Archive for April, 2008
Over the weekend we went to see a private school in KL which was having its open day. The private school offers the kind of education which solves our current “Kebangsaan School or Chinese School” dilemma.
The medium of instruction is mainly in English with the study of Chinese Mandarin as a compulsory second language. (Some parents want their kids to learn Chinese but not in the kind of learning environment that is being offered at Chinese Schools.) Of course Malay is taught too because the students have to sit for the government exams. Plus there is a lot of focus on ICT as well and the facilities are there for it. With airconditioned classrooms and a nice library and a big hall for games. Nice?
However at an average fee of RM10,000 a year (and this is a modest estimate) *calculate calculate* from Standard 1 to Form 5 (11 years) would cost *calculate calculate* *drum roll* Taddaaaa! Only RM110,000. This does not include many other fees like transportation (because the private schools are usually very far and out of the way), food, other activities etc. So lets say on a rough estimate it costs RM150,000 per child for 11 years x 2 (because I have 2 kids) bringing that to a grand total of only RM300,000! Waluaeh! And that does not include higher education. Most people would opt for overseas education.
Gosh! I think I will go back and start cracking my head again over the dilemma. I have no choice but to choose between the devil or the deep blue sea. (Either the too lepak Kebangsaan school or the too strict Chinese School). Private education solves our dilemma but how many people can afford it? Even then many middle class families are now turning to it (Not only the filthy rich send their kids to private schools these days.) Many parents have to slog really hard to provide their children with the kind of learning environment which they hope will provide them with the opportunities to make them thrive and excel. But its so expensive. Sigh!
Anyway, here are the links to some of the private schools around KL if you are interested:
Your kid tells you….
“Mummy, I can see your eyes got computer.”
This was said to me by mine who had wedged himself between me and the computer table, climbed up my lap and stared into my eyes, looking at the reflection of the computer in them.
That means I gotta get my big bum out of this chair RIGHT NOW! Just imagine that. Blogging till the computer is coming out from my eyes. Lol!
How do you tell when you’ve been blogging too much?
My first maid will be here soon but I am clueless as to what I should do to prepare for her arrival.
Can I have some pointers on what I need to do to prepare for her arrival? Anything that comes to your mind. Like hide the house keys at night or whatever. Do I have to open a bank account for her to bank in her salary? What about her passport? I’m told that we should keep it safe for her so that she does not run away. Where to keep? In the house or in the bank?
Someone suggested that the health checks done by the agency is not good enough and we must take her for another medical check on our own. Does everyone do this?
Does the maid eat with you or after you? I wouldn’t mind eating together with the maid at the same table and at the same time but I must ensure that there is proper etiquette in the sense that we all take the food with a serving spoon to our plates rather than everyone digging into the dish with their own spoons etc. Is this ok etiquette?
What about her clothing? We wash our whole family clothing all thrown in together in the washing machine? What about her own clothing. When is she required to wash them and how.
These are some of the things that cross my mind.
I am so lost as this is my first time getting a maid. I would appreciate if you could tell me what I need to do to prepare for her arrival. I mentioned the above because these are some of the things I was told by the agent or others but please feel free to add anything else that comes to your mind. Thanks.
I met my husband before I had an email. 
If I were a little younger and started dating around this time, there is a high chance that I might date someone I meet online. Afterall, these days you “meet” people online all the time.You meet people online in chatrooms, on blogs, in forums, online dating services, social networking sites. There is a high probability of meeting and getting to know people online these days.You can and some do meet Mr Right online but one of the things that would concern most women when dating online is safety. How do you know that the person you finally meet face to face is who he claims to be? Do you know that 2 out of every 5 men on dating websites are married? How do you run a background check on these men that you meet online?One of the ways you can do so is to visit WomanSavers.com which was founded by relationship expert Stephany Alexander. Ms. Alexander is frequently called on by the media as the nation’s leading Dating Expert and has been featured on CNN, CBS, FOX, Wall Street Journal, NY Times, and countless radio shows.
Infidelity Expert Stephany Alexander is also the author of the book “Sex, Lies and the Internet” - A survival guide for online dating.
You can find the world’s largest database rating man and highlighting cheaters and abusers at WomanSavers.com. These men are rated by the women who have come into contact with them. You’ll also find many interesting articles and website links about safe online dating, unfaithful men, breakup advice and many more interesting articles for women.
So, don’t be swept off your cyber feet too quickly. Make an effort to network with other women and exchange stories so you can research, screen and rate BEFORE you date.
Cartoon by Dave Walker. Find more cartoons you can freely re-use on your blog at We Blog Cartoons.
Today I read an article in the New York Times about the demise of two famous bloggers who blog for a living. Its called In Web World of 24/7 Stress, Writers Blog Till They Drop. Interesting article.
I’m not sure if people will actually die from blogging but one thing is clear. Blogging is an unhealthy activity. Physically unhealthy that is rather than mentally. For most of us casual bloggers it is probably mentally stimulating to engage in discussions. It is also an avenue for us to vent our frustration. That is much better than keeping it inside. Not only are we able to vent our anger, we also get voices telling us “Yes, I feel this way too sometimes” so we do not feel so alone.
However on the physical aspect, there is no denying it. Blogging is unhealthy. Hours and hours of having our eyes glued to the pc screen can’t be good. It leads to a sedentary lifestyle and sometimes it can get out of hand when we can’t control the time we spend blogging leading to relationship problems. We should be spending more time with our kids or spouse for example. For those at work it can be a major disruption too if you have to keep on checking your blog for comments throughout the day! It can also create sleep problems too. If you have ever experienced waking up in the middle of the night thinking about some blog post idea than you should know what I mean.
Lets face it. Blogging is a little bit addictive so we have to learn to control it ie we mustn’t let blogging take over our lives. I have learned to control my blogging by doing less blog hopping. Oh, I do love to read all my favourite blogs and catch on with whats happening to those bloggers but theres just only that many hours in a day. So I have no choice but to reduce my blog hopping. I do however still write more frequently than I should since I have 3 main blogs which I love equally and I spend too much time on them. Another area
I’ve cut down is the admin part of blogging. I’ve stopped playing with my templates and trying to change and tidy up things around too much because that too is very time consumming. I’ve stopped doing all those things that are supposed to increase traffic like submitting to directories and pinging services except occassionally. Heck, these things take time. I’ve also stopped writing paid posts from lack of opportunites rather than as a control measure. Fortunately, otherwise my blogging would be even more out of control.
Thats basically the two main things I’ve done to control my blogging hours. Don’t blog hop so much and don’t play around with template. Oh yes, and one more thing. I try not to blog during the weekends. In fact I try not to go anywhere near the pc during the weekends. What about you? Is your blogging under control or do you live to blog? What have you done to control your blogging hours?
Its all Disney’s fault really. Why just take a look at this video.
From young, we girls have been bombarded with images of love and romance in stories, movies etc. And thats how when we enter adulthood we all have this romantic notion that some handsome prince or knight in shining armour will come and sweep us off our feet and gallop off into the sunset with us. And oh, we musn’t forget that all romantic kiss must we. *Muaks Muaks* then ride off into the sunset.
Only, in real life, after you ride off into the sunset, you wake up beside the most unromantic man on earth who is too shy to say “I Love You” (The “I Love Yous” are freely said only in the movies) and you fight over everything from who should handle baby’s poo or throw out the rubbish to what to eat or how you should arrange the furniture (can you tell I’m still mad at him for putting the telephone table at the side instead of between my two armchairs? Hahaha).
Oklah, Oklah, I may be married to the most unromantic and practical man in the world who doesn’t say “I Love You” or sends flowers etc etc but he’s still my knight in shining armour, my prince charming. Hehehe. Because no matter what, even with the grind of daily routine, I can’t help it. I’m a hopeless romantic and I still believe in love and magic and Prince Charming because its too deeply instilled within me.
What about you? Are you a hopeless romantic?
Updated:
Moomykin has suggested some romantic ways to spice up your marriage. You should read her post and try out some of her suggestions and then report what happened on your blog. ie whether he reciprocrated or remained a block of wood. Lol!
They are catching them younger and younger these days, the consumer ads.
I remember those days when I was wadling in and out of my gynaes clinic when I was pregnant, I received loads of product samples, milk powders, diapers, creams, more milk powders….. I don’t mind the diapers…. Anyway, the point is, all these while my baby was still snug in mummy’s tummy.
Then I remember an occassion when my children’s regular paeditrician was off and I went to another. I was horrified. His entire clinic was full of glass showcases with all sorts of consumer products on display! I am quite annoyed with paeditricians who recommend milk powders instead of promoting breastfeeding.
Recently, my daughter came home from kindy with yet more product samples. “Mummy these are party packs” she told me innocently. “And look, mummy, if you buy one at $16, you will get one T-shirt free. I want the T-shirt.” she declared. I’ll need to have a word with the principal if this continues.
Oh and don’t forget the TV. I don’t subscribe to pay TV (Astro here) so fortunately my kids don’t get influenced by TV ads. Phew! Or I’d be hassled with more “I want!” at the supermarket.
When they hit the teen years, the ads will keep on coming and it never stops and it never will. Lets face it. Young consumers means big $$$$$$.
These ads and product samples aimed at the young annoy me so especially the milk powder ones and the junk food ads on TV (with the exception of the free diapers Ahem!). What about you?
The difference between living in a house and a condo is that in a house, sometimes you have unwelcome visitors ringing your doorbell. From salespersons, to grass cutters, to surveyors etc etc etc.
So when the bell goes *DING DONG* normally what I would do is take a peek to see who it is. If its a dubious character or someone I don’t know, I usually pretend I’m not in. Being the paranoid being that I am, I’m worried that if I decline their offer for services, they may get angry and come back for revenge. Haha. No, seriously, its easier to feign being out than to answer to some of these undesirable visitors.
However, recently I found out that pretending that I’m out is not such a good idea anymore. I heard that there is a new modus operandi by those crooks who do daytime breakins. What they will do is send someone who looks trustworthy like a child or an elderly person to ring your doorbell with some excuse and if you don’t answer, they breakin into your house.
Now, what shall I do when the bell goes *DING DONG* Hmmm…. with pretending to be out no longer such a good idea, I still hate the idea of opening my doors to unwanted visitors.
*DING DONG* Oh oh. What shall I do now?
Today is one year from the worst day of my life. Ironically, I don’t remember much of the day. Not that its something I want to remember but still it feels rather strange to have part of the day completely erased or wiped out from my memory.
I feel scared today. I was not sure whether to write this down but I guess I should. So that I can turn my fear into something more positive. So lets start thinking positive now.
I have been seizure free for one year now with the help of medications which my doctor says is a very low dosage and thats good. I hope to be off this toxic medications one day but in the meantime, I must remember to take care of myself.
I must remember to get good sleep and exercise without being too obsessive about it. I am quite obsessive about sleep especially. And I must always remember these words from hubby “You must take care of yourself so you can take care of us.”
I am normally quite cheong hei (long winded) when I write, but today, I feel a bit loss for words. I don’t know what else to write so I shall stop here with a quote.
Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.
Dale Carnegie
