I went with Norida, to Singapore for her convocation ceremony.
We started out on Thursday, dropping off the kids at their grandparents house as they were not allowed at the ceremony.
We set out from Muar after resting for an hour or so. We felt a bit sad leaving the kids. We haven't been without them since we got them, at least not both of them at the same time.
We reached Johor Bahru, were our hotel were, around six. So we checked in and went out to check out the shopping complex that were part of the hotel building. They didn't really have that much of interest and not any really tempting place for dinner. So we went out instead and had an OK dinner before we went back to our hotel for a rest and to call the kids. They had done everything they were supposed to have done.
I was really darn tired so I slept before 10 o'clock.
On Friday we got up at normal time and were out of the hotel by 8. Went to a "restaurant" and had breakfast (Nasi Lemak and Teh tarik), before we got a cab to go to the customs check in Malaysia. It took 5 minutes or so, before we could get on the bus and go to Singapore. The customs in Singapore took a "little" bit longer, but we finally got through so we could continue to the MRT (rail based public transport) by the bus. We used the MRT to get into the central of Singapore before we had to change to another bus to get us to NUS and their cultural centre where the convocation were held. As we had found the centre our next target were to to find somewhere to eat, with out damaging the wallet to badly. We ended up having rice in the engineering cafeteria. Not too bad actually.
Then we went back to the place for the convocation and started the waiting. Norida got the robe after a while so we went around taking pictures of her (and some of me).
The convocation were not that long as is was just around 50 graduates around. The major part was spent on presenting the 5 honorary doctorates.
After the convocation there were afternoon high tea (or whatever it is called) that were quite nice, but a bit salty and kept me fulll for the rest of the day.
When we were done at the convocation we went to have a look at Singapore and their Harbour front and I must write that Singapore is not a fun place unless you want to do shopping or go to Sentosa Island. As I haven't bothered with either of those two I haven't really enjoyed Singapore as a tourist place.
After we got bored with the Harbour front, we started to head back to JB and Malaysia, but we got stuck in the queue a kilometer or two away from the customs, so we got off the bus and started walking. It took longer time to get through the customs compared to walking there. The queue at the busstop to get taken to Malaysia seemd awfully long so we continued walking to Malysia. The side walks are nicer in Malaysia so the walking got more comfortable halfway across the bridge. The customs in Malaysia were fairly smooth and then we got into a cab to go back to the hotel. We did some chocolate shopping before we retreated to our room to get some rest after the walking.
We left JB on Saturday after some visits to Noridas relatives before we finally could see our cuddly kids again. :-)
They were happy to see us, partly because their cousins had left so they were home with just their Poh-Poh.
On Sunday all of us (including Poh-Poh) left go back to housey. It was a quite drive without any raining. Which is unusual, you might be able to beat the traffic, but I always seem to end up in a rainstorm going home from Muar.
28.11.07
Adam 12!
Realised that Adam has got his 12th tooth on Sunday, probably popped up some days earlier.
He has finally got all 4 teeth in the middle in his bottom jaw.
He has finally got all 4 teeth in the middle in his bottom jaw.
Snow!
I forgot to tell what they really predicted about the weather.
Basically, stating there will be a usual December weather.
Cold and not so cold mixed and with a possibility for snow or rain depending on the temperature. So not much of a prognosis if you read all article, unless you stay in northern Sweden where the snow will stay after the coming weekend snowing.
My parents are not so I guess have just have to do as usual, wait and see.
Basically, stating there will be a usual December weather.
Cold and not so cold mixed and with a possibility for snow or rain depending on the temperature. So not much of a prognosis if you read all article, unless you stay in northern Sweden where the snow will stay after the coming weekend snowing.
My parents are not so I guess have just have to do as usual, wait and see.
Swedish news are not very much better!
I had just finished complaining about the RTM, when I opened Aftonbladet (Swedish newspaper) that put out the news:
"Where to expect a White Christmas" (in Sweden that is)
So you start reading the article:
Ligger snön vit där du bor så blir det en vit jul.
Det spår SMHI i långtidsprognoset.
What it says is if the snow has come down where you stay, then you will have a white Christmas. You don't have to be Einstein to figure that out right.
Anyway, that's what the Swedish Meteorological institute predicts and I am pretty darn sure they gonna be right this time. I know everybody is complaining about the meteorological institutes and that they never get it right, but this is ridiculous. I mean how general statements do you have to make to get it right?
"Where to expect a White Christmas" (in Sweden that is)
So you start reading the article:
Ligger snön vit där du bor så blir det en vit jul.
Det spår SMHI i långtidsprognoset.
What it says is if the snow has come down where you stay, then you will have a white Christmas. You don't have to be Einstein to figure that out right.
Anyway, that's what the Swedish Meteorological institute predicts and I am pretty darn sure they gonna be right this time. I know everybody is complaining about the meteorological institutes and that they never get it right, but this is ridiculous. I mean how general statements do you have to make to get it right?
RTM s****s!!!!
RTM (Radio TV Malaysia) as you can see from the name is the national broadcasting network in Malaysia. I try to listen to their news at 8:00 just to hear if something has happened that I could be interested in. And usually they just deliver statements from the politicians that would go without stating in the first place.
Anyway, the reason they really s**k will follow now.
There isn't a single UEFA Champions league round they can get all the results right.
Today "PSV was held to a goal less draw in Moscow against CSKA Moscow". The result in the rest of the world would be that PSV won 0-1 in Moscow.
And on the 24th of October "Celtic continued their good start of the campaign by beating Benfica". They lost 1-0 in Portugal.
How hard can it be to double check the results????
Anyway, the reason they really s**k will follow now.
There isn't a single UEFA Champions league round they can get all the results right.
Today "PSV was held to a goal less draw in Moscow against CSKA Moscow". The result in the rest of the world would be that PSV won 0-1 in Moscow.
And on the 24th of October "Celtic continued their good start of the campaign by beating Benfica". They lost 1-0 in Portugal.
How hard can it be to double check the results????
26.11.07
Mmmmm food
Thinking about Swedish food make me hungry.
So this is what I want to have when I come home.
I will add more when I remeber anything more.
So this is what I want to have when I come home.
- Rotmos (Mashed Rutabag/Swede).
- Fiskgratäng (Gratined fish)
- Lutfisk (Rehydrated dried fish)
- Ärtsoppa (Pea soup)
- Soppa med klimp (Soup with sort of dumplings)
- Lax mousse (Salmon mousse)
- Dillkött (Beef in a dill sauce)
- PyttiPanna
- Swedish rye bread or rather Swedish bread would be enough oh oh oh and Burkbröd (Mamma make a wonderful bread that you bake in a tin aaaaaah)
I will add more when I remeber anything more.
Almost well!
I returned to work again after one day of rest. I am not sure the rest, that wasn't that much anyway, really made much difference, but I am sure feeling better. Tummy almost OK, a bit of dry cough, almost no head ache and just a bit of dizzyness left. I should be well enough for the trip to Sweden.
It is less than two weeks to take off and I am going to Singapore on Friday for my wifes convocation. So we are busy. Both of us have to finish off all work before we go off as the new classes will start more or less right away when we get back.
What I look forward the most to in Sweden;
1. Family
2. Winter
3. Food
4. The nature
5. Christmas (don't really care very much about it, just didn't come up with anything better)
What I dread most about going to Sweden.
The darn flying would fill a top ten list.
It is less than two weeks to take off and I am going to Singapore on Friday for my wifes convocation. So we are busy. Both of us have to finish off all work before we go off as the new classes will start more or less right away when we get back.
What I look forward the most to in Sweden;
1. Family
2. Winter
3. Food
4. The nature
5. Christmas (don't really care very much about it, just didn't come up with anything better)
What I dread most about going to Sweden.
The darn flying would fill a top ten list.
24.11.07
Uh
Wednesday sucked big time. I started vomiting, Aida started vomiting and Adam continued vomiting. Great day huh. Luckily Poh-poh (Mor-Mor) is and was here to take care of the kids so I could spend the day in coma as I slept from when I came back from the doc until 13:00. Then I was up for an hour praying and eating and than back into the coma for another two hours and still felt like I could do with a nap after that.
Had to go to the doc again on Thursday as the darn doc just gave a one day MC and I certainly didn't have the energy to work (I spent the day sleeping again).
Today is Saturday and I worked yesterday and still feeling bad. Would have needed at least another day of MC.
Kids are almost recovered as well. Adam was OK already on Thursday and Aida and me were bloated with gas on Thursday night and Friday. Our tummies feel fairly OK now at least.
At work today too, to have a course for a computer programming for engineering modelling. It is interesting but I am just too tired to enjoy it totally.
Had to go to the doc again on Thursday as the darn doc just gave a one day MC and I certainly didn't have the energy to work (I spent the day sleeping again).
Today is Saturday and I worked yesterday and still feeling bad. Would have needed at least another day of MC.
Kids are almost recovered as well. Adam was OK already on Thursday and Aida and me were bloated with gas on Thursday night and Friday. Our tummies feel fairly OK now at least.
At work today too, to have a course for a computer programming for engineering modelling. It is interesting but I am just too tired to enjoy it totally.
20.11.07
Going home!
Adam is better so he has been released from hospital and is coming home today. So his tummy must have stabilised, maybe it was the rice water mummy made for him or he was just getting better anyway. It will be good to have him home again.
It is also less than 20 days til we go back to Sweden. I am curious to find out if it actually feels colder indoors in Sweden compared to my workplace. I think it is actually colder in Sweden but you don't get darn cold air blown on so it will probably appear warmer....brrrrrrrr it is cold here.
Oh wonder how it is in Sweden. Hold on.
It's 3°C with slight wind and no rain or snow.
A slight difference from 30°C and a some showers.
We all keep hoping for snow when we go back. Even Aida keep asking for snow, not that I am sure she know what it really is. She has actually been experiencing snow already, but she was just 3 months old then. But she is going with her mother and that usually means that it will snow. So lets hope for the best.
It is also less than 20 days til we go back to Sweden. I am curious to find out if it actually feels colder indoors in Sweden compared to my workplace. I think it is actually colder in Sweden but you don't get darn cold air blown on so it will probably appear warmer....brrrrrrrr it is cold here.
Oh wonder how it is in Sweden. Hold on.
It's 3°C with slight wind and no rain or snow.
A slight difference from 30°C and a some showers.
We all keep hoping for snow when we go back. Even Aida keep asking for snow, not that I am sure she know what it really is. She has actually been experiencing snow already, but she was just 3 months old then. But she is going with her mother and that usually means that it will snow. So lets hope for the best.
19.11.07
Weekend 17-18/11
Adam is in hospital again. He started having a slight diarrhea yesterday morning and then it kept getting worse. After his midday nap it was basically liquid so when I went up to get him I could see it leaking from his nappy. So I got a T-shirt to cover the bottom part of the nappy. That turned out to be a big mistake as his nappy was full of liquid shit and lifting him caused the nappy to overflow, so it started leaking really badly. So we had to shower while Norida cleaned the floors upstairs. When all of us were ready we set off for the clinic, where we got the verdict food poisoning. Just when he exited the doc’s office he started puking as well, so he got loads of medicine.
He seemed happier afterwards, so we thought that might be it. More or less everything that caused him to feel bed was out. We drove around for a short while, but before we reached home he started puking again and at home he just kept laying on the floor mixing resting with sleeping, totally knackered.
Norida was worried so she decided to bring him to hospital as he couldn’t even keep his milk down. So that’s were he is now, admitted until he get better, which might take a while as a kid has been there for with similar tummy problem since Tuesday.
Mummy is here to make it a two-shift caring. Mummy will do the daytime so Norida can work and Norida will do the out of office hours.
Aida seems quite OK and my throat and tummy is getting better though I sound like a Rod Stweart clone.
Managed to bake and should definitely do that more often, so nice and so fresh mmmmm and it doesn’t taste of Potassium Propionate and doesn’t contain any other crap.
He seemed happier afterwards, so we thought that might be it. More or less everything that caused him to feel bed was out. We drove around for a short while, but before we reached home he started puking again and at home he just kept laying on the floor mixing resting with sleeping, totally knackered.
Norida was worried so she decided to bring him to hospital as he couldn’t even keep his milk down. So that’s were he is now, admitted until he get better, which might take a while as a kid has been there for with similar tummy problem since Tuesday.
Mummy is here to make it a two-shift caring. Mummy will do the daytime so Norida can work and Norida will do the out of office hours.
Aida seems quite OK and my throat and tummy is getting better though I sound like a Rod Stweart clone.
Managed to bake and should definitely do that more often, so nice and so fresh mmmmm and it doesn’t taste of Potassium Propionate and doesn’t contain any other crap.
16.11.07
Friday again!
I was quite surprised when I logged in and found out that I last updated this blog on 11 Oct, I didn't remember blogging that recently.
All family is not well, I got a terrible sore throat and a annoying gastric problem, the kids have basically got a cold and Norida is feeling weird!!
I don't have very much to write I just don't feel for start marking the 40 tests that my Physics student did yesterday.
We has open house last weekend. I cooked a big pot of some sort of chicken bolognese, baked 3 batches of brownies and 80 cupcakes. Norida ordered Nasi Kerabu. Looked like some sort of European convention at the house, two half-Swiss boys, playing with a half English girl and my little half swedes. So loads of halflings at our house.
We got plenty of food left over, luckily our friends were nice enough to bring quite a bit with them home or I would still be eating pasta and nasi kerabu. Some brownies are still left, even though they helped with that as well. We cut them really small as they are so filling, so it is like eating some yummy chocolate candy. I think there are some cupcakes left in the freezer as well.
I definitely have to bake this weekend. It is mostly because I been planning it for so long but also because I bought half a kg of dry yeast last week. I should be able to make more than hundred loaves of bread using my usual recipe on the baking machine. So I better start baking before it decays.
All family is not well, I got a terrible sore throat and a annoying gastric problem, the kids have basically got a cold and Norida is feeling weird!!
I don't have very much to write I just don't feel for start marking the 40 tests that my Physics student did yesterday.
We has open house last weekend. I cooked a big pot of some sort of chicken bolognese, baked 3 batches of brownies and 80 cupcakes. Norida ordered Nasi Kerabu. Looked like some sort of European convention at the house, two half-Swiss boys, playing with a half English girl and my little half swedes. So loads of halflings at our house.
We got plenty of food left over, luckily our friends were nice enough to bring quite a bit with them home or I would still be eating pasta and nasi kerabu. Some brownies are still left, even though they helped with that as well. We cut them really small as they are so filling, so it is like eating some yummy chocolate candy. I think there are some cupcakes left in the freezer as well.
I definitely have to bake this weekend. It is mostly because I been planning it for so long but also because I bought half a kg of dry yeast last week. I should be able to make more than hundred loaves of bread using my usual recipe on the baking machine. So I better start baking before it decays.
11.10.07
11/10-07
Certainly been a while and loads of things have happened.
We moved into our new house. The kids really love it. Adam keep rushing out of the nursery to go home. It got more space to play and they can play on the porch as well.
So we have been really busy the last month to fix up the house. The house is nice in itself, just needed some painting.
Got ripped off by the mover, which made me very angry. So as a reference to the Swedish saying "Slå näven i bordet" ("Hit the table with your hand"), which is a way of showing you had enough. Though I hit a door instead. It didn't help very much with the movers, but it hurt my hand. Two knuckles turned blue-reddish right away and had grown in size considerably in the following hour. I couldn't be bothered to go to the clinic as it wasn't hurting that bad, but I ended up at a hospital the week after as it was still swollen. It turned out I had two cracks on one of the bones in the hand, so they gave me a brace. I am still using the brace and the hand is still slightly swollen, but it works fine.
Ramadan has started and almost finished. I am on my 29th day of fasting. Looking at the predictions of moon viewing it will be a 30th day tomorrow as well. Hopefully they are right as I wouldn't like the rush if the Eid is tomorrow.
We moved into our new house. The kids really love it. Adam keep rushing out of the nursery to go home. It got more space to play and they can play on the porch as well.
So we have been really busy the last month to fix up the house. The house is nice in itself, just needed some painting.
Got ripped off by the mover, which made me very angry. So as a reference to the Swedish saying "Slå näven i bordet" ("Hit the table with your hand"), which is a way of showing you had enough. Though I hit a door instead. It didn't help very much with the movers, but it hurt my hand. Two knuckles turned blue-reddish right away and had grown in size considerably in the following hour. I couldn't be bothered to go to the clinic as it wasn't hurting that bad, but I ended up at a hospital the week after as it was still swollen. It turned out I had two cracks on one of the bones in the hand, so they gave me a brace. I am still using the brace and the hand is still slightly swollen, but it works fine.
Ramadan has started and almost finished. I am on my 29th day of fasting. Looking at the predictions of moon viewing it will be a 30th day tomorrow as well. Hopefully they are right as I wouldn't like the rush if the Eid is tomorrow.
3.9.07
Update August
Oops been I while since I wrote something.
Went to Eda’s Nikah on the 18/8, should really have stayed in bed as I has flu or tonsillitis or whatever. Anyway was the Nikah I been to that felt the most, eh don’t really know how to describe, happy or promising. So good luck to Samri and Eda.
While in Ipoh, I realized that Adam has got two new teeth in is upper jaw, so it takes the toll to 6 up and 2 down and 8 in total.
I had a horrible night trying to sleep, as I kept freezing. After too little sleep and fever it was time to drive home. Not much of a problem there. Noridas mother and a niece and a nephew came to visit as it was a school holiday. We hardly reached home before they had to be picked up at the bus station.
Then some shopping was of necessity as our fridge was quite empty. Kindly enough they left me home to have a rest. It didn’t help an awful lot as I was still feeling knackered afterwards.
So on Monday morning it was not much more than get up and go to the clinic for an MC and some medicine, paracetamol, cough syrup and antibiotics. Got home for a rest, but with three kids, Adam went to nursery; it was a bit hard to get a rest. I should have taken Noridas offer and popped out to her office and slept there. While at home I discovered that Adam had got a ninth tooth as well. To the left of the two bottom teeth, so he’s up to nine now.
Tuesday went on in more or less the same fashion.
I went back to work on Wednesday, but for sure I could have done with some more rest. My other problem lays in the fact that I have to finish a certain syllabus in a certain time so as I missed two classes while away I have to make up for that later. I had invigilation all day so I was just sitting there all day looking totally flushed.
Didn’t start feeling remotely normal until Friday, though a cough start making itself more prominent.
On Saturday we went for the Desa water park again. No pictures this time or at least not yet. The sun was really blazing this time, so Aida, Adam and me got quite badly burn even though we put on sun block. We forgot that Adam don’t have very much hair and should be wearing a cap or something so his scalp got burnt and kept peeling quite badly. Aida didn’t get it too bad, but still kept peeling a bit and a bit burnt on her tummy. I mostly got problem with the face and the feet. I didn’t have any sun block of my face as I didn’t have any problem there last time and the feet got too exposed I guess. We should have put on new layers every few hours or so.
Norida Mum (Mummy) had an accident. Aida wanted to go sliding and she didn’t want to go by herself so she pulled Mummy when she wasn’t ready so she fell and hit her but smack on the ground. So she got taken to the “sick room” for some looking after. Other than that it was a real splash.
Norida didn’t want mummy to go on the bus with the two grandchildren, so she drove her home leaving me and the kids alone over night. No problem though they were nice and quite.
In the morning Mummy started puking so Norida brought her to the Hospital in Muar. They gave her drip, took an x-ray and a blood sample, which showed that there was no problem. But as the pain prevailed she went to another doctor later in the week, as she wasn’t feeling any better, who were more specialized on x-rays and not just a GP. It turned out she had some damage to her back and her pelvic bone, so she have to take it easy for a while, I wonder what the chances for that are????
On Monday we got to know that everything was settled with the house buying and that we could expect the keys before the end of the week.
We got the keys on Wednesday and tried to do the changes for the electricity and water supplies. Actually Noirda did that.
Friday was a holiday, as Malaysia turned 50 years as a state.
Happy birthday Malaysia!
I am a bit ashamed to write that we didn’t celebrate it at all. As we just got access to our house and Norida didn’t push to do anything and I never even celebrated the Swedish national day very much. We started cleaning out the house and preparing for the painting and bring the children to the play ground.
On Saturday we went shopping to get additional things for the house and in the afternoon I went to paint to start painting. Really felt knackered when I cam home, thought it was because of lack of energy intake (early lunch at a little bit little and than painting for 4.5 hours). Told Norida if I hadn’t been working I would think I had the flu.
On Sunday morning I went to continue the living room painting. I finished everything I set out to do and went home for lunch, still not feeling all that well though.
All of us went back to the house in the afternoon, Norida to clean the outside, me to continue the painting and the kids to run around in the empty house.
It all want well, except for Adam who got paint on his clothes and the only the clothes available were his sisters. He looked awfully cute in a dress. So for a while it looked like we had two little girls.
I felt really drained when we reached home, so I decided to check my temperature to prove to myself that I was really OK. It didn’t work as the thermometer showed 38°C, which is around 1.5°C above normal. As I already missed two classes this semester and were supposed to catch up one on Monday, having two classes in total, I decided that the fever had to be ignored and dealt with on Tuesday if it is still there then. SO here I am at work writing on the blog.
Went to Eda’s Nikah on the 18/8, should really have stayed in bed as I has flu or tonsillitis or whatever. Anyway was the Nikah I been to that felt the most, eh don’t really know how to describe, happy or promising. So good luck to Samri and Eda.
While in Ipoh, I realized that Adam has got two new teeth in is upper jaw, so it takes the toll to 6 up and 2 down and 8 in total.
I had a horrible night trying to sleep, as I kept freezing. After too little sleep and fever it was time to drive home. Not much of a problem there. Noridas mother and a niece and a nephew came to visit as it was a school holiday. We hardly reached home before they had to be picked up at the bus station.
Then some shopping was of necessity as our fridge was quite empty. Kindly enough they left me home to have a rest. It didn’t help an awful lot as I was still feeling knackered afterwards.
So on Monday morning it was not much more than get up and go to the clinic for an MC and some medicine, paracetamol, cough syrup and antibiotics. Got home for a rest, but with three kids, Adam went to nursery; it was a bit hard to get a rest. I should have taken Noridas offer and popped out to her office and slept there. While at home I discovered that Adam had got a ninth tooth as well. To the left of the two bottom teeth, so he’s up to nine now.
Tuesday went on in more or less the same fashion.
I went back to work on Wednesday, but for sure I could have done with some more rest. My other problem lays in the fact that I have to finish a certain syllabus in a certain time so as I missed two classes while away I have to make up for that later. I had invigilation all day so I was just sitting there all day looking totally flushed.
Didn’t start feeling remotely normal until Friday, though a cough start making itself more prominent.
On Saturday we went for the Desa water park again. No pictures this time or at least not yet. The sun was really blazing this time, so Aida, Adam and me got quite badly burn even though we put on sun block. We forgot that Adam don’t have very much hair and should be wearing a cap or something so his scalp got burnt and kept peeling quite badly. Aida didn’t get it too bad, but still kept peeling a bit and a bit burnt on her tummy. I mostly got problem with the face and the feet. I didn’t have any sun block of my face as I didn’t have any problem there last time and the feet got too exposed I guess. We should have put on new layers every few hours or so.
Norida Mum (Mummy) had an accident. Aida wanted to go sliding and she didn’t want to go by herself so she pulled Mummy when she wasn’t ready so she fell and hit her but smack on the ground. So she got taken to the “sick room” for some looking after. Other than that it was a real splash.
Norida didn’t want mummy to go on the bus with the two grandchildren, so she drove her home leaving me and the kids alone over night. No problem though they were nice and quite.
In the morning Mummy started puking so Norida brought her to the Hospital in Muar. They gave her drip, took an x-ray and a blood sample, which showed that there was no problem. But as the pain prevailed she went to another doctor later in the week, as she wasn’t feeling any better, who were more specialized on x-rays and not just a GP. It turned out she had some damage to her back and her pelvic bone, so she have to take it easy for a while, I wonder what the chances for that are????
On Monday we got to know that everything was settled with the house buying and that we could expect the keys before the end of the week.
We got the keys on Wednesday and tried to do the changes for the electricity and water supplies. Actually Noirda did that.
Friday was a holiday, as Malaysia turned 50 years as a state.
Happy birthday Malaysia!
I am a bit ashamed to write that we didn’t celebrate it at all. As we just got access to our house and Norida didn’t push to do anything and I never even celebrated the Swedish national day very much. We started cleaning out the house and preparing for the painting and bring the children to the play ground.
On Saturday we went shopping to get additional things for the house and in the afternoon I went to paint to start painting. Really felt knackered when I cam home, thought it was because of lack of energy intake (early lunch at a little bit little and than painting for 4.5 hours). Told Norida if I hadn’t been working I would think I had the flu.
On Sunday morning I went to continue the living room painting. I finished everything I set out to do and went home for lunch, still not feeling all that well though.
All of us went back to the house in the afternoon, Norida to clean the outside, me to continue the painting and the kids to run around in the empty house.
It all want well, except for Adam who got paint on his clothes and the only the clothes available were his sisters. He looked awfully cute in a dress. So for a while it looked like we had two little girls.
I felt really drained when we reached home, so I decided to check my temperature to prove to myself that I was really OK. It didn’t work as the thermometer showed 38°C, which is around 1.5°C above normal. As I already missed two classes this semester and were supposed to catch up one on Monday, having two classes in total, I decided that the fever had to be ignored and dealt with on Tuesday if it is still there then. SO here I am at work writing on the blog.
6.8.07
Weekend 28&29/07
For once we didn't have anything we had to do over the weekend. So we decided to go to a waterpark and let the kids splash around in the water. They really enjoy splashing at home when they have their shower, so we thought they might enjoy some big scale splashing.
So after everything we needed was packed into the car we set off.
And this is how excited the kids were. No, Adam does usually not sleep with a dolly and no, I didn't put it there. He just happened to hang on to his sisters dolly and then he fell a sleep still holding it.
So after everything we needed was packed into the car we set off.
And this is how excited the kids were. No, Adam does usually not sleep with a dolly and no, I didn't put it there. He just happened to hang on to his sisters dolly and then he fell a sleep still holding it.
27.7.07
27/7-07
I must write that you get to do loads of different things working as a lecturer. They are all new experiences that I wouldn't mind if I never got.
Firstly, doing TV commercials are dead boring. Takes forever and you don't do very much. "Can we do that again."
Secondly, doing reality TV shows. It's definitely better than shooting the commercial as you just keep acting as normal or as normal as you can knowing there is a camera around. So it is easier to do, but I will definitely not do it again.
Thirdly, writing about chemical engineering for prospective student. I have done this both for our own leaflet and for a magazine about engineering studies. It is always are to come with what to write. So it is actually the hardest one to do, but I prefer that one as I don't have to have a camera up my face.
Anyway, seem like we don't have anything we have to do the coming weekend. The question is, shall we leave it like that and just relax or do something. Something have a tendency to mean shopping though. Should try an outing that doesn't involve too much shopping.
I think I am getting addicted to Tempeh, which is quite funny as I don't like the taste of it. To clarify I don't like the taste of it when it's just fried and left to itself or if it's part of something without loads of flavour. But in a reasonably spice sambal or cooked with kicap, beans and chili, I just love it. I miss the European food sometimes, especially things I can't get the ingredients here (you might be able to get it but you are not gonna get a parsnip for RM30/kg unless you are really desperate). So maybe I should spend the weekend cooking. It has been a while since I had pasta or potato (as the main carbo source that is, potato is put in curries so you have a bit of that every now and then) and I would love to have pancakes some day as well. Some rye bread would be nice as well, but that is definitely hard to get. The bread you get in Malaysia is OK but full of Potassium Propionate or they go mouldy in 3-4 days. So most of the time I buy bread and than I have to finish it in 3 days, unless I bake it myself, which gives the same mould problem.
Aaaah the video player has given up, so I can't watch any of my favourite tapes (basically mean Swedish movies, Black Adder and M*A*S*H). Dang, have to get them on DVD I suppose. They are getting fairly cheap after all.
Soon time to move to the new workplace, yay half an hour extra to and from work. Still lazy looking for a new job though. Seem darn hard to get a engineering position in this country and continuing as a lecturer will make it almost impossible to move back to Europe after Noridas contract has finished.
I am doing my best for the engineering positions, but as soon as I find something wuiting, you scroll down and read, must be Malysian citizen or PR holder, must speak Chinese/Malaysian/Japanese. Why can't there be any jobs saying must be able to speak Swedish. I think I would have a fair chance in that case.
The solution to the lecturing problem would be to get a PhD, but that would have to be a part time in that case and that dowsn't sound feasable to me and 8 years of something ahead of you sound awfully scary. And I don't think I can afford to take a PhD position and still afford the new house or rather Norida would basically ahve to pay for it and we would be living on the limit.
I jsut have to stay put here and continue eating my Tempeh, getting pissed off in traffic and reading Harry Potter.
Firstly, doing TV commercials are dead boring. Takes forever and you don't do very much. "Can we do that again."
Secondly, doing reality TV shows. It's definitely better than shooting the commercial as you just keep acting as normal or as normal as you can knowing there is a camera around. So it is easier to do, but I will definitely not do it again.
Thirdly, writing about chemical engineering for prospective student. I have done this both for our own leaflet and for a magazine about engineering studies. It is always are to come with what to write. So it is actually the hardest one to do, but I prefer that one as I don't have to have a camera up my face.
Anyway, seem like we don't have anything we have to do the coming weekend. The question is, shall we leave it like that and just relax or do something. Something have a tendency to mean shopping though. Should try an outing that doesn't involve too much shopping.
I think I am getting addicted to Tempeh, which is quite funny as I don't like the taste of it. To clarify I don't like the taste of it when it's just fried and left to itself or if it's part of something without loads of flavour. But in a reasonably spice sambal or cooked with kicap, beans and chili, I just love it. I miss the European food sometimes, especially things I can't get the ingredients here (you might be able to get it but you are not gonna get a parsnip for RM30/kg unless you are really desperate). So maybe I should spend the weekend cooking. It has been a while since I had pasta or potato (as the main carbo source that is, potato is put in curries so you have a bit of that every now and then) and I would love to have pancakes some day as well. Some rye bread would be nice as well, but that is definitely hard to get. The bread you get in Malaysia is OK but full of Potassium Propionate or they go mouldy in 3-4 days. So most of the time I buy bread and than I have to finish it in 3 days, unless I bake it myself, which gives the same mould problem.
Aaaah the video player has given up, so I can't watch any of my favourite tapes (basically mean Swedish movies, Black Adder and M*A*S*H). Dang, have to get them on DVD I suppose. They are getting fairly cheap after all.
Soon time to move to the new workplace, yay half an hour extra to and from work. Still lazy looking for a new job though. Seem darn hard to get a engineering position in this country and continuing as a lecturer will make it almost impossible to move back to Europe after Noridas contract has finished.
I am doing my best for the engineering positions, but as soon as I find something wuiting, you scroll down and read, must be Malysian citizen or PR holder, must speak Chinese/Malaysian/Japanese. Why can't there be any jobs saying must be able to speak Swedish. I think I would have a fair chance in that case.
The solution to the lecturing problem would be to get a PhD, but that would have to be a part time in that case and that dowsn't sound feasable to me and 8 years of something ahead of you sound awfully scary. And I don't think I can afford to take a PhD position and still afford the new house or rather Norida would basically ahve to pay for it and we would be living on the limit.
I jsut have to stay put here and continue eating my Tempeh, getting pissed off in traffic and reading Harry Potter.
26.7.07
A little bit of this and that
I have been making mp3 Cd's to have in the car so I don't have to bring too many Cd's to the car. So I made a CD with Swedish artists, starting with letters up until H I think. So I kept working my way me the other one so I could finally listen to Povel Ramel (a Swedish comedy songwriter/singer, he did more as well). Anyway I finally finished the CD and start listening to it and as I took the albums on the CD in order it took me a while to reach Povel, but finally one morning a reach his tracks and had an enjoyable drive to work. The first thing I do when I reach work is to check out the news and the headlines said "Povel Ramel dead". So bye Povel, really enjoy your music. Similar things kept happening in 2001, bought "The hitchhikers guide to the Galaxy" and Douglas Adams died within a week and Aaliyah died in a car crash the day after I bought her latest CD.
The loan is settled and and the money transferred to the sellers bank. So we are waiting for the sellers bank to say everything is settled and than we just have to pay the seller the remaining money and then we can get the keys to the house. Looking back at how fast everything gone so far, we should be able to move in to the house by the end of the year. OK a bit sarcastic though, but it seem to take forever or at least very close to forever.
I will try to borrow Noridas pen drive to update the blog with some pictures of the kids.
I should be working but I am using blogging as a therapy to calm down. I was so pissed off when I got to work so I had to do something to calm down my mind and wiritng is a good way. The reason for my anger was the Malaysians selfish behaviour as soon as they are in a car or on a bike. Took me half an hour extra to reach work because of that. Aaaaaaaaaaaaah.
I can definitely dedicate my next gastritis as well as the two previous ones to the Malaysian drivers. Sod off
Make me wanna watch Black Adder. "Sod Off, Baldrick"
The loan is settled and and the money transferred to the sellers bank. So we are waiting for the sellers bank to say everything is settled and than we just have to pay the seller the remaining money and then we can get the keys to the house. Looking back at how fast everything gone so far, we should be able to move in to the house by the end of the year. OK a bit sarcastic though, but it seem to take forever or at least very close to forever.
I will try to borrow Noridas pen drive to update the blog with some pictures of the kids.
I should be working but I am using blogging as a therapy to calm down. I was so pissed off when I got to work so I had to do something to calm down my mind and wiritng is a good way. The reason for my anger was the Malaysians selfish behaviour as soon as they are in a car or on a bike. Took me half an hour extra to reach work because of that. Aaaaaaaaaaaaah.
I can definitely dedicate my next gastritis as well as the two previous ones to the Malaysian drivers. Sod off
Make me wanna watch Black Adder. "Sod Off, Baldrick"
Aida update
Not really much new about Aida. She start babble a lot and I am darn slow in catching up with Malaysian. You think that if you here the word for lie down every night that you would pick it up after a week or so, but not me.
She still have problem with terrible coughs as soon as she get a cold. Certainly know were she got that from. It is not exactly fond memories from my childhood. Though sitting in the kitchen in the middle of the night, was not too bad, but I could sure have done without the coughing before the ice-cream.
She still have problem with terrible coughs as soon as she get a cold. Certainly know were she got that from. It is not exactly fond memories from my childhood. Though sitting in the kitchen in the middle of the night, was not too bad, but I could sure have done without the coughing before the ice-cream.
Adam update
Adam is definitely not as good eater as his sister. So Norida got bored with cooking for him, as you couldn't be sure to what he would eat. Not like Aida, she ate more or less everything we cooked for her. So he basically keep eating what we keep eating, but he usually just eat rice with a bit of sauce and maybe some veggies. He really like curry sauces, wonder were he got that from?
He still haven't got any more teeth, still six (4 up and 2 down). The two down, were the first he got, must be getting close to a year now. Maybe we should let a Doctor have a check on him.
He is a very active boy, but seem to be a slow learner. I thought Aida was slow in learning to talk, but he is even slower.
He still haven't got any more teeth, still six (4 up and 2 down). The two down, were the first he got, must be getting close to a year now. Maybe we should let a Doctor have a check on him.
He is a very active boy, but seem to be a slow learner. I thought Aida was slow in learning to talk, but he is even slower.
23.7.07
Slut, Habis, Finish... Bye Potter
I finished reading the last Harry Potter book last night. And I didn't even plan to buy the book in the first place (I mean off course did I plan to buy it but when it came as a paper back or to a reduced price, RM110 felt a bit too much to be bothered, but when Tesco sold it for RM69.90 I thought I could just as well get it).
It is OK, some surprises, but to be honest I said more "blimeys" and "bloody hell" while watching the first 4 laps of the German GP than over the whole Potter book, so it wasn't overly crowded with surprises, but a nice conclusion. Though I must say I won't miss the characters from Harry Potter as much as I missed the characters from the Belgariad when I finished reading those books.
I spent yesterday taking care of the kids as Norida was working. You definitely have to give up doing anything else than looking after them. As soon as I went to the kitchen or the toilet, it turned messy. So I was better off reading Harry Potter and keeping an eye on the kids.
Oh, got to go, got invigilating to do.
It is OK, some surprises, but to be honest I said more "blimeys" and "bloody hell" while watching the first 4 laps of the German GP than over the whole Potter book, so it wasn't overly crowded with surprises, but a nice conclusion. Though I must say I won't miss the characters from Harry Potter as much as I missed the characters from the Belgariad when I finished reading those books.
I spent yesterday taking care of the kids as Norida was working. You definitely have to give up doing anything else than looking after them. As soon as I went to the kitchen or the toilet, it turned messy. So I was better off reading Harry Potter and keeping an eye on the kids.
Oh, got to go, got invigilating to do.
12.7.07
Pen drive gone!
I am not sure how I lost it but it is certainly gone, gone, gone.
So the photo updates will be even less common.
So the photo updates will be even less common.
Federer note
I remeber sitting at Waterloo Station in London in 2001 (it sounds nicer than it was as I was sampling diesel particles on the platforms), reading about a Swiss tennis player sending Pete Sampras out of Wimbledon. Off course that player went on to be famous for more than knocking Sampras out of Wimledon in 2001.
Anyway I want to share the quote that Roger Federer gave after beating Sampras.
"It is nice to be important,
but is even more important to be nice."
Anyway I want to share the quote that Roger Federer gave after beating Sampras.
"It is nice to be important,
but is even more important to be nice."
9.7.07
9/7-07
Not much new actually.
The kids just had their monthly colds with fever.
The deal for the house is not finalised yet.
I am still busy at work, but it will calm down a bit in two weeks time.
Roger Federer won Wimbledon.
The dry season seem to have started. It is just raining once or twice a week.
The kids are growing and learning new stuff.
Adam has still got 6 teeth's. No new for quite a while.
Malaysian drivers still drive like they got their driving license with their Happy Meal at McDonald's.
I need more rest. I miss my 8 hour a night beauty sleep.
Malaysia is still a warm country, but El-Nina is giving us a nice breeze most of the days.
Norida has problem keeping her diet. She is eating to much carbos, but still reducing weight.
Adam's favourite expression is "Uh-Ah", when something goes wrong.
Aida keep pending between "Na" for want and "Tak Na" for don't want.
I think I got tonsillitis and should really go and see a doctor. (that's actually new).
I will try to see the doctor tomorrow. (that's very old and the usual phrase as long as I am not really sick).
I still prefer Tea.
I had to work on Saturday, very lazy, but boring.
The kids just had their monthly colds with fever.
The deal for the house is not finalised yet.
I am still busy at work, but it will calm down a bit in two weeks time.
Roger Federer won Wimbledon.
The dry season seem to have started. It is just raining once or twice a week.
The kids are growing and learning new stuff.
Adam has still got 6 teeth's. No new for quite a while.
Malaysian drivers still drive like they got their driving license with their Happy Meal at McDonald's.
I need more rest. I miss my 8 hour a night beauty sleep.
Malaysia is still a warm country, but El-Nina is giving us a nice breeze most of the days.
Norida has problem keeping her diet. She is eating to much carbos, but still reducing weight.
Adam's favourite expression is "Uh-Ah", when something goes wrong.
Aida keep pending between "Na" for want and "Tak Na" for don't want.
I think I got tonsillitis and should really go and see a doctor. (that's actually new).
I will try to see the doctor tomorrow. (that's very old and the usual phrase as long as I am not really sick).
I still prefer Tea.
I had to work on Saturday, very lazy, but boring.
13.6.07
13:04 13/6 2007
I have been really busy, so I haven't had time for any blogging at work and I am normally not online at home.
Anyway, we spend the first weekend of the month in Muar, some relaxing and catching up what have happened with Noridas siblings and their families. Drove there on Friday night. It was not as bad as last time I had to drive in dark conditions in Malaysia.
Other than that we haven't actually done very much. Kids are growing but no big changes, Adam haven't got anymore teeth and Aida is speaking more and more. Mostly Malay mixed with English. They are actually quite well for the moment. No bad coughs or anything.
I don't feel that well though. Tired and a bit of a sore throat. I am not sure if I have a long lasting infection or if it is something else.
Anyway, we spend the first weekend of the month in Muar, some relaxing and catching up what have happened with Noridas siblings and their families. Drove there on Friday night. It was not as bad as last time I had to drive in dark conditions in Malaysia.
Other than that we haven't actually done very much. Kids are growing but no big changes, Adam haven't got anymore teeth and Aida is speaking more and more. Mostly Malay mixed with English. They are actually quite well for the moment. No bad coughs or anything.
I don't feel that well though. Tired and a bit of a sore throat. I am not sure if I have a long lasting infection or if it is something else.
28.5.07
Weekend 26-27/5-07
Yay, had a nice quite weekend. At least I were not working.
Saturday was mainly spent driving around. First we made a stop at the supermarket and then we went for the grand opening of a friend home decorating store. Basically that trip took seven hours, so we didn't do very much more that day.
Sunday was spent DIYing, the tap in the kitchen been leaking quite badly lately so it was time for a fix up. Didn't really turn out as expected, but we don't have a leak anymore. In the afternoon we went to help some friends in their preparation before there move to a new house. We also made the trip to have a look at the new house. It was OK, with a nice big land area, but the house is just a single storey house, some hundred odd square feet bigger then our apartment. Not worth the money if you ask me.
I like our house better, but our friends didn't want a double storey house. I don't see why, but I have grown up in one and most of my friends and family lived in double storey houses when I grew up.
Saturday was mainly spent driving around. First we made a stop at the supermarket and then we went for the grand opening of a friend home decorating store. Basically that trip took seven hours, so we didn't do very much more that day.
Sunday was spent DIYing, the tap in the kitchen been leaking quite badly lately so it was time for a fix up. Didn't really turn out as expected, but we don't have a leak anymore. In the afternoon we went to help some friends in their preparation before there move to a new house. We also made the trip to have a look at the new house. It was OK, with a nice big land area, but the house is just a single storey house, some hundred odd square feet bigger then our apartment. Not worth the money if you ask me.
I like our house better, but our friends didn't want a double storey house. I don't see why, but I have grown up in one and most of my friends and family lived in double storey houses when I grew up.
25.5.07
Sweden here we come.
Yay everything is settled for three weeks in Sweden in December.
OK it been settled for a while now, just keep forgetting to putting it in the blog.
Tickets and holidays booked, just have to wait for the date to come.
Looking at our financial situation and my great love of flying, this will probably be the last visit to Sweden this decade unless they decide to move Malaysia to the Mediterranean or the North Sea or something so you get a nice short flight to Sweden.
OK it been settled for a while now, just keep forgetting to putting it in the blog.
Tickets and holidays booked, just have to wait for the date to come.
Looking at our financial situation and my great love of flying, this will probably be the last visit to Sweden this decade unless they decide to move Malaysia to the Mediterranean or the North Sea or something so you get a nice short flight to Sweden.
No, to the dark side.
So I still haven’t joined the dark side. That is to be able to drink black coffee, without making faces; I have to disguise the coffee taste with milk and sugar. The coffee should be of the instant type, still not to keen on the brewed type, even if I make strong coffe, I don’t like the taste of “usual” coffee.
It turns out that I am in the right country for this aversion of pure coffee. If you order Kopi in Malaysia you will get coffee with sugar and milk (actually its sweetened creamer). If you don’t want the milk you have to ask for Kopi-O and the real killer is if you want black coffee without sugar, you have to ask for Kopi-O kosong. The O actually means kosong as well, which is Malaysian for zero.
So the less you want in your coffee the more you have to ask for? As Malaysian’s are lazy mouthed, in the sense that they want to say as much as possible with as few syllabus as possible, we can draw the conclusion that most Malaysian drink white coffee with sugar most of the time.
The same goes for the Teh, Teh is with sugar and milk and so on. Add an O if you want it without milk and O-kosong if you want it without the sugar as well.
My view is that Teh should be avoided unless you are having Keropok and make the Teh yourself. The Teh they serve at the Surau is just disgusting. I might have The-O at home sometimes but I wouldn’t order it at a restaurant. The last time I did I must have gotten a deciliter of sugar in my mug? Sweat as h**l and still had half a deciliter of un-dissolved sugar lying on the bottom of the mug. Uhhhhhh.
So for a really enjoyable cup of tea you pour freshly boiled water over the tea. If you use teabags, leave them in while you enjoy your tea. If you prefer tealeaves straight in the mug, let the mug stand for at least 3 minutes to develop the flavour before you sieve the tealeaves. Alternatively put the tealeaves in boiling water and let it simmer.
Aaaah, I could do with a cuppa now.
It turns out that I am in the right country for this aversion of pure coffee. If you order Kopi in Malaysia you will get coffee with sugar and milk (actually its sweetened creamer). If you don’t want the milk you have to ask for Kopi-O and the real killer is if you want black coffee without sugar, you have to ask for Kopi-O kosong. The O actually means kosong as well, which is Malaysian for zero.
So the less you want in your coffee the more you have to ask for? As Malaysian’s are lazy mouthed, in the sense that they want to say as much as possible with as few syllabus as possible, we can draw the conclusion that most Malaysian drink white coffee with sugar most of the time.
The same goes for the Teh, Teh is with sugar and milk and so on. Add an O if you want it without milk and O-kosong if you want it without the sugar as well.
My view is that Teh should be avoided unless you are having Keropok and make the Teh yourself. The Teh they serve at the Surau is just disgusting. I might have The-O at home sometimes but I wouldn’t order it at a restaurant. The last time I did I must have gotten a deciliter of sugar in my mug? Sweat as h**l and still had half a deciliter of un-dissolved sugar lying on the bottom of the mug. Uhhhhhh.
So for a really enjoyable cup of tea you pour freshly boiled water over the tea. If you use teabags, leave them in while you enjoy your tea. If you prefer tealeaves straight in the mug, let the mug stand for at least 3 minutes to develop the flavour before you sieve the tealeaves. Alternatively put the tealeaves in boiling water and let it simmer.
Aaaah, I could do with a cuppa now.
Photo update 25/5-07
Adam is trying out his sisters sunglasses (no glass left though).
Aida playing around.
The whole family after the Birthday dinner.
Adam in his hospital bed.
Another shot in the hospital bed.
Housey Wousey
Seem like it gonna take a bit longer than I thought. The purchase have to be approved by the developer as the master title is still there. SO we are talking 2-3 months something.
24.5.07
House Loan Approved!
Yay, the housing loan is approved, but it will probably be around a month before we move. It will probably take at least a week to get the everything settled and get the keys. And than we have to check for things we wanna fix before we move in and than the moving itself.
Housey here we come!
Housey here we come!
23.5.07
New Mobile
Forgot to write that I got myself a new mobile. The hands free gave up on my old one, and it is the SMS Motorola so Hands-Free is the only way when you want to make a call.
So I got a Nokia 1110i, which does everything I need from a phone, you can call with it and you can SMS with it. Of course you can receive the calls and the SMS as well. Off course it would be fun with extras as well, but I don't need them and with my record on keeping the phones it would just be a waste. Actually shouldn't by a Nokia, they seem to be lost the fastest. (1 went in to the toilet and 2 got stolen)
So I got a Nokia 1110i, which does everything I need from a phone, you can call with it and you can SMS with it. Of course you can receive the calls and the SMS as well. Off course it would be fun with extras as well, but I don't need them and with my record on keeping the phones it would just be a waste. Actually shouldn't by a Nokia, they seem to be lost the fastest. (1 went in to the toilet and 2 got stolen)
In the CD player
The CD player in the car is loaded with a Swedish MP3 disc.
The most listened albums for the moment are:
Galenskaparna och After Shave
Jakob Hellman
DiLeva
Definitely have to change the speakers though. Can barely hear the music in my noisy Malaysian car. Will put a nice picture of it when I get time.
The most listened albums for the moment are:
Galenskaparna och After Shave
Jakob Hellman
DiLeva
Definitely have to change the speakers though. Can barely hear the music in my noisy Malaysian car. Will put a nice picture of it when I get time.
22.5.07
Tuesday 22/05-07
Hi time for another Tuesday update.
Actually it is just a coincidence. Just get around to do it today.
Had another open day, so I had to work all day Saturday. Damn boring, didn't do much counselling. Doing it at my new workplace. No, I haven't changed job, nut my college is opening a new campus and the Chemical engineers are one of the groups that are moving. Double the distance to go to work. I know 40km don't sound that much, but for sure it will take me an hour to go to work. If I want to make it faster I have to make a 60km trip, but it will save me on queuing, but not on petrol bill and toll charges. Probably have to try the different routes during the first weeks of work.
Adam is looking slimmer, which is no wonder as he just want to eat plain rice most of the time. You sort of have to give him two dinners. First a cooked meal, with veggies and meat and than you let him have rice with the rest of us. He is looking quite well after his spell of pneumonia. Luckily he had a pneumonia vaccine or else it could have been really bad.
Aida is OK, almost no coughing at all, though she still have problem doing big business. She doesn't want to push as long as it doesn't really hurt, so she have to. Other than that she is doing fine, start babbling a lot, unfortunately in Malay, so I don't get more than half of it. Though Norida have problem understanding her as well and she speaks Malay.
The house loan is not approved yet. They have problem with the main office as there are two areas with the same name. The other one is build by a crappy contractor and is not very good. But the main office don't see the difference so they don't like to lend money to either one, even if ours are build by a top class builder. So we'll just have to wait and see. If it doesn't work out with this bank, we'll have to go to a less fuzzy one.
Actually it is just a coincidence. Just get around to do it today.
Had another open day, so I had to work all day Saturday. Damn boring, didn't do much counselling. Doing it at my new workplace. No, I haven't changed job, nut my college is opening a new campus and the Chemical engineers are one of the groups that are moving. Double the distance to go to work. I know 40km don't sound that much, but for sure it will take me an hour to go to work. If I want to make it faster I have to make a 60km trip, but it will save me on queuing, but not on petrol bill and toll charges. Probably have to try the different routes during the first weeks of work.
Adam is looking slimmer, which is no wonder as he just want to eat plain rice most of the time. You sort of have to give him two dinners. First a cooked meal, with veggies and meat and than you let him have rice with the rest of us. He is looking quite well after his spell of pneumonia. Luckily he had a pneumonia vaccine or else it could have been really bad.
Aida is OK, almost no coughing at all, though she still have problem doing big business. She doesn't want to push as long as it doesn't really hurt, so she have to. Other than that she is doing fine, start babbling a lot, unfortunately in Malay, so I don't get more than half of it. Though Norida have problem understanding her as well and she speaks Malay.
The house loan is not approved yet. They have problem with the main office as there are two areas with the same name. The other one is build by a crappy contractor and is not very good. But the main office don't see the difference so they don't like to lend money to either one, even if ours are build by a top class builder. So we'll just have to wait and see. If it doesn't work out with this bank, we'll have to go to a less fuzzy one.
15.5.07
Norida's Birthday and Mother's day
We had a nice and relaxing weekend. Norida's mummy were here to meet the kids and to celebrate Mother's day and Norida's birthday. So Norida and I got a chance to go to the cinema in the evening on Saturday. We watched Spider-Man 3. It was actally better than I expected it to be. Liked it just6 as much as the first one. Haven't seen the second one yet. Though in favour of the third one, I managed to watch it straight and not over a whole day as I had to take breaks in the first one.
We came back just after eleven and Aida was still up. Always have a problem to get her to sleep when we have visitors. Assumingly because she want to see what they are doing.
The big day. Norida turned 35 and Mother's day. Started the day with some sort of noodle soup. It was nice but a little bit salty. I gave the Norida a promise to buy her a watch. This might sound awfully dull. But there are one very good reason for not trusting myself to do it. You don't bloody know when you get the real thing or just a expensive rip-off in this country. I assume that she is better in detecting it than I am, so it is better that she buy it herself. The same reasoning holds me back from actually buying a new mobile phone. Though my old one start to have problems.
We went for Sate Kajang for Birthday/Mother's day lunch. Fortunately they have a small restaurant in Putrajaya so we saved a bit of time going there instead. It was nice and it taste really good. But you can't get away from the fact that it is mostly meat eaten with a sweet peanut sauce. I would have preferred a steak or grilled chicken with potatoes and a nice creamy sauce. Should definitely have that for my Birthday.
After the lunch we went to drop of Mummy at the LRT station so she could take the train to the bus station.
Other news.
Finally applied for the housing loan last week. So we should have a decision by the end of this week. If we get it, we better start packing soon.
Adam seems well from is pneumonia. He been free of his fever for a week now. His only problem is the warm weather, causing him to get heat rashes. But at least its better than pneumonia.
Aida is still coughing. It doesn't really want to go away if if it decreased since the weekend.
TTFN
We came back just after eleven and Aida was still up. Always have a problem to get her to sleep when we have visitors. Assumingly because she want to see what they are doing.
The big day. Norida turned 35 and Mother's day. Started the day with some sort of noodle soup. It was nice but a little bit salty. I gave the Norida a promise to buy her a watch. This might sound awfully dull. But there are one very good reason for not trusting myself to do it. You don't bloody know when you get the real thing or just a expensive rip-off in this country. I assume that she is better in detecting it than I am, so it is better that she buy it herself. The same reasoning holds me back from actually buying a new mobile phone. Though my old one start to have problems.
We went for Sate Kajang for Birthday/Mother's day lunch. Fortunately they have a small restaurant in Putrajaya so we saved a bit of time going there instead. It was nice and it taste really good. But you can't get away from the fact that it is mostly meat eaten with a sweet peanut sauce. I would have preferred a steak or grilled chicken with potatoes and a nice creamy sauce. Should definitely have that for my Birthday.
After the lunch we went to drop of Mummy at the LRT station so she could take the train to the bus station.
Other news.
Finally applied for the housing loan last week. So we should have a decision by the end of this week. If we get it, we better start packing soon.
Adam seems well from is pneumonia. He been free of his fever for a week now. His only problem is the warm weather, causing him to get heat rashes. But at least its better than pneumonia.
Aida is still coughing. It doesn't really want to go away if if it decreased since the weekend.
TTFN
8.5.07
Some old pictures
They are actually not that old. Still April ones actually.
This is from Adam's birthday party at the nursery. I baked the cake, but never got around to try it. It is supposed to have been better than the one we had for our family celebration at home.
Little pirate boy, showing off his teeth. He hasn't got any more than those six.
Adam is relaxing before he gets his morning bath. Not really a bath anymore, he just get a quick shower.
Flu, flu, flu
Adam came home on Thursday as he had not had fever for 24hrs. But early on Friday the fever came back. So to the clinic to get some paracetamol. He keep having a slight fever and it is more or less impossible to get him to swallow the penicillin. Hopefully he have got enough to recover.
It is really hard to stay healthy in Malaysia for the moment. Everybody seem to have been touched by the flu, due to the hot weather. It is really warm and sunny, which makes it a greater difference between indoor and outdoor tempeerature. So if you keep going in and out a lot, you will sweat outside and than cool down too much inside and get cold. Norida is home on sick leave and Aida was really warm on Sunday night, so she got some flu relief yesterday. I am fairly well, not too much problem, but I could do with some relaxing though.
It is really hard to stay healthy in Malaysia for the moment. Everybody seem to have been touched by the flu, due to the hot weather. It is really warm and sunny, which makes it a greater difference between indoor and outdoor tempeerature. So if you keep going in and out a lot, you will sweat outside and than cool down too much inside and get cold. Norida is home on sick leave and Aida was really warm on Sunday night, so she got some flu relief yesterday. I am fairly well, not too much problem, but I could do with some relaxing though.
2.5.07
Oh What A Weekend/Holiday.
We planned to have a nice relaxing weekend and holiday. Norida and I had taken Monday off from work, so we would have a long weekend or a short holiday, depending how you look on it.
The plan was to do shopping and preparations on Saturday and than, go to Kuala Selangor on Sunday and enjoys two nights there. We would be walking around in the mangrove, checking out the fire flies and checking out other things in the surrounding area. It started all right. Managed to reach there quite early and got our chalet. After we got settled in and had a short rest, we went for lunch, as all of us were hungry.
We had nasi campur (actually billed as nasi kampung), not too bad and both Aida and Adam ate quite well. After that we went back to the chalet for Adams afternoon nap. Which turned out to be an afternoon nap for all of us, except Aida who kept playing instead?
Rested and ready we went out for a trip up Bukit Melawati (a small hill next to were we stayed) to check out the silver haired monkeys. We went up riding on s small tram. From up there we got a view of the straight of Malacca, the mangrove swamp we planned to check out the next day and the silver haired monkeys.
The plan was to do shopping and preparations on Saturday and than, go to Kuala Selangor on Sunday and enjoys two nights there. We would be walking around in the mangrove, checking out the fire flies and checking out other things in the surrounding area. It started all right. Managed to reach there quite early and got our chalet. After we got settled in and had a short rest, we went for lunch, as all of us were hungry.
We had nasi campur (actually billed as nasi kampung), not too bad and both Aida and Adam ate quite well. After that we went back to the chalet for Adams afternoon nap. Which turned out to be an afternoon nap for all of us, except Aida who kept playing instead?
Rested and ready we went out for a trip up Bukit Melawati (a small hill next to were we stayed) to check out the silver haired monkeys. We went up riding on s small tram. From up there we got a view of the straight of Malacca, the mangrove swamp we planned to check out the next day and the silver haired monkeys.
We had a short look at the monkeys before we went for the museum, not much, but Aida enjoyed running around in there. When we were leaving we saw the sign about what you were allowed to bring into the museum. I still wonder if it is serious or not?
The monkeys seemed to be well fed, getting loads of biscuits, bread and other treats.
While walking around there I felt a hard punch on my shoulder, turned out to be one of the monkeys, target pooing on me. Luckily it was ha hard one. We were on our way back anyway, so it didn’t matter that badly, and it wasn’t too smelly. But I sure could have done without it. All of us got on the tram for a ride down, the driver kept showing off making twists and turns with the tram. It made me feel a bit nauseous, more nauseous than being pooed on actually. Anyway we reached down safe and sound and went back to our chalet for some change of clothes before we went for dinner.
Norida wanted to have seafood dinner as we were close to the sea and the selection should be quite good. So we went looking for a open seafood restaurant, as Malaysians have slightly later eating patterns than we do. Didn’t take that long to find one, but it made Norida a bit disappointed as she had an urge for Ikan Bakar (grilled fish Malay style) and they hadn’t lit the grill yet. So she tried for cockles, also not available yet, so in the end she had to settle for three flavour fish (sweet, sour and spicy), tasted like a usual tomato fish if you ask me, but it tasted really nice. We had it accompanied by a mixed Tom-Yam and a mixed veggie soup.
Norida wanted to have seafood dinner as we were close to the sea and the selection should be quite good. So we went looking for a open seafood restaurant, as Malaysians have slightly later eating patterns than we do. Didn’t take that long to find one, but it made Norida a bit disappointed as she had an urge for Ikan Bakar (grilled fish Malay style) and they hadn’t lit the grill yet. So she tried for cockles, also not available yet, so in the end she had to settle for three flavour fish (sweet, sour and spicy), tasted like a usual tomato fish if you ask me, but it tasted really nice. We had it accompanied by a mixed Tom-Yam and a mixed veggie soup.
Aida found all of it a bit too spicy, but she ate quite well anyway, except the shouting, “Pedas, Pedas” and occasional runs to the sink for washing up. Adam didn’t really eat anything, but he kept himself busy looking at the people around. That was until the end of the meal, when he got hold of one of the chilies from the tom-yam, he was not too happy afterwards and kept whining and got a really nice pink area around his mouth.
Didn’t really notice any difference in the price, still the same basic price as at home, but maybe the price has gone up since the last time I had fish at a restaurant.
After the meal we went back to the hut, to get the kids and ourselves prepared for the firefly watching. So we showered the kids and got them dressed for some outdoor play, when it started raining. We hadn’t really planned for that so just had to change the clothes and start preparing for the night instead and have an early sleep, so we would be well rested for a walk in the mangrove the next day.
We set out just after breakfast; the secondary forest of the mangrove swamp was just behind our hut, so we just had to get out being on the track.
After the meal we went back to the hut, to get the kids and ourselves prepared for the firefly watching. So we showered the kids and got them dressed for some outdoor play, when it started raining. We hadn’t really planned for that so just had to change the clothes and start preparing for the night instead and have an early sleep, so we would be well rested for a walk in the mangrove the next day.
We set out just after breakfast; the secondary forest of the mangrove swamp was just behind our hut, so we just had to get out being on the track.
It didn’t take long before Adam fell asleep, so we had to carry a sleeping baby around and a big toddler that refused to walk. Actually it is easier to carry the big one rather then the small one. For some reason, carrying Aida enables you to rest your back better. We hadn’t seen that much of wildlife, more than some predating birds, some storks and a distant iguana. Stopped by at a bird watching place, didn’t see very many birds there though, Aida is too noisy. But they had small mud-fishies (don’t remember there name) that sort of could swim on the water. Quite nice to watch. 
After some resting at the bird watching place we continued walking to reach the concrete walk into the mangrove swamp itself. Except for the eagle (or what ever predating bird it was) it basically boiled down to watching crustaceans. The different crabs were the most interesting to watch. Red and blue and black crabs, hiding in there holes as soon as you got too close. Some were curious and stayed out to have a look at us though. Even got to see a crab fight, they all seemed to have one big and one small claw, wonder if they come like that or it was just accidental?
After some resting at the bird watching place we continued walking to reach the concrete walk into the mangrove swamp itself. Except for the eagle (or what ever predating bird it was) it basically boiled down to watching crustaceans. The different crabs were the most interesting to watch. Red and blue and black crabs, hiding in there holes as soon as you got too close. Some were curious and stayed out to have a look at us though. Even got to see a crab fight, they all seemed to have one big and one small claw, wonder if they come like that or it was just accidental?
After a three hour trek in the mangrove, we reached back at our place, we were initially planning to stay two days and finally having a chance to watch the fire flies. But we were running low on children clothes and Adam did not seem to be totally well and would need a visit to the doctor. So we decided to clean us and get going. We stopped by to have lunch before we left Kuala Selangor for our journey home. Neither of the kids ate very much, Adam refusing to have anything at all. Reaching halfway home, he puked up all the milk he had before we drove off from Kuala Selangor and the milk he was given in the car. So we had to stop by at the first petrol station and clean up the car, the car seat and the kid. Got rid of most of the smell, but Adam was feeling quite warm. We stopped by at IKEA anyway, as it was just on the way and we knew what we wanted to get, so it wouldn’t take very long. Basically we were after dish brushes, so we got three pairs, and some Swedish food; cheese, salmiak and Kalles kaviar.
We popped home just to get the medical book, so we don’t have to pay when we got to the clinic before we reached the clinic. Adam had a temperature of 39.5°C so they gave him a stool pill and some other medicine for his flew. Reached home and he started to “cool down” and had some yogurt. After a while he started to look really tired, so I tried to put him to sleep. He almost made when he started puking again. While clearing him off the bed and the following cleaning of both him and the bed, I thought he started to feel really warm again. So I checked his temperature and it was back at 39.5-40°C, less than three hours after the stool paracetamol. So Norida called the doctor and got told that we should try to sponge him, and if he doesn’t reach fairly normal temperature in half an hour bring him to the hospital.
Adam cooled down a bit, but went straight back to being very warm. So Norida packed the necessities and went off to the hospital. They played Dracula with him, taking a blood sample before being sent off for x-ray. At around 21:15 the diagnosis was pneumonia and that he needed to be warded for the night, to start with. Norida popped back for clothes and toiletries as I didn’t dare to leave Aida at home and didn’t want to wake her and they had nurses to look after Adam at the ward.
Tuesday morning, Adam had to stay for another day in the hospital. So Aida and I went to Pasar Borong to get some stuff for our lunch. We had Soo-Hon soup. Aida seems to really enjoy as she ate quite a bit and made quite a mess. The cleaner it is after she eaten, the less has she eaten.
Than I gave her, her bottle and she dozed of, just for an hour though. She usually sleeps two to three hours during midday. I didn’t really mind as we could go and visit her brother and mummy earlier. Adam was definitely happy to see us, so we went to the play room for some playing and running around. He seemed quite fine, except for a slight wheezing noise and occasional puking.
Now it is Wednesday and Adam has to stay at least another day, seem like his fever doesn’t really want to drop enough. So Aida and I are going to visit them as soon as Aida has woken up. I should try to get some rest as well. I haven’t been feeling totally well the last week or so.
We popped home just to get the medical book, so we don’t have to pay when we got to the clinic before we reached the clinic. Adam had a temperature of 39.5°C so they gave him a stool pill and some other medicine for his flew. Reached home and he started to “cool down” and had some yogurt. After a while he started to look really tired, so I tried to put him to sleep. He almost made when he started puking again. While clearing him off the bed and the following cleaning of both him and the bed, I thought he started to feel really warm again. So I checked his temperature and it was back at 39.5-40°C, less than three hours after the stool paracetamol. So Norida called the doctor and got told that we should try to sponge him, and if he doesn’t reach fairly normal temperature in half an hour bring him to the hospital.
Adam cooled down a bit, but went straight back to being very warm. So Norida packed the necessities and went off to the hospital. They played Dracula with him, taking a blood sample before being sent off for x-ray. At around 21:15 the diagnosis was pneumonia and that he needed to be warded for the night, to start with. Norida popped back for clothes and toiletries as I didn’t dare to leave Aida at home and didn’t want to wake her and they had nurses to look after Adam at the ward.
Tuesday morning, Adam had to stay for another day in the hospital. So Aida and I went to Pasar Borong to get some stuff for our lunch. We had Soo-Hon soup. Aida seems to really enjoy as she ate quite a bit and made quite a mess. The cleaner it is after she eaten, the less has she eaten.
Than I gave her, her bottle and she dozed of, just for an hour though. She usually sleeps two to three hours during midday. I didn’t really mind as we could go and visit her brother and mummy earlier. Adam was definitely happy to see us, so we went to the play room for some playing and running around. He seemed quite fine, except for a slight wheezing noise and occasional puking.
Now it is Wednesday and Adam has to stay at least another day, seem like his fever doesn’t really want to drop enough. So Aida and I are going to visit them as soon as Aida has woken up. I should try to get some rest as well. I haven’t been feeling totally well the last week or so.
19.4.07
19/04-2007
Not much new actually.
Aidas tummy seem to be better and she seem to try to do the big business when she have to. And not walk around whining and squeezing her buttocks together.
Adam been having some sort of virus infection. He was all spotty over the weekend. Looked like he got some bad allergic reaction. Looks much better know, except his forehead that got a new bump. He played too rough with his sister and he always keep falling over bumping his head without any help from his sister. We should probably get him a helmet or something.
Metallica have blown up my speaker again. Got quite fancy ones this time. Sure they lasted longer, but not that much. Never noticed any miss sound or anything before. My ears can't stand very loud music. So it came like a surprise when they started sounding crap. Should pay a visit to the dealer and ask about there change policy. If that doesn't turn out well, I either have to get really fancy speakers or get a more silent car, so I don't have to have to volume that high to enjoy the music.
Aidas tummy seem to be better and she seem to try to do the big business when she have to. And not walk around whining and squeezing her buttocks together.
Adam been having some sort of virus infection. He was all spotty over the weekend. Looked like he got some bad allergic reaction. Looks much better know, except his forehead that got a new bump. He played too rough with his sister and he always keep falling over bumping his head without any help from his sister. We should probably get him a helmet or something.
Metallica have blown up my speaker again. Got quite fancy ones this time. Sure they lasted longer, but not that much. Never noticed any miss sound or anything before. My ears can't stand very loud music. So it came like a surprise when they started sounding crap. Should pay a visit to the dealer and ask about there change policy. If that doesn't turn out well, I either have to get really fancy speakers or get a more silent car, so I don't have to have to volume that high to enjoy the music.
12.4.07
Writing exam.
Sitting here writing exam, wishing I had my own computer at my desk, so I could sit in my nice comfy office chair. Not a hard dining table chair as it is know.
I am darned tired as well. I sleep well at night just don't seem to get enough rest somehow. Always loads of things to do at work. Sitting in on the course on teaching skills over the weekend was definitely not good.
Other things are as normal. Adam growing and developing. I don't think he have been still since he learnt how to walk. Always seem to be running around. Aida is constipated as usual. Dunno what to do with her. Might have to try a new formula for her. Or just force her to drink more water.
House plans are moving along. For the moment are we waiting for the lawyer to finish the Sale-Purchase-Agreement and CIMB (that the bank) to tell us if they gonna have good offers for the loans or not.
Just discovered that our family is opposite of most others. You always keep hearing jokes what will happen if you send the hubby shopping. In our family, it is the opposite. You can't trust to send wife shopping, she will just by biscuits and chocolate.
I gonna have a busy week next week. Invigilator on Monday, Class on Tuesday, Free on Wednesday (will have to do all the work I don't have time to do on Monday and Tuesday), Class on Thursday, Class and course on Friday and finally some more class on Sunday.
I am darned tired as well. I sleep well at night just don't seem to get enough rest somehow. Always loads of things to do at work. Sitting in on the course on teaching skills over the weekend was definitely not good.
Other things are as normal. Adam growing and developing. I don't think he have been still since he learnt how to walk. Always seem to be running around. Aida is constipated as usual. Dunno what to do with her. Might have to try a new formula for her. Or just force her to drink more water.
House plans are moving along. For the moment are we waiting for the lawyer to finish the Sale-Purchase-Agreement and CIMB (that the bank) to tell us if they gonna have good offers for the loans or not.
Just discovered that our family is opposite of most others. You always keep hearing jokes what will happen if you send the hubby shopping. In our family, it is the opposite. You can't trust to send wife shopping, she will just by biscuits and chocolate.
I gonna have a busy week next week. Invigilator on Monday, Class on Tuesday, Free on Wednesday (will have to do all the work I don't have time to do on Monday and Tuesday), Class on Thursday, Class and course on Friday and finally some more class on Sunday.
6.4.07
A matter of life and death.
Been listening to Iron Maiden's "A matter of life and death" driving to and from work and still can't make up my mind about the record. It is definetely not packed with lots of catchy songs like "The number of the beast", "Can I play with madness", "Flight of Icarus" and "Fear of the dark". The album contains plenty of nice metal songs however, just not as catchy as some of their previous ones.
So a good solid effort, but more for relaxed listening then you would get if you stick "The number of the beast" into your CD player.
So a good solid effort, but more for relaxed listening then you would get if you stick "The number of the beast" into your CD player.
5.4.07
Other news!
Adam got is 6th tooth pn Sunday. So he got four up and two down.
Seem like we finally gonna get ourselves a house. Just have to settle the house loans first. It is a double storey terrace house in the same area as we are staying in now. RM240000, 1550square feet.
Gonna have a long holiday around Christmas IA. So hope to go to Sweden. Will never manage to finnish my holidays alocated to me. As I don't have any time to any holiday. Don't have any breaks until then. Make you seriously consider to change employer. Especially as they want us to take some courses over the weekend asd well.
I can stand working a couple of 16 hour days, 10-15days straight. But I definetely can't stand working too many weekends or not have any longer break every now and then. Beforehand I have at least had 4 straight days off every 5th week. Could definetely do with that now.
Seem like we finally gonna get ourselves a house. Just have to settle the house loans first. It is a double storey terrace house in the same area as we are staying in now. RM240000, 1550square feet.
Gonna have a long holiday around Christmas IA. So hope to go to Sweden. Will never manage to finnish my holidays alocated to me. As I don't have any time to any holiday. Don't have any breaks until then. Make you seriously consider to change employer. Especially as they want us to take some courses over the weekend asd well.
I can stand working a couple of 16 hour days, 10-15days straight. But I definetely can't stand working too many weekends or not have any longer break every now and then. Beforehand I have at least had 4 straight days off every 5th week. Could definetely do with that now.
Picture update
Sorry haven't been very good in blogging lately. Here is a picture update at least. The freshest pictures will be at the end.
Adam is enjoying himself in the bath. Always is a bugger to get him out. Not as big as getting his clothes on though.
Another bath picture. They must be taken somewhere in the beginning of February.
During Chinese New Year. Went to visit Poh-Pohs Family.
Another picture during chinese new year
When Pappa don't bring the bath tub you have to make yourself do with a bucket.
Two kids ready to go out. Can't remebre where to though.
Another bath picture. or some reason always get around to take picture when he is in the bath. He is enjoying it so much he want take notice of the camera and try to grab it.
Birthday boy has just woken up. He enjoys rolling around in his Mammas and Pppas bed.
Sharing a birthday smile with his sister
Adam and Mamma behind the yummy cake Mamma made.
Cutting the cake. Really got concentrated viewers.
Adam is going for some dusting.
Adam likes his birthday card. He is even trying to eat it. He take a good bite and than rips a piece of and chew on it.
As all kids he like kitchen utensils. As he like to bang it on everything, including me, he have to make do with plastic utensils. You should see the nice marks he have done in the kitchen table.
Some bed time reading or rather bed time looking. Aida is looking in her baby album.
Adam is trying out his biirthday shirt, while rolling around in our bed.
Adam after dinner. He has been having rice porridge.
Adam is enjoying himself in the bath. Always is a bugger to get him out. Not as big as getting his clothes on though.
Another bath picture. They must be taken somewhere in the beginning of February.
During Chinese New Year. Went to visit Poh-Pohs Family.
Another picture during chinese new year
When Pappa don't bring the bath tub you have to make yourself do with a bucket.
Two kids ready to go out. Can't remebre where to though.
Another bath picture. or some reason always get around to take picture when he is in the bath. He is enjoying it so much he want take notice of the camera and try to grab it.
Birthday boy has just woken up. He enjoys rolling around in his Mammas and Pppas bed.
Sharing a birthday smile with his sister
Adam and Mamma behind the yummy cake Mamma made.
Cutting the cake. Really got concentrated viewers.
Adam is going for some dusting.
Adam likes his birthday card. He is even trying to eat it. He take a good bite and than rips a piece of and chew on it.
As all kids he like kitchen utensils. As he like to bang it on everything, including me, he have to make do with plastic utensils. You should see the nice marks he have done in the kitchen table.
Some bed time reading or rather bed time looking. Aida is looking in her baby album.
Adam is trying out his biirthday shirt, while rolling around in our bed.
Adam after dinner. He has been having rice porridge.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)