Feeling A Little Blue

Been waiting for an interesting film to come by lately, which have yet to happen. I know I should go watch THE LADY, but somehow it seems very heavy. Maybe I will get around watching it, eventually. A family wedding is coming right up, in fact, this coming weekend. It's always great have a get together with family again, with special occasion to celebrate. Tomorrow is yet a very different get together with my family, one that requires much strength to stay strong together, as a family, for someone really dear and close to me, to all of us. I know it will be a challenging journey ahead, especially for her, but I will try my best to be there for her, emotionally and psychologically. I truly hope that I could have done more, truly! I LOVE you so much, even though I hardly say that, out loud.

The Eve of Lunar New Year

It's that time of the year now, my memory of Chinese New Year back in our small hometown was filled with activities like spring cleaning, putting up CNY ornaments (CNY new year cards received, paper cut-outs, ang pows, Chinese Calligraphy written by my dad, or at times me and my twin sister, hanging up lanterns), cooking and baking (flipping and folding kueh kapik in white gloves, in front of the steamy hot stove, cookies and more), visiting relatives and friends all around town and collecting ang pows. Chinese New Year has since evolved into something more subtle and less chaotic, with some of us not in town these days, family get together got a little smaller and simpler. Funny in a way, when you have more people and bigger family together, things tend to be merrier and so much more fun...I guess Chinese New Year celebration can still be fun, as long as you celebrate it with your love ones. It may not be as exciting as I remembered as a small little kid, but nonetheless, meaningful. Let's put on your best cheongsam, a bright smile on your face and go celebrate this 2011 Lunar New Year in great style and fashion. Talking about cheongsam, it will always remind me of Maggie Cheung clad in her beautifully body hugging one in my favourite film, In The Mood For Love. My old post on the film and 2046 here. Have a fabulous year of the BUNNY and may it be a prosperous one for everyone out there xoxo GONG XI FA CAI

View From Our Bedroom Window

Since we moved our bed facing the other way, thanks to my hubby, we have a much better view of the happening malls right infront of us, and most of all, the vast area of the skyline, as far as our eyes can see. Sometimes, it's great to just have something to look forward to everyday, especially at the end of the day! Though it's still not my most ideal view of a window, but it will have to do for now:)

Even though we don't really celebrate Christmas but I guess it is one of the favourite occasions, apart from Chinese New Year. The mood it brings during this time of the year is almost magical and inspirational, with all the decorations, lights, Christmas trees, carols, stage performances all around the shopping malls in town. This is also one of the best time to go shopping! We love to bring the boys out to join in the fun. This year, it is extra special for we get to meet my grandmother who comes all the way from KB, as well as a get together with my uncle and auntie who are flying in from the States. A time to count the blessings and have a joyous time.

Agents, Actions & Consequences

Time flies. I felt it was only yesterday that Patrick and myself have attended his cousin, Justin Lim's solo arts exhibition titled MOMENTUM last September, and there we were, last Thursday, at TAKSU yet again, for his latest exhibition, AGENTS, ACTIONS & CONSEQUENCES (I love the title already). That night, we had two extra young arts "enthusiasts" tagging along - Ryan and Aidan. They seemed to be very intrigued by the paintings. Ryan loved the finger food while Aidan loved having me taking pictures of him by the paintings. Aidan even went to the extend of taking the booklet and went around the gallery to find and identify which painting is featured from the booklet! I could hardly concentrate on the series this time around, due to the distractions of them going in and out of toilet for whatever businesses that they were busy doing! Nonetheless, I managed to catch up with Justin himself, very briefly and also with a dear old friend, Sidney, who is also an artist himself. The most rewarding experience for the boys, I guess would be having Justin personally signed their booklets. My most favourite piece is Marathon. The Parachutes theme really hits me for they seem to draw me in completely with those floating parachutes in the air, as well as the very obvious naked butts staring right back at me, as an observer - pretty cool, I must admit. As we were leaving, the rain started to kick in (I faintly remembered it rained the last time as well) and it seems to secretly tell me that next year's rain will bring me back to his exhibition once again...

New Addition to the Liew Family

This definitely calls for a post, though I am extremely occupied with preparations for work at the moment. My Kenny bro just became a father. Baby Jeremy was born last Thursday, 10th May around noon, weighing at 3.13KG. Not bad at all. He looks more like the mother. Am sure my brother is thrilled. When we visited them last night, Ryan and Aidan were mesmerized by the fact that how tiny this little baby is. They have never seen such a small thing in their lives so far, at least, not up close like this. Aidan kept going on and on about his tiny little head, fingers, hands, and body. I told him, you were once like that. He smiled in disbelief. Time really flies. I almost forgot how it feels like holding such a small bundle in my own arms. Welcome to the club, man! Will update with a photo once it's available.

A Day In A Fishing Village

Just 45 minutes away from the ever growing small town of Sungai Petani, Kedah, lies a world out of this world. A world that is fast depleting in its Chinese root as well as economic social standing in its primal source of economy - the fishing industry. A fish farm is located far in the middle of the ocean, right in the heart of this tiny fishing village called Tanjong Dawai, a small town which made up of mostly fishermen and their families, a small main street, one famous Chinese seafood restaurant and an Archaeological Museum called Lembah Bujang. This was my second trip to the fish farm. My first visit was more than five years ago, while I was still pregnant with Ryan back then! I have always loved the notion of a long wooden jetty, stretches right into the horizon of an open sea. I don't know why. It just seems to mesmerize me, as if inviting me to run along and just jump right into the ocean and simply swim away. We arrived at the small wooden jetty early in the morning and we were immediately greeted by Uncle Huat, his wife and son. We hopped onto their boat and what greeted us were the captivating fresh air, the open ocean, the crushing waves on the boat and fishing boats and fish factories along the coastline. Of course, last but not least, the glorious rising sun on this beautiful Saturday morning and its sparkling reflections in the water. We were there to actually reccee the place for it will be the location where we would base our feature film in, if it does come true. Once we reached the fish farm, everything there seems to take on a whole new different meaning and perspectives. One could almost feel the constant wind blowing in the air, the squeaking sound of the wooden fish farm whenever the waves come in, and a wide open horizon of sea water, more water and other fish farms nearby. All these melt into one single word that simply spells serenity, away from the hustle bustle of the usual KL life. A place where one could simply take a nap and not having to think of anything else. But of course, it is not the case for Uncle Huat and his family, who basically runs the fish farm here. Their work include checking the fishing net for holes, checking the fish, when the fish food comes, they need to clean them, sort them, grind them into smaller chunks and later on feed them to the fishes here. It is truly hard labour and time consuming kind of work. We took a lunch break back in the main town and took more pictures of the fishing village itself. Later, we went back to the fish farm in the afternoon and that was when most bulk of the work was done. Looking at them, it made me somehow realize that life is truly an amazing one. What we do can be as diverse as rearing fish and making films, but at the end of the day, all we strive to achieve is ultimately the same - to put meals on the table. We had the most heartiest and freshest (of course, most delicious) seafood dinner we have ever had for a very long time. Suddenly, writing this in my blog or any other scripts and writings that I have to do seem less "heavy" after this inspiring trip. Nature and human existence truly have their way of delivering their intended dose of booster when I needed it the most. Definitely a trip worth revisiting again and again...

A Wet Lunar New Year

Can't remember when was the last time I went around Jalan Pudu area for makan, must be ages ago. This year, my little brother, Ricky initiated our family Chinese New Year reunion lunch (not dinner) in this Chinese restaurant called Sek Yun. When we were about to leave, it started to rain. By the time we reached the restaurant, it was pouring cats and dogs. The food was delicate and deliciously prepared. It almost reminded me of my mum's home cooked food - simple yet is always satisfyingly tasty. This restaurant must have been around for quite some time for they even have a pretty old fashioned lantern hanging from the ceiling! (and also lobsters as decorations on the wall, do you believe it??) It's an interesting place to be. Later in the night, we went over to my sister's place for a real home cooked meal. As usual, my mum never fails to cook up a feast and leave us wanting for more. Thanks mum for the great food and tremendous effort. Happy Chinese New Year, everyone!

A Royale Treat

Though our Singapore Christmas trip didn't come true, we managed to give the boys a somewhat nearer to home sort of a holiday last Thursday. We checked ourselves into The Royale Bintang Damansara next to The Curve here instead. It is elegantly situated and we were pleasantly surprised by the Family Suite. It came with a King size bed (Patrick's favourite) and two single beds (for Ryan and Aidan), each at a different wing, facing one another but separated by a sliding door. A modern touch, with nice bed linen and a comfy couch to lay back onto, the suite is extremely pleasing to the mind and body. Even the boys loved it so much. We swam, we took the kids to the curve, the IKEA playground the next morning, had a hearty breakfast and another round of swimming at the pool. I even got a relaxing spa treatment at the Royale Spa courtesy of Patrick himself. It was truly a holiday break worth escaping to once in a while.

Justin Lim Momentum Solo 2006

It was a Thursday evening and it started drizzling when I reached this art gallery called Taksu, somewhere in the busy small meandering streets within Dato' Keramat kampung area off the main road of Jalan Ampang. It was also my first time around this small packed area. If it weren't for Justin, Patrick's cousin's invitation, I would have discovered this place much later. Nonetheless, as I approached a corner dead end road, what greeted me was this mysteriously green garden and porch, with a funny shoe rack shaped piece of work mounted on the wall leading to the main entrance. Once I stepped in, Justin straight away greeted me with a grin and said, "You are the second first person to arrive..." I was delighted for I knew I could explore the place much better without the crowd. Truly, it was a unique place to be. I met Wan, the owner of the art gallery and also spoken to him briefly. This bungalow unit turned art gallery is quite spacious and intriguing. It has quite a few interesting pieces of sculptures lying around the house, not too imposing yet significant enough to catch your eyes. They even have a small swimming pool outside the garden. Of course, friends gradually piled in and everybody started to settle into the food, drinks and the pieces of Justin's paintings on displayed that night. I was truly impressed with how far Justin has gone in his work of art and the things which he loves to do - playing music and all. A fine young guy with heaps of artistic juices flowing in his brain. Secretly, I was even glad that he is our relative, and a close one too, to begin with for I felt so proud and happy for his achievements. Some of my favourite paintings include Elements, The first Clash of Silence, World Wide Web 1 and The Polystructural Method. I love the way bold colours were used and with such passionate strokes and lines. Definitely a night out worth escaping into.

The Work Has Begun

Our dream

of having a slightly bigger kitchen to maneuver starts today...it will be in complete mess for the next one month. All this is only possible thanks to my father-in-law!

Fun Fun Fun

Fun is never enough in a playful family

No matter what we do in life, there is always the split moment that we could have fun. Without this simple ingredient in the mixture of life itself, it would seem all so bland and tasteless. Good thing about fun is that it can be found and created very easily and effortlessly, anytime, anywhere. At home, in class, at a playground. It's really up to us to capture that moment in time. As a parent, I would like to think that my two boys are at least, happily growing up, for we strive to give them the best that we could. It may not be material comfort at times, but at least, our precious time to spend a little more time with them. Both Ryan and Aidan are really active kids. There seems to be no single moment of quietness in them (except when they are asleep) . They are inquisitive, creative, artistic. They love music, movies, cartoons (obviously), drawings, running around with toy cars and guns and all the things that boys would do. Though we want them to enjoy growing up, we do want them to equally concentrate on their studies and work. As parents, we are constantly learning and observing them to make sure that we are always available for them, physically and emotionally. Gosh! Come to think of it, there is still a long way to go. Ryan's school had a Talent Competition recently where he and the rest of the kids in school are required to join in the fun through drawing, quiz and singing contest. Look, here's a picture of him with his drawing. Of course, you can see Aidan beside him, as always, he wouldn't want to miss out on anything that the older brother is doing!

A Dinner with Mom

Last Saturday was a day packed with outings. After breakfast, we went to Ampang Point area for a meeting with the boys and then to a friend's place for discussion. The boys were intrigued by the condo swimming pool which is now under construction - no water at all. They were just running around. The sky suddenly turned paled and it was time for us to head home. Less than an hour later, we were out again for mother's day dinner with mom and dad, and our brother Kenny and his wife, Lynn around puchong. The boys enjoyed the food there, hope my mom loved the food too!

Brother's Big Day

Today is the day to celebrate, a day to rejoice in the coming together of two special people in our family - the registration day of my younger brother, Kenny to Lynn. It was only yesterday that me and my brother played combat made-believed games in the presumably huge (for we were kids back then, everything comes in big proportion) compound of our old house, chasing each other around and today, he is already a grown up married man. Time really flies in this life time. I sincerely wish you all the best and hey, welcome to the club!

A Drive Down (Up) Memory Lane

A very rare occasion it was indeed where a last minute decision was made to hitch a ride with my parents in their car to travel up north last week. They were heading to Taiping (my birth place) for the annual cheng beng (homage to the ancestors) and I was to SP for my usual work these days. On the way, we slipped into a stream of conversations about life and death for a close relative of ours was then admitted to the hospital and was in critical condition. Among his multiple complexities was water found in his lungs - a critical condition that I was in when I was only 4 months old, recounted my father in a serious tone. My mom said they were worried sick and were in and out of hospital countless times to take care of me, while my great grand mother was at home babysitting my healthy twin sister. Tubes and more tubes were all over my fragile and seemingly small naked body. Every other day, I had to be injected with antibiotics to keep me going. Both my arms were patches of blues and blacks and some areas were even swollen due to those injections. My father almost broke into tears recalling those grueling moments of my struggle to stay alive. He said I have reached heavens door and passed it by. I knew exactly how shattered my parents must have felt then for I am now a parent myself. The pain of witnessing your own child suffers in sickness or excruciating pain is the ultimate nightmare of any parent. It feels like the cut of a knife through your flesh and bone. The pain is in total silence and it echoes deep within oneself and some may even be haunted by such traumas for the rest of their lives. After more than two months of pain and agony, I managed to pull through such a big ordeal for a tiny baby. I have no recollection of this particular incident except for a small mark on my chest to remind me of my painful journey. Being the "weaker" twins has not affected my life a single bit. My twin sister and I grew up like any other girls back in a small town called Kota Bharu. We had heaps of fun for as far as I could remember, teachers and friends would always get mixed up for we looked so alike, dressed in identical dresses and shirts that they could hardly tell us apart. Can you imagine how happy it is for a child to grow up sharing the same things in life, having double the fun in everything we do? It was awesome. Of course, this fun unique "identical" element we share gradually wears off as we grow older. But the good old memories remain. To my twin sister, happy belated birthday to you too!

The Father's Birthday

A special occasion for Patrick - his birthday. This year, we got two slices of cakes from our nearest berry cake house on the eve of his big day and the boys sang happy birthday to their father at home. Of course, they were the ones who blew the candles! The next day, my in-laws were also around to celebrate. We had lunch at Alexis in Bangsar coz we missed the tiramisu cake so much that we had to go there for our celebration. No doubt about it, it still tasted so good but also cost us a bomb! But I guess most of all, everybody enjoyed the food and family could get together, is what it matters more. Look at those two cheeky boys...

A Simple Happy Birthday Wish

Today is your birthday. I have not gotten you any present this year. The most valuable present I got you, I remembered, was a watch, which you are still wearing. I have always been bad when it comes to buying present for friends. How long have we known each other? Slightly over seven years. Come to think of it, it's quite a long time! I hope your journey with me so far, has been a fruitful one, I hope by knowing me, it has made you know yourself better, like how it has made me understand myself more, I hope by each passing birthday of yours, we grow a little wiser together, and know each other that little better. Life is a little more complicated, yet fun, with you in the picture. Hope there will be more birthdays to come, for us to celebrate together!

happy birthday

my dear

my greatest critic

my greatest strength

my greatest hope

my greatest partner in crime

in the world of make belief (reel world)

in the world of real life

again

happy birthday

The Arrival of the Lions

Lion Dance and Fireworks. These are the two things that would excite anyone, no matter how old one may be. From the back of my in-laws house, at the open kitchen on the second floor of a two-storey shophouse, I saw major display of fireworks at the dawn of Chinese New Year. It was great fun! No one could get any sleep right till 3 in the morning that very first day. On this very first day of Chinese New Year in this small town called Sungai Petani, Kedah, my two boys announced to their grandfather that they wanted to go see Lion Dance. So, we packed them in the car and drove around this quiet town, in search of our noisy dancing lions but to no avail. Maybe because it was already close to noon and all lion dances in town had finished their rounds performing for the day. The next day, a vague but familiar sound lured us downstairs and there it was, a troupe of Lion Dance performers was getting ready to perform for our neighbour. What luck we had! So, there was the usual dancing, waving of the lion's head and wagging of the tail, the fetching of the greens, receiving angpows (red packets) and whole loads of firecrackers and loud music. I believed Ryan had fun "feeding" one of the Lions mandarin orange and I think it was an extraordinary experience for our half "gui low" cousin, Michelle from Australia, staying in Malaysia for a short holiday, to have witnessed a true lion dance, right in front of her eyes, at such close proximity. I had to really salute my mother-in-law for her great ability and skills in preparing so many chinese new year dishes at one go, for so many relatives and friends whom they have invited over to the house to makan (eat), and yet, all dishes were of great quality and tasted that good. Suddenly, it made me missed my own mum's cooking all over again...well, it was, after all, an interesting chinese new year, away from home, this year around.

First Day Back At School

Tuesday was Ryan's first day back at school, but this is already his second year - back to his old kindergarten. It's a different classroom, with many new faces. Most importantly, his best friend, Lawrence is no longer continuing at the same kindergarten. I guess he felt a little bit lost and a mix feeling of unfamiliarity. Some kids even cried for the parents have left, some with the parents coaxing, they were still in tears. I guess things are always tough in the beginning. Ryan didn't even want to smile when I was taking his photos. Aidan, on the other hand, was always enthusiasted about new situations. I am sure when Ryan grows older, he would come to appreciate and enjoy school days like how I did back then for it is the only time you have the utmost freedom to acquire knowledge, explore new ideas and frontiers, push yourself to the limits and enjoy life as you breeze through life itself, hoping to understand yourself better as a person, (especially uni/ college) away from home. I for sure had a blast when I was in uni and now, I wish I could go back to study again for I truly missed those days, the best years in my life thus far. Of course, this time around, if I ever go back to study, it would be a completely different experience, for I would have more responsibilities to look out for and to juggle between studying and a small family.

X'mas mood

Merry Christmas...

It's this time of the year again. Though we have no snow here, but I could see that the mood to celebrate this somehow magical season is pretty high. People are out busy shopping, eating, taking photos...well, that include us. We were at MidValley yesterday, had a family dinner and went walking around. It was packed with people and we managed to catch a show at the centre court. My dream? To have a chance to celebrate a real WHITE christmas with a REAL beautifully decorated christmas tree with my beloved little family of four, somewhere out there, far far way...