Saturday, June 21, 2008

Friends.

When I was younger, I envisaged having a place and asking friends over to enjoy a nice dinner and a drink over the weekends. Hai, it never happened at all. Having children and tending to them, making sure they do their work already exhaust me those 5 days of the week. Come Saturday and Sunday, I would only want to sleep late and laze around. Where to find the energy to organise party in the evening? On top of that, friends started to have their own family and visiting in laws in the weekends or shopping trips or outings with their children or tuition during the weekend.

Over time, I lost touched with my friends. I married earlier and have children earlier than most of my friends. When they are still working and partying, I was grounded at home changing diapers and singing nursery rhymes to my children. When my children are big enough for me to be out, my friends are stranded themselves with babies. Thus, the distance and eventually lost of friends.

You can say my world revolves around my family. Nothing else, totally boring. If my family is broken, I might become broken as well. Who cares about me? Who think of me? Who loves me? I think I already know the answer. But I have to be strong, I can still go out to make new friends. Do you know that a person could still be lonely with thousands of friends around? Do you know that some could be at peace with only a friend?

Friends can not fill the void just because they are physically there. Yet, friends are needed everywhere. Are you friend to ur closest one? Or merely there physically for appearance sake?

LOL, my closest friend is Belladonna, she is with me most of the time, I am so glad I bought her even though she cost me S$1500. She is my best friend now.

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Yellow butter cake recipe





Ingredients
1 1/2 C butter (room temp) no margarine I used 250gm of butter
2 1/2 C granulated sugar ( I like to use raw sugar in this one) I used 2 cups of sugar
5 eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 C all purpose flour (for a lighter cake, use 2 C flour and 1 1/4 C cake flour)
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 C milkDirections
In mixer, cream butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy.
In seperate bowl, wisk together flour, salt, and baking powder.
Set aside.
On medium speed, add eggs, one at a time, to the butter mixture,
making sure each egg is mixed in before adding the next.
Scrape down the sides and bottom of bowl and mix again.
Mix in vanilla, or any other flavoring you want (almond, orange, lemon, rose water).
Add flour mixture and milk to the wet ingredients, alternating the two, starting with the flour. (1/3 flour, then 1/3 milk...etc.)
Scrape sides and bottom of bowl again and give it another quick mix.
Pour into your greased and floured pans.
Bake at 350 for about 35 minutes, until the middle is firm, the top is golden, and the sides pull slightly away from the pan. A toothpick should come out clean (about 160 degrees in the middle). I baked at 180 degrees celsius in my oven for 35 minutes.
This makes about 7 1/2 C batter, which will fill two 8 inch rounds or one 6 inch and one 9 inch. This would fill one big rectangle.
When the cakes are finished, let them sit in the pans for a couple of minutes, and then turn them out onto wire racks to cool. Be sure to use cardboard or another wire rack to flip the cakes over. If you try to pick this up while its warm, it will break. I like to turn my cakes out onto a cake board and then turn it onto the wire rack so that the top side of the cake is up. Spray your wire racks with non stick spray so that you can easily move the cakes when they are cooled.
When you grease your cake pans, be sure never to grease with butter. Butter burns. Always use shortening. I like to use non hydrogenated shortening and the baking sprays with flour in them are wonderful and fast!. My cakes never stick when I use the sprays.



verdict for this cake: YUmmilicious

Saturday, June 14, 2008

3 mobile phones all in a day.

Wah! Never in my life to get 3 all in a day. 1, Samsung Soul U900 was bought 4 days ago by my sister who passed it to me today. Then, we went to a PC show at Suntec city and bought one more, Nokia 6500 slide, recontracting my hubby line. This mobile is to be given to my daughter. Using a $50 rebate voucher. When doing payment, we got a surprise when we were told to choose either another phone, Nokia 1208 or a $50Robinson voucher. We chose the formal. Thus, today, we got 3 mobiles in a row.

Now to source for prepaid cards, as both my daughters will be carrying a mobile phone each.
My eldest using my old phone. Nokia 1208 will be giving to my mum as it's really a very basic phone.

14/6/2008, Saturday

Friday, June 13, 2008

Saying it through writing

Some people are so good expressing their thoughts verbally, some just could write them down. I think I am the latter. Most of the time, trying to verbalise what I felt in front of the person makes me tongue tight. Some people are so good at extorting presents from others by being very subtle. Before one knows it, the idea already registered in ones mind to get for them. Those are really good. So what kind are you? Could you articulate your feelings well?

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Wrong date and timing for the past posts

My time and date is 11.30am, 12 June 2008, Thursday. This date 12 June, reminds me of my dead cousin's birthday. He was so young and handsome, yet, he committed suicide, jumped from his bedroom's window. All must die, but just how many years we get to live. Some like it short, some like it long. When the society is harsh, a weak mind can't handles the pressure. Though they appear weak, they are so strong to take their own life. This astounds me more. Usually, when I face pressure around me, I would just grind me teeth and tell myself to pull it through. It is our determine mind that is resilience. As we age, we need to die cause our body deteriotes every second. Even if our mind is resilience, it could probably give us a few more years. Nothing could stop our body from deterioting.

Virtues

My daughter is back from Japan Home stay programme. For 11 days, she was away from us. She made it without any hiccups. Extremely wonderful.

Well, what made me extremely pleased with her was her thoughts and actions. She may be young of age 11years old, but she carry herself with grace already. It was thoughtful of her to think of a walking stick for her grandpa. She got almost everyone something. That includes her granny, her aunties, her sister, her daddy and myself. That's not all, she had something for some of her friends in school as well. With all these actions, one can see that she thinks of everyone even when she is enjoying herself.

She even sacrifice her soft toy to the host family's 6 mths old baby girl when she realised she has no time to get one for her.

All these are virtues she accumulates for herself, which makes me very pleased to know as a mother.

Virtue, is it inborn or learned?
Good virtues brings good karma. I hope she has a very bright future.
Opportunities avast, but one must grab them to assist themselves in achieving their life long goals.

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Have the very best

Get the best of everything you need.
This is so unlike me. But over the years, I come to realise regrets only come when I never get the best. Coz of all the discontentment resulted from the things I bought after some use.
So, quality is important.
I list you the examples, I used to purchased bedsheets of 380 threadcount 10 years ago. Then, I thought, if I were buy lesser threadcount I could have more variety of bedsheets at home. Ha, what a silly goose. The bedsheets with lesser threadcount are so rough eventually we stopped using them. As months passed without use, they turn yellowish, thus I disposed them. As for the better threadcount bedsheets, they remain smooth and even smoother over the years. The best ones lasted till now and we still love them.
Next are shoes, I bought cheaper shoes since I thought could have variety. Buying cheap shoes from $10 to $30. They were worn off within 3 weeks. If I buy more shoes that could only last me 3 weeks, then per week my cost is $10 x no of shoes. Whereas, if I paid a good pair of leather shoes for $80, this could last me for a year. Then, I get more saving if I buy a quality one. So go for quality.
Handbags, waistpouches, all these are the same, low quality comes cheaper but do not last. In the end we pay more. Keeping more junks at home.
The most expensive thing is the apartment we live in. Before we were about to purchase this flat, we have to queue for it. During then, prices were at one of the highest. But no choice we needed a place to live in. At first, I wanted a condominium, or executive condo, but I thought, it would be a burden for my husband, afraid it may be tough for him, so decided on a 5 rm instead.
What a joke, HDB flat has no facility like swimming pool, which is good exercise for young kids. My kids love swimming, thus we end up taking bus to swimming pools, or even cycling which is very far from my place. Not a couple of stops but a town away. There were times when we cycled home and our kids fall asleep on the way. Think about it, it's really dangerous, and when we were caught in the rain as well. Then, I thought perhaps we should get a car. So we got the cheaper ones, as I was new to driving. Soon, the car seems to be slower than usual, we bought another one, but petrol consumption is high for this one.
Then, as it is, this flat was never my dream house, so I wanted to upgrade. Little did I know, my husband love this place and didn't want to move. As he said he had some rebate from his company for the first home. If we were to sell, then he won't get the yearly rebate. You see what dilemma I have. First, this was the result of not communicating well, no discussion, no planning, no goal, just get the 2nd best. So I have to hole up here till my husband leave his job. By then, his age would be at a disadvantage to buy another apartment.

So, I foresee my life to be here for another 20 to 30 years till I pass away.
Never to see a dream house at all.

So, my advice is to get the very best for yourself from day 1, so you will never need to regret it later.

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Planning

Why need to plan?

Well, I live my beginning part of my life not knowing what is planning. Living like a lark, happy go lucky. Ha, no need to guess, I fell, I fell, again and again. Till I was so depressed after my JC. All that was due to not planning ahead. Don't know about setting goals. No goals, like a frog living in a well, could only see that much. Thus, don't know what goals to set.

In Primary school, I live day by day, learning what the teacher taught. Don't know how to read English. Thus, all I could do was through falling and picking myself up. Then, during Secondary school, I learn to read better. From books , I get to see things. But still it's the minimal, cause there was no far sighted goals discussed at home. Nothing I could look forward to. Because, I was so ignorant, I didn't know what to ask, what to go for. I just study to pass my exams. Rather pathetic. I passed, to get to a JC, though I had wanted to go Polytechnic. Again, because of ignorant, I thought it's too far from home, thus, i gave up the notion to apply for polytechnic.

After my JC, I am supposed to apply for NIE. Again, ignorant and worry for nothing, thinking, pa not working, no money, poor ma would have to work to help me out. Thus, I never even mail out my applications. I wanted to study psychology, but there isn't much major course during my time.

Sadden, Goaless, I went to work. But in my heart I wanted to study, I work and retook my A levels, but all effort wasted, results got from bad to worst.

Finally, I gave up trying to go to University, I deviated and studied Arts. I can't say it's good or bad for me. For after the course, I realised the ME, I, Myself, i am just average in arts, nothing spectacular. The money spent could have been used to further my studies, even taking an external course. But I was ignorant. No guidance. Don't know who to ask. So sad.

Right after I graduated, I work for another year. By then, I got to know my hubby during my third year while studying arts. I thought as long as I fall in love, all will be ok.

How wrong am I. Due to being ignorant, naive about not watching out the traits of a person's family members I got married.

What a joke, on the day of my wedding, I found out that my new sisters-in-law didn't really like me. They throw daggers at me when I joke about needing a pearl necklace for my cheong sam . it was a joke, and they took it for real. Then, I realised too that my father-in-law was a drunken who has a mistress and obnoxiously lecherous. He would stare at any pretty woman that walked passed him without blinking with a stupid grin on his face. These are the start of most troubles.

Troubles that has blown out of proportion that I don't want to deal with them anymore. I just want to delete those people away from my life. They are not important.

Without planning and goal, one do not know how to choose husband too. I realised that my husband simply do not love me enough. Rather it's due to his upbringing that he doesn't know how to show love in the family. Like his father, he bring home the money and expect the wife to deal with all problems of the family by herself. Decisions all hers, mistakes all hers. He comes home, after work is to enjoy his favorite game, laze around like everything is none of his business.
I married a man that doesn't plan for the family as well. I guess a fool follows a fool, I am one, he is one too. The blind leading the blind.

This man doesn't not plan for holidays for the family, doesn't know how to cook something for the family. He simply does not do anything out of the extra ordinary for the family. For as long as he could be doing without the family, I think it's what he likes.

So to all women out there, I found out after studying and analysing other people's husbands, those that are good to the wives are the one that knows how to cook. They are the one who cares enough to do something for themselves as well as for others. The service to do something. It's this little sacrifices that show one cares.

Thus, story of my life: now I learn, we need to plan, to set goals, to teach our children that as well.

Contentment may be good, but it brings stagnation to the life, mind, and body.

Sunday, June 8, 2008

I wonder how to be filial to ones parents 100%

Filial piety, a word easy to say than done. Filial piety is not only to make sure ur parents are fed till their last days of their life. According to confucious, filial piety include speaking kindly to our parents. Oh, come to think of that, I am totally guilty of not doing that. At times, we felt so impatient with our parents. Worst parents are those that gamble and drink and squaddles all savings and still make the hell of a noise in the family. So, confucious, how to handle these cases. Is it to give these parents what they want, money, for them to spent as they don't give a damn to the children? Is that call filial? I wonder what is the correct actions. Or should we make them suffer to realise the consequences? I am guilty of shunning my father-in-law. I am guilty of having to make my husband not filial to his father. For I couldn't tolerate the drinking and shitting and the stench that is around the whole flat. I am guilty. But I don't wish to amend this mistake even given the chance. Coz, I believe by in directly shunning my father-in-law, before his death due to cancer, he realise his actions were wrong. Perhaps, I should not that we are there to correct ones action. No one will be able to correct their actions if they always think they are right. Take for instance, I felt that gaming is a waste of time. But my husband enjoys it so much. He acts like he doesn't have a care in his life. Well, I thought we have a mission in life. But we have to go out and service this cause. By gaming, ten years later one still end up sitting in front of the computer achieving nothing except levels higher than others. No award, except time wasted instead of spending fruitfully with the family, or upgrading or increase ones wisdom in life.
So coming back to filial piety, how do one achieve it? Does it mean that we demostrate our love for our children now, then when they grow older they will know how to reciprocate that action by taking care of us?
Everyone is different, I have been nasty by not being filial, I guess if karma acts this life time for me, then, I probably get retribution. In any case, I wish I could teach my children the correct way for being filial, for their own sake, not mine. For we mould our own future.

Saturday, June 7, 2008

To experience Life

How to experience life to the fulless? I love to visit another country and truely live like the people there. Experience what they do everyday. Only then, we learn their culture and life there. Unlike tours, whereby we sightseeing only the surface of picturic sceneries. Nothing except a postcard pictures. I think traveling around in another country, one must take their public transport, move around like the locals do. Eat what they do, not just restaurant but from small shops as well. I remembered I followed the instruction of some must eat restaurant in Hong Kong, went to Jumbo seafood, was a flop.. didn't like the place at all. Instead, when we just walk into another local restaurants without much publicity, they turned out more impressive.

So, what do you think about this?




Friday, June 6, 2008

Being Inquisitive

Is there anything wrong with being inquisitive?
I am 100% inquisitive. There is so much I don't know. This often makes me wonder when many do not ask questions. Does it mean they know a lot already? Does it mean they don't know anything about the topic to ask at all?
I wonder how other people learn. I personally ask too many questions. I am curious about any new friend I make. I ask what are they working as, how many children they have, if any, etc....
I wonder how much they earn? How they manage their money? If I see someone extremely dressy, I wonder do they earn enough to pay for all those beautiful clothes or branded bags and shoes.
I wonder how their children are feeling when they are running from 1 tuition to another. What is really childhood days?
My opinion on childhood days is to have time to daydream, to play games that we could remember when we are old to tell our grandchildren, to work hard a bit for our exam, to have lots of fun with our friends, to remember all the beautiful things we do together and also the bad.
I don't think I would want my children to live their childhood days munging on only their exam.
Why do we need to push our exams results to the limit?
I believe in learning nonstop till we drop. But one must learn to learn.
Many stop learning after they graduated. That is really sad.
Then, I wonder when I visit my friends' place and I see no books around. No book shelves. Spick and span. Now, I wonder, do they read at all? Or in order to look neat, they don't buy books, don't read.
I love books, I don't mind the book lying around. For if there is a reader, the book would be picked up and read. It may be a bad habit, but reading grows with us. Never leaving us.
I sometimes experience the state of mind emptiness cause there is nothing to ask. I tell you, I can die if that stretches forever. Boredom of the mind. When I read, I sometimes experience euphoria. That perks me up in life.
Life could be so monotonous at times. I really enjoy books written by authors which are mind provoking. Those that made sentences that are so true about life, so profound.

I sometimes ask myself am I asking too many questions that infuriates someone who would keep their life private. Really, I am really sorry if I invaded their privacy. But, I really wanted to know, to compare my life and make improvement on it. We are never good enough. Take for instance, housekeeping. I wanted to know how to iron trousers properly or a shirt neatly. What other housewives are doing the whole day? keeping their house neat the whole day. I ask myself how a mother could sacrifice so much bringing their children to and fro from tuition non stop the whole year and many more years to come.

I ask, I ask, I ask....

Thursday, June 5, 2008

6 Jan 2008, Sunday

The day Belladonna joined our family. Tingling feeling that urge me to go to a pet farm to get a puppy. Saw her at Ericsson Pet farm. Love at first sight. She was the most beautiful. Don't you agree?