Goodbye 2008

It's been some time since I wrote here. Got lazy during the holidays. But I have to write one more post before the year ends. 2008 has been a great year for me. And if I look back, this will be what I remember and what I've learnt...

1) I settled down in my new home. I get to see Yin How every night before I sleep and every morning when I first open my eyes. I fully utilized my kitchen, learning new recipes. I formed a new routine and began a new life.
Lesson learnt: Marriage is a commitment from both partners which involves a lot of work but results in absolute happiness

2) My baby sister has finally started university. Made me feel so old but excited and relieved at the same time. She's now a step away from being independent.
Lesson learnt: Oh gosh... I'm getting older

3) My team of originally 2 people has now grown to 8 people. A lot of new challenges to face at work.
Lesson learnt: Try not to takes things personally, focus on what's important and ignore what is not

4) My childhood friend, Soma, finally got married after being together with Raj for 12 years. We had a crazy Hen's night and it was a great grand wedding celebration.
Lesson learnt: Having a friendship of 12 years, then being there to witness her marriage is one of the most priceless experiences ever

5) I found freedom and broke free from my personal family problems. I started warming up to relatives and went to see my grandparents whom I have not seen for over 5 years.
Lesson learnt: Just because my parents are screwed up, doesn't mean that everybody else in the world is the same

6) The Hen's night my friends organized for me. Too bad I can only remember the first few hours of the night. I just remember being the happiest girl in the world. Of course, my dear friends enjoyed the night since I was their main source of entertainment, babbling the most embarrassing things which I couldn't remember the next day. But hearing about what I did that night from them was hilarious.
Lesson learnt: Never get drunk to the point I can't remember anything.

7) And of course, the thing that I will remember the most from 2008 is my wedding dinner. I spend the first half of the year planning for it and everything turned out exactly like how I wanted it to be. I broke almost every Chinese tradition there is about weddings and the wedding dinner turned out the be the craziest wedding dinner with an unexpected dance at the end. :)
Lesson learnt: Weddings are about celebrating the most important day of your life with the people you love. If you want to do something your way, don't bother what other people say, don't bother about the traditions, don't bother about the rules, just do it exactly how you want it to be and it turn out to be the best thing ever

Looking back at this year, I feel that it was really a great year so I am a little sad that I have to say goodbye to 2008. But I'm eager to say hello to 2009, another new year with new experiences and new lessons to learn. So before the year is up, I would like to say...

Happy New Year!~~

The first thought in my mind when I first woke up in the morning today is that, "There's work tomorrow.. sob.. sob...". I wish I took the whole week off. Why, oh why do the holidays pass by so fast?

What is Christmas?

I recently heard an advertisement where a little boy asks, “Mummy, how magical is Christmas?”. His mum replies, “Christmas is so magical, that fairy tales come to life in a wonderland”.

First of all, I absolutely hate advertisements where a little boy will ask his mummy a stupid question, and his mummy will reply him with a stupid answer. Secondly, now there are FAIRY TALES involved in Christmas? How much more can Christmas be distorted?

I love Christmas season. I love Christmas decorations. I love Christmas carols. I love the whole feel of Christmas. But deep down inside I’m wondering whether people actually know what Christmas is about. To most people, it’s about Santa Claus, a red nose reindeer, a frosty snowman and receiving lots of presents. It the time of the year where shops offer crazy sales, and people overspend on shopping. A time when restaurants charge super expensive Christmas Eve dinners which for some reason, people are willing to pay. It’s a time when people wear santa hats and go crazy on Christmas Eve, partying the night away.

But why are these people so happy that Christmas is coming?

Christians believe that Jesus came to this world to save mankind. And Christmas day is supposed to be the day when Jesus was born. As told in the Bible, Mary and Joseph traveled to Bethlehem and because there was no more room in the inns they had to stay in a stable and that's where Jesus was born. He was wrapped in cloth and placed in a manger.

After Jesus was born, a group of shepherds led by an angel and 3 wise men led by a star came to visit Jesus to give their offerings to the new born king. This is why a star or an angel is usually placed on top of a Christmas tree.

I remember when I went to school in England, there will always be a play about the story of Christmas and I would hope to get the role of one of the angels because they looked so pretty. Instead I got the role of one of the shepherds (as you can see, the costume wasn’t so pretty :P).

Anyway, that is the real story of Christmas… or is it?

There’s actually no evidence of Christmas celebrations in the Bible or in the history of the early church. Christmas day actually came from pagan origins. I was quite shocked when I found out. I knew that 25th December isn’t the exact day that Jesus was born but I never knew that Christmas day came from pagan origins. Ancient Rome used to celebrate the 25th of December festival honoring the sun god Mithras. As a way to spread Christianity and to compete against the pagan festivals, the Roman Christians chose 25th December to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, proclaiming that Jesus is the true light of the world.

However, no matter how Christmas originated, the meaning of Christmas still stays the same. It’s not just about receiving gift that you wanted, or partying until you’re drunk on Christmas eve or an excuse to go on a shopping frenzy. The original message of Christmas is about giving unselfishly to others, just has how Jesus gave his life to save us. Christmas is about sharing and forgiving others (and maybe even yourself) and remembering those who are less fortunate than us. And to the Christians, Christmas is in a way, is saying a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Jesus (whatever his real birthday may be). :)

So whatever Christmas means to you, I wish you a very Merry Christmas!~

How to clean a dirty home

Takes approximately 2 and half man hours (done by one person)

1. Start by cleaning the laundry area a.k.a. the dogs toilet


2. Use the feather duster to dust away all the dust on the shelves, cabinets, tv, etc...


3. Vacumn the whole place (it's encouraged to do this before Step 4 because Step 4 drains a lot of energy)


4. Trick the dogs to go into the laundry area using dog biscuits, then bath both of them one at the time (you can try bathing both together at once, but they will gang up against you)
   
   
5. Lock the two wet crazed dogs in the balcony to dry them in the sun


6. Mop the whole place. (Step 4 & 5 must be done before Step 6 to ensure no dirty doggie paw prints on the freshly mopped floor)


7. Clean the dining table and the coffee table


8. Make yourself a drink, sit on the sofa and marvel at how clean the place is, while the dogs look at you miserably through the balcony door



9. Open the balcony door and sigh while watching the dogs make new doggie paw prints on the clean floor


10. The clean effect will last for only a day. Repeat steps 1 - 9 again the next weekend.

Christmas shopping - done

Just came back from Christmas shopping. I've finally finished all my Christmas shopping.. yay!~~~

Yin How's colleagues are visiting the orphanage for Christmas and they are all buying presents for the orphans. I helped Yin How buy presents for 5 of the orphans. And I have to say I enjoyed buying their presents the most. We were wondering around the toy section in JJ for half an hour, picking all sorts of toys. Yin How was following me behind carrying a big stack of toys, while I looked around to pick out more toys.

I think the feeling of buying toys for the orphans makes me a lot more happier then me receiving presents from others... I really encourage everyone to remember those who are less fortunate then us and that they too deserve a little Christmas joy. It really doesn't take much effort to do a little charity and feel good about it. :)

Can't wait for Christmas to meet up with everyone. :)

Wish List

Mindy's wish list

1. More hugs and kisses from YH
2. For Genny to clean up her darn messy bedroom
3. iphone
4. Dell Mini 9
5. A pair of big black rim sunglasses
6. Big loopy earrings or dangly ones
7. A pair of nice white pants
8. A cool bead necklace
9. More shoes
10. A small adorable obedient dog in exchage for my two monsters
11. Still thinking...

My dogs refuse to leave me alone, they want their dinner and they want it now... gotta go and feed them now. Sigh...

Back to the 90's

After watching Mama Mia, I suddenly wanted to listen to Oldies. I started with the 6o's Oldies channel, listening to songs from the 60's, a lot which I've never heard before. I switched to the Super 70's channel and started grooving to the BeeGees, ABBA and other artist from that era. After a while I got bored, and I switched to the Awesome 80's channel. The songs from this era started sounding a bit more familiar to me but still didn't really suit my taste, so I switched channels again.

This time I tried the 90's Pop channel. And I have to tell you, a sudden tidal wave of memories came rushing in. I grew up in the 90's and listening to music from that era brought me back to my teenybopper days. I was smiling like an idiot everytime a song which I used to love during those days was playing.

I still can remember when I was 13 or 14, I bought Jasmine a BackStreet Boys video cassette tape (those big bulky ones) for her birthday. We had a sleepover at her place and we played the tape in her living room. I remember us 3 of us young teenage girls screaming our heads off in her living room whenever Nick Carter appeared in the video. The BackStreet Boys during those days were every teenyboppers dream. Looking back, it seems sooooooo hillarious.

Other songs which brought a rush of memories were Britney Spear's songs from the days when she was still innocent. Can you even recognize her in the album cover below?

Another song which made me smile like an idiot, was Ricky Martin's, "Shake Your Bon-Bon". I remember that song was played in the farewell party we had after SPM, the one in Crown Prince hotel (I think) and we went crazy on the dance floor when that song was played.


Another one I remember is Aqua, "I'm a Barbie Girl". I found that song so hillarious.

"I'm a barbie girl, in a barbie world.
Life in plastic, it's fantastic!
You can brush my hair, undress me everywhere,
Imagination, life is your creation!
Come on Barbie, let's go party! "


And do you remember The Moffats? Don't remeber? Watch the vidoe below to refresh your memory. I remember that Mei Ying and Bee Shin would keep singing this song whenever there was a free period in class. I guess The Moffats were the "Jonas Brothers" of our time. LOL.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1pABjF7WfE

I remember other songs from Roxette, Nsync, 98 Degrees, Hanson, TLC, Five, Spice Girls (Oooo, i used to love them)... boy and girl bands used to be so popular back then. And there were the great singers like Toni Braxton, Mariah Carrey, Celine Dion, Bon Jovi.


Looking back, I really had a great time during schooldays. So many good memories that I shall write of my teenybopper days in another post. Until then.... enjoy this!~~

Ayam Percik recipe

I was going to blog about something else but something else just happened and I just have to write about this.

This is the continuation of the Chicken Varuval post I wrote. Yin How keeps asking me to cook for his parents to let them try my cooking. And each time I refuse because like I said before, my parents-in-law earn a living by cooking so they know what's good and what's not. Also, I don't think my mother-in-law initially thought that I was housewife material. I didn't know how to cook, and I actually had a pampered childhood compared to Yin How so I'm not street-wise like him and I come from a very untraditional family.

A few years ago, Yin How fell very sick until he had to be admitted to the hospital. After he was discharged, his mum insisted that Yin How go home with her instead of following me home, saying that I could not cook for him (in other words, I could not look after him). I was offended, but what she said was true, I could not cook. Because of this, I was determine to be a great homemaker and at the same time try my best in my career as well. I basically just wanted to prove to myself that I can do both.

Anyway, back to the story, my parents-in-law unexpectedly dropped by for a visit. They are currently still here waiting for my brother-in-law to fetch them back to Butterworth. I had already prepared dinner the night before, marinating the chicken overnight to roast for dinner today.

Yin How's mum was curious about my roast chicken and said she wanted to try it. I was sitting there nervously thinking, "oh crap, oh crap, what is she going to say?" She took a bite while I anxiously waited to hear what she would say.

And she said....

"Ho chiak ah" and not once, a few times.... then she turned to Yin How and said in Hokkien, "Good loh, you get to eat food like this".

Fuiyoh!!! I could almost hear angels behind me singing "Hallelujah! Hallelujah!" I was trying very hard not to grin crazily from ear to ear. I have finally passed the mother-in-law taste buds test.... I'll shall declare this as another "today in history" day. Lalalala...

Anyway, the dish I cooked which earned a "Ho Chiak" rating from my mother-in-law is the following recipe. This round, I used evaporated milk instead of coconut milk because it's healthier. However, using coconut milk makes the chicken tastier.

http://kuali.com/recipes/viewrecipe.asp?r=1649

Ayam Percik

Ingredients
1.5kg chicken, cut into 6 pieces
50g tamarind paste mixed with 100ml water (squeezed for tamarind juice)
300ml thick coconut milk Spices (ground and combined):
5–6 shallots
3 cloves garlic
2cm piece ginger
1 stalk lemon grass
4 tbsp chilli paste
1 tsp cinnamon powder Seasoning:
1–2 tsp salt or to taste
½ tsp pepper
½ tsp ground black pepper

Method
Combine ground spices with tamarind juice and coconut milk. Put chicken pieces in large mixing bowl. Pour in combined spices, coconut milk mixture and add seasoning. Mix well until chicken is coated with marinade. Keep in the refrigerator for several hours or preferably overnight. Remove and grill the marinated chicken pieces over a charcoal pit or bake in the oven until meat is cooked and slightly charred.

A dance aerobics achievement

I'm sitting in my cubicle soak in sweat, my face as red as a tomato, muscles barely able to support my hands onto my keyboard. Need to cool down after dance aerobics so taking some time to key down a few words.

For the first time ever, I lasted in dance aerobics longer than Looi and Ian (both of them were giving up towards the end). Small victory for me... Woohoo!!

Usually I'm the one who gives up first, so I'm proud of myself for lasting longer then the big strong Looi and the tall butt-shaking Ian this time (you should see him shake his butt, the instructor will usually praise him, "YES... very GOOD Ian!" causing me to burst into laughter, losing all concentration on shaking my own butt).

I'm jotting this down as a "today in history" event... and because I've got nothing else to do while waiting for my muscles to regain functionality again. :)

Live without TV? No can do...

Today I was discussing with WY and QF which is more important, TV or the internet. I can’t live without both, but if I had to choose between one of them, it would be the TV. I cannot live without a TV. I need to the turn on the TV after work to just watch whatever is playing without having to think much about it.

After working the whole day, coming home to cook dinner, then cleaning the place after the dogs, I just want to slug in front of the TV with the only effort of having to press the button on the remote control to switch between channels. I don’t even like to watch DVDs because that involves having to choose what to watch, then putting it into the DVD player.

When I first moved to KL to study, I bought my own TV on the first day. TV had a higher priority than having a fridge and a washing machine (though I bought a washing machine a few days later after having to hand wash all my clothes for the first time). And there was once when I was already working, my TV broke down on a Sunday night, and I was so devastated I burst into tears. Mun Yi laughed her head off when she heard this because it just sounds so ridiculous (I laughed over it too, because it made a funny story at that time :P).

Actually, after thinking about this for a while, I’ve come to realize why the TV is so important to me. When I was still staying with my parents, during the last few years my home then used to be a very cold and quiet place. The whole place was literally empty except for the bedrooms. My parents and I would hide in our own bedrooms behind closed doors avoiding each other. Sometimes I wouldn't see my parents for days even though we were staying in the same place.

I would go home late after work, entering a dark empty living room before going into my room. The feeling was worst than actually living alone in the apartment. It's one thing to live like that with housemates, but it's another thing if they are your own parents. I had a TV in my room so when I came home from work, I used to leave it on the whole time until I go to sleep so that at least there was still the sound of voices so that I would feel normal in an abnormal home…

Anyway, enough of my sad miserable stories of the past…. Sometimes I just like to analyze how some part of my character today was actually shaped by something that happened in the past (I know I have been shaped a lot by the past). I still sometimes like to leave the TV on, even though I have 2 noisy mad dogs running around and a hubby who likes to pick up a fight with my little sister just to annoy her.

I no longer think my home is quiet anymore but I still can't live without a TV. :)

Tagged by CY. :)

Name a line from the song you're listening to?
I'm listening to a song which I don't know from the Anime channel on AOL radio station

Who do you wish you were with right now?
Yin How, oh Yin How

Do your jeans have rips, tears, and holes in them?
I have a pair of jeans with a hole at the back. So I make sure I only wear white underwear when I wear those jeans so that it won't look too obvious. :)

What book are you reading right now?
The Labyrinth, not very interesting... I'm still stuck at the first few chapters.

What are you seriously wearing?
Jeans

When is the last time you saw the person you like/liked?
Half an hour ago

Do you get the full 8 hours of sleep a night?
I sleep at least 9 hours on weekdays and 10 hours during weekends :)

Do you own a pair of Converses?
No

Where are you right now?
Work, it's lunch break now (just in case Ian is reading this :p)

Do you eat raw cookie dough?
Yup

Have you ever kicked a vending machine?
No

Have you ever stayed online for a very long time waiting for someone?
Nope

Could you live without a computer?
No

Is anyone beside you now?
No

What jewelry are you wearing?
Ring, bracelet

Do you watch Grey's Anatomy?
Yea... McDreamy and McSteamy :)

How do some people spell your name?
Loo Min Ming

Would you wear your boyfriends/girlfriends clothes?
Yup, I used to like to wear Yin How's boxer shorts which irritates him because he has no shorts to wear, so he bought me my own girly boxes shorts :)

What are you doing tomorrow?
Work.. sigh.. why can't it be Friday today... :(

Will you keep your last name when you get married?
Yup

When is the last time you left your house?
This morning

What color are your bed sheet?
Pink with the wordings "I love my bed" :)

Would you survive in prison?
Never

If all of your friends were going on a road trip, would you?
Yup, but who is going to look after my dogs and my hubby?

Do you know anyone with the same name as you?
Nope

How many pairs of shoes do you own?
Dunno.. should be less than 10 pairs... i think...

Whats the last thing you ate?
Economy rice

What service is your mobile* phone?
Maxis

What's your middle name?
Don't have one

Where is your mobile* phone?
My bag... battery is dead as usual

What brand are your pants right now?
Seed

Ever been to Georgia?
No

What irritates you most on the internet?
"Congratulations, you are the 99, 999th lucky person! Click here to view what you won"

Favorite song?
A lot

What song best describes you and someone's condition now?
When I think of Yin How... i think of the song "Macho macho man.. I just wanna be a macho man..."

Where do you work?
A place where everything is in a shade of grey, there's dark grey... light grey... bluest grey

Do you like sushi?
Yes

Do you get your hair cut every month?
No, I hate going to the saloon

Do you go online every day?
Almost everyday

Do you know anyone that has changed your life?
Yup

What annoys you?
Yin How snoring on my left, Sparkle (my dog) snoring on my right... both trying to outdo each other.. and me losing sleep because of that...

MBTI

I had to write my focal evaluation last week. I hate writing an evaluation for myself because it's almost like I have to self praise myself and boast of all my accomplishments. My MBTI profile is ISFJ, and ISFJs don't like to boast about their accomplishments. Below is a description of my personality which I find quite true for myself (not 100%, but a lot of it) except for the first line because I have a good boss :).

http://www.typelogic.com/isfj.html

ISFJs are often unappreciated, at work, home, and play. Ironically, because they prove over and over that they can be relied on for their loyalty and unstinting, high-quality work, those around them often take them for granted--even take advantage of them. Admittedly, the problem is sometimes aggravated by the ISFJs themselves; for instance, they are notoriously bad at delegating ("If you want it done right, do it yourself"). And although they're hurt by being treated like doormats, they are often unwilling to toot their own horns about their accomplishments because they feel that although they deserve more credit than they're getting, it's somehow wrong to want any sort of reward for doing work (which is supposed to be a virtue in itself). (And as low-profile Is, their actions don't call attention to themselves as with charismatic Es.) Because of all of this, ISFJs are often overworked, and as a result may suffer from psychosomatic illnesses.

In the workplace, ISFJs are methodical and accurate workers, often with very good memories and unexpected analytic abilities; they are also good with people in small-group or one-on-one situations because of their patient and genuinely sympathetic approach to dealing with others. ISFJs make pleasant and reliable co-workers and exemplary employees, but tend to be harried and uncomfortable in supervisory roles. They are capable of forming strong loyalties, but these are personal rather than institutional loyalties; if someone they've bonded with in this way leaves the company, the ISFJ will leave with them, if given the option.

Like most Is, ISFJs have a few, close friends. They are extremely loyal to these, and are ready to provide emotional and practical support at a moment's notice. (However, like most Fs they hate confrontation; if you get into a fight, don't expect them to jump in after you. You can count on them, however, run and get the nearest authority figure.) Unlike with EPs, the older the friendship is, the more an ISFJ will value it. One ISFJ trait that is easily misunderstood by those who haven't known them long is that they are often unable to either hide or articulate any distress they may be feeling. For instance, an ISFJ child may be reproved for "sulking," the actual cause of which is a combination of physical illness plus misguided "good manners." An adult ISFJ may drive a (later ashamed) friend or SO into a fit of temper over the ISFJ's unexplained moodiness, only afterwards to explain about a death in the family they "didn't want to burden anyone with." Those close to ISFJs should learn to watch for the warning signs in these situations and take the initiative themselves to uncover the problem.


My company requires everybody to take a MBTI test to determine our personality. So far I found it quite accurate for other colleagues as well (well almost...) and it helped me understand their personalities.

Since I was such a MBTI believer because it was quite accurate for me and for some people I know, I asked Yin How to take the test. You can try taking the test too from the link below. It's the Harry Potter version, but it still works.

http://piratemonkeysinc.com/quiz.php

His personality type is INTP (almost the exact opposite as me). When I read his personality description, I just couldn't believe it. I even went through all 4 letters individually again and again to make sure that they really correspond to his personality type and I concluded that yes, he should be an INTP.

However when putting all 4 types together, the description says that he a person who "may venture so deeply into thought as to seem detached, and often actually are oblivious to the world around them" and he should be a ROCKET SCIENTIST. He's in the same category as Albert Einstein and Isaac Newton.... Those who really know Yin How will find this so funny.

I no longer believe in MBTI that much anymore.

Ayam Masak Merah

I cooked Ayam Masak Merah last week. Try this only if you have a food processor because there are a lot of ingredients to chop. I chopped everything myself and it's a lot of work! I think I spent an hour just preparing all the ingredients. Then imagine having to clean up all the mess after that.

Overall, a yummy recipe. Yin How gave it a Ho Chiak rating. :)

http://kuali.com/recipes/viewrecipe.asp?r=1833

Ingredients
1 kg chicken, chopped into bite-sized pieces
2 onions, quartered
3 potatoes, cut into wedges
2 tomatoes, quartered
1 small can tomato paste
150ml water
4cm piece cinnamon stick
4 cloves
1 star anise
3–4 tbsp oil

Ground spices (A):
10 shallots
4 cloves garlic
12 red chillies, seeded
3cm ginger
2 tbsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder

Seasoning (B):
1 tsp salt or to taste
1 tbsp sugar or to taste

Method
Heat oil until hot, sauté ground spices (A) until fragrant. Add in cinnamon stick, cloves and star anise. Fry for 1–2 minutes. Add onions, tomato paste and potatoes. Stir-fry well. Mix in water and tomatoes. Cook until mixture starts to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until chicken is tender and gravy turns thick. Add seasoning to taste and serve this mildly spiced curry dish with bread slices or with plain rice.

1:23am, still so awake :(

Just came back from a nice evening out with the girls. It's always great to meet up with old friends and yack non-stop for hours to catch up the latest gossip and being the noisiest group in the whole restaurant. We yack until the waiter come over to give us the bill to kick us out because they were closing. Drank lots of coffee and tea. Too much caffeine in my system. Starting to feel like a tummyache is coming. Still so wide awake...

Kinda regret agreeing to exchange Christmas presents with them. Now have to think what to buy and it's always hard to get something that the person will like. Since Shu-Yin loves lotion, I shall buy lotion for her to add to her big collection of expiring unused lotions. And since Mun Yi likes to buy belts, I shall buy a belt for her so that she has one less thing to buy online. Hey, it's the thought that counts right? :P

p/s - Mun Yi, remember to write a comment. Or not I'll nag again.

ok, tummy starting to hurt. Don't know why i always get a tummyache whenever I go out with Mun Yi. I think I'm allergic to her.

Moquitoes love Mindy

Yay, I managed to keep this blog alive for exactly one month now. Not bad.. not bad...

I'm so sleepy today because I got attacked by mosquitoes last night. There's just something about me that mosquitoes love and they especially enjoy buzzing in my ear. I woke up in the middle of the night with lots of bites on my arms so I got up to put mosquito repellent on (I must be the only weirdo who has to wear mosquito repellent to sleep).

I looked over at my husband who was sleeping beside me. I pulled the blanket away from him leaving him exposed so that mosquitoes would attack him instead of me (evil me huh). I wrapped myself with the blanket like a cocoon feeling a little hot and sweaty, leaving only my fingers and my head exposed. Stupid mosquitoes attacked 3 of my fingers and left my husband alone to sleep in comfort. It's just not fair! :(

Love should not be based on criteria

If you ask me what is the best feeling in the world, I would have to say waking up on a lazy Saturday morning to find the love of my life sleeping next to me with one arm around my waist. Even after 8 years together, I still get a warm feeling when I snuggle close to him feeling so safe and comfortable with worries suddenly feeling like a thousand miles away.

I know of friends who are single and who are looking for a partner. Some of them have a long list of criteria, like he/she must be good-looking, must have a good job, must have a good background, etc. Some are just for fun but some believe that they must stick to these criteria in order to find the person right for them. I too used to have a list of criteria which my future boyfriend had to meet. I then of course I met Yin How who didn't meet a single criteria I had. And I know I don't meet any of his criteria (if he had any :p).

If I had stubbornly stuck to my criteria, I wouldn't be happily married right now. I wouldn't be waking up on Saturday mornings finding him next to me. I wouldn't have somebody waiting for me at home. I wouldn't have anyone to call to tell him all the useless information about how my day went. I wouldn't have someone to plan the rest of my life with. I wouldn't have somebody whom I can just connect to.

I'm just saying that is having all this criteria worth missing the chance of finding the person who would make you happy for the rest of your life? What if you just give somebody a try even though he/she doesn't fit your criteria? What would you have to lose? If it doesn't work out, oh well, at least you gave it a chance. But what if it does?

If your one of your criteria is that the person must be pretty, I can tell you that outer beauty will not last. All the romance and "electric" feelings you may get at the start of a relationship is only temporary. It's all superficial and it should not be the main criteria you should be looking for in a relationship. Having a relationship is not always easy and it takes a lot of effort to make it work and being beautiful will not help here. It could be that person who you don't think is pretty, ends up being the love of your life. And believe me when I say that when you love a person, that person will become the most beautiful person in your eyes.

Anyway, this is just my ramblings for people who are looking for a partner. To my girl friends who independent and who are happily single, I'll say "You go girl!". To my guy friends, I'll say, "Good for you, enjoy your life without complications". :) As for my friends who are looking for someone, if you do find a person whom you can connect to, just go for it!

Today has been a good day

Why? Because CC is over and the pain in my wrist has gone away and I have caught up with my sleep and the year end mega sale has started today. Yay!~

But on a serious note, I've been following the news on CNN for the past 2 days about the Mumbai attack. It's really bad, horrifying and senseless. :(

Mindy needs to...

Mindy needs to learn to be patient

Mindy needs to learn that some things are not personal

Mindy needs to learn how to disconnect

Mindy needs to learn not to care about some things

Mindy needs to hide in a cocoon until CC is over

Mindy needs to clean her cubicle

Mindy needs to breathe in and out

Mindy needs to take acting classes

Mindy needs to go home and sleep

Mindy needs a hug

Mindy needs to stop writing rubbish here.

2 days to go...

Frustation building up

Today I was so frustrated at work, I had to take a walk to cool down. Came back, squeezed my squeezable aeroplane but that didn't take my frustration away (the aeroplane wings are gonna come off soon).

Put on my headphones and tuned into the Christmas channel. Who can stay angry after listening to Frosty the Snowman, Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer, and little sweet Jesus laying in a manger. :)

4 more days to go.

I hate those sunglasses

I'm a huge CSI fan. I love CSI New York and CSI Las Vegas. But i absolutely hate CSI Miami because i can't stand Haratio and his tacky lines and his cheesy sunglasses scene. There must always be a Haratio sunglasses scence in every single episode and you'll know when it's coming. Haratio will solve the case, stand it his "I'm the man" postion, put on his sunglasses and walks off towards the setting sun. I hate it hate it hate it, but I still watch it. :P

I was so excited today when Haratio was shot in season six's finale, maybe they finally got rid of Haratio. And even with him dying on the floor after getting shot, the very last scence was still focused on his annoying sunglasses.

But then if Haratio dies, then i'd have nobody to hate anymore. There will no longer be anymore cheesy sunglasses scences to complain about. When I watch the show, I no longer will be able to say, "Oh... the sunglasses scene is coming, oh it's coming... and Haratio has put on his sunglasses.. Woohoo!".

Anyway, I googled it and Haratio doesn't die... sigh.. I still hate Haratio...

Goodbye :(

Today I had to say goodbye. He is an engineer whom I respect the most for his knowledge, patience and dedication. Under his guidance, I learnt a lot. When I first heard that he was going to leave, I panicked for a while because our team would lose our mentor. But after it sank in, I thought I would feel ok because since he’s not physically working in Penang I wouldn’t feel much difference after he leaves.

To my surprise, I found myself very sad on his last day. It is hard knowing that I can no longer email him when I have problems or I can’t report my findings to him anymore during our weekly meetings. And when I wrote him a goodbye email, I found myself getting teary. I’m sure gonna to miss him a lot. I shall always remember him as one of the best engineers I have ever worked with.

It's CC season, tra la la la la

CC is coming... and as usual, there's the mad rush to get everything done.

Have you ever had a situation where you have so many things to do until you don't know which to do first and you just waste your time staring at the list just trying to pick one thing to do?

Or have you ever had to do several things at one time, have multiple windows open running multiple different things and you keep switching between different windows at such speed until you just suddenly stop because you forgot which one you're doing and you stay in blur mode for the next 10 seconds?

Or have you had a situation where you've got so much to do, even toilet breaks seems a waste of time and you'll wait until you just can't stand it anymore and rush like crazy to the toilet before your bladder burst?

Or have you ever cracked your head trying to solve something but can't solve it, then go home feeling unsatisfied and moody, then suddenly at 2am, you wake up and the solution suddenly pops into your head and you feel like dancing but are too sleepy?

Or had you ever had to put back your fix and you see lots of people editing the same file, so being the kiasu person you are, you quickly try to get your fix tested and done to put back the file before everybody else?

Or have you felt proud of yourself because you finally managed to clear all your pending SPRs/task just a day before CC, and when you come to work the next day, your inbox has been flooded with lots of new incoming tasks?

Or do you find that everything is going fine all this while but suddenly 1 week before CC anything that can go wrong does go wrong?

Or maybe you've been working like crazy trying to finish everything to the point where you know it's hopeless and suddenly you feel everything is so funny...

If you have said yes to any of the above, then you need to stop what you're doing, write in your blog, relax for 5 minutes, squeeze your stress ball, do some stretching, breath in... then out....

Ok done? Then you are ready to jump back into the mad CC rush, tra la la la la...

In The Simpsons......

This is what I would look like if I lived in the world of The Simpsons.

And this is what Yin How would look like

Wanna know what you would look like? Then go to http://simpsonizeme.com/

Random stuff

This is something i copied over from Wai Ying's blog. :P


Name: Mindy
Sisters: 1
Brothers: 0
Shoe size: 6
Height: 5 ft 2
Where do you live: In a place which i can call my home

Favourite drinks: soya bean
Favourite breakfast: toast with butter and sugar.. yum yum...

Have you ever
Been on a plane? A long time ago
Swam in the ocean: Was forced to, during teambuilding
Fallen asleep at school: Hehehe, you know I know la
Fell off your chair: i think i might have
Sat by the phone all night waiting for someone to call: oh yea
Saved emails? Yup, my mailbox is ridiculously full

What is your room like: dirty cos of my doggies, but the bed always neatly made
What’s right beside you: Beside my bed? The Bible.
What is the last thing you ate: Black pepper chicken rice

Ever had
Chicken pox: When I was four years old
Sore throat: Having one now
Stitches: I used to get that always during PJ (I hated PJ)
Broken nose: My nose is to flat to be broken.. seriously, that's nothing there to break!

Do you
Believe in love at first sight: Not really
Like picnics: Nah... it's too hot

Who was, were
The last person you danced with: Yin How at our wedding
Last person who made you smile: My dogs, begging for their dinner
You last yelled at: Russell, get down from the sofa!!!

Today did you
Talk to someone you like: It's natural to only talk to ppl you like
Kissed anyone: Hmmm... when was the last time I kissed Yin How? I can't even remember
Get sick: I have a sorethroat and am still dizzy from the fever yesterday :(
Miss someone: not really
Eat: of course I eat, how can one not eat?

Best feeling in the world: Having a wonderful day with my hubby and my dogs
Do you sleep with stuffed animals: Not anymore because Russell keeps chewing them up :(
What’s under your bed: Russell and Sparkle
Who do you really hate: Hate is a strong word, but if I had to choose, it would that the annoying weird guy wearing goggles who collects illegal parking money at Gurney Drive (i used to live there and had to drive pass him everyday)
What time is it now? 9.40pm

Random:
Is there a person who is on your mind now: No, I'm currently distracted trying to get Russell off the sofa
Do you have any siblings: My sissy wissy, Genny Wenny
Do you want children: Yup, two and not more than that
Do you smile often: Depends of my mood
Do you like your hand-writing: I still have kindergarden writing, does that answer this question?

Are your toe nails painted: I'm too lazy
Whose bed other than yours would you rather sleep in: I love own my bed too much
What color shirt are you wearing now: Brown.. I love brown, I'm a brownie girl
What were you doing at 7:00 p.m. yesterday: Sick with fever in bed :(
When did you cry last: 2 hours ago, needed to release some stress

Are you a friendly person: I used to be... no longer am
Do you have any pets: 2 cocker spaniels, 2 goldfish, 1 guppy
Where is the person you have feelings for right now? Beside me
Did the last person you held hands with mean anything to you now: Of course
Do you sleep with the TV on? Nope, that's wasting electricity

Have you ever crawled through a window? No, why would I when there's a door.
Can you handle the truth? Not really, but i still want to hear it
Are you too forgiving? No, though i wish i were
Are you closer to your mother or father? i do not have parents
Who was the last person you cried in front of? Yin How

How many people can you say you’ve really loved? Yin How, Genny, Russel (love hate relationship), Sparkle, Bonnie, my childhood friends - Mun Yi, Soma, Jasmine.
Do you eat healthy? I can't say yes because I don't eat enough veggies
Do you still have pictures of you & your ex? I don't have an ex, Yin How is the only love in my life :P
Have you ever cried because of something someone said to you? If I received a dollar everytime this happened, I'd be a millionare by now
If you’re having a bad day, who are you most likely to go to? Depends, at home, Yin How. At work, Ian.

Are you loud or quiet most of the time? Depends on my mood
Are you confident? Depends on my mood

3 things I was doing 10 years ago: Sweet 16, going crazy with my friends, studying, dreaming of the future
I enjoy: spending time at home with my hubby and dogs
3 of my bad habits: drooling while sleeping, leaving dirty tissues everywhere when i'm sick, not cleaning my messy cubicle and dirty car
3 places I have lived in: England, Penang, KL

It's that time of the year

This is the time of the year which is the most torturing for Yin How. Why? Because my birthday is coming. I’m someone who loves surprises so even if I wanted something for my birthday, I wouldn’t tell him. Instead I’ll drop him all sorts of hints. Then Yin How (being the unobservant guy he is) will have to crack his head trying to figure out what is it that I want for my birthday.

Usually around a month before my birthday, I start asking asking him, “Watcha gonna buy for my birthday?”Then around a week before my birthday when he knows time is running out, he’ll start pestering me, “Wei… what do you want for your birthday?” and I’ll reply, “Nothing la”. Yin How will then have to interpret this reply using his male brain…. does “Nothing la” really mean nothing at all, or does it mean “I’m saying nothing but actually I want something and if I don’t get something on my birthday, you’re gonna pay for it”. ;) Then he'll use his same old strategy on me, "If you won't tell me what you want, I won't buy anything for you." and I'll reply, "Don't need la". Then he'll be back at the same dilemma, does "Don't need la" mean there's really no need to buy a present or you better buy a present?

So Yin How will have to go on with this guessing game until my birthday comes. And on my birthday, he will wait anxiously while I open my surprise birthday present, hoping that I will like what he bought me. To me, it’s the thought that counts, and not the actual birthday present and so far every year I’ve be happy with everything he bought for me… well… almost everything (see the 23th birthday).

This is a list of what Yin How bought for me over the years.

• 18th birthday – A gold ring
• 19th birthday – A handphone. This was my first handphone and Yin How started saving his allowance months before my birthday to buy this RM630 handphone for me (that’s quite a lot for a college student living on a weekly allowance)
• 20th birthday – We were in KL studying and he wanted to surprise me with a birthday cake but my housemate saw it in the fridge and asked me about it, ruining his surprise. :P
• 21th birthday – Still studying in KL and he was dead broke. While I was still sleeping in the morning, he snuck out, drove to Watsons to buy a doggie soft toy which I said I liked, came back and put it on me. I woke up finding the soft toy and I always tell him that even though it was the cheapest present he got me, it was the most meaningful present to me.
• 22th birthday – At this time, he starting working in Dell, and he wanted to get me an expensive present to make up for the years in KL when he was always so broke, so he bought me a Vanessa diamond bracelet.
• 23rd birthday – Lingerie. I felt like this was a present to himself and not for me
• 24th birthday – Something personal :)
• 25th birthday – White gold earrings

So what do I want for my birthday this year? Actually nothing la… I’ve reached the stage where birthdays are not that exciting anymore. It’s just a reminder that I’m getting older (but hopefully wiser). So does “Nothing la”, really mean nothing at all this time? I’ll let Yin How guess for himself. ;)

It's time to open up

I created this blog because sometimes I watch or hear something which I find very interesting. Or sometimes it’s about some random stuff I think of. Or it could be something I did or something that Yin How did which I just want to jot down. Today my sister emailed me about something which triggered some thoughts again. So I decided to write this post.

I have not told this to many people. Even close friends know very little about this because I don’t talk much about it. And this post is not to tell the whole story, just what it is about.

My mum has recently cut ties with me. And I have not really spoken to my dad for almost two years (my dad coming to my wedding was just an act, close friends were suspicious that something was wrong). My family problems are not the typical average family problems. There’s something wrong with someone in my family and I shall not say more. But I am very BITTER about everything that happened and I have become a very BITTER person who does not believe in depending on parents and for some time I became very withdrawn.

I have not told many people about this because I was trapped in some kind of emotional blackmail and also this is not something I enjoy talking about. When I first started working, while my friends were using their paychecks to enjoy life, I started saving furiously so that I could buy a place which I can call my home to escape from it all. After my sister entered university and I moved out, and after my mum recently cut me out of her life, I feel that I have been freed in some sense and I’m starting to open up a little. My sister and I always joke that we would write a book about what we went through and we even came out with the book title.

Reason why I’m writing about this is so that you will not ask me about my parents anymore. Usually when I meet up with friends, they will ask, “How is your dad? When is he coming back from Brunei?”, or “How is your mum doing?”. These are typical questions that old friends would ask each other to catch up with one another. But for me, these are the most dreaded questions ever. Usually I will muster up a fake smile and say, “Oh, they are doing fine” and quickly avoid any eye contact, when in reality, my parents have cut me out of their lives and everything is not fine.

I hate lying and I hate feeling so uncomfortable when I’m asked about my parents, so this is the real story. Why blog about it? Because when I tell friends about this face to face, they get shocked, which makes them uncomfortable, which makes me uncomfortable, which creates an awkward situation.

Maybe I will not be so bitter in the future. Maybe one day I’ll let go of everything. Maybe everything will be ok. But until then, the next time you meet up with me, let’s talk about anything from the sun, to the moon, to the pretty blue sky. :)

Anything except my parents.

Chicken Varuval recipe

Since i moved to my new home, I usually cook dinner everyday after coming back from work. Usually I cook chinese food because it only takes a 10 minute preparation. But lately I've been trying Malay and Indian food. The latest recipes i tried are Fried Chicken 65 and Chicken Varuval. My Chicken 65 turned out ok, and my Chicken Varuval was yum yum yummy.

I can tell whether my cooking good when I ask Yin How about it. When ask him, "Is my cooking nice or not?" (with a slight threatening note at the end hinting that if you say it's not nice, then I won't cook for you again), he'll usually say "Nice....." meaning it's just so so. But when the dish is really nice, he'll say "Nice!! Ho Chiak!! Cook some and let my mum try".

Him asking me to cook for his mum means that the food is worthy enough for my mother-in-law's taste buds. My parents-in-law made a living by cooking at their restaurant packed with customers, and my mother-in-law is very judgemental on what food is good and what is not. Yin How told his mum that I wanted to challenge her cooking which made her laugh (i just meant it as a joke but he told her and I was horrified!) . No way am I going to let my mother-in-law try my cooking. I don't dare. :P

Yin How is a mummy's boy who loves his mum's cooking. When I first moved in with Yin How, his mum got so worried that he'll starve because that at that time, she knew i couldn't cook at all. During the first week after Yin How moved in with me, she fried around 5 fishes, and a few different meat dishes, took the bus to the Jetty to come to Penang (they stay in Butterworth), then took the bus to my place to bring us the 1 week supply of food for us to freeze in our fridge.

After that, I was determine to learn how to cook. So i went online to look for recipes and self taught myself how to cook. I think i'm doing ok though sometimes i still burn my garlic. :) And I insist on using measuring cups and spoons to measure everything in the recipe which makes Yin How impatient. Sometimes I purposely do things very slowly so that Yin How will get impatient, and he'll take over.

Anyway, this is the Chicken Varuval recipe i used. I'm gonna cook it again this weekend. Yum yum...

http://www.spiceindiaonline.com/chicken_varuval
Ingredients
1 lb Whole chicken cut into pieces
2 nos Onion (diced)
1 tsp Ginger garlic paste
2 nos Dry red chilli
½ nos Cumin seeds

6 nos Curry leaves
2 tsp Red chilli powder
2 tsp Corrainder powder
2 tsp Black pepper powder
¼ tsp Turmeric powder
1 tsp
Salt (or to taste)
3 tbsp
Oil

Instructions
Wash and cut chicken into pieces, heat oil in an iron kadai and splutter cumin seeds, red chillies and curry leaves. Saute onions until golden brown along with ginger garlic paste. Add chicken along with turmeric powder, red chilli powder, corrainder powder, black pepper powder and salt. Cook on medium flame until the oil separates making the masala slightly thick and dry. Good side for any rice dish.

Retirement plan at 26 years old? Hmmm...

Today I met up with a friend who talked me to about retirement plans. Yea, I know, I'm only 26 and retirement is 30 years away so why would I care right now? Futuremore, using a EPF calculator, with my current salary and a yearly increment of 5% every year for 30 years, I'll have more than a million in my account. So I was thinking, wow, that's more than enough for me to happily retire in comfort.

After talking to my friend, I realized that I'm so wrong. First of all, i would be really lucky if i can secure a job with a yearly increment of 5% for 30 years. With lots of news about companies laying off people, there's no guarantee that my job is secured for the next 30 years.

The second eye opener for me was i totally forgot about inflation. The average inflation is 4% yearly. Using an inflation calculator, I calculated that RM1 million 30 years later, would only be worth RM350k. The average lifespan of a woman is 80 year old. Means after retiring at 55, RM350k/25 years would be RM1k to spend every month. RM1k after deducting fuel, bills, etc. is not much to spend. After another 20 years after retirement (i'd be 75 years old by then), the RM1k after 20 years of inflation would have a value of only RM442. I haven't even taken into account money needed on health care.

In conclusion, our EPF retirement fund is not enough. My friend did a calculation and I need another RM1 million on top on my EPF retirement fund to retire with just enough money to live moderately. To do that, I would have to save at least RM750 per month into something that will give me a compound return of 8%. And this is if i start from age 26 onwards. I'm not a person keen on investing, so I tried to calculated how much I need to save monthly without investing in anything. It come out to RM2.2k every month for 30 years in an FD returning 3%. So my husband and I would need to have RM4.4k per month. Currently, that's not possible.

So I guess I do have to start thinking about investing. But not now, since I've got so many commitments and a really agressive housing loan plan. Since I started working, I've been saving non-stop. I bought my first property when I was 22 years old, saved for the 20% downpayment then for renovation. When I started saving up again, I had to spend it on my wedding (which i do not regret because it was a very memorable wedding worth everything i paid for) . So basically, i've been saving ever since i first started working. Sometimes it's really tiring, but at the end of the day, i'm happy.

However, when I'm more financial comfortable, i have to do some serious financial planning. I know that the longer i delay this, the more I have to save in the future. My husband says he may not even live for so long but what if we do? Is RM442 per month enough? I don't think so.

Malaysian Politics?? Sigh....

I heard on the radio that Obama won the elections and will be the first black US President. I don't really follow American politics but hearing about his victory made me happy. It represents a change in mindset regarding racial barriers. I watched Obama's victory speech online and I can sense such patriotism from the thousands who gathered there. If US can make history like this, voting regardless of race, why can't Malaysia do the same?

It saddens me that Malaysian politics is still very race centric. The problem with Malaysia is that we do not have good politicians. Malays politicians are too sensitive about protecting their Malays rights. Chinese politicians are too sensitive when they feel that their Chinese identity is threatened and try to make themselves feel better by insisting to put up road signs in their own language. And now there's a silly fight that those road signs will threaten the Malay language as the national language. Politicians get so worked up over little issues like this, but are they sensitive to the rakyat's real needs?

Honestly, if it weren't for Malaysia's sucky politics, I would think Malaysia would be a great place to stay. I love the fact that we are a country of many cultures. I enjoy going over for "rumah buka" during Hari Raya and Deepavali where all my friends of different races will gather to celebrate the joyous occasion. I enjoy learning about my friend's different cultures. I love eating Chinese, Malay, Indian food. We are spoilt for choice.

However, due to racial politics, we are always reminded by our politicians that Malays are the privilege ones and Chinese are the "squatters" in this country. Why can't Malaysian politics reach a more mature stage after half a century of independence? Why can't we put aside our differences and just accept that no matter our race, we are all Malaysians.

Even though I'm Chinese, I don't always agree with some the Chinese politicians. Neither do I agree with some of the Malay politicians. Both are too race extreme. I'm hoping that my generation, the younger more educated internet generation, will be able to see pass racial differences and see the real issues in this country. Though I do realize that even those of us who are educated still hold on furiously to their own race.

I went to a national school of Malays, Chinese and Indians and I've formed very close friendships with people of all races, which is something which I'm proud of. However, when I left school, I realized that not all people share this same opinion. When I entered college, majority of the students were Chinese educated and when they saw photos of me and my Indian friends, they were shocked that I my close friends are Indians and I remember one guy making fun of it. I feel sad for this kind of people because they are blinded by the love of their own race and are missing the chance to get to know all the different cultures we have here.

If I have children someday, I would want to send them to a multi-racial school. I would want them to be friends with all races. I would want them to judge a person by the person's real character and not by skin color. And I believe this is something which they need to learn from a young age. A 3 year old will see another kid of a different race as a potential playmate and wouldn't even notice the difference in skin color. In that sense, I wish we all could see through the eyes of a 3 year old. I'm hoping that when the younger generation eventually takes over Malaysian politics in the future, then maybe we could have an Obama victory here.

My first entry... hope it lasts

I think this is my third attempt of creating a blog. My first blog has one entry which I created a year ago. My second blog is my secret blog which I use to pour out my feelings regarding a bad past (if you find that blog, let me know). And this will be my third blog, which I'm not sure how long i'll maintain :P

This blog is just to record anything I feel, read, or experience lately. Just some random stuff which if i have time, i'll just like to jot down.

I did something stupid today. When I woke up, I wondered why my vision seemed so clear. I looked at my alarm clock... clear... looked at my cupboard.. clear... looked at my dogs... clear... that could only mean one thing, i forgot to take out my contact lenses out last night and slept with them all night. Bad thing to do....

Since my eyes were swollen, I had to wear spectacles to work, something that very rarely happens. When my colleague saw me, he looked confused and stared at me for a while. He asked me, "You look different, did you change your hairstyle?". I told him I'm wearing my spectacles and he said, "Oh... almost couldn't recognize you." Trust a guy to be observant. ;)