Happy 50th Birthday Malaysia! Merdeka!

8 reasons why I 'love' being Malaysian:

1. Malaysians still do not give up their seats to pregnant women, the elderly, handicapped,etc. in public transportation even when there are signs to do so posted everywhere. Even after several ads are aired on tv telling people to do so. I know from first hand experience.

2. I was at the Ikea restaurant just the other day with Ots (during the members sale). It was lunch time so the place was packed. After several minutes looking for a place to sit, we finally find half a table. A table for four occupied by two. So I do the polite thing and asked the seated couple if the two seats next to them were occupied. They said no. So I waited a few seconds for the guy to move his shopping bag and the girl to move her handbag. They give me this hesitant look and the girl has the nerve to say, "Urm, our bags are here". I couldn't believe my ears. I just stand there stunned. Then I turn to Ot's and say real sarcastically, "I guess their bags are tired and need to sit". We walk off. It wasn't until later that I realized how terrible their action really was. I was standing there in front of them with Elil in my arms and Otta is 4 months pregnant! Holy cow!

3. Malaysians don't know how to queue properly. Restrooms. Why is it we can't have a single line so that people get to use the loo in proper turn? Why is it we still insist on having one line for each stall? It's just wrong. I must admit I am guilty of this too but only because if I did wait the proper way, I may never have the chance to use the loo.

4. A lot of the time our newspapers give us half-truths and most of us just take it all in. I just laugh.

5. We claim to be united. Are we really?

6. I have just about had enough of holding the world record for having the biggest flag, highest flag pole, biggest curry puff, etc. Whatever.

7. Government offices/departments. Enough said. I hear they have plans to improve their 'services with a smile'.

8. Our favorite (or only) pastime is jalan-jalan in a shopping mall (especially people in and around the KL area).

Lonely

My mother left yesterday. She's back in KK. I know she left with mix feelings. Wanting to be back with Meriel and my father, also needing to feel at home again. Needing to be here with me, to take care of me and to just enjoy Elil. I miss her dearly. It was so hard to leave her at the airport. I gave her a quick hug and immediately pulled away. I couldn't even look her in the eyes. I cried all the way back to Kajang.

I prayed for a good night last night. Elil was an angel. So easy to please. She is downstairs at this moment sleeping soundly in her cot. It hurts me to be so far away from her (I am upstairs). I can't help but want her near me and with me at all times. I want my husband near me at all times too. But right now he is so far away and it makes things even more unbearable. Since Elil was born, there has not been a moment where I felt like were a family. It's kind of sad. I hope to feel it soon. I cannot wait for my husband to be back to complete this new family of ours.

I can't explain what I feel when I hold Elil in my arms, when I look at her sleeping. The pride, the love, the peace, the joy. She is just so perfect and beautiful through and through. I want to spend every moment with her be it a peaceful and quiet moment or a restless and crying night. I want to hold her and never let her go. I want to hold my husband and never let him go. Four more days before I get to be in his arms again. Time could not go by more slowly.

It was so nice. I got the chance to dress up a little for Elil's full moon AND the end of my confinement. Yay! Ok, I cheated a bit, I have actually been out shopping the past few days in some dingy little mall 5 minutes away. Carol and Yo will be able to tell you how little and how dingy. Anyhow, never judge a mall by its size or appearance. To my delight, the Levi's/Dockers store at the mall's entrance has turned into a factory outlet. After months of not being able to shop for 'normal' clothes, you don't know how excited this made me. Even my mom was all puppy-panting excited. Plus while I was pregnant I told myself the first thing I'm going to get for myself after delivering is a nice pair of hot-hot jeans. Heh heh. So back to the store, there weren't many stuff for women but the collection they did have were real nice and my size plus the jeans were going for 100 bucks. So I tried on a couple but ended up getting only a pair, 593's. I should be giving this mall more credit man. So this was on Monday.

The day before Sunday. Carol and I went to the same mall, to shop. Duh. I didn't plan on getting anything. Carol wanted to get a document bag so we went hunting for bags. Everything was on sale. So strong the temptation. Alas I didn't get anything. In Parkson anyway. So we walked around the mall a bit. Baby shops are now very tempting as well so we went into a few. Got one of those rubber bath mats for Elil. Did a little more browsing then I thought to myself what would a shopping trip be without a visit to the shoe store. So excite! First shoe store, I got myself a pair of maroon closed-toe flats yang sungguh classic for RM19.90. Second store, I got another shiny classic maroon number with kitten heels for RM38.00. So beauty! Did I mention I need to give this mall more credit? So lumayan my trip to the mall. I'm satisfied, so enough shopping for now.

Wanna see my pretty red toes?

Beware pregnant and postnatal women!

Ever heard of a gas/air embolism? Well, in short a gas embolism happens when gas/air enters the blood stream and obstructs oxygen-rich blood from flowing through the body. Basically no blood to your brain, lungs, heart, etc. I'm sure you get what I mean. You can die!

Bet you don't know how (easily) you can get a gas/air embolism? Gas can be introduced into the blood stream of a pregnant woman or a woman who has just given birth (usually less than 6 weeks after delivery) by blowing air into the vagina. This can easily happen while oral sex is being performed on the woman. If you're not scared or shocked or freaked yet, read this article, Death By Sex.

Isn't it surprising that most people know little or nothing about gas embolisms and how easily they can occur? And what the potential consequences are? The way I see it, a lot of pregnant and postnatal women are probably not up to having intercourse (often) during this period because a) it's hard to find a comfortable position when your'e a balloon and b) I don't think the episiotomy has fully healed yet. So the closest substitute? Probably oral sex! Who would have guessed something so pleasurable could end up being fatal.

So now you know! Feel free to share this information with friends and family.

Want to know more about embolisms?, click Embolisms.

I've been wanting to do this for some time now....

In no particular order. You know who you are.

I love you because you can't bear to see a friend hurt or upset. There will never be a moment when I am in distress and you are not there to console me. It's ok that you occasionaly forget important dates! In difficult times, just knowing you are my friend is enough to get me through. Sometimes I feel I don't deserve you. I thank God for you.

I love you because you have seen the worst in me and you love me still. You will never let anything come between us. There is so much you hide behind your 'ah-lien' exterior that it's sometimes hard to read you but inside you have only goodness and kindness to give. I thank God for you.

I love you because (it may not show but) deep down you have the biggest heart. You have always felt it your responsibility to protect me. We always had a special connection, a strong bond. Lately, we see less of each other and seldom connect like we used to but still I know you love me. I thank God for you.

I love you because (although you find it so hard to show,) you love me unconditionally. All you have ever wanted for me is peace and happiness. We may have had our rough patches but through it all I know that you never stopped loving me. I take you for granted sometimes. I wish I didn't. I thank God for you.

I love You because You are my Saviour. Without You I am nothing. All You want is my friendship. I fall, give up and turn away from You but every single time You will pick me up if only I let You. Your unending love and grace fills me up and moves me to tears. I thank You.

I love you because you are true to yourself, real and sincere. You have a strong head on your shoulders and for that I admire you. Your strength and ability to see things as they are has helped me through many a tough time. I can always trust you. You will make a fantastic mom one day! I thank God for you.

I love you because you have been my pillar my whole life. I look up to you. Your wisdom, strength and patience is inspiring. Your love for and faithfulness to God is admirable. I want to have your patience. I want to be like you. I love how our relationship has grown and matured over the years. I thank God for you.

I love you because of your gentleness and patience, your sweetness and affection, your humor. I know sometimes I can be overbearing and demanding but your love never fails. I will become a better person for you. I have faith in our love - our decision to love each other. I thank God for you.

I love you because you are the baby. You will forever be the baby. I have always felt the need to protect you and nurture you. Your'e a big girl now but to me you will forever be the sweetest little thing. I trust you will always honor and live up to my 'cacatness'. Keep Jesus close to your heart. I thank God for you.

I love you because you are mine. You and I are permanently connected through our experience together while you were forming in my womb and when I introduced you the the world. You are my sunshine. You are my angel. You don't have to do anything or be anyone in particular to make me love you. I love you unconditionally. I thank God for you.

I love you because of your humor and your freaky ways. No one makes cacatness seem cool like you do. I wish I had half your wit. You are a beautiful person inside and out. I enjoy our conversations be it about meaningless crap or our innermost feelings or even gossip. We don't do this often enough so get your butt here! I thank God for you.

I love you because you have always been there for me. You have always been there to support me in everything. Your guidance and lessons have helped me in so many ways. I don't tell you often enough how much I appreciate all you have done. Sometimes I want to give you a long hard hug just to let you know how much you mean to me. I thank God for you.

I love you because you always manage to turn a sad or depressing situation into something fun and exciting. There's never a dull moment when you're around! I truly appreciate the times when I've been down and you are there to cheer me up and put a smile on my face. I thank God for you.