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Nadia Salim
Thursday, November 8, 2018
Tuesday, June 27, 2017
Monday, May 16, 2016
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).
Monday, December 26, 2011
My own two cents: KBS Entertainment Awards 2011
One day has passed and now all sorts of news articles are coming out about how enraged people are that the entire cast of "1n2d" won the Daesang at the KBS Entertainment Awards 2011 without being nomintated, save for one cast member, Lee Seung Gi. But did KBS do the right thing? By awarding all the members when only Seunggi was nominated? Shouldn't they have just let the boys win Best Team instead of "Hello"? Yeah, I must admit, it was a big shock to all, including the members themselves, and also to the viewers. But I think this is the industry's way of honoring the guys for 5 years of hard work before the show ends in Feb 2012. And why not? 1n2d taught us a lot about what brotherhood, camaraderie and friendship is all about. Not to mention, travel, laughter, bolbubok... being a cultural icon....
When the show got passed over at the Best Team category, a whole bunch of us were really really pissed. We were thinking that KBS had gone nuts this year for not acknowledging the awesome teamwork the guys displayed after KHD's exit. When Sugeun won Best Excellence Male MC, I thought, "Okay, he deserves it for doing 4 shows." All of us thought that was the end. Only Seunggi was nominated for Daesang and I didn't think he would win, and even if he did, Seunggi would definitely stand on the stage and ask someone else to come up and take the award from him. I really thought he would do that. Like he'd say, "Kang Hodong, this is for you." Then when they were announcing the Daesang without first recapping who the nominees were, it already felt fishy. Then we were totally floored!! The whole cast won. Seunggi said he was able to accept the award since all the members won it. As Jongmin said, they suffered a lot (and deserved it). This is the way to end the show. You can't get any better than Daesang. And now they can all feel good about going their separate ways next year. They won't be asking each other "what if..."
So KBS did a good thing.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Sultan Selangor's birthday
The kids' school is closed today due to it being the Sultan of Selangor's birthday. It's only public holiday in Selangor, and not KL, so I had to apply for leave today (since I work in KL and not Selangor) to take care of the kids at home.
The kids did not wake up late as I had expected [T_T] ... I wanted some downtime for myself to finish my ironing, but I managed to do that anyway while they were watching tv. After that I spent some time watching videos on YouTube of Beast's dance routines (the penguin shuffle) and fancams of Seunggi's concert that took place from the past 2 nights. There was a very kind soul that recorded the entire length of Seunggi performing "Time for Love", and I thought it was brilliant how he engaged the audience during Han Hyo Joo's talking part. He's such a seasoned entertainer, I thought. Wished I was there, dammit! Still mad at not being able to go (even though it's over).
I think my eldest, Salma, has an innate passion (and maybe talent) for music, because while I am watching Seunggi's concert fancams, she is singing and playing her keyboard piano in her room. A few days ago, I was in the kitchen, and she was in her room, and she was singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star into her microphone (it came with the electronic keyboard), and when she was done she said, in that concert performer tone, "Thank you! Thank you!" Hahahahahahaa... I was laughing to myself. I'm wondering where she learned that, because the only live concert shows she's watched with me are Music Bank and Inkigayo, and the artists don't get to say "Thank you" at the end cos they roll the next song straight away... so I'm totally baffled on that one... but at the same time, totally pleased at how smart she was.
Salma's current favorite song is "The Boys" by Girls Generation. She'll ask me to put on their music video before going to bed. I'm wondering whether The Boys is SNSD's best song on their latest album? For some reason, I can't get into the other songs that much...
Salma's gotten older and smarter now that she asks me what each SNSD girl's name is when they come on. I haven't memorized all their names yet, so like sometimes I can't tell her. And she will tell me, "I like that girl, the girls generation one..." "Which girl?" "That one..." "???" There are so many of them, poppet!
It's spaghetti for lunch today... spaghetti and reruns of Music Bank. :)
*Update*: Even Salma asked why we didn't go to Seunggi's concert... Maybe next year, ok?
The kids did not wake up late as I had expected [T_T] ... I wanted some downtime for myself to finish my ironing, but I managed to do that anyway while they were watching tv. After that I spent some time watching videos on YouTube of Beast's dance routines (the penguin shuffle) and fancams of Seunggi's concert that took place from the past 2 nights. There was a very kind soul that recorded the entire length of Seunggi performing "Time for Love", and I thought it was brilliant how he engaged the audience during Han Hyo Joo's talking part. He's such a seasoned entertainer, I thought. Wished I was there, dammit! Still mad at not being able to go (even though it's over).
I think my eldest, Salma, has an innate passion (and maybe talent) for music, because while I am watching Seunggi's concert fancams, she is singing and playing her keyboard piano in her room. A few days ago, I was in the kitchen, and she was in her room, and she was singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star into her microphone (it came with the electronic keyboard), and when she was done she said, in that concert performer tone, "Thank you! Thank you!" Hahahahahahaa... I was laughing to myself. I'm wondering where she learned that, because the only live concert shows she's watched with me are Music Bank and Inkigayo, and the artists don't get to say "Thank you" at the end cos they roll the next song straight away... so I'm totally baffled on that one... but at the same time, totally pleased at how smart she was.
Salma's current favorite song is "The Boys" by Girls Generation. She'll ask me to put on their music video before going to bed. I'm wondering whether The Boys is SNSD's best song on their latest album? For some reason, I can't get into the other songs that much...
Salma's gotten older and smarter now that she asks me what each SNSD girl's name is when they come on. I haven't memorized all their names yet, so like sometimes I can't tell her. And she will tell me, "I like that girl, the girls generation one..." "Which girl?" "That one..." "???" There are so many of them, poppet!
It's spaghetti for lunch today... spaghetti and reruns of Music Bank. :)
*Update*: Even Salma asked why we didn't go to Seunggi's concert... Maybe next year, ok?
Friday, December 9, 2011
Missed the concert again
So Lee Seung Gi is having his concert tomorrow, and I am so envious of Yoke Leng and the rest of the Airens that are going! Initially, when I was pregnant with Sophie, I had planned to go to his concert at the end of this year, and I had actually saved $100 per month just for the trip. But then when the baby was born and we got divorced, I had to use that money I saved to pay for the rental deposit and other stuff, so by the time November came and ticket sales were open, I didn't have money to go. Plus I'd have to pay for flight tickets for me and two kids, which would not be cheap if I were to fly with MAS. I don't think I could fly Air Asia with two kids.
And such a shame too, because Clover is guesting on Seunggi's concert tomorrow! Aargh. If I had gone, it would've been a double whammy (get to see both my favorite ilbak boys). You owe me big time, man.
So, if my income allows it, I'll save up for next year. But not knowing if there will be a next year concert for LSG, cos he may be going off to military service soon. Oh woe is me. Plus 1n2d is ending next Feb. God knows if the boys will be doing stuff together after that or not. I hope they will though.
Was also planning a reunion with my Korean ex-schoolmates who live in Seoul. Argh, so regretting it now! I wish I had saved up more.
But I hope they (our eternal bloggers) take good pictures and post them up and have nice write-ups. It would have been nice to show the girls snow for the first time in their lives, cos it's snowing now in Seoul. Wouldn't that have been a great memory? Ohhh ... missed opportunities. I hope better ones come my way.
And such a shame too, because Clover is guesting on Seunggi's concert tomorrow! Aargh. If I had gone, it would've been a double whammy (get to see both my favorite ilbak boys). You owe me big time, man.
So, if my income allows it, I'll save up for next year. But not knowing if there will be a next year concert for LSG, cos he may be going off to military service soon. Oh woe is me. Plus 1n2d is ending next Feb. God knows if the boys will be doing stuff together after that or not. I hope they will though.
Was also planning a reunion with my Korean ex-schoolmates who live in Seoul. Argh, so regretting it now! I wish I had saved up more.
But I hope they (our eternal bloggers) take good pictures and post them up and have nice write-ups. It would have been nice to show the girls snow for the first time in their lives, cos it's snowing now in Seoul. Wouldn't that have been a great memory? Ohhh ... missed opportunities. I hope better ones come my way.
Whew this dusty blog!
Can you imagine me blowing the dust off of this dusty blog? I haven't posted anything here in ages. Feels like a lifetime.
But anyway. Here we go again. Gotta try to get back into the groove of blogging again. This blog used to be known as "Bleach fan becomes a new mom" and then it changed to "Bleach fan (re)discovers LSG." And now it's evolved into "LSG fan becomes a single mom and a G-Crew." haha!
I do envy those constant bloggers (aka tryp96, lsgairenint, etc I shall not name them all), but they are fansites, so that's different. I don't read any other blogs nowadays except theirs. Once the Arrancar thingie was over, I've put Bleach back on the shelf, too, and most probably will let it stay there. That part of my life is over. So welcome K-pop. (And the international K-pop community! Woot Woot!!)
So if there was ever a twist of fate, it was when I, as an Airen became a G-Crew. (laughs) Thank goodness Seunggi and Jiwon love each other like brothers, otherwise it would be quite strange for someone to have 2 loyalties. Does that even make sense? To be loyal to 2 different fandoms, that's what I meant.
Amidst of all of this, I became a single mom. Everything happened at the same time almost. But it's been good. More positive people have come into my life, and I think that just goes to show that "we don't stop, we can't stop, until we reach the top." Okay, so that was cheesy, but I think this is a good mantra.
I would like to thank my G-crew sisters for being on this journey with me. Though they are far away, they are always with me, day in and day out. I don't know if y'all are reading this or not, but if you are, you know who you are... I don't need to mention names. We can do this, ladies! If you believe, then it'll be reality. I think so.
So this blog started as my way to chronicle my life as a new mom, and musings on my children, and that part's not going to change much. Just that hmm... now that I have two kids, I'm not that surprised any more at the stuff that they do. So I am not tempted to blog about it much... you get what I mean? But let's see what I come up with when I have the time.
Well until then... watch this space. I'm back.
But anyway. Here we go again. Gotta try to get back into the groove of blogging again. This blog used to be known as "Bleach fan becomes a new mom" and then it changed to "Bleach fan (re)discovers LSG." And now it's evolved into "LSG fan becomes a single mom and a G-Crew." haha!
I do envy those constant bloggers (aka tryp96, lsgairenint, etc I shall not name them all), but they are fansites, so that's different. I don't read any other blogs nowadays except theirs. Once the Arrancar thingie was over, I've put Bleach back on the shelf, too, and most probably will let it stay there. That part of my life is over. So welcome K-pop. (And the international K-pop community! Woot Woot!!)
So if there was ever a twist of fate, it was when I, as an Airen became a G-Crew. (laughs) Thank goodness Seunggi and Jiwon love each other like brothers, otherwise it would be quite strange for someone to have 2 loyalties. Does that even make sense? To be loyal to 2 different fandoms, that's what I meant.
Amidst of all of this, I became a single mom. Everything happened at the same time almost. But it's been good. More positive people have come into my life, and I think that just goes to show that "we don't stop, we can't stop, until we reach the top." Okay, so that was cheesy, but I think this is a good mantra.
I would like to thank my G-crew sisters for being on this journey with me. Though they are far away, they are always with me, day in and day out. I don't know if y'all are reading this or not, but if you are, you know who you are... I don't need to mention names. We can do this, ladies! If you believe, then it'll be reality. I think so.
So this blog started as my way to chronicle my life as a new mom, and musings on my children, and that part's not going to change much. Just that hmm... now that I have two kids, I'm not that surprised any more at the stuff that they do. So I am not tempted to blog about it much... you get what I mean? But let's see what I come up with when I have the time.
Well until then... watch this space. I'm back.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Back at work...
I kept telling myself, "One more ounce, just one more ounce." But it wasn't to be. Second week back at work, and I only managed to pump 8 oz today, as compared to being able to pump 15 oz or more during confinement. There is one lady in this office that can still pump 20 oz per day! And she said she needed to buy another fridge just to store all the excess milk. How I envy this woman!
My daily worry is that my baby will be starving if i can't pump enough. I really don't want to resort to formula milk, simply because at 4 months old, she has not even tasted formula milk even once. Unlike my eldest daughter, we mixed formula and breast milk during the early stages because I was a new mom, and didn't know how to manage my supply yet. Now I find that drinking 3L of water per day in the office is a lot harder to do than I thought. There's so much more to do in the office, and I tend to forget to drink water. Even with the tumbler on my desk right beside me here, I will still forget.
Baby Sophie's demand at the moment is 16 oz per day, roughly. Sometimes more. And I have trouble filling up just 2 small bottles. Aaargh. The type of stuff we moms have to go through for our kids. I am sleepy and tired now just being in the Mother's Room (a.k.a. Lactation Room) for just half an hour. I used to be able to pump 10 oz in 15 mins! Waah... miss those good old days. My back hurts now from hunching over the EBM storage bottle...
My daily worry is that my baby will be starving if i can't pump enough. I really don't want to resort to formula milk, simply because at 4 months old, she has not even tasted formula milk even once. Unlike my eldest daughter, we mixed formula and breast milk during the early stages because I was a new mom, and didn't know how to manage my supply yet. Now I find that drinking 3L of water per day in the office is a lot harder to do than I thought. There's so much more to do in the office, and I tend to forget to drink water. Even with the tumbler on my desk right beside me here, I will still forget.
Baby Sophie's demand at the moment is 16 oz per day, roughly. Sometimes more. And I have trouble filling up just 2 small bottles. Aaargh. The type of stuff we moms have to go through for our kids. I am sleepy and tired now just being in the Mother's Room (a.k.a. Lactation Room) for just half an hour. I used to be able to pump 10 oz in 15 mins! Waah... miss those good old days. My back hurts now from hunching over the EBM storage bottle...
Sunday, August 21, 2011
The End?
*Sigh... life as I know it really is coming to an end. Not just stuff on the homefront and getting a new job, but 1n2d coming to an end... One of the only things I look forward to at the end of a long, hard week of working, taking care of two kids and keeping house. The routine that I am so used to. The show that makes me smile, laugh and cry. The show that saw me through my depression and two difficult pregnancies.
Once it ends, I hope there will be something else to fill up that void on Friday nights. Eesh. So depressing.
Once it ends, I hope there will be something else to fill up that void on Friday nights. Eesh. So depressing.
Friday, May 6, 2011
What to look for in a web-host / the last month of my pregnancy
I must admit though, I've been very preoccupied lately, in the last month of my pregnancy, so maybe that's why I'm not dilated yet. Back during Salma's time, my last month was spent waiting idly, watching tv or reading books (I had been given a month's bedrest before my actual due date). I am not working now either, but I have been very busy at creating my own website! My very own dot.com. I had actually researched Malaysian web-hosting plans a year ago, before I even got pregnant, and had been eyeing Exabytes to make as my webhost for quite some time now because of their range of web-hosting plans. I wanted to start my own online business, and had put in the web-hosting cost in my business plan, but didn't actually have the guts to actually purchase a plan from them yet. But then about 2 months ago, Groupon came out with a coupon to redeem an Xtudent Exabytes plan for RM39 instead of the usual RM99 per month! It was just too good a deal to pass up, so I bought it. Even though I had originally planned to purchase one of Exabytes's business hosting plans, the Xtudent plan, although basic, is still great. Let me explain.
Here is their banner, hehe: To get your own website, please click on the banner, and sign up through me! (So that I can earn affliate points. Yes, please do it!)
What's so great about Exabytes is that, no matter what plan you purchase, you still get the same built-in scripts and server software. The main differences between each of the plans is the disk space (storage) and bandwidth. If you are clueless about what I'm talking about, let me explain further. The most important features you should look for in a web-host (the company that provides the server on which your website will run on) is whether or not they can provide you with the latest web developing scripts and languages, like PHP and Javascript. Exabytes is fantastic because it provides the latest version of PHP, PHP 5.+. The second thing you should look for is to see if your web-host supports the latest MySQL database, and Exabytes does (MySQL 5.x). Most of the blogging and shopping cart platforms use MySQL databases. You will need a database to store all your data (duh!). To put in layman's terms, MySQL is like MS Excel and Access joined together to be used on an internet platform. You can store customer data, customer purchases, sales, inventory, etc with MySQL. Next, you need to check if your web-host has PHPmyAdmin, which is a software that allows you to manage your MySQL database easily. Or else it would be hell to manage an SQL database with just using SQL. And of course, Exabytes has PHPmyAdmin. I'm sure most web-hosts will have MySQL and PHPmyAdmin bundled together, but in case they don't, you know, I'm just pointing it out to you that you'll need both. And lastly the scripts. Exabytes comes with the option to install a whole bunch of scripts for your site for creating blogs, magazines, forums, and shopping carts. Examples: for blogging they have WordPress and Joomla (you can use both to create corporate sites too, not just for blogs). For creating an online store, they support a whole range of shopping cart scripts, among others: CubeCart, OS Commerce, and Zen Cart (there are more that aren't listed in their chart, like the one I'm using). Exabytes also supports a number of payment gateways, including the very popular and most widely used one in Malaysia: ipay88, which allows customers to pay you via credit card and online bank transfer, like Maybank2u, so no need for Paypal, which even though is nice, collects their commission from you in USD, which will dent your pocket a bit!
The nice thing about Exabytes is that they have a user-friendly software for you to use, Softaculous, that helps you to install the scripts and software you want to use in your site with a touch of button. So you literally don't need to have any coding knowledge to get your site up and running with Exabytes. And the best part is, no matter what plan you purchase from Exabytes, from the most basic Personal or Student plan to the largest Business plan, you are provided with the same scripts and softwares. That is the best part. Cos if you're just starting out, you don't need 300GB of disk space, you know what I'm saying, so starting with the Xtudent Plan is fine, because with Exabytes you can always upgrade your existing storage and bandwidth at really affordable prices (I'm serious... check out their hosting comparison charts. Just click on the banner above, then click on Web Hosting on the menu bar to compare the plans). Oh, and Exabytes uses both Linux and Windows. And depending on the plan you select, you can have your domain name (dot.com address) for free. With Xtudent, I got a free domain name! Yay!
So I had some time to fool around during my pregnancy, and I contemplated between WordPress and Joomla to create my "main" site. I did a lot of research, and seeing as most of my blogging "colleagues" were using WordPress, I decided to install it. And I am not looking back! WordPress is great. (But I didn't realise this until much later...) Then, before I even stated to develop my WordPress backed site, I researched on the various shopping cart programmes to use on my online store. By the way, WordPress is free (or as the term is known on the net, an "open source" platform/tool). At first I chose to install OS Commerce. According to the stats and articles, OS Commerce is one of the most widely used open source shopping cart programmes in the world. But once I installed it, I realised that even with the free templates that come with the programme, OS Commerce was really difficult to customise for a newbie like me (even with my knowledge of HTML and Javascript, it didn't help that I wasn't an expert at php language). I struggled for awhile to make my online store to look the way I wanted it to look with OS Commerce. I just couldn't do it, so I started to look for alternatives. Then, by chance, I read an article that some guys had developed an open source shopping cart plugin for WordPress (WP), called WordPress E-Commerce (WPEC). I was so excited! So I dropped OS Commerce altogether, uninstalled it, and started to focus entirely on WP. That's when I started to really love WordPress, (sorry Blogger.com) because as I found out, WP has this huge community of people who create wonderful plugins for you to use with your WP blog, and all of them are free (well all have a free version, and a Pro version with added features that you have to pay for). So if you want to add a photo gallery to your WP blog, install the plugin. If you want to add beautiful custom forms, just add the plugin. It's so fun. Everything is fun when it's free yo.
Now, at the time, since I was using just the Xtudent plan, Exabytes had put a cap on my PHP memory (I am allowed 64MB but then it was capped at a lower level). And to run WPEC, I needed a higher PHP memory. I didn't know this at first, so when I first installed the WPEC plugin, it crashed my site. But to my surprise ya, I raised a ticket with Exabytes customer service and told them what happened, and they acknowledged that I needed a higher PHP memory, and released more memory for me, without me asking them to. So I was extremely happy. I thought I would have to go through a long process of asking them to give me more php memory, but it took less than a day. Their customer service tech team communicates via e-mail and online chat, and I've used both, and they've been very helpful. To the point of actually showing me where to look for errors, how to interpret the errors so that I can easily solve problems on my own in the future. Because you know, it is easier to do it yourself so you don't waste time.
Now having said that, I get all this service for only RM39. Wow. I still can't believe it. Even though I have to renew my plan when the year is over, I'm still chuffed about it. :) It's fine, I'll pay the renewal fees. The only other thing I had to pay for was purchasing a professionally designed website template. I spent USD35 on it. Which is cheap okay! But I found the most wonderful site theme, it is fully customizable using a user-friendly admin panel and has the most wonderful after-sales support. I don't know where my web-developer, PrimaThemes is located (they don't actually tell you where they are based), but it seems like they provide 24x7 support all year round! They even layan stupid questions like "where did my photos go?" Haha! oh man... seriously. The patience that these guys have... they deserve a medal. No, they deserve to be knighted! For just USD35, I get a beautiful site theme and great developing support. (Btw, OS Commerce web-designers charge USD99 and above for their themes). Yes, all the programming has been done for you, but you know, to tweak the site to look and function the way you want it, you'll need to add your own additional coding in there somewhere. So you do need to know a little HTML and CSS, and a little PHP. But don't worry about it even if you don't, cos www.tizag.com has really good online tutorials to guide you if you are totally green. But anyway, my web-developer at PrimaThemes writes the code for me, and I just have to copy and paste it into my php files. Hehe. Happy. So if you are looking to hire a local web-designer, make sure that they are also a web-developer, because the 2 are not the same. A web-designer just designs the site (the aesthetics part), and the web-developer puts in all the code to make the design do what it should do, e.g. make the menu drop down when you click on it, etc. A web-designer will not necessarily know how to do this. And lots of people fall into this trap. They buy a site design from a web-designer, and then don't know how to make it "work" because the designer has no developing knowledge. Don't fall into this trap people! Make sure whoever you hire has a team that can do both!
So I've been spending the last month or so building my website. My online store is not ready to go live yet (because I haven't bought the inventory yet), but the blog accompanying my online store is ready. It is fashion-centric so I keep it toally separate from this blogger one, which is centered on my kids. You can view it here, Nüunäa Stylist and please start leaving your comments! There are a bunch of articles I haven't put up yet, so feel free to bookmark it and check for updates.
Being preoccupied with building my site lately, I haven't really noticed if I have contractions during the day or if the baby is moving around. Sometimes I get the impression that baby in my tummy is sitting quietly listening to mommy tapping away on the keyboard, and cursing now and again at failed loadings and other errors. Sometimes I am aware that I am having a contraction, but continue to work on my site design, and then I fail totally to note how long the contraction lasted, what time it took place, and how many minutes apart from the previous contraction. Maybe that's why I'm not dilated 5cm yet. Because, if I think about it, my former colleagues at the office mostly worked til the last day before their due date. So working probably reduces the chances of you delivering early. Doesn't that make sense? Even now as I am typing this blog entry, I have ignored the contractions that I've had. And I'm pretty sure I had 2 already (cos it hurt for awhile, but I just ignored it). But anyway... building a website can be time-consuming, but is totally fun when you have all the right tools. Start with a good web-host, like I did, and then find a good developer to assist you, like I did, and you can make the internet a new home for your business (or hobby or whatever...) :D
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Princess
You would think that she was inspired by William and Catherine's recent wedding, but no...
She wanted to be like Dora (the Explorer) when she put on the magic mermaid crown to save the mermaid kingdom (it's one of Dora's dvds).
So she asked her dad to get her a crown (where is my magic crown?) and so daddy bought her one from Girls and brought it home after work. She was so excited about it, she insisted to mandi early (usually she complains when we ask her to take a bath before bed time) and put on her "princess dress". So I bathed her and let her wear her white "princess dress" instead of her pajamas, and she put on her crown and she pretended to be a magic princess all the way til bed time. She slept in her dress.
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