Month: April 2007

Cleaning and Cooking


That’s what I seem to be doing on weekends these days. Coffee...ahhhI’d sleep in on Saturday, wake up around 7.30, have my leisurely coffee and brekky, and by 8.30, start to vacuum the house and clean my abode. By the time I’m nearly done around 11.30pm, it’d be time to pick up kiddo from her class and send her for lunch by 12.15pm before her next tuition at 1.15pm. Then it’s back home and a quick catch of breath and potter around the house to touch up on the cleaning done in the morning before picking up kiddo from her class. Then, it’s back home for some ironing, and sending kiddo off again, for her Youth Worship Service. It’s only after picking her up from the Service, that I felt ready to rest and relax over a cup of red and a DVD.

This morning, the ICC service was a Praise Service. I had prepared something to share but it just didnt feel right so I kept my notes and just soaked in the others’ sharings. We came back after church for a quick lunch, Theresa and I then went out to do some quick shopping. I wanted to cook to get some food in the fridge and freezer for this coming week. We went shopping at Wing Sum’s in Glen Waverley, and I came back to cook while Kiddo and Theresa went back to church for a ping pong session with some church friends. I spent the next 3 hours washing, chopping, cutting and cooking. By the time they came back from their ping pong session, I had tonight’s dinner and the next 4 days (at least) meals ready. They are now in the fridge and freezer and with the lunches also tucked away in the fridge, I feel free and ready for the week.

My boss was away for a conference in Bangkok last week and by most accounts, had a torrid and really rough week. So, I hope tomorrow wouldnt see the start of a bad week for her at work. Hopefully I can be of some help for her.

For this morning’s Praise Service, I had wanted to share about how grateful I was and still am, for my father’s quick and easy departure. As much as I miss him and regret immensely, my missing him, I am extremely happy (more grateful I guess) he didnt have to suffer greatly. That seems to be his lot in life. He just went through life with the minimum of fuss or pain. He truly was a free spirit. I thank God for that.

Blister Et Al


Blister

I don’t know why I did it but 3 days ago (Monday) I used a pair of runners (an Adidas trail running model) which I have not used for a long time. It has a narrow fit and I never liked running in it. It gave me a blister just under the bottom of my left big toe. That I was pushing hard to get 9km in the 45 minutes I allowed myself didn’t help. I ignored it but after the run on Tuesday, the blister became sore and last night (I didn’t run yesterday) I put a band-aid on it and ran again this morning. I was in my more comfy NB so I pushed again, for the 9km-45min mark. By the time I went back to the locker room an hour later, I was distressed to see the mess when I removed my left shoe. The sock was blood stained all around the big toe/sole area and even the plaster had become pink. I removed it gently but the damage has been done. The sting it made (not the stink) when I hit the shower was a reminder to ditch that Adidas for good, no matter how cool it looked. The daggy NB is it for me from now on.

Citizenship

The ex-colleague I caught up with yesterday had the same sentiments as me, as far as citizenship matters go. He, like me, had no second thoughts about going for it, as soon as he qualifies. Apparently, the amendments to law would not be retrospective and the new 4-year wait would apply only for applicants who became residents after the amendments come into effect. That’s fairness for you. Dinky Di Aussie Fairness. I’ve had numerous discussions with friends, relatives and church people about this and sentiments apart, I can see no reason why someone who has lived here for years and has no intention of ever returning to Malaysia to live, would be so hesitant in giving up Malaysian citizenship. Why retain it? If sentiments are preventing me from giving myself a fairer go by being a citizenship of my new country, those sentiments should be ditched.

Dad

It is coming up to 5 months since my father left us. Tomorrow would have been his and mom’s 44th wedding anniversary. It would be the first time in all that time, that my mom would spend this day without him. I still think of him every day. Images of him at meal times, or him just sitting around in the living room. There was a picture of Boris Yeltsin in the papers this morning lying in state in an open casket. They had put the Perspex cover over my dad’s by the time we got to Klang. I regret that – not being there, not being able to speak to him before that, and generally, not spending enough time with him.

 

 

Anzac Day


It’s a public holiday again today, one of many in the month of April. It’s the middle of the week, so it’s just a day to potter around the home, maybe do some cooking. I’ve stopped reading about stuff in Malaysia, and somehow I dont feel like I’m missing anything. In fact, I had just taken a glance at the Malaysia Today site again, and was not attracted to anything in particular. Maybe I have stopped caring. That would be bad, as I think I still do.

Rooney's First in the ECL Semi-final First Leg against AC MilanI had recorded the Man Utd-AC Milan ECL semi-final match, but I woke up a little after 5 this morning, as I usually do. So, I went down to watch the game and what a game it was – not quite the spectacle of the win over Roma but still a wonderful game to watch. Rooney’s last gasp strike was superb and the momentum and mood going into the second leg next week would be great.

Kiddo still has her piano class later today. Her teacher had been away for a month and so, notwithstanding the holiday, the class is to go on. Theresa and I cynically said maybe she missed the fees… We are also catching up with a friend and ex-colleague (here in Melbourne) and his family, a little later today. Maybe his kids would just want MacD…

Last Friday, after the bible study, Kiddo was mucking around with some of her friends and got her fourth finger (left hand, thankfully) badly caught by the toilet door. She bawled like she hasnt for a long time, and I had to hold her. I havent done that for a while, as she is bigger than Theresa now. We got home quickly, gave her a couple of panadols, and she was better the next day.

Last Saturday, we were at church for the working bee, after cleaning up our own home earlier that morning. I then got a hair cut in the afternoon and by the time we could put our feet up to have a bit of a weekend break, it was well past 3pm. I then did some ironing and cookin, so that we’d be free for the next day. On Sunday, after church, I caught up with an ex-colleague, the then CFO of the company. He left a few months ago, after having had enough of the CEO’s total lack of control over a very fierce temper. He is now a COO of another prominent company, and continues to do well. After seeing him, I joined Theresa and Kiddo for dinner with a cousin, who was in town for a conference. He works in Perth, as an architect. He’s a big fellow, and I dont think we fed him well enough, in this horrible chinese restaurant on Spencer Street – it’s called Jarrah and if you’re in Melbourne and are reading this, do not go there notwisthanding the convenience (it is just across the road from Spencer Street station).

Kiddo’s Birthday


Yesterday was Kiddo’s 13th birthday. We went to a restaurant in Clayton.

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After dinner, we went to a 10 pin bowling joint in Forrest Hil, to check it out, for later this afternoon together with Auntie Hooi, who wants to go there as sort of a thing to do for Justin, her youngest.

Beram Kumar speaks in our church again today.

Great to see Man Utd continuing its winning ways. Wem-b-ley, Wem-b ley …

Saying goodbye


This time it is to Malaysia, permanently and legally. About a couple of weeks ago, I had my citizenship application approved. Formally, I dont become a citizen until the ceremony, when the pledge is made and the certificate of citizenship is issued.

A couple of guys were just talking about citizenship, and severing any of our remaining legal links with Malaysia. We all thought we are probably never returning to Malaysia ever again, so why worry about giving up our citizenship there. More so when we see the continuous erosions of values which are important to us – fairness, equality, justice and social stability. I think the factor which nailed it for all of us, is the thought of our children having to cope with those issues which we had to deal with. We are all thankful our kids are spared of these issues, and they can concentrate on other matters such as building their skills and qualifications to contribute better, and to be better appreciated by their country. Malaysia is not interested in that, not unless you are a malay or a moslem, or preferably, both.

I’m now just waiting for the ceremony date to be confirmed, before I officially become a dinky di aussie.

Working Again


It has been 3 days into my new job. It has been very positive so far. NC is my immediate boss. NC appears to be a warm, intelligent and definitely hard working lady, who had previously worked in a leading national law firm, as well as in a corporate regulator. AH is a younger lawyer, but is sharp, fun and also very hardworking. Both are engaged to be married, AH later this year and NC next year. I bring up the rear and SW is the PA for the department. 

The organisation is professionally run, and on the very first day, most administrative matters were already resolved. Whatever was unresolved on the first day was cleared up yesterday (my second day). I have had to be issued access cards for 2 separate buildings, with my office being just one floor below the US Consulate office. Getting in and out of office feels like getting in and out of a fortress. On my second day, I stepped into a lift meant only for the Consulate Office and caused a surprised look on the face of the sentry personnel, when the lift door opened. I obviously did not have a look to make him draw a gun, but that is going to be the last time I use that lift.I was taken around today, to meet with some of the staff from other departments. There were quite a number of Malaysians in the company. The guy I had a short meeting with was an East Malaysian who grew up in
Brunei.To get to work, I take a train to Glen Iris, where I take a tram which stops directly in front of my office building. The train ride takes about 15 mins, and the tram about 25 mins. All in however, it takes about an hour each way, door to door. On days I don’t go to the gym, I get to travel on the train with Theresa. The downside to this new job is of course, I get home only around 7pm, which means cooking dinner is a bit tricky. I have not cooked for the past 2 days, but tonight, I managed to whip up a quick spaghetti marinara. Henry and wife left yesterday afternoon, after spending a week with us. Or rather, after staying in our home for a week. They didn’t exactly spend the week with us, with their busy schedules of visiting sites and people.Kiddo is on school holidays now. Last night, she got pretty upset. The youth group of the church had planned to do some charity work and last Sunday, they planned the timetable and transport arrangement. We were not in church last Sunday however, as Henry had wanted to visit a Methodist church and meet pastors he knew from
Malaysia. So Kiddo was excluded from the transport arrangement and last night, she couldn’t get anyone to take her and she was very sad. I’m really grateful however, as she seems to have that accepting attitude, taking in this minor calamity in stride, after an initial outburst of frustration. Thankfully, this morning, she got someone to take her. School holidays go on till end of next week, with the coming Easter break in between.