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.

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"

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.

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.

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.

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.

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."

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.