Last day of school holidays

All good things must come to an end. Today is the last day of school holidays. Term 1 2008 commences tomorrow. We have had a reasonably nice long break. My eldest son enjoyed his first overseas trip on his own. The youngest had mom all to himself and we have enjoyed doing things together. In preparation for school, we have to shop for new shoes, sneakers and lunch boxes.
How did we spend the last few days of school holidays? Sleeping in as much as we could. Getting the boys back to a routine which means cutting down to 1 hour of TV and computer and going to bed earlier.

I have a few weeks more to go before I go back to University so I am trying to get things organised so that it will be a smooth transition again as i get stuck studying again. There is lots to put in place and implement.

Australian Open 2008 - Finals

We were lucky to be given tickets to the Australian Open 2008 finals. We watched the mixed double finals and Men's finals between Novac Djokovic and Jo Wilfried Tsonga. It was my first experience watching live tennis matches. By the way, SpongeBob Square Pants found a new friend - Bob the smiley face tennis ball. Of course, his imaginary friend Bob was there too.

Lake Catani, Mt Buffalo

Bright and Beautiful

Bright is a beautiful place, more beautiful than I remembered. It normally takes 3.5 hours drive but we took at least double that since we detour to Milawa Gourmet Region. If you are into gourmet food and love food & wine tasting, you are in the right place. There is the Milawa Cheese factory, Milawa Mustards, Olives, Honey and my favourite, Brown Brothers selections of wine. http://www.milawagourmet.com/

We stayed at Bright Resort, which is about 1km from the town centre. The resort has a pool, spa, sauna, games room, mini golf and lots of room for the children to run around. When it rained and rained on the first 2 days, we welcome the rain with open arms and spend our time doing whatever the resort offered. The next couple of days we spend exploring Bright, the surrounding areas and Mt Buffalo.

One the best thing about Bright is Ovens River. You can swim, kayak or go tubing. We did all three and what a marvellous experience it was. Cherry Walk (3 km, 1.5 hours) is a must if you love walking along the river. Canyon Walk (also 3 km, 1.5 hours) offers a beautiful high up view of the river. If you enjoy bushwalking like me, this is one experience you must try. It is so peaceful and beautiful. Stop and listen and you hear the running water, the birds singing, skink and blue tongue lizards scuttling around in dried barks and twigs and the leaves rustling. Another interesting activity for the kids - panning for gold. http://www.brightvictoria.com.au

By the way, if you like blueberries, and if they are in season, go pick your own at Blueberry Farm at Feathertop Rd, Harrietville. At $6 kilo, it is the best value in Victoria. Pick and weigh and place money in money box. This must be one of the very few places that still operate on honesty. By the way, don’t just pick from the first few rows, as there are 6 different varieties and each taste different. But they are all yummy. http://www.harrietville.com/

Vacation - Bright, Victoria

I am off to Bright for a week. It’s meant to be birthday present for my eldest son and a break for us all. We planned that last week, knowing that school starts in 2 weeks. It will be a good opportunity to rest and enjoy their company. Life gets busy and hectic when everything gets back in motion. If I have access to internet and if I feel like it, I may blog. Otherwise, talk to you soon. I'll bring home some pictures to show you. In the mean time, enjoy browsing through my blog. You have a good week too.

Enya - May it Be

This is beautiful. Most of you know Enya and I think She does not need introduction.

Hayley Westenra - Who Painted The Moon Black

Hayley Westenra is from New Zealand and sings beautifully. When she recorded this song in 2005, I think she was only 16. Hope you enjoy this. For more of Hayley's songs, search YouTube. They have many of her songs.

Quotes with a sense of humour # 4

I don't feel old. I don't feel anything until noon. Then it's time for my nap.
-- Bob Hope

I never drink water because of the disgusting things that fish do in it.
-- W.C. Fields

We could certainly slow the aging process down if it had to work its way through Congress.
-- Will Rogers

Sometimes things don’t

Sometimes things don’t
Sometimes in life, things do no turn out the way we want them. Despite how much you plan and how hard your try the results were not what you expected. You plan for a picnic and it rained. Or you want to give your best but it turn out bad. Or sometimes, you wanted to go East but instead ended up going West, not because you got lost, but because you had to detour for other reasons. When things do not turn out the way we want, and though the consequences are not always bad. We will feel the disappointment, anger and pain for a lost ‘hope’ or ‘dream’. Note: Not sure why I wrote this??

Badminton

It’s been a long while since I played this game but recently some friends suggested it and we have been playing every week for a month. Hopefully we can continue playing regularly when school starts. Playing badminton reminds me very much of home and of school days (yes, it has been that long). I used to love playing and I still enjoy playing it today although I don’t move as quick and I lack the strength for high returns and serves. The days of competitive playing have long gone and it’s nice to play for fun and to keep fit. Actually I dont feel fit... i feel sore and my shoulder ached. But after a day or too of limited movement I am back to normal till the next time we play.

Teenagers

Dear Polar Bear,
Today you enter the world of Teenagers. Teenagers, as you know, loves their mom, are very helpful and handy at home, are hardworking, loves to be generous, kind and very caring. They never answer back, they are respectful of their peers and elders. They are well organise. They clean their room and make their beds. They clean up after themselves. They wash and fold their own laundry. Sometimes, they even offer to do the ironing. They produce the best projects, homework and assignments.

They enjoy sleeping in and giving their moms peace of mind and rest. They have the best fun. They love life without destroying it. They stay away from alcohol, drugs and cigarettes. They love tacos, nachos, pizzas and peking duck. They act when asked. They say, 'how high?', when told to jump. They are ever so polite when talking with their moms. They are loving and not shy to give their moms hugs and kisses.
Love you.
Mom

p.s. Try and live up to these expectations. Be a good sport.

Happy Birthday Polar Bear

Happy 13th Birthday my son.
Hope you have a great day with your friends.
Love you, Mom

My youngest son

My youngest son is 9. Like my eldest, he chose a character to represent him. He is crazy about SpongeBob SquarePants. SpongeBob is a sponge (yes, he is). My son has a whole stack of collections of DVDs, soft toys, posters, key chain and T Shirt of SpongeBob. He has an imaginary friend name Bob (surprise! surprise!). No, he’s not a sponge but a bunny rabbit :). I will share more about my boys in later blogs.

Lunch with Polar Bear

Had lunch at Kobe Japanese Restaurant with mom today. We ordered teriyaki pork schnitzel on rice and a bento deluxe meal. Umm and that’s all for now folks. See you soon. Ha ha ha
Blog by Polar Bear a.k.a. my eldest son.

We had a really nice lunch together. It’s been a month since I saw him. Polar Bear spend a month in Malaysia with grandparents and other extended family. He told me about his trip, what he did, where he visited and what he ate. He had a wonderful time there. After lunch we went to get the super size slurplee at 7 Eleven cause he kept away from ice for an entire month.

Count Down - One more sleep

My eldest son will turn 13 tomorrow. Yup! He’s going to be a TEENAGER. Gosh I feel old. He’s taller, bigger and stronger than me. I wanted to share his picture but he said no. Instead he said I could use an animal, which he picked, to represent him. It’s also a nickname his friends gave him. This animal and my son share similar personality traits.

POLAR BEAR
They both like the cold. Love to eat and sleep. Live on a diet of fish and seafood.

Summer Holiday Destinations

Marysville, Victoria

It’s summer here in the Southern Hemisphere. While some of my Northern Hemisphere friends and relatives freeze in the cold, it’s been hot and getting hotter here. Summer is of course the time for family vacation. We are lucky that we own time shares and have access to some really nice places. My boys love going to Marysville. The resort at Marysville has all the important stuff for kids i.e. an indoor heated pool and spa, games room, computer games, and TV in the rooms. Around the area there are trout farms, a blueberry farm (which serves the yummiest pancakes with all the yummy berries and homemade ice cream) and to top it off – an old fashion lolly shop. It's Heaven! I like Marysville for its natural surroundings, the beautiful waterfalls, crystal clear river, the bush/forest and greeneries.

Australian Open 2008

The Australian Open started today in Melbourne (THE sport capital of Australia, if not the world). I enjoy watching tennis as many of the good matches are telecast live on TV. It’s great to see Justine Henin back in top form and good to see Lindsay Devanport coming back to play. If you like tennis, check out the official website for more information.
http://www.australianopen.com/

Quotes with a sense of humour # 3

Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four essential food groups: alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat. Alex Levine

My luck is so bad that if I bought a cemetery, people would stop dying.
Rodney Dangerfield

Money can't buy you happiness . but it does bring you a more pleasant form of misery. Spike Milligan

I am opposed to millionaires... but it would bedangerous to offer me the position. Mark Twain

Until I was thirteen, I thought my name was SHUT UP. Joe Namath

What does love mean # 5

"Love is what makes you smile when you're tired."
Terri - age 4

Good for a smile # Finale

30. Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.
31. Never lick a steak knife.
32. The most destructive force in the universe is gossip.
33. You will never find anybody who can give you a clear and compelling reason why we put the clocks back.
34. You should never say anything to a woman that even remotely suggests that you think she's pregnant unless you can see an actual baby emerging from her at that moment.
35. There comes a time when you should stop expecting other people to make a big deal about your birthday. That time is age eleven.
36. The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion, economic status or ethnic background, is that, deep down inside, we ALL believe that we are above average drivers.
37. A person, who is nice to you, but rude to the waiter, is not a nice person.
38. Your friends love you anyway.
39. Never be afraid to try something new. Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark. A large group of professionals built the Titanic.

Fun Facts about Australia

G’day is hullo, pronounced Gidday which is a shortened form of Good Day, and used mostly in informal situations.

Bloke is an Aussie male who generally is a hard worker and does the right thing. Eg., "Bill’s a Good Bloke".

Mate is Friend, mainly for males. Everyone in Australia is mate, so we would often say "G’day mate" or "Thanks mate".

Onya means Well Done, a shortened form of Good On You.

Population clock

On 13 January 2008 at 02:18:20 (Canberra time), the resident population of Australia is projected to be:
21,183,500

This projection is based on the estimated resident population at 30 June 2007 and assumes growth since then of:
one birth every 1 minute and 56 seconds,
one death every 3 minutes and 58 seconds,
a net gain of one international migrant every 3 minutes and 5 seconds leading to an overall total population increase of one person every 1 minutes and 42 seconds.

Australia, my home

G’Day and welcome to my blog.

I moved to Melbourne, Victoria, Australia in April 1994. I have lived here for nearly fourteen years. In the early years it was not easy adapting to life here. Born and bred in Malaysia meant I am very much a Malaysian at heart. For those who are familiar with the Malay language, it was difficult getting rid of the ‘lah’ at the end of every sentense. Further, there were not as many Asians here but in the last ten years things have changed. Now one can see Asians everywhere. Asians restaurants, grocery stores, businesses are flourishing. There are a large varieties of food and very delicious too. Melbourne is a very cosmopolitan place. There are more than 150 ethnic groups that lived here. Melbourne has the largest Greek population outside of Greece. You can find Greek restaurants all over Melbourne. Italian food is also very popular here. Melbourne is the fashion and sport capital of Australia.

Last year, I adopted Australian citizenship. I am now officially an Aussie. Last November, I voted for the first time. Over the coming weeks I hope to post more information about Australia. Do drop by my blog again soon.

Thanks for visiting. Cheers

Somewhere over the "Rainbows"

I love rainbows. If you like them too please check this out.
Found it on YouTube.

Quotes with a sense of humour # 2

Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint.
-- Mark Twain

By all means, marry. If you get a good wife, you'll become happy; if you get a bad one, you'll become a philosopher..
-- Socrates

I was married by a judge. I should have asked for a jury.
-- Groucho Marx

My wife has a slight impediment in her speech. Every now and then she stops to breathe.
-- Jimmy Durante

I have never hated a man enough to give his diamonds back.
-- Zsa Zsa Gabor

What does love mean # 4

A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year-olds, "What does love mean?" The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined.

"Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs."
Chrissy - age 6

Price of fuel

And you thought the price of fuel is very expensive in your town.
It is nothing compared to this.

Good for a smile # 3

21. Experience is a wonderful thing. It enables you to recognise a mistake when you make it again.
22. By the time you can make ends meet, they move the ends.
23. Thou shalt not weigh more than thy fridge.
24. Someone who thinks logically provides a nice contrast to the real world.
25. It's not the jeans that make your bum look fat.
26. If you had to identify, in 1 word, the reason why the human race has not achieved, & never will achieve, its full potential, that word would be "meetings".
27. There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness".
28. People who want to share their religious views with you almost never want you to share yours with them.
29. You should not confuse your career with your life.
30. Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.

Food for thought # 6

How come it takes so little time for a child who is afraid of the dark to become a teenager who wants to stay out all night?

Quotes with a sense of humour # 1

Sometimes, when I look at my children, I say to myself "Lillian, you should have remained a virgin."
Lillian Carter (mother of Jimmy Carter)

I had a rose named after me and I was very flattered. But I was not pleased to read the description in the catalog: "No good in a bed, but fine against a wall."
Eleanor Roosevelt

Last week, I stated this woman was the ugliest woman I had ever seen. I have since been visited by her sister, and now wish to withdraw that statement.
Mark Twain

The secret of a good sermon is to have a good beginning and a good ending; and to have the two as close together as possible.
George Burns

Santa Claus has the right idea. Visit people only once a year.
Victor Borge

Good for a smile # 2

11. Bills travel through the mail at twice the speed of cheques.
12. A conscience is what hurts when all of your other parts feel so good.
13. Eat well, stay fit, die anyway.
14. Men are from earth. Women are from earth. Deal with it.
15. No man has ever been shot while doing the dishes.
16. A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand.
17. Middle age is when broadness of the mind and narrowness of the waist change places.
18. Opportunities always look bigger going than coming.
19. Junk is something you've kept for years and throw away three weeks before you need it.
20. There is always one more imbecile than you counted on.

Laughter is the best medicine

A little girl was talking to her teacher about whales. The teacher said it was physically impossible for a whale to swallow a human because even though it was a very large mammal its throat was very small. The little girl stated that Jonah was swallowed by a whale. Irritated, the teacher reiterated that a whale could not swallow a human; it was physically impossible.
The little girl said, "When I get to heaven I will ask Jonah".
The teacher asked, "What if Jonah went to hell?"
The little girl replied, "Then you ask him".

Mum's Song

To all the mums. This one is for you. It is so good and funny.

Good for a smile # 1

Hope these make you smile :)

1. Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.
2. Don't worry about what people think, they don't do it very often.
3. Going to church doesn't make you a Christian anymore than standing in a garage makes you a car.
4. Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity.
5. If you must choose between two evils, pick the one you've never tried before.
6. My idea of housework is to sweep the room with a glance.
7. Not one shred of evidence supports the notion that life is serious.
8. It is easier to get forgiveness than permission.
9. For every action, there is an equal and opposite government program.
10. If you look like your passport picture, you probably need the trip.

Mathematical Viewpoint

THIS IS A STRICTLY MATHEMATICAL VIEWPOINT...IT GOES LIKE THIS:
What Makes 100%? What does it mean to give MORE than 100%?
Ever wonder about those people who say they are giving more than 100%?
We have all been to those meetings where someone wants you to give over 100%.
How about achieving 103%?
What makes up 100% in life?
Here's a little mathematical formula that might help you answer these questions:

If: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
is represented as:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

Then:
H-A-R-D-W-O-R-K 8+1+18+4+23+15+18+11 = 98%
and
K-N-O-W-L-E-D-G-E 11+14+15+23+12+5+4+7+5 = 96%
But ,
A-T-T-I-T-U-D-E 1+20+20+9+20+21+4+5 = 100%
And,
B-U-L-L-S-H-I-T 2+21+12+12+19+8+9+20 = 103%
AND, look how far ass kissing will take you ...
A-S-S-K-I-S-S-I-N-G 1+19+19+11+9+19+19+9+14+7 = 118%

So, one can conclude with mathematical certainty that While Hard work and Knowledge
will get you close, and ATTITUDE WILL GET YOU THERE,
IT'S THE BULLSHIT AND ASS KISSING THAT WILL PUT YOU OVER THE TOP

Food for thought # 5

A good time to keep your mouth shut is when you're in deep water.

Women Prime Ministers

First Woman Prime Minister in the world

Sirimavo Bandaranaike (1916-2000)



Prime minister of Sri Lanka three times:
from 21 Jul 1960 to 27 Mar 1965,
from 29 May 1970 to 23 Jul 1977 and
from 14 Nov 1994 to 10 Aug 2000.

Laughter is the best medicine

To My Dear Friend the Dog :

I am so sorry about you being sent to the dog pound for the broken lamp which you did not break; the fish you did not spill; and the carpet that you did not wet; or the wall that you did not dirty with red paint...

Things here at the house are calmer now, and just to show you that I have no hard feelings towards you, I am sending you a picture, so you will always remember me.

Best regards,
The Cat

Food for thought # 4

Seat belts are not as confining as wheelchairs.

Quote of the day

"Freedom is not worth having

if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes.

It passes my comprehension how human beings,

be they ever so experienced and able,

can delight in depriving other human beings

of that precious right."

Mahatma Gandhi

Finger Paintings

These 'finger paintings' are amazing.
It'll take four hours to do a hand and 10 hours to do the two-handed Eagle.

What does love mean # 3

A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year-olds, "What does love mean?" The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined.

"Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other."
Karl - age 5

Quote of the day

Everybody today seems to be in such a terrible rush,

anxious for greater developments

and greater riches and so on,

so that children have very little time for their parents.

Parents have very little time for each other,

and in the home begins the disruption of peace of the world.

Mother Teresa

Food for thought # 3

If you don't have a sense of humor, you probably don't have any sense at all.

What does love mean # 2

A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year-olds, "What does love mean?" The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined.

"When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different.
You just know that your name is safe in their mouth."
Billy - age 4 (Man this one is deep!)

Food for thought # 2

Money will buy a fine dog, but only kindness will make him wag his tail.

Quote of the day

"In this life we cannot do great things.

We can only do small things with great love"

Mother Teresa

Garfield's wise words

Double Rainbows

Live simply.

Love generously.

Care deeply.

Speak kindly.

Leave the rest to God.

Questions that haunt

Questions That Haunt (Me & You???)

Can you cry under water?

How important does a person have to be before they are considered assassinated instead of just murdered?

Why do you have to "put your two cents in", but it's only a"penny for your thoughts"? Where's that extra penny going to?

Once you're in heaven, do you get stuck wearing the clothes you were buried in for eternity?

Why does a round pizza come in a square box?

What disease did cured ham actually have?

How is it that we put man on the moon before we figured out itwould be a good idea to put wheels on luggage?

Why is it that people say they "slept like a baby" when babieswake up like every two hours?

If a deaf person has to go to court, is it still called ahearing?

Why are you IN a movie, but you're ON TV?

Why do people pay to go up tall buildings and then put money in binoculars to look at things on the ground?

Why do doctors leave the room while you change? They're goingto see you naked anyway.

Why is "bra" singular and "panties" plural?

Why do toasters always have a setting that burns the toast to a horrible crisp, which no decent human being would eat?

If Jimmy cracks corn and no one cares, why is there a stupid song about him?

Can a hearse carrying a corpse drive in the carpool lane?

If the professor on Gilligan's Island can make a radio out of a coconut, why can't he fix a hole in a boat?

Why does Goofy stand erect while Pluto remains on all fours? They're both dogs!

If Wile E. Coyote had enough money to buy all that ACME crap, why didn't he just buy dinner?

If corn oil is made from corn, and vegetable oil is made from vegetables, what is baby oil made from?

If electricity comes from electrons, does morality come from morons?

Why do the Alphabet song and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star have the same tune? Why did you just try singing the two songs above?

Did you ever notice that when you blow in a dog's face, he getsmad at you, but when you take him for a car ride, he sticks hishead out the window?

Words of Wisdom

Nurture your mind with great thoughts,
for you will never go any higher than you think.
Benjamin Disraeli:

What does love mean # 1

A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year-olds, "What does love mean?" The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined.

"When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love." Rebecca- age 8

Food for thought # 1

The nicest thing about the future is that it always starts tomorrow.

Quote of the Day

Let us make one point,
that we meet each other with a smile,
when it is difficult to smile.
Smile at each other,
make time for each other in your family.

Mother Teresa,
in her Nobel lecture
Indian (Albanian-born) humanitarian & missionary
(1910 - 1997)

Happy New Year

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2008

Best wishes for the new year. Stay healthy, wealthy and wise.

Welcome

Hi! Welcome to my blog.

I love rainbows. Life is sometimes like rainbows. We experience the dark clouds, the strong wind, the storms and the pouring rain. The surroundings are gloomy and gray, and it seems so hopeless. Then when we least expected it the sun suddenly breaks through. There is hope after all. We see glimpses of blue sky and then behold a R A I N B O W. And you know what? Every so often, if we are ever so lucky we get double rainbows.

Remember, without the storms and rain, and the sun...there is no R A I N B O W.