My Celebrity Look-alikes

Cheeky Boy is getting Smarter

Jordan a.k.a. Cheeky Boy was born in December 2005. That year, 4 of my colleagues also gave birth – 2 girls and 2 boys, and 1 from my church – a boy. Jordan was the youngest, and so, his development seemed slower but within the normal development chart. He was still crawling when all the babies have started walking. Moreover, he was crawling with only one leg. I was so anxious to see him walk. Actually, he started to stand at an early age – between 6 to 7 months. I thought that he would learn to walk early. Most of the babies started to walk when they were 12 months old. Jordan was hardly cruising as well. 12 months – still crawl with a limp, 13 months – took baby steps, 14 months – just after the Chinese New Year, he walked suddenly. Halleluiah! I was thrilled. Life was easier. I’m really glad that he didn’t really cruise much. I think I would have a hard time following him, but probably lose weight faster.

Now, all the babies have started to talk and read too. Some even have conversations with their parents, and have started to ask a lot of questions. As for Jordan, he is just beginning to say more words meaningfully. It’s a good start.

Lately, he has been surprising me with new words. Last night, he took a block labeled 2, and repeatedly said, “two”. He also pointed at his books and said, “book”. On Monday night, he saw an ant on the floor, and blurted out, “ant”. Every night, he looks for his teddy bears, and calls them “bear-bear”. Funnily, he calls the lizard, “cockroach”. He still looks out for cockroaches.

Last Saturday (25 August 2007) night, 10 pm+, he suddenly repeatedly asked for bread. We didn’t have any bread at home. So, we took him and drove to the nearest petrol station to buy bread for him. When he wants his milk, he would say, “Nen-nen”. It’s easier to feed him now, and he rarely wastes his milk.

When he wants something and he doesn’t know the word, he would point and say, “there”.

Occasionally, I could hear him mumble, “thank you”, when I give him something. He seems to say something like, “Let’s go” whenever we are about to go out.

I’m really, really looking forward to have a conversation with him. He can bug me anytime with his questions. He can ask as many questions as he likes. I want to read to him stories every night. I love to talk to him, and I love to hear him talk.

Unfortunately, he still rarely calls me, “Mummy”.

Peer Pressure and Conformity

What does GOD Say?


“I am the LORD your God! So don't follow the customs of Egypt where you used to live or those of Canaan where I am bringing you. I am the LORD your God, and you must obey my teachings. Obey them and you will live. I am the LORD.”
Leviticus 18:2-5 (CEV)

“There are two things, Lord, I want you to do for me before I die: Make me absolutely honest and don't let me be too poor or too rich. Give me just what I need. If I have too much to eat, I might forget about you; if I don't have enough, I might steal and disgrace your name.”
Proverbs 30:7-9 (CEV)

“Dear friends, God is good. So I beg you to offer your bodies to him as a living sacrifice, pure and pleasing. That's the most sensible way to serve God. Don't be like the people of this world, but let God change the way you think. Then you will know how to do everything that is good and pleasing to him.”
Romans 12:1-2 (CEV)

“Timothy, you belong to God, so keep away from all these evil things. Try your best to please God and to be like him. Be faithful, loving, dependable, and gentle. Fight a good fight for the faith and claim eternal life. God offered it to you when you clearly told about your faith, while so many people listened.”
1 Timothy 6:11-12 (CEV)

“My friends, be glad, even if you have a lot of trouble. You know that you learn to endure by having your faith tested. But you must learn to endure everything, so that you will be completely mature and not lacking in anything. If any of you need wisdom, you should ask God, and it will be given to you. God is generous and won't correct you for asking.”
James 1:2-5 (CEV)

“Give a kind and respectful answer and keep your conscience clear. This way you will make people ashamed for saying bad things about your good conduct as a follower of Christ. You are better off to obey God and suffer for doing right than to suffer for doing wrong.”
1 Peter 3:16-17 (CEV)

“So don't let the errors of evil people lead you down the wrong path and make you lose your balance.”
2 Peter 3:17 (CEV)

“With all your heart you must trust the LORD and not your own judgment. Always let him lead you, and he will clear the road for you to follow. Don't ever think that you are wise enough, but respect the LORD and stay away from evil."
Proverbs 3:5-7 (CEV)

“Hold firmly to my teaching and never let go. It will mean life for you. Don't follow the bad example of cruel and evil people. Turn aside and keep going. Stay away from them.”
Proverbs 4:13-15 (CEV)

“Carefully guard your thoughts because they are the source of true life. Never tell lies or be deceitful in what you say. Keep looking straight ahead, without turning aside. Know where you are headed, and you will stay on solid ground.”
Proverbs 4:23-26 (CEV)

“Respect and obey the LORD! This is the beginning of wisdom. To have understanding, you must know the Holy God.”
Proverbs 9:10 (CEV)

“Don't be jealous of crooks or want to be their friends. All they think about and talk about is violence and cruelty.”
Proverbs 24:1-2 (CEV)



By The Bible Society of Malaysia

George Carlin's Views on Aging

Do you realize that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we're kids? If you're less than 10 years old, you're so excited about aging that you think in fractions.

"How old are you?" "I'm four and a half!" You're never thirty-six and a half. You're four and a half, going on five! That's the key!!

You get into your teens, now they can't hold you back.
You jump to the next number, or even a few ahead.

"How old are you?" "I'm gonna be 16!" You could be 13, but hey, you're gonna be 16! And then the greatest day of your life . . . you BECOME 21. Even the words sound like a ceremony. YOU BECOME 21. YESSSS!!!

But then you turn 30. Oooohh, what happened there? Makes you sound like bad milk! He TURNED; we had to throw him out. There's no fun now, you're just a sour-dumpling. What's wrong? What's changed?

You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, then you're PUSHING 40. Whoa! Put on the brakes, it's all slipping away. Before you know it, you REACH 50 and your dreams are gone.

But wait!!! You MAKE IT to 60. You didn't think you would!

So you BECOME 21, TURN 30, PUSH 40, REACH 50 and MAKE IT to 60.

You've built up so much speed that you HIT 70! After that it's a day-by-day thing; you HIT Wednesday!

You get into your 80s and every day is a complete cycle; you HIT lunch; you TURN 4:30 ; you REACH bedtime and it doesn't end there. Into the 90s, you start going backwards; "I Was JUST 92."

Then a strange thing happens. If you make it over 100, you become a little kid again. "I'm 100 and a half!"

May you all make it to a healthy 100 and a half!!


HOW TO STAY YOUNG
1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay "them."

2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.

3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. "An idle mind is the devil's workshop." And the devil's name is Alzheimer's.

4. Enjoy the simple things.

5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.

6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.

7. Surround yourself with what you love, whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.

8. Cherish your health : If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

9. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county; to a foreign country but NOT to where the guilt is.

10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.


AND ALWAYS REMEMBER :
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

The Secret

One day, one friend asked another,
'How is it that you are always so happy?
You have so much energy, and you never seem to get down


With her eyes smiling, she said,
'I know the Secret!'
'What secret is that?'
To which she replied,
'I'll tell you all about it, but you have to promise to
share the Secret with others.'



'The Secret is this:
I have learned there is little I can do in my life that will make me truly happy.
I must depend on God to make me happy and to meet my needs.
When a need arises in my life, I have to trust God to supply according to HIS riches.
I have learned most of the time
I don't need half of what I think I do.
He has never let me down.
Since I learned that 'Secret', I am happy. '



The questioner's first thought was,
'That's too simple!'
But upon reflecting over her own life
she recalled how she thought a bigger
house would make her happy, but it didn't!
She thought a better paying job would make her happy,
but it hadn't.
When did she realize her greatest happiness?
Sitting on the floor with her
grandchildren, playing games, eating pizza or reading a story,
a simple gift from God.



Now you know it too!
We can't depend on people to make us happy.
Only GOD in His infinite wisdom can do that.
Trust HIM! And now I pass the Secret on to you!
So once you get it, what will you do?



YOU have to tell someone the Secret, too!
That GOD in His wisdom will take care of YOU!
But it's not really a secret...
We just have to believe it and do it...
Really trust God!

Just Pass It On!


~ Author Unknown ~

Just me...

The price of gluttony

Thursday, 16 August 2007

I was invited by the Diploma in Hospitality and Tourism Management staff to examine the student’s practical examination. I accepted invitation gladly without second thoughts. Hey, how often do you get free food tasting?

I was required to examine three aspects of their food preparation – flavour, texture and food presentation. Each examiner was given 2 complete meals prepared by 2 different students to evaluate – entrée (salad garnished with olive oil and vinegar), main course (chicken chop with brown mushroom sauce) and dessert (pudding with caramel sauce).

We were advised to taste one complete meal first, and rinsed our mouth with mineral water after each taste. I started with the meal on my left. Firstly, I compared the food presentation, and awarded a mark. Then, I had my first bite of the salad – chewed it slowly and savoured the taste. Secondly, I tried the chicken chop – sliced it to examine the texture, tasted it first without the sauce, then added the sauce to taste again. (Hmm… I sound like an experienced food taster. Hahaha). Of course, I evaluated the food presentation first before mutating it. Lastly, I assessed the dessert – my favourite part of the meal.

I shall not disclose the marks awarded. Anyway, overall, the preparation on my left was better. To be fair, I completed the entrée on my left and the dessert on my right. I didn’t finish the main course because I had my lunch already before that. Initially, I thought I was there to judge, and just taste a bit of here and there. I didn’t know that we were also invited to complete the meal that we preferred. Well, you could also finish both meals.

I felt kind of pressurized because the students were actually outside looking through the glass door and checking whose meal you completed. Then, they would know which one of them did better. So, I tried to please both by completing a course from each. Hehehe.

Overall, it was an interesting experience. I would be delighted to accept their invitation again.


Dinner
I had 2 meals for lunch. Suddenly, Seng Chor suggested that we have durian for dinner – an invitation that is hard to resist. We ordered more than our first durian meal – 4 durians, 7 Kgs in total! This is gluttony. I should have stopped at the 3rd.

After dinner, I went to the Ladies’ Discipleship Cell. Lai Leng served us with Barley with Fu Chuk. I was extremely full after that. My stomach was beginning to feel uncomfortable. It was almost 10:30 pm.

Before bed, I felt like throwing up. My stomach was bloated. I ignored it and slept. In the middle of the night, I thought I was better but then I vomited – I think at least one durian was spewed out. I felt more comfortable after that, and I was okay in the morning.

What was the price of the gluttony?
The answer is 7 Kgs * RM 12 = RM 84!!!

Beautiful Explanation of Death

~DEATH~ WHAT A WONDERFUL WAY TO EXPLAIN IT ..


A sick man turned to his doctor as he was preparing to
leave the examination room and said,
"Doctor, I am afraid to die.
Tell me what lies on the other side."

Very quietly, the doctor said, "I don't know."

"You don't know? You, a Christian man,
do not know what is on the other side?"

The doctor was holding the handle of the door;
on the other side came a sound of scratching and whining,
and as he opened the door, a dog sprang into the room
and leaped on him with an eager show of gladness.

Turning to the patient, the doctor said,
"Did you notice my dog?
He's never been in this room before.
He didn't know what was inside.
He knew nothing except that his master was here,
and when the door opened, he sprang in without fear.
I know little of what is on the other side of death,
but I do know one thing...
I know my Master is there and that is enough."


Author Unknown

By drzabokia

Would you like to share in my joys and pains?
Come and browse my new site: -

Oh the Joys and Pains of a Lecturer

(Special thanks to Kuya Ken - The Inspired Educator, for the title)


Glory to God!

Belated Quote for July 2007

"Don't break my heart."

Miss Choong
Redang 2007

(... when Shydoc scolded her)

Splinter

Which Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Character Are You?
	You are Splinter. You are patient and wise.
Find Your Character @ BrainFall.com

Dr for a Year already

I graduated from Doctorate on 8 August 2006 - it was one year ago. How time flies!

Passing the viva is a miracle from God. Before the viva, I could think of many reasons why I might not pass the viva. But God performed a miracle for me. I just can't stop praising Him for that.

God is good. His blessings overflow. I'm happy with my work. Nothing much has changed. I'm still pretty much the same - adjusting to motherhood most of the time. Soon, Jordan will be 2 years old.

I acknowledged that whatever I have belongs to God.
Blessed be the Name of the Lord!

Take it easy – rest and relax

Jordan still sleeps late, and on weekends, he doesn’t take his nap until almost 4 pm. I have learned to bear with his sleeping pattern. I would let him play until he grew tired. I would entertain him as much as I could. Then, he would suck his thumb, hold his napkin and sleep.

He throws tantrums more frequently. He does it by lying on the floor and whines/cries. Most of the time, we would just leave him lying down, and he would get up on his own. Sometimes he does it with no apparent reason. One second he would be crying/whining, and another second smiling. I still don’t understand him most of the time.

He amuses me most of the time with his sudden laughter. Occasionally, I get a surprise kiss while lying on the bed. The last one was this morning.

I am waiting for him to talk. He babbles most of the time, and I love to hear it.

I am not feeling so stressed up nowadays. Just taking things easy, one day at a time. Just have fun with him everyday, and let him have fun too. (He can sleep whenever he wants.)

Who is cleverer ? Teacher or student??

One Night 4 College Students Were Playing Till Late Night And Didn't Study For The Test Which Was Scheduled For The Next Day.

In the morning they thought of a plan. They made themselves look as dirty and weird with grease and dirt. They then went up to the Dean and said that they had gone out to a wedding last night and on their return the tyre of their car burst and they had to push the car all the way back and that they were in no condition to appear for the test.

So the Dean said they can have the re-test after 3 days. They thanked him and said they will be ready by that time.

On the third day they appeared before the Dean. The Dean said that as this was a Special Condition Test, All four were required to sit in separate classrooms for the test.

They all agreed as they had prepared well in the last 3 days.

The Test consisted of 2 questions with the total of 100 Marks.

Q.1. Your Name........ ......... ........( 2 MARKS )
Q.2. Which tyre burst ?........... ....( 98 MARKS )

a) Front Left
b) Front Right
c) Back Left
d) Back Right .....!!!


(Source: Unknown)

Fishing

Blue Fish and Fluke

Blue Fish

Recently, my brother Felix in New York went fishing and caught 2 big fish. The dark fish is called a Fluke the other one is Blue Fish. According to him, Fluke meat is good 5 USD per lbs. They sashimi the Fluke and cooked curry with the Blue Fish. They were probably in the Atlantic Ocean, and it was around 70 feet deep or more.

Tomorrow night, he is going for Striped Bass with some Russian friends. If he got the chance, he might go farther for Tuna and Cod. He has always enjoyed fishing (something new to me). He will fish more before his classes resume again early September. Cool, eh?