of housemates extrordinaire

i live with THE BEST housemates ever!

these guys really know how to run a household- more so than me (that's a given!) or dini

who bought the bath mats after days and days of sloppy showers -the guys

who magically bought more toilet paper when it ran out- the guys

who most politely offer strawberries after dinner- the guys

who bought clothes pegs and hangers for the laundry- the guys

who bought a new shower head for our very decimated one- the guys

who bought cleaning liquid for the toilets, toilet brush, bin bags, kitchen towels, washing gloves, sponges, EVEN a weighing machine!!! - the guys

of course we'll sort out the bills soon enough but its the INITIATIVE of living that gets me! the guys have such an amazing sense of ... livelihood.

And its them who cleaned the whole house on the night we had a housewarming party. I mean, the mops, the scrubs, everything! The bath which looks very dusty round the edges were sparkling clean! As were the sinks. Everything was top notch. And i walked into the house seeing a faint glisten of the drying floor as i brought in the gusty winds with me into the house.

and i suspect its them who's been taking out the trash on tues nights for the trucks. i've prob ever done it once by myself.. and once with them.

They leave house at 8.45am, waking up at like 7am, and i dont see them till late at night.. most likely 7pm--sometimes 8pm-- later... they are working hard at school! and then they come home and COOK! Cook a proper dinner plus leftover for packed lunch the next day. AMAZING!!!

And on weekends when they kick back and relax at home, its reading a famous Chinese novel .. or going out for a jog together in the evening, having a can of beer at dinner time.

And tonight, there was a sharp rap on our door at 6pm. And its guy 1 who went up to the door to see a scary monster there... and then he was yelling something or other in chinese to guy 2.

"Its the Trick-or-Treat folks. Do we have candy in the house?????"

umm.. hmm.. mmm... all of us came out of our rooms and were thinking.... no........? meanwhile, guy 2 joined guy 1 downstairs to rummage through the cupboards while me and dini can just stand around in wonderment at the energetic ways the guys are searching for candy in the house!! i mean.. seriously.... the kid who rapped at the door prob left and here they were still searching for candy.- no such luck

so Guy 1 puts a jacket on and walks out to the nearby convenience store to get some!!!

you see what i mean? initiative. energetic. livelihood.

i'm not sure how many kids will be by our door tonight but we certainly cant be giving each and everyone of them- we only have a handful.

the only "bad" thing they've done ONCE is having a smoke outside a few nights ago. They are not smokers but i think its just a random-have-a-smoke thingy that guys do to hang out and chill? yeah? no?

i wouldnt know about this guy etiquette thingy...

323 northfield still a WIP

any day now... the housemates will gather to declare a Housewarming Party for 323 northfield. the new 6 foot tall fridge-freezer has been delivered allowing more food space. brilliant! but its not set up yet to be used. Its still cosy-cosy with the plastic wraps and bubbles.

that 2nd hand telly we're talking about... is not materializing yet. the boys have undertaken this task to themselves and both are currently ill (they have been since they returned to UK) - and therefore unable to go to the ... "2nd hand market" whatever the official name is....

the lamp that was supposed to go at the corner of the living room next to the snug couches and large bookshelf has not arrived. the lighting in the living room is rather inadequate for any useful work to be done there (not even dining) except for maybe "couply actions" -- fader-controlled lighting in our living room.

but that's merely the "presentation" side of things.

in terms of "living conditions"... i'd say we're equipped! the bookshelf in my room has done miracles in transforming my room from resembling a little store cupboard with boxes to a livable store room. i'm reeeeaaaallllly proud of my little little room. its tiny but the little mess here and there actually makes the place COSY instead of plain untidy. that's what i find in a room with larger space.. there's real potential in the room looking untidy if the mess was not.. organized mess. anyway, interior architecture ramblings aside....

the shower... yes i've got a problem with that!

when i first moved in (late June), the shower/bath has looked really grungy. old. unmodern. and the hot water contraption thingy with the shower head on.. looks old. unmodern. you actually have to tug on a piece of string to switch on the light bulb *click!* .... same with the hot water switch- tug and on!

but then, all those doubts were erased after a fantastic PUNCHY hot water shower. a proper hot shower.

now... its nearly mid-october... we've all learnt how to use the thermostat control knob which controls all hot water and radiators in the whole house. and that would include the shower. and while all of us wants good ol radiators in our rooms to be hot hot hot... the showers have taken up that mantle well and truly.

i get SCALDING hot water...! and if i turn the button towards the red zone one would naturally think that its only going to get hotter-- but the digits on my shower box is showing a lower temperature number! and yes, the water suddenly becomes coooooollllldddddddd...... so.. turn it the other way.. and soon enough its SCALDING again. and there's no... intermediate temperature level with our shower button. just tweak it the tiniest bit and its either freezing cold of scalding hot. how exasperating! what is the point of the button being able to make a 300Degree turn??????

and i'd rather have extreme hot over extreme cold.. any day! this goes for like.. everything-- weather, food, all elements of my life.....

so i always exit the shower feeling like i got a sunburn and my skin's all raw and tender.... i slop lotions on me after shower-- and its not just to moisturise the skin but to really cool off.

and this week, the shower head is decapitating slowly by itself. i no longer get nice even streams of water, its just large globules of water spurting out lopsided on one side- its prob nicer to shower with just an open pipe!! its positively torturing to shower now. i feel more stressed after a hot shower.

but i suppose thats all part and parcel of living in a rented house. the landlord has been extremely nice. getting us study desks, coffee table, dinner table and chairs, bookshelves in our rooms, new fridge/freezer- not withstanding the small ones that we already have, extra lamp, toaster, .. mostly anything we want for the house. i shouldnt complain, really. he has been more than accommodating to us and we are truly blessed to have such a kind landlord.

he's even going to give us a tablecloth for our dining table which has been steadily getting a few suspicious looking heat marks, bowl shapes, cup rings, etc. Speaking of which, we do need that tablecloth before any housewarming party takes place. Cup coasters and junk mail don't make a proper table protector (not officially, anyways)

impressionisms at ob/gyn

ob/gyn must be the most exciting department of the entire hospital- after maternity wards. i was bringing mum to the hospital for the bi-annual compulsory womanly checkups and waking up at 8am is not my forte (yet)

while i was half asleep driving there and doing a reverse parking and walking up flights of stairs and lifts and punching a number and slumping into a nearby waiting chair, i couldnt help but dread the next few hours of just waiting around till mum's checkup is done and i can go HOME!

but then, after awhile of zoning away in my own world i looked about me and saw patients! And i saw docs! And then i remembered my mum telling me that the doc that delivered me is also at this very hospital, on this very floor! And THERE HE GOES! looking much older than the last time i saw him (or rather, he saw me) I wonder what its like to walk up to him now and say "Hey, i am the baby that you delivered 22 years ago! Look! I can walk and talk!!!!" Would he think back about his glory days, delivering baby after baby, holding each one up triumphantly like a trophy, giving a little tickle in the tummy or poke at the leg to get us to yell, and then saying "its a .... ohh girl!" and then telling the mum "Well done!" or "Good job!" or "She's gonna be a heartbreaker" or "ehhh.. wait. There's another one!!!! Brace yourself!"

now now, i'm getting carried away. I was a bridged baby at birth time. But his fingers worked magic to massage mum's big belly indirectly turning me around head-first. (note: c-sec was unpopular at that time.. perhaps there was no such method then... man.. am i old or what?) So maybe he was going like: " This one's a stubborn one. Won't turn for me. Ok mum, dont push just yet... think circulating thoughts..."

I mean, i was just bubbling away in my thoughts and then it dawned on me that everyone here must either be a new mum, an old mum, or just plain ma'rm. Exciting times in a woman's life! Celebrating new life and all that. Ultra sounds and nice black-white pics of peanuts (i mean.. foetuses) all that "is-it-a-boy-or -a-girl", and "you're simply glowing!" gushes. The whole motley crew from grandmother to sister-in-law coming to watch the ultrasound and getting nice picture printouts...etc etc.

Also, there would be the slightly older women category going for more ominuous checks of cancer and whatnots. And THOSE women must be reminiscing what it was like to be a newly-wed and just excited about a new baby instead of nursing a cancerous lump (fingers crossed they dont!)

its absolutely fascinating to be out in a public place and watch the way malaysia operates. i rarely have the time and space to just sit by and observe the world around me but here at ob/gyn floor i can do just that. There are about 6 ob/gyns on this side of the level (3 female docs and 3 male docs) And typically enough, there are more patients waiting to see the female docs. Even more typically, the demographic splits onto race- each consulting the doctor of their race.

Perhaps its the language barrier or the cultural barrier or a religious barrier? For example, "Are you pregnant out of wedlock(POOW)?" will set the tone for the rest of the consultation and depending on which race, might get a different reaction. Perhaps for a malay getting POOW, that would be a big boo-boo in the religious books; and then for the POOW chinese, it might be kept hush-hush... all that MYOB thing (mind your own business); and then again for the POOW indian, it would be like a vicious cycle of a (traditionally) poorer socio-economic lifestyle.

but then again, this is just my crude imagination of things. OF COURSEEEE no one wants to think badly of the other. And that when you see a young lady (no visible tummy) getting a consult alone at the ob/gyn, one musnt think about negatively dramatic situations of "confirmation of pregnancy- where is your partner- is he involved- yes, there are options- there's a brochure here that pleasantly states the facts, the stats, and the implications- oh yes, of course, its a personal decision but other than that your baby seems fine on my scanner here" *tap tap scanner*

ok the reason i'm rabbiting away on the whole wedlock preggers thing is because- FIRSTLY, i did see a young lady entering the consult alone and avoid ppl's eyes and just quickly go into the room.

SECONDLY, more importantly.. i was standing-semi leaning against the cushy chairs with my mum, arms on my hips, when i noticed an older woman turning around and peering at me funny. More like, peering at my tummy funny. Giving me the x-ray pregnancy scan look. I was wearing a rather large shirt as well... and i was here with my mum... i mean, its crying out for a scandal story!

Heelllooooo.....

well, she immediately turned away after she saw that i was looking at her too.

sigh. we just cant get away from juicy juciy scandals. i really should stop day-dreaming and start doing some productive work. After all it looks like i'll be there the entire morning waiting for mum's turn. And you know what, the doc has just left her consult room, all clippity-cloppity away. She must've been called to a birthing session. You never know when these tots pop out.

ohhh yes, i was in for a loooooonng wait at consultation area.

the dawn of MbP...

this is the band i want playing at

my birthday

my wedding

my funeral

seahorses, seaweed, fishnet costumes and all.

lets not make sense

to eat money flowing from the monkey's belly,

rub the tummy of my foot and make snow,

from the dirt rubber foundlings of mistakens,

and the joy of peace is so.

may the fish of pink guide you to lovelessness

so the apple saplings grow

try the phonetic spelling, it speaks!

and the seed of sorrow is so.

i make the shout of call

the forebears' announcement and all that's engraved

"My, My" said aye-aye leprechauns

and the pain of past is so.

oh no, dinner's here

out tumble the green green grass

yes, Mister Shoe-Horse tinkle toe

and the music of heart is so.

how not to loose weight

i've always had this dilemma everytime i return home from overseas. i put on weight berlebat-lebat. I'm always greeted with "oh you've lost weight!!" when i get back. And then for those who dont see me until about a month after i'm back they'll usually say "wahhh put on weight already ahh..."

and then i become part of the statistic of ppl gaining weight when they're overseas- which frankly doesnt make sense when Malaysia is THE food country. plus i hate being stereotyped (mostly)

so this time round (and many failed attempts before), i've decided that i will maintain my weight the best way possible.

1. NO MORE RANDOM MAMAK-ING/ snacking : i'm in corrigible in this. i used to just go out to eat a roti canai late at night just because i felt like it. or we'd go out for late night "chow" just because we had early dinner. Or nasi lemak in the morning just because i wanted to. And then, the occassional "roti boy" when one's at Subang Parade doing chores. or perhaps its that silly McDs contest to win free Big Macs.

either way, i'm cutting down on those unneccesary eats. plus saving money.
also another point on eating, i've literally contracted my mum to NOT overfeed me. That's means, not eating a pile high of rice and finishing up whatever leftovers on the table because she's overcooked (as usuallllll). And so far, we've been quite dilligent and disciplined about it.

2. GO TO GYM!: my sis has recently signed up for lifetime membership at her gym so she's been given 4 one-month gym membership passes. a perfect opportunity for me to hit the gym seriously, regularly, purposefully. And that crazy woman goes to gym at 7.30am which i drag myself out of bed to join her cos i know i prob wont go to gym alone. And that is for 3 times a week.

3. WALK THE DOG: new dog, new rules. i actually take dog out for walk with leash, do proper rounds of the area, not like with Buddy whereby we just let loose and he'll take himself for a walk. So yeah, thats a daily evening walk where i burn whatever remnants of lunch before i tuck into dinner.

so logically, if i follow those 3 steps i should be on my way to maintaining a nice well balanced weight number and keeping in shape.

Au Contraire!

i was a neat 47kg when i got back and the first morning i went to gym. (early july)
and today,
i'm 48kg inching towards 49kg!!! (end july) my belly is fattening again. i am still defiantly wearing my skinny jeans as i would usually wear them daily in uk- so all's not lost yet. i dont feel as nimble and flighty ... maybe a little more stamina but if that doesnt translate to smaller tummy, its useless.

i'm extremely puzzled. how is this possible!!!!?!? i do gym regularly, i walk the dog daily, and my sister is extremely impressed that i've managed to lay off snacking everytime she snacks. And i;m not eating a mountain of food every meal. So whats the deal here?

i'm slightly distressed by this, that i'm half thinking that i shouldnt even go to gym. Whyyyy wake up sooo early just to torture oneself over the machine and then go back home to start the chores of the day. It just doesnt make sense!

trapped

i feel trapped
but i dont know which way to break out