The Fruit of Their Labor

Is that, a "walker"? NO that's Mami in her new hairstyle.

Its 2012, year in year out and life goes on. With a job to attend, multiple locum clinics to run, a family to raise, a house to renovate then subsequently pay for, I was pushing myself to the extreme of psychological stress and sleep deprivation. I wasn't aware that by putting myself in those condition, I was easily agitated and less tolerant by the kid's tantrum and Karling's fault findings that I go berserk every now and then.

I know that wasn't how it was supposed to be. The kids deserve a more peaceful and harmonious growing environment. And I didn't want to be an unpopular figure. Not surprisingly, Nana and Peter always preferred Mami than me, because she was more gentle and tolerant. They are both still little and are entitled the pampering and spoiling, however this has to gradually be replaced with discipline and independence before they start attending kindergarden.

But now I realize that losing to Mami in popularity is okay as long as I'm being taken seriously by the kids and they listen to me.    

This is Peter in his good mode/mood. His bad mode is ugly.

I wonder if he would grow up to be good in ball games.

Mami has donned a new haircut. Gone was the shoulder length long mane, replaced with the boy-cut menacing looking hairstyle. The thought one day came to her to try out something refreshing and the next thing I knew, someone with fierceness and intimidation personified live in our midst. Fortunately the kids could still recognize Mami and weren't too affected by it. This hairstyle was definitely the influence of Hong Kong's TVB  tv series where short mane is the preferable choice for strong dictating corporate business women.

Let me narrate every night's pre- bedtime scenario of the kids. Even by 10pm Nana and Peter would still be wide awake. Sometimes they could hardly sleep even past 11pm. I gently reminded the babysitter not to allow them to nap too long in the afternoon to avoid this situation. Though awake, Nana and Peter were moody and fidgety and there was no way to pacify them other than making them their full bottle of milk.

This is Nana in her bad mode. Its annoying but still cute.

When Nana saw me holding the camera, she immediately seized misbehaving. It was like she wanted to be candid.

During this time Peter would scream whenever he lost sight of Mami while Nana tailed Mami, throwing tantrums and demanding to be carried. Both of them refused my intervention and my parenting role was largely marginalized by their mum. I still made milk for them, changed their diapers and kissed them goodnight before sending them to the bedroom with Mami and hearing their cries fading into darkness. They didn't require any lights on to sleep, just Mami or me to lie down beside them as they dozed off. At their age, they were usually silent through the night until next morning. Papa and Mami could finally have some alone time after a looong exhausting day. 

Puteri Resort Port Dickson. Okay lah~~

Everyone here exploiting the free food, and that includes me. 

Working in district primary health center provided me quite a number of opportunity to attend courses and seminars, though the latter came once in a blue moon. Courses are aimed at either refreshing medical knowledge or enrichment on updates of latest medical protocol and management. I hear opportunities used to be more frequent and the health ministry even sent participants outstation to cities for courses where accommodation and petrol fees are claimable. With inflation rising and government budget dwindling from misused of taxpayers' money, one can only be content with uninteresting courses provided, eg breast feeding, healthy lifestyle, dengue and tuberculosis updates etc.  

The healthy ministry's beach boys, against the backdrop of south China sea.

On this occasion, a few of us from Jempol consisting me and some medical assistants were granted a rare special treatment to attend a Diabetic Mellitus prevention course at Puteri Resort Port Dickson. This chance was a long time coming and we definitely deserved this 1 day excursion. Before you roll your eyeball thinking I'm bragging for nothing fanciful, I'm actually writing this out of gratitude. Not having to attend to patients, feasting on nice hotel food, hanging out with the boys, taking pictures at the beach, this turned out to be my only experience of this sort.

Making the 2nd and last pit stop. Peter survived the traveling.

Someone being candid again, she seemed excited along the journey.

20-01-12 - Journey Home

It was that time of the year again when everyone who celebrated it traveled home. In fact, Chinese New Year is a festive season celebrated all over the country Malaysia that everyone from all race,creed and cultural background traveled home for the long public holiday given in conjunction with the festival. We were no different as we chose to travel by land again instead of air. This was our 2nd time driving to east coast and journey would take 1/3rd of the day.

We departed at around midnight expecting to arrive at 8am the next morning. That wasn't to happen as we made it 2 hours late after traveling into Terengganu when we should have bypassed that state and cross over from Pahang to Kelantan. On departure we packed the kids into our spacious MPV while they were asleep, papa then drove the whole length of journey taking only 2 pit stops. We arrived to an delighted Ah Ya and Po Po, just in time for breakfast.

Welcome Nana, to papa's growing up sanctuary. Lots of plants and memories.

Ah Ya clearing the garden while Nana exploring her surroundings.

Papa, I love this place! Lets be like Tarzan and Jane living in this jungle.

This was my home, where I grew up at since I was 8 years old. After some years in his private practice, dad bought this property, a double-storey semi detached home a little outskirt from town. Previously we were living in a rented shot lot, where dad ran the only dental clinic in town back then. Since then the semi-D house has not only provided shelter over our heads. it had been mortgaged twice (yes, twice) to fund me and my siblings educations.

We had the biggest grass compound in the Taman (residential area). There were other bungalows and bigger residential houses than ours but none of them owned grass compound as big as ours. My parents loved gardening and they figured we needed spaces for playing. Nearly every evening our friends would come over and we played games around the garden, be it catching one another or wrestling or badminton. Those days before the advent of apples and androids, we were as carefree playing outdoors as the gazelles striding in the field.  

Hanging up decorative lanterns. If only we could connect electrical wires to them..

On both halves of the car porch we planted carpet grass, and at the side compound Ah Ya and Po po maintained an orchard of flowers, vegetables and fruit tress. I remembered first laying sands on our compound, leveling the surface before getting patches of carpet grass from neighbors to graft it onto our lawn. Since then we helped out our parents, who did a great consistent effort in keeping the garden and orchard in its pristine and productive state, respectively. We had rambutans, chiku and even mangoes as fruit tress. Later my dad built a scaffolding which served as a base for suspension so that mum could indulge in her orchid plants.

Like father, like daughter. Thanks to the photographer. 

Peter being pampered with baby spa session.

Nana found herself in a botanical garden overgrown with wild plants and grass ever since the little birdies left the old nest one by one. Being inquisitive in nature she couldn't helped but follow Ah Ya around observing his garden maintenance activities. Her small feet hustling over the dry leaves as she watched intently without disturbing, it was innocently adorable and pleasant company for Ah ya at the same time. Later I decorated the car porch and sliding door with Chinese New Year themed lanterns and posters, decent enough to compete with the more extravagant neighbors.

As the long journey took its toll on me, I had to retrieve to my former childhood bedroom to recharge my energy and mental strength. Running a family and being the eldest sibling required leadership in decision making and other coping mechanism. In other words, things wouldn't run as smoothly without me. It was also necessary for Nana to get her daily dose of nap time for her to be well-behaved during the latter part of the day.

(*Yawning..) We shall be back after catching forty winks..


 22-01-12 - Chinese New Year Eve

Ah ya, let me test all the food for quality control.

This is not fine dining, but a Chinese feast.

Chinese New Year eve observe a traditional practice where all families come together to partake in reunion dinner. All children and grandchildren working near or far are supposed to return by now to join the elders in commemorating the last day of the old lunar calendar. Unfortunately this time we wouldn't be joined by Nana's 2 "shu shu"s (uncle) as one was pursuing his aviation course overseas while the other was too stressed out preparing for his semester exam.

Nana getting lots of love from Mami for behaving like an angel.

 Marketing in preparation for the Chinese new year meals was done much earlier before the festive season in order to procure good quality raw food materials while avoiding price hike by unscrupulous traders. Mum went to the weekly fresh produce market (known locally as Pasar Tani) to particularly seek for big prawns, omega-3 rich salt-water fishes and giant clamps, which she later cold-stored them while they were still fresh. Not forgetting Kampung (village) chicken which are served as part of the delicacies during new year.   

These were some of the dishes which mum prepared to delight our palate. There is nothing like home cooked food, nutritious and conjured up by years of experience, warmth and love.

Giant prawns stir-fried in curry leaves.

Stir-fried green vegetables in oyster sauce.

Succulent pork meat ball and Lok Bak.

Cantonese steamed fish fresh from the sea.

Nana who was the first to arrive at the table stood on the chair observing the whole proceedings of the meal being served. One dish came out after another and her eyes were wide open, mesmerized by the variety and how appetizing they looked. My daughter was soaking up the atmosphere, peaceful and lively family reunion filled with warmth and togetherness. There were special dishes that we didn't get to eat everyday, shark's fin soup (without the shark) and red wine, all must have appeared like a feast to Nana.

Sitting on the round table that day was my grandma, pa and ma, Karling, Nana and me. Peter was sleeping so less hassle for us to partake the reunion dinner. After giving thanks for the food and the customary greetings by the young to the old, we enjoyed the food and our fellowship. For the older generation, it brought tremendous joy to watch their grown up children, in-laws and little grandchildren eating with them on the same table. Not only it evoked memories of the tough days were behind them, they were grateful for the blessings of finally reaping the fruits of their labor. 

See you all tomorrow. Gong Xi Fa Cai ( means Happy Chinese New Year) !!

The family that eats together stays together.

Nana was the cover picture of Happy & Content. God bless Chinese New Year.