HARVEST FESTIVAL BEAUTIES

It's second day of harvest festival holiday.
Late morning for everyone. Late if you're used to waking up at five. It was just past seven when I settled down infront of the computer after doing the normal morning stuff..... yea yea ...the four legged babies stuffs.

I got so engrossed with clicking on the ungduk ngadau photography session shots unloaded  from Atlas's  fb account.
Beauty contest has been another passion of mine for as long as I can remember.
I just  love picking out winners.
I must say I got 'good' eyes for beauty too. Let's see if I've picked the right ones here.

(I did my picking based on  facial and overall presentation via photographs taken by fellow facebooker Augustine Jumat)

These ladies are also judged on their personalities, the beauty of their costumes other than the physical facial and body beauty.
Knowledge of the mother tounge is a must.

Eva Eadora Wesmin (Kota Belud)

-Atlas's student I think - by the way he's giving support :)
Can't blame him, this young lady has got what it takes to be amongs the top

Jevyonne Jais (Beaufort)
Facial beauty very ovious but I have doubt on her size.

Caroline Anthonny (Tuaran)

High potential based on her overall presentation

 - will be up to her interview session

Shirly Arichat Enggoh (Kuala Penyu)

Not so outstanding with facial beauty to me but she has the built the judges are looking for

Shopie Angela Kutam (Ranau)

She is a wow wow wow... beautiful lady.
The kind I would put the crown on if I was the judge here. Then again it's up to her interview session

Adelyn Joyce Masidah (Likas) 

Another one with the wow factor. A 'dark' beauty  thou she seems lacking in personality.

Kok Yee Lu (Paitan)

Oviously from her name you can tell that she's more chinese to her race. Beautiful, have the right height but I have my doubt they want a queen with a chinese name. 

Bo Tiza Arthur S.Disimon (Penampang)
Beautiful in her own way . she has the built and beautiful  flawless skin. 
Importantly, she's from the orginising district. 
She also has a very prominent surname.
She will definitely be in the top...if not 5 at least the semi finals. 

Alvera Raymond Kisil  (Sandakan)

My hometown representative. 

Friends with my niece Nicole.

Beautiful but a little short in height I must say.

Jovenea Jim Lajim ( Tamparuli)

Just look at her...
right smile,right size, right height.....I'm comfident she'll be amongs the top too

Rachel M Alliun (Kota Kinabalu)I feel she's not so much on the facial beauty, but made up with the 'right' built and height. Overall presentation also makes her a potential to be amongs the top 

 Pathlyn Leosie M. Mikat (Kota Marudu)
Another one who I feel would be amongs the top

NO HARVEST.... ONLY RADISH CAKE

kotobian tadau tagazo do kaamatan
That would mean Happy harvest in the logal kadazan/dusun language.
But then again I could be wrong as I don't speak a word of the language :)

Anyway...for the rest and me who are not celebrating any harvest of any kind, it would only mean a day off. Two days infact as the State of Sabah has been allocated 30th and 31st of May as their own public holidays.
The highlight to all the other public holidays because it is the most celebrated event in the state.

During my younger days, to go and join in the celebration at state level was something I don't think twice doing.
Now that I'm  (a little ) older, it all seem lilke .... 'what's the big 'fuss' ?
Unless we had plans (which would normally mean a holiday trip somewhere)  it has been years that harvset festival been spent just lazying around the house.
This year was no difference.


Anticipating to be at home the whole day, I went on to make the radish cake that Yona have been asking me to do for sometimes now.

As always, it was still hot when I tried to cut it

The final product ....sedap!!!

YES!!!!!  nothing more enjoyable than being able to do what you love...

cook, eat...lazying infront of the tv

SUNDAY WITH A HANGOVER

It was already almost eight when I woke up with a 'hang over' .
Lydia as usual was already up and infront of the tv.
Since the coming two days are still holidays (It's harvest festival holidays), Andrew was still around.

I went about doing with the normal necessary morning 'stuff' just incase the maid won't turn up again as it was already nine with no sight of her coming.
With my 'spliting' head, I was not much in the mood to do much really. Sill I carried on with the urgent chores.

With no intention to go out today, I was prepared to be stationed infront of the pc or back in bed to extend my sleep.
Lydia on the other hand had other ajendas planned. All including food.
She was complaining that her stomach was growling.....since last night...(oh peleaeeese..)

Knowing Andrew, we ended up going to mile four Kim Fung  for some breakfast.
It was just the three of us since Yona couldn't make herself get out of bed.

I wanted to get this for myself but they don't have it in any other clours. Pink seems so girlish

Bought a new pair of plastic slippers for Lydia and a leather belt for Andrew right after that.

We went on around looking for "beras national' at Letat Jaya market where I normally buy them but was dissapointely told that their stock have yet to arrive.
Went all over to BDC and Tmn Mawar as well with still no success.

Instead, as always, we ended buying lots of other foodstuff.

When we did finally make it back home, my head was soooooooooo heavy.
Took a short nap on the couch straighaway with everyonelse alltogether in the living room with the aircond fully blasted.
phewwwwwwwwwww..........it was so comfortable compared to the outside heat .
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.....probably an hour or so I was 'dead' to the world.

Did hair trimmings for Nay as well as bath him and Blink Blink .....while Andrew and the girls still Zzzzzzzzzzz in the cool fully blasted airconditioned room.

Would have bath the other few dogs too if the heavy (very very heavy)  rain didn't come out of nowhere.
..........Now I realised why the extreme heat earlier on.

ARAMAITI!!!!!!!!!!

It's not harvest festival yet but we have received an invitation to Roy's in laws golden anniversary celebration at Kampung Kiabau, Beluran. It was actually their highlight to the Kaamatan festivities which was going to be held after this.
Meaning to say, the whole 'clan' will gather home and have much  makan makan  and minum minum.
As with other Sabahan, reason to get drunk I would say.
For the non drinker as me, it was merely for the fellowship that I went.
Totally not  for the food. I was really cautious with that since their last 'feast' we attended left Andrew and me with days of upset stomachs .

Initially the girls wanted to come along but they had their monthly bowling roll off to complete on the same day .Also the thought of having no friends there, smoking drunk men and barbecued pork for the main course. It was really not their cup of tea.
I had sent them to the alley at nine and had left them there in good hands, promising that we would get back by late tonight.

We only took one car, Andrew's.  Rocky's Vitara was left at our house.
The drive there took around two hours plus.  We did stopover at mile thirty two for lunch.
It was just past three when we finally 'found' the house...except for Roy's wife, no one seems to be around.
I learned later on that the actual celebration was for tomorrow. Today was just dinner meant only for immediate family members.
Tomorrow's menu will be halal whereas today's highlighted a barbecued pig as the main course.
The only thing I felt 'wrong' wast the pig. It was still alive when we came.
Aaaaa.... that was so not good. I really dislike to see or hear animals being slaugter.
I'm no vegetarian but I don't see my food when they're with life.
I will now forever be haunted with the whole episode.

The hours before dinner was spent watching  Malaysian Canon Open Ten Pin Bowling competition on Astro.
Airing live too. Luckly the heavy rain didn't interupt the reception. Otherwise with no signals for any of the phone networks I use, it would have been a very 'loooooooooooog' wait.

Dinner started at eight and carried on ( chit chatting) till we made our move for home at almost midnight.
It was almost two in the morning by the time we reached home.

To the extend ...... a banner for the occasion.

We were one of few early birds....a day earlier to be exact.

A day earlier celebration ( with the pig) were meant for the immediate families. 

 Roy has been more like a brother than the good friend he is with the Garcias brothers.

This is something I enjoy looking  at.

Typical kampung house

Kelapa Sawit....the main income source for many

You can only get 'warm' feeling looking at this...a pot of boiling water on an open fire

The (head of) main course....it was still alive when we arrive there.
All tied up waiting for the kill, It was such a pityful sight .

This was my dish for the night...fried  chicken

Another main course...fresh prawns

Serve me with this dish anytime Sambal mangga. The sourness of the mango just makes you eat more than you want to.They overdid it with the chilles though. It was HOT!

This is a typical sight on any kampung celebration .Line of tajaus ( clay pots) filled with tapai ( rice wine). Forget the beer..this is all you get .As much as you want to.

 A must on all harvest festival aramaiti

This is another drink. Instead of rice they use ubi kayu (tapioca). The taste is totally different but they still make you reach the utlimate conclusion....drunk!

This was oviously broken....'repaired' with gam pilipin ( epoxy)

Roy made me try this. Not bad really...until the 'kick' starts to 'hit'

With the ubi jar , it  was just for the photograph

Unlike them 'professionals'

Sneek peek on tomorrow's entertaiment .A dying breed. None of their children have this talent. Sadly, none too are interested in continuing this tradition

SCOTTY WINS!

Yessssssssssssssssssss!!!!!! this year Americans got it right.
This every bit of a mother's dream son , good wholesome looking american boy, with such 'fantastic' vocals...  is such an ideal winner.

I had picked Scotty as one of my favourite long before the finale.
With the final duo too, I had made my choice clear.

And boy does it feel 'nice' to have got that  right.

 Not that I think Lauren wasn't  any good  , because she was in her own way.
She too deserve to win as much but ......lets just say tonight wasn't her 'rezeki'.

He is already  a 'star' with or without the title.

I HATED THE IDEA

With monday past and forgotten... it's tuesday  and being here kind of make me realised that I have not blogged on my daily 'stuff' for quite sometimes now.
Well, I was actually going to right after I have done with the 'urgent' chores ( picking poops!.. what else).

I knew the maid would come a little later than normal  ( ada urusan ) but am very comfident that she would considering that she just took a month salary advance yesterday.

She did come... just after eleven. Just as I was loosing 'sight' of that fact and  had even started to pick up the broom....hehe

The phone rang and that call kind of 'made' my day.... ( not in a good way!)
Dad called  to ask me to  bank in some money for...you know...who else?

aaarrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!!!!... I thought I have said before that I was done doing that .
....and now it's here again to haunt me?.

I got so @#$%@#  and upset  with the thought of her lying through her teeth begging dad for money.
.
It was bad enough that I had just spent money online for her return plane ticket from Kuching to KL on  sunday.

Now I was going to 'forked' more money for her spending?.
aaarrrrrrrr!!!!....again!

Dad said he would pay me back once he's back but that was not the whole point that upsets me here.
The point was -
- I hated the idea that she can invent some sob stories and mom and dad would just close their eyes and out of  kesian would go to the trouble of letting her have what she wants. ( namely... money!)

-I hated the idea of me rushing out to do the things that they asked me because I know SHE was the reason behind their request.

-I hated the idea of me doing what they asked me simply because I felt obligated as I am their daughter

-I hated the idea of me saying no and yet feeling all guilty about it

-I hated her for making me shout back at dad

aaaarrrrrr!!!! I hated the whole idea

I kind of let my 'steam' off  by letting her know what I thought of her and where she 'stands' with the family with her present kind of atttude .

I don't think that did much effect of her side...probably as usual, in the left ear and out of the right.
I Anticipated that but still felt so good by just letting it all out.

She said she had just secured the job...to which I said  'yea yea...it better be real or it's more than sms that you'll get from me or them'.

Saying you have changed will always be a saying unless you do what you have said you would do.

LET'S HAVE HOPE

"Men and women are not prisoners of fate, but
only prisoners of their own minds. - Franklin D. Roosevelt

This is a year for hope - not despair. Hope or optimism is not about denying reality; it's about seeing the possibilities for creating a better reality than you currently have.

Circumstances beyond our control may lead to losing the job and  home oppurtunites that we've been 'seeing' up front. 
And when 'all 'seems lost........... we can still  look up on  hope.

Hope may be the most underrated of all emotions. We frequently hear about people dying when they lose hope or they may simply become incredibly depressed.

It is therefore important that hope be an integral part of our attitude towards our life.
But hope is a choice.
Choice that you must first choose evenif for now it is all that you think it'll ever be.
But never never underestimate the power of the mind.
When you hope and believe hard enough,... consciously and intentionally utilized mind power will provides outcomes.

"The Potential Of The Human Mind Is Subject To, And Limited Only By,
Our Individual Beliefs or Un-belief As To Whether We Can Accomplish
A Thing Or Not. Human Mind Power is evidenced in the fact that we
always get to be right" -Chuck Danes

THE FINAL TWO

Well it comes to the final two. Just as I had hoped for. It all comes down to .....

SCOTTY!  and

LAUREN!

Much to my relief... Hailey was sent home....finally!

 It would have been much 'difficult' if James was to be in the final three. Most likely too that he'll be the man in the finals with Lauren instead of Scotty.

BUT America has voted and  it is Scotty in the finals.

 I love both of these teenagers but my personal vote after following their personal growth each week would go to Scotty.

 He's so composed and sure of what he has to offer.  Unlike 'girlish' Lauren who needs to be told  how and what to do in her performances.

BUT again ....Anyone could be the next idol . Americans votes not Malaysian me :)

I have not heard of this  new Italian group

until they sang live on AI.

Oh wow.... oh wow.....oh wow... (3 wows=very very wow wow)

 now that's what I call singing

 ...and I can 'swing' to that cha-cha beat too :)

By not going back into bed , I managed to at least up grade my orchid plants. As I did yesterday, I managed to weed somemore pots namely the cactus pots .

No line still... the maid didnt come...4th day in a row

not cooking as I wanted to eat at the market with Yona.

Real hot outside making both of us malas.....

ON TEACHER'S DAY

Whenever  the topic of.... 'what do you want to be when you grow up?' came up when I was still in primary school, it was my mother who would 'hammer' the idea of being a teacher was the best profession for a woman.

Mom's 'theories' were that teachers only work half a day and have long year end holidays. Good arrangements when the babies starts to come along were her exact words.
How far 'wrong' did she get?

Can't really blame her as back then if you're a girl it was either being a teacher a nurse or an airline stewerdess. Just pick a choice.

I laughed now because I founded one that does exactly all three.
Three in one?...  :)  like those instant beverages?
Yea..it's called ....mommy!


16th May is a date allocated for these people who made it in life to earn the title as teachers.

I won't give a list of names here because I simply  don't  remember the 'real' teachers during my schooling days .
Logically as with everything ,we need a piece of paper to certify us as that.

But then again  you need not actually go to get a degree to be honour by the title 'teacher'.

'Teachers' are the ones who taught us our early steps in life. They are the ones who taught us how to discipline ourselves. They are the ones who made us realise our own potentials.
They are the ones who motivated us to achieve our dreams, corrected us when we were wrong.

Above all,  they are the ones who loved and cared most about us, besides our parents of course.
These are the real  people in our life whom we call  'TEACHERS'.

Learning is a wholelife process  and therefore teachers comes and go throughout our life.
We take the 'good' lessons and leave the 'bad' ones while moving along.

Teachers' day for me is for remembering them who had moulded me into who I am today.
I remembered.......
Thank you ....thank you..... thank you

I'm sure mom wasn't dissapointed that I didn't turned out to be a teacher  afterall because my sister June is one. So is my brother Atlas and his soon to be wife Laura.

MAKE THE DAY COUNT

I figure life's a gift and I don't intend on wasting it. You don't know what hand you're gonna get dealt next. You learn to take life as it comes at you... to make each day count. - Titanic (1997)

How true... as young as Tisha may be , she does 'feel' what I felt reading theses words.

When you're young options of what lies ahead seems so abundance.
I  look at the things that I do on a daily basis and see the same routine lies infront.
*sigh*....I want to make each day count but the energy and zest for what lies ahead just wasnt going with the speed limit twenty years ago.

OF FAVOURITES

Everyone has their list of favorite.... restaurants, favorite shopping places, and favorite cafes.

Whenever, I go through my list, I find, most of the places are my favourite because I have memories of wonderful time spent there with wonderful people.

People who have touched my feelings on life in general.

People who have come and 'gone' .
People who will alway have a place in my heart.

"I shall not pass this 'way' again-
Although it bordered be with flowers,
Although I rest in fragrant bowers,
And hear the singing of song-birds winging
I shall not pass this 'way' again...."

Such a sad thought when we think of the memories of yesteryears....
eeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrr...what a way to make me feel 'old'

Can't help but remember this oldie hit ....

Being useful

I had actually planned since last night what I wanted to do this morning.
There were so many 'things' that were listed on my 'list of things to do before ......I die'. :)

 As usual, I would normally 'do' my stuff in the earlier part of the day thus setting the 'working mood' into action.
Furthermore with the internet line down for the second day in a row, I figured I might as well do somehing useful .

Woke up at five twenty as usual as it was a school day.
My day started the moment lydia left . First I prune my bunga kertas.
Then weed the bunga cempaka pots, then going over to the lime pots.

The sun made me stop . It was real hot by then so I went on to do the maid's chores.
Today she didn't turned up.....again!
The third day in a row infact that she took leave....more of MWR...missing without reason

There were just a few pieces of dirty clothing so I did the washing by hand instead. This gives me the reason to 'play' with water on a extra hot day.
I didn't even bother to use the dryer as the heat from the hot sun was enough to dry them within the hour.

Made another pizza as I have promised Lydia .
She has been telling her friends at school that her mum was going to bake pizza for days now.
She definitely would be having home made pizza for lunch today.
I didn't feel like pizza though so I cook myself  lunch . ....A real lunch

                                           Lydia and  her wish ....

My back is killing me...I can't think of what I overdid this time.
Did I move any of the potted plants?.... hhmm

HA HA HA...BEAUTIFUL SUNDAY

Sunday morning up with the...lark?.... no, it was more of  with a bark.... or barkings.
Those 'babies' of mine won't give me peace and quite even on mother's day.
Aarr...it's a rainy sunday and it's mother's day. ... would have been sooooooooo ideal to stay in bed longer.
When I finally managed to drag myself out of bed it was already almost seven.
Trying to get back to sleep was nearly impossible knowing that  there were 'things' that need urgent doing.
yea.. yea.. 'things'  that  associate with four legs.

I could wait for the maid to deal with them but that would be tolerating the 'voices of demand' for a whole hour or so more depanding on the discreation of her working hours.
For a fact too I know she comes in late on Sundays.
So much for mother's day to be picking 'poops' huh.... nervertheless that was what I did before giving myself the day off.

Mom came over with Lydia at around two. She complained her house phone was not working.
Likewise!...I told her.
My cordless phone is out of order and so is the TM free phone. It's been days but I just haven't made time to 'deal' with that issue yet.

I wanted to watch my mother's day marathon movies on DIVA but the girls were doing their homework in the living room ( where the air cond was on ) and so the rest of my 'holiday' was spent going through youtube.
Doing  'nothing' -What a wonderful holiday to celebrate one of the most important people in your live.


My thoughts of my mother on her day
When I think of my mother or mothers in general, I think of someone powerful, caring but importantly someone who is always there when we need her. Mom has always been my girls 'backup' mother.
Much to the envy of my siblings.

People always says that we will 'grow up' and become our mom. ..really?
And despite hearing countless remarks on how much my looks and mannerism reminds them of her,
I totally disagree.I am nothing like her.
Look wise, mannerism wise moreso personality wise.
Never was and will never be....end of story!

We have a special bond with all it's complex emotions, anger, resentment,competition and of course, love.

I love her, sometimes  hate her. Sometimes she’s the last person I want to see.
These are  the seesaw of feelings between my mother and me.
She is after all ...not me. .She is another person altogether.
But...she is my mother.
One of the two person who gave life to me.

I’d like to think that I have a good relationship with my mother now....to a certain level. At least we are able to be in the same room long enough to hold my disagreements before 'blasting' them off  to any ears ( willing or otherwise) once I'm back home.

 But it's not always like that.There were and are still lots of 'things' that we can see eye to eye.
These seesaw of feelings with my mother went on  for years as far as I can remember.
One minute I was telling her everything that was happening in my life, and the next minute, I was sneaking out and hiding the truth.
Maybe because of the 'generation gap' or her mind stayed 'old fashion'
..or she herself ( or me ?) just grew 'old' ..hehehe.. ( thou it's more growing up for me.)

These past years, she doesn't  seem to 'see' a lot of 'things' my way (again...or is it the other way round?).
To avoid any unnecessary arguements , I would normally bite my tongue and just 'see' it from her point of view.
What I have learned in life, especially when mom is concerned is that I have to choose which battles to fight with her. Not all of them are worth fighting for....at least not for now.
I am the younger mom and therefore must make ways for she who .....
'ate salt' first......???
A statement which I don't totally agree although I willingly embrace and cherish her motherly love for the fact that she is my mother and she will always be my mother not matter what.
Honoring that fact simply by respecting and loving her back.

I don't have to like everything about her though I do love her very much.

Can men and women be just friends?

Can  a woman be 'buddy-buddy' with a guy other than the usual romantic way?.

Which brings me to another question.  Can you love somebody and yet be inspired by another?  And I’m not talking about being inspired by a celebrity or famous person.  I meant being inspired by somebody you know personally.  Would that be wrong?

Maybe such a relationship can exist, but I still believe some amount of attraction (not necessarily physical) is present.
I guess it doesn’t really become so unusual when one become “inspired” by some other person you know cause as I have said, emotions are often mysterious, it's always a dynamic thing, and we just have to ride on it and put a rein on it whenever it becomes a little too over the hedge…

Come to think of it, I have lots of male friends. These men say that I’m “one of the guys.” I think it’s easier to deal with men than with women (no offense to female readers), generally speaking.

FULL DAY... Advance mother day dinner

Woke up at almost seven. The thought of going to church this morning did occured to me as Atlas was here.
As usual when the maid don't come , I had to rush and do all that is of urgency before eight.
Service starts at 8.30 am so we would need to leave the house around eight.

When Lydia called, laziness kind of change my mind and told her that I won't be going afterall .
That said, I went in to do my cafe :)
I had actually done all the necessary last night.
Sandakan residence had been 'warned' online that today the water supply would be 'cut' off.
I had done the laundry plus wash the compound last night right before mom called asking us to come over for a session of 'sago eating'.

Yona's training would start at eleven thirty. We left the house an hour earlier because we wanted to take early lunch at Zakaria's.
I had missed their murtabak daging and the yearning was shared with Yona.
Training takes about two hours plus but somehow today it seems to go fast as I sat outside chitchatting with Hj Sojie and Carol's mom.
Today too I got to see where Carol was staying when I send them home after training.
Her dad was away in KK and her mom doesn't drive.I was more than happy to send them since we were going through the same route. Moreso I felt pity knowing that they have to take two bus to reach home.

Stopping over at BDC's Swee Teck  and browsing over the new stuff they had just finish displaying took about an hour more of our journey home.
Another stop at Kim Fung's market also took about an hour.
Both of us were feeling hungry over today's early lunch. We ordered a big bowl of hot porridge each.
It was almost five by the time we finally reach home.

I had the feeling that  mom would be calling us for dinner tonight as Atlas and Laura were around.
I went out to get some batteries for the cordless phone when she didn't call after eight.
Well, she actually did call just as I left the house according to Yona.

They had started dinner before we all reached there.
...mother's day dinner that is.
It was normal for Atlas to have something simple ready for mother's day or any other celebrated day whenevere he was home.

Missing one of my powerpuff girls

2011 mother's day cake

my piece of cake

Awh....saying it with flowers

I didn't joined in the prepration except in the photo session and the makan makan..
 Mother's day afterall was not exactly today.....then again you don't really need a mother's day to remind yourself of what a great mom we all are.