Calamities in Japan

On Friday, one of my colleagues told me that he had received news from friends that there had been a tsunami in Japan. I was busy at that time, so I did not put much thought to it. I remembered thinking it was probably just a small tsunami. But as more news got out, the earth quake and tsunami in Japan turned out to be a magnitude of 9! The extent of damages and lives lost has been painful to watch. The pictures of houses and cars swept away by the sea water were very devastating. I read that entire towns and villages have been wiped out. Thousands of people are dead and maybe ten thousand more are missing. This calamity is of a gigantic proportion. Being in Malaysia which is free from earth quakes, I really cannot imagine the ordeal the Japanese people are facing right now.

Even when rescue works are still underway to save those who are trapped and find those who are missing at the coastal areas affected by the tsunami, the nuclear power plant problems came about to add more salt to the wound. The reactors were exploding due to the damaged cooling system caused by the earthquake and undying efforts are being made to stop other reactors from exploding and leaking radioactive radiation to the surrounding areas. People around the world are starting to panic. People in Malaysia are questioning the plans to build nuclear power plants in the country. I rightfully think that this matter must be thoroughly thought through and studied. Unless totally necessary, it should be avoided. Put loads of money into researching for alternative fuel and power sources. Make people less dependent on electricity. Change lifestyles, make more energy efficient equipment. Anything and everything to avoid dabbing in nuclear technology. Even a 1st world country like Japan can be affected by such unexpected incidents, I am really far from convinced that we are equipped to handle it in this country, not even in 10 to 20 years’ time.

It doesn't rain but it pours for Japan. Such sad turn of events in Japan, a definitive technologically advance country. It goes to show no amount of technology can beat mother earth's ferocity. But the Japanese are strong-willed people and quoting from the Japanese Ambassador to Malaysia in the report in The Star, “Japan is really a country of natural calamities. But we have overcome past calamities and we have to overcome this one.” The people in Japan are calm in the face of such grim disasters, much to the admiration of all nations. They are truly a great nation. I pray for the mercy of God on the people affected in Japan. God, please save the souls and give strength to the people to overcome all the hardships that will follow. Amen.

Bye-bye Facebook and Hello Lent

 

Lent season is just a day away as tomorrow is Ash Wednesday. This year, I will try to do more abstinence apart from fasting and abstinence from meat. I was thinking to myself, what is the thing that I am spending a lot of time on daily. And then it became very obvious, Facebook! It is official, I am going to abstain from Facebook for the whole 40 days of Lent, excluding Sundays. So my Facebook buddies, you will see very little of me for the next 46 or so days. It is definitely not going to be easy but I am fairly confident I am able to do it. So Bye-bye Facebook and Hello Lent! 

Lent is a period for quiet reflection and contemplation. And qouting from a nice Catholic blog, "Lenten resolutions are something different though: it’s to humble yourself for God. Lent’s resolutions should be designed to make you holier; they should be about doing something for no purpose other than to improve your relationship with God."

For the time I would be spending facebooking, I will spend reading the Bible, praying alone and praying together as a family and thanking God for all the blessings. I can also throw in things like cleaning the house, guiding my kids in their school work, spending quality time with the hubby and kids, continue on my project runways, etc.. Oh boy, there's lots of things that I should be doing! But most importantly, spend time reflecting on my principles and direction in life and how to grow in my faith. I know these are big words and big stuff but I am always aware that I need to do such reflections from time to time. How successful you are in life is not measured by the amount of money you make or spend, how many degrees you've gotten and how many 'friends' you have. More importantly, how people see you as and how you treat the people around you and strangers in need. Respect each other, respect mother nature and do not judge or discriminate people on any basis. If you have all that, you have grasped the real meaning of life, regardless of religion. I am trying to on somedays, and forgets on other days. So I need Almighty God's guidance, all the time...

God bless you all and I hope you will have a fruitful Lent.

 

iPad 2 and Penang brighten my week

I came across several things that interest me this week. Firstly, iPad2 is coming out! So our plan to get an iPad is going to be KIVed for awhile. Might as well wait for the new one which is faster and lighter at the same price. I am quite happy with my iPhone4, so many apps and almost flawless touchscreen technology. From what I know and seen, iPad is just like a bigger iPhone, so I am pretty confident it will be a fine piece of device too. So a couple more months to wait for the 2nd generation iPad to come to our market. See Steve Job launching it below.


Next, the not-so-great matters. The RCI is ongoing on TBH. I follow it closely through Malaysian Insider tweeter. So far, it has been really discouraging to read. Looks like all the gonvernment experts are aligning their reasonings to basically wash the MACC and police off any responsibility on the matter. Unbelievable. Then thare is the DSAI's trial which is again depressing. Depressing because the reality in this country is that common sense and fairness seems non existence in some people. The more I read and follow on these matters, the more sad I feel.

But life is not all bleak. I read Patrick Teoh's blog and he was singing praises about Penang. How clean and how happy people there seems to be. He even called it a different country! With all the negative things we hear from the mainstream media, it's nice to get an alternative view about how the state is doing. Being in Selangor, I think that the state is doing ok, at least we are enjoying free water for awhile now. There should be more improvements to come and I do hope they get a chance to prove it beyond the next election. And maybe we can all 'migrate' to Penang then, only problem is that it is already pretty congested there.

Late Nights

Lately I have been sleeping late, way later than I usually do. I don't kown if it has got to do with the supplement I am taking or just me trying to catch some alone time.

Well, last night, I was sleeping late again. The TV was on in the room and I was checking the latest house prices on my iPhone. I watched Julie (I like her, she's funny and pretty, see pix) and Zher on 8TV Quickie and they were introducing this 20 something pretty lass who is a fulltime blogger (her blog). I am still quite puzzled. I always thought blogging was just for fun. I still cannot imagine making it as a living but apparently some people do. In fact, many people do, nowadays. I know it's from the advertisements posted on their blogs but I just cannot register that in mind. To me, when I go to any blogs, the advertisements are just automatically ignored in my trained mind. I guess I have trained my mind well, :P.

So, back to blogging. I always take it as a personal journal thing. Never really thought anyone would read it or pay much attention to it. So I rattle on about stuff that sometimes makes little sense to others or just plain boring. But who cares, it's my blog and I can do what I want! That's the power of Internet, it empowers anyone and everyone to have their own space in the cyber world. I admit, it feels great to see something I wrote comes published on the web, even if no one else cares. Plus I have promised myself that I will continue to blog, just to know I have the will power to sustain soemthing when I put my mind to it.

Let's go back to late nights. I have had more time to laze around, reading online news and blogs, look up stuff on the internet. It has been great. I think I will make this a habit. After all, I read that adults do not need that much sleep in a day, 6 hours will do and I am getting about 7.

This weekend is my little girl's 3rd birthday. Time flies, she is now (reluctantly) going to kindy and is whiny and bad tempered (nothing like me :P). But she is my darling, I am guilty of spoiling her. But nowadays, I just ignore her when she shows her temper, maybe she will learn that she doesn't get what she wants by crying and stomping her feet. But for her birthday, we will spoil her once more. I think I will bring her to Toys r Us to pick up whatever she wants. We will not be doing a big celebration, just small meal with families. Happy Birthday to my girl, mummy, papa and your kor kors love you lots. That's her in her pretty CNY gear, ain't she a doll!

Organised Mess

A week has gone by in a blink of an eye. Probably because Tuesday was a public holiday. The kids have replacement for school on Saturday, I am glad. At least we have some peace and quiet for a few hours, :P.

Been pretty busy at work. Looks like anything that no one else like to handle falls onto me but I am ok with it. Overall, I still have the freedom to do things the way I like doing. So I am not complaining.

Apart from work, it is the usual chaos at home. The house is an organised mess. The clean laundry sits on the sofa until I have time to fold them up. The kids books are stack haphazardly in the bookcase. Shoes are stack up into a little hill on top of the shoe rack. See the pix, we are not that bad, yet. I do try to get everything off the floor and give the floor a sweep before we go to bed. I am not praticularly housecleaning person, and it doesn't help if I am the only person doing the cleaning. Kids are still too young to really help. I will be glad if they can clean up their own toys and books. Hubby does help, occasionally. But I understand, he works till pretty late recently, so I don't push him too much. Hourly cleaners seems a good idea but that would also mean organising them to come in on the weekends for a few hours on a regular basis, but we are usually out on weekends. We do have a schedule for housework but keeping to it is another story. Guess for now, we will have to live with this and try to keep to schedule.

I am thinking of setting up some short term home improvement targets. The doors need a new coat of paint since we moved in 3 years ago! We even bought the paint but never got around dong it. The exterior of the house as well. Paint has been sitting in the store room for 3 years too. I think spending more time cleaning the house and doing some painting would be time better spent then going to Tesco every weekend. We'll see how this will come about. Not particularly pushy on these matters.

Back to Normal

Yeah, things are back to normal. No rushing to get this and that done. CNY is almost finished but to me it is done once I started work which was the 4th day of CNY.

Now I have more time to plan and do some things that I want to. Like starting a new project to make a blouse for myself! So everytime I have some free time, I will be sitting at the sewing machine and doing something. Of course the product is still elementary but I think with more practice, I can make something that I can really wear out of the house :P.

Kids are like their usual selves, naughty and noisy. I am starting the 2 boys on their Mandarin tuition this week, hopefully the teacher we found is good. Had difficulty finding Mandarin tuition around here.

We were looking at our expenses for the kids: tuition, piano, kindy fees, allowance to the in laws for taking care of them. Phew, that's a pretty big amount. As they get older, we will have even more tuitions etc.. It is just scary to think about it. Hopefully our pay increment can cover for the increase in expenditure.

Talking about increase in expenditure, wonder if it is the same in other places? The coffee shops around my place had increased their prices by about 10% in the start of 2011. Wish money grow on trees, then I will have no money worries....

Busy Gong Hei Fatt Choy

Tomorrow is eve of CNY and I am at home taking care of the kids while trying to bake my butter cookies. Managed to do some laundry and bathed the dog. Made the kids sleep now I have a little time to rest. Soooo tired. My throat is also starting to ache, an onset to getting sick, :(.

I baked 2 types of cookies only this year, peanut cookies and butter cookies (see pix). Just do not have the time to do more. But nevertheless, still have a whole collection of cookies mostly bought. Soon they will be distributed to my in laws and my mum. We don't keep much for ourselves.

Still have a bunch of shopping to do, 'bak kuah', mandarin oranges and pants and shirts for the boys and their dad, shoes for myself, may not be able to get everything before CNY, as long as the kids have new clothes and shoes. The oldies can wear anything. Need to change new notes! Gosh, million of things to do! I am going to get a little rest and then up again to get more things done!

So happy reunion dinner to all celebrating, may you have a blessed new year of the rabbit.