Moving on

I have moved on to http://tehtariksatu.wordpress.com/

Daddy is up to something ... come back soon!

March Birthdays Boys again

The Birthday Boys

With the rest of us

I am king of the world no more

VS

At the end, the ex-missus took the cake. In fact, it was both the cake and the icing. With both main oscars in the bag, she has finally stepped out of James' larger-than-life shadows. Well, personally I had preferred 'Avatar' to win. For me it was a 3D epic adventure that was just more memorable and exciting than the rest of the lot. I had watched the Hurt Locker on DVD last weekend; it was gritty, engaging and 'real' but it would probably just stay on mind as long as let's say 'District 9', meaning just good enough for a night's reflection. Maybe the war-movie meant a whole lot more to the Americans who has loved ones in the thick of the action. Anyway, the blue army of Pandora gets my nod. Here are a few noatable (and laughable) quotes from the academy awards.

"I want to thank the Academy for not considering Na'vi a foreign language." — Argentine director Juan Jose Campanella, after winning the award for best foreign language film.

"Oscar and Penelope (Cruz), that's an uber-Bingo." — Christoph Waltz, accepting the best supporting actor Oscar. Cruz was the presenter.

"Never did I dream that making a flip book out of my third-grade math book would lead to this." — Pete Docter, accepting the best animated feature film award for "Up."

Hundred Days

Is the 100th day suppose to be a milestone for a baby? Though not as significant as the full month (where she sleeps her way through the celebration), or first year (where she gets her first cake and solitary candle) or the 21st (where she gets the keys to freedom), I heard from someone that it is when the baby gets a litle easier to handle and to read. Well, maybe not exactly on that day, but Cheyenne has indeed changed in the past three months. Here are a few that I can point out ...

1) She is sleeping longer at night now. Although she still gets up for her pre-dawn drink, she sleeps about seven to eight hours straight through the night.

2) She has sort of fall into a routine where she keeps these 3-hour cycles throughout the day, made up of drink-activity-sleep.

3) She has learn to communicate with us in her own way. She will focus on you, maybe let out a spontaneous smile, and sometimes break into baby googly talk which looks like she is trying to tell us something.

I guess in a way, she has also trained us, parents, to read her moods, cries and actions better in the past hundred days. Here are to many more days with Cheyenne!

Post-CNY post

Yep, the festivities are over, at least at my end. I had a week-long restful break back in Muar with plenty of family gatherings and feasting. There was little time for friends though as I now have a little girl in tow who subcribes to a 3 hour drinking schedule. You do not want to mess with this one when she is hungry. So no more late nights out catching up with friends or playing 'in-between' till the wee hours of the morning. Well I did get some game-time though at Vicky's place when her aunts and cousins converged on the fourth, fifth and sixth nights to gamble on black-jack. As parents, we had to tuck baby up to bed first before thinking of joining the lievly crowd at the gaming table. The baby monitor sure comes in handy in times like this.

Here are some photos of the first day gathering at my place.

Cheyenne looking cute in pink

Outpouring of emotions and welcomes as relatives start to arrive

At the main table, from left CW : Janet, Annie, Un.Gan, An.Gan, Un.George, Un. Kay (satnding), An.Mary, and Mom

What are kids up to these days? They definitely do not need TV cartoons to keep them entertained.

A family portrait

More shots ...

Rounding up the Ox

It's been awhile since I updated this blog and now we are on the verge of another New Year. Since I had missed writing a round-up post for 2009, I figure I will do one for the Year of the Ox instead.

We ushered the Ox with gusto but it could not stem the sub-prime tsunami that battered the financial markets and caused many companies, including mine, to shed their workforce and tighten their belts. I was fortunate to be spared and learnt a valuable financial lesson along the way. So career wise, I am still where I am at the beginning of the year.

We found time to travel too. After our exertions in Europe the previous year, we decided to hop on a guided tour to a not-to-distant and less expensive destination. So Taiwan was it. This was our only holiday getaway for the year.

We finally became parents this year. To prepare for our baby, we attended ante-natal classes, borrowed books on pregnancy and baby-care, and did loads of shopping.

Upgraded from public transport to a set of wheels and from a basic DSLR to a full frame.


All in all, it was a pretty good year. I'm hoping the Tiger will be a even better year.

'Twas the night before Christmas' for Moms

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the abode
Only one creature was stirring, and she was cleaning the commode.
The children were finally sleeping all snug in their beds,
while visions of Nintendo and Barbie flipped through their heads.

The dad was snoring in front of the TV,
With a half-constructed bicycle propped on his knee.
So only Mom heard the reindeer hooves clatter,
Which made her sigh, "Now what is the matter?"

With the toilet bowl brush still clutched in her hand,
She descended the stairs and saw the old man.
He was covered with ashes and soot, which fell with a shrug,
"Oh, great," muttered Mom, "now I have to clean the rug."

"Ho Ho Ho!" cried Santa, "I'm glad you're awake,
your gift was especially difficult to make."
"Thanks, Santa, but all I want is time alone."
"Exactly!" he chuckled, "So, I've made you a clone."

"A clone?" she muttered, "What good is that?"
"Run along, Santa, I've no time for chit chat."
Then out walked the clone - The Mother's twin;
Same hair, same eyes, same double chin.

"She'll cook, she'll dust, she'll mop every mess.
You'll relax, take it easy, watch The Young and The Restless."
"Fantastic!" the Mom cheered. "My dream has come true!"
"I'll shop, I'll read, I'll sleep a night through!"

From the room above, the youngest did fret.
"Mommy? Come quickly, I'm scared and I'm wet."
The clone replied, "I'm coming, sweetheart."
"Hey," the Mom smiled, "she sure knows her part."

The clone changed the small one and hummed her a tune,
as she bundled the child in a blanket cocoon.
"You're the best mommy ever. I really love you."
The clone smiled and sighed, "And I love you, too."

The Mom frowned and said, "Sorry, Santa, no deal.
That's my child's love she is trying to steal."
Smiling wisely, Santa said, "To me it is clear,
Only one loving Mother is needed here."

The Mom kissed her child and tucked her in bed.
"Thank you, Santa, for clearing my head.
I sometimes forget, it won't be very long,
when they'll be too old for my cradle and song."

The clock on the mantle began to chime.
Santa whispered to the clone, "It works every time."
With the clone by his side, Santa said, "Good night.
Merry Christmas, dear Mom, you will be all right."

~ Author Unknown ~

Baby Steps

What I've learnt so far ...

1) When she wants her milk ... she means she wants it NOW!

Before and After

2) If she sleeps for 3 hours in a stretch, she is giving you a breather. Don't be surprise if she's up in half that time.

3) Babies do break wind, sometimes more often than I do. And don't be surprise at the amount of 'fecal matter' can come out of that tiny frame.

4) Angel, Textbook, Miss Sensitive or Grouchy ? ... well, that depends on whether her needs are met.

Homecoming

The past week and a half has been a blur of happenings and changes. The important thing is that both baby and mummy are healthy and well.

As for the house, it has become kind of unrecognisable, turning into a war-room like place for project BABY-01. My mum and the confinement nanny has cleaned and dusted every nook and cranny, revamped the kitchen and all its contents, stocked up the fridge to the brim and hung nappies on every space that catches a glimpse of the elusive sun beam. Our time has also been tuned to the sleeping pattern of our little girl, the one who eat-sleeps-and-poo.

Welcome home Cheyenne!

Awaiting the stork

My friend once told me that planning for a wedding was a 'stroll in the park' compared to the sweat and tears that accompanies the coming of the baby. The emotion runs much deeper, the preparation never stops even after the stork arrives, and the dent it leaves on your pockets might need a 'rescue package' to tide over. Okay, I exaggerate, he did not quite put it in the same exact terms but he was quite serious when he asked me to enjoy the 'honeymoon' while it last.

Well our preparation journey is almost coming to an end now. We have listened to advice from many a mothers, enrolled in 'Baby-101' class, and bought up a room full of baby stuff. The anxiety and excitement has not really set in yet, but it will crank up in the next few weeks as the day approaches.

Two more months to go

Fool's Gold

"Two percent per month leh ... what could beat that?
How is it possible ... precious metal price don't shoot up so fast ...
What they do with all our deposits? Ah Long interest also not so high ...
Don't think so much lah ... as long as we get the money each month ...
What's the worst case scenario? You can still sell off the gold bar at 20% down, one year already earns you 24% ... "

Fortunately we escaped unscathed. Lesson Learnt.
1) Worst-case scenarios do happen. And it could be worse than you think.
2) Do not put your money in schemes that you do not understand.
3) It could happen to you.

Joyous moments

These were from a wedding I attended two weekends back. Sometimes I wonder how wonderful the life of a wedding photographer must be. Capturing people during one of their happiest moments ... you can't help but feel happy and proud of what you are doing. Not something you would usually associate with your job. Well Mr.Photographer may not think so but the grass always looks greener on the other side.

Life behind wheels

Life has not been the same after we decided to put our foot down (on the pedal) and swap public transport with a set of wheels. Here is the down side to life behind wheels.

1) Walking 1Km less daily. Sigh ... I did not sign up for the extra spare tire around my waist.
2) Bye bye reading time. Train rides were a good time to catch up on reading.
3) Instead of the frustrating wait for the bus, I have to bear with congested roads and lots of traffic lights.
4) The roads have eyes. Take a misstep and you get fined for the smallest of offences, and "tolonglah encik ..." does not work here.
5) This 1.2 tonne machine puts a hole in your pocket and sucks up all extra dough. Well we sign up for this so were ready for this... well sort of ...

The moment when two lines meet

How often does a single moment changes the shape of your future, or elevates you to an unfamiliar position that expects no less than total devotion and effort? The cross on the Clearblue kit that greeted us 3 1/2 months back was one of those moments. It confirmed what we had earlier suspected. A bunch of feelings almost jumped out at once. Excitement, relief, trepidation. They were all knotted up somewhere within me. We needed a second opinion, make that third if we counted the pregnancy strip. Should we keep it under wraps until the 2nd trimester? A useful Chinese belief that lets the bulging stomach reveals itself, and keeps colleagues guessing about your weight gain and snacking binges. At least our family should know.

We are half way through this journey of preparation, yet there is still so much more that we do not know. But we are ready, or we think that we are ready, to take on this journey and whatever that awaits.

Discovering Formosa : Day 7 & 8 - Yilan and Taipei

We were leaving the countryside today and heading back to the bustling capital city of Taipei. The bus had to travel through winding coastal roads so we were bundled onto the train instead. We arrived first at the train station in Yilan and waited patiently for about an hour for the bus to arrive. Then we proceded to the Yilan National Center for Traditional Arts. This place had buildings with traditional architecture, shops selling everything from local snacks to painted dolls, and a small theatre for performances. After exploring the place for about an hour. it was time to go.

View from the train window

One-way tix to Yilan

Yilan train station

Yilan National Center for Traditional Arts

Goods on sale

We were heading back to Taipei and our first stop will be lunch at one of the tallest bulding in the world, the Taipei 101. Unfortunately though we could not see much of the view with clouds blanketing the top of the building. Lunch was good though. After we had our fill, we were given time to walk around the shopping center.

Shinyeh 101 - Restaurant with a view (supposedly)

Waiting for lunch to be served

Shopping Ccnter

Our next stop was a small feng shui shopin Taipei. We were briefly taught how to touch a stone 'Chi Lin' before being herded in for a talk by the master. The interesting talk about auspicious names and home fengshui ended rather abruptly before the sales pitch began. This time it was little Chi Lin pendants. No matter how many auspicious strokes our names had, we were asked to buy those pendants that came in different colours and sizes. It is interesting to note that at least one sale was made out of the tour group at every stop (eg. Lingzhi shop, Jade factory, etc).

After feeling happy that my chinese fist name had an auspicious 13 strokes and that we resisted buying all the sales pitch, we were finally heading for Shi Lin night market, the biggest of them all. It was almost dusk now, so the shops were all out. We headed towards the 'fashion' street first before settling for food at the well known food market. It was our last chance to sample the Taiwanese street fare, so we dug into 'Smelly Tofu', Ji Pa (chicken fillet), and Da Bing Bao Xiao Bing (small bun in big bun).

Start of the 'Fashion' Street

Smelly Tofu

Da Bing Bao Xiao Bing

Ji Pa

Tonight we finally get to stay in a 5 Star accomodation, the Grand Hyatt Taipei. It was defintely the best hotel so far.

The next day, we had half the day to wander around before departing for Singapore. We got up for the breakfast buffet and ended up watching the 'American idol' finals on TV. Then we decided to roam around the nearby shopping malls which only opened at 11am. Our original plan was to visit the National Palace Museum but it was located quite far away and we just so little time to spend., so we will save that for our next trip. After lunch, it was time to depart for the airport, so we collected our bags at took the bus one last time.

Getting ready for the opening at 11am

Grand Hyatt lobby