Earthhour

We did Earthhour again this year. Dh gave torch lights to the kids for them to amuse themselves in the dark. They had their supper early around 6pm and then Dh wanted to take some pics of the constellation in the night sky. He used manual focus and adjusted the aperture, shuttle speed, ISO etc of the camera. The pics turned out ok. I wasn't expecting to see any stars but I could make them out in the photos. I guess the sky was quite clear and there was not much cloud around that night. I didn't really hang around to see the action much. Went to bed early with 3yo as soon as the lights went off at 8.30pm. The lights didn't come back on until the next day...

New Layout

I was actually trying to change the custom header in another blog. I couldchangeo it the first couple of times but then I thought I wanted to change it to a better picture but then I couldn't change it for some reason. So I came to this blog to work on the header here . (I only tried changing this once though. ) And then...hmmm.... I might need a new layout for the blog with more features. So ta-daaaa!!! The revamp version.
Unfortunately this current layout had wiped out my old blogroll and other customized stuff (which was part of the reason why I didn't want to change. ) But it's all good and hope you like it.... even if it is just a little.

1st Fun run 2009 - done!

I ran my first fun run this year with dd . She wanted to enter it at the last hour so I went to register her yesterday at the registration table at the event venue. Unfortunately, due to the late entry she couldn't get a free t-shirt and racepack after the race straight away and there wasn't really any chance of getting one with the swelling number of walkers who completed after us . I did buy her a pink T-shirt though but it isn't really her favourite color (they were all pink).
I think she did pretty well considering the longest distance she ever ran was 3k for her cross country at school. This year , we ran in reverse direction of the route taken last year which was probably a good idea but it was a slow start up one of the bridge due to the sheer number of participants. As we were at the back of the pack at the start line, we had to move around people like a labyrinth to get ahead. It started to clear a bit after that and we managed to run up almost all the hills and beat all the runners walking in the process (hehehe)... Dd ran very well to the half way mark (2.5k) in the Botanic Gardens where the drink station were and... after that... it sort of went downhill and I had to literally drag her up hills and paths as she was tiring. So we could only manage to walk up the Goodwin bridge after that since there was no respite from the sun and dd was fatigued. I insisted she drink from the watercooler when we came down from it to give her a energy boost. And then it was just a 1k 'dash' through the Southbank Parklands and to the finish line at the Cultural Forecourt. Phew!

Kookaburra's Visit

I am linking a video in an attempt to make this blog slightly more interesting as I am guilty of partially neglecting it. It is of a young kookaburra that was perching on some bamboo on the back deck/balcony of my home. Some common birds in my backyard got very territorial and tried to ward it off. They succeeded eventually. (Sorry for the poor pic quality, as this was shot in low resolution. )

A Recreational Cyclist List of Do Nots

1. Do not descend down a steep hill too fast, fall off the bike and land in a creek. (There are times when I think this might happen).
   
2. Do not descend downhill too fast, swerve sharply and land in a ditch. (ditto)
   
3. Do not accelerate downhill, fall off the bike and then roll down the hill. (ditto)
   
4. Do not collide with other cyclists at a narrow bypass/stretch. (Almost did this.)
5. Do not collide with enthusiastic kids on wheels who don't know left from right. (They are so cute. Where are their parents?)
6. Do not fall off an ill-fitting bike in front of group of recreational walkers . (This is embarrassing.)
7. Do not attempt to cycle away from a chasing dog and then run the bike over it, much to the chagrin of the owner. (Almost did this.)
   
8. Do not attempt to climb up a humongous hill to get to a connecting bikeway. (And only to quit half way.)
9. Do not forget to shift to low gear before you climb a hill, so that the bike won't stop a few metres after the foot of the hill . (What else is new.)
   
10. Do not forget to pump tyres before outing , so don't end up riding on squishy tyres. (They make a lovely squeaky sound though).
    
11. Do not forget to lay out bike attire the night before, so will actually have a better chance of finding them in the morning. (The opposite of this is embedded in me like a computer virus).
    

Crossroads

I haven't really had much adventure lately to blog anything of substance over here. Maybe a bit preoccupied with facebook , it is very user friendly. I am collecting some data/photos of the annular eclipse of the sun that occurred in the South East Asia early this week just for fun. Would like to post some amateur pics here but they're not really mine to post.
As well, I'm also thinking of going to Wordpress. Actually, I have created an account already. Probably would blog more on the past or something there. I must confess that I am still loyal to blogspot but really NOTHING interesting is happening lately to blog about except that kids are back at school and am busy cooking, washing and cleaning up the house after them...... Also taking them to the library and park after school. So not much time to blog.

HNY 2009

I'm sorry for not updating this blog. I went back for hols in KL and when I'm in KL , I don't really have the time to blog to be honest. Too many things to sort out and do! So much socializing and eating and eating and socializing and social eating.. You get the picture. Hmm.. I need to get back to my exercise regime again real soon. Next month in Feb will be a perfect time to start.. when kids are back at school.
Well, its already the end of the second week of January. Is it too late to say Happy New Year 2009 to my loyal or not too loyal readers, whoever you are ... Happy New Year!.......... Probably it is a bit a late to wish this........

Cycling Tip

I haven't been cycling much lately concentrating on jogging.. wished I could cycle more , I actually prefer cycling to running so I decided to cycle last Saturday. It is a bit boring cycling on my own (I really need to enrol in a squad thingy sometime) so I asked dd to accompany me. We went on the bikeway and to the nearest petrol station for some drinks/snacks. On the bikeway, she had to stop at a gum tree to collect exo-skeletons of bugs again. One of her favourite past time with her brother. There were heaps to collect.
Then, we up the rather steep hill. I used to walk up this hill with my bike and now... people ... I can actually cycle up the hill .. no sweat... Just don't ask me to stand on the pedals whilst doing it..
I would have gone further around the bikeway but my bike's front tyre was making a peculiar sound all the way.. prob lacking air. I noticed this at the first road junction out and wanted to go back home to pump them but dd was a bit enthusiastic to move on.
Cycling tip no1# Always.. always pump your bike tyres according to the required air pressure BEFORE you go out cycling.

Thing 1 & Thing 2

"Go downstairs and play there. You know papa rented this house so you guys can play in the (spacious) rumpus room and the backyard".

Thing 1 & Thing 2 continue playing and messing up in the living room....

"Stay upstairs and don't come down while I am on the treadmill."

Thing 1 & Thing 2 immediately come down when they hear someone on the treadmill. They play noisily and even ask mom on the treadmill to help open wrappers and tinned food (which she does grudgingly while jogging).

"Wait until I pray Solah Asar first, then you can go into the pool ."

Thing 1 immediately goes down and opens the child lock gate by standing on a chair, and lets Thing 2 in with him.

Mom has to put off solah for almost an hour to watch them frolicking in pool safely. (At least Thing 1 asked permission first to go in there after frequent pet talk. Mental note: Must padlock the child gate again.)

"It's nice and sunny outside. Go and play outside in the backyard."
"It's too hot!"

"Don't go out there. It's raining and you might catch a cold."

Thing 1 & Thing 2 go outside to play happily in the rain...........................

Spaghetti Marinara (4 ingred.)

My kids were nagging me. They were hungry after school (they always are). I didn't have time to cook earlier as I was preoccupied tidying up and cleaning ( a bit more than usual) due to a scheduled house inspection earlier on. Now I had to whipped up something real fast . Dd wanted me to cook her spaghetti marinara as I had told her that I just bought a lovely seafood mix of mussels, prawns, calamari and white fish pieces for just under $10/kg at Woolies.

Recipe for this: Oil (EVOO /cooking oil), spaghetti, 1 kg ready mix seafood, 1 jar Leggos pasta sauce (I usually have a jar or 2 of this in the cupboard).
Heat pan. Add oil, add pasta sauce. Add some water/stock and reduce. Add the seafood mix. Cook at low to medium heat. Wallah ! Spaghetti Marinara. Don't hate me purists (ie the people who cook from scratch)! The kids loved it and I made it in 2 batches.

Treadmill fixed!

Dh has fixed the treadmill! I am impressed! He had gone to Bunnings yesterday (probably after reading my previous blog entry) and bought a thick wooden plank suitable for the treadmill as well as an electric saw so he could cut it to size. Then he took out the wooden platform of the treadmill ,which was starting to crack and give way under constant pressure of usage, and replaced it with the new plank that he has cut up to size and drilled. Now the treadmill is as good as new! I haven't tried running on it yet as I just took a morning jog on the bikeway. Bu it looks good.
So I guess I am scrapping my current plans to become full fledged member of a gym until maybe in late summer, ie if I decide to join aqua aerobics/aerobics (maybe), boxing fitness (unlikely) or yoga/pilates (na-ah) classes on a regular basis. I know, I procrastinate.....

Running /Storm season

It was a very hot humid weekend last week, where temperature rose above 31C , which is quite uncharacteristic for this part of the world. (Ofcourse, in M'sia it would be the norm). Anyways, I decided to run on Saturday , although OMG, it was hurting so bad, running in the hot humid weather. (The treadmill has broken down at home and dh hasn't fixed it yet. I was sceptical of him buying cheaper ones on the net although it was a brand new 4HP). Thank goodness , the lovely, friendly (at the time) magpies didn't attempt to swoop me when I was out jogging although one swooped me on my bike once (I'm still scared stiff to cycle on that route). They probably got a thing for cyclists coz dh also got swooped too and another cyclist even installed straw/spike like objects on his helmet to prevent them from swooping him.
Anyway, after the very uncharacteristic hot, humid weekend , it rained heaps on Sunday night. One suburb got the brunt of it, trees uprooted and many roofs came flying off. They have now declared it a lil natural disaster zone there. This rainy spell has continued thus far, though it seems quite lovely at the moment , apparently it will last til the end of the week. I have made plans to commit myself to a gym (meaning fill in forms and become a full fledged member and pay monthly fees (yikes!) instead of just a casual member ), because of this unpredictable weather. I like the gym at the sports centre I frequent right now , ( because of the beauuutiful 50m Olympic size pool) but I decided to check out the all women's gym nearby. Unfortunately, it is situated in the basement/underground and it was closed when I wanted to pop in. Hmmm, being a bit claustrophobic , the first impression wasn't to my liking so I think I might be sticking to my old gym which has expanded a bit and installed more treadmills a couple of months ago , all of which are facing the beauuuutiful 50m Olympic size pool btw. (Gosh, I have gotto start swimming laps one of these days.)

Update

Sorry I haven't updated this blog for quite a while. A bit preoccupied with other stuff and also, facebook. My facebook has turned into a mini high school reunion , I'm finding people I haven't heard from for decades. It is really good to hear from the gals and some of the guys. But they don't know this blog exist, that will be overkill.
I'm also thinking of migrating to a new blog that is more travel or photo based to cater for the masses. Any input welcomed!

Triathlon Done!

I have completed my first short distance (200m/6km/2km ) women's triathlon! So I can now claim myself to be a triathlete albeit a very , very, slow one. My cycling and running time were pretty deceit as a first timer and considering I couldn't train much during Ramadan. I only managed intensive training during Eid, which wasn't really a good time to train as there were rich, fatty food to eat around the clock! My swim was overall in slow motion, people might have thought I was doing taichi in the pool! I elected to do breaststroke most of the way and only did free style (old school) on the last lap while most of the women competitors powered away at the start (though some of them lost steam half way). It wasn't amazing, after a 6 months hiatus due to the cool weather. I only jumped back into the pool the week before the race. I also lost a lot of time during the transition, ie just walking to transition area ( it rained heavily the day before and the ground was wet ), changing clothes etc, need to improve this especially in a short race. Overall, it was okay I guess (I didn't get last surprisingly). But I so need to commit to my swimming next year!

Eid Mubarak!

I just got my connection back. My service provider did a major migration exercise.. whatever that means... , it just means no internet to us for 5 measly days.. Anyway, hope it is not too late to wish all muslims out there. Are there anyone who actually have time to check anything on net on Eid Day like myself.. My dear son has not been well for the past weeks but he is recuperating, alhamdulillah and today I have to look after him again while other members of family go out for social visits etc.
What better way to spend Eid.. with my son! Happy Eid!

Chronic Hunger

Tell me have you ever experienced chronic hunger?
It is the month of Ramadan and I am fasting daily, but in all honesty I have not felt the feeling of chronic hunger. I have a substantial breakfast before dawn and break the fast at sundown with enough food to satisfy my family of five's appetite. Although I admit I may feel a bit peckish during the day sometimes but it seems to me that it is nothing compared to the real thing...
You see I am reading this book called "A small corner of hell, dispatches from Chechnya" written by a Russian journalist, Anna Politkovkaya, who documented the plight of refugees and people of Chechnya at the turn of this century. One account is of Khazimat Gambieva, a 51 year old woman whom she described is the first person she encounters that is swollen from hunger, an image she can't dispel from her memory . Khazimat is a grandmother who used to work as a nurse for twenty years but as a refugee fleeing from the atrocities of war, she gave most of the food that came her way to her eleven children and grandchildren, and now the disease dystrophy or chronic hunger has turned her in Politkovkaya own words, "into a living woodcut... Woodcuts , as everyone knows, are drawn in one color. Khazimat Gambieva, a withered old refugee with swollen joints and an inflated stomach, looks exactly that way-- as if she had been drawn in black and white , with her black wrinkles standing out on her parchmentlike skin. "
Politkovkaya goes on to explain that there isn't really enough food for everyone in the Chiri-Yurt settlement, as they only receive humanitarian aid called a '3 day ration' every couple of months. How could a person, let alone a family with 3 cans of evaporated milk and 1 can of processed meat each, survive for a couple of months at a time?

Kitchen Helpers

I now have two lil kitchen helpers as my sons have volunteered to help me in the kitchen. Toddler is quite independent and likes to cut and eat his own food like cheese or fruits. At first I was a little apprehensive about him using a knife but he is coping beautifully (I only let him use a butter knife). Apparently, there is nothing unusual in letting them use a knife, as my neighbour, a qualified teacher, also mentioned that her toddler uses one to cut his food up.
His older brother, ds likes to help me stirfry veges, adding the bits and pieces enthusiastically into the pan. He can also make his own omelettes. I think it might be because he is used to baking cookies at school that he is not adversed to the idea of helping in the kitchen . He tells me he wants to learn how to cook so he can cook stuff for me when his older. How thoughtful! I think he might have a knack for cooking when he growns up.

Ahlan Ramadan

Ramadan Mubarak! Kul aam wa antum bikhair!

Friendly Aussies II

I went to the gym as usual this morning to work on my upper body. As it was a week day, there were slightly more people exercising before going to work. I could not help noticing a vivacious young guy walking and talking loudly (about Olympics etc) on the treadmill with two oldies who were also on treadmills beside him. He was wearing the sports centre's blue-green polo shirt. Almost the whole time I was there he was chatting with them. Then the oldies decided to move to the other stuff in the gym. So the bubbly guy went to sit on the rowing machine next to me. Apparently, he is the new gym manager! And he asked me if I'm a member and if I would fill the gym's questionaire. So this new gym manager is going round the gym chatting and actually helping people to use the weights and machines properly! I never seen anything like it , at least not at this particular sports centre. The previous 2 gym managers either sat at their desk or were not really present in the gym!

Another bubbly Aussie is a pretty shop proprietor in the suburb where I used to live. Everytime my toddler go into her shop she would call out to him and try to(mis)pronounce his name. I think she takes a shine to him even though he always hide from her when she says Hi . She had given birth to a cute baby boy this year and is always comparing him to toddler. I always have to stop and chat with her at the checkout even though I am in hurry to pick up kids at the school nearby. Btw, she is originally from Vietnam.

Ekka

The whole family went to EKKA on Wednesday. I think nearly 100,000 other beings decided to transcend upon the RNA Showgrounds on the same day too. It was jam packed! We didn't go last year as there was a serious flu virus flying around. Maybe we should have gone then because of the smaller crowd . (I don't like crowded places.) But get this, the dh and kids wanted to go there specifically to get SHOWBAGS! The kiddoes got 2 each. (Dd insisted on going again this Saturday to get more!! but I object. ) Hubby wanted to get the Pepsi bag and I was wandering what is so fun about getting 3 pepsis and freebies in a bag ? Anyway, I should of let him get it if it makes him happy. (Btw, I asked him to get me one bag too with 2 mags ie Woman's Weekly & Good Health plus some healthy snacks , for a bargain at $10 as not much choice of bags for oldie like me.)
The kiddoes also liked to play at the fun fair as they get small stuffed animals as prizes. I think the game arcades there are rigged though as not a lot of people seem to win the big plush stuffed ones.