Begin of a New Era

Dear readers, thanks for your keen interest in our blog. We will be migrating to WordPress. Ying and Niq's Niche enters a new era. Do keep in touch through our new blog at http://yingniqniche.freehostia.com. Hope you continue enjoying reading as much as I do writing.

How to prepare a spaghetti meal in 30min

Spaghetti is one of my favorite dishes. We have it quite often for dinner as it is easy to prepare it's yummy! I'd like to share a recipe for a nice quick meal after a hectic day. Visit my hub.

Bob the Builder comes to Town

After celebrating Teachers' Day at Melody Kindyland on 24-May-08, we went shopping at Queensbay Mall, Penang. We were delighted to see Bob the Builder in person! Gabriel was excited but a little scared to get close. It is actually part of NTV7's roadshow. Papa had a go at reading the news in front of the camera, for the fun of it. It's not easy. Without practice, you could easily get tongue-tied reading names as common as "Dato' Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi".

Teachers' Day Celebration May 2008

Melody Kindyland Bukit Jambul celebrated Teachers' Day on 24-May-2008. Kids had a project - to make a Teachers' Day Card. Papa and Mummy had to think hard to come out with something. The plan was to do some potato printing which could get Gabriel's involvement. We bought some cookie cutters to make the potato mould and some sequins to add sparkle to the project. Gabriel was hospitalized the same day after kicking off the project. Papa had to continue the project. We won 3rd prize and we were proud that Gabriel could get a trophy.

Portable Hard Disk Drive: Hardware and Software

Looking for extra storage space for your desktop PC or laptop? Need a solution to backup your working hard disk? Need a solution to synchronize files between work and home? Want to find out how to encrypt your personal data from thieves?

Visit my hub for some tips.

Gabriel's First Febrile Fit

We had a scare of our lives on 4-May-08. Gabriel was having fever the day before and we brought him to a clinic to treat a sore throat and fever. The doctor prescribed antibiotics for the throat infection and something for the fever. However, in the evening, his body temperature was still high. Then at night I prepared to use a Voren (diclofenac sodium, 12.5mg) suppository. While I was preparing the suppository, Ying was screaming from the room, calling me. Gabriel threw a fit. His hands and legs were shaking. His eyes rolled up and his face turned blue. Recalling first aid learnt at school, I put a chopstick between his teeth. The episode lasted less than 2 minutes. When he gained consciousness, I inserted the suppository and placed a cool patch on his forehead. Then we rushed him to the nearest hospital.

What causes a Febrile Fit?
- It can happen when there is a sudden rise in body temperature.

What to do for your child during a Febrile Fit?
- Put him in recovery position, lying on his side, to clear air passage. Saliva or mucus may accumulate in the mouth and obstruct air passage.
- Do not insert anything between the teeth. This may cause damage to the teeth. Or you may cause injury if you try to pry open clenched teeth.

What to do after the Febrile Fit?
- If he has high fever, remove warm clothes, sponge with cool water.
- Use a suppository with the correct dosage. Take note of the type of suppository. There are 2 types: Paracetamol and Voltaren. If the child is taking Paracetamol orally, then you should not use a Paracetamol suppository to avoid an overdose. Give a Voltaren suppository instead.
- Bring the child to the nearest hospital if it is the first time it happened.

Gabriel stayed in hospital for 4 days. Whenever his temperature was above 37.5ºC, nurses would sponge him with cool water and gave him medication. During investigation, his temperature went up and down. Only on the 3rd day his condition stabilized. He was treated with antibiotics and given paracetamol for the fever.

What did we do wrong?
- We did not monitor his temperature during his fever.

We now realize how crutial temperature monitoring is. We have a thermometer to take temperature from the armpits or anus, but we found it too slow and difficult to use. We bought ourselves a new one to take measurement from the ear - it is fast and convenient. Quick measurement is essential especially if your child is moving about and pushing you away. It is accurate too, we always counter check with our own body temperature.

Hope this posting can create awareness for you, help you to be prepared and to help your child to avoid a Febrile Fit.

Langkawi: Escape to Burau 2008

This has to be the biggest, most anticipated outing yet for Ying’s family. “Escape to Burau” was a 3-Day-2-Night trip to Langkawi. Headcount was 13 adults and 2 children.

Day 1

We took the 8:15am ferry from Penang to Langkawi on 27-Apr-08. It took us almost 3 freezing hours. Upon arrival, we met up with Sam (contact him at 012-5293663) who operates a tour and car rental business. We had pre-booked 2 Toyota Innova MPVs at RM160 each. Sam was very accommodating and cordial, and quickly joined in our Hakka conversations.

We had a simple lunch at Kuah town and after some quick shopping, we were off to our first tourist spot – Beras Terbakar (Field of Burnt Rice). History tells of Datuk Karma Jaya ordering the people of Langkawi to set the rice granary on fire to deny the Siamese invaders food back in 1821. What was left was merely a miserable plate of burnt rice. We took a group photo on the stairs of a traditional Malay house. It was then that Gabriel felt his calling to put out the fire of the burning rice, sending his urine cascading down the stairs. Good job to the fireman!

Next stop was the Ancient Tomb of Ulu Melaka, it was not on the GPS map, and neither did we find road signs to lead us, most probably raided.

Next on the itinerary was Makam Mahsuri (Mahsuri Mausoleum). It is a complex with museum, auditorium, well-preserved traditional Malay houses, Mahsuri’s Well, and an aviary. It was the children’s first encounter with a peacock with tail fanned.

The last stop before heading to the resort was Langkawi Underwater World. It had undergone lots of changes since my last visit about 5 years ago. Among the new additions were a giant anaconda, seals and penguins. We were sort of short changed as the Underwater World lost some 600 fish including stingrays, barracudas and sharks due to poisoning in September 2007. Gabriel spotted a mudskipper in one of the tanks.

We reached Berjaya Resort at about 5:00pm. Ying had earlier called up to inform of late check in. We were shocked to learn that there was no reservation made under Ying’s name. The hotel staff managed to find us 6 rooms and also helped us save by downgrading a room from triple to double. The double-bed chalets have a double bed and a sofa bed which sleeps one adult comfortably.

The shuttle van transported us to our rooms. The chalets were smack in the middle of the forest. However, due to some shortsightedness, our rooms were quite dispersed. Walking from room to room was quite tiring as the roads were quite winding and hilly.

We drove to Orkid Ria Seafood Restaurant at Pantai Cenang for dinner. Food was good and reasonably priced too. After dinner we took a stroll and did some window shopping.

Day 2

We had breakfast at the resort. There was a good spread of food. They also cook to order omelette and puree. We had booked a boat that could take all of us for Island Hopping through Sam. Departure was set at 9:00am from Awana Porto Malai jetty. However, we only arrived at about 9:45am as everyone had to make a deposit at the ‘bank’.

First stop was Dayang Bunting Lake. The boat ride was fast and exhilarating! Several boats were headed the same direction and we were like racing. From the drop off point, we had to hike to the lake. Near the jetty, Gabriel saw mudskippers in its natural habitat. It was tiring, as I had an extra 14kg on me – Gabriel. The swim in the lake was refreshing after the hot and sweaty hike. There used to be many catfish that tickle people’s feet near the banks. Now some other type of fish dominate the waters. I did not dare to try. Some had a swim, and some went boating. By 11:00am, it was scorching hot. Time to get back to the boat, but before that, another hike.

From Dayang Bunting Lake we hopped on to Pulau Singa Besar. No we did not really set foot in the island, but our boat stopped in the middle of the sea. The boat man threw chicken meat into the water for the eagles. Many eagles can be seen hovering above, and occasionally diving for the catch.

We were all too tired to hop further. So we headed back to Awana Porto Malai jetty. Just before docking, Ying saw something in the sea popping up and down. They were dolphins! Ying had to wake Gabriel from sleep to catch the rare sighting. The boatman brought us back out to the sea to get closer. We saw many more, usually in pairs. They were grey with pinkish coloration on the nose. We were all tired but the dolphins revived our drooping spirits. It was a great finale to Island Hopping.

We went to Kuah town for lunch. I had a sore throat and fever. The nearest clinic was closed for lunch. So I had to make do with paracetamol. It started to rain and we scrambled back to our MPVs and headed back to the resort. After taking a hot cup of Ho Yan Hor tea and a nap, I felt better. It was time for some beach fun. Some lazed around the poolside. Some played beach volley. The children played sand. Loong became half a sandman. Kevin caught crabs for the kids. Ying and Gabriel took a walk on the floating jetty.

It was back to Pantai Cenang for dinner. We decided to try out Fat Mum Seafood Restaurant. Fat Mum is the chef. Fat Papa was the waiter who took our order. Fat Mum’s recipes were special and tasty. We ordered 2 fish dishes (using 2 different types of fish) among others. Fat Papa came back to us and said the grouper was a whopper and can be used for 2 different dishes. The whopper turned out to be just a fry. Fat Papa’s poor estimation left a few corners in our stomachs unfilled. Fat Papa should open a vegetarian restaurant instead.

Day 3

After breakfast, the children went for a swim in the pool – naked. It was like a nudist camp. They had a splish-splash-sploshing fun time. There were some beach toys left at the poolside. But Gabriel wanted to take custody. Then we all adjourned to the bar to claim our complimentary welcome drink. A farewell drink should be more appropriate. After packing up, we took our last roller coaster ride back to the resort lobby. We had lunch at Kenny Rogers’ restaurant. Then we hurried to board the ferry. There was a delay due to an air-conditioning malfunction. It was hot and stuffy in the ferry, as good as a sauna, unlike the Penang-Langkawi leg. Many left their seats and went to the deck.

On the whole, “Escape to Burau” lived up to expectations, putting aside hiccups which were beyond our control. We had great fun together. Until the next escapade……"rolling, rolling!"

More photos at http://picasaweb.google.com/cheahyuniq/LangkawiEscapeToBurau2008


Read my Hubpages posting.

Gabriel's First Report Card (Melody Kindyland, Bukit Jambul)

We received Gabriel's report card for N1, 1st semester. Observations were down-to-earth and best describes his character. Below are his grades. Gabriel, mummy and daddy are very proud of you and we love you.

Social & Emotional Development

• Is helpful [A]
• Willing to share [B+]
• Is polite [A]
• Follows rules and instructions [B+]
• Personal hygiene [A]
• Social development [B+]
• Emotional development [B+]

Cognitive Development

• Able to concentrate [B+]
• Is curious [B+]
• Is creative [A]

Interest Areas

• Interest in art & craft [A]
• Interest in music & movement [A]
• Interest in construction play [A]

Story-Telling Sessions

• Listening skills [A]
• Aesthetic [A]

English Language

• Oral vocabulary / expression [A]
• Able to recognize alphabet / words [A]
• Pre-writing skills e.g. pattern writing [B+]
• Able to trace alphabet [B]

Bahasa Malaysia

• Able to recognize alphabet / words [A]

Numeracy

• Rote-counting e.g. 1, 2, 3, 4... [B]
• Numeral recognition [B]
• Counting with understanding [B]

GRADING SYSTEM:

A+: Excellent
A: Good
B+: Satisfactory
B: Improving
C+: Improvement Required
C: Poor

I Love School!

Here are some photos of Gabriel with his Melody school bag. He was a good model, following instructions how to pose. After each shot, he would come running to see the digital preview. He loves to go to school now. For N1 students (age 3-4), Melody only allows students to take home their books on Fridays. At home, Gabriel often looks for his books to read, especially at the beginning of the week. So when he can't find his bag, he would start to whine. So, mummy called the school headmistress last week to allow Gabriel to bring his books home everyday. Mummy got to know that some parents complained about bringing too many bags everyday, so the school decided not to let N1 kids take their books home. Now Gabriel whines no more for his books!

Camera: Canon EOS 400D
Lens: Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5 DC Macro
Exposure: Manual f/5.6, 1/60s, ISO400
Strobe: Sigma EF-500 DG Super as slave at 1/4 power and f/5.6 with diffuser, triggered by built-in flash at -1 FEC. Placement to the left and above subject at 45º angle.

I'm a Hubber!

Ever heard of HubPages.com? Well, it's a place where you can publish your views, ideas, tips - just about anything under the sun. I stumbled upon HubPages while searching about how people make money on the internet. I find that it is pretty easy to use - you can use 'capsules' to insert text, photos or videos in your hub. The ranking system will give you an idea on how popular or useful is your hub and will drive you nuts to think of what will make people interested in your hub. My first hub is about how to setup a Rice Cooker with Timer. Hope you find it useful and be my fan!

Ying's Birthday

Celebrated Ying's birthday on 28-Mar-08 with Gabriel after dinner at home. Bought 2 slices of cake from a bread boutique at Giant Bayan Baru - Blueberry Cheese and Chocolate. Ying was also surprised with a gift.

Earlier in the morning, as Mummy was getting Gabriel ready for school, he was being fussy. But when Mummy said that it was her birthday, Gabriel suddenly changed his mood and became quiet. They sang the Birthday Song together and at the line "Happy Birthday to...", Gabriel filled in with "Mummy" and at the last line "Happy Birthday to YOU!", Gabriel pointed at Mummy. Mummy was very touched and related the story to me through Google Talk in the morning.

Happy Birthday, dear Ying/Mummy! Lots of love from Niq/Gabriel

Gabriel at 28months

Ying and I can quite safely say we are out of the rough. Still apprehensive of what holds for Gabriel's development beyond 2years.

After 3months going to daycare at Melody kindyland Bukit Jambul, he now has grown fond of it. The first month was fine. But long school breaks for Chui Li and Yeo's wedding at KL and Chinese New Year sort of broke the routines. Coupled with flu and cough, he became very irritable and insecure. He threw his worst tantrums during these periods. We developed a fear of sending him to school and afraid of triggering his temper tantrums.

He is very talkative now. Grandma says, "We used to talk and he listens, now he talks and we listen." He's able to have simple conversations on the telephone. He can relate to us the things that go on in school, his teachers and friends. He can remember names well. He also understands nicknames. He told us that Sharon calls him “Ah-Briel”. Then mummy asked him, “Do you call Sharon Ah-Ron?” He would laugh and say, “So funny!”

Gabriel is no more afraid to get a haircut. Gone are the days of crying and arching on the chair. His pacifier – a hairy-salty-slippery lollypop. He could also stay still for us to cut his fingernails. We used to have to wait for him to go into deep sleep before cutting his nails.

Gabriel can sing songs with a bit of tune, but will tend to skip some words. He could sing “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”, “Little Boy Blue”, “Finger Song” and his school’s song before meals. Sometimes he would request us to sing for him. He loves story books with colorful pictures. His favorites are the Ladybird Phonics series. Although the books were meant for kids aged 4-5years, he could remember the stories and fill in the blanks as we read to him.

When interacting with other children, he is rather timid with older kids, but will bully the younger ones – cousin Julian is one of them. Julian will follow Gabriel wherever he goes and will want to play whatever Gabriel picks up. Then Gabriel would push Julian’s hands away, or say a firm “Don’t!” Still need to inculcate in him the virtue of sharing.

Grandma's Project

Mom came up to Penang on 20-Mar-08 for Easter. She brought some vegetables, not so much for cooking, but to amuse Gabriel with some cute carvings.

Up, up, up, To the Top

Ying had a marvelous idea to step out of our mundane routines - to make a trip up Penang Hill on 24-Feb-08. We had to wait for about 15 minutes for the next train up. We were practically packed into the train like sardines. It was cool at the peak but pity the view was hazy.

There used to be a villa with a garden with nice flowers. The villa is now turned into a fine dining restaurant, which only admits patrons, not for sightseeing. A waiter stands guard at the entrance where you can browse the menu or watch a video. Not for those who have aversion to price - with similar altitudes to the restaurant's locality.

Had a muffin snack near the playground. Nearby, there is a mosque and a Hindu temple. There is a hawkers' centre where we had "mee goreng" - pretty good. Gabriel went window shopping, trying out some toys. One shopkeeper chased Gabriel away saying "cukup!, cukup!". Hmmm who says Malaysians are hospitable.

Those who are more adventurous can follow the trails to the lookout. Or join a 4X4 club and drive up to the top. Besides that, for the casual visitor, a bore would be an overstatement. Anyway, a Swiss made funicular train saves the day...





More photos at Picasa Web Albums

Chinese New Year 2008

Chinese New Year is a time to get together with family and friends. This year we have additions to our family. First of all my nephew Julian, 8 months, and Yeo, who got married to Chui Li in December 2007. A very warm welcome to Julian and Yeo!

My Sport Car

Gabriel's favorite toy is his green "Sport Car". His car can move around, has flashing lights and plays hot music (Taxi Driver). His toys usually don't last long due to rough handling. But his sport car lasted exceptionally long. It recently took a beating from Gabriel's over-imaginative play. As a result, it lost 2 wheels, the rear screen, and 2 doors. It was too much for Gabriel to bear. The photos will tell it all...