Found His Own Food

I was half asleep, he was as energetic as a monkey. So I held on to his feet while he venture around my bed. As I casually looked at him with a big yawn I saw him biting a card from magazine, I pulled it away and saw this!
Bevan has bitten off a 3cm X 3cm. I frantically looked around for this 3cm monster and I couldn't find it. Bevan has swallowed it!

I became so so awake.

No Signboard

Crabbie
I am not a seafood person in principal. However, it's kind of a dishonorable thing to be a Singaporean (or PR or EP holder or WP holder...) and yet have not tasted one No Signboard Crab (yeap the name of the restaurant is No Signboard). So, after a day of hard work on Friday, we went to eat No Signboard at 930pm. I was surprise that their Chili Crabs tasted a little sweet, and I still love the Fatty Crab in KL the best. But I will still come back for more, the crabs were really fresh.

While we were having our chili crabs, Bevan was having fun looking at the hanging fans. Not forgetting to pose for the camera. And for the first time he ate something on our table. He ate the bread (meant to be dipped in the chili sauce).

In House Chili
And today, after blending Bevan’s porridge, I had this idea of making my in-house chili sauce. So the not-so-secret-recipe was to cut about 10 chili padi, fry it together with tomato and garlic, and then I blend them. It was yummy.

Shaking Baby
Last but not least, I thought it's pretty fun to upload these videos. We put Bevan on the stroller, and he is always on a shaking mode. Ever since he can sit. He might think that he has to shake in order for the stroller to move?

Steady Hatha

And so, in my sudden (and usually short-term) burst of interest in yoga and other exercise classes, I attended Hatha Class today.

It's slow and precise. The inhale and exhale got me so messed up, and my arms and legs were almost entangled. I was not able to pay full concentrate, and my mind roamed somewhere else.

The following thoughts went through my supposedly relaxed mind.

1. Will I be sent to perform in the circus?
If I master legs over heads, shoulders over arms? (okay I am joking) I am only joking, because these respectable hatha moves are meant for relaxation, also more importantly, I won't be able to master the skills.

2. Matha is meant for the C people. (DISC Profile),
I went on to categorize each dance into different profiles.
D -- Aerobics. Most direct and effective.
I -- Line dance. The more the merrier.
S -- Social dance. Dance with someone whom I am comfortable with
C -- Yoga. Accuracy is important. Inhale and exhale at the right time, 45 or 90 degrees...

All these, while the instructor was saying...
"Inhale aaa put yourh righthh hhands overhh yourh leftf armh... Exhale ooh put yourhh..."
I inhaled and exhaled when the rest inhaled, inhaled and exhaled when the rest exhaled.

Probably Hatha is not for me and someone, please arrange for a Badminton session.

Kungfu Fighting

I must be 5kg lighter now. Or at least I hope.

You won’t believe how hip I was today. I went to True Yoga and attended Combat class.

It was similar to taekwondo, and it was so taxing for someone who has not moved so violently for more than 2 years. This instructor is a kind soul. He was quite observant and asked the class to inhale and exhale every time he spotted a green/ blue/ black fainting face. I looked at the clock once and went

“Half an hour more?! Please get the Ambulance ready.”

The best part of the class was when the Indian instructor said, “lay your chest on the floor” (exact quote), and I was among the first few to “lay my chest on the floor”.

The Mission Oxygen

I have this secret obsession about breathing more Oxygen.

It started when I was pregnant. I was in NY smelling chemicals everyday. And when the GIA in charge knew about the pregnancy, he immediately gave me a disclaimer form to sign. It said that GIA is not responsible for any adverse effects. That's s.w.e.e.t. I am so scared to even breathe.

And when we come back, we work in an air-con environment. When we reach home we will usually give fan a chance (like 2 minutes), and then conclude that it’s a hot day, and switch on air-con till the next morning. How does fresh air smells like?

So recently we have started this Oxygen Mission for Bevan, we will wake up at 7am for every Saturday, and walk to the coffee shops behind our house, eat a heavy breakfast, and buy grocery. And, most importantly, breathe fresh Oxygen. We have done that for 2 Saturdays. It was wonderful, with birds chirping and adorable dogs tailing us.

This little powerful baby scratched his own face, and his grandma flashed him a big plaster.

Singapore Idol

Last year I was in the states receiving emails about the war between Taufik and Sly.

This year, I get to watch it on TV. Some of them were really charming, and some, were almost as funny as William Hung. I am now a fan.

Longest Breath

Singapore Doll

Let me give a few more examples of how awfully sentimental I was.

My parents gave away my rabbits I composed a song with lyrics for them, and sang all day in front of the piano.

My Dad told me a story about an elder brother bullying a younger brother, stole his cow, and he has no food no money anymore, I cried so hard at the backseat of the car that I vomited.

A rainy day with a soft music at the background would set me tearing while writing novels.

But now I am practical, souless, and inhuman.

So to rescue my soul, I have started a Chinese blog, Singapore Doll. On the contrary, that blog is written in Chinese, it’s meant to be sad, and it’s probably fictitious.

Vain Moments

8 Months & 6 Days

Small $20, Medium $30, Large $40, X Large $50

I went for a haircut last Sunday and saw this price chart at Jean Yip*. Why do salons charge long hair-ers higher for a haircut?

No jewellers would charge higher for a ring when your finger is longer. But I respect your decision.

I sat down at Jean Yip feeling skeptical and undecided with a hairdresser who looked like Ben or KG (my ex colleagues, sorry to use your names for illustrations) beginning to style me. Surprisingly the haircut was very uplifting. I walked out with the imagination that wind was blowing at my face and hair dashing backwards. My head was a lot lighter.

Elsie and I went for Isetan Sale today. Everyone shopped like there's no tomorrow. Including us. I bought Bevan's car, new teats, my shoes and clothes, wanted to buy Leslie's shirts and my Dad's warmer, and more shoes more clothes more bags, but we had no time and you can imagine the queues. While waiting for Leslie to fetch us at the bus stop, I then realized it’s Bevan's first sitting at the bus stop. He was amazed staring at the buses and cars honking. I was amazed looking at him.

Bevan starts to point at things (lights particularly), attempts to wave hello, and finishes bigger bowl of porridge (doubles up today).

*The exact pricing on the chart could vary slightly

Being A Mom

It's strange to celebrate mother's day as a mother.

All the taglines you caught on advertisements about how great a mother is, how super duper sacrificial she is, how tough her life is to juggle between work and family, how her hands become rough, how she is always the last one to sleep in the family..

Yoohoo, you mean you are talking about me?

Everything comes so naturally, just so that I have you in my arms giggling non-stop, turning 360 degress again and again, jumping and hitting your head against the car rooftop.

I got a carnation, though it was a free gift from Isetan, I felt hopelessly touched.

Liverpool VS West-Ham-United

Nope you didn't go to a wrong blog.

LESLIE: Dear I would like to date you out on Saturday?
AMANDA: Where to?
LESLIE: Modesto's, Saturday night
AMANDA: (Take a closer look at this guy, is this Leslie?)
LESLIE: How how how?
AMANDA: (Someone pull off his mask! This is not Leslie. Who is this?)
LESLIE: I want to watch FA final there. Hee.

Oh.

So, on the eve of mother's day, after having dinner with Leslie's family, we went home to settle my baby prince. Surprise! We are now at Modesto's, with beer and ice peach tea and wedges and bread with olive.

What am I going to do here? Type 100 blog entries?

Now tell me I am a demure wife. I am going to sit here for 2 hours, and pretend that I love FA cup, and that Liverpool seriously rock my world, and stop glazing at the ... sponsored boards around the field.

With a pair of pearl earrings on my ears, and the rest of the girls smoking, I don’t really fit into my surrounding. But I am cool, with my ice peach tea, I feel quite at home and I am enjoying myself.

Okay let's talk about my weekends so far. We went to Paragon on Friday night, and got a mobile phone for my mom. And then, unknowingly we went upstairs and shopped at giordano kids fox kids.

That's it. Believe me, I am actually beginning to find the match exciting. And so, I will switch off the notebook and concentrate on the game. And actually C.H.E.E.R.

I will be back.

The match ended 3-3, and 0-0 after extra time, finally it went on to penalty kicks, 3-1 Liverpool won. You are not alone.

To Mr Scientists

There are many wonderful inventions on earth, there are also even more fantastic new phases of inventions, like enhancing from phones to mobile phones, typewritter to computers.

Life is great with someone working as Scientists, who probably has dry curly hair, wrinkles, short, and probably also a burned finger due to a failed experiment which led to explosion. Thank you Mr Scientists. You guys are great and I am so grateful, but yet I like to point out a few problems in my life which I think their phase 2 have been long overdue. Hopefully you guys can do something about it.

1. Milk Pump
It should be like a bra pad, just slide it in the bra and press a button. You can sleep, talk to friends, eat dinners, work while pumping (it's automatic). When its filled with milk, it will start messaging your tired ... err, shoulders.

2. Car
It should be soft and not bangable, and come in heart shapes, rounds, squares, emerald cuts (Ooops).
Why must cars be made of metals? Why mustn't it be in pink color? If all cars are made of cushions and protected by air bags, there wont be accidents. When you fall off a cliff, it will turn into an air ball and roll. It will be sooo fun to fall off a cliff. :)

3. Bathroom
We should be able to set water temperature to number 5 rather than manually adjust it. Press button A, button 2, and button start, and you will get shampoo, 2 squeezes poured on your head. You know something like a microwave. Digitalise my bathroom please!

4. Custom Make Soft Toy
There are services to paint baby's foof prints or their little hands and birth hair brush. There should be services to custom make soft toys same size as the newborns. So that we can remember the feeling of hugging our new borns. I think parents are willing to pay $250 for it. Anyway we are used to buying over-charged baby stuff.

5. Iron
I can imagine my grandchild saying: "You know in my Grandma's time they have to iron the clothes, one by one!" And then all his/ her friends would say "Huh? Are you kidding? Cannot be!"
It's time you scientists come out with some 3-1 machine which wash, dry, and iron our clothes.

If any of these are being invented in the future, please pay me for the ideas, or revenue share. I patent it at bevankoh.blogspot.com. *Yipee*

Career Lady In Action

From the product design, product mechanism, stone selection, stone matching, and the craftsmanship, to the wording and layout of this ad, and actually photoshopping it.

And not forgetting the email spamming part of it.

But it's fun.

Helicopter Life

7 Months & 28 Days

What I am trying to say is, time flies (okay it's cliché)

But today
CANDY: Is Bevan 8 Months now?
AMANDA: Nope he is 7 months. (Confidently)
At the back of my head, I was busy calculating, or is it 8 months already?

Finally I understand why people choose to be stay-at-home-mom. (Beside the fact that they might be tired of their job dislike their bosses) More importantly, they do not miss any milestones giggles whinings cereal-spittings diaper-changings of their babies. Because, once it's over, it's over, they have grown up. I have heard relatives telling me,

“Wow, you have grown from baby to teenager overnight.”

How scary.

As for now, Bevan stands, refuses to lie down, does sit ups ws, eats crackers himself, attempts to hold bottles, more picky over who is carrying him, shouts when we are walking out of his sight, enjoys sweet potatoes papaya carrots apples pears fish and vegetable porridge, dislike water. Sleeps at 930pm, wakes up at 7am, sleeps for 3-4 more hours in between. He is most adorable when he laughs, and when he is trying to poo.

Entertainment time. *Dak Daaa*

PAP!!

Sunday
I am usually into blogging 2 entries during the weekends, or at least 1. However, I have been in bed for the whole of sunday. Truly my antibodies were working, but the virus defeated them. It felt as if there was a balloon inside my tummy, it was so bloated so uneasy and it triggered a fever. After one day of supplementary diet that include PAP (note the pun it isn't pure coincidental) -- Porridge And Panadols, I am finally mobile again.

Saturday
We were at Marina Square, the place Leslie and I went for our first dating. But it has changed so much, the Sakae restaurant we went on DEE day has shifted. Arrgghhh how are we supposed to find back the warmth of DEE chairs and DEE table.

To curb the disappointment, we went for shoes shopping this time *amazing it worked*. Again my impulse purchase rewarded me with a Charles & Keith VIP card. My shoes collection is on their way to match Queen Elizabeth's. Err probably one-tenth of hers. It has been a while since I last flipped a Her World or Female. I have been drowning myself with Motherhood and Young Parents. Her World is a magazine read by people who have waistlines written by people who wear g-string and enjoyed rephrasing “50 ways to make him satisfied” in all their editions. Now that my waistline has found its way back, I finally bought a Her World and indulge myself in my world.

To my surprise, after 2 years, they are still featuring 50 ways to make him satisfied, rephrased as “the smartest tips to bring to bed” in this edition. *Catcha!*

Amazing Myths

I am not a superstitious person. I don't have faith in in anything that is not scientifically proven.

However, I am blogging this topic because... mothers would know what I mean, when your tummy starts to show, kind hearted strangers would point at your tummy and say,

"It a boy."

These strangers are usually incredibly confident with their guesses, like their professions are baby-gender-determiners. And so, after doing some consolidating work, let me share with you.

Myth 1 Baby Gender (By My Mom)
It's a boy if your tummy is pointed, it’s a girl if you tummy is round
(Err pointed tummy?! I have problem recognising which tummy is pointed)

Myth 2 Baby Gender (By An Indian Roti Prata Man)
It's a boy if you look tired, it's a girl if you look relaxed
(I looked tired during my time.)

Myth 3 Baby Gender (By Frank)
It's boy if you have bad skin and your nose becomes big. Its a girl if you have better skin.
(My nose was not big. Err or was it?)

Myth 4 Baby gender (By Suaty)
It's boy if others cant see that you are pregnant from your back, it's a girl if they can.
(I think it depends on whether you are fat or not.)

Myth 5 Baby Gender (By Jessie)
It a boy if you feel kicks, it a girl if you feel baby's buttock movements.
(I felt kicks then.)

Myth 6 Furniture and Baby (By My Car Seller)
Never shift the furniture when you are pregnant.
(I shifted furniture 2 times. After the first time, I had serious tummy ache the next day and went to the hospital. After the second time? I went to the hospital to give birth the next day.)

Myth 7 Baby Blows Bubbles (By A Stranger In Isetan)
Its going to rain.
(It’s unbelievably accurate, err or coincidental. So give me a call if you need a little weather forecast. )

Myth 8 Baby Gender (By Linda)
If its a boy, Mama would have a fall.
(I fell down in the toilet, my colleague fell in Orchard road, Riyah fell down from the tree. Read again. Riyah actually fell down from a tree. We were expecting baby boys.)

Did I say I am not superstitious?

Detoxifying Program

I have a soft spot -- I am very scared of the word cancer.

I used to have bad bowel movement, and I consulted so many doctors. I just couldn't go to the toilet. One doctor concluded that I have lazy intestines, and when I told my mom, she replied to me in text message,

"Oh, inside also lazy?"

It was so cool that I granted it an award.

This horrible relationship between the toilet and me miraculously ended when my little cute footballer grew in my tummy. I started going toilet everyday. Until today. And I hope it lasts forever just like a diamond (again).

I cannot believe I have digressed so much.

Today, I just wanted to note down a recipe. A friend told me that Expression (a local slimming centre) has this as part of their detoxifying program. That is for a big bottle of mineral water, mix with honey and 2 lemons, drink 2 bottles everyday, and avoid meat and carbo, for 3-5 days.

Your intestines will be flushed.

I know where I stand. I will not be able to avoid meat and carbo, but drinking honey lemon water? Easy job. Maybe I drink for 6 to 10 days and my intestines will be flushed too.

Eve of Labour Day

7 Months & 18 Days

Today I have proven something. That is, I actually have antibodies in my body, and they are working hard. They conquered the flu virus, and I did NOT fall sick. Thank you antibodies, you guys were great. Keep it up!

I am into colorful tops, those that make me eligible to be KAWAI I, and top up a strand of pearls for a timeless look. As usual I couldn’t decide which was nicer, and also as usual, after I bought them I regretted the color I chose. How not surprising.

Bevan is a big baby now. It seems to happen overnight. I thought he was still a new born yesterday, and yet he is on a walker today cruising around on his own. Oh ya we bought a walker today. He adores his new mobility. And Boy his life is getting more and more exciting.

And the original Balinese theme is slowly diminishing from our house. Its now a messy toys R us theme.