Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Baby Naming

I got a funny mail few days back with the title "Why Chinese must not have English names"
below is the funny reasons but not just English name but i also have difficulty to find chinese name for my baby Mika. The chinese name will sounds funny as well when written and pronounce in roman. It is just the fact that we are mostly use our name in roman writing instead of in chinese writing and in fact all our official letter/document will require use to use our name in roman writing. How ahh if we apply credit card with just my name written in chinese. couldn't imagine what they will think about us ahhh...

I seldom have the chance to write my chinese anme but it might not the same for others. I found out that my sister use it pretty often caused she teach in chinese school. for me, no chance at all!!! not even once a year. thus i no need to change my chinese name eventhough the charecter combination is not really good. how lah...if i sitting at one corner writting my name in chinese for the sick of writing....#$%@@ . I don't think i would like this to be happened.

Why Chinese must not have English names

  • >Anne Chang> (Mandarin)- Dirty>
  • >Anne Chin (Mandarin) - Keep quiet>
  • >Faye Chen (Mandarin) - Dusty>
  • >Carl Cheng (Hokkien) - Buttock>
  • >Monica Cheng (Hokkien) - Touching your buttocks>
  • >Lucy Leow (Hokkien) - You are dead>
  • >Jane Tan (Mandarin) - Frying eggs>
  • >Suzie Leow (Hokkien) - Lost till death>
  • >Henry Mah (Mandarin) - Hate your mum>
  • >Corrine Tai (Hokkien) - Poor fellow>
  • >Paul Chan (Mandarin) - Bankrupt>
  • >Nelson Tan (Mandarin) - Bird laying eggs>
  • >Leslie Tong (Mandarin) - Rubbish bin>
  • >Carmen Teng (Hokkien) - Leg hair long>
  • >Connie Mah (Mandarin) - Call your mother>
  • >Danny See (Hokkien) - Squeeze you to death>
  • >Rosie Teng (Hokkien) - Screws and nails>
  • >Pete Tsai (Hokkien) - Nose droppings>
  • >Macy Koh (Cantonese) - Never die before>
  • >Michael Tan (Cantonese) - sell chicken eggs


so now comes the funny story while finding suitable name for my baby Mika. My husband sir name is 梁 and in roman writing is LUI.... yeah this sound like money in cantonese and hokien as well.

My hubby always wanted to name our baby with just one name instead of with the middle name. so one find day, on the way back and he have something in mind and seems very happy to name our baby mika as 梁 漢. He like it very much and its sound pretty good then naturally we talk about it in english writing. I started it with "Lui Hon"... then he suddenly blurt out commented that "Hon" is not nice and we should use han yu ping ying as "Han" and he is pretty exciting with this name...he was very happy repeating the name as lui han's. I don't know why i just have the urge immediately. At that time we haven't agree on any english name yet and i just answer him "good", "very goods"... lui Han's and the english name is "han lui" and since daddy always spent lavishly... it's a good name!!!! believe me, at that time i really cannot tahan and we just laugh hysterically. my Husband is always the spender.. and i have always reminded him..... i guess if our baby name after this name, the next time i just have to call my baby to alert him. i am ok with this... and gues what of course he said no...... to this. But really i like this name pronounce in cantonse.

we still have not come to any conclusion on the chinese name yet... since the LUI... is the surname, and this is associated with money and its seems pretty hard to only have first name without the middle name.


Finding a name with surname Lui (without middle name)

  • Bin Lui - good fotune, can use the magic to create money. 梁賓, 彬, 斌
  • Jay Lui/jie lui - all the friend will run away including the relatives 梁杰, 傑
  • Wan Lui - sound good for fortune but it's neither sound nice nor have good meaning in chinese.
  • Wu Lui - can mean got money in hokkien or sounds no money in cantonese and the pronounsation for 梁武 is terrible in cantonses.
  • Yong Lui - as bad as the father who just spend spend n spend but the chinese name 梁勇 not bad also
  • Fei lui & Feng lui- couldn't imagine!! but at least sound good in cantonese... 梁 飛, 霏 or 梁丰 (my hubby choice, very easy to write) and my choice is 梁峰.

I really run out of idea as i am not chinese educated, its seems pretty hard to find a good name as those sound nice and have good meaning in chinese will become terrible after converting it to roman writing.......how ahhh... I am welcome for any suggestion.......anybody!!

Monday, November 12, 2007

Endeavor with my new journey of life

Time passed by very fast since my last blog. I am very grateful to be able to blog again at my work place. To begin with the story of a new life and a new journey of life. I am finally expecting a baby after so many years and my most important thing now is to give birth to a healthy baby boy and the most exciting thing is to see him for the first time. i mean face to face.... i already really excited to see his picture in 4D. from little tiny round images to something look like a baby with eyes, nose, hands and legs and also to find out that he is a baby boy during my 17 weeks.

I am now 19 weeks pregnant and a bit relieve that I have almost gone through half of the journey.

Last week was quite worried as my screening test result came out positive for down syndrome. We decided to go for amniotic test, where the doctor will insert a needle to the amniotic sac to take some sample of my amniotic fluid and then send it to the lab at Singapore for testing. Luckily the results come out pretty fast and at least now I am less worried to find out that he is normal and can concentrating on more thing now. I guess this is my nature, just less worried instead of have a peace of mind. After all I still have to go through the other half journey of my pregnancy. i am telling myself, lets worried for one thing at a time, I am not thinking anything yet after birth. How ahh becoming a mother, can I cope with it? Whatever is it, I am really happy to play this role…

One thing about the amniotic test is its pose minor risk for miscarriage and the doc seems very misleading to tell us that the fees is one sixty. My hubby have a shock when the RM200 notes given to settle the bill is not enough caused the bill is actually RM1600 instead……….. guess what I didn’t complain or angry at all, this is not me. I just tell my baby mika, no worried, mummy is rich and as long as you are okay, mummy will be very happy. ya the truth is i can afford that but not really rich leh.

The doctor will perform a through scan to find out the baby development on my next visit. and i will be less worried again to find out my baby to have a complete development. All these fees for checkups are not cheap leh. So far I visited 4 times plus one amniotic test and have already spend about RM2400. Found out that the bill for "planned csec" will come around 5k and if induced and then only csec, the bill will go up to 8K… no play play leh… I couldn’t afford this 10 years ago and thus make this as one of the advantage to have baby at older age.... :)


For time being, I still not able to experience my baby doing the kicking and punching yet. Although my tummy is quite huge as compared to one of my friend that is also expecting at the same time. She already can feel it. Guess what, maybe because i created a pretty large space for my baby to move around and its really exciting to find out how is the kicking and punching feeling, and hopefully i will able to sense it by next week.

Friday, May 25, 2007

Lost n Found

I believed everyone has gone through this kind of experience. I feel very grateful that i found back something that i lost!!!! The recent case is reffering to my phone. I lost it two days ago and today also! everyone told me that if i lost it the 3rd time, i will never find it back.

I felt lucky when i find back my lost belonging, but if we think twice, why must i lost it at the first place. So, I am not really lucky but consider pat hang chung tai hang!!!

i went to selayang for lunch two days ago, go all the way there so far and worried that i can't make it back to my office by 2:00pm...
the food is nice and also lucky to reach office at 2:00pm. Everything is find until i realise that my phone is not in my pouch!!!!! I am panicking borrowing somebody phone to call my H/P... called once and nobody pick-up the line and then go for second attemp also the same.

my heart broken!!!! n know i have to act fast!!!! i couln't remember my sister phone... n i was thinking if i am lucky enough, i must have left it in her car!!! you know lah.... sometime we just trying to create something to comfort ourself.

what's next!!! i call the only number that i remember. thats my hubby!!! without delaying and i quickly update my hubby and ask him to the necessary!!!!

i call back my hubby later and he is giving me the good news.... "your phone with the shop owner!!! he asked to go n collect!!!!.....ya!!!!!!" ok!!! but neither me or my hubby know the place!!! my mind got so much questionns. when? its very far...collect from who...then only my husband know i left it at selayang. Luckly my sister can help me to collect the phone on behalf... RM50 gone to the ah soh who collected my phone.... so happen that my sister don't have small notes..... i was begging to my sis, why not you tell the her " sorry ahh i only got rm50!!! can you "jau fan RM20 to me for transport ka".....aiyah!!! but okay lah..

today, don't know what happen. again!!!!! i realise my pouch is not with me when i try to open my drawer. jia lat...!!!!!! i lost my phone again plus my pouch!!!! the key is inside.

too panicking already!!!! i check at my colleague place and its not there and without hessitate i ask her to call my phone and i quikly go to toilet and then heading to the canteen that i had lunch just know.... checking with few cleaners and one just started work at 1:00pm and the other incharge for different section

so no choice, i have to go back to find out whether my colleague is able to contact the person who collected my pouch. " i call once and nobody pick-up and second time couldn't go through." i think your phone is gone!!! the person off the phone!!!! " she replied. its really bad news to me.

I don't simply give up and heading to the canteen again!!!! brave my self to ask the only person i know and so happen that he sit nearby. trying my luck explaining and see whether he heard any phone ringging or see somebody suspicious. i know the chance is so slim after looking at his lonely face fully concentrating eating his food and the environment was so noisy. also the fact that l just remember which roll i sat but not the exact table....

thus i have no choice and go back to my office!!! my colleage told me that somebody pick up the phone. she asked the person to return the phone but the person didn't say anything and then hearing the pressing sound and then the line cut off and then cannot be contacted anymore!!!! at this time, i really cannot believe that i can find back my phone... someyone even suggested that i cancell my line.... so hopelessly and try my last effort, asking my colleague that just came back and bring me to the place that we had lunch just now...
i am feelling very grateful, eventhough i didn't find back my phone yet. they are really helpfull.... the other like "hak se wui" haaa!!! is this your phone!!!! ... one person sitting is at the same table, dismantling his phone... of course not lah that open!!! i asked him whether he saw my pouch and he answered "the table already clean up when i sit here, i think you should ask the cleanerlah"... i just said tQ and go away lah.... trying to identify the cleaner... and ask the other to pass the message, if she really found it, to return to me at 18th floor....
haaaa surprise, the other colleague call and the phone go through..... after brief conversation, !!!!!! i am straight heading to the legal firm opposite my office...without name... and just go.

Seems like also the ah soo collected my phoen at the toilet..!!!! the ah soo said she don't know how to use the phone and waiting for the colleague back for lunch... this round , hemmm no more RM50 ... i was so happy... !!! collecting my phone and continuing said tq to her... i really blank... i don't even remember i go to pee!!! just remember i go there washing hand but still remember that ouch is not with me when i washing my hand....just don't care!!! so happy!!! and very grateful the other colleague call and said"siapa yang ambil phone inin, sila pulangkan ke tingkat 18th. perbualan ini direkodkan... kita akan hantar ke balai untuk report....
and also messages were sent to my phone... asking to return the phone to my office at 18th floor...

Thank you very much to all who help me!!!


in my past... my biggest lost and found is my bag...and my hubby bag....
hubby do you still remember, we left both the bag at one of the restorant at genting!!! and we go all the way back to muar and only realise at the next day!!!!!!!

somebody so happenned go to genting and check for us.!!!!! luckly us!!!! the money still there...

Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Bentung

Today, i wanna talk about my home town bentung.
Bentung town is located around the hilly areas in the central of penisula malaysia..
I came to KL in 1989 right after i finished my secondary school for further study . Like what the chinese qoutes "ah ngau chut sang seang" the meaning is somesort like uneducated vilager go to big city....
not anymore.... bentung has gotten the city status since 2006... yeah at least there are some changes!!!! after so long and after all not so bad, i found few articles talking/promoting bentung when searching with googgle. ya I found the writing about Bentung Ice Cream, Bentung Sunday Market and breakfast at one of coffee shop around town Bentung Coffee Shop. The write ups and the photos are nice.
I start to eat bentung ice cream from young. I think they started the business before i born and I only know that now the ice cream business at bentung are from the same families.. I remembered that my parents always bring us for ice cream during my childhood years. Normally it is after dinner time... around 8:00pm and we went to Jaya super market or thong fatt for a walk and then go to kow poo for ice cream. The parking lot in front of kow poo use to be a big open air hawker center, with satay store, yau yu ong choi, nasi lemak and probably grilled chicken wing, and of course the ice cream and drinks from kow poo. I can't really recall any other food and i never been to kow poo for so long and i don't see the hawker center is still there .. just the kow poo shop is still surviving.



Nearby attraction at bentung are
  • Chamang Baru water fall
  • Batu 7, river
  • Hutan Lipur Lentang (forest reserves)
  • Kolam Air Panas (not recommended, caused here have nothing much to offer)

Other attraction further down to KL are

  • Genting Highland
  • Bukit Tinggi and few other resorts around the areas

The famous at Bentung are: -

  • Ginger (The vegetables seller at KL try to con me… haaa. This is bentung ginger, very expensive one. Wanted to charge me Rm4.00 for one ginger… slightly bigger than palm size)
  • Ice cream (check out here Bentung Ice Cream)
  • Wantan Mee (wait till you try and you tell me. I am not fancy for wantan mee but my comment is the mee is nice… but too bad caused I didn’t buy the idea of eating the "mee" and caused my stomach full for half a day and couldn't take anything else) the wantan mee served with small portions of “char siew” and “wantan”
  • Toufoo and Tau Fu Pok (probably Tau Fo Fa also caused I didn’t have any chance to taste it since many years back caused the store is close on Sunday)
  • Soy sauce (“sau chi kong” brand)
  • Durian
  • Various kind of exotic foods (most will think this is for cruel people)
  • “Sat ke ma” type of snack that make from flour and malts
  • Kaya Puff
  • Fresh Water fish

The famous simbalek nut from Raub is selling here (fresh stock from Raub) and of course I can’t left out this “tin kai mai” (frog meehon), where my colleagues is “sek tou fan cham mei” (wanted to eat again). My hubby also likes it very much. I dare not say the shop I bring them is the famous “tin kai mai” in bentung. This is rather a common food you can find at Bentung. Wait one find day and I will post the photo in my blog.

This is the special pre-post to satisfy my colleague who can’t find their way back to that restaurant, thus i hereby draw the map to “Nga Si Si”. I bring them to this restaruant caused the price here is cheaper. most of the restaurant (tai chow - chinese cuisine) at bentung is nice. The “ham yue fa lam poo” at Nga si si used to be very nice. The last time I eat there is not good at all (rated below average, for bentung standard)… hemmmm I couldn’t figure out either is the father or the son did it… recommended you to order steam cat fish as well. It is always fresh… the meat “Tan Nga” especially the “min g tan” and also try the “chui pai tou foo”. And if you want some more, ask the cook for the “la shou hou choi” /signature dish

Last but not least there is this home made “hong tou suet/ping” (red bean ice) sell by one of the store at Kampong Perting… I have never seen any similar one sell at some other places, simple preparation that suit my taste. Draw the map to this store? I think this is crazy, you will never find it, and somebody who knows kampong perting will understand. Not many know about this red bean ice, it’s not famous but is in my list of the food that I treasure for. The photo is coming soon. and the map to nga si si, almost kill me. “Nga si si” is open at night, business start from 5:30pm onwards


Friday, January 05, 2007

My Secondary School…..

Few days ago I bump into a guy in the lift at my condo. He asked “are you from Bentung” I am quite curious. We have short conversation and found out that there are few more units they are from my same hometown. The guy seems like knowing my father!!

This morning I saw another neighbor a few floor beneath my unit, and she ask me whether my sister is visiting me on last Monday…. I guess she is one of them from Bentung and then found out that actually her sister is my elder sister and cousin sister classmate. We chit chatting for a while and she was surprised to found out that I actually study at this kampong school…. Ya it seems a bit odd…and its really long story. I think this is my fate!!!! I am very sure I will not me today if I go through the same school with my siblings.

I have 2 brothers and 2 sisters and I am the middle one and the only child in my family who ended up in Malay/National School. All my brothers and sisters are Chinese educated. I actually study Chinese syllabus during my kinder garden year. My father is very conservative and I should go to Chinese primary school as well. My parents told me that the school I suppose to go was full. For that particular years, students overwhelming and require early registration as compared to previous year.

No story books for me because all the reading material is in Chinese including news paper… I remember my sister got a lots book to read… all the Chinese history book, Chinese chest, philosophy… etc those all belongs to my father and story book especially the “wu shia siau shoa” that I couldn’t understand. Thus Till now I am still not picking up the reading habit but I really wish I owned those nice fairy tales story books with lots of pictures during my chilhood...
i still enjoy reading one now and I couldn’t stand those books with lengthy words…sure will fall asleep less than 1 minutes. I love books as long as got a lots of pictures…interior design magazine is my favorite

Nothing wrong studying in my primary school. It is around town and has mixed of malay, Indian and Chinese Students. Just the different is I always have no homework compared to my sibling and also I no need to remember the “chen fa biau”. (The time table. 2x2=4 kind of thing)…. I guess I am enjoying my childhood life… no tension, no exam, no study… play only. Believe me, I didn’t remember any exam, oral test or whatsoever until I grow up and look at my report card…..
Ohhhh….the english oral test must be the time when the teacher asks me to stand up and readlah and now I understand what is the once a year event where the teacher asking me about my father occupation, where I stay and etc and this is for lisan bahasalah… I really thought they wanna know my family orcare about me :)....... I really have no idea what is oral test during my primary school.

Then this is about my secondary school… the unique school located at Malay kampong off the town. hardly find any Chinese there and please imagine lah… I have cultural shock the first day at TAR college… first in my mind… why so many Chinese lah… (basically no malay in TAR) and this is totally the opposite compared to my secondary school …

Technically all the students from my primary school should proceed to the designated secondary school around town. Ya!!! But not for me and few other chinese students. I also have no idea who is implementing the student exchange program. Send the chinese student from town to the national school located at Malay kampung and vice versa..thus the malay being exchange to katholic school (still a national school) where majority of the students are chinese… and it only lasted for one year…. We are the first batch and the last batch……study at this kampong school which is isolated to the Chinese people in town. The people studying there are 99.9999% malay and majority of them are from rural area. (Settlement from plantation area under government plan)


Yeah….big different……… I don’t have many friends can hang out caused the malays are staying far from town and have different cultural background.. The biggest event is visiting classmate during hari raya.. I am really sua ku one… didn’t really read any news paper during my secondary school…..and life is just contained in a box… my school and home… I can count my chinese friends/school mates with my fingers but we are quite close to each other…no school bus from town caused no crowd..and we will normally take the normal bus and the driver... hate us and will always stop very far away from the bus stop..
Other might have choice to choose to study account but my school is really lousy… have no class for accounting, no girl guide or boy scout… and the worse is no class for mother tongue (caused too few students) and we are forced to stay in agama class. (Religion class) but we are allowed do our own thing. Yeah… but my principal is handsome “kwai lou”… don’t play play!!!

At first I was thinking… ya just spare me 3 years and after SRP I will go to form 4 back to town…. Dreaming lah…. My school upgraded and start offering science stream for form 4. Lucky me? I am the 2nd batch student and my request for transfer is not approved. @#$%$#@#
So sad… but then I say to myself never minelah…. Wait for my form 6 and then I will go back to school at town and study together with my long lost classmate during my primary school…haaaa… in 1988, the education ministry is implementing new policies that only students who have credit in Bahasa Malaysia can proceed to form 6 in government school (including science stream)….whylah wanna do this to me…my worst subject are languages and all the while I didn’t realize the important of it until I start working…
I am the top student for 5 consecutive years but doesn’t mean that I am good. I have no idea why I didn’t score well for SRP and SPM. My score have a huge gap compared to my closest competitor. I guess my teachers know me and they have the patient to read my writing… I failed to get credit for Bahasa Malaysia and that’s why I ended up study form 6 at TAR college and experiencing the cultural shock…… why so many Chinese one ahhhhhh and I used to “tuk loi tuk wong” (doing things alone) but of course I have changed so much during my part time study after form six… I learned to be independent, pick up English conversation skill, outspoken and overcome shyness. I am still picking up my social skills… and also my English grammar that I not really good at …

I don’t know how am I today if I go to form 6 in government school… and probably I am one of the local university graduates… ya no need to think…very straight forward and just study only.......
I faced quite a lot of problems after form 5 ... I lost my direction and in dilemma… indecisive wheter wanna take up fashion, interior, advertising? or continue form 6 or how? Money is an issue and I am very confused. No guidance… The first year in TAR was quite fun. Later the year my father goes to Taiwan to work. I was so down. two of my study kaki transfer back to government school.. Half blaming and keep up giving excuses… and basically can’t adopt to it… late to class everyday… lost in class..busy jot down the notes that I missed out and most of the time can't see from far and occationally miss classes as well.....ya sometime raining, no buses.... and many more excuses... Wasted 2 precious years there….

So I always curious when stranger come to me and ask whether I am from Bentung… normally I found out the answers that they know my father, big bro or elder sis. Once they was this con man at pudu raya who told me that he is my schoolmate…"you are from bentung isn’t… you are from that “”school isn’t? ohhh ya no... you are from different class and I used to notice you in school" and etc keep trying and asking me to go for drinks. Hmmm this is not work for me leh. I insisted that I don’t know him and at last he ask me for RM2 for drinks… of course I didn’t give him lah…

Thursday, January 04, 2007

Happy 2007… my lucky year…

I believed this year will be my lucky year….yeah hoping for prosperous boar years…
CNY coming soon… and boar should be a good sign for me.
I remembered the last time I go out celebrating New Year was during the millennium years countdown at KLCC… ohhh boy… it’s was such a long time ago. No wonder I am still thinking that I am 28. Ya I think it is no harm!!! My heart will always be 28.

This year no countdown as well but I was with my hubby at his friend house welcoming the new years. It was quite fun…getting to know some new friends, chit chatting… eating and drinking… yeah I found out that I like Baileys a lots, a sweet drink that can make me feel goods. Aduh…. I have consistently drinking for a week… like addicted already… I think I shall forget the side effect of the alcohol and keep up this once in a while..

I have a good start of 2007. Yeah despite of increased toll rates, believe me… I kena “kau kau” for the saga highway and the karak highway. Daily leh… just saga itself cost me RM3.80… yeah and the weekend trip back to bentung… kau lik
Yeah what is so good ya … nothing big but just the feeling being lucky. I went to Genting to see uncle Lim. My first time, gambling on the casino table (playing the tai sei) … yeah although just wining less than RM200 but it’s really give me the umph….
I bet 4 times and win all rounds. … got the first two “tai” correct, strike the lucky number 10 and then the last game I also got it correct after last minutes decision to change the bet from “tai” to “sei”.. What next, just cabut lah and hoping this will bring me luck for whole 2007.
Yeah why only got so little ya…. After striking the number 10? (Payout 1 to 6) heeee have to offset the money that I lose for the machine lah… not even last for 5 minutes… RM100 gone to the machines…n thus decided to go for table betting.

I was giggling when I saw 10 lighten up on the casino table and the rest might think… aiya…sap sui lah… but this is my first bet on number for "tai sei" wor….of course excitedlah. i don't even have a chair to sit ... just throw my chips from far.

And of course my lucky feeling is not finish yet, we went for video games after casino. My hubby just loaded in RM30 and after few games seems like pening already… thus we go out and saw the fun fare type of game… I was standing there quite sometime try to figure out the game… the guy also tak layan me… and then I ask him what is all about … what can I get bla… bla…. price if we hit the color hole… I am so blur… look for the nearest hole which is red… tung tung tung… the ping pong hit the middle hole (jingle) which is the big price…. I was so happy… the day on my wedding anniversary and we like bringing back a new family member… tabby the tiger, because my hubby will always say wanna throw my soft toys and how to expect any on the bed… tabby now is on my bed… but aiya.. genting ha… mana ada bagi good quality toy one lah…the material is not nice to hug for sleep but tabby still considered family member lah sitting in my bedroom... very hard to get this status.

now is few day after new year but still wanna take this opportunity to wish everyone happy new year. A good ending of 2006 and good beginning of year 2007…..