Welcome! Isaac Wong

Sending you some flowery chocholate! Ordered fr. Noel.com.my ..

Dearest Weng & Lisa,
Congratulations on Baby Isaac! What a blessing and wish you all the best!
Lots of Love from Fiona, Casey & Analina Koh

DVD Camcorder

Finally! The long wait has now ended! Ordered Oct 9, got it shipped to MICH, and just received it! Okay, we have some 'Platinum Collection' Godive choc along with it (which melted! MICH I dont think you can really freeze it first and send it, eventhough if 3-days Express!), and pretty nailcare kit too (this I really in need of it, thanks!)! Sent out twice fr. Houston, TX! Noh, it wasn't Rita! I guess, it was on Priority not Express, so double the wait! Can't wait to try out .. KH, need your expert advise now with DVD cam! MICH, don't forget 1. Hainanese Chicken Rice & 2. Assam Laksa !!!

Forgive As We Hope To Be Forgiven ..

Very interesting show, I watched NERO last weekend. Thought it may be one of those Roman empire movie with much conquering and battlefield .. Acte (Nero's love) said 'let's forgive as we hope to be forgiven' .. these words sound so commonplace as we all know it, but to really be practicing it daily, cleansing our hearts we must really do it. Despite the sad ending, Nero died, and all the sorrow he had caused the people, it seems he really wanted to be a good Emperor after all, for the better world, and so she said 'Nero didn't start the fire, but the fire inside consumed him..' .. he asked for forgiveness before he died and she forgave him.

I observed too at one point Nero needed to kill his half-brother so as to save many thousands (so he can be a good emperor, eliminate the corruption etc) .. Acte didn't agree with Nero .. My thoughts then, should he? Is it justifiable? It's a nation's issue, I wonder much too.. So I said to hubby, you know I heard too Buddha (Syakamuni?) at one time had to kill the pirate on the ship in order to save a few hundred lives on the ship.. he too ended up in Hell for a while but because his intentions were good and due to the much merits he earned in many past lives, he didn't have to suffer much in Hell. So, perhaps this is a close analogy of saving many other lifes and killing one or two? He said something like, 'Well, not in Christians .. (Acte in this case) because it is the belief that we do not take the life of others as we leave it to faith in God' .. Ponder, ponder, ponder.. Today I asked SL & TR since they are both very diligent when it comes to religion I'd say, follow-through quite a fair bit in the teachings.. and so it was said that they too would have left it to faith in God as it is not a way to justify taking another life because we did not create life itself and so it's not for us to take it away too .. kinda makes sense really.. :)

Wake up at 6am

I think its a better idea to sleep early and wake up early! Head was pounding last night and so I sleep early .. had to take Ibuprofen :( But got up early anyway and feels like old routine again (back then when Analina was much younger) .. Feels good, got plenty of time to make breakfast and prepare lunch for Analina, get things in order .. So, perhaps sleep at 10pm, wake up 6am - 8 hrs should be good enough!

Hobby & Dreams

Speaking of hobby .. its important to have a hobby and dreams in your life where your passion is .. whatever it may be .. Okay, my hobby? At present, I spend my extra time dealing with Analina's photos and videos .. not just shooting them but archiving, organizing, album-it? Not to mention, Mom and Dad cannot view PC videos, I also try to have videos recorded using a camcorder.. kinda keeps me busy already for all those extra half or 1 hours I get after she lands on z-land! Weekends usually not .. just save it for 'nature' activies .. maybe out at the playground or beach .. Yes, I am still working alongside my dreams in life .. I won't say I have a well-defined one but I know where I am heading . If this may sum it all, I want to be able to give alot of love back to the world .. so right now, I am putting myself in that position and getting rid of all those unnecessary real-world burden .. a plan is in place, but time will tell... at least I feel, I can walk my own passion, than to not have any .. :)

Retire in Pillow House @ 35

Suddenly I felt like I should do this Pillow House thing .. it just feels right! I can start as a hobby and in times to come, build the store, I think this would be exciting!! Maybe make my Mom come over to help me sew pillows? How about Aunty Ivy!? This is definitely something to think about .. but I don't mind learning about sewing, which I do back then anyway .. So, - work f/time till 35, start my new hobby - do it until 35, the transcent into a full-blow e-store as my retirement activity, how's that!? Focus, focus, focus! So far so good .. my to-retire plan started March '05 .. so I have Y1-29 (03-2005), Y2-30 (03-2006), Y3-31 (03-2007), Y4-32 (03-2008), Y5-33 (03-2009), Y6-34 (03-2010), Y7-35 (03-2011) .. I gota list all these down from time to time, must stay FOCUS if I wanna retire young! Free myself fr the rat race and financial commitments (and not to be ruthless so I need to take care of my parents and little family, same time) so I can create more volunteer hours for the benefit of others starting at 35!... Like my college mktg lecturer used to say, an objective is not an objective unless it is measurable! We must really impose a timeline .. otherwise, a moving deadline?

Buddy Talk

Some good things my buddies have said that I want to remember .. (can't be searching through so many emails in my Inbox right? that's why we blog!) ..

"There will always be those richer than us, better looking than us, more successful than us. Those things are beyond your control. However you and I can choose to be the happiest person in the world, because THAT you and I can control and determine" .. ~KT

"Knowing yourself is the most important thing. And perhaps learning about yourself is the best thing you could invest in"...~ HW

Melayu Basi?

Mungkin I sepatutnya gunna bahasa melayu lebih sikit .. entah suatu hari nanti, totally tak-tau berbahasa melayu! Tapi, 'vocab' sekarang rather basi! Hari ini, exchange email dengan abang in malay! Of course, tak nak orang lain tahu our content. Abang punya melayu very good juga! Orang kelonte!

Joel & Victoria Osteen

Not a particular fan of EWTN but whenever I bump into Joel and Osteen's inspirational talks, I just keep watching ... I just feel a sense of reasonableness in them, and a sense of balance .. somewhat close to what I regard as the right way of life .... Oh well, gota learn more, as usual - seek and you shall find!

Sink or Swim

When I was told about this so called, life quote - 3 years ago .. "Throw you into the sea, either you sink or swim", I was perplexed and inspired. I knew it would be one of those life lines that I will remember for a very very long time, and something that would be very precious for me, one of those tools that will help me thru tough times .. Indeed, it has and not only that, but I see how much more resistant there are out there for so many people, to embrace change, simply because 'we never throw outselves into the deep blue soon if we can' - comfort zone is good to live with. Anyway, recently I learned more about this life quote, and have seem some examples where, there's an invisible cushion between the time you sink or swim. I come to know a friend who is now in the deep blue sea, and was indeed thrown into the sea and started sinking .. but why isn't he swimming and yet not drowned after so many months? You know why? Because he is not in a desperate situation yet i.e. he is not out in the deep blue sea without any resources, otherwise he would have drowned!!! So, the story goes, he thinks he is sinking and will sink but never sunk because he's still got a float .. so in life, when people are not in desperate situations they never really drown but yet do not want to make full use of their float to get back to the shore.. so they float and float and float in the sea for months, maybe years.. perhaps this is what psychologists term 'in denial'.... If one do not want to get back to the shore and keeps complaining he or she is still in the sea drowing .. they really chose to be that way.. and their future is really in their hands, or you would call it karma because they never had the merits to 'see' that they could come out of it ..

It's Too Complex: The Price of Freedom

I never grew up knowing the world this way. Today I started browsing abit on Prenup and Postnup (came up from discussion with a friend) and remembering Probate issues ... it's very complex, time consuming and I thought we as it is, time is already precious and limited for us to use while on Earth, there's just so much we can do with those time, yet, I just realized alot of pple esp. in this part of the world, have to (some willing some not willing) go through so much of these paperwork in their lifetime. I look at where I was brought up, I look at Mom, Dad, aunties, uncles.. cousins, relatives, even distance relatives, I never hear of such things and people still live and die and we have new sprung babies, cousins, the cycle continues, but never as complex as this .. but in the land of freedom, where freedom comes with a cost ... a heavy price.

Happy Get Well, Auntie Anna

For a speedy recovery Auntie Anna! Flowers fr. Noel.com.my

Lots of Love,
Fiona, Casey & Analina Koh

My Slowcooker, My Best Friend

I just can't help but to say this, my slowcooker makes wonders!!!!! Have had it for 2-3 years now but only started using much of it recently (too many kitchen equipment in the cabinet :P) .. but with multi-daily chores and task, running back and forth, the slowcooker saves me a big deal of time and convenience, not to mention a good meal! Though I am not too creative yet about what else I can cook, but so far even the chicken or soup or barley makes me very happy :D .. It's Labor Day, and rainy day, very tempted to zzzzz, but just want to cherish the day, so will keep some routines, inc. sending Analina to daycare! Well, we gota keep the machines running huh! OK, I'll watch some news...

Natural Disaster Zones

Okay, first few days, I was still taking it easy .. not wanting to put so much stress on the fact that we are planning to move to a place close to natural disaster. But finally, Dad wrote and asked to seriously consider these issues.. I guess family would be concern. See, more reason for us to care and love for our family members more hehe .. Anyway, back to the issue... so I should really start looking into this, evaluate the options or reconsider relocation with more options? I guess, right now, pump in some knowledge about these zones...

Natural disaster map: GJEP website

No Need Mooncake?

If your parents tell you no need to buy for them mooncakes (or cookies etc.) just buy it anyway!!! If you have to, have it delivered to their door step! When they say the don't want it, chances are they may want it 'deep inside'! Though I'd like them to tell me the truth and not be so 'poh mah', but as it happens, they may feel offended since I got so many boxes of mooncakes for the others! Infact, last year Dad sent me an email saying, Mom said no need buy cookies etc... so, now I am thinking, perhaps they really want to receive from their daughter here but shy to say? Either that or Dad really wants to eat mooncake ha .. For older folks, if you want something, just tell your kids!!! They will be delighted to get it for you, if cannot afford this year, I am sure next year they will try! We all just have to be more open when it comes to communications ... :)

A Happy Family ...

Don't know how to express my relief and joy but received email fr WG this morning as we all exchanged email about how to help Granny. Also got Dad involved so I am also pretty happy he is getting involved and putting more effort into making things happen for Granny. Intially, WG and I talked and thought money could help Granny so she could stay with U.Ling, so its like (400) fr WG and (400) fr me, and (300) fr U.Ling himself, that should come up to an amount enough for them to consider taking her in. Later, I told Dad, actually, 400+400 = 800 is our money (WG and I) for Mom and Dad, I also wanted him and Mom to know that actually WG cares, but I just don't know how to explain since I myself can't pull out facts to support this but now we have something solid going on!! So, with my suggestion and WG agreed and he sounded really nice in his email, the next step is to have Mom and Dad feel at peace to know that both their kids are giving them money so they don't feel abandoned.. but of course, we hope they will use the money to help Granny out, and I said in my email reply that "At the same time, if you and Mom run out of money for other expenses, just sharewith us so we can find ways to help too. If any problems at home, please call us.." I hope this will mark a very good begining to a happier family relationship between us all .. Also, recently, SIL and Weng invited Mom and Dad over to their new house and they spent time with little Zach, I am sooooo thrilled to hear about that! I love them all, and hope we all live happily together :)