Footprints

The countdown is on. In a few hours, we will be bidding adieus to 2007 and ushering in year 2008. Time really flies. Before I round up 2007, here are some updates.

On 14th December, Ruth celebrated her thirteenth birthday. Organized a small party for her. She invited some close family friends. We catered food and hubby cooked his favourite mud crabs and "long life" noodles. It was an enjoyable occasion and Ruth received lots of presents and "ang pows".

Four days later we left for our vacation in Malacca and Singapore. Spent three days in Malacca, visited the famous "Afomosa" ( a popular tourist resort), some cultural and historical sites around the city and sampled Malacca 's famous rice ball chicken "rice" and Nyonya food. We then proceeded to Singapore by coach. Ruth had a great time visiting the Singapore Zoo, night safari, Science Centre, Sentosa Island and of course, shopping. It was a good nine days' break from Bintulu!. On yes, this was our first Christmas abroad and we had a sumptous spread of goodies for our Christmas eve dinner in one of the hotels in Singapore.

Ruth will start the new school year on 3rd January 2008 and she's happy to be admitted into the "top class". Hopefully, she will continue to excel in her studies, social and emotional development.

Musings

A friend of mine often forward me lots of e-mails. Most of them are about Christian living, jokes, snippets of life and some very touching and real life stories. Just recently, I received a particularly touching story written by a doctor.

The story relates to an elderly gentleman, who is one of his patient. It was a busy morning, approximately at 8.30am when this gentleman dropped by his surgery to remove stitches from his thumb. The man said that he was in a hurry for a 9.00am appointment. As he examined the thumb, the doctor began to engage in a conversation with this gentleman. The gentleman told him that he needed to go to the nursing home for breakfast with his wife. She was a victim of Alzheimer disease and had been at the home for quite a while. So, the doctor asked him whether she would be worried if he was a bit late. He replied that she no longer knew who he was, that she had not recognized him for the last five years.

The doctor was surprised and asked the gentlemen. "Are you still going there every morning, even though she doesn't know who you are?" The gentlemen smiled, patted the doctor's hand and said. " She doesn't know me, but I still know her". It was indeed a very touching and revealing thought. What boundless love binds this elderly gentleman to his wife, even though she does not even know or recognize him. Indeed, true love is neither physical or romantic. It is an acceptance of all that is, has been, will be, and will not be. A real lesson in life!

Holiday plans

Hubby finally decided on our year-end holiday destination. We will be spending about 3 days visiting Malacca and then proceed to Singapore for the next leg of our holidays. Ruth is looking forward to see the sights of Malacca, so rich in history and cultural heritage. We will be joining another family for the Singapore trip, and there will also be lots of fun filled activities including visits to the night safari, zoo, Sentosa Island and of course, shopping.

Mum will be leaving for her trip to Europe sometime next week. She will be away for about two weeks' enjoying the sights, cold and snow..Lucky her!

Ruth is enjoying her school break with her time slotted for reading, homework, drawing, watching television and swimming. She will be celebrating her thirteenth birthday next Saturday. Yes, thirteen long years she had been with us and she brought us much joy, laughter and sometimes tears. But she's such a blessing to us.

. .

Happiness is a son

Just this afternoon, I attended a luncheon hosted by a business associate in celebration of his son's "full moon" or first month. He already had three daughters, so the birth of this long awaited son is indeed a very happy and auspicious occasion. He invited around 100 guests, including family, church members and business associates.

In any traditional Chinese family, sons had always been favoured over daughters. Sons carry on the family surname and are considered securities for parents in their old age. Daughters, on the other hand marry and are considered members of their husband's household. Like one chinese saying, "Daughters are like water splashed out of the front door, never to return". Thus, the birth of a first son or long awaited son calls for much rejoicing and celebration.

However, this mindset is slowly changing. With opportunities for better education, most women are now no longer contented to play the traditional roles of mothers and housewives. Most have secured careers that improved their lot and given them the opportunity to compete with their male counterparts both socially and economically. To break the hypothetical glass ceiling. Although gender equality remains to be accepted or recognised in many countries, but this has not stopped women from fighting for their rights.

Hand phone or not?

Ruth is in a dilemma . She had been pestering hubby for a new hand phone ever since her UPSR results were out last year. Hubby was not too keen then, as he heard too many feedbacks and comments on the negative influence of hand phones, especially on students. Nevertheless, she kept reminding hubby with promises of good academic results and behaviour and finally he relented. So, when she managed to secure the top position in her class during the final round of her second semester examinations, he finally agreed to present her with brand new hand phone of her choice, but with the following terms and conditions:-

(a) She must achieve a minimum average of 80 marks in her term examinations;
(b) She will be given a maximum hand phone allowance of RM30.00 per month; and
(c) She will not be allowed to bring the hand phone to school.

Hubby felt that it important that she set her priorities right and learn to manage her finances. But, Ruth felt that the conditions were a little too stringent and stifling.. Now, she had second thoughts of wanting a new hand phone. When I check with her this morning, she is still thinking about it. Well, it is a big decision to make isn't it ?

My girl

It's holiday time again! Actually, the official school break is on 16th November but Ruth had it a week earlier due to the coming form five ( SPM) and upper six (STPM) examinations. She's looking forward to the long break and planned several programs to keep herself busy. I reminded her tuition teacher to allocate some "homework" during the break so that she will not be out of touch with her studies.

Ruth did fairly well this time round and managed to stay at the top of her class. But, my concern now is that complacency and overconfidence might creep in, so I had to constantly remind and monitor her. Being an only child, she craves for attention most of the time, which could affect her emotional and social development.. Nevertheless, it is important to keep a 'check and balance" at all times.

Hubby's again traveling for the past two(2) weeks with a series of meetings and conferences. Ruth misses her dad and she is looking forward to spend some quality time with him.

Some updates

The second round of Ruth's final semester exams were over. It was really a great relief as she was struggling to revise a years' work and at one stage she almost panic and cried in class. As she is real anxious to get into the "top class", so she had to burn some midnight oil along the way. Nothing comes easy!

Hubby attended Ruth's year-end excellence award ceremony last Friday. For the last 3 years, I was present, but this time round he agreed to go as I had a prior appointment. Ruth managed to bag two prizes, one at her class level and the other at her form one level. Congratulations Ruth! Hopefully you can do better next year.

Studies and exams aside, I was lamenting on the increase in the cost of living. With the recent adjustment in the civil servant's salary and surge in crude oil prices, prices of all foodstuff and consumerables had escalated. I visited the supermarket the other day and was shocked to discover a can of Ruth's favourite ham shot up by RM1.50!. It's seems almost impossible to stretch a dollar nowadays! So, we had to do with less and hopefully, the dieting regime will work even better!

BAC revisited

It's a week since the Hari Raya break. Ruth will resume school on this coming Monday and sitting for her final exams on Friday. This round will determine whether she will be admitted into the "top class" next year. Hopefully, she will improve her grades and do better this time.

Just this afternoon I revisited my former employer. I resigned from the company some seven years ago due to health reasons. I had to source for some materials for my office and so I made this trip down memory lane. The place seemed hauntingly familiar, but of course there were some changes here and there. I met some of my ex-colleagues and took a good look around at the improvements and changes. Time really flies. Seven years had added wrinkles to our faces, additional white hairs and aged some of the original buildings, although new ones had sprung up. But the company is thriving and that's a good sign.

Hubby installed a new satellite dish complete with decoder and tracking system which will enable us to view and watch more channels. The signals were beamed from a number of broadcasting stations like Chinasat, Measat, Pas, Asiasat, etc, thus enabling us to enjoy programs from the Asia-Pacific regions. I had always enjoyed documentaries and Ruth just could not resist the cartoons. With this new dish and decoder, I must say that we are more "connected" to world events and happenings. Thank you hubby!

Of cheesecake .........

Sigh! The three days of Hari Raya break was finally over. Time really flies. It's back to the routine of work again. We managed a day trip to Miri on the second day of the holidays. It's a break from the routine of Bintulu for us and school for Ruth. She bought some reference books and we browsed through the shopping malls. We came back late in the evening tired but happy.

Ruth will be facing the final round of her second semester examinations next Friday. She's got plenty of time to revise this time round due to the long PMR and Hari Raya break. Hopefully, she will do better this time..
It's also an opportunity for her to catch up with her swimming, which had been long neglected due to school work and other activities.

After much procrastination, I finally tried my hand at making cheesecake. I bought all the ingredients, followed the recipe, and lo and behold, it was my first home-made chilled cheesecake. Ruth enjoyed the yummy cake but hubby reminded her that it is very fattening. Well, she has to diet even more!.

As I was passing......

It's already October. Time really flies and three-quarters of 2007 is over. We had the moon cake celebration and I am looking forward to the Hari Raya break. Our moon cake celebration was really low keyed this year as hubby's away on a course and Ruth had a monthly test the following day. We just had the customary moon cakes, that's all.

Just recently, I attended the memorial service of a church friend. He was striken with cancer in 2001 and for six long years, he battled against this deadly disease. There were chemo treatments, remissions and relapses. But his family rallied and supported him. His wife accompanied him for treatment in Hong Kong no less than fifty times. It must have been both painful and heart-wrenching to see a loved one wasting away to the ravages of the disease and finally succumbed. Early in his diagnosis, the doctor told him that he had only about one year to live. He reorganise his life and began to serve in many areas of the church ministry. He was even a Sunday School teacher. He was given a "gift" of another five years and I must say that my life was touched by his commitment to serve and witness.

The church was fairly crowded with family members, friends and business associates. The pastor spoke words of comfort, a sister-in-christ sang a beautiful and touching hymn, his sister-in-law gave the eulogy and his only son gave the acknowledgement. It was a very moving and solemn occasion and by the end of the service, I could not hold back my tears any longer.

As I walked round his casket and to pay my last respects, I just could not find the right words to comfort his son and widow. I could only hold her. Somehow, it struck me real hard, as this brother was only a year older than me. Indeed, this life is only temporary, we are just passing through.

Pieces

Hai! I'm back. Just returned from a weekend trip to Kuching to settle some family matters. It's a break from the daily routine of Bintulu. John managed to borrow a friend's car and we went shopping and even visited my uncle and his family. Bought some of Ruth's favourite chocolates and Amos cookies. She loves them!

Hubby and Ruth decided to adopt a new dieting regime. Both enjoy good food and had been putting on some extra pounds recently. Ruth decided to stick on to a meal of oats instead of rice for dinner. Hubby's doing double the portion, with oats for both breakfast and dinner. It must have been real boring, having plain oats for both meals. Several times, I caught him "sneaking" in the kitchen. Ha! Ha! I do not fancy oats as the taste is rather bland and boring. Maybe, I'll try to find other ways to diet!.

Mum's back from her Philippines trip. She enjoyed the sumptuous food and sight-seeing. She will be going for another trip to China at the end of the year. She invited me along, but I had to decline as I could not stand the cold weather. During our trip to Shanghai last November, I was almost frozen despite of several layers of warm clothing.

Pickles

I am so much out of touch. Been busy with work and supervising Ruth's homework and projects. Her tuition teacher had not been feeling well lately so I had to stand in for her. It's really quite exhausting after a hard day's work at the office. Hopefully, Ruth will learn to study on her own with less supervision and coaching.
She is also slowly getting use to the medium of instruction (Bahasa Malaysia) for most of the subjects, although it will take sometime for her to use the language fluently. She loves to read English but not Bahasa Malaysia or Chinese storybooks. So, her grip on the grammar, spelling and vocabulary of both languages is still lacking.

Yesterday, I had a lunch date with an old buddy. She's in her early fifties, having enjoyed "early retirement" since the MAS rationalization exercise almost two years ago. Her children are all grown up and working elsewhere. She's got plenty of time on her hands and enjoys watching TV, surfing the net and chatting with friends over the telephone and internet. How I envied her! Here I am running from work to home, exhausted at the end of each day! We "gossiped" for almost an hour and before we knew it, it's time to go back to work at the office. Back to the deary routine of work, work, work!

Of Mountain peaks and valleys

Ruth finally got back all her school examination results. She recorded a slight improvement in her grades and managed to remain as one of the three top students in her class. But alas! She only managed a pass in her Grade 5 practical piano exams to hubby's disappointment. He had been expecting her to do better considering all his investments in tuition fees, books and the piano he bought her. Well, sometimes, one cannot have the best of both worlds, so she has to work harder the next round.

Mum and John dropped by Bintulu for an overnight stay last weekend. We intended to join them on their trip back to Mukah but did not materialised as hubby had to stay back to complete some rather urgent work. Maybe... next time, hah!

During our last trip to KL, hubby bought Ruth the whole set of the Harry Potter adventure series. As she is quite busy with her school work and monthly tests, Ruth only managed to complete reading the first book. Out of curiousity and seeing the books idle, I decided to try reading about the adventures of the boy wizard and found them imaginative, spellbinding, sometimes hilarious and "almost" magical. No wonder, children, teens and
adults alike adored the stories and just could not wait in anticipation of the next books in the series. So, this is how the author, J.K. Rowling made her millions. By writing about magic!

Rainbows......

Ruth's one week mid-semester break is finally over. She had a fairly easy week, where she spent most of her time devouring her Harry Potter books, watching some cartoons and completing all the homework that her tuition teacher assigned her. She snooze late and had quite a relaxing time before hitching up her school bag to return for another term of projects, assignments and homework.

We will be visiting my brother John in Mukah during this Merdeka holidays. It's been a two-year break since we last visited this township where John and I spent our early childhood and teens. Gone were days when we felt so free and innocent, playing those noisy childhood games with our friends, going for rides along the beaches and chasing hermit crabs in the sands. Those where our nostalgic and memorable moments whenever we think of Mukah.

We also planned a birthday surprise for mum. John and I hoped that this occasion will serve to bind our family closer together, having being separated throughout the year due to work and family commiments.

Down memory lane.........

What a relief! After a week of cramming and revision, Ruth finally completed the first round of her second semester examinations last Friday. She had her Grade 5 practical exams yesterday, but it seems that she did not do well. She came back in tears and was depressed. Apparently, she made some glaring mistakes in her scales and pieces and her hopes of getting a merit or distinction were dashed. Well, there's nothing she can do about it now until her school receives the results in two months' time.


Hubby and I returned from Kuala Lumpur after attending his 15 year's long service award ceremony. He received a plaque, two glass cups and a cash incentive as an appreciation and in recognition of all the hard work, sacrifices and dedication to his employer. The dinner was a gala affair, featuring a number of popular local artistes. It was a lifetime opportunity to watch the live performance of Malaysia's singing sensations like Mawi, Khatijah Ibrahim, David Arumugam and Rambli Salip.We enjoyed a sumptuous spread of Asian, Western, Japanese and Middle East food. It was a real memorable event and we look forward to attend his twenty years' award ceremony in five years time.

Intermittent

I had been too busy to update my blog. Or disgustingly lazy to put in a few words here and there. In fact, I had been supervising Ruth's revision for the past week as her tuition teacher was away on a course. The first round of her second semester examinations will start next Monday, so it's another week of cramming and revision. After her school exams, she will have to sit for her Grade 5 piano practical exams. She could hardly take a breather in between. Poor thing!

I will be attending hubby's long service award ceremony in Kuala Lumpur next Friday. Unfortunately, Ruth will not be able to accompany us as she is in the midst of her exams. Maybe I'll make it up to her by getting some of her favourite storybooks and VCD games.

A way of seeing....

Ruth had been real busy these two days. But not with homework or revision. She's attending her junior prefect orientation program organized by her school. She came back home at the end of the day exhausted and complaining of aches here and there. For one who seldom exercise, it's definitely a trying time for her. Well, from now onwards, it takes alot of self-discipline and effort to balance the time between her studies and her prefectorial responsibilities.

Speaking of discipline, this brings to mind the warden of a boarding school caught in the middle of the "soaking in the pond" controversy recently. She ordered 200 girls into a pond as a collective punishment because no one owned up for flushing a sanitary pad into the toilet. She claimed that the girls had been repeatly advised to disposed off their soiled pads with the old newspapers and dustbins provided by the school but they just would not listen. So, she sent them for an hour's soak in the pond.

The incident sparked a furore and with all the media attention, various parties condemned her actions and even called for her suspension and dismissal. It was only after her repeated apologies to the parents of the affected students that she managed to get off the hook.

Looking back, I would not be so quick to condemn her actions. Thirty-three years ago, I was a boarding student in one of the colleges in Miri. I studied in the college for four years and stayed in the girl's dormitory during that period. The dormitory, built in a longhouse style comprises of ten rooms each on the ground and first floor. One can say that thirty years ago, students are less irresponsible, more obedient and easier to discipline. But the problem on the disposal of sanitary pads is an old age one. We had about 200 students in our dormitory and one can imagine the number of pads used by the girls. Our warden also faced the same problem, soiled pads were indiscrimnately thrown in the toilets and bathrooms. She repeatly reminded the girls to dispose off the pads in the dustbins provided, but often the advice would often fall on deaf ears. At one time, the problem was so bad that she ordered the girls from each room to go round all the toilets and bathrooms and collect all the pads and disposed them off at the end of the day. So, a duty roster was drawn up and all the girls had a hand in collecting the soiled pads and disposing them off. It was a really..... dirty and disgusting job. I am quite sure if there's a pond nearby, she just might herald us there for a soak, too! Understandbly, it's never easy being a warden. Besides talking care of the welfare of the students, enforcing discipline is often a problem. I can say, it is often a thankless task.

Marbles

Attended a birthday party last Sunday evening. The little girl, who had just turned one is the adopted daughter of our close family friend. It was a grand occasion, with at least 150 invited guests. Family, friends, business associates and their employees all join together to make the occasion a very special and memorable one. We had a sumptuous spread of delicious food and good company. The birthday girl, dressed in a beautiful orange smocking dress, frilly hairband is the star of the evening. She's the favorite among the aunties, uncles and the children, all vying for her attention and getting her to smile and pose for the photographs. Ruth had a good time too, meeting up with some of her friends and enjoying her favourite fried mee and chicken wings.

Ruth will be facing her first round of her second semester examinations in three weeks' time. She's got plenty more to revise as the exams include all the syllabuses that she had studied so far. So, it's back to cramming and revisions for the next three weeks. On yes! She just got elected as a junior prefect and hopefully this responsibility will teach her more social and leadership skills, which I find very much lacking in her. She's looking forward to wearing her prefect's tie and blazier.

Busy as usual with work in the office. Hubby's again away for a training session in Kuala Trengganu. It's really a rat race to survive!

Some news.....

It's been quite sometime since I last updated my blog. Had been real busy with work, a series of church meetings and supervising Ruth's homework and assignments. Plus the fact that hubby's had been travelling for the last two weeks. Sometimes, I just get caught up by this viscious cycle of existing and not living. But, life has to go on. That's the harsh reality of it.

I had my mammogram done last week. No cause of grave concern but yearly check-ups recommended. Fast approaching the fifties and mellowing, I must admit that both my mind and bodily functions are definitely "slowing down" and if I do not exercise caution, ailments will start creeping in. Like one of my friend used to tell me, "You grow old, fall sick and die", Unquote.

Mum left for her Cambodian trip last Tuesday. She will be away for a week enjoying the sights and relaxing with her senior citizen gang. She is blessed with fairly good health and financial freedom, thus allowing her to enjoy travelling and sightseeing. Lucky her!

At the threshold......

I woke up with a start. Six months of 2007 had gone by! Time really flies. Taking stock of the past half year, a lot had happened. Ruth embarked on her secondary school education, a new phase in her life. She seems to be adjusting fine, although she still faces occasional hiccups in her assignments and projects. Hopefully, she will continue to put in more effort and diligence to excel in her studies. Studies aside, she has also matured into a more responsible and sensitive young lady.

Recently, I experienced pain in my left breast. Consulted our family doctor and she advised me to go for a breast examination and mammogram. A quick check-up at her clinic revealed no lumps, which was a big relief. I am still waiting for the appointment to do the mammogram. It is a fact of life, as age catches up, ailments seems to "pop" up almost anyway. In addition, I have been also been very busy with work at the office. With several on-going projects, it's both a busy and stressful time. Work! Work!

Hubby's real busy since the beginning of the year. He's travelling most of the time, so I had to manage the household almost alone. Marketing, paying bills, supervising Ruth's studies had inevitably became my part and parcel of my "job". However, we are blessed with a good maid, who helps to keep our home spick and span, including preparing the meals.

Well, so much updates on the past. Let's just face the unwritten future a day at a time and count our blessings.

Notes

Ruth finally got back all the results of her mid-terms. She recorded a slight improvement in her grades and managed to "squeeze" herself into one of the top three positions in class. Now, she can call mum and claim her prize money of RM200.00. I reminded her not be remain complacent but to continue to put in more effort to improve those papers with poorer grades.
It's real hard work to remain competitive in school!

On ya! We did not get to visit my brother John in Mukah during the last Gawai holidays. John had a prior appointment in Kuching, so we decided not to make the trip. Mum suggested that we drop by during the coming National Day holiday at the end of August. Let's see if the trip materializes this time round.

Hubby's again going for a series a meetings and seminars for the next two weeks'. He's real busy with work and goes travelling so often that our friends would usually ask whether he's back home if they happen to meet me or Ruth in town or church.

Layers

Visited Bintulu's newest and largest shopping mall after church today. Since it is Father's Day, Ruth suggested that we treat hubby to lunch at the new Marry Brown outlet. Gosh! the queue's really long...long and it took us almost an hour before we could place our order. Ruth complained that the fried chicken was too salty for her taste buds and hubby was fuming over the slow and inefficient service. Well, it would be quite sometime before we will drop by for another meal. The mall was thronged with shoppers and visitors all eager to explore the new supermarket, shops and outlets. I dropped by the new bookstore hoping to get some novels and cookbooks but after checking the price tags and my budget, I can only afford to go back if there's a sale.

Ruth's busy with her school homework and assignments. She has yet to receive all the results of her mid-terms, so mum's promised reward of RM200.00 will just have to wait. She's already "dreaming" about all the stuff that she could buy with the money, but I reminded her that she could only call mum when she has fulfilled all the terms and conditions of the prize!

We will be planning a trip to Kuala Lumpur in mid-August to attend hubby's long service award ceremony. It will be a grand affair with lots of dignitaries, VIP's, officials, etc. After working with Petronas for fifteen long years, hubby's getting along fine with his job, although he has to do quite a bit of travelling.

After holiday blues

Ruth's back to school. After a two weeks' break, she is less than enthusiastic for another term of assignments, projects and examinations. Her tuition classes resumed last Friday and she had been dragging her feet to complete the homework assigned by the teacher. It will take a few days for her to adjust to the routine of school again. It's also back to the routine of supervising her schoolwork.

Hubby's cousin from Sarikei visited us over the weekend. She's a florist and beautician by profession and owns a flower and bridal shop in Sarikei. She offers wedding and make-up packages for bridal parties and business had been good, especially during holidays. She was even invited over to Bintulu to "make-up" a bride and her family members before their banquet last Saturday evening. Her two sons came with her, so Ruth's got plenty of company. And the best part of it, the maid and I need not have to worry about fixing meals!

Mum's back from her tour of Russia. She had a good time, visiting places of interest and sampling new and strange foods. She bought gifts for everyone, including a new leather handbag for me. Thanks mum!

Events..........

Time flies. After a 4-day break, it's time to return to the normal routine of work. We enjoyed our trip to Sarikei, met up with Ruth's aunties, cousins and other relatives. The birthday bash was a grand affair, with 150 invited guests, friends and relatives. Plenty of good food, camaraderie, fun and karaoke sessions. Hubby's uncle was the happiest and the octogenarian just could not stop smiling throughout the happy occasion. All his daughters are good singers and they really liven up the whole occasion.

We returned to Bintulu the follwing day as hubby had to fly to Penang for another meeting, He's real busy and will be travelling for most of the month. So, we had two rest days at home, catching up with some reading and shopping. Ruth managed to complete the draft of her history project and is busy trying to complete the rest of the assignments given by her teacher. On yes! Hubby's sister-in-law and niece togther with her children dropped by for an overnight stay before driving back to Miri. The children were a naughty and noisy lot.. They clogged our master bedroom toilet and I had to spend the day trying to clear all the mess. Ugh!

Ruth has started to keep a diary. She recorded the highlights of each day and hopefully she will keep up with this good habit. She will be back to school next week and anxiously waiting for her test results which will be distributed once classes resume. Hopefully she will do better this time round..

.

A little something......

The school holidays are here again! After a gruelling week of cramming and revision, Ruth completed her mid-terms last Friday. With all the hard work and extra efforts, hopefully she will do better this time round. The results will be announced after the two-week break. Meanwhile, she enjoys snoozing late, surfing the internet, watching her favourite cartoons and reading. Her teacher assigned a history project, which will have to be handed in when the coming school term resumes. It's also a "busy" time for her!

With the Gawai festivities only days away, the supermarkets and malls are fairly crowded with last minute shoppers and housewives getting all their stuff ready for the celebrations. So the greetings of " Selamat Hari Gawai and Gayu Guru Gerai Nyamai" reflects our state's rich cultural diversity and heritage.

Hubby's sister-in-law and niece will drop by Bintulu on 31st May before continuing the journey together with us to Sarikei. We will be attending hubby's uncle 80th birthday celebrations. The octogenarian had his life full with all his children, grandchildren and great-gtandchildren attending the birthday bash. Born to poor chinese immigrants from Fujian province, China, his family settled in Sungai Baji, Sarikei, where they eke out a living as rubber tappers and pepper planters. He lost his mother at a tender age of 10 years, and had to fend for himself by working as a rubber tapper for the other more well to-do settlers. He came a long way through years of hard working and long-suffering before he could retire in comfort as he is today. All his 10 children are doing well with their own businesses and careers. It's a celebration of the goodness if life.

There are times..........

Mum and John dropped by Bintulu over the weekend. As usual, mum cooked her favorite herbal chicken soup for us and we enjoyed some real warm family ties. Sort of belated mother's day celebration. They then continued their journey to Mukah and thereafter she will fly back to Sibu. She will be leaving for her tour of Russia in a week's time, so there will be some last minute packing and finalization of tour details. .

Ruth is in the middle of her mid-terms and busy with last minute cramming and revision. As an incentive for her to work harder, mum promised her a reward of RM200.00 if she could retain either one of the top three position in class. Hopefully, this will encourage her to put her best foot forward and do better this time round. She is also looking forward to the mid-term school break and visiting her cousin Jane in Mukah.

Work at the office is getting more demanding and at times really exhausting. It's good that we'll be having a 4-day break during the coming Gawai holidays to recuperate. After working for close to 24 long years, there are times that I wish that it could call it quits. And enjoy early retirement.

Personal glimpses

Phew! It's a relief that Ruth finally made a full recovery after her recent episode with allergic rashes. She's more vigilant now, unlike before when anything edible gets "pop" into her big mouth faster than you realised it! I must say that she's slightly obese at the moment and I have been telling her to go some exercise. Whe she is in the mood, she calls everyone for a game of badminton, but at times she can be a real couch potato.

With her mid-terms just round the corner, she's busy with her revision and hopefully she will do better this time round. Hubby promised her a trip to Mukah and Sarikei during the coming school break and she's looking forward to them.

Hubby and I just got back after a week end trip in Kuching to settle some family matters. It's more than a year since I last visited the "Cat City" and it's a refreshing change from Bintulu. Dropped by hubby's cousins place and we even managed to drive down to Bau to visit the famous "Tasik Biru". It's not much of a local tourist attraction now and most of the amenities are poorly maintained. We also visited some shopping malls and bought two VCD's for Ruth. She's a great fan of Mr.Bean and had been pestering me to get his latest "movie". Sometimes, a get away will do wonders!

Pots and pans

It's been quite sometimes since I updated my blog. Ruth had been down with flu, cough and allergic rashes for the past week. The rashes covered her whole body, even up to the toes and ears. She could not help scratching due to the terrible itch and had difficulty concentrating on anything. I took her to consult our family doctor and he dignosed the problem as a food allergy. She's down to a basic diet of porridge, fruits and plenty of water. She's missed her fried chicken wings, vegetables, cheese sausage and had been complaining and grumbling on just about anything. Poor girl! With her mid-terms just around the corner, she cannot afford to be sick for long. She's on medication and hopefully, will make a full recovery soon.

Sickness aside, it's a busy time at the office. With several on-going projects on hand, the work had been piling up. Sometimes, I wish that I could just take a long, long break and get away from things. When I heard that mum's going for another tour, this time Russia, I was really tempted to join her. But, with work and family commitments on hand, I just could not get going. Sigh........................ What a lousy time!

Hubby, as usual is busy with work and travelling. He's just back from KL on Saturday and will be going for another meeting tomorrow. Ruth and I hardly get to see him. It's just like those "Touch N Go " stuff.


. ..

Potpourri

Hubby's back, safe and sound after his 10 days tour of Southern China including visits to his ancestral village at Ming Qing County, Fujian province. He bought a book on "Cats" for Ruth, some preserved olives, silk quilt and preserved razor blade clams. Ruth was delighted with her new book, showing it around and comparing the photographs of cats in it with our Angel, Trickles and Whitey. He's also back to real life on the run and busy clearing the backlog of work on his desk.

Ruth's gearing up for her mid-semester examinations which will be held sometimes towards the end of May. She's got a lot more to revise this time round as the exams will include the first semester 's syllabus as well. She had been pestering me to get her a hamster as an additional pet and I brought her to visit the new pet shop near our place. Sure, that's plenty of pets on display in the shop including the lovely and cute persian cats, puppies of different breeds, rabbits, monkeys, squirrels, guinea pigs, hamsters even lizards, snakes and tortoises. Ruth was delighted with so much variety and I told her to make up her mind on which one of the animals that she would like to have as her new pet. But, there is a catch here, with the condition that she does well in her coming examinations. Let me be the judge of that!

We might be taking a break during the coming school and public holidays in June to visit my brother John in Mukah. Ruth had been looking forward to see her cousin Jane, so that's plently of catching up.

A little here and there.....

Hubby left for his China trip on Thursday. So, he's going to enjoy 10 days of sight-seeing and relaxation before returning home to real life on the run. Ruth, as usual reminded her dad to buy some goodies for her. I am just curious to see what hubby will get her.

Been a rather busy week. Loaded with office work and busy supervising Ruth's assignment and homework. On Wednesday, I accompanied her to attend the Yayasan Sarawak Excellence Award ceremony. The awards were presented to students in recognition of their hard work and excellent results in the 2006 public examinations. A total of 304 UPSR, PMR, SPM and STPM students from Bintulu attended the ceremony. It was indeed a proud moment for her and other students, for their hard work and scarifices finally paid off.

I had a frightening experience yesterday. While taking my evening stroll, I was chased and almost bitten by two very fierce dogs. The neighbours usually let their dogs out in the evening and it was unfortunate that I had to meet them. After relating the incident to Ruth, I cautioned her to be very careful and not wander around alone in the neighbourhood. No one relish being bitten by dogs!

Nuances

Last Saturday, I visited my favorite cafe for lunch. I love the fried rice cakes there, savoury with lots of vegetables, eggs and meat. The owner cum cook is an enterprising and friendly man in his middle forties. While I was enjoying my fare, he came over and we struck up a conversation. I was commenting on his business, which seems to be picking up, judging from the number of people patronising his place. He told me that besides this cafe, which caters for breakfast and lunch, he also runs another barbeque and grilled fish outlet at one of the shopping malls in the evening. Ir's hard work, running two businesses, but he's taking things in stride. He commented that he's no stranger to hard work, having lost his dad when he was only 16 years old. His widowed mother could not afford to send him to school and thereafter, he had to fend for himself working as a restaurant helper, cook and mechanic, often holding onto two jobs at a time to survive. I was impressed by the virtues of hardwork, diligence and long-suffering cultivated through those difficult times including his ability to "eat bitterness" as quoted by the chinese saying. Here is a man who had really gone through the hard knocks of life before emerging successful as he is today. Still, he did not allow himself to rest on his laurels or remain complacent, but continue to work hard to earn a decent, honest living.

Of course, this was not the first rags to riches story that I had read about or encountered. But, after listening to his experiences and fighting spirit to overcome the difficulties and challenges in his life, I could not help but left the cafe with a greater insight and sense of appreciation of hardwork, long-suffering and honesty in real life. Truly, I could draw inspiration from someone, who may not have the priviledge to the "education" and comforts that I enjoyed but move to challenge me in many aspects of my life. I must admit that many a times, I complained and grumbled when I encountered challenges and difficult times in my life. Somehow, I just do not have the courage, resilience and guts to fight on like him. He's an eye-opener, though.

Of projects & assignments

Had been real busy recently. Helping Ruth with her projects and assignments which seems to be piling up daily. A civics project due this coming Tuesday and a science report on Friday. She almost completed her civics project but had yet to start on her science report. A geography project will also be due at the end of May. It's a real busy time helping her search for suitable information from text books, magazines and the internet. Armed with a new digital camera "donated" by hubby, we went around searching and photographing suitable materials for her projects. It's a whole new expereince for Ruth, who had never written any reports or projects before.


Hubby's busy with work, cramming to finish his deadlines before his tour of Southern China next week. He will be taking 10 days off to visit relatives and friends together with his sisters and cousins. So there's packing and last minute tour details to be finalised. Ruth and I will be staying back in Bintulu. As an incentive to encourage her do well in school, hubby promised Ruth a year-end trip. Destination, a surprise! Hopefully, she will put her best foot forward.

Lessons along the way......

With the coming of the customary Ching Ming or tomb sweeping festival, I travelled by coach from Bintulu to Selangau last Friday. Although the actual festival falls on the 5th of April, I decided to return to Sibu earlier due to family and work commitments. My brother John, who was travelling from Mukah, stopped to pick me up at Selangau before continuing our journey to Sibu.

Mum was pleased to see us and as usual, she fussed around preparing her favorite herbal chicken soup and sweet-sour fish. She even boiled some awful smelling and equally awful tasting herbal concoctions, which she claimed as very nutritous and good for health. Much as John and I detest the herbal preparations, we drank them to please her. Although she could be quite fussy and overbearing at times, but we understood that she really cared for us. Sometimes, I feel guilty for not spending enough time with her but just visiting or dropping by for a night or two. Strange as it seems, I feel more appreciative of mum as of now compared to that of my younger days. I must say that during my teenage and young adults years, I found my parents "do's and don'ts", curfews, "rules" and "regulations" rather stifling and uncompromising.. I yearned for the "freedom" to make my own decisions, friends, peers and rebelled when they were too strict. Looking back now, as an adult and parent, I realised that those rules and regulations were not meant to intimidate or curb my freedom but to teach and inculcate in me the virtues and values of honesty, scarifice, long-suffering, hardwork, chastity and filial piety. I guess that as we age and approach those "golden years" our outlook and perspective of life do change.

Times and chimes

I am getting real forgetful nowadays. It's a sure sign of aging and senility. Misplaced my keys, money, books and even forgot to pay for my food and drinks at the coffeeshop. On several occasions, Ruth had to remind me to jot down the more important things, names or numbers or write a note to myself in case I forget!

You see, I have never been good at remembering names and directions. Just imagine the embarrassment and akwardness when I had to enquire or ask again about the name of the person whom I had just been introduced or had the pleasure to meet. Or even, ask for the same direction several times before finding my way to the correct destination. An incident happened during our family vacation in Taiwan three years ago. Of course, during any vacation or tours, shopping for souvenirs, local delicacies, etc, is a must. Our tour guide recommended the best shopping "malls", eateries and reminded us to be back on the tour bus on time. So, off we went with all the eagerness and excitement. Ruth and I were so engrossed in our shopping and bargaining that we lost track of time and direction. By the time we realised it, it was time for us to head back for the bus or you can well imagine the "sour" faces of the guide and others in the group. We tried to retrace our steps but it seems that we just could not remember the route back. I began to panic and Ruth started crying. We were lost! I tried asking for directions but could not get our bearings right. There were buildings and people everyway. When the tour guide counted us missing, he went "hunting" for us. It was fortunate that he managed to locate two very lost and frightened tourists. It was a terribly embarrasing and humbling experience. After the incident, we kept very close to the group and hardly dared to out venture on our own. It was a lesson that we could hardly afford to forget!

Just some thoughts....

Ruth finally got back her examination results. Twelve papers in it all. Surprisingly, she did better than expected. But she needed to improve on her Bahasa Malaysia and Chinese.. These two subject grades stood out like a sore thumb in her results.

Looking back, children of Ruth's generation had it alot easier compared to that of my time. During my schooldays, tuition classes were a luxury and almost unheard of. Neither could my parents afford them. But my brother John and me took upon ourselves to work hard and achieve the best we could. We watch our parents struggle to earn a living and understood that a good education is essential for a better future.We needed no second reminders. When our results fell short of expectation, we redoubled our efforts to make the grade.

But times have changed. Many a times, Ruth took her education for granted, grumbled and complained when her tuition teacher and me assigned her extra assignments and homework. Sometimes, she does not seem to appreciate or understand that a good education is the key to a better and brighter future. With all the creature comforts, conveniences around and most things at their beck and call, most of these children are seldom appreciative of the hard work, scarifices and the struggles of their forefathers. When things came too easy, it's even easier to forget the value or importance of it.
.

A short note.......

Ruth's one week school break is officially over. So, it's back to school this coming Monday, facing another term of the homework, assignments, projects and examinations. Nevertheless, she enjoyed the brief respite, snoozing in late, reading her favourite storybooks and surfing the internet. Of course, there were homeworks and tuition slotted in between. Her school too, was in the limelight for the past week with the announcement and release of 2006 SPM and STPM results. As expected, there were several top scorers with a string of A1 and A2's (SPM) and also 4A's (STPM). These students, having scored well and done their school proud, can definitely look forward to a bright future. Hopefully, these are footsteps that Ruth will choose to emulate.

We did not visit my brother John as planned as he had yet to move into his new house. He intended to get some renovation done, so we postponed our trip until the mid-semester break in June. Ruth was quite disappointed as she was looking forward to visiting her cousin Jane, whom she had not seen for quite a while.

At the homefront, things are rather quiet at the moment. Hubby's planning a trip to Southern China in mid-April with his cousins and sisters to visit their ancestral village in Ming Qing County, Fujian Province, China. They will be visiting relatives and paying their respect and filial piety at their late grandfather's tomb. .

.

A candle, it is...........

Phew! What a relief! Ruth's first semester exams were just over. For the past week, she had plenty of anxious and stressful moments as she grappled with some of the subject papers for the first time. Plus, the fact that she was not too well prepared for the exams. Well, there's nothing she can do except keep her fingers cross and hope for the best. The results will be distributed after the week-long break.

Hubby's back from Australia but he had to attend another meeting in Kuala Lumpur during the middle of the week. He had been real busy during the past months and we hardly get to see much of him. His job is demanding and sometimes stressful. Like many others, we were not born with silver spoons in our mouth and thus had to work hard for a living and ensure a better future for Ruth.

Just recently, I was reading one of the poems written by the reknown playwright and poet, William Shakespeare on life. The poem goes like this:-

Life's Brief Candle

Tomorrow, and to-morrow and to-morrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time,
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools,
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle,
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more, it is a tale,
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.

Although this poem paints a rather pathetic and dismal picture of life, it's the reality of it that hit me hard. Indeed, we are only actors in the stage of life. After our act is over, we have to exit the stage and make the journey henceforth.

.

Bits and Pieces

It's more than a week since we ushered in the year of the boar. In a few days' time, we will be celebrating "Chap Goh Mei", which, customarily marks the end of the lunar new year celebrations. Life has almost return to the normal routine. Ruth's back to school after a week's break and will be facing her first semester examinations next week. She had not been putting as much time and effort in her revision and I am not too confident that she will do well this time round. Maybe, some last minute cramming could be helpful.

Hubby left for his week long trip to Sdyney, Australia last Saturday to attend a meeting. He had been travelling quite frequently since the beginning of the year so the task of ferrying Ruth to and fro her tuition centre fell on me. It's fortunate that I had only Ruth to cater to, and I can imagine the weariness of those parents or mothers having to send and fetch several children just for school and tuition everyday.

Mum's back from her China trip and, as usual, she bought lots of herbs and chinese tea as gifts for friends and relatives. She reminded me to collect my "share" when I return to Sibu during the coming "Ching Ming" or tomb festival. She's, what I could say, a seasoned traveller. There are not many places in the world which she had not visited and at times, I could not help but envy her financial freedom, which allows her to enjoy travelling and globe-trotting..

Our new year odyssey

Kong Xi Fatt Choy! Happy New Year! We celebrated the lunar new year with greetings of good health, wealth and prosperity. Time really flies and we are already into the 4th day of the celebration. We had our new year eve reunion dinner with hubby's eldest brother in Miri. A sumptous spread of good food, company and family ties. Then, at midnight, it's the lighting of the fire crackers by the adults and the children scurried about with sparklers to usher in the year of the boar. The next day, we proceeded to Limbang to visit hubby's second sister. It was a three hours' drive through the sultanate of Brunei. Hubby was not too familiar with the route so we had to stop a few times to ask for directions. It was only then that I realised the premium or super petrol is dirt cheap in Brunei at B$0.53 or RM1.21 per litre, compared to RM1.91 per litre in Bintulu, a hefty difference of RM0.70 per litre.

We returned to Bintulu on the 2nd day with tired, aching bones, happy memories and Ruth received lots of "angpows". She counted her ringgits and it appeared to be tidy "nestegg" for her savings and future education. Being more adventurous, hubby and Ruth continued their odyssey yesterday to visit the aunties, cousins and other relatives in Sarikei. I stayed put in Bintulu as I had to resume work today and to welcome any visitors to our humble abode.

Those funny times..........

I was pleasantly surprised to receive two containers of home-made cookies from a family friend. The cookies were her new year gifts to us and hmm... chocolate and butter, my favourites. I love cookies but must admit shamefully that my baking skills are really lacking. I recalled baking a batch of butter cookies some years back but the result was a disaster..I set the temperature of the oven too high and the whole batch was burnt. What a waste and I got a good scolding from hubby! The whole kitchen smelt like a BBQ pit. It was a good lesson learnt.

Hubby never really trusted my baking skills after the disastrous incident and he insists that we order cookies and cakes for every new year celebration. He even took over the preparation and cooking of the reunion dinner itself although his was also not without any mishaps. During one such occasion, his lemon chicken dish was rendered unpalatable as he dipped the chicken meat in too much cornflour before frying. The fried chicken pieces were as hard as stone and Ruth jokingly remarked that she had to "sharpen" her teeth before eating them. Finally, the chicken pieces were offered to our cat Angel, but she was't too keen on them either. I noticed that she had difficulty chewing and swallowing them. So much for a good laugh over the whole episode!

Here and there.........

Been real busy recently. Office work has been alot more demanding with new projects coming along. So much so, that I hardly had any time to update my blog. I drove back home in the evening exhausted, and had little energy to supervise Ruth's homework.
Plus the fact that hubby's outstation this whole week and I had to ferry Ruth to and fro her tuition centre.

The lunar new year festivities is just around the corner and I had yet to do any shopping for bottled or canned drinks, tidbits, candies, savouries, etc, etc. Maybe I can get better bargains at the last minute rush! Fortunately, I had ordered my cakes and cookies earlier so I need'nt have to bother about any baking.

My brother John, called to inform us that he bought a brand new terrace house with all the furnishings. He will be moving in soon and we promise to visit him during the coming school holidays in mid March. At forty-one years of age, it is about time he invested some of his earnings in a home for his family.

Mum's going for a tour of Southern China over the lunar new year holidays. She will be going with her senior citizen "gang" for about 10 days. She just wanted to get away from the hustle and bustle of the new year festivities and get herself an opportunity to relax and enjoy the sights. Lucky her!

Well, that's all for the time being. Maybe some updates later.

The ups & downs

Time really flies. 31 days of 2007 had just "flown" by. Taking stock of the month, a lot had happened. Ruth started her secondary school education, a new phase in her life. She is still adjusting to her new school, additional subjects and medium of instruction, which is Bahasa Malaysia. Although science and mathematics are taught in English, the remaining subjects are in Bahasa Malaysia. Being educated in chinese (mandarin) for the past six years, she had to mentally shift her language "gear" to English and Bahasa Malaysia, which at times can be quite confusing and bewildering for her. She needs a lot of guidance and patience and it's not surprising that I often had to sit and study with her. So, it's back to "school" after more than twenty years. Hopefully, she will gain confidence and improve her cognitive skills.

Studies aside, it has been raining cats and dogs since the beginning of the year. Downpours greet you almost every morning, afternoon and evening. It is as if the heavens just could not contain all the tears. Alas, the wet laundary accumulated for days and the maid had to iron the more "urgent" clothes, especially Ruth's and hubby's uniforms. Roofs began to spring leaks at unexpected places. A friend, who runs a hardware store informed me that business for waterproofing materials and roof sealants were so brisk that his stocks were sold off faster than he could replenish the supplies.

I am thankful that, we fellow Sarawakians are much more fortinate than our Peninsular neighbours who suffer devastation, loss of properties and lives during the recent floods.

As we travel along........

Just recently, I read about a South Korean actress and pop singer who was found hanged in her home in Incheon, Korea. It was claimed that she committed sucide. Of course, this was not the first suicide that I had read about. But it set me wondering, why? She had it all, beauty, glamour, fame and the paper even claimed that she was a favourite pop star among teenagers in Asia. Even her fans were surprised as they were awaiting the release of her latest album in February. But she suffered from depression and emptiness. It's a sobering fact whatever she had could not fill nor give her a reason to go on living. She allegedly posted on her website that " I feel everything is empty." I am again walking down a path to reach a destination that I don't know". Sometimes, I could identify with her. Depression and emptiness had been part and parcel of my life when I was feeling really low, despondent and over-whelmed with my lot. Somehow, there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel. A lonely and frighteneing journey, I could say.

But, looking back, my life also has its share of blessings and good times. Family members, close friends, fellow co-workers all chipped in to add variety and colour as we travel along. No doubt, challenges and difficult times do crop up once in a while, like a bend down the road, but it is how you respond to them that matters. They can be important lessons learnt along the way.

In anticipation.......

It's been quite sometimes since I updated my last blog. Been busy with office work and supervising Ruth's projects and assignments. She's slowly catching up and adjusting to her new school, teachers, classmates and studies. But there's plently of homework, assignments and projects. Being chinese educated, she sometimes faces difficulty in expressing herself fluently in Bahasa Malaysia and English. Hopefully, she will improve and gain confidence with more practice and reading.

Hubby decided that we will spend the coming Lunar New Year in Bintulu. During the last two years, we had been away, visiting relatives and friends elsewhere. In 2005, we visited my auntie in Ipoh and then my uncle and other friends in Kuching last year. The journey's tiring and hectic but it's good to catch up with relatives and friends whom we have not visited for quite a while. With the new year less than a month away, the festive mood is in the air with most of the shopping complexes, supermarkets and even the main streets gaily decorated with red '"tanglungs'', banners, buntings and new year music blaring at almost every corner. Let's hope that the year of the boar will usher in health, wealth and prosperity for everyone. It's a celebration of life, hope and renewal.









.

Just a line.............

The lunar new year festival is only about a month away. I was doing my usual Saturday afternoon grocery shopping with Ruth at Bintulu's newest supermarket when I saw the workers hanging up chinese "tanglungs" or lanterns, banners and new year music blaring from the loudspeakers. All the colours were conspiciously red. Red is considered an auspicious and lucky colour for Asians, particularly the Chinese. A symbol of wealth, happiness, prosperity and it is believed to ward off evil spirits.

Ruth, like most teenagers is looking forward to the festive occasion as it means new clothes, "ang pows" and fun. We visited the departmental store upstairs and she bought two new blouses to add to her wardrobe of jeans, T-shirts, blouses, etc, etc. She has her own taste of fashion and styles and insisted on selecting her own clothes, unlike before when she did not mind wearing anything that I selected for her. So much for growing up.

For most adults, the new year is also a busy time, with the annual spring or house cleaning, preparation of cakes and biscuits and ensuring that there is sufficient budget for new clothes, angpows, etc. I must say that my culinary and baking skills are somewhat lacking, so most of the cakes and biscuits will have to be ordered from the bakery.

Some updates

It's about a week since school started. Ruth dutifully reported for classes with some apprehension and a tinge of excitement. Hubby escorted her to the designated classroom and she managed to secure a "good" seat right under the ceiling fan. She met her new teachers, some old and new classmates. The school perfects then brought the "freshies" for a tour of the school facilities, canteen and compound. We arrange a school bus to pick and send her to and fro the school. She attends tuition classes both at home and at a tuition centre.
It's certainly a new and exciting experience for her, having to learn several new subjects and meeting alot more other students. Almost everyday, after school, she would relate the interesting and funny episodes at school. My! She's growing up real fast.

With Ruth back to school, the pace of life at home had taken to some routine. It's supervising her schoolwork, sending her for tuition classes and swimming lessons. After almost 2 months of once-a -week swimming lessons, she could swim and float fairly well.
.

Sick bug and things..........

I was taken real sick on new year's day. Diagnosed as diarrhoes and food poisoning. With my stomach churning and head spinning, I had to stay put in bed. It was such an agonising time, having to visit the loo at 5-10 mintes intervals. With all the private clinics closed on a public holiday, I had no choice but to drop by the pharmacist for medicine. Sigh........I could not put my finger on what exactly was the culprit, but with all the barbeques, parties, good food, etc, etc, it's not surprising that I got down with the sick bug. It's fortunate the hubby and Ruth were alright or else you could imagine the nightmare .........

New Year celebrations in Bintulu were somewhat quiet with the usual half-hour display of fireworks to usher in year 2007. Of course, most of pubs, bars, karaokes were well patronised by revellers eager to welcome the new year.

Celebrations and sickness aside, it's back to school for Ruth on 3 January 2007. After a long break, Ruth was dragging her feet and less than enthusiastic over the new school term. Last Saturday, we paid a visit to her school, copied the class timetable, made a beeline to her "new classroom" and did some last minute shopping for her school stuff and things. Life had began in earnest. It's back to assignments, projects and examinations.

.

Celebra