My Retirement Plans

So what are my plans when I retire?   Alright... here goes my reasons...

It all starts with MY..... 

Sleeping pattern.... NO more jerking up at the sound of my shrieking alarm!
Annual leave.... NO more "begging" people to do my job when I am on leave...
Work.... NO more stress and heart beating fast when the work load is heavy....
Strain.... NO more straining of my poor eyes cos my work involves the computer almost the whole day long....

Well, the above have "pushed" me to go for early retirement... strong reasons or not, I think I have made the right decision...

Now come to think of it, when I retire, I might end up doing these....

Take a stroll drive whenever I feel like it...

Go places with my Old Faithful Babe... 

(that's my car!)

 Have an unhealthy breakfast if I feel like it.... 

Or a healthy one when the fish mode arises....

 

And on days when I cannot afford a nice meal, 

I will cook my own porridge...

Take my furry member for a walk whenever I feel "heavy".... 

(illustration picture only)

WHAT I REALLY DREAD IS THIS PILE OF MESS!!

Cleaning up house is really not my cup of tea... sigh...

 No, I am not a grandmother yet....

My retiring has nothing to do with babysitting..

(Thanks Lynn.. for "lending" me your baby)

  

Definitely "dogsitting"is more like it... 

 So much for retiring!  

LOL...

I Quit On April Fool's Day

When I tendered in my resignation yesterday, yes on April's Fool's day, I could feel a heavy load off my shoulders... the moment I signed my own letter, I felt a sigh of relief... well, I guess I must be making a right decision.... hopefully.... 

It has been haunting my mind for the past one year, to go or not to go... I received a lot of feedback, most of them discouraging me from quitting my job.  And I hesitated and put it on hold till lately, I was seriously thinking about resigning again... and this time I made my own decision.

Come to think of it, I have been working for more than 35 years... isn't it time to call it a day?

 

Burglary And Theft In Broad Daylight

It was supposed to be a normal evening walk with my doggie, never expecting anything amiss until I was told that my neighbour's house was broken into. The door was ajar from the back and when we peeped inside, the kitchen drawers were ajar. Fearing that the thieves might still be inside, we quickly made a phone call to the owner who is in Kuala Lumpur. At the same time, we made a call to the police as well....

In less than 10 minutes, the police arrived, two in a car and two on Ninja bikes.  

 

We told them what we knew but we didn't dare to go inside the house.  Then three of them went into the house and after some minutes, one came out to motion my brother to go in with him.  I was curious and asked the policeman why, he said he needed a witness to follow him, to show him the house was already ransacked to the fullest.  In malay, he said "hancur"... I followed them in and indeed the house was in a mess already.  

 

After more questions asked, we were advised on what we should do especially when we go on trips or whenever we are not in house.  He told us that most back lanes are very dark at night and it is advisable to install some kind of lights at the back door.  Bright lights will deter theft in a way but this is daylight theft, I said.  How to avoid?   The police deduced that the thieves climbed in from the roof and left from the back. All these are already planned, they know the owner is not around.... 

What steps should we take to prevent this from happening to our house especially when we go on long trips?   Locking up the door from front to back is very obvious that the owners are not in the house 24/7. 

My Flying Fears

I was stunned for a moment when the news of MH370 airplane went missing enroute to Beijing this morning.  Seriously, is this happening to our MAS?  My heart goes out to those involved... hope they will locate the plane soon .....

Many of us love traveling, that includes me naturally but I think most of us do not like taking the flight.  I for one, fear flying...   I really do have a fear boarding a plane and sitting inside for hours and hours that seems unending. 

After so many years of traveling, I still have this habit of taking a tablet before I board a plane.. at least half a pill of Dramamine for longer flights and a quarter for few hours flight.  It makes me feel drowsy and sleep off the endless hours of flight and anxiety.  But I was told that in any event of mishaps or emergencies, I will be in trouble...

The moment the plane starts to ascend, my heart thumps... my imagination at times run wild... I worry that the heavy load of luggage and passengers will be too heavy for the aeroplane to ascend higher and higher... "Our lives are in your hands, Captain." 

I love the descending... my fear will be over soon, I tell myself... once the wheels hit the leeway, I heave a sigh of relief..."Thank you, Captain."

Yes, pray before ascending and give thanks when descending....

Earthly Treasures And "Indescribable Wealth"

Many times I have been approached to write something about  my life, how I could adjust to situations every now and then, how my family could afford to go on trips, enjoying what we love at this decade of time etc. etc...  Needless to say, I have been postponing it for writing a lengthy post needs lots of cracking head for words and time... But tonight I just want to mention a bit... just a tweeny bit about earthly treasures...

First of all, I want to give credit to the God whom I believe in.  He has been watching over me for the past many years and keeping me sane in everything I do.  As it is being declared in the Bible, His Grace is sufficient for me...

Trusting that, I do not need to be full of riches and wealth… my needs are being covered, so as my kids’ necessities as well.  

I believe in spending quality time with my kids now that they have grown up so incredibly fast and well.  I regret not spending enough time with them when they were young... and now they are so grown up, I feel the need to be with them as much I really could...

Money is not important anymore… what is realistic is that I am getting old and I do not want to waste any more of my years saving and toiling for the earthly gold that never comes.

How much money is rich?  Get what I mean?  What does richness mean?  Buying property and cars?  

My kind of richness is buying time to spend on them…. I take leave from work now.…It is buying time to go places with them…be it by driving a car just the four of us, it is also considered pure joy. I remember we started off by driving all the way to Johore when my eldest turned 18 and since then, there was no turning back... Each year we make it a point that we go somewhere together, be it near or far.....

Let's face it... Sooner or later we might not have this type of Quality Time anymore... BUT meanwhile when this is possible, why not do it now than to wait....

What I want to say is that... we do not need lots of money to enjoy things together as a family.. What I am trying to say is that MONEY IS ALWAYS NOT ENOUGH...will never be enough if one does not know what he/she really wants...

As for me, I know money is JUST ENOUGH as of now... I know what I like to spend on... and it is always within the limits of what I have... earthly treasures I do not have....

Now what I see before me are two young men and a young lady…they are my three "Indescribable Wealth"...

The Magistrate

I really don't like to go to certain government departments but I have to, no choice.   If I don't go, I couldn't get my things done and when I go, I must know how to occupy myself while waiting. 

It was just too bad that I forgot to take my iPad along when I went to the Magistrate office a couple of days ago.  Very careless on my part... my interview was supposed to be at 11.15am and I reached there half an hour early.  Before me was another 3 separate cases and I was thinking... "Oh man, how long do I have to wait?"

 

Waiting for my turn...

 

The door leading to the interview room...Dressing is very important here.. We have to dress decently before the magistrate...One "auntie" told me that she went home to change from her bermuda shorts to long pants and she told me that the magistrate was very polite and nice so she didn't mind going back to change.  LOL..Yes, I think we ought to dress appropriately in certain departments.  

Back to my story, it was almost 1pm when my turn came.  After few trips to the toilet and playing some games on my iphone, finally the door opened for me and appearing behind the magistrate reminded me of "Will Power" TVB series.. hahahaa...

The magistrate is a lady in her 40s, quite stern looking but when she .. I was imagining those type of arrogant and unsmiling lady magistrates but to my delight, she is so nice and pleasant looking.  She made me feel at ease and we chatted a bit before the serious business began... then I took the Oath repeating after her.... the first word was "Bahawasa saya....." and my tongue felt like it was being "tied up" and I couldn't pronounce it properly...  I kept repeating the words in the car.. bahawasa saya... bahawasa saya.....  there!  Kind of difficult, right???

Anyway... after half hour or so, the interview was finished... phew.... I packed up my documents and made my way to the lift.  While waiting, the magistrate lady came out, we smiled and talked a bit and when the lift came, naturally I let her go in first but instead she said, "Please, after you... "    hmmm... the long wait suddenly does not stress me anymore......

Give Thanks With A Grateful Heart

Wake up to the sound of birds chirping outside my balcony .... they sing the same old song each morning...

Oh, I could hide 'neath the wings
Of the bluebird as she sings.
The six o'clock alarm would never ring.
But six rings and I rise,
Wipe the sleep out of my eyes.

My cleanser's cold and it stings....

(Can anyone tell me the name of this song?)

Each morning once I put my legs on the floor, the very first thing I do is to give Thanks and Praise that I can still wake up alive and kicking to a brand new day!  Give a smile...... 

hmmmm.... today is Chee Cheong Fun for breakfast....

Another thanks to be praised for food laid on the table...

(Illustrated picture)

With full energy, it is time to work...

Thanks for having a job..... 

Come lunch time... 

it is a mug of oats with bun with an "O" in the middle...

Thanks again....

Dinner is a must.... Mama's place...

Giving Thanks!! 

Something I love to look forward to.... 

A time to give Thanks and Praise...

I wrote the above not because they happened today.... I write for a reason to remind myself that there are a lot I should be thankful for.....I must not complain, I must not fret... this is the day that God has made... we should rejoice and be glad in it... Give Thanks in all circumstance...Reanaclaire.....

Pre-CNY Blues

There is no proper post for today... my body is running a temperature...
Few possibilities...

1) Could it be due to the fall I had here?
2)  It could be due to the virus I contacted during the weekend...
3)  But I suspect it could be due to the "tasting" of cookies we baked last night... After so many years of not baking and now that I did, I am "shot." 

This proves that Baking in front of the oven is not my line....

Time to Rest and Sweat Out... 

Goodnight...

Big Bang On My Car And His Car

I was rushing for time this morning... my friend called me at 10am to pick her up and I was just getting ready to go out at that time.  Late!  Late!

With the car radio music on and my cell phone ringing non-stop, my mind was like "turmoil" while I was reversing my car... I didn't hear my "reverse button" beeping non stop but I definitely could hear the Big Bang sound ... OH DEAR!!

My car bumper hit my neighbour's car alright!! 

Not really a serious damage actually.  Despite the loud bang, he didn't realize that I knocked his car till I told him during the evening.  If I didn't tell him, maybe I could have got away from paying? hahhaha... No, I won't do that... the guilty conscience will be there each time I see the "injury" on his car...

Well, whatever it is, I got to pay for the damages... told him to send me the bill when he has repaired his car...  sigh... $$$ flying away....

Moral of story:  Do not rush yourself no matter what.. concentrate on what you are doing and remember not to switch on the music too loud while driving or should I say "reversing?" 

A Nightmare For Computer Addicts

I have three computers at home... one 5 years old desktop, 4 years old netbook and a 3 years old laptop.... and tonight the nightmare began.....

My desktop "retired" a week ago, when I switched it on last week, there was non stop sound coming "tut, tut, tut......" and I have to switch it off... tried many times switching it on and off... no avail... the heartbeat "tut tut" could only be heard....

Then just tonight, my laptop failed to load too... when I switched it on, it could only "breathe" for around 15 seconds, then it turned into blackness again... and again.. and again... Another weak heart case like the desktop....

Sigh... that leaves me the small netbook... gotten free from TM last time... Small screen, got to squint my eyes, cannot upload pictures fast... got to wait for minutes... so might as well, don't upload any tonight....

A time to rest my eyes, I guess...

Is this a "nightmare" for "computer addicts" for those like Yours Truly here?  The answer is in your hands....

I rest my case....

What A Blunder!

Went to Kinta City to purchase some cinema tickets.  We were going up the escalator when my sister behind me asked... "Hey, how come your skirt has buttons behind?"

I looked down to my skirt and to my sheer horror, I realized I wore my skirt the other way round!!  Oh dear..oh dear.... in a crowded shopping mall???   Those walking behind me must be having fun giggling... they must be wondering.... "Does this lady here purposely wear the other way round or is she really that blur??"

Yes, I am really Blur!!

Quickly I dashed to the nearest restroom.... walked fast fast... super fast.. wishing no one is following.. but hey, it is a weekend.... everywhere seems to be crowded.. oh GOSH!   Don't look... don't look... only when I reached the restroom, I could heave a sigh of relief..... phewww.... 

What an embarrassment! 

That proves how "young" I really am.... sigh.....

Caring Is Sharing Repair Expenses

"My poor camera..."

Someone captured this emotional picture of my colleague when I accidentally dropped her camera... One minute I was holding it to take her picture and the next thing I know, it suddenly fell onto the carpet flooring and after that, it got stuck... The lens couldn't shut and opened...

During lunch time we went to the Sony Service Centre for repair... and it cost around RM200 to replace the lens... Both of us shared out the expenses....

Moral of story:  Do be careful when you are holding a sensitive object especially when it belongs to someone's else... but then accidents do happen when we least expect it to, right?

My colleague likes this picture, a natural emotional face..  :)

Yesterday When I Was Young...

There are two new things I found out about myself during the past weekend....

One... I cannot drink anything that have the word TEA in them... I thought I was only allergic to Chinese tea but after last Friday stint with the "girls," any type of TEA will not agree with me ....  peach tea ke, ice lemon tea ke, green tea...... etc....   I must remember that!

It is no joke to have a sleepless night.... tossing and turning in bed till my eyes were tired of being "CLOSED!" Now I understand what Insomnia means.... terrible!

Two.... I am confirmed "stamina-less."  Need to confess that my house was left "untouched" for 10 whole days.  So can you imagine... the windows, tables, floor... aiks... it was a BIG relief for me when my guest bloggers did not come into my house...  pheww.....  LOL.....

So... what I did on Sunday left me panting and feeling nausea!  After more than two hours of cleaning and mopping, I nearly wanted to pengsan faint when I reached the kitchen....Immediately I stopped.... I rested.... and I realize that my stamina has long gone...

I finally come to terms that I am not as "young" as I used to be.... anymore.....

My Three Pineapples

More than 24 years ago, one boy was created.... 

More than 21 years ago, another boy was created....

More than 17 years ago, a girl was created....

First one is cheerful... 

Second one is humorous... 

Third one is cute....

As years go by, each of them go their separate ways...

One is north, one is south and one in the middle region...

The north and the south will make their way back this weekend...

Both of them will be here this weekend...

The one in the middle region longs to be home too...

But due to some events, she cannot join us...

However... we will get to meet one way or another...

"If the mountain cannot come to us, 

it is always possible for us to go there..."

One Way To Avoid Snatchers

After hearing so many cases of robbery and snatch thieves that is happening around us each day, I myself cannot help feeling paranoid wherever I go.  Even though I clutch my pouch tightly around my hands and fingers, it does not help anything if one has the intention to snatch it away.

Those umpteen years ago, snatch thieves do not use tactics like knocking down the victims with their helmets or pushing them down before snatching the victims' belongings.  During my younger days, snatch thieves were just snatching the handbags off the shoulders or from the hands and that was it....

I had my own experience being a snatch thief victim in the late 70s, I was walking along Cowan Street (now Jalan Raja Ekram) with my friend.  It was around 6 something in the evening and I was holding a long wallet (crocodile skin type) and then all of a sudden, I felt the wallet just snatched off or taken away from my hand.... Just like that.... it was over in less than a two seconds.... didn't know how to scream... just "gawking" after the lone motorcyclist... and that was it..... thank God there was no pushing and knocking heads down those days.....

I was thinking... nowadays... how to avoid being a victim to these snatchers.... is there a way to discourage them?  How to prevent being a fallen victim?

An idea came to my mind... don't know whether it works or not....

Do you think this will help avoid snatchers if I wear shabbily instead of presentable?  Will it be a good idea if I just put on my old Tee, a worn out culottes/knee length shorts without make-up, without handbags and anything attractive? 

IN other words, does it help being a Plain Old Jane Me?  Being that, perhaps I will have a ease of mind walking shabbily around without feeling paranoid..... sigh...

Something Wrong With Me?

I stared at the monitor, the monitor glared back at me... guess my mind is totally blank tonight... oh, how could it be?  There must be something in my mind, right?  But right now, it is totally blank....

Nothing important or worrisome actually.... maybe some issues not settled...

Taking a break off blogging tonight... something is just not right but I don't know what it is at the moment..... confusing...

Why are ladies so like that???  They never stop multi-tasking, do they?

Why Me?

I never seen such an unethical man!

This afternoon during lunch time, Elin and I were enjoying our food in the coffeshop, chatting happily...
then we saw a couple walked in... a man in his fifties... well, nothing unusual about that except .... when he started to sneeze..... and guess what??  He sneezed RIGHT into our direction...where the food, Our fruits, Our drinks were on the table! 

And the best thing is...he had a tissue in his hand and he was not using it to cover his mouth.  Maybe he wanted to save it for cleaning his mouth after his meal!  So disgusted both of us were and we kept staring at him, I think he knew what he did was wrong cos he looked at us but he didn't apologise.

Gosh... this man ought to go back to school to learn about manners!

Ok... to cut story short..... Guess who "captured" his Virus?   ME!!  I am having a cold now.... if not for this cold, I wouldn't be complaining about him here, would I? 

Conclusion:  This proved that my immunity system is very low.... it only takes a Sneeze!

Mum, Sometimes I Wonder How You Do It All...

 I wonder too... 

The card I received from my 

Little Girl turned Big Girl...

 The card that paints a thousand words...

Words that made me cry.....

"Another new chapter of my life will be starting soon......." (she is growing up...yes) 
"Don't worry about me... I am learning to be independant...."
"Be confident in your daughter and think positive....heheh " (she laughs like me) 
"I know you will miss me very much...I will too....."
"I won't be here to accompany you... "
"There is nothing I can do to replace all the things you have done for me... ever since my first cry...."
"Do take care of yourself when I'm not around, kay? I will be missing you too!"

A Thank You Post

Anxiously, both of us waited till it was past midnight the night before then we clicked onto this university website to find out about the status of admission.  We thought that the admission results would be out then... but it was not....

Couldn't sleep well cos I was still thinking of the application status, finally woke up at 5.40am to log in to check but then again, it was not ready...

Went to office and the first thing, where did my fingers go?  Yes, to the website again... (now you know this mum is overly anxious, right?)

And alas, the "application status" is there alright!!  I clicked onto it and they asked for password etc.... with trembling fingers and thumping heart, I typed in whatever needed.....

I was thinking if I see a long letter, it means Accepted... if rejected, it would be a short email..... 


and.... it was indeed a very short one.. just two sentences.....saying "congratulations..... etc etc....." and please download the following links to print out the offer letter....

I let out a BIG sigh of relief....silently murmuring.."Thank you.. Thank you"

What I prayed for...  He has answered.... I am so thankful.....

Thank you for your wishes..

Thank you Father for answering my prayers....

Next step is.... getting ready....

In two weeks time, my girl will be leaving the nest.....

Bra Or Ear?

For a few nights already, I had been yearning for this particular type of biscuit to munch... during lunch time I drove to First Garden to find, even went to Wenn's shop but to no avail... she didn't even know what I was talking about when I described the biscuit to her...

I asked, "Bra biscuits, you know... like a cone shape, brown in colour, hard type.... " She had no idea what I was talking about... hahahaa... Thanks Wenn for being patient... we ended up buying two Magnum ice creams sticks instead.. lol....

Then yesterday I found what I had been looking and yearning for....

My version of "Bra Biscuits"

I remember calling them that when I was young... 

Cantonese version is "Lin Ku Pian"  (sounds vulgar, right?)

It seems the actual name is "Yee Chai Pian"  (Ears biscuits)

So...which do you think is more appropriate....

Bra or Ear?  

(just for laughs)