Surprise Gifts

27th September, 2008 - While I was working at home in the living hall, my kids had been busy too ! Little did I know they were busy drawing ... this one is from Bob : It says I Love U Mami ... the first thought that came to me was ... aiyo ... wrong spelling ! Then, I checked myself and held back. Gave him a big bear hug with a big big smile and said "Thank you, this is lovely. What a surprise! Very nice" Of course, Bob was happily grinning away ... that's till I corrected his spelling mistake !

This one is from my girl, Jasmine : It says Auntie, I Love U. It's been a blessing having Jasmine with me. She never hesitates to express her appreciation with a loud : "Thank you, ku ku". Today, she came up to me and land a kiss on my cheeks. I would like to think that she just want to let me know that she is happy, for which I am thankful. Thank you Jasmine, ku ku loves you too !

And, last but not least, a "I Love U" card from my cute little girl, Joey. Always with a deep dimpled smile, Joey warms up everyone's heart wherever she goes. She is much more mature than most kids her age. Eats dishes which other normal kids won't touch such as petai and mushroom!! Talks like an adult too. Always a joy to have around. Thank you Joey, ku ku loves you too !

It's Bob's 7th birthday !

30th September, 2008 - Today is Bob's birthday. Celebrated together with Dash's birthday 2 days ago. Always the mischievious one, Bob is a real joy to have as he is such a manja fellow. Petite in size, just like mommy ^_^

When Bob was born 7 years ago, he came out rather big too ... 3.84 kg and was long. Poor mommy went through another C-sec ! Unlike Dash, a milk baby, Bob was a food baby. Don't quite like to drink milk ... had mommy so so worried for the first few months. A blessing in disguise, I went freelance just to spend more time with Bob when he continuosly refuse to feed on milk ! That was almost 7 years ago.

Now, Bob is such a joy to be around, especially when he is in his talkative mood. Bob loves to tease Dash who is much bigger in size and guess what ... almost always, Bob comes to me teary eyed complaining about his bro bullying him ! Hmm ... good thing ... overall the brothers get along pretty well. Loves to hear their chuckles especially when they are in the car, make mommy feel warm all over.

Mommy loves you so so much .... HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Bob !

Dash is 9 today !

28th September, 2008 - It's Dash's birthday. Simple celebration at home, light amusement with a cake, gifts in the form of books, a yoyo and a MPH voucher from Dash's daddy.

Still remember the day Dash was born after mommy went through a C-sec for the first time... he was so so puffy on the face and big size. At 3.96kg with long legs. Wow ! no wonder he cannot squeeze through mommy's petite size. He was such a joy to be cuddled close to me, though he doesn't seem to smile at all until he is almost 10 months old. A milk baby, the doc said.

Now, his bubbly smile never fail to bring out my own smile. After a long tiring day at work, I always look forward to get home for a big bear hug from Dash. I love you so so much, my baby ... Happpy Birthday !

Pot Luck Gathering

27th September, 2008 - Today, the kids and I attended the annual potluck party organised by our very own Residence Association. We contributed our famous home-made longan jelly ! (Ha ... the moment the MC announced that it is time to eat, my boys rushed to our 2 plates of jelly and immediately took some ... you see, they were waiting to attack the jelly even before the event started, just that mommy did not allow them to !!!)

The event started off with a simple ice-breaker session i.e. the "Choo-choo train dance" led by mostly ladies. I joined in the chain and tried to get the kids to follow suit but to no avail ... they were still too shy, I guess ^_^

The Mexican folk dancing followed next and this time, Bob joined me. It was heart warming to actually see my shy Bob coming out of his shell and dance away together with mommy, following the simple footsteps rather well. Mommy is so proud of you, Bob. Keep it up :-)

The Limbo Rock was an instant hit with the children, although it took a few more "seconds" for the adults to get out of their shyness to join in the "limbo-rockin". This time, Dash and Bob joined the queue while Jasmine took videoshots and ... mommy cheered them on, probably more excited than them. It was exciting just observing how my boys tried to get through the lower pole. Joey was too shy to join in the fun but midway, she too got excited and tried once after much effort on my part to draw her out ! Hmm ... felt some achievement here. Well done, mommy... here's a pat for you, Odelia. Ha ha ...

There was also a band performance (guitarists, drummer & singer) from Lee SL's family & friends. Kudos to you for putting up such a good show for the night ! Jenny was rather fascinated with the performances as I observe her staring at the performers.

Time really flies when we were having fun. In between the line dancing performed by the Esplanad ladies & man, and invited dancing guests, we took part in the "Mummy Wrap" game where 6 groups had so much fun competing to wrap their team member into a "Mummy" with toilet paper ! Poor Dash was completely wrapped up !! That was a lot of fun. It's great to see my Dash being such a good sport. Bob and Jasmine helped a lot too, else we would not have wrapped our "mummy" up within time given !

This was followed by the "Scavenger Hunt" where we compete against 7 other different teams and raced intensely against time to scavenge for items (e.g. 50-cent coin, plastic fork, candle, pen, cap, etc.) and also to hunt for "treasures" which we needed to decipher first before looking for them. The 8 magnificent teams, comprising 5 to 8 members, had called themselves : The Golden Knights, Bingo!, Fantastic Five, Famous Four, Transformers, SPM, Secret Seven and Doraemon (our team - all the kids joined me in this one !!!). I had a lot of fun coordinating and reading the riddles, trying to figure out what/where the heck is the treasure hidden and explaining to the kids at the same time. With a red torchlight, we really scouted around the compound looking for the items, some of which were laid or buried in dark areas/pots/fence !!! Phew ! Though we did not win, I told the kids they are all winners in mommy's heart and that what matters most is that we all did very well as a team and I congratulated each and everyone of them with a big bear hug, especially Bob who did not hesitate to take off his short sleeve shirt (an item needed in the Scavenger Hunt ! Bravo indeed ^_^

An unforgettable night it was ^_^

Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation - CPR

20th September, 2008 - This morning I had to wake up early despite not having to fetch the kids to school ... oh well ... signed up for CPR course a few weeks back and now's the time to learn this life saving skill ^_^

Under Dr. Rayney's (from Institut Jantung Negara) lively presentation, we learned the basics in theory, we were also shown 2 videos ... 1 of Mr. Bean (hilariously showing the wrong but basic alternative methods to CPR !!!) and another one on the actual procedures ... impressive. Definitely got my attention !!!

In Summary, the simple formula is : DR.ABC

- Danger (i.e. ensure own safety. Remove danger or victim)

- Respond (i.e. call and tap the patient on the shoulder for any response, if no respond, call for help/ambulance)

- Airway (i.e. position victim on his/her back. Tilt patient's head back & lift the chin to open patient's airway and check breathing )

- Breathing (i.e. check for breathing. If no breathing, give 2 effective breaths : pinch the patient's nose, take a normal breath, seal your lips around the victim's mouth to create an airtight seal and blow for 1 second into the patient's mouth, then give a second blow, then check victim's pulse)

- Compression (i.e. begin chest compressions fast and hard at the rate of 100/minute. Place heel of hands in the middle of the chest between the nipples. Compress 30 times follow by 2 breaths. Repeat for 5 cycles and re-check response)


Under Kamarudin Ayob's instruction, we learned applying CPR on adult mannequins. We had to wash and rinse our mouths before that as well as clean the mannequin with some kind of sanitiser.

Next, we also learned applying CPR on child (1-8 years old) mannequins under the instructions of matron Ramlah Shukor.


Then, we moved on to infant mannequins and learned from a cheerful lady by the name of Rabiah.



Also had fun learning the Heimlich Manouevre to help choking victims ! This was a tough one, all the girls including myself, just did not have enough strength to administer the manouevre while the victim mannequin is standing up. With the mannequin lying down, it was easy : a quick inward and upward abdominal thrusts just above the navel did the trick. Phew !!



We also learned how to use the Automated External Defibrillator (AED) as the last practical session. AEDs are computerised devices that are attached to a pulseless victim with adhesive pads. They will recommend shock delivery only if the victim's heart rhythm is one that a shock can treat. AEDs give rescuers visual and voice prompts to guide rescuer actions. Interestingly easy to follow :-)



Lastly, we had to sit for a theory test. Alas, 'A' star student came up top in the class ... he he he ... that's me lah. Phai seh, phai seh ... scored 100 marks ! Proudly showed the kids my result and guess what? Dash remarked " Wah ! Mommy why you so 'keng' one?" "Of course ! Mommy pay 100% attention during class ah, you can score 100 marks too if you pay attention." ^_^

Ha ... hope my kids will be inspired to excel too ...

Bye Bye Siem Reap !!

16th September, 2008 - It's our final day at Siem Reap. My heart felt kinda heavy .... told myself, must take the kids here some time in the near future, when they are able to take on the steep climbing and long walks challenges ...

After checking out of the Villa Siem Reap and took our last breakfast, we stopped at the Silk Farm. Learned about the processes of making silk ... interesting. Silk worms are fed with mulberry leaves till they turn into cocoons and become bright yellow like the ones shown in this picture.

After which, these cocoons are boiled and the women workers then takes out the thread and spin them systematically into rolls. Dying and tying process follows, then painstakingly weaved into pieces of unique fabrics. Nice ... soft to the touch ... made into pouches, textile, scarves, pillow cases, shirts, etc.


Next, off we went to the Western Baray. This marvel of ancient civil engineering is now a popular local picnic site. Stretching 8m by 2.2 km, it is the largest Baray known to have been built during the Khmer Empire. At the middle of the Baray is found an island where the monument which once had a superb bronze statue of the Reclining Vishnu. In the middle of the island, the attentive viewer will recognize the shape of a hollow or reversed linga, that is to say, a linga which impregnates the water, making it fertile and thus causing all the rice fields and meadows over which it spreads to be fecund.

Stalls like these stands along the beach ... BBQ frogs, village chicken, snakes and god know what to cater for local picnic-goers ! Wanted to try but was immediately turned down by the others ... they say it's iiii .... ieeeee ... ha ha ha ... maybe next time then :-)

Finally, it's bye bye time. After a round of hugs to the tour guide and driver, off we went to the check-in counter with a heavy heart ....

Had time for ice-creams and shopping within the Airport. Here's my favourite poster : Queen Diary ice-cream .... Yeah ! Some of us sent postcards, self addressed to our respective KL addresses .... for rememberance ^_^

Board the 2:40 pm flight .... glad to be greeted by our friendly Malaysian air-stewardess and ... the first thing I did was to catch up on Malaysian news !!!! Bye bye Siem Reap ! All in all, a wonderfully pleasant and interesting trip ! Now, I am back to my HOME SWEET HOME .... realised how much I missed my kids when I saw their happy faces ....

It's Free and Easy Day !!!

15th September, 2008 - We really took our own sweet time today and went out only at noon ... after all 5 sleeping beauties have finished our beauty sleep !!! For a change ... ha ha ...

For lunch, we went into the only fast food outlet called Plaza Seven, the other girls had fried chicken and burgers while I took a fancy to taste another flavour of ice-cream on cone. Nice :-) Then, I went out in search of local food and bumped into the driver who was enjoying his afternoon meal. So, I sat down with him and had a taste of the local meehoon soup and longan smoothies. Very nice and cheap !! No specific plans after that but we got the driver to fetch us to a book shop to buy some stationeries to give away to orphans. Bought some blank exercise books, pencils, cartoon erasers, glue and colour pencils.

Next, 3 of us went for whole body massage using the local traditional hand massage. Quite an enjoyable experience ^_^ For USD9, it was really good ... could feel my muscles relaxed and hear my joints making noise ... ha ha ha ...

At the orphanage called Sunrise Children's Villages, we were given a tour round the premises after signing a letter of undertaking not to use any photos we take of the children for commercial use. In 1993, Geraldine Cox, an Australian, spoke to friends about a group of 24 orphans displaced from a refugee camp near the Thai border. These children's deceased families were amongst the millions of victims of Pol Pot's genocidal regime in Cambodia.

Geraldine's words : "When I first met the original 24 orphans in 1993, I couldn't begin to imagine the mental scars they carried - torture, death, starvation, disease and running for their lives. Some time after that first visit, I realised that I would have to do something more than just bring them clothes, food and toys. I wanted to give them a home life full of love, family and laughter. And so "Sunrise" was born and, in doing that, the children have become the wind in the sails of my dreams and they somehow 'will' into being everything I wish for them. They deserve all that we can give them, and a whole lot more besides." WOW !!!

After that, we bought some local fruits ... then, off we went into the market for some frenzy shopping bargains ! We bought mostly souvenirs for friends and family members back home. Nice little hanging elephants, some cute little handphone pouches with elephant motives, scarves, handbags, fridge magnets ... and I managed to grab hold of a nice hand-made wall hanging ! Yippee ! Another collection for the house ...

Next, we took an early dinner ... BBQ buffet !!! Really ate and ate like nobody's business ... ha ha ... must have put back on the kilos we shed the last 3 days ! Until the girls had to unbuckle ... ha ha ... luckily I wore a wraparound skirt, no need to unbuckle ... just loosen up a little did the trick ! All sorts of sauce ... tried nearly 9 types ... Yummy ... yummy ! Had a few good laughs and just sitting down there observing the jokes cracked by these bunch of fun-loving ladies made my day a most memorable one !!!

Angkor Adventure - Day 3

14th September, 2008 - Boy! Aren't we glad we did not have to wake up at 5 a.m.! Thank GOD, my legs did not give way after yesterday's long walks and leg stretches ! Ha ha .... must be the effect of having my knee guards on and the muscle pain relief cream ... ^_^

For today, our first stop was to visit the beautiful Banteay Srey, the citadel of the woman. This exquisite temple was built specially for women to relax and gossip! Wow! I could imagine the ladies gathering together in this beautiful place and have a whale of a fun time together !

As if to make up for its diminutive size, every square inch of Banteay Srey is covered in carvings of the very finest detail and artistry. Built in the 10th century, it is fashioned from pinkish sandstones instead of the normal grey laterite of other temples.

Next, we visited Banteay Samre, one of the most complete complexes at Angkor and was restored using the archaeological method known as anastylosis. This method entails complete deconstruction of the building, numbering of its component parts and then painstaking reconstruction. WOW !

Another jungle trek and we reached Kbal Pean, the Valley of a 1000 Lingas. The site was largely created by religious hermits who carved innumerable stone phalluses, animals and friezes in the riverbed. Come to think of it, those folks really are very free leh. Nothing better to do ah? But then again, without which, there will be no Kbal Spean ! Apparently, people from that age love to multiply. Even till today, the average family has 4 children ... hmm ... compared to 1 or 2 nowadays in Malaysia?

Met Andreas of Germany at the waterfall and hey, don't we look good together in this photo?

On the way back down the hill, caught hold of this fantastic view and couldn't resist a group photo once more ....

Our last stop was to try and see the sunset from the top of Phnom Bakheng. It is a 65-metre hill a few hundred metres south of the gate to Angkor Thom. It is the only natural hill in the area. Climbing the hill after a day walking around the monuments was a challenge, but the prospect of looking at the view from the top just before sunset kept us going ! Alas, there was to be no sunset as it is the rainy season ... kind of sad :-(









No regrets though ! The view was spectacular !! It was windy and refreshing after all and wow ! the crowd that gathered on that day was quite good. We were able to see Angkor Wat once again, this time from afar ^_^ I managed to capture the scenes and happenings at Phnom Bakheng that day. Enjoy !

Angkor Adventure - Day 2

13th September, 2008 - A day to look forward to ... the day when we were able to witness sunrise at the famous Angkor Wat !!! Despite having to wake up at 5am, we were all in high spirit :-) Forego the guesthouse breakfast as we were too early ... but the poor waiter (who was still in slumberland !) had to climb off his couch and attend to my request for a pot of hot water. So, instead of the toasted bread, we had a steaming cup of 3-in-1 Nescafe Breakfast coffee brought from home instead. Warmed our stomachs well enough to a good start ... ^_^


We were quite taken by the beauty of Angkor Wat and as we wait for the sun to rise, we took the opportunity to amuse ourselves and got our tour guide to take various fun-loving pics like this one ^_^ A good morning warm-up session indeed !

Angkor Wat is the symbol at the very heart of the Khmer people's pride in their culture and heritage. The temple is regarded by many as the largest religious buildings in the world. "Angkor Wat" means capital or 'royal monastery city'.


Angkor Wat faces west and the entire site is encompassed by a moat. Crossing the moat by a single causeway, we came to the outer enclosure : a gallery running the entire length of the western boundary and pierced by 5 entrances. Once through the central entrance, the approach to Angkor Wat opens in all its glory.

There were many bas reliefs depicting scenes from the Ramayana, principally the battle of Lanka, gods and demons in conflict, Krishna's defeat of the demon Bana, Vishnu conquering demons, the incomparable Churning of the Ocean of Milk, the battle of Kurukshetra, etc ...

Here, another sweet Cambodian girl approached me and immediately, I took out my last few pieces of Toblerone. She's real shy but very sweet nonetheless right? Perhaps it's my liking of little girls that got me mesmerised by their natural and innocent beauty ... ^_^

This one here looks like a scene on poster/postcard. Wow ! I was indeed mesmerized by its splendid grandeur and wonder how all these took place way back thousands of years ago ! No wonder it's so famous !

I was telling myself ... hmm ... must bring my kids here when they are big and strong enough to scale the steep climbs ! When that time come, we'll surely take the balloon ride to witness sunrise and sunset. For now, can only imagine the amazing views of the temples and landscape !


After a short walk through the jungle, we arrived at Baksei Cham Krong, a queer little temple with very steep stairways leading to the top.

This is by far the most steep climb. When asked, our tour guide explained that the steps are deliberately built so narrow and steep as devotees show their sincerity and determination in they offerings, prayers and in paying respect to their gods.

The Linga Cult - Jayavarman II established a linga-worshipping cult. Lingas are a male fertility totem; one of the many incarnations of the Hindu god Shiva. The literal representation of the totem was a stone phallus (linga) that usually rested on a pedestal (uma) representing the female sexual organs. Water poured over the linga drained from the uma and became blesssed. At the "Rivers of 1000 Lingas' in the Kulen Hills, these phallic symbols were used to bless the waters flowing out of the highlands and into the rich, agricultural land below.

Images of these Cambodians with their legs amputated still linger in my thoughts. Playing Khmer music and selling their music on CDs is their way of making ends meet....

Three decades of war in Cambodia have left scars in many forms throughout the country. Unfortunately, one of the most lasting legacies of the conflicts continues to claim new victims daily. Land mines, laid by the Khmer Rouge, the Heng Samrin and Hun Sen regimes, the Vietnamese, the KPNLF, and the Sihanoukists litter the countryside. In most cases, even the soldiers who planted the mines did not record where they were placed. Now, Cambodia has the one of the highest rates of physical disability of any country in the world. While census data for Cambodia is sketchy, it is generally accepted that more than 40,000 Cambodians have suffered amputations as a result of mine injuries since 1979. That represents an average of nearly forty victims a week for a period of twenty years !!!! Ahhhhhhh .... why does this kind of brutal acts happen? Sigh .... Aren't we all blessed that these miseries don't happen in Malaysia?

Our last temple visit for the day : An island temple, the Prasat Neak Pean is believed to celebrate Buddha's achievement of Nirvana. Sitting pretty in the middle of the Jayatataka reservoir (Northern Baray) it acted as a sacred shrine where pilgrims came to swim in the surrounding waters. The four fountains take four forms: elephant, human, lion and horse sprouted holy water that could cure the pilgrims of their ailments.

On our way back, we stopped by one very small, new shopping complex and tasted its yoghurt ice-cream. Yummy !!! A refreshing taste to end our hot and sweaty journey ! Nice ... very nice indeed ^_^

Angkor Adventure - Day 1

12th September, 2008 - Today, we begin our 3-day journey into the temples ! So, a hearty breakfast is a must ! Toast with peanut butter and ginger tea with honey was the selection for my first meal ... the toasted bread was a little too thick and all of us had difficulty digesting them !

Our first adventure of the day started with a half-hour van journey to the Angkor Thom admission gate where our photos were taken and a 3-day pass produced on the spot for USD40 each. Locals get to go in free one leh. Just the opposite huh? In Malaysia, foreigners pay less than locals in certain tourist areas. Hmm ... thought the Cambodian way is much better, at least the locals get to learn and study their own culture and heritage ! Foreigners wouldn't mind paying, after all their purpose of visiting a country is to sight-visit as much as they can right?

In the heart of Angkor Thom lies the beautiful Bayon which post-dated Angkor Wat by about 100 years. What transfixes me are the vast stone heads which gaze from all directions ... interesting how these huge stones were painstakingly sculptured and stacked to its unique forms ... wow !

Intricate unique carvings were aplenty. Looking at some of the bas-reliefs carved throughout Angkor, we saw images of Apsaras. The Apsara dancer is one of Cambodia's enduring cultural symbols. Many young girls receive training in classical Khmer dance; similarly, boys learn to be masked pantomimes and acrobats. Apsara is a dance performed to welcome the Thai gods into a temple. The Apsara is performed for religious reasons, honoring the Apsara, female divinities of the Khmer civilization. Many different school programs are aimed at teaching young girls the Apsara. This is especially true at orphanages, since learning the Apsara offers these poor children the chance to have a profitable career. Because of the many years of political instability in Cambodia, there are many of these orphans, and caring for them has become a worldwide cause. However, the Apsara offers them a chance at a future using traditional Cambodian culture.

Often, steep climbs await us at most of the temples ... just like this particular one, though not as many steps as those found in Batu Caves, it's the narrow steps that made tourists like myself cringe and had to cautiously take one step at a time without looking down ! Ha ha ... talking about phobia of height here ... making it to the top was easy but coming down was a totally different story. I had to hold on tight to the railings as I slowly inch my suddenly-seem-so-heavy body down. Kind of made me recount those similar experience I had during my climb up the Pinnacles in Mulu Caves during my early 20s ... In this case, I was glad to have my travel-mates as company for encouraging me on as I see them doing the climbs with confidence. Phew!

Next, we moved on to The Elephant Terrace and Terrace of the Leper King. They were the long platfrom which the Royal Palace was built. From this magnificent viewpoint, the Angkorian kings watched military exercises and celebrations.

Our next stop : Ta Prohm ... Ta Prohm recreates the experience of the early explorers who re-discovered Angkor. Its structure subsumed by trees, making it very photogenic. In its prime, Ta Prohm boasted a fabulous wealth of precious stones and gold and controlled the activities of thousands of villages. It was constructed during Jayavarman VII's time and was dedicated to his mother. Hey, even Tomb Raider, starring the beautiful and famous Angelina Jolie was filmed here !!!

Children peddling in very sweet voices looking for some money in exchange for Cambodian post cards, books, scarfs, flutes or other handicraft items were seen all around our temple vists. Some asked for candies. The sweet young girls especially, melt my heart. Remembering I had some Toblerone chocolates with me, I opened up my container of toblerones and she happily chose 1 and looked up at me with a very grateful look ! My heart went : wow! she is so so sweet and well-mannered. My kids would have taken at least 3 candies ... but not this girl. Hmm ... food for thought.

I chanced upon another cute girl trying to sell me a pack of 10 postcards for USD1, and I offered her the same goody, immediately felt right at home and made me want to hug her ... alas, took this photo with her on my lap. Ain't she cute?

Anyone of you going on a trip to Cambodia next, remember to bring candies to give away! And do bring other goodies like milk powder, diapers, bath soaps, toothbrushes, toothpastes, etc. The kids need these !!!

When I reflect back on the kind of lifestyle we have back home, really felt so so blessed. I simply cannot imagine my kids peddling away like this, day in day out, on bare foot !!!

At Prasat Kravan, the small tower has 3 sanctuaries with unique brick bas-reliefs. Carvings on the southern wall represent Visnu with his right foot resting on a lotus flower held by his wife, Laksmi, the Goddess of Beauty born from the Churning of the Ocean of Milk. Our tour guide, Tek, related a very interesting story on this which can be found on http://www.sanatansociety.org/indian_epics_and_stories/the_churning_of_the_ocean.htm

After an exhausting day, we were glad to relax and chill out at the Koulen Restaurant for buffet dinner complete with an hour of live performance in the fom of some Cambodian cultural show including the Apsara dance.