tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67658651501548678642012-01-13T10:36:08.077+08:00My daily experiences, my life experiences, what I learn from other people's experiences. It's life, and it's a journey. Along the way, there are lessons to be learnt...Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.comBlogger1721100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-51320446783438348412012-01-04T19:44:00.003+08:002012-01-04T20:04:35.248+08:00

Welcome 2012. When I was young, welcoming a new year used to be a big deal. The feel of the 12am new year cold water on my face used to be really really special. For it signified another new beginning. It was easier when I was a schoolkid. The year before, at school end, everything ended. So the new year was really a new beginning. I remember all I ever worried about was getting new uniforms and

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-80990967477898566722011-12-24T12:17:00.003+08:002011-12-24T12:43:41.015+08:00

The worst time of the year to be pick-pocketed has to be in December, at christmastime (though of course any time is a bad time to be pick-pocketed). It happened to me yesterday, on a train from Mid-Valley KL to KL Sentral. In a journey that was so short, it happened I almost couldn't believe it!It's a family holiday; hubby and I were taking the kids to see KLCC. We decided to take the train

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-1145357867280098112011-12-14T20:24:00.002+08:002011-12-14T20:47:19.074+08:00

Can't believe it's already mid December. Again. I am home alone, trying desperately to finish up things that need to be done before my leave next week. The kids, thankfully are at my parents', no doubt enjoying their freedom from the parents' rules and regulations. The hubby is away again. I thought I'd be able to do my work faster without the kids to distract me, but hmm...not really. It feels a

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-16880405808221532852011-10-28T23:20:00.004+08:002011-10-28T23:38:14.901+08:00

I unashamedly love to see my little boy grows. In fact I enjoy every second of it. He'll be 8 comes 12.12.2011, and very soon will be transforming into a teenager (hopefully a cheerful one).Yesterday he said that "adults overthink things, that's why they are forgetful". His message came loud and clear to me- pay attention to the things that matter. Like family. Last week he did something

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-33379794646391845562011-10-01T10:45:00.004+08:002011-10-01T11:14:34.230+08:00

It's Saturday again. Hmm...time flies. Another class awaits me at 6pm today. The class was supposed to be at 8am but some of the students (long distance adult learners) couldn't make it so I decided to be accommodative. It's one of my favourite subjects to teach anyway so I'm not complaining.I have 5 subjects to teach this semester when I could have chosen to stick to 2 subjects. It was

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-54551330622264770642011-09-27T18:16:00.002+08:002011-09-27T18:44:59.301+08:00

Sometimes hubby's job takes him places, leaving me to handle everything at the home front alone. Three kids, two puppies and a few fish. It gets quite taxing at times especially when hubby has to be away for a week or so.Last week was one such week. And since I am teaching two new courses, I have to spend a lot of time writing new teaching and learning materials. By Thursday last week, my body

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-85991255252585751692011-09-07T06:46:00.003+08:002011-09-07T07:23:06.732+08:00

I met somebody who I've only been communicated through emails fro the first time yesterday. She came over to talk to my boss about the prospect of getting a job at my institution. She struck me as a calm, gentle but strong lady.I accidentally made her miss her appointment, having kept her a few minutes longer than I should have in my office. But it turned out to be a good thing. At least for me.

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-72427871316993299602011-08-31T23:08:00.003+08:002011-08-31T23:14:12.046+08:00

  It was supposed to be a happy occasion. Like any weddings should be. But destiny has a way that is often hard to understand, to mess up with plans. There was a wedding last Saturday. The bride and groom said "I do" beautifully, witnessed by family and friends who wished them well. A reception was to follow a few hours after the wedding, at the bride's parents' house not far from the little

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-15520118791027359932011-08-19T21:39:00.006+08:002011-08-19T21:59:54.283+08:00

(http://photobucket.com/images/scrabble/#!cpZZ2QQtppZZ24) So, okay, I'm a scrabble addict. Every chance I got, I'd play scrabble on FB. But hey, I don't play at work...or rather, can't play. The office has kindly blocked all access to any game applications (including language games that my students would have enjoyed in the classroom) so I've been able to discipline myself. Otherwise the

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-83079464806225646602011-08-09T06:25:00.004+08:002011-08-09T07:01:46.740+08:00

My brother, obviously fed up with the world, said "everyone is a hypocrite", and I think he means that people, more often then not, do not really say what they think, especially when what they think is not popular, and agree to others even when they know they can't do that. One can be a wonderful friend, a tough boss, a gentle parent, an outspoken subordinate, an agreeable colleague; one can

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-48761048887233210352011-07-16T20:51:00.006+08:002011-07-16T22:04:03.720+08:00

The kids have been counting the days, waiting for the last episode of the Harry Potter movies to be released in Malaysia. And the mom is as bad as the kids. I am so looking forward to see the last episode-Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows-Part 2. I wonder if it is as good as the book? The last book, to me is a bit loopsided. The first part is almost disappointingly slow you can't help

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-88660307825231520712011-07-15T21:25:00.004+08:002011-07-15T21:57:57.312+08:00

I've not had the energy to write in the past few days. As the kids grow, they have more and more demands. Eldest girl, for one, had to compete in a girl guide speech competition last week. She asked me to discuss the points with her, which I gladly did. But...she wouln't have me suggest sentences for her ("I won't remember it if I don't write it on my own"- ok, proud of that, girl- "besides, you

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-56963742246906910912011-07-09T22:17:00.004+08:002011-07-09T23:16:17.466+08:00

It's first school report pick-up-time for eldest daughter today. Since she's the first in high school for me, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. Turned out to be a normal session of class teacher explaining her strengths and weaknesses, lavishing her with praises for the good things she does...but, giving me a shock by saying that she has a demerit of 10 marks because of wearing a pink bra!

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-22398090558441523472011-07-05T06:36:00.004+08:002011-07-05T07:19:54.073+08:00

Youngest son wanted a toy badly. Again. As usual, he was boring his sisters and me with his infamous "I NEED a toy...". As I was in no mood to argue with him, I made him sacrifice one of the things he had wanted for a long time in exchange of this particular toy. After some bargaining, he got his wish. Excitedly, he picked up a toy that he had been eyeing since we entered the department store

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-51385717535342146722011-06-28T20:45:00.004+08:002011-06-28T21:23:02.317+08:00

For the first time after 2 weeks yesterday, I decided to drive again. Well, more because of force of circumstance, really. Hubby had two back to back meetings at the office, so I told him I'd pick up the kids from school. After all, the wound's healing well and I felt ok. I started Livvy (my grand livina) at 9.30am, thinking that I'd pick up my brother from his college first since he wasn't

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-22211860214531155312011-06-24T21:30:00.021+08:002011-06-24T23:10:00.475+08:00

Maybe my state of temporary immobility is a blessing in disguise after all. Less time spent on supermarket aisles means less snacks at home. Hubby buys only 'the necessary basic groceries', so it's not surprising that the kids have started to whine after failing to find last-schoolday-of-the-week treats today. "Mom, please make me some kuih lapis", begged the eldest. "No Mom, I want cupcakes",

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-38419313246392897152011-06-23T10:45:00.004+08:002011-06-23T12:00:22.536+08:00

I don't remember when was the first time I encountered this proverb. Maybe when I was young and was struggling to acquire English as a second or third language. Somehow it stuck. And many a time, it gives me consolation. The time when I felt sad because I didn't do very well in my exam, or the time when I had a difficult stage in friendship and relationship, or when somebody upset me so much to

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-64770534667970617682011-06-21T23:23:00.005+08:002011-06-21T23:56:13.242+08:00

I didn't know whether to laugh or to feel insulted when my casual helper told me about her encounter with one of my neighbours this morning. I decided to laugh in the end. It's quite neighbourly in a funny sort of way. Helper told me the neighbour asked her why she was going back early yesterday (the usual discourse opener) at her usual going home time which is 4.00pm. Of course, being the

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-36319091225118125402011-06-20T12:51:00.006+08:002011-06-20T13:33:11.161+08:00

*Sigh*. Having 'too much' time on your hands could be disastrous. Especially when you know that those are only borrowed time. That is exactly what is going on with me now. I am on the 4 weeks of medical leave that I, at first, welcomed. The welcome wears out after barely a week. Each time I curl up on the settee with a good book, comes the nagging feeling that I am neglecting my work. And yet I

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-21287883808103481392011-06-19T14:05:00.004+08:002011-06-19T14:33:17.873+08:00

To all fathers, "Happy Father's Day". Seemingly under-appreciated as compared to mothers, fathers are an equally important part of the family structure. And so in appreciation of fathers (especially the father of my children), I took the time to find these beautiful verses:Fathers can be solitary mountains,All their love rock-like, steep, and strong.Though warm and caring, somehow they

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-82173962608436414462011-06-12T13:19:00.004+08:002011-06-22T12:54:07.866+08:00

12 June 2011- I'm back home, after a seemingly long ordeal, which actually lasted only a few hours. I had my ovarian tumor removed at Sabah Medical Centre on 10 June 2011, 12pm. The decision to have it removed wasn't easy for me to make. I worried about the after effects on my life. It was a shock for me. Imagine only knowing in April that I have that thing inside me. Well, I shouldn't have been

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-289802723636045382011-06-08T13:39:00.003+08:002011-06-09T09:43:08.290+08:00

The little son is now 7 going 8. Naturally his perception of things expands. And ever so full of surprising observation. "Mom, you are a D", he said out of the blue one day. "Huh?", I looked at him with obvious puzzle. "Yes, you are a D. A D is in between 35 to 39. Sandra, Arielle and me are all an F". When all of them laughed, I realized that he was talking of age in terms of exam grades. "Oh,

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-18539241861285958772011-06-02T09:58:00.004+08:002011-06-02T10:26:00.960+08:00

My i-pad 2. I've been coveting this one for months. Not particularly technology-savvy, I don't normally care much for new gadgets. But this one, I really felt that I have to have it. In my imagination, this thing will be useful to me in many ways. For one thing, there are times when I have to attend a formal function involving vvips, and that means having to wait a long time for their arrival.

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-75156353598797191572011-05-22T16:54:00.004+08:002011-05-22T17:26:09.210+08:00

I don't know what to expect this time. The pain is not bad now, and not even there all the time. But the tumor is big enough to have to be removed. Not new to the procedure, I know what will go on in the operation theater. I know I'll have to go under, and at this point that is the scariest thing in my mind. The throat and shoulder blades pain due to the gases post-op, also do not make for

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-9807053686058814642011-05-18T16:27:00.003+08:002011-05-18T16:55:42.106+08:00

Last Christmas I didn't get to bake at all. I thought I had forgotten how to. But the baking idleness didn't last long. With a 10 yr old girl who's so into cake decorating in the family, how can a mom not feel guilty if she doesn't encourage the 'talent'?So I bought us an oven. A medium sized one with basic function but functional nonetheless. And starting last Easter, we started cupcake baking

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-32419510365163215352011-05-05T16:51:00.004+08:002011-05-05T20:49:06.223+08:00

It took gaining all those lost kilos to actually get me back on track with my diet. The whole of 2010, I practically 'forgot' to count kalories. Subconsciously I remembered, but the mind was always so clever to deny the necessity of doing it. Not surprisingly, I gained most of the eight kgs that I lost in 2009. What can I say? Malaysian food are just too tempting. You step in a shop areas and

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-81985835654291308232011-04-21T09:45:00.006+08:002011-04-21T13:30:22.335+08:00

Sometimes it feels that the only choice you have is "no choice". Like when your doctor tells you that you are suffering from a health problem that can only be fixed with some surgical procedures. Scary but what choice do you have? I guess one can choose to still be happy about life, because when you look around you, there are countless beautiful things to remind you that not only bad things

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-39372303846204231382011-03-18T11:32:00.008+08:002011-03-18T12:12:00.658+08:00

Life is busy indeed. It's hard to believe that it's already March. It feels like yesterday when I welcomed 2011. Looking at the list of tasks in front of me, I think I could easily go insane if I don't take time to relax and unwind.So days like yesterday are good for me. Simply being with the family, taking a lazy stroll in the wildlife park, enjoying nature. Even if I can't really appreciate

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-37683628203944210672011-03-04T06:24:00.004+08:002011-03-04T07:12:21.006+08:00

I was having my regular foot massage with my favourite masseur, Effa, at her shop a few blocks away from my place. (This lady gives the best massage, gentle but firm, attacking areas of your foot that are problematic. Glad I discovered her a few months ago. I can now say "bye bye" to other masseurs who seem to be practising their skills on one's feet rather than know what they do).Anyway, while

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-29518480120176589092011-02-18T09:03:00.002+08:002011-02-18T09:05:57.910+08:00

In the quiet post-rain morning, the lyrics suddenly popped up in my mind. Took me quite a while to remember what song it is...aha...got it...a beautiful song. One that soothes the heart, perfect for unwinding...

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-34966877600339012302011-02-07T01:18:00.004+08:002011-02-07T01:52:55.906+08:00

I really like this expression. You can add any adjective at the end of it and often in my mind, I add the word HAPPY. Well, it's not always true. Sometimes I am not as happy as I want to be but I try to trick my mind in believing that I am. Often, it works.You make a choice between something positive and negative, and if you can make the positive choice win, you win too. It's not always easy

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-42039936592712799752011-01-24T18:37:00.006+08:002011-01-24T19:11:54.540+08:00

I must have been out of my mind. Sitting in acrowded room among people who were really passionate about photography, clutching my D5000, handed down by hubby just that morning with a promise that it was going to be mine if I found myself being interested in photography after all. My friend at work, a photographer, offered to enroll me for the course, and since the package sounded too good to turn

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-30472547744249594432011-01-22T13:11:00.004+08:002011-01-22T14:14:39.044+08:00

Much that I love welcoming every new year, I always dread one thing. Year after year, January has always been the time when everyone at home comes down with the flu. The cycle normally starts with one of the kids getting it first, which results in the kid having to rest at home for at least two days. Soon, the other kids get it, and there'll be more home-rest, which means the parents have to take

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-48250128906544699472010-12-28T10:28:00.005+08:002010-12-28T11:26:14.998+08:00

It's christmastime again. A season to spread love, peace and joy. A season to be merry. I had fun selecting presents for my family members. Though to be honest, by the third day of roaming the local mall near my workplace from 6pm to its' closing hour, I did feel a bit like an idiot. Buying gifts for over 20 family members is quite a nightmare. Not to mention boxing them. It was a lucky thing

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-63116019772386397912010-12-20T20:32:00.003+08:002010-12-20T21:25:34.515+08:00

I've got silence all around me. Post family bbq chaos. It's rather killing, being so used to bedlam. I rather miss the bedlam that is the kids though. Pre-christmas celebration, my mom has insisted that they be sent back to the family house in kampung. After all, all their uncles and aunt have already started enjoying their christmas break. And kids have been nagging me to be allowed to spend

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-20857223045108416962010-12-07T10:49:00.004+08:002010-12-07T11:22:14.512+08:00

"...and mom, the cartoon will be your profile picture for a while", said my 12 year old daughter in her attempt to urge me to change my facebook profile pic in support of a campaign against child abuse. So that explains Rapunzel on her profile pic. Second daughter cheerfully said she's changing hers to Ariel, her namesake. "And which cartoon character are you going to use, mom?", asked a little

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-67072688824465748632010-12-05T09:40:00.004+08:002010-12-05T09:52:55.145+08:00

The nightmare of selling a car again. I thought I'll have Maia for a few more years before I have to say good bye to her. But then Harry Hilux came along (and we do need him to do the tough job of going to almost unreachable places with nighmarish roads and stuffs), and we still need Livvy Livina to transport the kids and their friends to school and other activities. So after about 11 months, it

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-85319363002867864952010-12-02T20:53:00.004+08:002010-12-02T21:17:21.046+08:00

Phew...phew, phew...Finally done with marking, the nightmare season of most teachers. Can't say it's an easy thing to do. Especially with essays. But it's finally over and yours truly is so relieved. Now I can start my vacation countdown. This time around, to Korea. Yippee, taking off in 5 days. Not that my work file is cleared...but it never will. So might as well take a well-deserved vacation.

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-21725740533077676462010-11-09T19:20:00.004+08:002010-11-09T20:30:50.966+08:00

Christmas is around the corner. I bet children who are celebrating Christmas are busy making their wish lists. Some must be elaborated lists like a snowy vacation (like some kids in the home of yours truly), while some, are simple lists that may or may not come true.I got this list yesterday from someone who is actively involved in the welfare of the members of a children's home in Sabah, and it

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-58749910656126160382010-11-06T14:51:00.003+08:002010-11-06T14:55:24.030+08:00

Once in a while, we all receive this kind of forwards in our inbox. Some, like this one, touch our heart so, that we feel we have to share them to others. This one is from my cousin brother, Geyouse :): One young academically excellent person went to apply for a managerial position in a big company. He passed the first interview; the director did the last interview, made the last decision.The

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-47628775457974667802010-10-23T20:10:00.004+08:002010-10-23T20:45:17.986+08:00

I turned 37 last week. It feels good to have reached this age. I'd love to say the extra inches around my waist represent wisdom that can only be attained through age...but alas, it's not true. Aging doesn't mean that one is free to be unhealthy, or that one is wiser than those who are younger...Although it is indeed true that with age comes EXTRA responsibility. This year I really feel that at

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-78263226311855474602010-10-11T20:57:00.004+08:002010-10-11T22:23:11.794+08:00

I wouldn't call my workplace 'rosy', but nor would I call it 'horrible'. Having been working there for 12 years, I'd describe it as 'normal' with all its ups and downs, occasional frustration and disappointment, as well as good times. All because the staff is made up of people of various cultural background, experiences and expectations.When I joined my unit, there were less than ten staff

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-1130462972201860862010-10-04T11:33:00.005+08:002010-10-04T11:56:59.329+08:00

This morning my front tyre was running out of air. As I tried to pump it at a petrol station, I noticed that it looked very very flat, as if it has punctured. I tried miserably for a few minutes inflating it; to no avail. I looked around helplessly, realizing my biggest handicap of not knowing how to change a flat tyre.I spotted somebody parked behind me. Quietly I observed him. He looked fierce

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-39745185299202506362010-09-30T11:21:00.003+08:002010-09-30T11:48:49.347+08:00

Found this in my inbox this morning. A friend took the time to share something wonderful, and I thought I'd share it too. Blessed be the person who wrote this for others to learn from:1. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about. 2. Don't have negative thought on things you cannot control. Instead, invest your energy in the positive present moment. 3.

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-37421487936491300312010-09-15T22:52:00.006+08:002010-09-16T10:12:09.341+08:00

John Gray again :-) (Men are from Mars, women are from Venus). I find the comparisons a bit weird in the beginning but they made sense after reading his explanation:Men = rubber bandsThey can't love like women, which is basically "forever". In loving, men go through a cycle of getting close, pulling away, and then getting close again. This pulling away, according to Gray, is men's means to

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-34440923588377336672010-09-03T22:08:00.003+08:002010-09-03T22:39:13.898+08:00

At this time of the year when Hari Raya is around the corner, the roads in Kota Kinabalu are almost impossible to pass through. Having spent an hour on the road from the office to my children's school (which, in normal driving time would only be 25 minutes) to pick them up today, (besides I needed to get the kuih rayas I ordered from the school canteen. In the spirit of the festive season, I feel

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-65089958865002723332010-08-29T11:40:00.004+08:002010-08-29T12:15:05.359+08:00

The in topic in my life this week seems to be 'memory'. Last thursday, our reading class discussion was on memory. I think the students found it stimulating too. Even though this is a general topic, one would hardly think of learning the terms like explicit memory, implicit memory, and such. Everyone suddenly started analysing if they encode memory visually, acoustically or semantically more. Or

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-75776950107808537402010-08-21T19:46:00.003+08:002010-08-21T20:05:32.639+08:00

I've heard some wise people say that in each of us is a child. It's the child in you that helps you enjoy the little things in life. That prompts you to act on impulse on things that bring you a lot of laughter. That lets you feel deeply and sincerely. That preserves your innocence. And when you stop unleashing the child in you, you become 'old', too serious, unable to enjoy life.That must be

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-63362436442868386012010-08-12T09:11:00.003+08:002010-08-12T09:31:24.103+08:00

Counting my blessings again. Amidst life's busyness and the constant fatique, life is a joy. I may have to conduct night classes of 7-10pm because some people wrongly scheduled me to teach at night, but my students are a joy to have. I am thankful to see fresh, energetic faces every time I enter the classroom. They must be tired too- some started their lectures as early as 8am, but youth does

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-25025397367663030462010-08-04T18:38:00.006+08:002010-08-05T08:42:56.259+08:00

My little one has never ceased to give me heart attacks. Maybe a 6+ boy is meant to do that anyway. Just last week he got punched in school and came home with bloody lips. Then this week he tried his 'power' on a classmate, and got himself in trouble with the boy's mother (serves him right). When I asked him what he did, he said he jentik the boy on the hand :-). In return, he got a jentik from

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-45431599763334401982010-07-27T07:05:00.005+08:002010-07-27T15:31:24.032+08:00

I went to a reflexology center a few days ago, thinking that I could have a nice, relaxing foot massage while waiting for the kids to finish school. I've never been to that place before so I thought I'd be left in peace. How wrong I was. The moment the 'sifu' started my massage, the lady cashier started promoting 'her products', supposedly 'the best' in the market, based on years of research in a

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-70136437057192115732010-07-18T10:38:00.004+08:002010-07-18T10:55:07.701+08:00

Never been much fan of durians...all because my first memory of eating durian was that it gave me a chest pain (reflux?). That, and also throughout the years I've grown to dislike the smell. It's just too strong it could give me a headache sometimes. But yesterday was an exception. My family had a gathering with our friends that we haven't met for months. C and C have a fruit orchard so they

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-22285864298996450452010-07-14T19:07:00.007+08:002010-07-14T20:39:48.539+08:00

I heard the term 'muhasibbah diri' (self reflection) on the radio some time ago. Being me, I often listen to the Muslim's Friday sermon on the radio as attentively as I listen to the priest's homily at church on Sundays because I know I always learn something from them. The imam said that we have to examine ourselves before saying bad things about others, as sometimes the bad things we say

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-37893071357843185842010-07-01T19:38:00.005+08:002010-07-01T20:57:39.715+08:00

My line of work is considered unexciting, if not boring sometimes. Well not many would think teaching, researching, occasional editing and translating exciting anyway. But last week I learned that it could be.On Thursday somebody requested me to anchor a pair of Dusun herbalists in Ranau for a filming, apparently funded by some organisation affiliated with the National Geographic. When I asked

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-3977733251111956872010-06-22T08:11:00.003+08:002010-06-22T08:28:07.499+08:00

Post operation, I'd like to blame my forgetfulness on the anaesthetic used on my. Like yesterday when I dropped by at the office to submit my mc, I promised Wan that I'd give her a buzz as she would be in a meeting. But when I arrived there I realized I didn't bring my mobile, or my office room keys so I couldn't even use the phone to give her a ring. And before that, I was supposed to be

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-79516394226810246142010-06-15T23:55:00.005+08:002010-06-16T00:16:43.229+08:00

I had a squint since I was young, but it wasn't prominent until a few years ago. Blame it on all the reading and studying :-) But seriously it was causing me a problem. One eye is short-sighted, and the other, long-sighted. My Dr say ideally that shouldn't be a problem, but since I had a squint, it became a problem. It caused my eyes to be unable to focus most of the times. Well sometimes they

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-85473776744178112012010-06-12T21:36:00.005+08:002010-06-12T22:18:44.387+08:00

Ah, it's good to be back. Can't believe I've been that busy...preparing exam papers for the short semester, harvest festival with the family at kampung (and that always means some wedding to attend), attending a conference and...I think a lot more. But the conference which was in Kuching gave me a chance to catch up with my good friend, Lilly.Three days spent at Lilly's was just heaven. Having

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-34976489296954343972010-05-24T18:23:00.005+08:002010-05-24T19:09:44.239+08:00

Finally the semester is over. Done marking students' papers. Done grading them. Spent a little time nursing my heartache over the failures. It always hurts to fail your students but it just has to be done sometimes. Especially when the students left a few pages of the exam script blank *sigh*. And my own kiddies did their first Malaysian school exam last week. I've told myself to expect the

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-35210833702399553192010-05-17T18:34:00.008+08:002010-05-17T20:50:37.146+08:00

My daughters witnessed their hamster die while it was pooping. It was such a traumatic experience for them. The next day a bird just dropped dead on the road right before my eyes. Yesterday an ex-schoolmate died in an accident, something that was totally not his fault. Of course, all these moments of life being ended got me reflecting. (Coincidently I have been invited to contribute a chapter on

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-51746476058074644262010-05-13T18:24:00.004+08:002010-05-13T19:06:28.311+08:00

Sometime ago I saw these words written at one of my friends' status in FB. I like them a lot. Once a while they come back to haunt me and I always end up in a reflective mode. At some point of our lives, we need to forgive. Sometimes grave sometimes light, the nature of the events that need forgiving vary, but the effect of forgiveness is always the same: it results in peace and joy. We might

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-26642053394519945612010-05-09T10:08:00.004+08:002010-05-09T10:22:46.144+08:00

Happy Mother's Day to all moms :-). Being a mother is a blessing. I slept in this morning, just to give myself a little treat for being a good mom..ahem... My little boy woke me up at 9am, wished me a Happy Mother's Day, said he doesn't have anything to give, not even a card. I told him I don't need a card or anything, I would just love two things the most and he quickly said "peace and quiet".

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-40037053396575839932010-05-02T10:18:00.001+08:002010-05-02T10:24:55.447+08:00

The second attempt at making kuih lapis produced this result. It looks nicer than the first one because I've managed to position my steaming rack in the wok at a right angle that it was more stabil. I brought this kuih lapis to a pot-luck lunch at my mom-in-law's, alongside my signature dish chicken rendang. The comments I received? Haha, my sis-in-law says it's too healthy (very much unsweetened

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-41172922234876319422010-05-01T08:53:00.001+08:002010-05-01T08:53:28.591+08:00

This is the work of the amateur photographer on my kuih lapis this morning. I finally understand that even a picture as simple as this takes quite sometime to produce. It involves things like correct lighting, correct this and that and whatever not :) And I can't even remember what they are called. Josh, the hubby is obsessed about photography but he never had the time to attend any professional

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-76364192871578195782010-04-26T21:01:00.004+08:002010-04-26T21:20:41.263+08:00

My girls sometimes remember things they eavesdropped on and pester me for clarification. The other day we were talking about how our society is becoming less and less helpful. I told them a story of a friend of mine who was robbed by a motorbiker in broad daylight, dragged a few meters on the road and people simply stared at her without attempting to help. Worse, she had to borrow ten cents to

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-3026897329697672692010-04-20T15:03:00.004+08:002010-04-20T15:29:23.019+08:00

Being a Sabahan, I grew up without much awareness of the ethnic-stereotyping that is quite typical in Peninsular Malaysia. In Sabah, there's nothing weird about wearing a baju kurung and speaking Malay while eating pork in a Chinese restaurant because baju kurung and speaking Malay are not associated with being a Muslim. In Sabah no one thinks of others as being Malay, Chinese or Indian. That

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-66726638247878412742010-04-17T12:43:00.006+08:002010-04-18T19:42:02.568+08:00

I have my padicure/manicure once in every three weeks for the simple reason that my nails are very soft and unhealthy They break easily and are very difficult to take care of. The lady that does my nails is a Filipino who is very friendly and never runs out of topics. Since the four months that she's been coming to my house to do my nails, I find that I always learn something new from her. In my

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-79228018116329130342010-04-13T07:49:00.006+08:002010-04-13T08:33:13.249+08:00

Men are born with the need to appreciate power, if not to be powerful. That's just the opposite of women who need, most of all to feel loved. That's the second generalization I learned from the book. And with this realization, I know that my hubby made a tough decision to choose to come back to KK the first chance he got instead of waiting for the promotion that's due sooner or later. As a person

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-88967240201486950102010-04-09T17:14:00.005+08:002010-04-09T17:49:43.011+08:00

Yes, I've heard of John Gray's "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus" most talked-about book since it was first out in 1992. But I couldn't be bothered to read it then. For one thing, I wasn't in a serious relationship- I mean I wasn't married. And I was young and silly...but I'm glad I had the chance to read it, finally, after all these years. Apparently being too idle since he has been apart

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-9002933396544798262010-04-04T08:36:00.004+08:002010-04-04T08:56:47.944+08:00

I have this recently met friend whose smile reminds me of a bright sunny day. She's one of those people who can make others feel good even at moments of pain. Once I asked her what's her secret for being ever cheerful and pleasant, and she jokingly said "keep feeding the spiritual side of yourself. It will reflect on your physical side". Good advice. And so for Easter, here's some food for the

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-58496334274359452592010-04-03T09:07:00.003+08:002010-04-03T10:27:16.195+08:00

Like any practising Catholic, I went to church for Good Friday mass yesterday. After four years in Australia, the super jammed traffic and super packed church compound at KK shocked me a bit. I thought coming an hour earlier before the mass time would get me a place inside the church. Little did I think of bringing a picnic chair just in case...and there I was, stuck outside the church under the

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-72048666155829058772010-04-01T18:40:00.003+08:002010-04-01T19:10:01.324+08:00

As I was browsing through Dawama (the bookstore of Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka) today, my enthusiasm of choosing books for my kids turned sour when I came across a certain book that promotes the Malay language as the SOLE language to be respected in Malaysia. Well, at least that was my impression when I read through the introduction section and chapter 1 of the book. Don't get me wrong, I have

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-70191326409531957112010-03-30T11:37:00.007+08:002010-03-30T18:09:16.355+08:00

He finally understood that Dad is working far away for quite a long time. Upon coming home from school yesterday my little boy asked my brother, "has my Dad gone back to work?", and nodded his acknowledgement when he heard the answer "yes".In the bedroom at night he said to me again that somebody's Dad in his class is also working in KL. So "it's ok that my Dad is also working there", he

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-36165009862923721752010-03-28T21:44:00.004+08:002010-03-29T16:41:51.551+08:00

My eldest daughter turns 12 today. (How time really flies. It seems only a short time ago that we celebrated her 11th birthday with friends in Perth.) We had a family celebration at Nexus Karambunai Hotel on Friday. A night stay, and a full day of relaxation, that's the birthday theme. She was a bit grumpy in the beginning. Her plan was to invite her newfound school friends, old family friends

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-30330560578756786482010-03-23T01:02:00.007+08:002010-03-23T16:09:43.185+08:00

Been decluttering and unpacking the whole day today and yesterday, and only halfway done. After that episode of missing stuffs from the shipment, I was a bit disheartened and put off unpacking, but I finally decided that I couldn't put it off forever. Besides, I really have to get rid of the junks all over the house or I'd go crazy...I started with the book section, the one that never fails to

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-39804209526865364372010-03-19T12:51:00.006+08:002010-03-19T13:39:46.126+08:00

In the beginning it was love...It was love that brought a man and a woman together in a marriage. It will be love that ensures that the marriage withstands all hails, storms or tsunamis. Uncle Lee says "love without regrets"...I value his words greatly. (one can always learn a great deal from those who are wiser :-))I've learnt from my 13 years of marriage that highs and lows are part and parcel

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-2619788827048366882010-03-17T23:01:00.006+08:002010-03-18T11:08:32.320+08:00

At 17, I never imagined being 36. But at 36, I get to see whether people remain who they were at 17. My high school celebrated its silver jubilee on 13.03.10. Driven by curiousity I decided to attend. I didn't know what to expect, but I was looking forward to see my old friends whom I haven't seen in years, some as long as 20 years. When I was there 20 years ago, the school was only 5 years old

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-65475147712031260582010-03-11T22:10:00.021+08:002010-03-17T19:07:19.814+08:00

Perth, Dec 2009- we boxed our personal things, ready to be shipped back to Kota Kinabalu. I remember those few days of packing very well. I remember how difficult it was to choose what to bring and what to give away. I remember the kids tearful arguments on things they think important that we had to leave behind. Most of all I remember worrying whether the things would arrive safely or not.After

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-24482085749883002392010-03-05T21:38:00.004+08:002010-03-05T22:46:55.839+08:00

Difficulties come in many forms. One of them is being a 'single-parent' struggling to raise three children under 12 years old, like yours truly. Waking up at 5am (5.10, counting snooze time) to prepare breakfast for them, making sure everyone is ready to leave for school by 6.20, going to work, rushing off at lunch-time to pick the children up from school, back to work for 2 hours, going back

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-66105700236528151902010-02-02T17:47:00.004+08:002010-02-02T19:43:47.250+08:00

I had a maid last month. A part time one who happened to be looking for jobs around my housing area. And my cousin's wife has decided to employ her on a part time basis. I thought it would be good to have someone help with the housework while I concentrate on the kids and work. She was supposed to be coming in 3 x half day/week. And that sounded fine...until...She started to slacken. At first she

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-89226030339946638252010-01-29T14:46:00.004+08:002010-03-17T15:22:49.717+08:00

Well, everyone is born for some kind of purpose. I know that mine is not to be a creator, at least not visually. Tata, my cousin, on the other hand is one who's born just for this purpose, among other things of course. She's gonna give my blog a makeover...ehem...I love her visual, which is this:And that is just preliminary. I wonder what other nice visual she has in store for me :-)

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-69577990253494565472010-01-12T08:41:00.005+08:002010-03-16T17:43:43.192+08:00

My heart ached after selling Fordy. Somebody told me I should stop naming my car. But it looks like I've never learnt my lesson when it comes to cars.Introducing Maia.She is 12 days old (at least in my household), small, compact and reliable. She doesn't mind being overworked. Since the day we took her home, she has run over 1000km. She can find a parking space anywhere without difficulty. I feel

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-28662125663121506552010-01-04T18:50:00.003+08:002010-01-04T19:05:45.413+08:00

It's unbelievable how time flies. We're already into the fourth day of January 2010. I've now been back to Kota Kinabalu for 3 weeks, and did a lot in that period, I think :-) I had to get my kids into a school, which took about a week of intensive searching and rushing from one place to another. Got my car on 31.12.2009 (it's a white myvi, by the way, which I couldn't resist but name Maia. I

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-24035255065104187502009-12-09T20:51:00.004+08:002009-12-11T12:41:43.397+08:00

2 days before we head off to the homeland. Started packing 3 months ago during the weekend. Thought that way, it would be easier since some of the things are already out of the way. But how wrong one can be. The last few days before the things are due for shipping are actually the worst. The kids suddenly found that everything is 'important' and wanted them packed. One spent endless time arguing

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-59870162654252857232009-11-26T19:58:00.003+08:002009-11-26T20:24:36.205+08:00

Somehow, I believe at least at one stage of his/her life, the God question must pop up in a person's mind, even when one is comfortable with one's religion.This book is a great start to know what great minds of the past and present, from Plato to Dawkins, observed about God. I have to say the author has managed to present the big ideas in an easy to follow manner that it doesn't seem like one is

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-1415163923208731132009-11-21T08:34:00.005+08:002009-11-21T09:38:14.062+08:00

I opened my email this morning and saw this one. I thought it is a good reminder for all especially myself that I decided to keep it in my blog: ~The ' L I T T L E ' Things~ As you might remember, the head of a company survived 9/11Because his son started kindergarten.Another fellow was alive because it wasHis turn to bring donuts. One woman was late because herAlarm clock didn't go off in time.

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-1326362213854827212009-11-13T17:36:00.003+08:002009-11-16T12:06:47.240+08:00

I didn't know that selling a car could hurt this much. Fordy is only a second hand car. But he has been so good to us in the past 3 years. He hardly ever gave us trouble. We have had to sell him because we're moving away and it's not practical to take him with us. If I'd have my way I'd have kept him.Well the selling was inevitable. But what I didn't expect was that he would be sold on the day I

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-86923641116818738612009-11-04T22:27:00.003+08:002009-11-04T22:54:48.474+08:00

If I were to conduct an experiment about cyber chat experience, I think I will be a good candidate for that experiment. At my age and status as a mom it might look a bit ridiculous to enjoy so much chatting with people I haven't even met. But I unashamedly do. Stumbling upon this particular chat room one night as I was listening to their online radio, I decided to be a user just because. One 'hi'

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-38830885323069161962009-10-31T14:30:00.004+08:002009-10-31T22:15:33.601+08:00

They say it's bad. It encourages self-centeredness. It makes people lazy. And unrealistic. And sedentary. Hmm...maybe. But still I love the virtual world. It makes you feel that everything is all right. That everyone is nice. And it gives you entertainment that doesn't involve others. You can entertain yourself at your own time and pace, without having to cope with the frustration of dealing with

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-83456595697626681182009-10-24T20:00:00.002+08:002009-10-24T20:11:31.052+08:00

Everything happens for a reason. You just have to keep believing...

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-27292532276657715702009-10-14T16:19:00.005+08:002009-10-14T22:33:50.799+08:00

Another year wiser? Hopefully :-) No matter what, a birthday is a birthday and it calls for a celebration. I am officially above the mid-thirties cutoff point, and enjoying it. I learned years ago that I will never stop figuring out 'my future' so I'm still at it. Gone has the naive thought that I had it all figured out- what I wanted in life, what I was going to be- with my 20s.I'm celebrating

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-63037173226632818832009-10-06T17:26:00.004+08:002009-10-06T17:47:43.915+08:00

Yesterday someone I love got hitched, formally in the marriage registrar's office. I am happy for her and I wish her and her new husband all the happiness in the world. May they love each other always. May the joy they found in each other last forever. She is starting over again, after the misfortune of an unhappy marriage years ago. Some doubt her decision to remarry either out of concern for

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-50785175773669791182009-09-30T20:35:00.005+08:002009-09-30T20:46:50.714+08:00

Effective prayers come from the heart. At least that's what I learnt last weekend. I was translating a short English prayer into Malay for my friend who has been assigned to say it for their church international night. It was a beautifully worded prayer, one that will surely touch many hearts. Then a friend's mom asked to look at it, and she started copying down the words. She is a Muslim.

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-29122555324157048642009-09-24T15:48:00.002+08:002009-09-24T15:56:54.612+08:00

Upon opening my inbox today, I saw this forward from my cousin T. I know I've read it many times and yet it always does something good to my mood.A little boy asked his mother, "Why are you crying?" "Because I'm a woman, " she told him. "I don't understand, " he said. His Mom just hugged him and said , "And you never will." Later the little boy asked his father, "Why does mother seem to cry for

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-88846830507905179992009-09-22T22:18:00.003+08:002009-09-22T22:50:17.713+08:00

I'd expect this words to be written by someone who truly believes in God :-) Yes, I am one such person. (I understand that not everyone does and I respect their rights not to though). Believing in God, to me, is something very personal. It might be something one learns from one's religion, but most of all, it is something that accumulates through the years, from one's life experiences. Perhaps

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-55522772116437060102009-09-14T16:35:00.005+08:002009-09-14T17:42:33.260+08:00

It's been two months that the weight has decided to remain stagnant. The most I lost in the two month period was 0.5kg, then I gained it again. It is indeed very frustrating. There's still so much to get rid of. I can feel the flabs and the bulges that I've yet to lose (eeuw...), and yet I can't make myself work any harder to achieve the goal. Oh dear, dwindling fire... I can barely remember the

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-90484996517167913052009-09-09T00:18:00.003+08:002009-09-09T00:30:17.827+08:00

Last sunday was really special to the family. For one thing, it was father's day and it was also my second daughter A's 9th birthday. I can't believe it has been 9 years since I first cradled her in my arms, all sleepy and sweet. This year she decorated her own cupcakes with fondant icing. I have never used fondant icing before but with some tips from youtube, she and I decided to be brave and

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-5351213010931605022009-08-28T18:16:00.004+08:002009-08-28T19:43:01.030+08:00

Like me, you must be hearing the phrase "do not complain about your life" all the time. While we know it is not good to whine about our difficulties, the unfairness of life and the unfortunateness of our situations, it is really hard not to complain. Human beings that we are, complaining and whining are part and parcel of our existence. I do believe that complaining (in moderation) has its

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-69770685482451838842009-08-26T10:26:00.003+08:002009-08-26T10:36:08.313+08:00

...I try to make lemonade. But sometimes when I get too many lemons, I lost the lemonade recipe and end up being confused. It will take some time before I can take control of my life again. But darn if I'll let life bully me. I am in control. I deserve to be happy and happy I shall be...No one is responsible for my happiness although it is true that people can hurt me. It's up to me to deal with

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-45643303680280424642009-08-23T12:31:00.003+08:002009-08-23T12:41:32.531+08:00

As I was browsing through the poems by Nicholas Gordon (http://www.poemsforfree.com/me.html)today, I found this one that reflects how much I feel about my friends:I do not see you often with my eyesI do not see you often with my eyes,But often you are with me in my heart.We rarely speak, but there are deeper tiesThat keep us close while we must be apart.Friendships don't depend on sights and

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765865150154867864.post-90240483253845676152009-08-17T17:11:00.005+08:002009-08-17T17:39:15.048+08:00

...are the big things. They bring smile to your face, and that counts. I had the opportunity to meet a wise man some years ago and learn this little wisdom from him. He was looking excitedly at his picture in the newspaper, which seemed unbelievable considering that his line of job inevitably put him in the media spotlight from time to time. But he told me it has never ceased to excite him. I

Veronehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09240367782918077788noreply@blogger.com2