My birthday

Today 3rd Feb 2009 is my birthday, very quiet indeed. Only some greetings from people close to me. The day went by very quickly and I am still feeling under the weather. My parents came over as usual they never failed to give me presents, although as an adult I dont really need them to do that anymore but thats my mom. Not really looking forward to today since I am a year older and still have one dream unfulfilled. Anyway, I just hope I will be well, healthy and happy always beside all those people that I love.

The aftermath

The recent flood had distrupted so many lives in Brunei, as we all heard from the news and read from the papers. There were even casualties, a rare occurance in our peaceful Brunei. I didnt realise the magnitude of the flood is so great until the next day when news flashed every where on how the whole big chunk of Brunei was under water and electricity was cut off for 4 days. The famous shopping mall was closed for a few days even the hotels because of the power failure and Gadong became a ghost town. Thats what I heard.

It was a heavy downpour again last night at our area. Although it was not so bad as on the 21st Jan but I was a nervous wreck nevertheless. Couldnt sleep until the rain stopped around 2am and the water rose for a few inches in our front porch. I wonder why the weather will improve.

We are the lucky ones who had maids because every time the water rises, the mud and debris were brought in. And we need to clean up afterwards. Not a nice job to do but its your front porch you had to do it whether you like it or not. I took this pictures of our neighbours from my bedroom where they had to do the deed after the flood. Sorry guys for taking this picture but I have to say I pity you all for having to do this every time!

Be careful when you eat oranges...

Got these images from a friend. You know this is the time of year when these chinese oranges are sold every where. At one time or another we might end up buying some since these oranges are so yummy and juicy. Then I got these pictures. Not that it happened here but its good to be aware and be careful. Check properly before you pop it into your mouth. You never know whats lurking inside...

Sigh....

Big big problem.

Last night it rained like never before. Really really heavy. I didnt sleep and keep on looking outside since I know if this rain went on it will be flooded very soon. And it turned out it did. Right up to our door step. I was a nervous wreck and worried that the water will go into the house and our cars will be submerged. I woke up hubby at 12.30am and we went down and had a look outside. The water was raising dangerously high. I also watched most of the neighbours were awake and kept vigil outside. Some moved their cars to a safer place.

So hubby changed from his PJ to t-shirt & short, went outside and moved our 3 cars out of the garage. The water already reached inside our Echo and reached the exhaust pipe of our BMW. Rexton was ok since it was outside the gate and higher.

We didnt sleep until about 3.30am and while waiting for the rain to stop we watch President Barrack Hussin Obama Inauguration. Such a big ocassion and witnessed by around 2 million American in Washing DC.

We went to bed after that and woke up around 5.00am since its a working day and my girl had to go to school. We were very tired and sleepy so decided to skip work and called office that we had to be at home and cant go out because of the flood. My girl also ended up taking school off. Infact I saw most children in my neighbourhood didnt go to school today and Ayang later found out the school was off too.

Below some pictures of the flood. We were stranded along Jalan Sungai Liang too yesterday because of the rain. The road was still flooded this morning and the neighbours told us the flood was all over Brunei. Its very bad.

Selamat Pengantin Baru!

We went to my niece wedding today at Bomba Hall in Berakas. In weddings the thing I dreaded the most is the heat, being in hot weather and under the camp and all. But today it was a bliss. The wedding was held in a hall, with full blast aircon. And i didnt even need my hand fan! So it was good. Lots of family members were there, and the hall was not big enough to accomodate all guests, I think everybody who were invited turned up! So many people and the caterer had to go back and get more food, tables and chairs. And you should see what we got for our token. A table clock and a perfume. And thats what I called a blast.

The couple looked so lovely. K is all grown up. I used to see her so cute and small. And now she is a wife. Congratulations sweetie, may happiness be with you and your hubby always.

**Congratulations to Firmasdiana & Nizam**

And us at the wedding.

Its been a while.

This intermittent problem with our wireless is simply a headache. The new year has not started very well. Some issues are still pending on the home front and also at work. Our new Amah who should have arrived a month ago is not here yet! The e-speed connection is very fragile. One minute its ok and down the next. Very shaky so we are not a happy bunch at the moment. My promotion at work also have problems, all HR fault of course. But I am not going to touch on that here. No point.

On a happier note, we have decide to cycle again. Very soon. At least we have that to look forward to. Holiday is also in the works. We are excited and look forward to it of course.

At least today the wireless is working fine, been on the computer for the last 2 hours and I am still not cut off so thats good. The problem is usually in the morning and evening so we still need telbru to look into it. Afterall this is not for free.

A busy weekend again, lots of plan for today and tomorrow. We gonna take Robbie to the vet this afternoon for her check up. And to cut her nails. I know what a trivial things to do but we dont want to do it ourselves, we might hurt her in the process.

Tomorrow another wedding. A cousin's daughter so we will be there.

01.01.2009

Another new year, its now here - 2009 / 1430. Hope this year will be a better year for every one. I have so much hope for this year and i am hoping this is the year where our dreams will come true.

Should I talk about new year resolutions? I dont think so because it usually didnt materialise. The only thing I can think of for now is to lose some more weight, try to eat right and exercise more. And I know thats not so easy to achieve. Well.. at least I am hoping I would be happier this year, embrance life to the fullest, not to dwell on "what if" and "what not". Life is to short to have a pity party. I will count my blessings more and try to menambah amal ibadat since we all dont live forever.

Anyway, spent the day quitely at home today. Then we went to the Empire to watch a movie - Bedtime stories. Not as good as i expected, too much nonsense and the story just rambled on without any meaning. Its very light and just average, except for a few funny dialogues from Adam Sandler and thats about all.

Last night we had a family bbq at my parents'. Its nice to be with family, and the bbq was not meant to celebrate the new year but more as a gathering. We are not into that although most establishments are doing just that like the Empire with their new year countdown. We try to avoid all the crowds and we are not supposed to celebrate the new year anyway. Ate alot as usual, afterall it is a family gathering and as usual lots of conversations and topics.

Nothing special on the start of the new year, except I am looking forward to my girl first day

of school next week. See what she has to say about her new class since she was chosen to be in a pure science stream class. It must be an exciting time for her with new subjects and new classmates. I advised her to be friendly with her new friends, try to be more open and approachable. I know its not easy to make friends on her first day of class so I hope she will try her best.

Another off day from work tomorrow and I need to do some shopping for our planned bbq on saturday.

Two pictures from our trip to the movie today.

How to lose weight in the office

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!

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.

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.

Diet Tips - 10 food rules you must ignore!

Found this from webmd and its very interesting to know.

• 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.

Those are not so true...

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.

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

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.

My ever so generous youngest brother who treated us to a good meal last night.

This is him again with his Subaru WRX. Cool car!

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.

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.