My Shoulder To Cry On.

Today’s entry is dedicated to a very special person in my life, Ms P, who has been a friend when I’m in need, my shoulder to cry on & the best gal friend that I could ever hope for.

Dearest P,

I understand the turmoil, the anxiety that you’re currently going through. You’re wondering whether the decision you made to leave Hong Kong is the right thing to do.

Please ignore the comments you’ve been getting from others as to why you should remain in Hong Kong. It is your life after all and only you would know what’s best for you. 

“No person is your friend who demands your silence, or denies your right to grow. – Alice Walker”

What is the point of continuing to be in a place that no longer makes you happy especially when your heart yearns to be back home among your loved ones?

God works in mysterious ways and I’m sure God has a plan for you. Taking this bold step to move back home, is no doubt a big gamble, career wise. But then you’ve pretty much being doing the same thing for the past 7 years. It’s definitely time to move on. You don’t owe anybody anything but yourself.

I salute you for being very brave in deciding that it’s time to move on at this juncture of your life. It takes a lot of guts and determination. If there’s anybody I know who can make it through life no matter what life may have in store for him/her, that person is definitely YOU!

Before I log off, a little something for you.

A Friend's Greeting

I'd like to be the sort of friend that

you have been to me;

I'd like to be the help that

you've been always glad to be;

I'd like to mean as much to you

each minute of the day

As you have meant, dearest friend of mine,

to me along the way.

I'd like to do the big things and

the splendid things for you,

To brush the gray from out your skies

and leave them only blue;

I'd like to say the kindly things that

I so often have heard,

And feel that I could rouse your soul

the way that mine you've stirred.

I'd like to give you back the joy

that you have given me,

Yet that were wishing you a need

I hope will never be;

I'd like to make you feel as rich as I,

who travel on

Undaunted in the darkest hours with you to

lean upon.

I'm wishing at this time that I

could but repay

A portion of the gladness that

you've strewn along my way;

And could I have one wish this year,

this only would it be:

I'd like to be the sort of friend

that you have been to me.

- Edgar A Guest -

Please remember that, you’ll always have a friend in me, who’ll stand by you all the way, no matter what you may decide in life.

xoxo

Mrs Z

Shafiq passed his AEIS!!!

My darling son Shafiq made his parents so proud today. He passed the AEIS (Admission Exercise For International Students) exams and has been offered a place in one of the top local schools in Singapore. It is extremely difficult for international students to enter the mainstream public schools here and for Shafiq to be able to pass the exams after going through so much this year, is such a blessing. Alhamdullilah.

One of the main reasons that influenced my hubby’s decision to accept the job offer in Singapore was primarily due to our son’s education. Back in Hong Kong, Shafiq was studying in an International School and we found the education system lacking in so many ways. The International school system seems to emphasis more on play rather than education and having to fork out HKD5,000 a month on schools fees was such a waste of money when I could have just had Shafiq home schooled.

We could have just continued sending Shafiq to another International School here in Singapore but we’ve learnt our lesson in Hong Kong. No more International School for our son. The education system for the local schools in Singapore are so advanced. Their maths curriculum for example, if I were to compare to the schools in Malaysia, the Primary 1 students in Singapore are doing Math equations that are being taught to the Standard 3 students back in Malaysia.

Some sample of Primary 1 Maths question here in Singapore:

Sample 1:

Miss Koh, the Mathematics teacher, told the class that they can multiply 3 different ways to get the answer 20. Write the three different ways below.

Sample 2:

Amelia and Roger have 20 dollars. When Roger give Amelia 4 dollars, each of them has the same amount of money. How much money does Amelia have at first?

Sample 3:

Whenever Danny saves $2 in his coin box, his father puts in $1 into Danny’s coin box. How much money does Danny save on his own if his father puts in $9?

Note: I don’t seem to remember attempting that sort of questions when I was in Standard 1.

On top of that, English is the language of classroom instruction where back in Malaysia, they have already scrap off teaching Science & Maths in English. Regardless of the fact that English is the medium used in the local Singapore schools, as part of Singapore education system, all students are required to study their mother tongue language as part of the curriculum. In Shafiq’s case, he’ll get to study the Malay language as a subject at the local school here, something that he will not be able to do if we were to enroll him into an International School.

I am not trying to be an advocate of the Singapore education system but they must be doing something right as more and more expat parents are trying to enroll their kids into the local schools here. On top of that, many Malaysian parents especially the ones staying in Johor, Malaysia are sending their kids to the schools in Singapore whereby the kids commute to Singapore on a daily basis.

I really hope that Shafiq will be able to get the best out of the education system here in Singapore. As a parent, I only want what’s best for my darling son.

Wishing him all the best in his new school.

How much is too much?

My seven years old son is currently learning Iqra & Fardhu Ain, taking piano lessons, goes for fencing, attend’s Kumon and I’m thinking of sending him for Mandarin lessons and swimming classes as well. Being a Muslim, Iqra & Fardhu Ain classes are compulsory for him in my books but the other extras, are they too much for him? Currently he’s on holiday but when the school academic year begins in a few weeks time and he has to juggle school, after school activities plus all the other classes/lessons I mentioned earlier, am I overdoing it as a parent?

I don’t want to see my son toil under pressure but all parents especially here in Singapore seems to be sending their kids for all sorts of extra curricular activities since they were just mere toddlers. I was told by the owner (Ms J) of the Kumon centre that my son goes to, that their youngest student there is three years old and here I am starting my son with Kumon at the age of seven. Three years old!!! Can you believe that? I felt that I was sort of a failure as a parent in the watchful eyes of Ms J for starting my son with Kumon at the age of 7. Even when my son was going for piano lessons at one of the music schools here (he now learns piano with a private tutor at home), I see toddlers ranging from 2 years old onwards going for music lessons.

I read somewhere that sending your kids as early as possible for all the extra curricular classes is good. It helps to shape and mold their creativity and talents that are forming. These extra-curricular classes are also more than just a way to keep the kids busy. These classes actually have a real impact on children’s development and are a wonderful way to bond, build confidence and learn social skills such as taking turns, listening and sharing.

If you see that your child loves music, maybe you can sign them up for piano lessons or any other musical instruments lessons. If your child likes to dance, put them in a dance class. However, we should not push a child into what you think they may like or what we as parent wants them to like. We should always observe our child and try different things with them to determine what they are good at. Hubby and I noticed our son’s love for music, hence the piano lessons. As for the fencing, it was purely our decision. We decided he needed some sort of physical activity as he was fast gaining weight by watching too much TV and playing computer games. Luckily for us, he enjoys fencing.

A survey that was done in the UK involving 1,000 parents found that one in five parents spend more than 600 pounds on extra-curricular activities such as French, swimming, yoga, art, etc.Three quarters of parents in that survey with children under five believed giving them a head start in extra-curricular activities was really important for their children’s future.

There are also some parents with the views that while sending your child for all these extra curricular activities extremely beneficial, it is also absolutely essential to give children some downtime, where they can just play and spend time with family and friends. During this downtime, it actually gives the children a chance to practice conversation and social skills, develop imaginative skills while creating their own entertainment.

I guess at the end of the day, it goes back to you as a parent in deciding what’s best for your child. All parents wants the best for their children and If you have the means, why not send them for whatever extra curricular classes that would benefit them. However, at the same time, we also want our children to have a balanced life. Hence, everything should be done in the right proportion.

Having said that, I hope I’m not overdoing it for my son and hoping my son knows that whatever Mummy & Daddy is making him do now is in his best interests.

Kari Udang Cik Pah.

Cik Pah, a fellow Malaysian whom I had the pleasure of befriending when I was residing in Hong Kong contacted me on facebook recently with a request. She wanted my recipe for “kari udang/prawn curry”. The thing is, when I was in Hong Kong, whenever we had any “makan-makan” gathering, I usually make “kari udang” as prawns are easy to get. (Halal meat not so easy to get as I’ll have to go all the way to Bowrington Market in Causeway Bay) It sort of became like a trademark dish for me. Friends claim they love my “kari udang” or maybe they were just being nice. :D

The thing is, I’m not that good at giving out the exact measurements for my own recipe. Everything is “main agak-agak”. Suprisingly, Cik Pah managed to dish out the “kari udang” based on the recipe I gave her.

Below, are the excerpts from our facebook messages:

Cik Pah:

salam,kak sui...apa khabar? sehat?hehee...ahli2 hk nih dh lama xrasa lepak2 umah kak sui mcm dulu..pah lagi laa kan.hmm..k sui nak tahu,syed ada mengidam nk mkn kari udang mcm kak sui buat lah..pah xpernah lg rasa..katanya sedap sgt.bleh x kak sui bg resepi kari udang sedap tu...hehhe.udang besar syed dh bli..tp pah blum buat pasal xreti lah.ni nk mntak resepi..harap2 sudilah ye tuan hamba berkongsi resepi udang kari .....;)

Me:

Walaikumsalam Cik Pah.

Resepi kari udang tu senang aje tapi Kak Su tak retilah the exact measurement. Cik Pah kena pandai agak2 sendiri.

Bahan-bahan:

1/2 cawan serbuk kari ikan

(Terpulang pada Cik Pah, nak lebih atau nak kurang)

3 sudu besar serbuk cili atau cili boh.

(Terpulang pada Cik Pah, nak lebih pedas atau nak kurang pedas. Kalau pakai cili boh lagi sedap)

1 mangkuk air asam jawa. (Terpulang nak masam banyak mana, so Cik Pah boleh adjust sendiri)

3 biji tomato (ikut suka hati nak potong macam mana)

3-4 biji kentang (ikut suka hati nak potong macam mana)

3-4 biji cili hijau (belah 4)

I tin besar santan ( kalau nak lebih pekat, lebihkan santan)

Garam secukup rasa

Udang atau ikan atau ketam 

(Boleh guna resepi ni untuk udang, ikan dan ketam)

Segenggam daun ketumbar

Satu labu bawang besar - untuk tumis

Daun kari - untuk tumis

Halba - untuk tumis

Cara-cara memasak:

Campurkan serbuk kari, serbuk cili/cili boh, air asam jawa, tomato, kentang, cili hijau, garam ke dalam periuk. Panaskan. Bila dah mendidih, masukkan santan. Kalau nak pekat, lebihkan santan, kalau nak cair lebihkan air. Bila dah mendidih, masukkan udang.

Di kuali lain pulak, tumiskan bawang besar, daun kari dan halba sampai bawang besar dah kekuningan. Lepas tu, tuangkan kesemuanya (dengan minyak sekali) ke dalam periuk kari.

Bila rasa macam dah nak masak, potong daun ketumbar & taburkan atas kari. Lepas tu, tutup api & coverkan periuk.

Sekian,

p/s: Kak Su masak main agak2. So, kalau rasa kuantiti bahan macam tak kena, Cik Pah kena pandai adjust ikut selera Cik Pah.

Lepas dah masak, jgn lupa beritahu hasilnya. Kalau boleh, ambik gambar & letak kat fb. :D

Cik Pah:

hampir menjadi gak la kari udang tu yg mcm k sui punyer.hehe.ni pah ada attach gambor..ok x..hhehehe.

To my dear friend Cik Pah, thank you for trying out the recipe and sharing the pic with me so that I could put it up on my blog. ( Sorry ye Cik Pah, tak mintak permission terlebih dulu. Jangan marah ye! :D)

Anybody in the mood for "Kari Udang"?

"Happy Birthday Mrs Z".

I officially turn 35 years old today. I don’t really feel 35 but then again, how is a 35 years old supposed to feel? But I sure am dreading the big “40” which is waiting for me in 5 years time. When I turned 30, I hardly noticed it as I was busy being a wife, a mother to a very active toddler and juggling a career in HR. I hardly noticed the happenings of the world, let alone that I had turned 30. This time around, it feels different and I am very much aware of the looming “40”.

A lot happened in the past year, the most defining event being the birth of my daughter Sara, whom I lost 2 days 10 hours after her birth to Edwards Syndrome. As today marks my 35 years of existence in this world, yesterday marks the 2 months since my little baby girl left us. Her passing has affected me deeply, thus making my birthday today a bittersweet affair. I’m a much better person now, emotionally, than I was that very  day I lost her 2 months ago but I do still feel the sadness, despair and anguish from time to time. I know she is in a better place now so I really should move on with my life. Easier said than done, but life has to go on. I have to continue living for both my boys, my hubby & my son, Shafiq.

Flowers on my birthday from beloved Hubby.
 "Thank you Sayang".

I am extremely blessed with a wonderful and caring husband who loves me (and claims that he will love me for eternity. :D), an adoring son whom I am so proud of, family and friends whom have always been there for me. What more could I ask for?

Like they say, “Age is just a number. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter”. With that in mind, “Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to Mrs Z, Happy Birthday to me”.  I am now a year older and hopefully, a year wiser.

Birthday Resolutions: To be a better wife, a better mother, a better daughter/daughter in law, a better sister/sister in law, a better cousin/cousin in law, a better aunt, a better friend, a better being..... and Insya-Allah, a better Muslim. Amin.

Al Fatihah for Nur Sara Aleesya.

The "Never Ending" Weekend.

Have you ever wished there were more seconds in a minute, more minutes in an hour, more hours in a day? Well, that was exactly what I was wishing for last weekend as my hubby and I had to attend a birthday party, a wedding, a “tahlil”, a get together luncheon with friends,a site visit to a friend’s new house, etc. All these functions within the span of 48 hours. Highlight of the weekend was meeting my standard 1 schoolmate Nita, whom I have not met for nearly 23 years. Had to meet her at the hospital though as her little princess was hospitalised for HFMD. (Hand, foot, mouth disease)

It was a jam-packed weekend for the family as we drove back to KL last Saturday. Earlier plan was to leave for KL right after Subuh prayers but ended up leaving around 7.3oam. By the time we reached Tuas (the Malaysia-Singapore Second Link) there was already a long queue of cars at all the Immigration checkpoints. Reason for queue, it was the beginning of the school holidays here in Singapore and it seems like the entire population of Singapore decided to go for “Cuti-Cuti Malaysia”. Finally, after waiting for like forever (though it was only about 40 minutes), we made our way into Johor.

Upon reaching my in laws place in Bangi around 12 noon, spent some time catching up with my in laws, had lunch and a quick shower. Around 3pm, left the house and off we went to Shah Alam for a friend’s daughter’s 1^st birthday party in the midst of heavy downpour. We were the earliest guests at the party and had to wait for the birthday girl and the birthday girl’s Mom to get ready. Birthday girl totally gorgeous, results of mix parentage (Mom-Malay, Father-Dutch).

It was a quite a sweet affair but hubby and I was kind of “pissed” with these 2 ladies who came with their one year old sons. We were sitting by the playpen where they placed their sons and asked us (these 2 total strangers) to help look after the boys as they wanted to go and get a quick bite from the buffet. Thinking that it will only be for 15 to 20 minutes, we agreed to help out. As soon as the Mommies left, both boys started crying so Hubby and I had to pick them up to pacify them.

We ended being the unpaid nannies while the 2 mommies took their own sweet time eating, drinking and mingling with other guests. By then, my hubby was boiling mad that he carried both boys to their Mommies only to be told by the Mommies to put the boys down on the grass (next to where the Mommies were sitting and mingling) without a word of thank you. They didn’t even bother taking their sons from my husband.For them, their sons were just like accessories to bring to a friend’s kid’s party. In my opinion, they so do not deserve to have children.

After the party, we zoomed off to Ampang to my sister’s place. As hubby refused to listen to the wife’s suggestions we ended up taking the Guthrie Corridor Expressway from Shah Alam and what was supposed to be a 30 minutes drive took us one hour.  Upon arriving at my sister’s house, my hubby and I was asked by my sister to attend a wedding dinner on behalf of my Mom who went to Kuala Kangsar for a relative’s wedding.  And guess where the wedding venue was? Zoo Negara. Yup, you read it right. The wedding was held at the Zoo Negara. As I was not told that I would be attending a wedding dinner, had to go through my Mom’s closet and borrow one of her “baju kurung”.

Luckily, the wedding was “buffet-style”, so hubby and I made our way to the wedding, had dinner and then left. All within 30 minutes. I have to say though, the Zoo wedding was quite spectacular. They had beautiful lightings with real life birds at the “pelamin” and the wedding procession had animals from the Zoo accompanying the bride and groom - 2 pythons, 2 macaw birds, a civet and 2 miniature horses. I didn’t have a camera with me so I was unable to snap pictures. So if there’s anybody you know who plans to tie the knot, maybe you guys could suggest to them a “Zoo Wedding”.

After the wedding dinner, went back to my sister’s place and changed into my jeans and blouse and then off we went to Gleneagles to visit my friend’s daughter. Wish I could have met my friend in better surroundings and circumstances, but it was a sweet reunion nevertheless. Finally got to meet up with my dear old friend Nita, my standard one classmate when we were both studying in Assunta Convent, Kuantan.

From the hospital, we made our way to my friend’s parents home to collect my new Bottega handbag and hubby’s Gucci shoes (my friend who helped us buy the bag and shoes in Florence outlets, stays in Hong Kong so she passed our stuff to her Mom who was coming back to KL) The things we do for designer bags and shoes. When we finally reached my in laws place, it was already past midnight.

The following morning, around 11am, we left Bangi to attend a “tahlil” at Bukit Jelutong. As we had a get together luncheon to attend at my hubby’s friend’s house in Shah Alam, right after we finished reciting “Yassin” and prayers, without even having a drink, rushed for the get together luncheon. After lunch, made a short site visit to a married couple friend of ours new home which is under renovation as we wanted to check out their new “RM25,000” kitchen. (If they knew that I’m mentioning about their “RM25,000 kitchen here, I’m dead!!!) I really liked the kitchen. After seeing the kitchen, I can understand why it cost them RM25,000.

We finally made our way back to Singapore around 6.30pm. As it was nearly night, I had to take over the wheels as hubby’s night vision was not that good.  Furthermore, he had to work the following day, so at least he could have a short nap and some rest during the drive back to Singapore. Upon arriving Singapore, we had a quick dinner outside as it was just hubby and me. (We left our son with his grandparents in Bangi for some grandparents and grandson bonding time) and had to drop by our friend’s (who’s also a neighbour) place to get his spare sets of house keys as he needed me to help open the doors to his place for some furniture delivery the next morning.

We finally got to bed at 1.00am., after what seemed like a "never ending" weekend. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Chocolate Chip Cookies And Urban Myth.

A few entries earlier, I put up on my blog an email that was forwarded to me by a friend, a story behind the Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe. It’s about a lady who felt she was cheated out of $250 for the cookie recipe and in retaliation, decided to make the recipe available for free to as many people as possible.

Apparently, the Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe story is an urban legend. It’s been circulating since the late 80s. Although Neiman Marcus denied the story, the urban legend continued to circulate, with the help of the Internet and E-mail.

There is actually a long history of urban myths about overpriced recipes. In 1960’s, there was a similar story involving a red velvet cake recipe from the famous Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York. A lady who wrote to the hotel asking for the cake recipe was charged $350 and just like the Neiman Marcus cookie story, to get even, the lady made the recipe available for everybody.

In the 1970s, the urban myth changed from cake to cookies. The cookie version of the myth started with Mrs Fields cookies. The story was so popular that Debbi Fields had to put up notices in her stores stating that she was not charging $250 for her cookies recipes as it is a trade secret.

Come the 90s, there was a shift in the urban myth. This time around, targeting Neiman Marcus. Neiman Marcus kept getting inquiries about the costly cookie recipe that they came out with their very own cookie recipe in 1995 which everybody can access for free as it is posted on Neiman Marcus's Website.

The "actual" Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe.

Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

1 cup light brown sugar

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 large egg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1-3/4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1-1/2 teaspoons instant espresso coffee powder

1-1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Cream the butter with the sugars using an electric mixer  on medium speed until fluffy (approximately 30 seconds)

2.In a mixing bowl, sift together the dry ingredients and beat into the butter mixture at low speed for about 15 seconds. Stir in the espresso coffee powder and chocolate chips.

3.Using a 1 ounce scoop or a 2 tablespoon measure, drop cookie dough onto a greased cookie sheet about 3 inches apart. Gently press down on the dough with the back of a spoon to spread out into a 2 inch circle. Bake for about 20 minutes or until nicely browned around the edges. Bake a little longer for a crispier cookie.

Yield: 2 dozen cookies.

I never did try the urband legend version of the recipe. Maybe I’ll give this actual version a go. Happy Baking you all!

Confessions Of A Handbag Addict.

Confession: I have a slight obsession with designer handbags.

My love for handbags started when I got my very first paycheck. My love for designer handbags however started when I was residing in Hong Kong. I blame it on my hubby who had the family relocated to Hong Kong, a shopping haven for designer goods.

From my very first Coach shoulder bag to my current Louis Vuitton Damier Trevi, my collection in the last 2 years have surprisingly grown. I was going through my handbag collection the other day and my, oh my, I sure do have quite a few. I currently have in my collection, 5 Coach Handbags, 2 Coach purses, 2 Coach wristlets, 3 Louis Vuitton handbags, 1 Gucci, 1 Celine, 2 Loewe handbags, 1 Loewe purse, 1 Burberry, 1 Kate Spade, 1 DKNY, 1 Tod’s purse, 1 Marc Jacobs and finally my latest purchase, a Bottega Veneta which I'm waiting to collect as it is still with my friend. Got my friend who went to Italy recently to purchase the Bottega at a fraction of its original selling price at the outlets in Florence.

It may seem quite a bit but all the bags were purchased during sale so the prices have been marked down with the exception of Louis Vuitton. (When we actually asked the sales staff at Louis Vuitton as to when they normally hold sale, they smugly replied “Louis Vuitton Don’t Do Sale, Never Had & Never Will”)

So, what’s with having to own designer handbags? Well to me, it pretty much started like I mentioned earlier, when the family moved to Hong Kong. Travelling on the MTR, you see ladies parading their latest designer bags. Even going grocery shopping, you get to see housewives with their "Louis Vuitton Neverfull", going about their daily grocery shopping. On top of that, we were living near Citygate Outlets Shopping Centre, that houses a few Designer labels like Burberry, Bally, Coach,Kate Spade, etc so as you probably may have figured out by now, yes, some of my handbags came from there.

I have never been a “brand conscious” person or a better word for it,  a “branded person”. I was satisfied with my Bonia, Carlo Rino, or whatever local brands I stumbled upon when I go shopping in KL. I wouldn’t be caught dead entering any of the designer boutiques in KLCC. ( I was terrified of entering those espensive boutiques when I know I couldn't afford it) I guess, when your spending power increases, so does your taste in the things you buy. Not to mention, if you’re lucky enough to be blessed with a husband who buys you everything your heart desires. (Well, in my case, my hubby is willing to entertain my handbag obsession as he’s got very expensive obsessions as well, designer watches and photography) Ladies, take note: during courtship, the man who loves you will at least entice you to pick something you like and never say a word about the price. Never choose and marry a man who stops you from buying a handbag.

Owning designer handbags opened my eyes as to why people buy designer handbags. The quality is amazing. (Though in my personal opinion, Coach, Kate Spade and DKNY’s quality is "so-so" as they are made in China. Having said that, I'm still a big fan of Coach. Just love their designs and vibrant colours) ) Try buying handbags with classic designs as it will never go out of style.

My Mom does not support my love for designer handbags. She feels that it’s a waste of money when I could actually invest the money I’ve spent on bags buying gold instead.(Can't blame her though, she's from the old school) Little does she know, there’s this thing about designer handbags having resale value. All I have to do is put it up for sale on the internet & there are buyers waiting. To ensure that my handbags look brand new (if I eventually plan to sell them on ebay someday) all I have to do is sent them to the bag spa (Yup, there’s such a thing called bag spa over here in Singapore) and my handbags will look as though they just came out from the stores.

I've read somewhere that a designer handbag is a collector's item, and if you choose the right one, it will rise in value just like the price of gold. So what are you ladies waiting for? Life is short, so enjoy yourself. Get out there and treat yourself to a new handbag.

My Baby.

Create Fake Magazine Covers with your own picture at MagMyPic.com


My son Shafiq, when he was 9 months old. Sure miss his baby years. Now he's 7 and no longer a baby but still wants his Mummy to hug and cuddle him. Hoping he'll never get tired of Mummy's hugs and kisses. Mummy love's you!

Tick-tock, Tick-tock.

Feeling kind of down today. Could it be because of the gloomy, rainy weather? Truth be told, I’m feeling envious of my friends with their beautiful babies. Seeing pictures of my friends with their babies on facebook make me long for a little baby of my own. How I wish, my Sara was still with me.

I often ask myself “why”. Why did such an innocent little life have to end so quickly? What went wrong? Did I not take good care of myself during the pregnancy? Why did our baby had to be the “one” in every 3,000 to 5,000 babies to die of Edward’s Syndrome”?

I am hoping and praying that I’ll be able to get pregnant again, but the doctor has advised me to wait for at least a year before trying for another baby as I’ve had 2 previous c-sections. Can I afford to wait? I’m 34 going on 35 and very much conscious of my biological clock ticking away.

Wishing You A Happy Ever After.

A friend whom I consider dear to me, sent a message to my facebook informing me of her forthcoming nuptials. I couldn’t be any happier for her. This particular friend of mine could have actually been part of the family. I was introduced to her by my brother in law, many, many years ago as both of them were once an “item”.

Sad to say, things did not work out between this friend of mine and my brother in law as there was a “third wheel” in their relationship. I can’t say much about this so-called “third wheel” as my brother in law eventually married her and she’s part of the family now. I don’t condone what my brother in law did to this friend of mine but I guess when things are not meant to be, it’s just not meant to be. My brother in law is happily married now and I wish the same for her as well.

To this dear friend of mine,

Never forget what is worth remembering or remember what is best forgotten. May the unhappiest day of your future be no worse than the happiest day of your past. May your joys be as deep as the ocean, and your troubles as light as its foam. May your love be added, may it never be subtracted, may your household multiply and may your hearts never be divided.

You’re starting a journey as husband and wife, and as you both look forward to share a new life together, may all your days ahead be happy ever after. Congratulations!

With All My Love.