Little Cozy Corner

*A re-post from Arianna’s blog.

When I first came over, I used to listen a lot to the online radio station, Nova969 especially at work. Very naughty I know but sometimes, you just need something to keep your eyes peeled. It’s been a long while since I did that but I never forgot what the logo looked like because I thought it was really very cute.

Recently, feeding Arianna has been quite a feat. She needs to hold something or watching something in order for her to finish her meal so one day, I decided to do something very *bad*. Ted’s safety ‘ear muffs’ was lying nearby so I decided to put it on her to see her reaction.

The outcome? PRICELESS.

*rotflmao* So bad kan I? But you gotta admit that it’s damn cute right?????

Sometimes when I tell people how time flies, I don’t neccessarily take notice of it. But recently, after reading a random post by someone from church who is going to turn 21, made me realise that time has really zipped past me, and I didn’t even realise it.

When we first moved to Kulim, she was a wee little kid in primary school. Heck, it’s been almost 10 years since we have been in Kulim so that pretty much sums it up in a nutshell but the shock of realising that she will soon turn 21 is like omg….when did she grow up? How did I miss it??

I don’t have to go that far really. It also didn’t occur to me that I will be hitting the BIG 30 in a few months and it’s like OMG….I can’t believe it!!!! I’m happy that I don’t really feel like an almost 30 year old at all. I still think about partying, and going clubbing and hanging out with friends. In fact, when I was in Kulim recently, some friends from college came to visit me and we lepakked at the mamak stall and it was like we were taken back in a time capsule, back to our college days. We sat there stuffing our faces with all the mamak food because a) I wasn’t going to miss out on a chance to eat that yummylicious mamak fried chicken of which I ordered many pieces b) apparently Penangites who move to KL also miss Northern food tremendously so with such a combo and the company, it was just magnificent! Would give anything to do it again soon. We just sat there and ate, drank teh ais, teh tarik, kopi kau, Nescafe O….you name it, we had it. I even tried Roti Milo and it was DELISH!!! Didn’t bring my cam so no pix - sorry. It was just so good to hang out like that. Thinking back, the patrons of the mamak place must have thought we were insane or simply gluttons, or worst still, insane gluttons!!! We were cackling away talking about mainly taboo stuff like sex and what nots. *lol* Really funny….am laughing while I’m blogging about this too!

But that’s just it - I don’t feel like I’m getting any older. I feel young inside and I think that’s a good thing. Although I do realise that I have to act my age la. You won’t spot me in any emo goth trends, so don’t you worry about that! I guess the other main thing that made me realise that I am getting older is the fact that I have a baby! Well, she will be considered a toddler in just a few more weeks. Arianna is turning 1 in August!!! And these pictures just says it all…

At 8 days old :

[This is just too precious - one of my fav pix!]

And this is now :

It really goes to show that time really flies and that if you blink too much, you really can miss it. So treasure every moment of it.

It’s been awhile since I last put up some pix so I thought that it was about time. Here are some of the latest shots.

Our first shot together at the new unit - celebrating autumn. It was darn cold that day!

What can I say - I take better shots! *lol* Arianna here with Daddy

This is her ‘What you looking at?’ look - like very tu lan right?

This is Arianna’s signature look - almost every picture I take she will pull this face.

What a tease!! When she was in this position, I thought that she was going to make her first attempt. But sadly, she pulled a big bluff on me!

This is another one of my favourites - she just loves to show off her 2 teeth. *lol*

Arianna enjoying some sun on our balcony while having her morning tea - Farley’s rusk all the way from Kulim.

Being typical girly girl, Arianna is turning into quite a vain pot! *lol* She absolutely loves to stare at herself in the mirror. Most of the time, she’s trying to beat the heck out of her image in the mirror! ‘Who is that baby wearing my clothes?!’

Another one of my favourites because of the close up shot. I try to capture the color of her eyes but photos just don’t do her eyes any justice. But this is one of Ted’s favourites and is currently my desktop background.

Arianna gave me this look when I called her ‘cheekums’. It’s something Ted came up with. I think it’s got a cute tingle to it - ‘cheekums’ and ‘cheekyboo’. I like!

I will be adding more pix especially those taken during our hotel stay in Penang.

You know for a fact that man has has meddled in the ecosystem and the animal kingdom when you see this….

Monkeys invading your home and can be found jumping and ruining your gutters, ransacking your rubbish bins and worst of all, terrorizing your kids! Ok, so it wasn’t as bad as the monkeys scaring the bejeebers out of my aunt’s grandkids but they did scare them when the monkeys daringly came forward to grab the bananas out of their hands. As to why they were eating bananas in fronts of those monkeys is beyond me. It’s like dangling a carrot in front of a donkey and expect it not to eat the carrot - impossible!!

Anyway, it was a real shocker for me to see these wild monkeys in abundance in the taman [housing estate], Taman Desa in Kluang to be precise and we’re not talking a mere handful, we’re in tens that could reach a hundred! Jokes aside, I was so afraid that they’d jump at us while we watched them climb over the the neighbors gate and into their house rummaging for food. The poor things really….I mean, the only reason that they have resorted to coming in such close contact with humans is most likely because they have no choice. Only the strongest and the smartest, not to mention the most daring will live.

There was a whole jimbang there right from tiny baby monkeys to the great-grandparents, all walking along the roadside, sitting on vehicles and swinging from the branches in the nearby jungle. It was such a scary sight especially when you’re so close to the wild ones. It’s different if you’re in a zoo and in a controlled environment. I was actually very afraid but I kept my distance. Lord knows what we will see next! O, I also caught a glimpse of an iguana - huge bugger! But it slipped away into the drain….or we would have had it for lunch! *lol*

My aunt says that if you don’t disturb them, they won’t disturb you. But like us humans, they are unique and have their own temperaments so you really wouldn’t know what to expect from these wild animals. And just because they have been in close contact with human on a certain level doesn’t make them any more safe. I personally think that it is a worry but it was quite obvious that the people who live in the area are quite accustomed to these monkeys roaming freely around the taman. And just as we were talking about the huge number of monkeys in the area, a huge pack of stray wild dogs come running down the road!

Boy, what a learning experience for Arianna*…. It was like she was on a safari - saw many animals up close and personal : cicak [lizards/geckos], Margaret the fish, monkeys, dogs, flies and mosquitos. *lol*

*I’ve uploaded some random pix, go check it out.

What a great feeling to be back home!  :wub: I think the happiest person is Arianna because for most of the time we were in Kluang, we were out and about getting all our issues settled and all at the expense of my little girl’s rest. Poor thing was most exhausted by night time and I’m sure that whatever beauty sleep she got at time was pure bliss!

For a small thing like Arianna, she has become a rather seasoned traveler.  At only 7 months and 2 weeks, she’s been flying, going on car trips and and even taken a 13 hours train ride - how awesome is that?? And she dealt it all very well except for getting that cold but praise God that she has recovered. Will be updating our trip in due time….but have to go wash up all those clothes we took with us. Aiyo….so much to wash and no sunshine to help dry it!!

I’ve been home since 11/3 but see, now only I managed to find time to sit down and blog peacefully. I’ve been so busy since I came home, it’s not funny.

Although it’s only been day 3 since I came home, I feel as if I never left at all with the exception that I just can’t get enough of hawker food. On Wednesday, we had brekkie at the new market near my place and I had a tosai and a roti canai, with a teh tarik gelas besar, and I still had room for more but I didn’t push it coz we were going to have lunch at *Kofi Haven, my uncle cafe later that day. I couldn’t believe that I was able to eat so much! I guess the portions back in Sydney has conditioned my stomach to be able to increase my portions and you know la, portions here compared to Sydney is simply so small. *lol* Yes, I am a glutton when it comes to food - I love food and I’m not ashamed to admit it. Heh.

After brekkie, we headed off to visit my aunt who has been under the weather due to some serious health issues. I must say that I could hardly recognize her but I could certainly see her old self in there somewhere.  Prayers for her health and to regain some strength is most welcomed. We need all the prayers we can.

Then on Thursday, Mum and I were out half the day hunting and shopping for baby stuff including a bath tub for Arianna coz Lord know how horribly inflexible I am and bathing her kampung style has seriously taken a toll on my back. If you’re not sure what this style is, to me, it was the way my Mum bathe me and her mum used to bathe her. One sits on a stool with legs outstretch and lays baby on those legs, facing upwards. Then pours water over and scrubs soaps baby, in the same manner. Not being flexible is one matter, stomach in the way was another so I was huffing and puffing away trying to bathe her whilst making sure Arianna doesn’t slip from my hands. I’m sure all of you know what soap on skin is like and with a cacing kerawit like Arianna - haiyolar! Damn scary…..

So, bath tub bought and it’s a bright fluorescent pink one - such a sight really but watodo, no choice, then I got her some diapers as well as the clothe ones, a nightime baby lotion - smells SO good coz it’s lavender, and some shampoo. I also plan to get her a walker because seriously,  it’s no joke lugging Arianna wherever I go because I can’t really leave her on her own now that she has learned to turn.

Today, my poor baby is down with the cold.  So she’s asleep after I’ve doped her with some baby Panadol. Hopefully this cold goes away before our flight to JB for Sis’ convo in JB. We got a direct flight from Penang to JB on Air Asia - I hope they don’t screw up! Well, I best get going now…..stupid dogs just barked and they might have woken her up. Bah!

*The has been a huge change in decor and the menu is fantastic!! No joke - go and check it out yourself. It’s really nice and I recommend the Seafood Crepe. YUMMO!