VIP trip

School holidays..............

After much pondering and consideration.......we've treated ourselves to a trip to the motherland again......"balik kampung"........

Where? Hong Kong ofcourse.........

Well, thing is....Hong Kong DisneyLand has chosen our daughter to be the VIP of their theme park. Don't believe us?

Click on below link, play the video and see for yourself.

http://park.hongkongdisneyland.com/hkdl/html/StarGuest/zh_HK/hkdlnews.html?APt0NlO2ZD2SV420090525

The catch is ofcourse that we have to pay our own transportation to go there, but thanks to low-budget carrier, AirAsia, the plane tickets are rather cheap.

So, we adults, accompany the gal on her VIP trip to HK Disney, and ofcourse during our stay, we indulge ourselves into Dim Sum, and other delicous food fare :) Bring on the extra kg's!!

Thank you Mickey Mouse!!!

Dumplings

Dumplings Festival or....aka.....Qu Yuan Festival

For the peeps out there who don't have a clue what this is all about.......

This festival is celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese Lunar calendar, honouring an eminent and respected scholar, Qu Yuan, who drowned himself, after his city was conquered. The city folks who were very fond of Qu Yuan, then threw packets of rice into the river, so that the fish wouldn't devour Qu Yuan's body..............that's how the story goes.....

Ofcourse the Chinese nowadays take this as an excuse to make these dumplings and eat/share them :p

Still it is quite a feat to produce these little, triangular packs of rice. Main ingredients are still the glutinous rice and pending on taste, it could be laden with pork, dried shrimps, mushrooms, or plain veggie. And as it is so labour intensive the whole household is gathered up to make these little wonders of food.

So our holy 'Sunday' was focused upon making dumpling, dumplings.....and dumplings.....

Correction, aunty Lily & the maids and Datin Seri's mum made it happen......

Did Jess, Laetitia and me try our hands on it? Ermmmm......nope.....we did eat it though :)

Yummy, yummy....can't wait till next year again.

The truth about our water

Ever wondered what's in the pipelines that carries our drinking water?

You really don't want to know....especially after what I've witnessed today.

Whilst waiting to pick up Laetitia's cousin bro, Brian, from kindergarten, a van from the local watermanagement company stopped beside me.

Hmmmmmmm??? Ow, ok....must be working somewhere around the area.....

To my amazement, the guys popped open a valve of a fire hydrant....and instantly a great gush of water spewed out of the hydrant....

Wait, wait......not per se water as we know it. The water gushing out was murky brown. And it lasted for at least 10 minutes, before it changed into the colour that we are accustomed of. I approached the workmen and they explained to me that sediments in the pipeline have clogged it up to an extent that the residents of nearby houses/flats only received a trickle of brownish water whenever they opened their tap. So what they do when they receive a complaint is that they simply open the nearest hydrant and let the existing pressure on the pipeline spit out the sediments.

Sounds so simple, doesn't it?

But did you read correctly what I wrote? 'They' only come when they receive a complaint, and God knows how long they take their time to act upon it. So in the meantime affected people must use the 'brown' water on disposal. What a lovely thought indeed....definitely not

Well, environmentalists might argue that buying bottled water is a deadly sin (what with the costs involved to produce it and ship it to the stores, emitting all those carbon emissions). But heck, after witnessing this scene, I've turned into a true believer of bottled water. Or as a lot of people do here, install a hyperdeluxe water filtration system at home (which is totally unheard of in the place where I'm born, ...aka Belgium). And yes, we admit, we have bought a superduper filtration system, but still.......

Do the local water companies and water filter suppliers work hand in hand? Charging the unwary consumer twice for a basic necessity? I sure hope not.

Keeping a promise

Crunch time !!!

Report card period for Laetitia.....and we were eagerly, or rather anxiously awaiting the merciless verdict on her results, and how good or rather....how bad she would score.

Beginning of the school year, our girl bargained with us that she wouldn't follow any tuition classes after school. In return she would make sure that she'd do well. (see former posting, http://yuenslair.blogspot.com/2009/03/compromise.html )

Knowing how lazy she really is, spending energy on how not to do her homework instead of doing it.....(it sounds eerily familiar......I confess, I did it too when I was a schoolkid back then, oops). So this time 'round we didn't expect much of a result from her.

My dear wife, Jessica, even offered her something in case she manages to rank within the top-20 of her class (there are altogether 47 students in her 'first' class, and last year in Primary One she never entered the top-20). Jess promised to buy her a Nintendo Dual Screen, a portable game console.

So in short = no tuition class, not doing her homework regularly, repeated complaints from the teacher staff about her talkativeness.......= recipe for disaster.

That's what we thought and expected.............., day of reckoning came......and.....

Against all odds our girl improved, although maths and science were a let down, but overall she scored well and even improved her ranking, breaking into the top-20, safely nestling herself onto the 17th spot of her class....and overall 40 out of 150 Primary 2 students.

Promise is a promise, we had to break the bank to provide her the NDS, on one condition only......NDS only on Saturdays during schoolweeks, and limited time during school holidays. And still no tuition for her..........

So now it's till November for the following report card, and no, this time we won't make any promises anymore.....it turns out she has a knack of meeting our high criteria.....we are outsmarted by our very own daughter, doh!!

Shuffle, shuffle here,.....shuffle, shuffle there

People who read our blog on a regular basis are aware that we are blessed of living in a neighbourhood which has ample provisions for outdoor activities, like jogging path, basket ball courts and even a full blown football field.

Since a few months there are even a few groups of ladies who engage into line-dancing sessions on the basket ball court.

Line-dancing? Yups, line-dancing.....it's a healthy exercise in group form, and one gets to know one's neighbour (same goes for the football club).

Ofcourse, there are some residents who are not that pleased with the noise that these ladies generate....in particular the soundlevel of the music that they dance upon. I dare say that a few sessions a week shouldn't be too bothersome for those 'affected' residents, as it only takes up an hour/session. But then again, we live 'far' away from where these sessions take place and have no disturbance whatsoever from the line dance.

Anyway, last Monday, managed to find a gap in my schedule and witness a line-dance session myself. A group numbering 30 over ladies and one dude, aging from 30 and above, tenderly performing some steps in what is supposed to be line-dancing. (It's definitely different from what I've seen on TV, where it goes furiously up and down, back and forth, accompanied by frenzied, loud country music).

Heck, what's all the fuss about anyway? Basketball players produce more noise than that, 'telephone porridge' aunties speak louder than a few dozen shuffling feet together.

Too bad both Jess and me work every evening or we would have tried this thing out too....the dance steps should improve my stamina and skills on the football field....I guess....:p

Be thy neighbour, love thy neighbour,.......Peace out

High heels

High heels......

What's the fascination of ladies with high heels anyway? It's uncomfortable, one is prone to twist their ankle, can't run with it in case the situation requires one to run (sudden emergency anyone?).

But still, high heels shoes sell like hot cakes and despite the repeated warning of all health care professionals not to torture oneself of using these particular shoes, the lady folks out there vehemently ignore the 'good' advice and continue pouring big bucks into the moneypits of these particular shoe manufacturers.

So the tradition of wearing high heels get passed on from generation to generation. Yups, meaning our little gal has developed a liking of wearing high heels. Does she have her own pair? Certainly not, not if we can prevent her from buying it......

But the mischievious lady has found a way around that..........by putting on mum's pairs.

The other day before she was going off for shopping with aunty Lily, I noticed that she was looking for a pair of shoes. Hmmmm, strange, normally she just puts on her pair of slippers and off she goes....but this time 'round, she was taking her time.

Daddy : "What are you looking for?"

Laetitia : "Mmmmmhhhh....shoes..."

Daddy : "So...then?"

Laetitia : "Can I wear these shoes?" (pointing at mum's high heels)

Daddy : "Errmmmmm.....are you sure u can fit into them?"

Laetitia : "Yes, look,....." (the shoes are ofcourse a few sizes too big for her little feet)

Daddy : (grinning....) "Ok, if you say so, but be careful then"

Laetitia : "Thank you Daddy, I love you, byebye"

And off she went to aunty's car, who was waiting outside for her. She stepped in, and vrooooom......30 seconds, 1 minute, 2 minutes......vrooooooooom again at our house....Doors slamming open and I hear high heels clicking on the car porch. Peering outside, Laetitia with aunty Lily in tow.

Aunty Lily : "Wear your slippers!!!" (angrily looking at our little gal)

Daddy : "What happened?"

Aunty Lily : "How come you let your daughter wear these kind of shoes? She will fall down and they are too big for her!!"

Daddy : "Well, she said it was okay" (beaming a big smile....)

In the end, Laetitia swapped back into her slippers again and sulkingly trodded off with her chin on her chest to the mall...........without high heels.

Kiss your high heels goodbye for now.

Rescuing......'Ben Ten!!!"

Setting : Henry & Annie's garden fishpond.

Situation : The two siblings and Laetitia were trying to catch a fish with a net, and ofcourse Henry being the male, took up the initiative to perform the 'hard' job, with the 2 girls as onlookers. Also in the equation, is the watch that Henry is wearing, not a normal watch, but a "Ben Ten" watch!! (Ben Ten is a popular cartoon showing on Cartoon Network, depicting a boy called Ben Ten who defends planet earth against aliens using his special watch, hence the Ben Ten watch, capiche?)

Look at the below 2 video's of what has transpired.........and for your convenience, I've jotted down the conversation between themselves for you.....I had a good laugh myself and when I showed the video's to Jessica, she was practically ROFL.....

Henry : "Ahaaa,....." (posing as a fella who knows what he is doing)

Laetitia : "What are you trying....?"

Henry : "I'm trying to catch water or pebbles......." (scooping up a net full of ....water)

(Suddenly something drops down into the pond which belongs to Henry)

Henry : "Oopsie!!"

Annie : "What is this?" (Annie and Laetitia peering into the water)

Henry : "Stone, ...stone!!"

Laetitia : "What is that?"

Annie : "Your Ben Ten watch!!" (full of shock)

Henry : "Never mind, I have another one....I have two watches......I have two, I have two!!"

Annie : "Your Ben Ten watch!!" (still full of shock)

Henry : "I have two, the truth,....the truth." (with a grin on his face to hide his embarrasment)

Annie & Laetitia : "I'll help you (to retrieve it)."

Annie : (looking at Laetitia) "Take the Ben Ten watch!! Take the Ben Ten watch!!"

Henry : "Okay, wait, I can take it."

Laetitia : "Is it waterproof?"

Henry : "Ah ha, it's waterproof." (trying to scoop the watch up with the net) Grunting....."I got it!!"

Annie : (bursting out in laughter) "Hahahahahaaa" (I assume that she is happy that her bro managed to 'rescue' the watch)

Henry : (whilst scooping it up and putting it back on terra firma, talking to his sister, Annie) "I give you this watch."

Annie : (looking at him incredously)...."?!?"

Henry : "I give you this one, I have another one"

Lol, the watch turned out not to be waterproof at all and Henry tried to convince his little sister to swap watches........siblings....where is the love.......fell into the water, I suspect.

Eye to eye with a 'monster' and dinosaur

There was a Danish exhibit in town past month, displaying two dozen oversized insects and a dozen dinosaurs.

Not that we adults think or care much about it, but it's a must for children amongst us. Otherwise they might think that insects are just something they see on the tele and dinosaurs are just a story made up, or in worst case....friends of Barney (for those of you who don't have a clue who Barney is,.......come on......Barney is kids' best friend and has been terrorizing our television for years, see dino picture above for reference).

Laetitia and her friends, Henry and Annie, reactions were a bit mixed though. Annie found it a bit scary whereas Henry and our girl thought nothing of it. Both of them (Laetitia and Henry) are 'big' enough to realize that the 'monsters' and dinosaurs at the exhibit were just that, fake. Or they might just pose their alpha-male/female attitude.

Now I do wonder what their reaction would be like when they encounter a real insect of that sorts, albeit in a dininutive size, in the near future.......still not scared? I bet they are the first ones who run away screaming for help. Not scared, ....my foot...

Only donkeys make the same mistake twice

A donkey is only foolish enough to commit the same dumb mistake twice.........

And since what has happened yesterday, you can address me 'dumbass donkey' too

Weekend = football = exercising in a group in the outdoor (which is much more jolly fun than jogging alone or sweating oneself out to exhaustion at the local gym).

Few guys of us were juggling with the ball in a circle, heading the ball to eachother...trying to keep the ball in play, which was mighty fun, but ofcourse from time to time the ball went astray and we had to retrieve it and re-do the routine again.

First let me tell you, what you see on the tele, those professional players performing their acrobats.......never ever perform them yourself, you might get yourself hurt.

And yeah, this 'donkey' here, thought he could retrieve a stray ball by trying to perform a 'bicycle kick'.

What I forgot during the heat of the work-out is that I forgot my age again. Being a 40-year old fella, means that my athleticism is way, way offline. So instead of perfectly hitting the ball and landing graciously, I fell like a ton of bricks on the back of my head.........AGAIN !!! (see previous post , http://yuenslair.blogspot.com/2008/10/hard-learned-lesson.html )

Grmmmbbbllllll,........what the heck was I thinking off, attempting such a move at my age. I should count my blessings though as there was no visible damage on the back of my head, apart from a lump, and the feeling that the little bit of brain mass that I have left, has moved more towards my fronthead, resulting in a throbbing feeling for a few days (aka : major headache).

Sigh, when will I learn my lesson? Apparently not.....a protective headgear is a prudent option though. Might look silly on my head, but better that than becoming 'dumb' for the remainder of my life.