This article deserved to be in my blog.
1. Stand and Deliver
Chained to your desk? Get an adjustable-height work station so you can stand for part of the day. Your posture will improve, and you'll burn a third more calories.
2. Dial "C" for Calorie
Get a headset and walk while you take calls. An extra 500 a day burns 25 extra calories--in a year, you could drop two pounds without changing your diet. Sure, coworkers might make fun of you. But you can laugh all the way to the beach....
3. Schedule Snacks
Minimize mindless eating by booking snack appointments in your calendar. When an e-reminder pops up, step away from work and enjoy your food. If you're aware of what you eat, you'll be less likely to nibble all day.
4. Lean to the Left
If you have an emergency stash of Kit Kat or Lays, keep them in a left-hand desk drawer. Researchers found that we're more likely to reach for things to the right of our field of vision regardless of handedness. Even better, keep fruit on your desk in a prime right-hand spot so it will be an obvious snack choice.
5. Go Green
Fill your mug with green tea. People who drank oolong tea fortified with green tea extract every day for three months lost 2.4 more pounds than people who drank plain oolong tea. Catechins, antioxidants found in green tea, may stimulate the body to burn calories and decrease fat.
6. Put a Lid on It
Give your willpower an assist and keep candy in an opaque dish. A study found that workers dipped into chocolates 71 percent more often when they were in transparent containers. Or switch to hard candies: They're lower in calories and they last longer.
7. Smell Success
Break out the air freshener. "Just having the smell of a green apple on your desk could suppress your hunger
8. Place Your Bets
Strike up a weight-loss competition with your cube mates, if anybody interested!
Tuesday 30 December 2008
Thursday 25 December 2008
Jon & Kate plus 8 - continues
As i said. I have a love/hate relationship with this tv show. I would never had 8 kids in this life, thats not going to happen. Infact its too late now to have 8 biological children. I envy her for having them all. Although it can be overwhelming to look after these kids, but they are hers and nobody could ever take that away. Those beautiful kids belongs to her, they come to her with unconditional love, no matter what. She also get to hug them and kiss them good night every night. No matter how hard it is I still consider her very lucky. Of course its not an easy job but these children are a gift. Of course she doesnt have time to do anything else, she even quits her nursing job to be a stay at home mom but the pleasure to see these children grow up day by day is such a blessing. I am sure when they all grow up they gonna be so thankful for their mom for giving them a good life. I am just thankful to have one but to have 8 children is such a blessing.
I feel like I know them so well. I know the names for each one of them, what they are like, what they like and dont like, their favourite animals, what they eat for breakfast or dinner. Its like seeing your own children grow up. And today there was a marathon of it on tv. It started at 8.30am this morning and just finished off one hour ago. Thats alot of Jon & Kate on tv! There will be another marathon tomorrow and I bet I ill be there on tv again, i can count on it.
Anyway, I just wish the show will go on until the kids all grow up and fly the nest. I dont know if thats going to happen, since I know Kate doesnt like it very much to have the camera at her house all the time. Who does? There sure is no privacy in her home with the camera crews and everything. But what she does is good, she wants to show everyone the reality of having these multiples, the good, the bad and the ugly....
We will see how it goes on the show. I think in a way the show has given Jon and Kate a celebrity status already, not to mention wealth and money. I've read the show is very successful in the USA, and i am sure they are given tonnes of money for it. Thats a good thing since I am sure it is always a struggle to pay for a family of 10. People also give donations, give them lots of free stuff. Jon even had a hair transplant for free for his resceding hairline so good for them.
Anyway, today is the start of my long weekend. Its christmas day today so its a public holiday for everyone. Tomorrow is Company force leave, another holiday and then the weekend. Monday is another public holiday for new year Hijrah. So I am gonna chill and have a good rest, well.. just a bit. We need to sort out the insurance for the BMW tomorrow and thats another chore that we need to take care of. Today we went to the mall to buy my girl's shoes and among other things. Had lunch at Pizza's Hut, as usual ordered our mushroom soup and garlic bread, our favourite. The mall was packed since its government pay day yesterday. But we were there bright and early to beat the traffic and the flock of people.
Wednesday 24 December 2008
Jon & Kate plus 8
This is by far my most favourite tv show at the moment. Its about one American family who has 8 kids, a set of twins and a sextuplets. I see it on tv almost every week and sometimes even the repeats or the reruns. I enjoyed the show immensely. In fact i have a love/hate relationship with this show. This lady has 8 kids, she has such a busy life and now a very successful reality show in America. I bet they are now new millionaires in the USA. I wonder how her every life feels like to look after 8 kids. She struggles every day but she manages by the help of her husband, her family and her friends. They are such cute couple. They compliment each other very well. And the show is very real. They dont hide anything, they dont hide how they treat each other and how stressful they sometimes are. They yell and swear with each other when the stress too much, and thats the reality. Its not easy to be with 8 kids day in and day out.
The kids are now getting bigger. The twins are 7 and the sextuplets are 4. They are at the age where they cant seem to stay still, very active, naughty and so cute. They dont like a typical American kids since Jon is half Korean so it shows. Ahh.. cute.
Will continue later.
The kids are now getting bigger. The twins are 7 and the sextuplets are 4. They are at the age where they cant seem to stay still, very active, naughty and so cute. They dont like a typical American kids since Jon is half Korean so it shows. Ahh.. cute.
Will continue later.
Monday 22 December 2008
Diet Tips - 10 food rules you must ignore!
Found this from webmd and its very interesting to know.
Ignore 1. - Eating at night will pile on the pounds.
It's the total calories you consume over a 24-hour period -- and more often, over a week -- that is what causes you to gain weight, and when you eat those calories doesn't matter. That said, because you may be more tired at night, your resolve may be lower. So you may tend to eat larger portions, or more high-calorie foods, than you would during the day. But as long as you keep an eye on calories and portion size, feel free to set your hunger alarm to the time that suits your lifestyle.
2. It's best to eat at the same times every day.
Eat when you're hungry, not when the clock says it's time to eat. While it can help to keep some consistency to mealtimes, forcing yourself to eat when you're not hungry -- or forcing yourself to wait when you are -- only makes it harder to stick to your diet. If you must eat at a certain time - say, during a designated lunch hour at your workplace -- cut yourself some slack the rest of the day and eat only when your stomach says it's time.
3. Dieting with a buddy always makes weight loss easier.
No one doubts that companionship and common goals can pay off for dieters. Not always the case! .If one buddy fails and the other doesn't, it clearly upsets the balance, and could cause tension and embarrassment. Ultimately, weight loss is a personal journey. If you find it's easier with a friend, remember to compete only against yourself -- not each other.
4. Dietary fat keeps you feeling full longer, so you'll eat less.
This was a well-accepted food rule for many years but it is not true. It has shown that while fat does take longer to digest, it's actually the least satiating of any food group. The foods likely to stave off hunger the longest are protein foods, followed by carbohydrates, then fats.
5. When you blow your diet, you might as well wait until the next day to get back on track.
Nope, every meal matters, so if you ate that big old piece of birthday cake at lunch, get right back on track with your next meal. You don't have to have a full day of healthy eating in order for it to count.
6. Refusing food at a party or when visiting is rude.
If you had diabetes, or a severe food allergy to something, you wouldn't think twice about turning down a food you weren't sure of -- and you should feel that same sense of priority in turning down a food that you know will blow your diet.
7. Skipping a meal every now and then will help you lose.
Skipping a meal means you will be so hungry at the next meal that you are likely to overeat. Not only that, skipping meals can actually help lead to a slowdown of your metabolism, meaning you'll burn fewer calories.
8. Bread is fattening, nuts are fattening, pasta is fattening.
It's not what you eat that contributes to weight gain,it's how much you eat that matters most. Whole-wheat bread, for example, is a great source of nutrients, and it won't make you gain weight more than any other food with the same number of calories.
9. All calories are equal.
While it's true that 1,400 calories is 1,400 calories no matter how you slice the cheesecake, experts say certain foods have a greater ability to fill you up before they fill you out. These tend to be fiber-rich, water-rich foods, like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. All calories are equal if all you're doing is counting calories to lose weight, but if you care about how you are losing weight, or controlling your hunger, or the health of your body, then no, all calories are not of equal value.
10. If you don't clean your plate, you're wasting food (don't forget those starving children Mom told you about).
Tying emotions to eating (like when you feel guilty about leaving food on your plate) sets the stage for emotional overeating. If you've been taught that cleaning your plate is the best way to show appreciation for a meal, instead show your gratitude with verbal praise, by asking for the recipe, or by sending a thank-you gift or note the next day. Food is simply a source of fuel for the body -- not an emotional payoff or payment. If you just don't feel right leaving the table until you've cleaned your plate, she says, underestimate your hunger and put less food on your plate to begin with.
- Do these diet truisms ring any bells in your mind?:
- Don't eat before bedtime or you'll gain weight.
- Skipping meals will help you take off the pounds.
- If you want to stay on a diet, eat at the same time every day.
Ignore 1. - Eating at night will pile on the pounds.
It's the total calories you consume over a 24-hour period -- and more often, over a week -- that is what causes you to gain weight, and when you eat those calories doesn't matter. That said, because you may be more tired at night, your resolve may be lower. So you may tend to eat larger portions, or more high-calorie foods, than you would during the day. But as long as you keep an eye on calories and portion size, feel free to set your hunger alarm to the time that suits your lifestyle.
2. It's best to eat at the same times every day.
Eat when you're hungry, not when the clock says it's time to eat. While it can help to keep some consistency to mealtimes, forcing yourself to eat when you're not hungry -- or forcing yourself to wait when you are -- only makes it harder to stick to your diet. If you must eat at a certain time - say, during a designated lunch hour at your workplace -- cut yourself some slack the rest of the day and eat only when your stomach says it's time.
3. Dieting with a buddy always makes weight loss easier.
No one doubts that companionship and common goals can pay off for dieters. Not always the case! .If one buddy fails and the other doesn't, it clearly upsets the balance, and could cause tension and embarrassment. Ultimately, weight loss is a personal journey. If you find it's easier with a friend, remember to compete only against yourself -- not each other.
4. Dietary fat keeps you feeling full longer, so you'll eat less.
This was a well-accepted food rule for many years but it is not true. It has shown that while fat does take longer to digest, it's actually the least satiating of any food group. The foods likely to stave off hunger the longest are protein foods, followed by carbohydrates, then fats.
5. When you blow your diet, you might as well wait until the next day to get back on track.
Nope, every meal matters, so if you ate that big old piece of birthday cake at lunch, get right back on track with your next meal. You don't have to have a full day of healthy eating in order for it to count.
6. Refusing food at a party or when visiting is rude.
If you had diabetes, or a severe food allergy to something, you wouldn't think twice about turning down a food you weren't sure of -- and you should feel that same sense of priority in turning down a food that you know will blow your diet.
7. Skipping a meal every now and then will help you lose.
Skipping a meal means you will be so hungry at the next meal that you are likely to overeat. Not only that, skipping meals can actually help lead to a slowdown of your metabolism, meaning you'll burn fewer calories.
8. Bread is fattening, nuts are fattening, pasta is fattening.
It's not what you eat that contributes to weight gain,it's how much you eat that matters most. Whole-wheat bread, for example, is a great source of nutrients, and it won't make you gain weight more than any other food with the same number of calories.
9. All calories are equal.
While it's true that 1,400 calories is 1,400 calories no matter how you slice the cheesecake, experts say certain foods have a greater ability to fill you up before they fill you out. These tend to be fiber-rich, water-rich foods, like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. All calories are equal if all you're doing is counting calories to lose weight, but if you care about how you are losing weight, or controlling your hunger, or the health of your body, then no, all calories are not of equal value.
10. If you don't clean your plate, you're wasting food (don't forget those starving children Mom told you about).
Tying emotions to eating (like when you feel guilty about leaving food on your plate) sets the stage for emotional overeating. If you've been taught that cleaning your plate is the best way to show appreciation for a meal, instead show your gratitude with verbal praise, by asking for the recipe, or by sending a thank-you gift or note the next day. Food is simply a source of fuel for the body -- not an emotional payoff or payment. If you just don't feel right leaving the table until you've cleaned your plate, she says, underestimate your hunger and put less food on your plate to begin with.
More tips coming soon.
Saturday 13 December 2008
PMB result is now out - And we are so proud of you!!!
Exciting time. The moment the whole family is waiting for. My girl's PMB result was announced today. Precisely this afternoon, her friends informed her by text that the result was out but we didnt know what my girl result was. We waited anxiously for further development, any development. More texts, excited friends telling her of their results. But what about me???, my girl was grumbling, nobody could answer her except one friend who told her that she passed. But what did she get, was the next question.
We actually waited for the sms facility being introduced recently by DST whereby the result will be texted to you by phone if you register through MOE. We did that but no text coming. So we decided to go to her school because I am sure the result was there somewhere, maybe being displayed on the notice board or something. The moment we entered the car, her phone beeped and there it was! She did so well and we are so proud. My girl was so happy with the result and she didnt expect she did that well in the exam. We were all so happy. So big big CONGRATULATIONS to you my baby, my girl, Ayang, mommy is so proud of you. And we all love you so much!
I know this is just the begining of your future, it is all in your hands to shape it. I am just your mother, i can only advise and guide you but the rest are in your hands. I am just so happy that you are a sensible girl and knows how important education is. May you will get more success in your future, Insya Allah.
Me, your dad and the rest of your family wish you all the best and may success be with you always.....
Love,
Mom
Friday 12 December 2008
A big makan night.
Last night was crazy. My youngest brother treated us for a big makan night. The whole family minus the small kids went to Bob Kitchen in BSB. We arrived there around 7.15pm and the place was already packed. I heard this is a very popular eatery in town. It was so hard to find a parking space and luckily we got one along the roadside. We ordered so many food and in large quantities. We digged in like no tomorrow, and we were loud too. I bet other patrons at the place were eating their hearts out and said how annoying we were! Well.. its not everyday we got to meet our family and had a big blast from it. We had fun and we went home with a very full stomachs. I can say that to everyone except for myself of course, i always very cautious and controlled what i ate. I didnt actually ate as much although i wished to. That was so hard, wished i could just ate like anybody. I am considered a plus size and imagine how i would look like if i dont control what i eat.
Anyway, some pictures from last night.
My family having a good time. 
One of my brothers with his son, Haadii.
One of my brothers with his son, Haadii. 
Thursday 11 December 2008
Robbie...
My girl got her pet yesterday, her 2nd pet actually. A cute and fluffy rabbit, she named him/her Robbie. We dont know if its a girl or boy yet! Though for now we just assumed Robbie is a girl??? Need to find that out soon maybe at the vet? She is 3 months old and was born in September 2008. I got her from our for sale website, from a young girl working here. Hubby and I picked her up from KB yesterday and brought her all the way to Bandar. Reached home around 6.30pm, got her cage ready, filled up the bowl with food, some hays and off he/she went into the cage. Robbie looked scared last night. She might be tired too after the long journey and she didnt want to eat or drink. I think Robbie needed a few days to get used to her new surroundings. We gonna give her that so I asked my girl not to try to touch or stroke her for a few days until she is comfortable. This morning i was glad to see she has eaten some pillets and drank all the water.
Here is the picture of Robbie when I first saw her and we fell in love right away. I've snapped some pictures of her too at her new home but thats coming up soon.
Monday 8 December 2008
Holiday is almost over for me.
Well, tomorrow is the day i must get back to work. So not looking forward to it all. Its been a blessful 9 days without having to worry about office, work & the driving. Its back to reality again. I wish the time stands still and i can just stay home, enjoy with nothing to worry about and be with my little family and our home. But thats not reality and everything will get back to normal, tomorrow.
We went to a short holiday in KK, it was awesome although some plan didnt materialise. I didnt mind, as long as me and my family were together thats all that matters. And we are all back home safe and sound. I wish we could do that more often. But i am sure there will be more holiday in the future for us. Anyway, my girl is getting nervous now with her result coming up very soon. She has registered to the MOE SMS result facility. Its just a matter of time now when the result is announced. We all cant wait how well she does. More of that when the time comes, so watch this space....
Oh its public holiday today so Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Adha to all Muslims, family & friends. We dont have any close relatives who perform hajj this year so we really dont do any celebration today. But i watched one show on tv about hajj which was very good, the programme was from BBC Manchester and it showed how muslims in Manchester performed their hajj day to day in Mekah, Madinah & Mina. It was a wonderful experience for them and for me too. I wonder when is my time to go there and perform this 5th pillar in Islam. Insya Allah, it will come.
Thats it for now, need to do some preparations for lunch & work tomorrow.
Sunday 30 November 2008
Our trip
Not at home at the moment. I am typing this in our luxurious and spacious hotel room in Kota Kinabalu, Le Meridien. We arrived this afternoon at 2.50pm. Left home this morning at 7.00am, its a long journey by car. We are all tired by now but its been good so far except for the obvious problem of our car almost 8 hours. But we reached Kota Kinabalu safe and sound, Alhamdulilah. Good thing is its a free internet connection here in the hotel. Gonna be here until thursday, we will leave tomorrow for our next hotel stay. This is gonna be busy and adventerous trip after all.
Gonna update more in my other blog with details of our journey and pictures. So i just stop here and now.
Gonna update more in my other blog with details of our journey and pictures. So i just stop here and now.
Thursday 27 November 2008
The Route of our daily commute.
Just want to share the journey we take every day getting to work. These are the tracks of our daily commute, approximately 100km one way. Leave home at around 5.45 am while the road is still deserted and the day is still dark.
I took this picture when we saw the moon was very bright at 5.45am in the morning. I've never seen a moon as bright as this before. Very beautiful.
We usually continue our journey while taking it easy and absorbing our surrounding. Here is when we reached the double lane Tutong Highway. Up to here the journey was usually smooth, no stress but it will be over soon when we reached the end of this road.
The one lane Telisai road begins. This is where the headache starts, every day. There are so many cars queueing. And its even worst if we are late, which we always try to avoid, considering the circumstances.
We reached Sungai Liang juncture. We were early and the police traffic still hasnt come otherwise here is where the long queue is. On some bad days, the queue will be until Sg Paku after Telisai. If we are early, it is not so bad.
The area where BMC is. The double lane starts again and we can have a sigh of relief.
The road along Lumut Bypass. If we are early no problem. Its smooth sailing. This road is good except for the absence of lighting. Its so dark at night and can be very dangerous. In fact this stretch of road has claimed so many lives. Day time no problem. Early in the morning is so peaceful and look at the clouds forming. Its different every day.
Almost reaching the Anduki juncture. Dangerous road where there is a U-turn where sometimes careless people just make a U-turn without thinking. Got to be careful.
Accidents are a common occurance if you travel long distance like we do.
Some road along the Anduki road is still under construction. It has been going on for a few months. They are widening the road. And this road is bumpy too. Hopefully they will be able to solve the bumpiness.
We have our very own Detour like in the Amazing Race! This is along Jalan Tengah where we have to have a detour to reach our office. They are repairing a bridge over there so we have to use Jalan Utara instead. It was chaos at first where all the cars have to use this road to go to Kuala Belait but its getting better these days. Discipline people!
We are almost reaching our office. This is along Jalan Utara near the Panaga Health Centre. You know where you are when you seen one of this! The nodding donkey, our oil and gas symbol.
The Panage Health Centre.
Our BSP Head Office surau. Its very near to our office built especially for BSP staff.
This is where we usually park our car. This is around 7pm when we reach our office. Alot of people already in but not from my department!
I took this picture when we saw the moon was very bright at 5.45am in the morning. I've never seen a moon as bright as this before. Very beautiful.
We usually continue our journey while taking it easy and absorbing our surrounding. Here is when we reached the double lane Tutong Highway. Up to here the journey was usually smooth, no stress but it will be over soon when we reached the end of this road.
The one lane Telisai road begins. This is where the headache starts, every day. There are so many cars queueing. And its even worst if we are late, which we always try to avoid, considering the circumstances.
We reached Sungai Liang juncture. We were early and the police traffic still hasnt come otherwise here is where the long queue is. On some bad days, the queue will be until Sg Paku after Telisai. If we are early, it is not so bad.
The area where BMC is. The double lane starts again and we can have a sigh of relief. 
The road along Lumut Bypass. If we are early no problem. Its smooth sailing. This road is good except for the absence of lighting. Its so dark at night and can be very dangerous. In fact this stretch of road has claimed so many lives. Day time no problem. Early in the morning is so peaceful and look at the clouds forming. Its different every day. 
Almost reaching the Anduki juncture. Dangerous road where there is a U-turn where sometimes careless people just make a U-turn without thinking. Got to be careful.
Accidents are a common occurance if you travel long distance like we do.
Some road along the Anduki road is still under construction. It has been going on for a few months. They are widening the road. And this road is bumpy too. Hopefully they will be able to solve the bumpiness.
We have our very own Detour like in the Amazing Race! This is along Jalan Tengah where we have to have a detour to reach our office. They are repairing a bridge over there so we have to use Jalan Utara instead. It was chaos at first where all the cars have to use this road to go to Kuala Belait but its getting better these days. Discipline people!
We are almost reaching our office. This is along Jalan Utara near the Panaga Health Centre. You know where you are when you seen one of this! The nodding donkey, our oil and gas symbol.
The Panage Health Centre.
Our BSP Head Office surau. Its very near to our office built especially for BSP staff.
This is where we usually park our car. This is around 7pm when we reach our office. Alot of people already in but not from my department!
My office!!!... And no body here yet.
Usually i am the first to arrive and i live in Bandar almost 100km from here. The rest live around KB or Seria. How lucky they can leave home at 6.45am or something to reach office. Some even arrive around 8.00am!
Sunday 23 November 2008
Exercise
We went for jogging/brisk walking today. This was a much needed and long overdued exercise, at last we managed to squeeze some time to do this. Felt really good after that, it was a good half an hour, i was sweating profusely. Half and hour was not much but its a start. Wished i could do this more often. I badly need some good exercise. I am worried about my weight, although i maintain it and it stays like that for a few months but in fact i've gained all the 5 kg i lost one year ago. But for a reason that i dont want to mention here. Think i do need to lose that weight again gearing up for next year. We may want to do that again, the last try.
We arrived at Damuan at around 5pm and the place was already packed with people. We should have come earlier. At last we managed to get a spot to park when someone left. My girl suggested we should try Jerudong Park the next time we went jogging. Thats a good idea. Its nearer and more secluded.
The track for the jog. The weather was perfect but no wind. Everybody was doing their own things. We jogged for one round and a half. Thats good as a start. I havent been doing this for a few months so i wanted to take it slow.
The majestic Istana Nurul Iman greeted all the joggers. One cannot miss this lovely sight when jogging here. It does look magnificent from a far.
Got to take care of my health from now on i guess. I went for my blood test last thursday and now waiting for the result. Our daily ritual is taking this multivitamin, Vitamin C for our immune system and my blood pressure pills. I really feel i do need all these supplements as i dont think i am that healthy, though i dont feel sick or anything like that, its still good to take these.
We had my home-made sphagetti as breakfast this morning. A hearty meal definitely not good for dieters. Anyway, my plan was to take everything and eat anything during the weekend and i hope i can eat less during the week days. See if i can stick to that routine from now on. Will try to do more exercise too. Will update as i progress.
We arrived at Damuan at around 5pm and the place was already packed with people. We should have come earlier. At last we managed to get a spot to park when someone left. My girl suggested we should try Jerudong Park the next time we went jogging. Thats a good idea. Its nearer and more secluded.
The track for the jog. The weather was perfect but no wind. Everybody was doing their own things. We jogged for one round and a half. Thats good as a start. I havent been doing this for a few months so i wanted to take it slow.
The majestic Istana Nurul Iman greeted all the joggers. One cannot miss this lovely sight when jogging here. It does look magnificent from a far.
Got to take care of my health from now on i guess. I went for my blood test last thursday and now waiting for the result. Our daily ritual is taking this multivitamin, Vitamin C for our immune system and my blood pressure pills. I really feel i do need all these supplements as i dont think i am that healthy, though i dont feel sick or anything like that, its still good to take these.
We had my home-made sphagetti as breakfast this morning. A hearty meal definitely not good for dieters. Anyway, my plan was to take everything and eat anything during the weekend and i hope i can eat less during the week days. See if i can stick to that routine from now on. Will try to do more exercise too. Will update as i progress.
Saturday 22 November 2008
Excapade Sushi
One of our favourite restaurant to go to almost every week. Outing out is a norm with us and our very few choices is in Excapade Sushi, either in Kiulap, Gadong or KB. We always ended up here. I was not a big fan at first, but hubby insisted i should tried it out. I was actually not an adventerous eater but once I tried it i got hooked. The food was so yummy!!! My girl is now getting into it too. We look forward to our next visit already.
Ayang and my favourite. We seems never to get enough of this dish. Its the best sushi in the whole wide world.
Hubby's favourite, amongst other things in Excapade Sushi. He is the king of japanese food. I have my limit but he is limitless.. hehehe. He can't get enough of this too.
This is also Ayang and my favourite. Never missed it though its a bit expensive.
Our family favourite. We never miss this dish too when we came around.
This is not from Excapade but this is the best tom yum soup in town from another of our favourite eating joint. I never tasted tomyum as yummy as this one!
Guess where this restaurant is? This is the place where we get our best tomyum soup. Well one of their branches that is.
Wait till our next eating out!
Ayang and my favourite. We seems never to get enough of this dish. Its the best sushi in the whole wide world.
Hubby's favourite, amongst other things in Excapade Sushi. He is the king of japanese food. I have my limit but he is limitless.. hehehe. He can't get enough of this too.
This is also Ayang and my favourite. Never missed it though its a bit expensive.
Our family favourite. We never miss this dish too when we came around.
This is not from Excapade but this is the best tom yum soup in town from another of our favourite eating joint. I never tasted tomyum as yummy as this one! Guess where this restaurant is? This is the place where we get our best tomyum soup. Well one of their branches that is.
Wait till our next eating out!
Wednesday 19 November 2008
Amazing Talent!
I am very impressed with the talent of this Brunei lady. I ever ordered her cup cakes, they were simply beautiful. And look at the rest of her creations. Hjh, i hope you dont mind me linking your website to mine. Very impressive.
The cup cakes we ordered for my girl's birthday.
Tuesday 18 November 2008
Busy busy busy
Its staff reporting and peformance assessment time!
Straining my eyes and cracking my head to support my 3 staff in the office. Its that time of year again. I need to write a good report for these people, they are counting on me, i know they have worked hard all yea, except maybe for one new guy who is still taking his sweet time to catch up with everyone. And since he is new i am not going to do the write up, might as well. Its all up to his old department.
Staff ranking is on friday so i am in for a battle. I want to give my staff a good feedback and will try to fight for them to have a good and decent performance points. These people are good at what they are doing, i cant expect more. I have to see their level as well so i guess their performances are acceptable. I wish they are more pro-active, eager to do more or sell themselves more rather than stuck on their chairs day in and day out. But hey... at that level, i dont think its fair for me to stress themselves too much.
I am also at the learning stage to become a good supervisor. I have 3 staff to look after. The real challenge is next year 2009 where i will be responsible from the very beginning. Need to come up with their tasks & targets, IDP and the whole expectations and KPIs thingy.
So its gonna be busy busy busy.
I guess i've done it all, i am being a mother at home and a supervisor at work, although for 3 staff only but still. Thats so much responsibilities but alhamdulilah so far i've done the best i can.
Straining my eyes and cracking my head to support my 3 staff in the office. Its that time of year again. I need to write a good report for these people, they are counting on me, i know they have worked hard all yea, except maybe for one new guy who is still taking his sweet time to catch up with everyone. And since he is new i am not going to do the write up, might as well. Its all up to his old department.
Staff ranking is on friday so i am in for a battle. I want to give my staff a good feedback and will try to fight for them to have a good and decent performance points. These people are good at what they are doing, i cant expect more. I have to see their level as well so i guess their performances are acceptable. I wish they are more pro-active, eager to do more or sell themselves more rather than stuck on their chairs day in and day out. But hey... at that level, i dont think its fair for me to stress themselves too much.
I am also at the learning stage to become a good supervisor. I have 3 staff to look after. The real challenge is next year 2009 where i will be responsible from the very beginning. Need to come up with their tasks & targets, IDP and the whole expectations and KPIs thingy.
So its gonna be busy busy busy.
I guess i've done it all, i am being a mother at home and a supervisor at work, although for 3 staff only but still. Thats so much responsibilities but alhamdulilah so far i've done the best i can.
Monday 17 November 2008
Its confirmed
We picked our new amah this weekend.
The current amah is on her way out of the door, and out of Brunei. Not that she is bad and cant do housework. But its more to her attitude. She should be more respectful and know her limit and boundries. I am not asking for her to behave like a slave but a little respect will do.
The new amah will be coming within the next month or so. We've chosen a woman called Kasiah. Out of all the biodatas we received thus far, this is the one we prefer most. She looked ok, clean face and wearing tudong. Not that it means anything since sometimes they were ASKED to wear tudong for camera. But we are following our instinct so i hope we are choosing the right one.
Of course its not easy to choose someone to work for you from a picture and a biodata. I wish we could see her face to face and conduct a bit of an interview. But its not practical to bring her over from Indonesia just to do this so we have to make do with the picture and biodata only.
We deposited the money yesterday to the employment agency, signed all the paperwork and decide on the tentative date of her arrival and the departure of the current amah. So all is good and in working order.
Went to Excapade for dinner last night, our usual favourite place to go Japanese. Hubby cant resist the special promotion of 30% discount for platinum card holder and i never say no to a good meal hehehe.... As usual Excapade's was packed but we still got a good table. So no problem there. I will upload some pictures later.
The current amah is on her way out of the door, and out of Brunei. Not that she is bad and cant do housework. But its more to her attitude. She should be more respectful and know her limit and boundries. I am not asking for her to behave like a slave but a little respect will do.
The new amah will be coming within the next month or so. We've chosen a woman called Kasiah. Out of all the biodatas we received thus far, this is the one we prefer most. She looked ok, clean face and wearing tudong. Not that it means anything since sometimes they were ASKED to wear tudong for camera. But we are following our instinct so i hope we are choosing the right one.
Of course its not easy to choose someone to work for you from a picture and a biodata. I wish we could see her face to face and conduct a bit of an interview. But its not practical to bring her over from Indonesia just to do this so we have to make do with the picture and biodata only.
We deposited the money yesterday to the employment agency, signed all the paperwork and decide on the tentative date of her arrival and the departure of the current amah. So all is good and in working order.
Went to Excapade for dinner last night, our usual favourite place to go Japanese. Hubby cant resist the special promotion of 30% discount for platinum card holder and i never say no to a good meal hehehe.... As usual Excapade's was packed but we still got a good table. So no problem there. I will upload some pictures later.
Saturday 15 November 2008
Dental & Massage
Today we went for my girl Ayang dental appointment. Well it was actually overdue, she should have gone in June but it dragged on until today. Simply because she was schooling all these time. We did go in June but we came just a few minutes late than the rest of the crowd and didnt get a number! Who would believe that the number of patients to be seen by the dentist only 30. If you came after no. 30 then tough luck. You had to come back some other time. Thats what happened to us, we just missed one number. We were supposed to be number 31 and 31 was not on their list so no number for us. Nothing we could do but went home. I supposed nothing we could do with this, the service was for free afterall so why should we complain? If you want a good service then go to the private dental clinic. It is as simple as that. The bottom line is we were late. People were queueing up from early in the morning, even before the clinic door was opened. But today we were lucky. Ayang got number 14 and we waited until 9.00am before she was let in and got her teeth checked. Very simple procedures, she had nothing to worry about. Her teeth was perfect, very good conditions, nothing need to be done except some cleaning. Then off we went. I am proud to say that Ayang has her perfect teeth, unlike me of course.
While waiting i couldnt help but noticed how depleted the heath clinic was. The ceiling was all torn and waiting to fall on people's heads. I am sure it leaked when it rained. And not one of the clocks were working and we were in a clinic! Somebody need to look at this plain and simple. The maintenance of this health clinic simply sucks. I wonder how the doctors feel working in this not so pleasant conditions? Or they just didnt care as well???
I was so looking forward to my massage this afternoon. My shoulders were so painful. Today i had Rezza as my massage lady. She is a Filipinos and she was really good. I've been going to this massage centre for the past year and it was ok. I even started going for my facial.... I enjoyed the hot stone massage since it was really relaxing. The hot stones although uncomfortable since its hot but it did wonders to my muscles and joints. But it was spoilt towards the end of my massage when my left leg cramped. It was really painful and i hate it when it happened. It didnt usually happen during day time but it happened today. Rezza had to help me and she was really worried when her next customers already arrived. I tried to relax, though i was worried and in a lot of pain too, i had to pick up my girl from her ugama school. I hate that when it happened. I guess i need to check what triggers the cramp although i think mostly i had the wrong move. 
After picking up Ayang from school we then visited my parents in Lambak. My brother was there with his new car. As usual always boosting about it, anyway, thats how he was so no comment. When they left, as usual again, my parents took us for dinner and this time we went to a restaurant i never been. The food was quite nice. Then we went home and call it a day... 
While waiting i couldnt help but noticed how depleted the heath clinic was. The ceiling was all torn and waiting to fall on people's heads. I am sure it leaked when it rained. And not one of the clocks were working and we were in a clinic! Somebody need to look at this plain and simple. The maintenance of this health clinic simply sucks. I wonder how the doctors feel working in this not so pleasant conditions? Or they just didnt care as well???
The health clinic we went to this morning...
I was so looking forward to my massage this afternoon. My shoulders were so painful. Today i had Rezza as my massage lady. She is a Filipinos and she was really good. I've been going to this massage centre for the past year and it was ok. I even started going for my facial.... I enjoyed the hot stone massage since it was really relaxing. The hot stones although uncomfortable since its hot but it did wonders to my muscles and joints. But it was spoilt towards the end of my massage when my left leg cramped. It was really painful and i hate it when it happened. It didnt usually happen during day time but it happened today. Rezza had to help me and she was really worried when her next customers already arrived. I tried to relax, though i was worried and in a lot of pain too, i had to pick up my girl from her ugama school. I hate that when it happened. I guess i need to check what triggers the cramp although i think mostly i had the wrong move. Some pictures of where i go for my massages...
De Stress from inside...
The set up was ok, it was rather small but simple, nice and cozy..
After picking up Ayang from school we then visited my parents in Lambak. My brother was there with his new car. As usual always boosting about it, anyway, thats how he was so no comment. When they left, as usual again, my parents took us for dinner and this time we went to a restaurant i never been. The food was quite nice. Then we went home and call it a day...Our dinner.
Friday 14 November 2008
Amazing Race Asia Season 3
I may be old and a mother but i still have my own favourite tv program... One of them is TARA 3. Last night was the penultimate episode. Second from last episode, that is. This is one of my many bonding time with my girl. She looovesss the show too. She watches them every time it was on air. Once or twice is good enough for me but not her hahaha. We always wait for thursday night 9.00pm. I make sure nothing come my way, we finishes dinner and wait in front of the tv. Every week.
Last night, we knew who the top 3 finalist were. Very intense and very stressful indeed. One of the team didnt deserve to go into final when one of them gave up in the middle of the task. Didnt like that one bit. Thats Sam & Vince. Ida & Tania impressed me. They were tough old cookies. Ida was ok, i knew her from her films and she was one funny gal. I am ok and happy for them. Geoff and Tisha was so and so. I didnt like them much but ok didnt hate them either. They need to work on their relationship, especially after this TARA ordeal. It didnt look good, i dont know they still see each other now. Poor AD & Fuzzy resigned to their fate and being eliminated last night. Poor gals, they were tough broods but some where along the line, they couldnt take it anymore. It gutted me when Fuzzy had to do all the hardwork. Its been like that all along. I wonder why AD didnt want to do the tough task. In the end they suffered the consequences. Was Fuzzy trying to prove something/ That she can do it despite her size? Dunno.
The 3 final teams
Ida & Tania - Malaysia
Geoff and Tisha - Philippines
Sam & Vince - Hong Kong
Sunday 9 November 2008
What's up?
So what did we do this weekend?
As usual so many things lined up. On saturday we went to the amah agent to get some biodata. We were thinking of sending our current amah home early, maybe in December. Her contract will expire in March 2009 but i cant wait to let her go! The sooner the better. Its not that she didnt do her work properly but there were a few things that i am not so happy about her. For one, she was the kind who also speak up to me. Always has something to say if i say something to her. If i am not happy with her then she will reply back. I believe in people who gives respect and she lacks that. She doesnt always listen to me, and i keep on reminding her all the time about certain things. The list goes on and on. So we got to know this amah agent from the paper and decided to give her a visit. Her office in Melabau Complex and she showed us about 4 biodatas. But unfortunately none gives... We were looking for someone age around 20+. I prefer this age for a few reasons. Our current amah is 30+ and she always acts as if she is the madam of the house and i dont like that one bit! So looks like we have to keep looking. Or we can live without an amah? Not an option right now i am afraid. Nobody will be at home with Ayang when we both are at work and thats the problem.
Anyway, then we went to Nissan showroom and checked on this new car. Very sleek and nice. Nissan Murano, it has all the right category and the right specs. I kind of like the car. It costs B$58,700. Not too bad. We expected it to be around 60 - 70k. Even the recon costs around B$50k so this is a good deal. Very powerful car too, 3,500 cc with 18inch tyres. Not that we wanted to buy it... We prefer diesel car according to our nature of job and life styles at the moment but at least we get to know it close and personal.
Sunday as usual another outing, to the Mall again. Ayang was invited by her BFF Nonie for her birthday party at the West Street Cafe the Mall. So we sent her there and hang around while we waited for her. Hubby went to the apple shop again and looked for the Ipod Touch. Still looked cool and we were still impressed. But not going to buy it! We passed that age i guess where you have to get what you saw. Not anymore. We were becoming more sensible i think. Buy only what you need and not what you want!
We hang around the mall doing nothing. It was packed as usual. Its like this every week. There was electronic of some sort exhibition today so it was really busy and noisy. Lucky draw and some entertainment on stage. But we were not part of the crowd.
So tired wandering around and ended up at Swensen. And i had my coffee again. We were actually very full so we just ordered that, hubby opted for a tomato soup. Its not too bad actually.
My coffee..
Thats my weekend. We went home around 4.30pm with Ayang happy meeting her BFF. It was alright weekend. Its always better to be at home with family and watched tv. We also found out today the Bali Bombers had been executed by firing squard. Its all over the tv. I am not into capital punishment but those people had done the extreme. Well, i am not going into details for now. Dont want to spoil my appetite for dinner tonight. And I have some doughnut from Fun Doughnuts waiting for me....
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