Ya, I’m a bit slow on this, but hey, until today I still haven’t hold it though. It was out last month and people has been queuing up in Bank Negara to buy the commemorative version of new coin series. Even bringing their new born and demanded that their new born get to buy one set too! However the counter staff over at Bank Negara Malaysia (Kota Kinabalu) has been limiting 3 sets for each person the most, even that also you have to que again in order to get the 2nd and third set.

I’m not a coin collector and although I have though of to get the mint version of those coin set, but it never been materialise since I just couldn’t be bother to que up.

Although I must say that I love the new designs, the motif behind. After I have been using those old series of coins for more than 20 years, I think it is hight time too to come up with a newer and better design. The 50 and 20 cents look like gold coins though they are actually Nickel Brass Clad Copper and Nickel Brass. So, their value will not worth more than those gold coins on sale elsewhere.

You can read all about the Q&A here at Bank Negara website. Unfortunately they are not showing the picture of the real coins there, but you can read more about the design here.

Now, let see how soon will I be using those coins.

Today mark the official opening of a new library at Suria Sabah. It is actually a new location with whatever collections (except reference) that the library had before over at the previous location near to the high court.

Its floor space is way smaller than the KK City Library but with a new laminated flooring, shelves and look, it feels a bit hip to be in there with its nicely decorated interior and low colorful shelves. Children corners stand a huge potential for story telling and activities in the future. I would consider it to be the new place to be around town, especially for books lovers who would also want to shop or watch movie at the same time. Surely they can drop by to borrow a book or two from the library.

The collections are limited to magazines, newspapers, fiction and non-fiction titles for all 3 languages (Malay, English and Chinese), with internet ready desktop for users. Soon even wi-fi for all registered members.

Opening time is 10am till 9pm daily, including weekends! Great huh!? So drop by during opening times and grab yourself some reading materials.

For enquiry please contact Pn. Jaiton at Tel: 088-486461 or fax: 088-486819

XiaXue, Cheesie, Qiu Qiu just to name a few that I know and probably the famous ones too.. who did very well in Photoshop their photos and I love to look at their photos. Who doesn’t like to look at pretty stuff huh!? Some more it looks natural to me.

Even my friends over at FB are doing it with their phones. And I’ve discovered PhotoWonder and Mei Tu Xiu Xiu, two applications that can do wonders on any photos that I took!

Just look at these before and after photos that I’ve taken recently:

Second take also using PhotoWonder:

You see the difference? Hey, it take guts to put these photos in here, okay?

You see the disappearance of eye bag? Sharper chin? Bigger eyes? Better skin tone?

Yup, these are just some really minor photo editing, and I become dolly, right!? Not so la.. but at least there are difference, right?

Who doesn’t want to look good right? Ha!

Well.. not get fool by it but I still prefer the edited version times.. hehe.. look better wah!

The only way now a day for you to see the real version is by video I suppose.. ‘cos it is harder to edit. So if you have ActConferencing.com audio conferencing, you’ll get the real picture, huh!?

At the mean time, let me just have some fun editing my photos by adding borders, some other Lomo effect and what not.

Have fun!

Probably ‘cos they had a late afternoon nap which gave them much energy to stay up this late. Another thing is they kept on waiting for my company and yet I had to take my shower. I had to take shower else I’m afraid I might catch a cold (ya.. old believe which I stick to).

Next is they’ve asked me to tub Vicks on their chest and feet. Yet, they insisted to have the air-con on. What the heck.

My younger boy if he is in good mood, he is way to cute to resist and say no to. When he is lovey-dovey, he’ll come over wanted to have hugs and kisses from me and for me.  BUT! When he is not in his kind of good mood, you better stay away from him. For instance when he wanted to play computer games, he can be so whinny and annoying that I felt like slapping him straight on his face!

No, of course I don’t do that, it just run in my head. Most of the time I’ll try my best to ignore him till he got sick and tired of his own whinny mood and proceed to do something else by his own.

I said he is on his computer game drugs. The kind that had the effect like drugs when he can’t get it, you’ll get watery eyes, running nose and really really bad mood. Especially when he can be so persistence.

I had to limit his game time though I must say most of the time I fail. I fail badly. But I do try my best.

That’s about it on parenting for me tonight.

Coming back to myself. (yay!)

I’ve been in love wearing pantyhose lately. Well, not in love till I wear them everyday, but at least for work. Ya, even black ones, oh.. and I especially love black, ha! Which I normally don’t. I mean I don’t even wear pantyhose. I just go bare.

Lately just not sure what’s wrong with me, I just kind of wanted to try wearing them, especially when knowing that they can keep me warm in the air-con room, plus some even can help the bulging varicose veins.

I’ve found some that only cost RM9.90/pair in Sox World, and also another one which suppose to help on blood circulation for RM32.90/pair. I really hope they’ll work and doesn’t tear easily.

I know.. black is not really the in color now since even Kate Middleton is wearing sheer color pantyhose. Well.. I could even be more adventurous and wear a fishnet pantyhose one day! But definitely not to the office la… I would probably wear it for dinner, ha!

For a person who is not so adventurous, I think I’ll just stop here for now, not wanting to even think of wearing those sexy lingerie bodystockings just yet.

Sometimes I do wonder at my age (40!!), how should I behave? A goody goody parent? A not so adventurous and being in my comfort zone person? But I’m still exploring on lots of things. Sometimes and even imagining myself being hip. Wanted to try out this and that. Trying to take better pictures, have better make-up, better hair-style, better fashion sense. OMG! I’ve so much to learn!!!

Okay, let’s just start with the pantyhose for now.

First was lunch in in-laws’ place, then was in my mom’s place, then breakfast in my in-laws’ place, then lunch in my mom’s place, then dinner at home like usual, breakfast the next day like usual, then lunch in my uncle’s place, and just now in my in-laws’ place.. phew.. what a way to start the new year with. What more the in-between which involve mandarin oranges, tit-bits, prawn crackers, and beans.

Yup, definitely non stop eating.

Of course the body figure conscious me had been limiting my food consumption portion, but I doubt that I can keep away from over eating.

Fortunately I’m not a snack person who can eat tit-bits non-stop. So I’ve occupied myself with online-social-network-checking time. Yup, been checking-in in twitter and Facebook, still I haven’t got time to read all those blogs that I’ve subscribed. What more updating this blog! That’s why no news from me since 22nd January.

So, here is my not so late Chinese New Year wishes, considering that some other Chinese ethnic group is celebrating the first day of new year on the 9th day of the lunar calender.

I’m wishing each one of us enter this Dragon year with fresh mind, positive and vibrant gratitude towards others and life, always believe that we have enough to give and much more to offer.

On the other hand, I’ll keep myself updated with my Project 365 that I’ve mentioned here. I might also need some cheap hard drives so that I can save those photos to process later in the photo shop.

Well.. had been busy preparing for the coming of the new year. Preparation here means Spring Clean!

But of course I being me – one who love myself very much – of course I also prepare myself for this festive celebration. That means – pampering myself of course! By pampering myself I mean a time to relaxation and beautification (ha!) Great huh!? Which I really did. I went for full body massage which I didn’t normally do each year, this year is different, as this lady is really good in massaging womb (peranakan – in Malay). It is good to have it. First to de-stress, another is to make sure that my womb is still in the healthy state.

Another pampering that I went for this year which is my first is legs scrub! Yup, one that  involve scrubbing, mask and pedicure, all for my lovely pair of feet.. hehe..

Next is have my hair washed and blown set, plus manicure. How could it be complete without manicure, right?

So there.. my pampering is done. Pampering is really my “me-time”, it is highly essential to have it. “Me time” is definitely what we women need to do for ourselves, only when you start loving and caring for yourself then only you can care and love other as how they deserve it, right?

Not that I don’t spring clean. I did!! I’ve cleaned up all those spider web on all the edges in the house. Hung up our curtains and bed-sheets, not cleaning la.. there is this nice automatic maid – Washing Machine!

There are still things that haven’t done though – mopping the floors. Most hard work actually done by my dear hubby (tee hee..). Well.. he is the stronger gender, right? Blah! One thing that sure was done by him is all those decoration in the house. Yes! He did that! He has hung up the lanterns, the red pineapple, those little small gold decorations.

So much into his decorating work

Even the boys also got affected by hubby love of decorating.

Preparing the red pineapple

Other than decorating the house, hubby also make sure that we all got new clothes for the new year.

Just the other night after getting himself two new shirts, he was trying to get some opinion from the boys on which one looks better since one was picked by me. Guess what Calvin said?

“This one look nicer if you are taller.” Hahahaha!! There goes his dear son’s answer who obviously going to be taller than him. Fortunately he didn’t take it seriously.

We also try to get some more Lunar New Year mood by visiting the night market in Gaya Street. Which ended up drizzling and we had to get some shelter before heading home.

Gaya Stree Night Market

I hope the year of Dragon will bring us a better year and of course much wealth!!

He was the one saying “Yay!! Tomorrow starts going to school. Holiday is boring ‘cos no class.” !!! Yes, he said that the night before the school starts.

Now two weeks into school and he hates it. But that only happened in the morning hour when I was worrying that we’ll be late to school, where I need to make sure they’ve got everything in their bag, where I’ve to put my full concentration on the road. But it was also when he started whining about going to school. He started to feel stomachache, headache and even felt like throwing up! He also started to negotiate with me if he can go to my office instead. It is probably a way to escape from something, but what?

Okay, I know that wasn’t stomachache, it was just butterflies, being nervous, stressful and just basically scared of going to school. But why!?

After I prompted him with  lots of questions and guessing over days, he finally reveal the real thing behind. It is not that he was lazy, in fact he’s done all his home work neatly and fervently, even kept on reminding me about putting more exercise books into his bag, his workbook is always well written with clear instructions on what his homework is. So, it couldn’t be that he is lazy. There must be something else.

After questions over questions over the past mornings, it turns out that he was (I hope this is in the past) scared of the teacher ‘cos he saw how fierce his teachers are to other students. He was shock! I suppose this is something like culture shock, huh!?

He has been in a nice, cosy, friendly, playful environment before, where he’s got used to everyone, know them well and there wasn’t that many kids in one class. He was even the assistance of his kindergarten teachers! He’s been doing really well in kindergarten, but just one thing that he wasn’t being trained to handle : – fierce, serious teachers who tried to control the situation with 40 over kids in one class without an assistance, who also concern about other kids who are nice and tame in the class, who needs protection from the teacher, but at the same time making sure that all kids listen to instructions and follow the class without fail.

So, I have been visiting him during recess time over the past few days. Talked to his class teacher. Peep from the corridor before I leave school. Have thought about getting help from other teacher, seeing the headmaster and whatever possible ways that might be able to help. But he was always okay during recess time, like the morning incident hasn’t happened, like he has always been okay since morning. He even gave me two thumbs up when I asked how was he doing!

Oh well, little kids mood change like weather huh!?

I was even questioning him how could he shout at me when we argue and yet he was so afraid of the teachers! Guess what his reply was!?

“I’m not scared of the teacher now. I don’t have butterfly in my stomach now!”

Okay! Good! Keep it that way!

I just hope that I don’t need to go through it again next week.

Being curious on how good my Philip blender/juicer, I started assemble it and started my work right away. This was also something in between waiting for my chicken to marinate and cooking it.

But as you know, normally blender do produce some machine sound and that had attracted Calvin to come into the kitchen to check it out what were I doing. Like usual, this curios and adventurous kid of mine, always like to have a try on new things.

Well, since he is tall enough and the machine is easy to operate, I’ve taught him how to do it and he did it quite nicely.

Next thing was, little Mervin also came into the kitchen and demanded (yes, demanded!) that he also have a try.

Okay, since Calvin knows how to do it, they both work together. One was peeling the mandarine oranges and the other one controlling the machine.

So far so good, so I’ve started to fried my chicken chop. And I did check on them in between, making sure that they are fine.

After a few oranges, Mervin said it seems to be too much already, but I’ve actually (yes I did) assured him that it won’t do any harm for another one or two more oranges.

But then… “Oh no!!!! Mommy!!!”

Okay.. it was too late now. Those juice just burst out from the blender and everything just all over the counter top, back splash area and the floor!

Next thing was, Mervin said “See! I told you, it is too much already!”

Okay.. whatever, it is too late now. Then within seconds, they are out from the kitchen and back to whatever that they were doing before coming into the kitchen. It was so funny though and I was surprise at myself that I wasn’t even angry. Probably cos I was the one who said it was okay. But who knows how many more oranges that they’ve put in after that.

Ha!

Next thing was.. well.. I still have to finished cooking my chicken chop first, before I can clean up the mess.

And ya.. that machine.. well.. I have to dismantle it and clean it inside out. Using about half an hour time to do that. That’s also why I’m writing this post this late. Just wanted to share this funny incident. The part that I love most was Mervin quickly told that he was right and both of them quickly made their exit from the kitchen. Luckily this in-house-maid know a bit of dismantling machine, else, goodbye Philips.

Well.. at least they’ve tried before and nothing lost. I still couldn’t help smiling though..

The display itself is already very seducing with its many appealingly colored cupcake frosting. It really made me feel like I’m in a real Bakery Story store! Ya, too much Bakery Story for me.

Where?

Boutique Cupcake in City Mall!

Ya.. I know.. the first thing that I thought of it was how expensive one cupcake could cost (RM5 per piece!), next thing was I would have to have several in order to get full, since it was lunch hour.

So, I was surprised to find that their menu contain lots of other choices of main course dishes and other mouth watering dessert! Great!

They have a wide range of tea too! But err.. I still prefer to have my coffee.

So, what have we ordered?

I definitely think that my son will love the Hot Chicken Pie!

Oh.. and do I still think it is expensive? Well… if for indulgence once a while it should be okay.. definitely not an everyday kind of lunch preference.

As for the Hot Chicken Pie, it is worth trying and most probably I’ll order it back on my next visit.

Later I found out that they have a blog themselves and guess what? at http://boutiquecupcakes2010.blogspot.com

Of course they are show casing all their cute cupcakes! Hungry yet?

Hmm.. but one thing, business like this should be able to afford their own domain instead of a free Blogspot site, right?

So, what’s the plan for this year?

I’m actually thinking if I should just maintain this blog since the rest are … well.. a bit stagnant, and I could really combine my craft blog with this one. What do you think? Do visit my crafty site – http://fonmee.blogspot.com and let me know what do you think, should I or shouldn’t I?

The other one is a free site – Blogspot. And this one is my own domain.

I hope this sort of things is not a web developer jobs. I do hope my blog follower will let me know your opinion on this.

Another thing is I want to keep my readers. Although I’ve less than 100 followers in my craft blog, compare to those well established blog that could have several thousands followers! I do love my followers.. Cos what’s the point of having a blog and no one read about it, right? I just hope everyone can come together, share their experience and well.. make it a place that all of us can share our opinions.

Maybe I’ll start by doing an experiment on the other craft blog. Do drop me a comment or two concerning this, I really appreciate it. Thanking you in advance.