A quick post

.. to inform that i won't be updating my blog for a bit (at least not till next week). So do take care, read more good books, eat healthy, be nice to each other and watch your steps (i can still feel the pain on my ankle sometimes from falling down the stairs a while ago). See you soon! xoxo.

To snack or not to snack?

Speaking of the rising prices of stuff, i was out to do some shopping and made a stop at the pharmacy for some Dettol wipes and lip balm. That's when the husband pointed it to me in disbelief.

RM4.98 for a packet of candy bar?? I mean, if the price was RM3.50 is tolerable. Still expensive, but tolerable. But RM4.98? I almost cried. Ok drama, but seriously, gila mahal nak makan Snickers!

I always keep a Snickers bar somewhere in my house/the office (last time) because i get this sudden tremble from hunger (i call it the starvation attack) sometimes which nobody can explain to me so far - even if i just had breakfast/lunch like 20 minutes ago. My body would still be shaking, literally especially the hands. Some say i have high metabolic rate but i honestly have no idea if that was true. Dad was worried that i might have diabetes but that have been checked. Anyways, whenever it strikes, i would stuff myself (usually) with Snickers bars or cookies or whatever i can get my hands on till it stops (just food though, no pencils or keyboards have been damaged so far. So don't worry). It will normally take like 2 bars of Snickers, so now it'll cost me RM10 per attack?? Gosh. Isn't that a costly cure.

We later got to the supermarket, Jusco was offering RM2.09 for a pack of Snickers for their members, but since my membership expired like eons ago, it was RM2.70 for us. Even so, we still bought 10 packets. Almost got the whole box, no kidding. But we decided not to be kiasu and leave some for you guys instead. Hehehe.. (read: not enough $$). I just hope that that price stays only in the pharmacy.

If not then i guess, no Snickers on a regular day. Have to save those for the attacks. Sigh.

Start 'em young

Hey guys, Green diapers. Have you heard? With the major pinch of the current rising prices on stuff (thanks to the petrol price hike), this is something that you mothers out there can consider to save $$ on diapers for your young-lings and at the same time help preserve the environment too!

A true Malaysian product designed by a lawyer, Pn. Azrina Azmi who came up with the ingenious invention to help reduce the ever distressing pollution crisis (Malaysia Boleh!). It's cost effective, practical, safe, environmentally friendly (of course) and there are lots of colours to choose from!

My personal fave are the baby blue, lavender and raspberry.
Butter looks yummy too.

Check out the article Green Diapers on Star Online and the website Freshbots for more info.

Go green and instil that green mind in your kids while they're still young. Cheers!

[useless info: Lady Q was a member of the PREPEC (Preserve Planet Earth Club) in her school days. Even held an important position too! Heh.]

Is this your paradise?

I was asked to give a hand at her video certification shoot by this part-time gym instructor friend of mine a couple of weeks ago. It was a 60-minute stint and to be honest, it was my first experience stepping into a fitness club, that day. Wow, was i impressed with the people working diligently on the machines to stay in shape. I must admit that it did made me feel like working harder on my body (from home), if not sign up for the classes at the club!

As much as being the health-conscious person that i am, i don't go to the gym. Don't get me wrong, not that i am fully contented with the way i look, nor i have anything against those who work out at the gym. (Trust me, i have nothing but envy and utter admiration against those who gets to go the gym for a better build especially earning $$ to boot).

I get lots of questions as to why am i not a member despite being a close friend to a gym instructor.
So here's why:1. i can't afford to be a member (i have other priorities on my list) especially now that i no longer attached to the company that subsidise the membership fee.
2. i was afraid that i'll be paying the fees but ended up not going or going only like once a month (because i'm shy? or just plain antisocial sometimes). So that would be a waste. And
3. i don't see going to the gym as the only way to stay healthy or get in shape. It helps, yes. But it's not the only means. Just imho.

So right now, i'll stick to my own weight-lifting routines (which i started since college days because i thought, i mean, i knew i was too skinny and wanted to -konon- improve my physique ;) - which i work at the convenience of my own time & pace if i may add) and the power walks that i do with my other half (when he's in the right mood) at our favourite park nearby - which reminds me, it has been a while now. I'll show you the next time because right now, i need to make a short run to the kitchen and put all that biceps and triceps (or whatever that is there) into whipping something up before he comes home. (Oh and plus, i now have a copy of the weight-lifting dvd, courtesy of the instructor friend :D)

In the mean time, stay healthy guys! Eat more veggie. That will help too ;)

p/s: in case if you're wondering, the title is given based on one of the tracks during the class.

Wesak day casualty photos

The aftermath

See how it hit right on the A-pillar?

Can u imagine if it had hit right in the middle of the door instead?

I can't...

The smashed lamp post
(In the background l-r: the car, the other victim - the passenger & a rescuer with his car)

With part of the rescue team
(My brother tried to capture me in the moment. Me, trying to act as casual as i possibly can - which i obviously failed because i don' t normally do the peace sign thing.)

Peace out!

p/s: David Cook won the idol, heh.. (and by 12 million votes!) Yay!

Close call

PADA 19/05/2008 JAM LEBIH KURANG 0845 HRS SAYA MEMANDU M/KAR NO: XXX XXX JENIS P/MYVI DARI KUALA LUMPUR MENGHALA KE LCCT KLIA. APABILA SAMPAI DI SELEKOH PEKELILING BERHAMPIRAN KOMPLEKS BUNGA RAYA, PADA MASA TERSEBUT PERMUKAAN JALAN LICIN. TIBA-TIBA KENDERAAN YANG SAYA PANDU HILANG KAWALAN LALU BERPUSING DAN MELANGGAR TIANG LAMPU DI KIRI JALAN DAN TERUS MASUK KE DALAM LONGKANG SEBELAH KIRI JALAN. SAYA TIDAK MENGALAMI SEBARANG KECEDERAAN. KENDERAAN SAYA MENGALAMI KEROSAKAN PADA PINTU DEPAN SEBELAH KANAN, CERMIN TINGKAP DEPAN, KIRI DAN KANAN PECAH, BUMPER DEPAN DAN BELAKANG KEMEK, BONET DEPAN ROSAK, CERMIN BESAR DEPAN DAN BELAKANG PECAH, CERMIN SISI KIRI DAN KANAN PECAH, LAMPU BESAR BELAKANG PECAH, DASHBOARD PECAH, TANGKI MINYAK PECAH, MUDGUARD DEPAN SEBELAH KANAN KEMEK DAN LAIN-LAIN KEROSAKAN BELUM PASTI.

Senang cerita, semua lah pecah!

Yes, that was what happened to me on Wesak Day. My first near death experience. I was on the way to LCCT to fetch my mother-in-law but that did not happen. The roads at Sepang were all wet due to the heavy rain the night before. My kid brother was in the car with me (to accompany me to send the MIL to Seremban). A few minutes before it happened, i received a call from the bro in law in from the East coast saying that the flight was delayed and so i thought i could have a bite in the mean time. So i was not rushing or anything. My brother and i were having a conversation when suddenly turning at a corner, the car went out of control, spun and i then saw the lamp post coming straight for me. I couldn't do anything then. I just left things to the Big Guy. Once we hit the lamp post, it felt like everything was moving in a slow motion and only when the back of the car got into the drain next to the Bunga Raya air strip that finally brought the car to a halt. I may sound defensive here, but i honestly don't think that i was going fast (which my brother concurred) because that corner was close to the one before, so i couldn't have gone fast. But maybe i shouldn't have gone at that speed either (though i honestly can't recall what was the speed at that time).

It was truly of pure luck that the lamp post missed me and smashed exactly on the A pillar and that we escape from the crash unscathed (i walked off with a small cut on my right toe and a bruise just the size of a plum on my right hip) but most importantly we are ALIVE! (you'll see what i mean when you see the condition of the car later). After making sure that we are both ok, I searched for my cellphone to get help from my elder brother. I then quickly make 2 more phone calls to my brother in laws, one to arrange for my mum in law's pick up and the other to inform the mum in law that i would not be able to fetch her from the airport. Cars started stopping to get a better view of the catastrophe and some were really kind to ask where we were heading and whether we needed help to arrange for the pick up etc. Some gave plastic bags to put in our stuff before the car gets towed, advised me to sit down or drink some water to calm myself down but i was ok then. (I was that composed that one guy actually said that he never thought that i was the driver because i looked so cool and collected). Well, at first i was. Not until my cousin called that i began to feel shaken up and tears started to gather in my sorry eyes. He came by later not long after my brother and SIL came. I texted hubby to give me a call as soon as he gets my text message.

The funny thing is, i wanted to take the other route but suddenly changed my mind at the last minute and took this route instead. And of all days, hubby forgot to switch off his phone that day and received the text message i sent him when he reached Guangzhou. What are the odds, huh.. And so he immediately called me and then spoke to my brother to get his mechanic to send the tow truck and will deal with the rest when he gets back. I told him the car was totally wrecked but he was totally cool about it. Don't worry about the car, it can be repaired, he said. Be thankful that u and the brother are unhurt. Everything is ok... but of course i could no longer hold back the tears.
We did visit the doctor just to be sure that nothing was broken or anything, i had just recovered from the after shock effect (had fever the next day) but am still feeling some pains all over and a headache the size of a mountain for 2 days now. And so is my brother. When he called me the day after the incident, he said he had to tampal koyok all over his body! That really made me laugh.. but then i felt kind of sad to put him in that condition ;(

On the other hand, things happen for a reason and there's always a silver lining. It was truly a miracle that i am still here to be able to share the gruesome experience, and for that, i truly, truly feel humbled and blessed! How could you not?

Many thanks to all that had helped us sort the mayhem and i humbly apologise for the trouble.

[will put up the pix when it's available].

American Idol Grand Finale - The battle of the Davids

VS

Now, what did i tell you?? :)
So is it going to be...
David Archuleta?
or
David Cook?

Just when i thought it was time to stop..

I was at my cousin's to catch a movie that day. We then realised we should get some snacks to go along so we walked to the sundry place near her house and suddenly, there it was. Staring at us from the woven basket next to the entrance of the store.. waiting silently, anticipating our next move. I swiftly picked it up to get a better look. The cousin lifted another. We could not believe it. It was too good to be true. It was as if the eyes were playing tricks on us. Except they didn't.

There, look at that.. how can i not give in?!?!

I have yet to read that piece of Mr. Brown's work, and for that i must get it. Well, it's not exactly brand new but hey, second hand does not mean second class ;)

[Oh, kepada golongan ibu diluar sana, Happy Mothers' Day!]

More bargain for book lovers

More good news, guys! Click here for details.

One down, three to go (well, two actually)

Will these 2 guys be in the final? I sure hope so. I know i said Syesha would be cut next, but I am actually happy that Jason Castro is the one to go because he deserves so. Syesha is definitely a better singer. I just thought he has enough votes to keep him there (sorry, Kay). But she might even be the next idol, who knows?

- In the last season, i thought Melinda Doolittle would go to final (she's super talented) alongside Jordan Sparks, but Blake did (well, he's bold and different). So, we'll see.

So long J.Castro.

[from a certain angle, i think he looks like J.Travolta.
don't you think so?
but of course Travolta is waaaay much cooler :)]