Oops..I Think I May Have Spoken To Soon.

What can I say except I think I may have spoken to soon...about Kyra having my genes. (previous post). In less than a week, she proved my right. It was after a long while that Karen, Kyra and I took a trip up to Kuala Lumpur to see my mum-in-law and the two boys, Jeral, 9, and Jeremy, 8.
You can imagine Kyra excitement and the fun she had.


So much fun that she decided to slide down the slide near the Bukti Jalil home on Sunday not on her backside as any normal kid would do but on her tummy. Yup...that's my girl...most likely imagining herself to be flying with out stretched arms like Power Puff Girl's Buttercup. Result...dislocation of a joint on her left little pinky. It must have hurt like heck from the swelling.


Wanted to get it x-rayed on Monday as the swelling was turning a nice bluish black but the clinic near my home was closed. I had explained to her that there would be no needles involved during the visit to the doc, only a special photo taken to see if she had fractured her pinky. She really wanted her to be x-rayed.

Managed to take her to the doc on Tuesday morning and he didn't have an x-ray machine. (much to Kyra and my dismay). Well, the doc took a look and assured me that Kyra had merely dislocated one of her pinky joint. He promptly used half a tounge depressor and some bandage to fashion a splint to immobilize her finger. Wah...you could tell by the look on her face that it was a big deal getting her finger all bandaged up.

Well, sent her to school and reminded her that her splint was suppose to last for about two days to allow her finger to heal. Thank goodness, I had the foresight of taking a shot of her bandaged finger as her splint stayed on for less than half a day. Irene picked her up from school and the first thing I want to ask her when she got home was about her day in school. Then, I noticed her missing bandaged and before I could question her why it was off....she said,

"Old lah...I try to put back but come out...my hand no more pain also".

Yup...that's my girl........just hope she doesn't take too many more knocks in life. Either way, I will be there to catch her whe she falls...I hope.

p/s Anyway, may God welcome 11-year-old Brenden Foster into His loving arms and give him everlasting life in paradise. To understang my prayer, go to http://cbs11tv.com/health/Brenden.Foster.dying.2.867696.html

To None I Wish Ill But To All I Wish Peace And Love.

Its Definitely In The Genes

They say what goes around comes around and I am beginning to agree with the adage 100% with regard to Kyra, my five-year-old kid. In that respect, I am quite certain its due to the gene she had inherited from me.

To have a hyper kid is one thing but to have one that has a mischevious smirk on her face couple with a vivid imagination is another altogether. I have been told time and time again that I was not that different when I was her age (still am in fact...just a kid trapped in an almost gorgeous but stunted 40 year-old body). Dang, I was quite a dynamo, buzzing around as a kid and most of the time unable to sit still due to my over active imagination. A typical Calvin and Hobbes character. My poor, poor parents...including a neighbor who would usually offer my 20 cents (big money back in those days) just to sit still for a minute which I never manage to collect. A crushed right toe, an almost fatal hornet sting to the right eye, dislocated shoulder and an almost severed left thumb cuased by a sickle are testament of how it must have been like for them over the year.

Anyway, back to Kyra....my collegues had the unfortunate recent chance of seeing up close what I have to put up practically everyday. Decided to bring her along for a seafood dinner at Alai. (much to my wife Karen's happiness as this meant at least 2 hours of peace and quiet) Everything proceeded well for the first 5 minutes and then...bam...she spills her glass of ice pink syrup drink on Pelf, one of the most prim and proper girl I have come to know.

Things got a little better after a stern look from me and a round of apologies. The food arrived and Kyra was pretty much okay for about 10 minutes. Then.....bam again....Kyra's attention was diverted to some dumb stray cat and kittens which had to decided to scavange for food near our table. She spent the rest of the evening pinching pieces baked fish and calamari to feed the cats. Once again, Pelf was the one who seemed most disturbed by this as Kyra's cat feeding antics had lured them under our table. Pelf has this great aversion towards animals...practically all forms except for dead rats and frogs which she had dissected during her science classes. (Oh..and of course turtles and tortises...I suppose its because they don't bark, meow or growl, do not have any fur on them and that they don't move that much)

I suppose things evened out when I was sending Jason, Pelf and her buddy Yen to their respective cars after dinner. Jason, a huge burly chap who lives for good food and photography, decided to play tug with Kyra's new stuff pet dog Patrick. There was this audible crack sound and Kyra when 'you patah my dog'. She was still bouncing about in the back of the car much to the terror of Pelf and Yen. Things finally quieten down during the ride home. Found out later when 'bathing' Patrick (Kyra dropped it on the icky wet floor in Alai) that the 'patah' sound was from one of its ear being slightly torn.

Well I guess its in the genes ya. Had enrolled her for ballet classes to get he to be more lady like and gracefu....sigh. Everything said and done, its all more the joy Kyra being Kyra as she does add colour to my life.

To None I Wish Ill But To All I Wish Peace and Love.

Dang...Its Going In the Drain Again.

Another week gone by another week older. Work was work with bowling being the highlight of the week. Well, bowling may have been around for the longest time but it was something alien when growing up in Malacca in the 1980s. When the game made its intorduction here in the early 1980s, most us were either involved in other sporting activities such as football, hockey or swimming.

I was, for the most part of my schooling days, blowing my trumpet (excuse the pun but I still do it till today) in the cadet band and had little time left except for a little hockey and cricket. There were of course also time for playing in mud at the mangrove swamp near my home or alone by the seawall with my guitar during the nights. Life was much simpler and innocent then with most things were done without a fee, of course.

So in essence, I would say that I would be aptly termed, as the Chinese would say, a 'Sua Ku' or country bumpkin. What a laugh...because I still am in many respect, in particular where the world of cyberspace is concerned.

Back to the bowling. It was organized by my journalist buddies here. Managed to skip the last two outings but decided to have a crack this time round. It had been years (no kidding) that I last bowled or should I correctly say 'bounced' the ball along the lane. All I remembered about the game was that the balls were f#*king heavy. It was even harder for me with me having thick and broad fingers (proud to day that's not all that is broad and thick on my body). This forced me to opt for the 13 to 14 pounders. But alas, it never helped, those bigger balls. (proud to say that I would aptly fit the the pun 'you got big balls'). I remember well the excruxiating pain each time I tried to get the balls of my fingers only to see them roll into the gutter.

Well, back to the present game on Saturday. I was paired off with my ever gusty colleague Alison, a tough but big hearted person. And what a pair we made. Anyway, thought to myself...'Dang...how hard can it be to roll and bounce a f#*king heavy ball at nine dick shaped looking bottles?' Answer....f#*king hard. Wearing a tight pair of jeans and not being able to bend for 'style' due to a bad spine didn't help either.

For the better part of the game, I kept the gutter along the lanes clean with my big balls although managing a couple of strikes and spares. To added insult to injury, there was a prize giving ceremony later including one for the pair with the lowest pinfalls. Needless to say, I was so relieved when it was the pair next to us that got the prestigious title. Phew....

Now I know why I will remain a 'Sua Ku' where bowling in concerned. Will still go for a game or two once in a while just for laughs though. So, I think I''ll stick to my guitar and G9 instead of bouncing some heavy balls instead. (except mine of course)

To None I Wish Ill But To All I Wish Peace and Love.

One of Life's Mysteries Solved

It was a hilarious episode that I feel warrants a post. My mum, Irene, 66, who is typical Nyonya from Heeren Street, usually does Karen and me a big favour by babysitting Kyra, my five-year-old whose energy seems boundless.

It was another usual day at work and was on my way home when I recieved a call from Irene. (if you've had the pleasure of talking to a Baba-Nyonya, you'd realise that they are well known for being very expressive) She ranting and raving about some blackish mark that had developed around Kyra's upper lip.

The conversation went soemthing like this..."Boy (another typical Baba-Nyonya termed used for a male heir) there's some kind of mark on Kyra's lips. I don't know what caused it. Maybe its the Batman ice-cream I bought for her. I tried to wipe and wash it off but the mark cannot come out. How, how...huh....I am so worried lah."

When I reached home, Kyra was as usual was blase about the whole thing. She did looked a little confused which was most likely caused by Irene's incessant worry and attempts to 'wash' off the mark on her lips. Kyra had this perfect half halo blue-black mark on her upper lips and lok pretty unusual.Upon closer examination, I realised it was not a ice-cream stain but more of a mark or impression when one sucks hard on an object.

Kyra looked hilarious...she looked like as though someone had given her a bad lipstick makeover. She reminded me of a clown or one of those old traditional Chinese ladies with lipstick extending over the boundries of their lips.

When I questioned Kyra, her reply was "I don't...all I do just now is to suck on my ice-cream grandma buy for me". Questioned my mum on whether Kyra suck on any circular object and she said no. Thus, the mystery only deepened and only added to Irene's guilt that she was responsible for Kyra's odd predicament as a result of the ice-cream she bought. She even called later that night to find out if the mark had gone away. I said it faded somewhat but still present. Had to assure her that I would have the doctor look at it the following day if Kyra still had the mark.

I noticed an empty Vitagen bottle by the table later that night but it did not dawn on my till the next morning when I recieved a call Irene. She had a sleepless night trying to figure out the mystery and finally remembered buying Kyra the Vitagen drink which lacked a straw. Being a typical kid, Kyra merely tore off the core and glupped the Vitagen down before continuing to use the empty plastic bottle as a 'vacuum' toy.

What a cartoon....I wasn't worried at all the night before as I knew that there was some simple and non threatening explanation for the mark. Alas, mystery solved....Kyra was just being Kyra. Posted a photo taken of the mystery halo before it was figured out the next day.

To None I Wish Ill But To All I Wish Peace and Love.

Ode To Joy

We, humans, are really a paradox wrapped in an egnima. Capable of the most sublime of expressions of our inner soul through love and art yet at the same time capable of the most grotesque of misdeeds and destruction.

With over six billion souls, I sometimes ponder the very reason of our existence. Do I see a glass half full or a glass half empty with regard to the fate of the humanrace? There are times when the awe and beauty of the soul makes me wish the life would perpetuate. Yet, there are times when human suffering and misery makes me long for the coming of the Kingdom of Heaven here on Earth.

Isaiah 65:17...

'For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former things shall not be remembered, nor come into mind'.

I take this opportunity to pay my last respects to an aquaintance and former collegues Zulkifly, a jovial guy who passed away recently. Excellent as a PR person, he was eventaully posted to Nanjing, China as Malacca's representative there, although some of us used to tease him as being Malacca's ambassador to China. May he find rest and peace in death.

On a more lighter side, I was glad at being able to go bee-chasing at the Malacca Botanical Garden. (Darn, I sound like Spongebob on one of his jelly fish hunt). Managed to get some shots but know that I can do better the next time round. Also caught the adaptation of Syalaman's Night 'The Happening' starring Mark Walberg. Interesting storyline movie and pretty intense scenes. (It only goes to show how fraile and insignificant humans are in the larger scheme of things)

Till He who is Truth and lives forever comes again....

To none I Wish Ill but To All I Wish Peace and Love.