We were enjoying our occasional Swensen treat at Central Bangna. Inside, there was an unusually obese Thai man gobbling up on his ice cream. He was truly huge and difficult not to notice.
Unfortunately, he finished eating his ice cream earlier than we did. He slowly waddled out of Swensen, passing by us in very slow motion.
Our son sat up staring at him and said excitedly at the top of his lungs, "Mommy, look! He is so fat!"
My husband burst out laughing (a conveniently uncontrollable reflex he has, one that always gets into action when Taufik farts in public). I darted a glance at the fat man and sighed a relief to realise that he did not hear. But the folks next to us heard and was guffawing away.
Like they say, out of the mouth of the babes!
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Monday, January 15, 2007
What a Whale of a Time - Despite Rough Waters
This Malaysian trip I recently had was a hoot!
Sorry to all cousins that I did not get to meet, but truly this time around my schedule was full and my load was heavy.
I came down because I was exploring the idea of starting a business with my best friend Charmaine. There was that on my schedule.
Then surprise surprise popped in a little baby boy about to be delivered and an opportunity for me to adopt again. Met the biological mother and family, dragged Mak Chor along and had some tough decisions to face. I couldn’t adopt the baby and was frantically searching for others who might be interested. To my dismay the baby was adopted by a Chinese couple. Letting go of a child, rejecting a child needing a home, when I want another one deeply was tough going.
Then of course the issue with my father and my step mother, my mother and step father – still not yet resolved.
Discovered a lump in my right breast whilst in Malaysia, had an impromptu surgery, and Alhamdulillah it was benign. That is a story in itself.
My hair loss has now degenerated to an extreme level. Please do not laugh when you see me walking by with no hair left. I seem to have trouble not worrying, not being bothered, not getting too deeply emotionally entangled in the problems of others. And my hair and health is suffering the consequences.
But the up of all of this, was the joy I felt when our children played together in Mak Ngah’s house. When I saw Taufik, Mikael, Arissa, and Imran spinning around and around till they were gleefully giddy and falling flat on the ground. Imran yelling “Iman jatuh!” again and again until one particular time when everyone fell on top of him in a big pile. Then it was just big old bawling.
Oh how I wished Omar had been there. How I wished all our littles ones had been there.
Then there was the occasion at Ika’s place when they all played together again. The chemisty between the children were perfect. This gift of close kinship, the kind that we have enjoyed from childhood till adulthood is the greatest gift of all to our children.
I noticed the unique characteristics of some of our children,
Mikael the happiest child of all, so easy to coax a smile out of him. So sweet natured and so much joy for life, such gentle curiosity that it warms my heart to watch him. I watched him toddle off in Ikea without a backward glance – totally unafraid. Despite his father’s adamant denial, he is truly his father’s mini-me.
Arissa such a very head strong child. She fascinates and charms me. Her strong independence and will is mesmerizing. I watched her display an exceptional level of concentration when she was engrossed in her puzzle for over two hours!
Imran an early speaker. Perhaps showing promise of an oratory skill in the future. Curly haired angel who does not hesitate to bawl out his demands and feelings. It makes my toes curl with delight to hear this little runt screaming ‘Iman jatuh!”
And the more I get to know the young ones in our brood like Malik, Omar, Issara, Jasmine, and Farah I am sure the more delighted and in love I will become with them. Oh you guys, you did such a fantastic job with your kids!
I wished that more of our cousins would join in so that we can organize a mega get together. Where is Ana? Shikin? Farah? And the rest?
Tell you what, next time I’m down we’ll have another major Dinnie playgroup. Nana has so wonderfully volunteered her home. Okaylah I know you guys can bloody well organize one without me coming, and if you do, you’ve still got to go for another one when I am down.
Okay I am going off now. Love you all so much.
Sorry to all cousins that I did not get to meet, but truly this time around my schedule was full and my load was heavy.
I came down because I was exploring the idea of starting a business with my best friend Charmaine. There was that on my schedule.
Then surprise surprise popped in a little baby boy about to be delivered and an opportunity for me to adopt again. Met the biological mother and family, dragged Mak Chor along and had some tough decisions to face. I couldn’t adopt the baby and was frantically searching for others who might be interested. To my dismay the baby was adopted by a Chinese couple. Letting go of a child, rejecting a child needing a home, when I want another one deeply was tough going.
Then of course the issue with my father and my step mother, my mother and step father – still not yet resolved.
Discovered a lump in my right breast whilst in Malaysia, had an impromptu surgery, and Alhamdulillah it was benign. That is a story in itself.
My hair loss has now degenerated to an extreme level. Please do not laugh when you see me walking by with no hair left. I seem to have trouble not worrying, not being bothered, not getting too deeply emotionally entangled in the problems of others. And my hair and health is suffering the consequences.
But the up of all of this, was the joy I felt when our children played together in Mak Ngah’s house. When I saw Taufik, Mikael, Arissa, and Imran spinning around and around till they were gleefully giddy and falling flat on the ground. Imran yelling “Iman jatuh!” again and again until one particular time when everyone fell on top of him in a big pile. Then it was just big old bawling.
Oh how I wished Omar had been there. How I wished all our littles ones had been there.
Then there was the occasion at Ika’s place when they all played together again. The chemisty between the children were perfect. This gift of close kinship, the kind that we have enjoyed from childhood till adulthood is the greatest gift of all to our children.
I noticed the unique characteristics of some of our children,
Mikael the happiest child of all, so easy to coax a smile out of him. So sweet natured and so much joy for life, such gentle curiosity that it warms my heart to watch him. I watched him toddle off in Ikea without a backward glance – totally unafraid. Despite his father’s adamant denial, he is truly his father’s mini-me.
Arissa such a very head strong child. She fascinates and charms me. Her strong independence and will is mesmerizing. I watched her display an exceptional level of concentration when she was engrossed in her puzzle for over two hours!
Imran an early speaker. Perhaps showing promise of an oratory skill in the future. Curly haired angel who does not hesitate to bawl out his demands and feelings. It makes my toes curl with delight to hear this little runt screaming ‘Iman jatuh!”
And the more I get to know the young ones in our brood like Malik, Omar, Issara, Jasmine, and Farah I am sure the more delighted and in love I will become with them. Oh you guys, you did such a fantastic job with your kids!
I wished that more of our cousins would join in so that we can organize a mega get together. Where is Ana? Shikin? Farah? And the rest?
Tell you what, next time I’m down we’ll have another major Dinnie playgroup. Nana has so wonderfully volunteered her home. Okaylah I know you guys can bloody well organize one without me coming, and if you do, you’ve still got to go for another one when I am down.
Okay I am going off now. Love you all so much.
Monday, January 08, 2007
Happy New Year Y'all!!
Hey Peeps..
I had a fabulous '06 and I do hope every one of you dinnies out there did too. Through good and bad times, there were many lessons learned and new experiences to make us all wiser and better dinnies.. here's to welcoming '07 and my ONLY resolution (and I never bother with those) is to pray more often.
Sorry ah this posting came a little late.. heheh..
Btw, how did everyone spend their new years? me? well, I finally got my arse to Siem Reap, Cambodia to see Angkor Wat.. Beautiful place it is. and the Cambodians are wonderful ppl. A must for everyone to go ONCE in their lives. but once only lah. coz all they have there are the temples. and you've seen one.. you've seen them all. heh. innit?!
will share pictures when the internet is back to normal again. still sloow mo here in KL.
Nina, alhamdulillah you and family are safe. it was quite scary what happened in bangkok..
Yakmin..turning on a new leaf! ........out!
I had a fabulous '06 and I do hope every one of you dinnies out there did too. Through good and bad times, there were many lessons learned and new experiences to make us all wiser and better dinnies.. here's to welcoming '07 and my ONLY resolution (and I never bother with those) is to pray more often.
Sorry ah this posting came a little late.. heheh..
Btw, how did everyone spend their new years? me? well, I finally got my arse to Siem Reap, Cambodia to see Angkor Wat.. Beautiful place it is. and the Cambodians are wonderful ppl. A must for everyone to go ONCE in their lives. but once only lah. coz all they have there are the temples. and you've seen one.. you've seen them all. heh. innit?!
will share pictures when the internet is back to normal again. still sloow mo here in KL.
Nina, alhamdulillah you and family are safe. it was quite scary what happened in bangkok..
Yakmin..turning on a new leaf! ........out!
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