Friday, July 20, 2012
Really sorry about the Comments!
Hi... I don't know why I'm not receiving the emails when someone comments on my post. So sorry to be giving late replies to people. I just noticed there were comments to be moderated...
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Best Achievement Award (half year)
a.k.a. Travel tips for Single Parents travelling with kids
Mother's Day was last Sunday, and it made me think about the Best Achievement awards for myself as a mom. And I would have to say that, so far, for the first half of the year, my best achievement would be travelling solo with the kids to Singapore for a 3D2N holiday!
I really give myself top credits for that trip. Totally last minute, but not without top-notch planning. So, for all those single parents out there, let me tell you that going on holiday (or just travelling) with two kids is not a nightmare, and it's not impossible! I was pleasantly surprised myself, at how well we all handled the trip. No tantrums, and no me losing my temper, too.
Book everything online in advance
My first advice to would-be single-parent travellers is to book everything online in advance, if you can! And not just the flight and hotel, but everything else, like theme park/zoo entrance tickets, ground transport/train/taxi services. Everything that you can possibly book, order or purchase online, get it done before you travel. This not only saves you time, but gets rid of the headaches once you reach your destination.
What I liked:
1) Download the Air Asia app for your smartphone, and you'll be able to view your bookings anytime, anywhere.
You can check in via your mobile phone too, with our without the app. Download the barcode and save it to your phone. At the airport (LCCT), scan it at the Self-Check in kiosk and print your boarding pass.
What I didn't like: Unfortunately, the screen-protector that I have on my smartphone is the one "non-glaring" one (the one that is tinted), so the barscan reader at the airport wasn't able to read my barcode, and I had to queue up to print my boarding pass anyway.
NOTE: Most flights allow you to bring your stroller on board, however please check with your airlines first. Most airlines require you to check-in your baby stroller with your luggage, but will allow you to use it up to the gate. Your stroller will need to be tagged (as it was on Air Asia), and you will need to leave it at the gate for the air crew to stow in the luggage compartment below the plane. They will return the stroller to you once you get off the plane.
2) Book taxis online with Blue Taxi service (in malaysia). www.bluecab.com.my
Don't be discouraged if you don't get an instant "booking number/confirmation" on the website itself. You will be given an email notification and they will confirm your booking via phone and sms.
Tip: Blue Cab charges by meter, so have cash in hand if you are traveling to and from the airport.
You can also book taxis online in Singapore, but I just got the hotel to do it for me. If you know that you will be using the cab a lot at your destination, I do advise you to book ahead online, too, to save you the trouble of having to wait in line at the taxi stand. Children get very antsy when waiting in line.
3) Purchase entrance tickets to Singapore Zoo/Night Safari/Jurong Bird Park online
Go to www.zoo.com.sg and you will be able to buy your entrance tickets (at a discount too) online in advance. You can buy 2-in-1 or 3-in-1 entrance tickets to the zoo, night safari and birdpark, and you can choose the option to buy tram tickets, too.
What I liked also is that I was able to save the ticket in pdf format on my smartphone, and show it to the zoo staff at the gate, and they were able to key in the barcode at the turnstile to let us in. No need to print on paper.
Tip: the entrance ticket is valid up to 30 days of the "Visit Date" that you enter on the order form, so you need not fret if you aren't able to visit all the locations on the same day.
Another tip: I didn't do this, but you also have the option to purchase a Singapore City Pass, or a Sentosa Play Pass online in advance. You can purchase Universal Studios Singapore tickets online too, but I didn't include it in my itinerary because my kids are too young for it.
Stay at a child-friendly hotel
Both my kids' schools had to close for a week due to an outbreak of HFMD in the first week of May, and so, at the spur of the moment, I managed to secure a flash booking at Sentosa Resorts World Festive Hotel at 50% off. I did a lot of research, and I regret just a little for not booking the Hard Rock Hotel next door instead, but still, the Festive Hotel is one of the most top-rated child-friendly hotels there is in Singapore, and maybe in all of Asia. If you're traveling with kids, then you must know that the hotel has to satisfy your kids' needs as much as yours.
What I liked:
1) Festive Hotel's Welcome Goodie Bags for both my kids, which had a rubics cube, kids toothbrush, animal hand puppet/bath sponge, inflatable rings.
2) Festive Hotel provided us with bath slippers and bath robes in child sizes.
3) The kids loft bed in the Deluxe Family room.
4) Kids pool and separate splash & spray wet play area
5) Free transport passes to-and-from Sentosa provided by the hotel.
The hotel's close proximity to the monorail station that links Sentosa to mainland Singapore was a plus. It's easier to travel on the monorail/train with a stroller, so I recommend this mode of transport for travellers with kids. We also tried the bus with the handicap facility, but it takes a bit of effort to carry a stroller on and off the bus, so I don't recommend this, even though the busride from Sentosa to Singapore mainland is free (up to Vivo City)
6) The hotel's close proximity to shopping mall, Vivo City.
It was easy to find whatever we might need for our trip at Vivo City. For muslim travellers, Vivo has a halal food court, so finding (inexpensive) food is easy there. Vivo also has a supermarket, so you can stock up on snacks, first aid, bottled water, easily.
Research and find places to eat in advance
Okay, I only did this because I needed to find halal restaurants in Singapore, but I found that this was a time-saving task if you do it before your trip. So even if you aren't limited to just halal food, researching the restaurants at your destination, and if needed, making prior reservations is highly recommended. It saves you the headache of "Where shall we eat today?" kinda thing. Find out the menu, and if there are any "kids eat for free" stuff. Tell your kids about it beforehand, too, like "At this place, we get to eat your favorite fish and chips!" or whatever. List out down the restaurants, address and phone numbers, so you can easily locate it on a map or easily show it to your cab driver to save more time.
What I liked: Banquet food court at Vivo serves only Halal food.
Buy a light-weight, compact stroller
What I like: Maclaren Volo
More tips:
7) All kids love travelling by plane or train, but be wary of motion-sickness. Kids can get carsick even over short distances, so keep one or two plastic bags in your handbag, in case they need to throw up.
8) I know this is a no-brainer, but make sure you and your kids wear comfortable walking shoes.
9) Stay hydrated, all the time!!
10) Bring along some medication (just in case).
I wish I had done this, because suddenly, one of my kids got a fever and terrible runny nose on the last day, and I had to buy medication from the local pharmacy, which cut my budget slightly. We have the same medicine at home, and if only I had brought them, I wouldn't have had to fork out extra dollars to buy it again.
11) Give your child some responsibilities during the trip, like being in charge of the stroller, or being in charge of carrying and filling up the water bottle. Whatever. To make them feel important. And at the end of the day, make sure you praise them for a job well done, and reward them.
For instance, my eldest was in charge of pushing her sister's stroller when mummy was handling the luggage. And she was also in charge of making all the "checklists". Before we leave the room, she has to check that we have all the things we need before we set off.
12) And most importantly, for young kids especially, never ever skip nap time, even when you are on vacation!
Make sure your kids get plenty of rest during the day, so they can fully enjoy themselves. You, also, need to reward yourself with a break (while they nap), so make sure to plan gaps in your daily itinerary. You don't need to spend the whole entire day out! It just makes people tired and cranky.
Just like at home, at your hotel room, bathe them, change their clothes, dim the lights, close all curtains, switch off the tv, and put them to sleep. Enforce it if you have to. And this is something I don't regret doing, because once my kids were up again, they were refreshed, and full of energy and were raring to go out again, and you don't get that "Are we there yet??" or the "Can we go home now??" complaints.
All in all, we had a really fun time on our vacation. I actually can't wait to do it again. Traveling with my two kids was easier than I thought. With pre-planning, there was no rushing and getting annoyed. We were just able to enjoy ourselves. I think this makes me a supermom! =D
Monday, May 14, 2012
One year's old!
There are so many things to be thankful for, not least our health. Lately there have been cases of Hand, Foot & Mouth Disease spreading rampantly in the Klang Valley, and a number of schools in Subang have closed for some duration due to the virus. Both Sophie's and Salma's schools had reported cases, but thankfully, none of my girls got infected. I'm so relieved about this. Sophie contracted measles last month, and the spots were all over her body, and not concentrated solely at her hands and feet, so her paediatrician was adamant that it wasn't HFMD. Then about 2 weeks later, she had red spots again, which only lasted 2 days, and weren't very prominent, and no ulcers in the mouth. I wondered at the time, if it really was going to be HFMD, but on the second day, and after being given Piriton, the spots disappeared. So, I was, again, thanking God that it wasn't severe.
However, just 2 nights ago, I was told that one of Sophie's baby friends at school (I almost referred to him as her "baby colleague" muahahaha) has contracted HFMD for the second time. I was totally shocked because the school had kept this info from me. I was informed via another parent, and not the school. But I feel that the school should be responsible and be transparent about stuff like this. I wonder who the boy got it from, because the school had already been closed for one week, which meant whoever had the virus before should have been fully recovered. This baby boy who has HFMD now was even present at Sophie's birthday celebration last week, so I was really worried. HFMD is a scary disease for a baby to have, especially with the mouth ulcers. They'll find it uncomfortable to feed, and they can't tell us how they feel.
But I'm proud of my lil' wobbage because she's so strong! So far, she's able to recover from illnesses quite fast. And while the rest of us were having Influenza A, she didn't get it. Or she got it, but was not affected by it too much. I also have to give myself a pat on the back for breastfeeding her all this time. I think I'm doing a better job breastfeeding Sophie than I did with Salma. Although with Salma, I managed to last 2 years. But I think with Sophie, I am producing more milk than before.
I'm just happy all around, with both my girls. Salma's immune system is also improving. Giving her multi-vitamins everyday. But she still doesn't like eating vegetables. Let's hope our good health continues for the rest of the year, and for many years to come! And I hope my girls stay cute and pretty always.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Tuna and other things...
Didn't feel like eating rice today, and just felt like being by myself, so I had a Subway for lunch. Everyone else wanted to eat mixed rice, as expected. Today's special is the Tuna Sub. I actually wanted a subway today because I have a craving for their chocolate chip cookie. Their chocolate chip cookies are big and soft and taste exactly like the ones I bake. I really should start baking again, except I don't know where to place my electric oven in my not-so-new apartment. Plus tuna is a milk-booster for me, and feel like I need a booster, since my milk production has somewhat decreased lately. Producing less milk makes me feel so sad. :( Sophie's only 9 months, and I'm wondering if I can still continue to breast feed her until 2 years the way I planned.
On top of that, I'm feeling down because... 1n2d as we know it with Jiwon and Seunggi has ended. Ya, I cried a little watching the final episode. But it was without subs, so I will probably cry more once the subbed version is aired. And ironically, Jiwon and Seunggi were the only 2 members who were "forced" to sign "lifetime" contracts with the show! It's such a weird feeling, knowing that the maknae and the choding are growing up and leaving the nest. Felt like I was the parent, and my house is all empty now.
But on a happier note, I have started open communication with Salma. As in talking to her as if she's old enough to understand day-to-day things. And funnily enough, Sophie started to join in with her "grown-up" babbling noises. She'll make sounds as if she agrees, "uhh" and say things in a sing-song way as if she's mimicking the way we speak. But overall, Salma is calmer once we started talking. Fewer tantrums. She tells me about her day now, the way it really takes place, and leaves out those "imaginary" things she thinks took place or wanted to take place. And I'm really proud and happy about this progress. Because there was a long period of time (maybe about one year), where Salma would make things up that never happened and would insist that they did happen. It got pretty bad to the point where she would insist that I had bought her a certain toy (but I hadn't) and would throw a fit when the toy couldn't be found anywhere. At some point, I thought that she behaved this way because she could not tell the difference between reality and dreams she had in her sleep. But later on, I realised the situations were a result of imaginary games that she played when she is by herself. (I happened to overhear a conversation that she was having with her imaginary friend which involved the same stuff she would insist I had done for her).
I wondered for a long time why she would throw tantrums over things that did not take place, but then I realised that she found comfort in those things, and instead of arguing with her and telling her that the event did not take place, we'd just talk about it. For example, she really insisted that I had bought her this Dora toy. And she can't find it now. So, instead of getting mad, and insisting that I did not buy it for her, I would instead, ask her how does it look like? How would you play with it? What feelings does she get when she played with it? Then I'd try my best to replicate those emotions with her existing toys or books. It was difficult to do at first, but now she seems to understand what I'm trying to do and is more cooperative.
Nowadays, I find that talking while coloring in her coloring books is the best combination to make her calm and happy (tantrum-free). After a nice bath. We do this a lot now. Her little sister, too, will want to join in and color. This always puts a smile on my face, but annoys Salma, who thinks that her sister is too little to do anything. One time, Sophie colored over the picture that Salma already colored, and Salma got really upset. But I told her that Sophie wanted to be just like her big sister, and that seemed to make her feel better.
Sophie, too, has games that she plays with her sister, but I'm not sure if Salma understood that it is a game. Sophie likes to play the "run and hide" game with Salma. Of course, Sophie can't run yet, so she does her own equivalent of running (crawling/scrambling fast), and diving in between some pillows or diving into mummy's lap when Salma is about to enter the room. Then Sophie will giggle when her sister "discovers" her. One time, Sophie "ran" to hide behind the coffee table, and did it so fast that she bumped her head against the armchair. But she was laughing so hard that she forgot that she had bumped her head. Salma said, "Silly Wobbage!" I actually can't wait for Sophie to grow up and start speaking real words to her sister. :)
On top of that, I'm feeling down because... 1n2d as we know it with Jiwon and Seunggi has ended. Ya, I cried a little watching the final episode. But it was without subs, so I will probably cry more once the subbed version is aired. And ironically, Jiwon and Seunggi were the only 2 members who were "forced" to sign "lifetime" contracts with the show! It's such a weird feeling, knowing that the maknae and the choding are growing up and leaving the nest. Felt like I was the parent, and my house is all empty now.
But on a happier note, I have started open communication with Salma. As in talking to her as if she's old enough to understand day-to-day things. And funnily enough, Sophie started to join in with her "grown-up" babbling noises. She'll make sounds as if she agrees, "uhh" and say things in a sing-song way as if she's mimicking the way we speak. But overall, Salma is calmer once we started talking. Fewer tantrums. She tells me about her day now, the way it really takes place, and leaves out those "imaginary" things she thinks took place or wanted to take place. And I'm really proud and happy about this progress. Because there was a long period of time (maybe about one year), where Salma would make things up that never happened and would insist that they did happen. It got pretty bad to the point where she would insist that I had bought her a certain toy (but I hadn't) and would throw a fit when the toy couldn't be found anywhere. At some point, I thought that she behaved this way because she could not tell the difference between reality and dreams she had in her sleep. But later on, I realised the situations were a result of imaginary games that she played when she is by herself. (I happened to overhear a conversation that she was having with her imaginary friend which involved the same stuff she would insist I had done for her).
I wondered for a long time why she would throw tantrums over things that did not take place, but then I realised that she found comfort in those things, and instead of arguing with her and telling her that the event did not take place, we'd just talk about it. For example, she really insisted that I had bought her this Dora toy. And she can't find it now. So, instead of getting mad, and insisting that I did not buy it for her, I would instead, ask her how does it look like? How would you play with it? What feelings does she get when she played with it? Then I'd try my best to replicate those emotions with her existing toys or books. It was difficult to do at first, but now she seems to understand what I'm trying to do and is more cooperative.
Nowadays, I find that talking while coloring in her coloring books is the best combination to make her calm and happy (tantrum-free). After a nice bath. We do this a lot now. Her little sister, too, will want to join in and color. This always puts a smile on my face, but annoys Salma, who thinks that her sister is too little to do anything. One time, Sophie colored over the picture that Salma already colored, and Salma got really upset. But I told her that Sophie wanted to be just like her big sister, and that seemed to make her feel better.
Sophie, too, has games that she plays with her sister, but I'm not sure if Salma understood that it is a game. Sophie likes to play the "run and hide" game with Salma. Of course, Sophie can't run yet, so she does her own equivalent of running (crawling/scrambling fast), and diving in between some pillows or diving into mummy's lap when Salma is about to enter the room. Then Sophie will giggle when her sister "discovers" her. One time, Sophie "ran" to hide behind the coffee table, and did it so fast that she bumped her head against the armchair. But she was laughing so hard that she forgot that she had bumped her head. Salma said, "Silly Wobbage!" I actually can't wait for Sophie to grow up and start speaking real words to her sister. :)
Friday, January 27, 2012
Letter to Mirae
Dear Tasha (Yoon Mirae),
I don't think you will ever read this letter I am writing to you, but I just wanted to let you know how inspiring you are to me, as a person.
I've only ever known you by your songs since you've not made that many tv appearances previously. I watched you and Tiger JK on Win Win on KBSW (kbsw shows airs 3 weeks later than on KBS) and you really inspired me. Why do I say that? Well, because I didn't really know the person behind the voice before this, and during your interview, I found you to be a real person. I mean of course, you're a real person, but what I mean is, you're totally unpretentious. You're a celebrity, but really down to earth. And you're a mom, and you were brutally honest about needing to earn more money cos you need to provide for your kid.
Of course, it's a given, what you said is not so much different than any other working mom, but I totally respect you for it, saying it in public and on air like that. I'm a single mom of two girls, 4 yrs old and 8 months old. I can't live without music, it gets me through the day. Your music (even if I don't understand all the Korean lyrics), is really inspiring. Because I think you sing about stuff I can relate to. (Like "Memories") And it's just... soulful.
And pffft... why do you think that you're not really a good singer? I think you are one of the best. When times get tough, I'll listen to your songs, and they really pull me up. :)
But hearing you speak in person, about your love, your life, your family, even your neighborhood, I just felt like, "Wow, I'm falling in love with Yoon Mirae & Tiger JK all over again (as a fan)." You guys are so human, it's almost laughable. I have never heard other celebrities discuss one another like that before. It was really refreshing, and inspirational.
As a working mom, and career woman, I wish you all the best. I want you to succeed. Woman to woman. I so admire you. I hope Jordan realises what a fantastic mom he has. (And what a great dad he has). As a divorced parent, I always worry that my kids won't recognize the stuff we do for them. Like I always feel I'm falling short of something, because there is only one of me, as opposed to two parents. No matter what, I don't think you should ever feel like that (not saying that you do, but if). I wish you much love, happiness and success in all that you do.
Your fan,
Nadia (aka elle7).
ps. Keep making variety appearances (saw u on Running Man... lol), and keep doing fashion magazine shoots... you looked gorgeous!
I don't think you will ever read this letter I am writing to you, but I just wanted to let you know how inspiring you are to me, as a person.
I've only ever known you by your songs since you've not made that many tv appearances previously. I watched you and Tiger JK on Win Win on KBSW (kbsw shows airs 3 weeks later than on KBS) and you really inspired me. Why do I say that? Well, because I didn't really know the person behind the voice before this, and during your interview, I found you to be a real person. I mean of course, you're a real person, but what I mean is, you're totally unpretentious. You're a celebrity, but really down to earth. And you're a mom, and you were brutally honest about needing to earn more money cos you need to provide for your kid.
Of course, it's a given, what you said is not so much different than any other working mom, but I totally respect you for it, saying it in public and on air like that. I'm a single mom of two girls, 4 yrs old and 8 months old. I can't live without music, it gets me through the day. Your music (even if I don't understand all the Korean lyrics), is really inspiring. Because I think you sing about stuff I can relate to. (Like "Memories") And it's just... soulful.
And pffft... why do you think that you're not really a good singer? I think you are one of the best. When times get tough, I'll listen to your songs, and they really pull me up. :)
But hearing you speak in person, about your love, your life, your family, even your neighborhood, I just felt like, "Wow, I'm falling in love with Yoon Mirae & Tiger JK all over again (as a fan)." You guys are so human, it's almost laughable. I have never heard other celebrities discuss one another like that before. It was really refreshing, and inspirational.
As a working mom, and career woman, I wish you all the best. I want you to succeed. Woman to woman. I so admire you. I hope Jordan realises what a fantastic mom he has. (And what a great dad he has). As a divorced parent, I always worry that my kids won't recognize the stuff we do for them. Like I always feel I'm falling short of something, because there is only one of me, as opposed to two parents. No matter what, I don't think you should ever feel like that (not saying that you do, but if). I wish you much love, happiness and success in all that you do.
Your fan,
Nadia (aka elle7).
ps. Keep making variety appearances (saw u on Running Man... lol), and keep doing fashion magazine shoots... you looked gorgeous!
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Designer Diaper Bags Part 3
Wokeh folks! I am so excited about this update! In my never-ending quest to find gorgeous diaper bags that mom can tote around and not look silly... I found this online store: Baby Kingdom. Go to their "nappy bags" section under "for mum".
It seems they are the biggest retailer of baby stuff in Sydney? Who knew! They carry designer diaper bag brands Babymel, Bugaboo, Dashbaby, Melobaby, Oi Oi, Storksak and more. The only slack thing about their online store is that they don't provide photos of how the bag looks like inside, which is super important for online shopping moms. And also another downside is that at the moment, the store doesn't ship to countries outside of Australia. (But if you are a desperate mom who really wants to order one of the bags from this store, just email me here or leave a comment, and I can see to finding a way to get the bag delivered to you.)
The prices range from affordable to the very expensive. Some of my top choices of designer diaper bags from the store:
Window shopping for diaper bags just got better! Don't you agree?
It seems they are the biggest retailer of baby stuff in Sydney? Who knew! They carry designer diaper bag brands Babymel, Bugaboo, Dashbaby, Melobaby, Oi Oi, Storksak and more. The only slack thing about their online store is that they don't provide photos of how the bag looks like inside, which is super important for online shopping moms. And also another downside is that at the moment, the store doesn't ship to countries outside of Australia. (But if you are a desperate mom who really wants to order one of the bags from this store, just email me here or leave a comment, and I can see to finding a way to get the bag delivered to you.)
The prices range from affordable to the very expensive. Some of my top choices of designer diaper bags from the store:
 |
| Babymel - Amanda black & white floral |
 |
| Storksak - Elizabeth in tan (leather) |
 |
| Melobaby - melotote creme |
 |
| OiOi - ebony dot hobo |
 |
| OiOi - signature weave classic hobo |
 |
| OiOi - Two pocket hobo black with white |
Window shopping for diaper bags just got better! Don't you agree?
Monday, January 23, 2012
WTH... I mean really
Earlier at the start of the year, I had this premonition, due to the impending end of 1N2D this coming February, I suddenly felt a strong urge to download all the episodes... before it all disappears. I think it was because jiwonified's youtube account finally getting axed by MBC (due to copyright infringement) and Bee's talk of "I don't know what to do with this site once 1n2d ends" that gave me the heavy feeling of "if I don't do it now, I won't be able to do it later." So I became a premier member of Megaupload for the cost of peanuts earlier this month. They had a new year promo, and I could enjoy a 2-month membership for the price of one. So I was on a downloading spree. Downloading 10 episodes of whatever (1n2d, k-drama, whatever) at the speed of lightning.
I was enjoying the start of my 4-day weekend, thought it was safe to take a break from my downloading spree and spent almost the whole Saturday out. I didn't even bother to go online that day. Then on Sunday, I was having a lazy morning with the kids, had breakfast and finally checked the news, and ohmaigattttt.... noooo.... Megaupload was shut down!! Wtf US Government??? Piracy... eesh. I was only up to episode 226. I dunno how many more eng sub episodes I had yet to download even. I wish I had not taken a break on the19th. I wish I had left the download running all night long. Aaaargh. I was screaming at myself for being so slack. I knew this would happen. My premonition was right all along.
There are so many others like me who make an almost daily contact with MU. (Megaupload for short). Before being a premier member, I would download one episode per day from them. One episode of anything. Most of the k-dramas that I download were from MU. I mean most of the sites I downloaded any k-drama from used MU as their main file-sharing site. I think because it was easy and fast. And allowed passwords for more privacy. We thought KBS, SBS and MBC were hard on their crackdown of youtube accounts, but we didn't even calculate the US Government into the formula. Okay so maybe it is copyright infringement, and maybe what I and countless millions of others have been doing is considered online piracy... but so what?? I do still pay cable tv charges to watch those very same dramas and variety shows, but I just wanted to "own" a piece of it on my computer... so I can watch it over and over for years and years to come.
Yes, there is live streaming. But I haven't figured out how to record live streaming from the internet yet. And live streaming doesn't have english subs. I feel bad for uploaders though. They are the ones that have worked so hard to record the shows and upload it onto the site for us viewers. And the subbers. I hope that they've got some backup copies of their softsubs stored elsewhere. I think even mediafire isn't safe anymore. They are probably gonna crackdown on all file-sharing sites. Like how they did with napster.
But I have made a new year's resolution to stop downloading mp3s without paying. I calculated the cost of a legal mp3, and it was like $0.11 per song... and that's like the cost of nothing. So I might as well pay and let the artist earn something. That was my new year's resolution. (I also sort of realised that if I paid for my music downloads, then it contributes to my artist's chart standings, and I can actually help make them win awards.) So anyway, I wasn't on MU to download music. Just the tv stuff.
This totally sucks. I think there are a lot less torrents out there for k-stuff because MU was so great. Uploading was more efficient for uploaders, so they didn't use torrents that much, maybe? I dunno, that's what it seemed like to me. Now even torrents aren't safe, I think. I dunno when and how it will be stopped by governments everywhere. Cos torrents are totally more peer-to-peer than file-sharing sites, right? How to justify me sharing my file with someone on an ftp to be copyright infringement?
I personally don't think I can live without the ability to download anything. Especially now with MBC making better dramas than SBS/KBS and what with Jiwon being on the main cast of Come To Play (which airs on MBC). Astro doesn't carry MBC, so there isn't a way for me to legally watch it unless I download it. Malaysia was the first to ban certain file-sharing sites (but we found a way around that, too), but now the US Govt actually shut one of the biggest ones down. That's just scary man. The US thinks it can do anything. *shivers*
But anyway, I don't think I'll be getting my money back from MU. I wonder what it will say to it's members, if anything. What about those people that paid hundreds of dollars for 3-year membership or what?? The MU people are probably all having a huge headache right now thinking about the backlash of all this. What if some people actually only use MU to store files?? Like totally innocent people? What about all those legally owned files that are now lost?? How does a government shut down servers anyway? Do they seize them physically? What happens to that massive load of data? Some people's livelihoods may depend on that data. I can just imagine some neurotic techie somewhere having a meltdown a few days ago when this all happened. Like some brainless one that didn't have a backup.
So this is how the Year of the Dragon starts...
I was enjoying the start of my 4-day weekend, thought it was safe to take a break from my downloading spree and spent almost the whole Saturday out. I didn't even bother to go online that day. Then on Sunday, I was having a lazy morning with the kids, had breakfast and finally checked the news, and ohmaigattttt.... noooo.... Megaupload was shut down!! Wtf US Government??? Piracy... eesh. I was only up to episode 226. I dunno how many more eng sub episodes I had yet to download even. I wish I had not taken a break on the19th. I wish I had left the download running all night long. Aaaargh. I was screaming at myself for being so slack. I knew this would happen. My premonition was right all along.
There are so many others like me who make an almost daily contact with MU. (Megaupload for short). Before being a premier member, I would download one episode per day from them. One episode of anything. Most of the k-dramas that I download were from MU. I mean most of the sites I downloaded any k-drama from used MU as their main file-sharing site. I think because it was easy and fast. And allowed passwords for more privacy. We thought KBS, SBS and MBC were hard on their crackdown of youtube accounts, but we didn't even calculate the US Government into the formula. Okay so maybe it is copyright infringement, and maybe what I and countless millions of others have been doing is considered online piracy... but so what?? I do still pay cable tv charges to watch those very same dramas and variety shows, but I just wanted to "own" a piece of it on my computer... so I can watch it over and over for years and years to come.
Yes, there is live streaming. But I haven't figured out how to record live streaming from the internet yet. And live streaming doesn't have english subs. I feel bad for uploaders though. They are the ones that have worked so hard to record the shows and upload it onto the site for us viewers. And the subbers. I hope that they've got some backup copies of their softsubs stored elsewhere. I think even mediafire isn't safe anymore. They are probably gonna crackdown on all file-sharing sites. Like how they did with napster.
But I have made a new year's resolution to stop downloading mp3s without paying. I calculated the cost of a legal mp3, and it was like $0.11 per song... and that's like the cost of nothing. So I might as well pay and let the artist earn something. That was my new year's resolution. (I also sort of realised that if I paid for my music downloads, then it contributes to my artist's chart standings, and I can actually help make them win awards.) So anyway, I wasn't on MU to download music. Just the tv stuff.
This totally sucks. I think there are a lot less torrents out there for k-stuff because MU was so great. Uploading was more efficient for uploaders, so they didn't use torrents that much, maybe? I dunno, that's what it seemed like to me. Now even torrents aren't safe, I think. I dunno when and how it will be stopped by governments everywhere. Cos torrents are totally more peer-to-peer than file-sharing sites, right? How to justify me sharing my file with someone on an ftp to be copyright infringement?
I personally don't think I can live without the ability to download anything. Especially now with MBC making better dramas than SBS/KBS and what with Jiwon being on the main cast of Come To Play (which airs on MBC). Astro doesn't carry MBC, so there isn't a way for me to legally watch it unless I download it. Malaysia was the first to ban certain file-sharing sites (but we found a way around that, too), but now the US Govt actually shut one of the biggest ones down. That's just scary man. The US thinks it can do anything. *shivers*
But anyway, I don't think I'll be getting my money back from MU. I wonder what it will say to it's members, if anything. What about those people that paid hundreds of dollars for 3-year membership or what?? The MU people are probably all having a huge headache right now thinking about the backlash of all this. What if some people actually only use MU to store files?? Like totally innocent people? What about all those legally owned files that are now lost?? How does a government shut down servers anyway? Do they seize them physically? What happens to that massive load of data? Some people's livelihoods may depend on that data. I can just imagine some neurotic techie somewhere having a meltdown a few days ago when this all happened. Like some brainless one that didn't have a backup.
So this is how the Year of the Dragon starts...
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Just one of those things...
When I've completed all my tasks and have nothing to do at work, I always wish I can go home and play with my kids. I always make plans in my head... oh, if only I can pick them up, we'd go to the playground, or.. we'd play puzzles. Or build a castle.
Then the day wears on, and I'll get tired, and by the time I come home, there are so many things to do, that in the end, I'll be lucky if I get to spend 30 mins playing games with them. Cos they'll be tired too, and cranky.
If I was big-boss lady, I would probably give myself the afternoon off to play with my kids. I would treat myself to that. :) One day, maybe eh?
Then the day wears on, and I'll get tired, and by the time I come home, there are so many things to do, that in the end, I'll be lucky if I get to spend 30 mins playing games with them. Cos they'll be tired too, and cranky.
If I was big-boss lady, I would probably give myself the afternoon off to play with my kids. I would treat myself to that. :) One day, maybe eh?
Friday, January 13, 2012
Routines Routines Routines!
The life of a working, single mom of an infant and toddler is the most optimal when routines can be followed without much disturbance. I think I've posted about this before, but I cannot stress this enough. If you are not a working mom, routines are still important. Even if you are not a single mom, routines are pivotal. Routines are just important. Period.
I like to think that my day begins actually the minute I reach home in the evening. No, not in the morning when I wake up, but the night before. The first 30-60 minutes upon reaching home are the most important. The moment I delay a certain task that is meant to take place in the first 40 minutes, then I'm doomed. Literally. The consequences of a delay could be very drastic, depending. But I'll get to that later. In the first 30 minutes upon reaching home, I must, in this order:
1) Store expressed milk in the freezer
2) Soak used baby bottles in soapy water in the sink
3) Put whatever laundry there is in the washing machine (and wash them of course)
4) Cook rice
5) Take shower & solat
6) Give kids a bath or change diapers
Then usually it's past 30 mins. And I continue with the 2nd part of the routine:
7) Cook dinner
8) Rinse and sterilize bottles
9) Eat dinner
10) Hang wet laundry
11) Read books to kids before bedtime
12) Put kids to bed or go to bed myself
The iffy part is the "pack kids bags" part. Sometimes if I have enough time or energy, I will pack the kids bags the night before. Sometimes I will do it in the morning after I wake up.
Now that Salma has started going to school wearing a uniform, I am slightly annoyed because my routine has to change to include ironing in the middle of the week. I really do despise ironing, and prefer to put off that task to the weekend. But because for some stupid reason the school does not have enough stock of the uniform, parents were only allowed to buy 1 pair (for now). I have to wash her uniform every other day and then iron it in the morning before she goes to school. Yeah yeah, it's just 1 shirt and 1 pants, but still... I hate ironing. And slows down the routine that I have set. I can't even delay doing the laundry when I get home because the uniform needs sufficient time to dry before she can wear it the next day.
I am only okay with company/family dinners if they take place on Friday night. Otherwise I get ticked off. Even if I have something urgent to do on a weeknight, like maybe going to the grocery store after work, I must must must complete the first 3 things on my routine list before I go do the thing I'm meant to do. I have put off sterilizing the bottles once, and did it in the morning, but it was too much of a rush taking them out when they're still hot from the steam and everything. And if I don't do the laundry that night itself, it will pile up and take a longer time to hang, and the kids'll get cranky waiting for me to finish hanging the laundry. I don't know why they have to wait for me while I do it, but they insist on waiting. I always tell Salma to go watch tv or go color her book or whatever, but for some reason, she still insists on waiting for me to finish hanging the laundry. Weird. And of course, Sophie will be trying to crawl out onto the balcony (the laundry dries on the balcony), asking me to carry her, so I have to get it done fast.... eesh.
Lately, I have this tendency to want to procrastinate though. But it's not a good idea. There were several times when I waited 2-3 days to do the laundry, and it ended up having too much laundry to iron over the weekend, so I ended up having to take a day off on Monday just to iron. I hate that. It was during a time when there were too many "external" functions/events going on that I couldn't do the laundry on time, so it felt like I'd skipped a whole week, and ended up with piles of clothes to iron.... never again. Procrastination is bad.
I am very relieved when it's a Friday (like today). Then I don't have to rush so much, and I can leave off the bottle sterilizing to Sunday. And I can be lazy about cooking dinner, and just buy dinner. Those are the best days... :) And I look forward to watching tv (which, incidentally is not part of my routine... did you notice?? TV is a luxury). Anyway, this is totally unrelated, but Happy #SeungGiDay! (Today is his birthday).
I like to think that my day begins actually the minute I reach home in the evening. No, not in the morning when I wake up, but the night before. The first 30-60 minutes upon reaching home are the most important. The moment I delay a certain task that is meant to take place in the first 40 minutes, then I'm doomed. Literally. The consequences of a delay could be very drastic, depending. But I'll get to that later. In the first 30 minutes upon reaching home, I must, in this order:
1) Store expressed milk in the freezer
2) Soak used baby bottles in soapy water in the sink
3) Put whatever laundry there is in the washing machine (and wash them of course)
4) Cook rice
5) Take shower & solat
6) Give kids a bath or change diapers
Then usually it's past 30 mins. And I continue with the 2nd part of the routine:
7) Cook dinner
8) Rinse and sterilize bottles
9) Eat dinner
10) Hang wet laundry
11) Read books to kids before bedtime
12) Put kids to bed or go to bed myself
The iffy part is the "pack kids bags" part. Sometimes if I have enough time or energy, I will pack the kids bags the night before. Sometimes I will do it in the morning after I wake up.
Now that Salma has started going to school wearing a uniform, I am slightly annoyed because my routine has to change to include ironing in the middle of the week. I really do despise ironing, and prefer to put off that task to the weekend. But because for some stupid reason the school does not have enough stock of the uniform, parents were only allowed to buy 1 pair (for now). I have to wash her uniform every other day and then iron it in the morning before she goes to school. Yeah yeah, it's just 1 shirt and 1 pants, but still... I hate ironing. And slows down the routine that I have set. I can't even delay doing the laundry when I get home because the uniform needs sufficient time to dry before she can wear it the next day.
I am only okay with company/family dinners if they take place on Friday night. Otherwise I get ticked off. Even if I have something urgent to do on a weeknight, like maybe going to the grocery store after work, I must must must complete the first 3 things on my routine list before I go do the thing I'm meant to do. I have put off sterilizing the bottles once, and did it in the morning, but it was too much of a rush taking them out when they're still hot from the steam and everything. And if I don't do the laundry that night itself, it will pile up and take a longer time to hang, and the kids'll get cranky waiting for me to finish hanging the laundry. I don't know why they have to wait for me while I do it, but they insist on waiting. I always tell Salma to go watch tv or go color her book or whatever, but for some reason, she still insists on waiting for me to finish hanging the laundry. Weird. And of course, Sophie will be trying to crawl out onto the balcony (the laundry dries on the balcony), asking me to carry her, so I have to get it done fast.... eesh.
Lately, I have this tendency to want to procrastinate though. But it's not a good idea. There were several times when I waited 2-3 days to do the laundry, and it ended up having too much laundry to iron over the weekend, so I ended up having to take a day off on Monday just to iron. I hate that. It was during a time when there were too many "external" functions/events going on that I couldn't do the laundry on time, so it felt like I'd skipped a whole week, and ended up with piles of clothes to iron.... never again. Procrastination is bad.
I am very relieved when it's a Friday (like today). Then I don't have to rush so much, and I can leave off the bottle sterilizing to Sunday. And I can be lazy about cooking dinner, and just buy dinner. Those are the best days... :) And I look forward to watching tv (which, incidentally is not part of my routine... did you notice?? TV is a luxury). Anyway, this is totally unrelated, but Happy #SeungGiDay! (Today is his birthday).
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