Visitors!

Bedak kid came to visit me & baby with her mother.... of course they bring gifts and oh I have lots of gifts now that I think I can't really use all of it! Then I chat with her mother for quite some time and he was bored. Me and her mother talk about my experiences and how am I going to handle my new baby and some tips to care for her. Lots of ideas and thoughts are shared among us, mothers. I am getting confuse too!

Suddenly, bedak kid was asking me questions like, "Does baby Cher Ru smile or talk often?" Hmm... well I told him,"Baby does not smile a lot but she does when she's dreaming or even when sucking milk! She still does not know how to talk but making some sounds like 'Ooo' & 'Aaa'." Bedak kid ask some more..... "So baby knows I am here to see her?" I say, "Well, she can see shadows only and her sense of smell is stronger.... she knows who her mother is and the rest she will know if you hold her more and talk to her."

After all explanation, Bedak kid went on to chat with her but not touching and disturbing her just talk and baby seems to listen and slightly open and close her eyes. I guess bedak kid's curiosity has been aroused while my baby seems to learn to listen to sounds and sense the existence of people around her, and my guess is she loves attention too!

Act 12- Oh my Tummy!

Oh dear, I have not been out and about for almost a month and a half....... now.. hmmm was thinking that I should be doing lotsa walking to ease my labour when the time comes.

So, after meal I'll walk around the neighbourhood and inhale some fresh air. I then came across Bedak Kid, he was cycling around the area and stop by my side. He was surprised to see me, after all he has not seen me for quite some time since Chinese New Year!

He posed a question to me,"How come you look fat and had a big tummy?" Hmm... I was going to answer him then he ask again,"You have stay away from everyone because you look fat?" I am then seem amused and ask why he say that I have to stay away..... Oh he then answered me that his mum has to stay fit and slim so that she can go and hang out with her friends and if she finds herself a little chubby she will stay away from her friends and keep a diet!

Oh, That's why! I then explained to him that I am not fat; I am going to have a baby that's why my tummy is huge and big! He smiles at me and ask me is it a boy or girl? When I told him it's a girl, he seems quite eager to know what she looks like and all......... then I have to tell him he has to wait till Oct, and ask him to come along with his mother to visit the baby! He seems excited and ask me to call him when baby arrives, and I promise him I will. So we ended our conversation and he continue to ride his bike, while I stroll along the path I used to take everyday.

Act 11- My sweet Valentine...

"Had to say this loud and clear...... Happy Valentine!" This is what bedak kid said to me when he met me at the mall just now. I had to ask him whether he knows what Valentine day means. He said yes, as he was given permission by his mum to buy a present for his sweet valentine... who is his girl friend, (Hui Hui) at the kindergarten. Well, I am quite surprise to hear that indeed.

To me, bedak kid is just 6 years of age and is telling me he has a girlfriend....... I wonder kids these days really know what they are into or not? They just tend to follow the trend or influenced by movies and such to get the idea of boyfriend and girlfriend. Well, I am certain it is really not an issue for the adults to actually forbid their kids to talk about this kind of puppy love. Yet I do wonder how to actually telling the kid what love is. To the kids, it is a kind of pure innocent love or liking of someone but in actual fact love comes with responsibilities and other confusing matters which to some adults, it is really hard to define as well.

Happy Valentine!

"Love, as it exists in society, is nothing but the exchange of two fantasies and the contact of two skins." Chamfort, Nicolas [Maximes et Pensees] (1741-1794)

Kuda Kepang Mabuk

Inconjuction with all the celebrations, there is this performance from the state of Johor; The Kuda Kepang Mabuk performance lasted for about 3 hours in the Little Penang Street Market on the July 27th 2008 has drawn many crowds. Bedak Kid was there too with his family. He ask me lots of questions that I could not answer him, as I was not familiar with the culture dance too. Anyhow, I took some pictures here to show the music intruments and the costumes with the various performances too. It is a story about the "Kuda" which is horses that were drunk after drinking coconut water. Interesting!

Rice powder mask - Bedak sejuk!

I am not going to attach any photos here as I have already introduce this product long ago in my blog. Here I would like to mention that I am currently doing a survey on how many people actually is still using Bedak sejuk as a facial mask. So, do help me to perform this research! Thanks to you all! Do vote at the poll beside this webpage!
Adios people!

The WOW factor

WOW wow... its the Chinese New Year........ most celebrated around the world where there are chinese. Well, I got everything prepared to usher the New Year, but I fell sick in the end. Well maybe a symtom of old age? Bleh, nope its the WOW factor.

The over excitement.... that made me fell sick becoz I got so busy and ignored my health! Well, the WOW factor is affecting me indirectly. heh!

Anyways, I did had my visits with relatives only, did not get to visit any friends instead they come visiting me. Hah! And so goes with my AngPows too. Bedak kid came to visit me with his parents as usual I gave him ang pow and he ate almost all the food that I served him. He told me if he ask his friends to come along izit ok? I said of course. Well you see his parents were busy so they visited me during the evening. I bring out the love letters cookies, the chips, nuts and of course the lovable petite mandarin oranges... very sweet little oranges. Of course the usual packet drinks are served as well. Gee, you'll visit almost all houses and they'll served you packet drinks without fail.... I do not know why, more like a custom already.

Well I love company so does my hubby too and all well ends well. So far we had almost over 50 people that came to my place. Well, I have decorated my place well too to accomodate all of them! Not a big place but a cozy one which me and my hubby nested in. Sure lot more organised than usual.... hahha!

Oh Yeah ... HAPPY VALENTINES TOO!

Act 10- Express your LOVE...

Bedak kid was around today at the mall, he was with his mum shopping for the coming festive season, the mooncake festival just around the corner. I am going to prepare for the festive season too, as it is a custom to send the mooncakes for the elders.

He came up to me and showed me what he had bought, I saw some toys and an electrical lantern. I was teasing him that he couldn't carry a proper lantern and had to play with an elctrical one. LOL.

Well, he call for his mum and he told me, "You know, it is not that I couldn't carry the lantern with a candle inside, it's the concern of my mum that I carry an electrical one!" and then he hugged his mum tightly as to defend his mum's wish.

At that particular moment, I am touched to see how he express his love towards his mother. I then realise we seldom express our love to those that love us, we kind of give it a hint or two. We even did not mention it or express it often to let the other person feel how much we love them. Especially to our parents and love ones, even our siblings are important! We normally exagerate our hate and express less of our love, weird don't you think?

I seldom hug my mother and father....

I seldom hug my grand parents...

I seldom hug my husband /wife...

I seldom hug my kid...

and why is that so?

I hug my doll.

I hug my pet.

I hug my girlfriend /boyfriend.

I hug my friends.

and why is this so?

Act 9- Playground time...........

It was a bright sunny day when I was strolling along the park... and saw Bedak kid with some of his pals and Camry the dog! He was playing at the playground, running around and shouting with his friends.

I walk up to him and say hello, he ask me to join them, I was like no way... too old for that kinda fun. He was looking at me weirdly and said, " You are too old for fun? Are you sure? My mum plays with me all the time! You don't look older than my mum!" Well I said, "Kiddo, I stop running around long ago, coz I tend to sprain myself a lot..."

After a moment, some of the kids actually run and fell in front of me, I was like OUCH! I picked him up and he said thanks and continue running like nobody business. So this was how I used to be but not anymore.... how come?

We are so scared about falling and getting ourselves into trouble and scared of doing lotsa things. So these are what the grown ups worry, they tend to think too much until there's no point of having fun anymore. Is this what it is all about.... growing old and become serious?

After the meeting with Bedak kid, I realised that there are so many things in this world for us to do and to live and we have to stop being scared of all things and make measurable precautions for certain things only and not like stop having fun oursleves and being paranoid all the time like stop falling. We cannot be perfect, if one is soo perfect then misfortune will follow.

Remember that fear always lurks behind perfectionism. Confronting your fears and allowing yourself the right to be human can, paradoxically, make you a far happier and more productive person.

Dr. David M. Burns

Assert your right to make a few mistakes. If people can't accept your imperfections, that's their fault.

Dr. David M. Burns

Act 8- Handphones for kids?

Saw Bedak kid with his new toy today. He was talking over a handphone while Camry is sitting by his side near the small park in the center of town. He did not see me as he was concentrating talking over the phone. Ironically there's a phone booth beside him. Hah!

I kept on wondering kids these days at their tender age already own handphones. Carrying them anywhere they go. Some bring to school, some even talk in their bedrooms, some talk in the car, some place it beside them while they sleep.

Hold on a second here...... tell me something, how harmful are these electronic stuff? I thought the radiation are quite harmful and also we as adults are warn through emails, and stuff that the radiation can cause us cancer....etc. So why are kids allowed? Why does their parents allow them to use? The kids brain are still growing, and for no reason at all we expose these kids to these harmful radiation! Are you nuts?

Of course there are the safety issues.... how about training the kids well so they wouldn't rely too much on the handphones! Like remembering the house phone number? Like remembering what time you are fetching them... etc. Use when needed only, that is the rule. Not like everynow and then, like ignoring the normal phone and using handphones only.

At what age do you think it is possible for a child to own a handphone? Let me know what you think!

Act 7- Spice Tea anyone?

Bedak kid saw me today.... he ask me to bring him to his pal, Muthu's place. So I gave him a ride. When arrived, Muthu's mom was there too, and she invited us in and serve us this Spice tea.

And I complimented her and she taught me how to prepare it. Simple and easy to make, kinda like "Teh Tarik" a bit with spicy taste. Make use of Cardamom seeds, star anise and cinnamon stick and of course Tea.

Viola, "Tarik" the tea a bit and here you are the Spice Tea.







You can view the recipe in this link.
http://www.grouprecipes.com/11103/spice-tea.html

Act 6 -Bird Nests anyone?

Bedak kid was wondering around town again... As you know I can recognise him from far with his usual bedak all over his face! people around town call him "Cat Face", well kinda suit him! He was on his bicycle stopping by the roadside watching the birds in the sky while Camry is by his side barking away.

I yell out his name and he wave at me. So he ride his bicycle over to talk to me. I ask him what are you doing? He said he was watching the birds flying around and listen to them! Oh.... and I told him that these small birds are swallows, they have built their nest all around town houses! They have this small holes at the top floor of these houses and the owner will have a radio playing the sound of the birds for the swallows to listen. Then the swallows will come and mate and make their nests in the house.

Bedak kid looked at me curiously and asked why the owner want to do that? I told him because the owner wants their nest! He wasn't sure what I said, so I explained that the owner are business man who wants to make money out of these swallows but they do not want to catch them. They just want their nest......... as in the Chinese culture they love to take "Bird Nest" as dessert or as a cooling herbal soup. It is said that the herbal bird nest soup will help one to look younger, and the skin complexion will be better, and it has a cooling effect that will reduce your body heat.

Ohh... bedak kid said he had that before but did not know where it comes from. Well, I said that there are different grades for all these bird nests. Some were from caves, some near the mountains, some were from tall buildings and some from houses. I also told him that there are cheaper ones and expensive ones. The price ranges from $200 - $2000 per box. One box contained only few pieces and after cooked you end up with only around 6-8 small bowls.

He was like staring at me and wonder how much he spit out the bird nest when his grandmama cooked for him! He then promised himself that he would drink every drops of the soup next time!

Well I told him that there were fake ones as well, as some manufactures prepare the nest in a nasty way, they actually washed the nest with water and some with food bleach, so to make the nests looked white in colour and clean and clear of all dirt. So I told him to tell his parents or grandma to be careful when buying those bird nests!

He thanked me and immediately ride home.........

I drove in my car and couldn't help wonder how many people out there who are still having these expensive stuff and did not know that it is not good for their health anymore......

Act 5 -Yey yey Dumpling Day!

Bedak kid came to gimme a quick visit.... as I was quite sick. He actually came to drop me some dumplings made by his grandmama. Yummy yumm.... I love dumplings aka (Bak Chang). Heheh these are old traditional chinese dumplings made from glutinous rice, some fatty meat and yolks. Delicious!

Well, bedak told me those were classic dumplings, his grandmama made ones are different! So how different? He said it was (Pua Kiam Ti Chang) as traslate into Half saltly and half sweet dumplings. As he were explaining it to me that these days nobody really make these dumplings as it were originated from Nyonya (Peranakan) Culture.
The other type of dumplings that he brought for me is my favourite dumplings; the (Ki Chang) as they were the sweeter version of the dumplings which serve with (Gula Melaka) a sweet brown sauce made from burnt coconut. This kind of dumpling is yellow in colour and also smaller in size. It supposed to serve as dessert. So I say thanks to Bedak kid and send regards to his grandmama who still manange to make these delicious dumplings! Hopefully one of these days I get to learn how to make them! :P

Well, traditionally dumplings are made only once in a year on the 5th day of the fifth month of the chinese lunar calendar, which is during the dragon boat festival in the chinese culture. But these days you get to eat it whenever you want, so what kinda culture do you call that? Money culture! haha!

Act 4-Get Messy!

This messing me idea was re-introduced to me once again when I was out the other day with Bedak kid at the beach. Bedak kid was holding a pail of sand and was playing with it near the beach! We kinda building a castle out of the pail of sand but in the end we were actually throwing sand at each other. What a mess!

I remember when I was young, I used to play hide and seek and run around the gardens and get all messed-up. Playing with horrible mud was a fun thing then. Nowadays when I have muddy stuff or even sand that goes into my shoes....... I get annoyed!

Apparently, my clean and perfect without a bug world will come collapsed once I have muddy shoes in my front porch or even ants that climb all around my balcony will come to haunt me at all times!

When I was with bedak kid the other day, he sort of make me come out of my clean world and have fun playing with all things messy. Mess is disgusting word for a clean, perfect and proper person. They'll say, what a mess you are and become disgusted with the idea of you making a mess out of yourself. While for me, I came to like the idea of mess as in having fun, be creative and enjoy.

When we were kids we use to play games full of messy stuff, like water bombs, throwing flour and eggs, playing with water, playing with mud, run under the rain, get all wet and get slimy. Hah, that's what I think I miss these days!

Act 3-Megatrons..........

Saw Bedak kid with his mum today in the supermarket. He was holding a toy in his hand. Guess what he's holding? A megatron in his hand. He hadn't noticed that I was there as he was playing with his toy. I wonder does all kids do that. Anyways, he saw me later and introduce his autobot to me and then I realise that his mum is actually buying him another decepticon so that he can play with it. He told me that there will always be good guys fighting bad guys. Hmmm... I wonder is that true these days.......?!?

When I was a kid I use to watch cartoons like Thundercats, Tranformers, He-man, Smurfs, She-la, Flinstones, Some disney stuff like mickey, minnie, goofy, donald duck and daisy duck with my brother. Other cartoons like Road-runner, Bugs bunny are those looney tunes cartoons that we both enjoyed too.

The thing is these cartoons are making a come-back with a newer version. They are being brought into the world of cinema. When I was a kid, I'll never dream of this would be true! Almost two decade later it has turn from children entertainment to adult entertainment! Maybe the targeted market are people like me.......... who are trying to recall thier memories of childhood life.

Wanna see the real transformer? Watch this mini video.

http://www.youmaker.com/video/sv?id=20d2afae297941ad8e50bfe09ef60645001

Act 2-The Faithful Cobbler

Saw Bedak kid today, he still fancy on covering his face with bedak and wearing his kikilala...... and this time he was wearing a pair of new Asadi-croc shoes. Well I met him at this shoe cobbler corner. This faithful cobbler was mending his shoes and his mum's and dad's shoes as well.

It fascinated him so he sat by there watching the cobbler working on all his customer's shoes. He told me his mum just bought him a new pair of shoes since he likes to run about in town. He will be wearing his old Bata slippers at home. His mum bought him a pair of Asadi-crocs shoes as they were kinda cheap and good...? Well originals ones are quite expensive though.

I kinda wonder why he was interested in the cobbler... well I found out that this cobbler was friendly and his services were reasonbly cheap and good. Few people mend their shoes these days as shoes were cheap and fashionable. One can change their tastes in shoes in a matter of days!?!

I don't blame them as a good pair of shoes that you'll wear up till years are hard to find and expensive. So who'll mend their shoes? I can't stop wondering that how long will this old faithful cobbler here survive in this trade.

Act 1-Drinks that you hardly appreciate....

Bedak kid ventures out again last weekend, saw him holding a camera clicking away, you ask me where? I tell you somewhere around town. With bedak all over his face thick and white, he clumsily holding up his camera and point at a sugar-cane seller. I pass by and pop up a question on him. "What are you doing here?" he said, "Oh I am shooting this uncle and aunty here. They are selling sugar-cane drinks!" and "I love sugar-cane, grandma says it is a cooling drink when you are feeling thirsty like coconut! So early now, the coconut stall not open yet, so I drop by here lor. Their sugar-cane are different, more juicy and the taste is slightly different with a sweet pandan smell." I agree with him, the taste has a sweet sense of pandan flavour.

*note:(Screwpine leaves = pandan)

Bedak kid was drinking his sugarcane while describing all this to me... kinda nostalgic that my grandma too, once told me when they were young, they like to cut the sugar cane into sticks and bite them, so their juices will spread out in the mouth; meanwhile the chewing also helps strengthen the teeth. Well, I indeed bought a stick from this seller and cut them into pieces and chew it. What a wonderful way of enjoying a sugarcane! The seller was telling me that I must have strong teeth to bite all those!

In our tropical country, we are so use to sugar-cane and coconut; but in colder countries, they might not even heard of sugar-cane. It doesn't exist in their world. How often for you to find a sugar-cane drink in the US or even Europe? Answer is none, or hard to find.

Only tropical countries have sugar-cane. So, guess what we are lucky that there are still people selling drinks like that, like me and bedak kid we both enjoy sugar-cane drink.

The story of Bedak kid..........

Bedak Kid is a cute little boy from Georgetown, Penang. He hangs around town searching for creative works and ideas of his old town. He always puts on 'Bedak' all over his face - this was a habit that he adopts from his old grandmother. Grandma says, "put on bedak everyday and night will help to smooth your skin." So, he sticks on to this idea and doesn't care that everyone calls him, 'Cat face'.

He cycles to school everyday with his old BMX bike, and to town every weekend to gather information of his old neighbourhood. He is brainy and speaks well in his mother tongue - Hokkien, and does speak simple BM, English and Mandarin. He is an obedient child, but sometimes cheeky too.

He has a "Tempurung" hair cut..... cut by his mother, who does not know any other way to cut his hair, other than using the technique of turning a bowl upside down on his head and cut the rest of the hair all the way. Queer isn't it?

He likes to wear a green t-shirt with a pair of KikiLala yellow shorts and runs around with Bata slippers while clinging on to his small mini camera, trying to shoot every single thing that he came across. Old grandma use to tell him stories that will inspire him to create a journal of his own. He will then show his journal to all his friends, Mutu, Ali, Ah Kia and Camry, his pet dog.

I wonder does he ever feel tired of what he is doing?


*Bedak* or Bedak sejuk - is a kind of substance that is formulated from rice, water and dried jasmine flowers. Traditionally said to help clear dirt and prevents pimples. Widely used in the Traditional Nyonya culture.