon of fun, a movie @ the cinema (Batman-the Dark Knight) & dinner of her choice (which she chose Sushi King). We really did have a whole afternoon of fun. Which it was also sweet to hear her say, "Thank you Gugu, today is one of the happiest day I had, with you & Ah Fei Ko Ko (Dada) back!" completed with a hug & kiss. So sweet..it melted my heart.

Universiti Malaysia Sabah-you'll pass by this on your way to 1 Borneo
Dada & BaoBei shooting baskets
@ 1Borneo with my Baobei
Ta Da~this is 1 Borneo
I look sooo small behind Dada..haha

Next day, we went to Kinabalu Park & Poring Hot Springs. Coz as I felt very guilty, to always lock Dada in at home (to hibernate) or only go shopping with me whenever he's back in KK with me. It's a pity that we do not explore around much. He has not been to the nearby islands nor have seen the sight of the famous Mt Kinabalu at all before this. I seriously feel bad about this.

However, we managed to do something this time! Haha..we started our journey early. Around 7.30am & reached our 1st stop- Poring Hot Springs after more than 2 hours' drive. Gosh..

Later on, after everyone is done with the Hot Springs, we went on to something more adventurous! The canopy walk is a MUST GO when you are at Poring. With the suspension bridge up @ more than 2,000 feet high, it's really not for the faint hearted. One would have to be physically fit as well coz you'll need to hike up a distance before reaching the canopy bridges.

Mum was at 1st very sporting & wanted participate as it was sort of a 'family' thing. But then, she stopped halfway hiking up as she couldn't do it & we don't wanna force her as well. Daddy, being the loving husband, of course volunteered to stay back with mum although I know he would LOVE to continue on..(just to show that he is fit & age does not matter).

Hence, Baobei, Dada & myself continued on & it was actually the 3rd time I have gone up on this canopy walk. The first 2 times being more than a decade ago!! Hahaha...

Thank God, Baobei behaved well during the walk. I was so afraid that she would be crying & refuse to finish the walk due to fear. But she's a brave little one! I supported her all the way, asking her to look in front, try not to look down as it would make your legs shake further. She did so & I'm sooo proud of her!

After that, we went on to Kinabalu Park for lunch & to be nearer to Mt Kinabalu. Before that, it was also great to meet up with my uni bestie MJ at Poring. Back from the canopy walk, I managed to take a pic with her but it's still a pity that we're both so busy with work these days, we don't get to catch up much. I guess that's just part of life, friends do come & go as we go into different stages in our lives. It's a pity though..do hope that we would have more chances in the future to rekindle the friendship that we shared those 2 years in Curtin.

Mt Kinabalu - isn't it beaaaautiful?
Mummy, Baby & Me @ the Hot Springs entrance
Baby & dada having a dip in the Hot Springs
Still smiling after the 2nd bridge
Coincidentally, met up with MJ @ Poring!

Tired after the canopy walk
Waiting for our food to come
One happy family @ Kinabalu Park
Baobei & I with lots of Morning Glory

With Sunday so packed with activities, nothing much happened next apart from Dada helping out to choose a new PC for the family. He also took the opportunity to give Baobei some computer lessons on scanning, printing & so on. With that, Daddy rewarded Dada with supper @ Chuan Hing Penampang famous for its "wo tie" or fried dumplings. Something rare in West Malaysia. It's Dada's favourite. See..told you Dada is gaining the popularity in my family & even my usual cool Dad shows more & more signs of pampering him..

The night before we left, had dinner @ Si Hai Ting, which I have previously blogged on the Peking Duck. However, we didn't order that & this time opted to try out other stuff. Wasn't really in the mood to eat much as it's our final night there...I know the trip is coming to an end & we are leaving the next day..:(

After dinner, we went for a walk at the KK jetty, which has recently undergone transformation in the efforts to make the city look more attractive.

Baobei & I @ the Shark roundabout
KK Jetty with Baobei (right) & Daddy (left) in the background
Baobei & I @ the door to the dining hall @ Si Hai Ting

Sigh, that's the end of our 10 days trip back. I just wish they are not that far away from me. I hate myself for choosing to work so far away sometimes. Sigh..but I know..I have always been reminded of our commitments here. There's no turning back now. I just hope I can spend more time with Mum, Dad & Baobei in future. I hope they will change their mind again & come over to stay with us as initially planned. Coz there's just nearly 0 chance of this KK girl heading back there.

ToNy LeuNG's WeDDinG = mY WeDDinG in 2009

I believe the most talked about wedding this year would be the one that was just held on 21st July at a little known country called Bhutan. Not really a place where couples would think of the most 'romantic' place for it...but definitely out of the ordinary that made it so special.

Now I have been thinking hard, what date would I like to make it..as most memorable for the rest of my life? I know it has to be somewhere in July, as I have mentioned earlier, my favourite number is 7.

But there are 31 days in July...which day? definitely no 4s, so 4th, 14th & 24th are all out. Then I'm not sure which one is more important as a date, 8 or 7? Should I choose 8 coz of the good & prosperous meaning of it? Or should I go ahead with my favourite number 7? Well, one thing I know for sure, I won't want it to be 7th of July..as it's so out already, considering the craze it brought when it was 2007.

2009, it's expected the 9th, 19th or 29th should be very packed, as it means longevity & eternity in Chinese, especially good for weddings. Hmm...as I was cracking my head thinking, weeks back, the entertainment world has been speculating that Tony Leung & Carina Lau's wedding would be on 21st July. Then I go..OK, that's the date. I want to celebrate my anniversary with him. Hahaha...it's a special day for me, also a special date for my favourite actor Tony Leung. Yes!!

Nice!
I simply LOVE this dress!!
Very special
HAPPILY EVER AFTER
Declared Man & Wife in Bhutan

My oNLy MiSSinG "C"

Tell me...what are your 5Cs? To me..For as hard as I have been working..now, I'm only left with the final 5th C that I have been chasing for. It's not the 'C' that I should get for myself..but it's every girl's dream & expectation to have her other half get for her..CARAT.

Recently,I just suddenly realise & am very clear on what I want. Seriously, I just went "TING! I know what I want!!"..Since then, I have been searching for the one & only really perfect one. OK, so what really is it? Well, this is what I want:

Not the middle one though..I've decided that my wedding ring, the most important ring in my life, the ring that I have to wear everyday for the rest of my life without fail..should be something like the 2 lower ones. It would be best if there are 7 diamonds on it. Reason being:

7 days in a week = loving you NON-STOP 7 days a week

Moreover, my favourite number has always been 7..:) Well, not reeeeally this one..looks like a row of teeth..but then, sometimes the neat & simple would look good too & seem to be more lasting. So, I might consider this as well. It all depends on whether it looks good on me or not. Will have to try that out.
This round ones in a row looks ok as well. Not really sure which one would look best on both of US. Mind you, this is a WE thing. So, of course, it will have to look good on my Dada too. We have been looking around. However, we have yet to find the PERFECT one. So, we shall just keep on hunting...As I believe in the saying: 'Good things are hard to find. You'll have to spend more time searching for the PERFECT one, and it will just make it all the more PRECIOUS & VALUABLE when you finally found it."

ThiS 1 is foR YoU, FeDeReR..

It has been several days now. The loss of Federer to Nadal in the Wimbledon still could not be accepted by most. Especially dear Fed Ex's fans. Neither could it sink into me. I still haven't recovered from it yet. Then I started to search more about him, & found some really interesting info about him. One could always log in to his official website & learn more about this great master in tennis.

There are millions of his fans from all corners of the world cheering for him. I happen to bump into this well written note to him by a fan in US. Here it goes:

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Nothing’s Changed, Part 1
By Homer E. Mendoza
July 6, 2008

There’s really no good way to say this, so I’m just gonna tell it like it is. Roger Federer has lost Wimbledon. There’s a new king at the All-England Club, and he also happens to be the king of Roland Garros. After a monumental 5 sets, Rafael Nadal conquered Roger Federer, and with it, the ancient tournament the Spaniard describes as his favorite. I never thought I’d see the day, and what a dark day it was.

Oh, of course, records were made to be broken, and streaks were made to be ended. Everybody knows that. I just didn’t think it would happen today. Not against Nadal. Not when Federer went into the finals without having dropped a set, serving aces like a madman, with his patented forehand in full flight. These past two weeks, and for the first time in months, I was seeing the Roger of old, fleet feet silently hugging the baseline, crisp volleys punctuating points, that sweet backhand slice that barely skims the net, and that magical shotmaking only Federer can conjure up. He had a point to prove, and he was making his case heard very well. He looked relaxed, in control, defiant at times, and always at home.

Today, Federer was evicted from that home. Wimbledon, which had been his turf, and where the green grass had repeatedly rewarded the transcendent beauty and flow of his strokes, crowned a new champion. Nadal was already assured of tennis immortality, his feet of clay waxing golden in Paris for the fourth consecutive time a few weeks ago. Barely a day after his French Open triumph, Nadal dusted his shoes and commenced his campaign on grass, culminating in today’s stunning victory over the world number one.

For now, Federer’s status as the official number one player in the world is unchanged. It may only be a matter of time, though, before that, too, is taken away from him. Nadal already holds two of the four Grand Slams this year, while Federer has yet to win one. While Federer’s ranking points over the past 52 weeks are still enough to keep him at the top spot, Nadal is now virtually the new world number one.

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Nothing's Changed, Part 2

by Homer E. Mendoza

July 6, 2008

I don’t know how much longer I’ll have to wait until Federer finally solves Nadal, the way he’s solved Lleyton Hewitt, or arguably, David Nalbandian. I don’t know how much longer until he gets out of this funk he’s been in since the beginning of the year. I don’t know what this loss will do to his confidence, and his legacy. Because as much as I am hurting, I can’t even begin to imagine how Federer must feel. His genius is so perceptive, so sensitive to what is going on around him, that the same intelligent awareness that allows him to play such other-worldly tennis could also hurt him so much more, make him feel so much more pain, and make the proverbial agony of defeat so much more excruciating. So even though I cheered for and wept with him, along with every one of his fans around the world, for every winner and unforced error he made in this match, only he, only Roger, can truly know what this moment means. Only he, save the Immortal, knows the answers.

So I will wait, and pray, and hope, and believe. For this is the only thing I can do. I will do this for as long as it takes, through every loss, and every win. Because regardless of whatever changes, one thing stays the same. Roger Federer is the only tennis player I have ever seen that can inspire me with such ecstasy, such agony, such a profound depth of feeling that makes even defeat seem heroic, and paints so bitter a loss in such a beautiful light.

Never have I been so disappointed, as I was today. Never have I been so proud! For that, I owe him my loyalty.

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This is EXACTLY how I feel about him. He's the greatest & will always have his fans supporting him!

I HaTe, I HaTe, I HaTe!!

I really can't understand why are so many people like that? Born like that? Why did they have to come into the working world & make other people's lives miserable?

Gosh..what can I do? How can I not let myself be influenced by all these shitty people? I really hate these people:

#1: Can't bloody make up their minds
#2: Too soft & let others over rule them
#3: Don't seem to use their brains though they have been EQUIPPED with one

#4: Don't understand that people are already working their asses off & yet it's still not enough

#5: Not aware that THEY are actually the ones slowing things down

#6: Love wasting other people's time & effort due to their indecisive nature

#7: Never appreciate & thank people for the effort

#8: Take things for granted

Damn...please la..pergi main jauh-jauh la..go back & think through how you should prepare yourself to work professionally in this world. Don't waste other people's time & efforts with your stupidity, incapability & ignorance. Thank you!

HeLLo 2nD HaLF of 2008..

Wow..I have no idea how, where & when those days just pass by like that. I just realised that it's now JULY!! Which means we are in the 2nd half of 2008! Gosh...how time flies! I really do not intend to age so quickly!

Is each day really 24 hours? Are the clocks ticking right? It's just unbelievable! It seems like it was just yesterday that Dada & I celebrated the New Year, then went to Bali in mid January, then there was CNY, my birthday in March with a Macau + Hong Kong trip, back to KK in April; then throughout the whole month of May & June was damn busy with a "big project" that I really put all my heart & soul into it. I was even down with flu + cough + a bit of fever & headache every now & then the whole time! Gosh..how did I survive it? At the same time, also happy that coz of this, I can wear my size 25 Levi's again! Something that I have put a side for a while coz I have gained weight. But now, I'm back to my actual size again! (Hope it STAYS that way till the BIG DAY!)

Then on 4th July, we celebrated our 1st year anniversary owning our baby Vios..& I'm sure we'll have lots of other precious stuff coming up as well...;)

Of course, in the sports world, which I'm a huge fan of..I support Federer all the way...but it is beginning to look like a fruitless 2008 for him as up till now, he has yet to win a grand slam title..which is not really him at all! The most disappointing one was the recent Wimbledon. It's the place that he's most comfortable in..the place he won his 1st ever grand slam title...No matter what, I will still support him as I saw the way he fought that day..or rather that night for us here in Malaysia. I stayed up all night supporting him all the way (& looked like shit the next day at work..but I DONT CARE!). He didn't disappoint his fans at all..& bravely put on that fight. That's the Roger Federer that we all LOVE! One would have just given up when he was 2 sets down..and things looking really unfavourable for him in the 3rd set. Most would just give up & finish the match for the sake of finishing..but not him! He came back strong after the 1st rain interruption & fought till the 5th deciding set. I have never seen such a match before! It was just simply awesome..wonderful..extraordinary..unbelievable..just something that not one word will be able to describe it! I'm just glad that I didn't miss it! Though in the end he didn't win, still..he gained my respect. & I decided then & there that I will support him till the day he retires. I just Looove him..& his really FIT body as well..not to mention that sexy butt..hahaha...

I'm hoping that he will pick himself up & fight his way to win the only Grand Slam title left this year in late August, early September..the US Open..Good luck Federer..u have ALL my support..always & forever!