2011review

2011 has been great. I have many things to be grateful of. Especially family, with everyone intact and happy, prospering and with good things ahead. Dad and mom are still going strong and i suspect much healthier than any of us. God has granted mine and Andrew 's wishes to have a baby and so here I am at 6 months plus already!

A year ago I left after I got a promotion with the company I was working for, a big loss of opportunity then...The world works in funny ways because this year I got a promotion with the current company I am working for. Andrew got a promotion too and his ticket to a better portfolio. Double joy for us because every cent we earn now will and has already been channeled to our baby.

With all that's happening , I am gad we manage to go to Phuket and Chiangmai and sealed the year for a family reunion in Singapore. Imn and Jason were back so that makes a complete family of 13 (including baby!).

It is also a year since we are married officially ( Chinese tradition wise) and I am grateful for an understanding, most obliging and thoughtful husband. Must be hard now with an angsty pregnant wife who can be most Mahfan at times. Thanks for putting up with everything and let's gear up for a new life as parents in 2012!

Sisters

I may have at some point written about my twin sister, Imn, but probably not as much about my 2 elder sisters. Probably the best gifts from my parents and God, I have the best sisters in the world and I am truly grateful. It does make me think if I ever want to have a second child...but that's for another post.

I guess the age difference of about 7 and 8 years, does play a part. I look up to my 2 elder sisters for advice in so many many things, sometimes I think I may be so mahfan, but hey, that's the beauty of sisterhood! One of my earliest memory was probably when I was about 9 years old. I remember I was propped up on a bed and reading one of those classic books. You know, those with a lot of difficult words. I got my eldest sis, Tache, to read beside me and I remember pestering her whenever I got through a difficult word, "what does this mean?" Hehe, I must have been a pain, but I remember she tried her best to explain, but there were some she'd just exclaim, "It just is, sze!" Growing up when she was in Singapore, I remember her visits back, and driving us to get laksa in Ipoh Jaya.....ah.....weird as it seems, she was the one who discovered that laksa shack we all loved so very much. She also transformed from a non-foodie to a foodie, so my memory of going to Singapore was her taking us to sample nice stuff. About last year, she went through an enlightenment period, and some her advice just stuck in my mind..."Don't try to change others, change yourself and how you react to it". I find myself repeating that to many people in various situation, and recently to my in-laws too (errr, long story). Another thing that stuck, was when she told that she could always rely on our (the 4 sisters) opinions because we are the only ones who would give her the blunt truth. Yeah, and that was when they made me parade in my wedding gown/cheongsam to get an Ok from them. hehe.

My 2nd sister is a softie. We stayed together for a few years when I was in college and well, must have been odd for her taking care of her 2 little sisters while she herself was still in university. I remember our trips to 1 utama by bus, sifting through Reject Shop, or her sending me to Bangsar Baru Mcdonalds in her beat up Volkswagen every morning, and our weekend trips to TMC with Uncle Chong (where she's mostly half-dazed due to late night partying). As I grew up and then we all lived together in Taman Desa for a good 4 years, I must say it was quite a crowd. One of the best times. Right now, I stay near my sister, and loved going back there to play with my nephew, babysitting him, and having my meals there.

I wont say much about my twin as I've posted one about her before. We are sisters of different levels, coz it's just a twin thing, and it's hard to compare it with anything else. If you have a sister, whether you think the relationship is sour or not, appreciate her because no one makes a better best friend than a sister! ( I dont have a brother so I dont know what having a brother is like..)

Domestic Abuse???

I am shocked to learn that my dear friend was beten up by her ex boyfriend. As she recalled the incident, I realize that she jumbled the sequence and the details were sketchy. I was completely baffled and was out of words really. It was nothing I could relate to. She did not occur to me to be the meek type or hardly a candidate for domestic abuse but I guess there is no way of profiling a victim! She said she was traumatized I mean who wouldn't be. So traumatized and afraid that she evn gave the guy a ride. Odd but we should not be judgemental. There is never a right SOP for these kind of things and I suppose she did whatever she thought would keep her safe. I Am glad she made the right choice to lodge a polic report. I just hope this be a lesson learnt for all women out there. Always have your guards up!

Jaded is a bad word!

It is one of those things that immediately spells Negative to me. One of my pet peeves too. It is like telling people you are above it all, been there done it, and don't expect pity from me kind of attitude. My parents would never say that to me if I came to them with a dilemma, a problem or anything even though truly with 60 years + under their belt, they have seen it all! That's why it really baffles me when people in their twenties say they are jaded about anything. Truly? Instead of saying they are jaded, my parents never hesitate to give their two cents, based on their humble experience what they think is the right thing to do. It is something I always try to emulate. Also because I don't think I have been through all ups and downs in life to be truly jaded about anything really. The thing is that nothing is ever the same as the first time you experience it ( whatever it may be) because the external factors always differ, no matter how u see it. So how can anyone say they are jaded? Take it out of your vocabulary today!

Recognition award...

This month certainly brings in a lot f good news. My boss just informed me I will be receiving a recognition award that comes in $$$$$$. All the better for me! Although not a big deal in my company, every dollar counts to our baby fund! Cheekily I told her my baby thanks her! Hehe. Not bad for some project nobody wanted to do and a project that is still scorned to death. My counterpart in UK said that people involved in the project like us as the Trainers were bombarded like hell. It was a case of " Shoot the Messenger". It was a role all too familiar for me. Played the poor messenger role before. Years back I had to do the same in an unfamiliar setting, to an unfamilliar audience, to competitors and to the users. It was much worse then! But it only taught me to persevere, to be tolerant, and most of all to be more receptive to changes and less negative about new things. People tend to be resistant to change. It would sometimes be easier if we embrace change and work around it, rather than harp on it. That is what I learned. I now know why some companies are more resilient than others. Sadly, in my bunch, people were far less receptive than other clients and other companies I worked for. The older generation had a Let's-Nail-This attitude and did not waste time harping on why the change! I missed people like that . People who understood change is sometimes inevitable so make the best of it!

Promotion!

Bubu G ( as Andrew calls him) has certainly bring a lot of luck to us! I have received news of my promotion, which is really timely as we await for the arrival of our baby. I have just started on this job last year August so I am really grateful. A year's work has certainly paid off. It also does a huge impact on my benefits.

We were discouraged from announcing it until the official news is out. Really it didn't matter to me, I am looking at the monetary value and also looking out for something new. People who worked with me before would know...I get bored easily. And I like going to work, so I gotta keep myself motivated by learning new things. How utterly nerdy right?