The "Me" time

It is so difficult to find some "me" time these days. 

It's always work, homework, work, homework. Weekends are again homework, classes for the kid.

Repeat over and over again.

My second pregnancy has been nothing like the first. First was a breeze. Second is just full of up and down. First, everyone wants to know how I've been doing. Second, no one bothers. People are only interested in the firsts, I guess :)

So enough with the rambling. I have finally managed to put my daughter's first birthday album together. She actually had 3 celebrations - one on her actual birthday where we visited the KL Bird Park followed by a small cake cutting party at home, second was in Penang with my family where we took our family for a Thai seafood dinner and had a cake cutting celebration there. The third one was the actual celebration party where we invited a host of guests, hired a clown and set up a grand canopy+table set. We did spend quite a bit for that. But it was worth it, because when I showed the pictures to my daughter while I was doing the photobook, she was actually excited!

Ok, that's an off topic thing. I wanted some "me" time, remember? So what did I do? Yoga. 

Pre-natal yoga to be exact. I did attend one when I was pregnant with the first. It was a weekly class with a class duration of 1 hour at the Yoga Academy in Brickfields. It cost me RM150 for 4 classes then. I called them up again and it still costs the same. But the problem with it? The schedule. I can't make it for the Saturday afternoon class which is their only class offered for pre-natal yoga. So I searched for an alternative.

Lucky for me, I found two studios near home offering the class. I reached out to both through Facebook page (it was easier than calling) and one of the studios gave me the answers I needed while the other wanted my contact number so that they can get a consultant to call me. I decided to go with the studio that responded to my query.

Four classes, each 2 hours long and the classes are valid for 2 months all for RM140. That was good enough for me. Plus, it's near, very near, to home. The class is on every Sunday afternoon. Fits fine with me. I prepared some dish for lunch, showered and got to class today. But since it was my first time at the studio, I actually didn't know how to get there. Anand followed me of course, and we were 30 minutes late. But it was ok for first class I guess. I'll try to be there earlier next time.

Now, the class was just great. As I've been to other pre-natal yoga before, I feel the new class is just challenging and yet more fulfilling. I felt energized right after the class. Relaxed as well. I felt it was a well-spent 1.5 hours. The class I used to attend in 2013 was more into relaxation and simple techniques. Simple stretching here and there, and that's it. But today, I was actually sweating, it was an actual yoga that is for pregnancy - a good amount of stretching, good amount of rests in between. Not fast paced but easy enough to follow.

I'm glad I found this place and this class. I finally found some time to relax, and connect with my second baby :) 

Thank GOD!

Now, need to find a time for pre-natal spa. 

The gluttonous journey: Thai Fish Farm

Little did I know a hidden Thai Seafood haven was just so near to my home! 

Thai Fish Farm in Hulu Langat. 

So how did I get there? Definitely by car, and if you have a 4WD, then it's even better. Why? You have to go up the hill and then go down the hill, and lots of uneven road. 

When I got there, there were plenty of parking space. Only few cars. It even got me thinking, do people really come here? 

The entrance

As we walked into the restaurant, I can see there were a sea of tables and chairs. So they must be expecting a lot of people, right? Well most of it were empty anyway. So that gave us the freedom to choose where we want to sit.

I chose a tablet at a corner of floating hut. It has the view of the hill (that was coming to sunset) and also the view of another small floating hut that was used for live entertainment. There were lots of fish on the pond! Usually, places like this will have a certain unpleasant smell. But here, it wasn't, thank goodness for that!

The entertainment hut floating on the pond

Anand and I were hungry! The menu given to us was BIG. So that saved us the time of browsing and we went straight to choosing!

First, was red tom yam seafood! The down to squid... then butter prawn.... followed by deep fried spinach and we MUST have black pepper crab! Yum yum...

Food came fairly quickly - so quickly that I did not have enough time to snap more pictures of the place.

View from our table.

The food was just awesome! Simply delicious... one of the best food I have eaten. I managed to refrain myself (and Anand) from whacking the food and take some pictures before the food disappeared.

Black pepper crab

Fried Spinach

Seafood tom yam

Butter prawn

We took one hour to finish our food. We devoured the food slowly, loving every bite of it. By the time we left (oh, not to forget we had dessert - thai mango sticky rice and thai red ruby), it was dark. When I stepped out of the restaurant, there were so many cars parked outside! And as we drove through the dark roads to our way out of the hill... there were many more cars turning into the restaurant! So, we went there at the right time - right before the crowds gathered.

And I thought who comes here. Gosh!

What defines your day?

For me, something pleasant. When I wake up and something pleasant happens, it turns my mood completely. Keeps me happy.

Never really had those moments often. But today it happened.

My 16-month-old woke up at 6am while I was getting ready for work. With a fuzzy mind and half open eyes she was able to figure out I was standing next to the bed.

And with the sweetest voice ever she called out "Amma", tried to get up and hug me. I reached out to her and carried her. She wrapped her tiny arms around my neck and quietly rested her head on my shoulder.

It wasn't the first hearing her call me mom. Each time she does there's a sweet tone to it... which melts my heart. But today, hearing that soft sweet voice innocently looking for me carved a memory that'll never forget.

Being a mother. Just to hear this little voice. It's all worth it.

It's here!

My book set is here. Received it earlier than expected and it is definitely in good condition.

Much better condition than the one I saw at the secondhand bookstore. Pages are clean, crisp. Well-kept book. I know I paid quite a bit on the postage, and it could be cheaper. But it is still way cheaper than the price quoted to me at the secondhand bookstore.

Books were neatly packed by the seller (thank you!) and it arrived in complete set. For a book that's as old as 35 years, the condition is just amazing. 

Now, let's wait for the second set of books (last published in 1988) to arrive.

Update: Second set arrived in a EVEN better condition! So proud of myself for the find! :)

My Little Bookworm

Reading starts at an early age. How early? As early as you can imagine - from the womb. I used to read when I was pregnant with my baby. But after she was born, I was limited to baby books and baby-related articles online.

But, my husband and I also developed one more practice - reading to our daughter. She usually just grabs the books, tries to eat it, loses concentration or simply throws the book. Not that she is not interested in reading - it's the way babies are :) They think books are toys.

We kept reading and showing the books to her. One of my husband's favourite books as child was "Three Billy Goat Gruff." (Nah... never heard of either..) So, that's the book we always end up reading because the story gives so much of animation opportunities - like the different sound we can make while narrating and the different types of voices we can use to identify the characters.

And also, those were the only board books I bought for my daughter - so really there isn't much options either. :P

Recently, I discovered (quite fashionably late as well) that Book Excess has huge store at Amcorp Mall, Petaling Jaya. Who are these people? They are the parents of Big Bad Wolf book fair. I am definitely not a fan of BBW. I've been there only once, and probably due to the fact I was heavily pregnant at that time (I went into labour one day after visiting BBW), I didn't enjoy the walkabout that much and the titles offered did not fascinate me either. So the following year (last year in fact), I deferred my trip there.

However, their physical store was completely a different story. My, oh my! So many books - especially children books! I was ecstatic! Why? It's just one station hop from my office. I can catch my lunch and shop for books well within my lunch hour! It was just amazing! And how stupid I have been not noticing this before. Well, not too late I hope.

So I went on a shopping spree buying children books for my daughter. A great find was Roald Dahl set, and a classic bedtime storybook - We're Going on a Bear Hunt. I came back with loads of board books and stories and I aim to get plenty more. We're going to build a little library, remember? :P

Now, my daughter points to "We're Going on a Bear Hunt" title every night before bed time. My husband and I, will animate the words and sing the story to her (no, we did not make the song up. It's from YouTube by the writer himself, alright?) Well, she responds to "uh, oh!" and "oh, no!" for now :)

She will then flip the book and tries to read it on her own. It's really adorable. Really. Every single night.

Anyway, thanks to my generosity in supplying fresh titles to my tot, we have forgotten the old ones. We haven't touched those old baby books in ages! 

Today something wonderful happened. My 16-month-old daughter was busy walking around the house, and I suddenly found her scrummaging the area we used to keep all her older books. She picked up a book that I have not read to her for quite some time now - The Three Billy Goat Gruff!

She walked up to me, passed to book to me and gestured to read it for her. When I opened the book, she stopped me and gestured that she wants to sit on my lap. Yeah, I remember - I used to read that book while she sits on my lap! Aww... my little girl wants me to read her a book! It was just a warm feeling and I felt all those days showing her the books, trying to read to her while she tries to munch the pages has finally paid off. Now, she wants to read all the time. Well, she doesn't exactly "read'. For now, she's flipping the pages carefully and looks at the pictures.

A little bookworm in the making?

Not quite there yet.

But, we're getting there!

Books, books and books!

I can't believe I have not blogged for few months! Can you believe that? Of course you can, you saw no posts for the past few months, and it's not something new, isn't it?

My baby is now all grown up *isk* she's turning 16! 16 months that is... :P So that means, I get to spend more time with her and she knows what I'm trying to teach her. She now walks and talks! Babbles most of the time, but she can say some simple words to get what she wants... like wanting touch something. Or wanting to eat banana. Yes, just like me, she likes banana.

And the fact that she's more mobile now is enough to keep me on my toes. She's very responsive to instructions and requests for her to do something. So, what is my point now telling all this? 

I've been busy of course! Now you know, why the blog has been lonely for so long? Hehe...

Alright, now that my daughter has been growing up at lightning speed, it's a good time to start building that little library I have always dreamt of for my children. 

Yes, with physical books. 

No, not my Kindle library. 

Yes, the books has no batteries. 

No, you have to read to those books.

Yes, by actually flipping the pages.

Yes, library for children exists.

When I was a kid, my parents unknowingly (I think it was just by chance) bought a library set for me (and my sisters). That one thing helped shape my future. They didn't know reading starts at an early age. They just thought the books would help us in one way or another. I loved those books. I would spend hours browsing and reading. Reading again and again. 

And they went missing. The books I mean, not my parents.

I knew I had to get those books back - back in my shelf. My daughter must read these book. She simply has to. I despise those who has never touched these books as kids. I truly am saddened - saddened that my daughter may never read these books. The fact that these books are no longer in publications means, I cannot buy any new editions of the ones I used to read. 

And so, I found out a secondhand book dealer in KL - Junk Book Store at the heart of KL city. I called them up and found out they do have the book sets available and apparently, in good condition too.

You see, good condition is a very subjective term. I was hoping it to be almost new, untouched kind of good condition - because the price they quoted was well above what my dad paid for many years ago. I know, I know... I was expecting too much. But the price that they quoted, equates to my expectation.

Only to be let down. I was hunting for 2 sets of books. One set looked as if it was dug out from a trash bin. There were torn pages, plenty of markings and scribbles. The other set looks good from the outside. The covers were nice, but there were so many markings, drawings, scribbles and what appears to be hand prints of kids. I was really disappointed. Price was not negotiable at all. I didn't feel happy paying the sum and I knew Internet will have the answer.

Ok, eBay to be exact. Just to be clear, I have searched these books in eBay before, but sellers were either selling incomplete set or bad condition set. Not too happy about it either.

But luck was on my side when I finally had the time to comb through eBay and find the books I wanted. I found two of my favourite set, both located in US, one being a rare collection now. Vintage set, how about that! Now I know why the secondhand book dealer was charging me an arm and leg for it.Non-negotiable on top of that!

Surprise surprise, the price was negotiable on eBay (I gave my best offer and it was accepted). And with the shipping and all, what I paid was just half of what the secondhand book dealer quoted me. And the best part is, the ones I just purchased were in excellent condition - at least from the pictures shared to me by the seller - far, way far, better than what Junk Book Store had in their store. I wish, I could bring my books to them and show it to them.

Well of course I can't.

Who would lug 31 books across the KL city just to prove a point? And, it's in their name - they call themselves "junk" for a reason, right?

Anyway, I don't have the books yet in my hands and I can't wait to touch and flip them. These gems, (yes, GEMS) are on their way to their new home. I am excited... I finally found something that was so much part of my childhood which I treasured so much. I'm sad the original books that I read are missing now... but I am also glad, I found a replacement for it - and one that is in good condition too.

Watch for my updates when the books are delivered to me.

By the way, eBay's global shipping program is just so awesome. It takes the worry out of me cracking my head over import duties, taxes and customs. :)

So now, Mr Husband - we have a library to build. :)

Happy New Year! Keep calm and eat cupcakes!

Here we go again! We are back at the start of another exciting year ahead. I am so looking forward to 2015 - it's the year where my resolution is to read more books, travel to more places and eat healthier meals!

Last year was hectic for me. I suppressed my need to travel to the very least. Anand and I took a short one-day breakaway to Malacca after my maternity leave and we also went to Genting Highlands with my mother-in-law and our daughter, Anooushka. That was it! Just two trips. Why?

Deciding to travel in a year filled with air disasters, natural catastrophe and wide-spread diseases was certainly difficult. What more, with a baby at hand whose immune system was still maturing - we did not want to take the risk. (Well, to be fair, Anand did suggest a trip to Bali for my birthday. But I just can't seem to comprehend what is there in Bali that everyone raves about. I just can't bring myself to even try to look the pictures online.)

So this is it. This IS the year for TRAVEL. Keeping fingers crossed :)

The new year's eve was at a cousin's place. They got a new house with a cool pool. It was a great get together with all those far and near and dear. I decided to be extra hardworking (ok Anand had to help though) and made cupcakes for the party (plus for my neighbours!).

Surprisingly the treats turned out well on that day and I loved how my cupcakes swirls behaved! I made my mocha cupcake + espresso buttercream and vanilla cupcakes + vanilla buttercream + rainbow sprinkles. 

My cupcakes nicely boxed and fresh from the fridge.

Just a few weeks back, I also did peanut butter cupcake + peanut butter buttercream + homemade strawberry jam filling. It was just heavenly...

Follow me on my Instagram for my next cupcake adventure!