In God’s faithfulness January 10, 2010
Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Christianity, Thoughts & Scribblings , comments closedWe were in church yesterday, where policemen were standing guard outside the church premises, protecting the churchgoers against any untoward incidences.
In these times, it is distressful to note that the immature actions by a handful of people can cause disharmony and fear in our nation. I am not one to judge easily, but yesterday as I lay in bed thinking of what has happened during the first week of the new decade, I still could not, for the life of me, understand what the big hooha was all about.
When we should all be united and strive for oneness in this land, we are unfortunately torn apart by petty words and selfish actions.
It is sad and disheartening that text messages are being spread like wildfire asking us to remove Christian-related articles from our car, lest our cars be smashed. It is even sadder that we are also asked to remove the cross pendants some of us are wearing.
“All in the name of safety.”
In times like these, when we are all being tested, we should remain calm, be true to ourselves and keep the Lord God at our side, remembering Him at all times. Acting irrationally will only make matters worse.
In times like these, I fall on the unending faithfulness of our Lord God to see us through.
My brother shared a beautiful song on his blog on Sunday, a song that that I have really grown to love. I’d like to share it here too. It’s a beautiful song that praises God’s faithfulness, that I hope you’ll enjoy.
Allah Yang Setia
(Songwriters : Jonathan Prawira & Joseph S Djafar (Music); Vocals: Franky Sihombing)
YESUS, KAU TELAH MEMULAI
S’GALA YANG BAIK DALAMKU
ENGKAU MENJADIKANKU
SERUPA GAMBARAN-MU
DAN BERHARGA DI MATA-MU
YESUS, KAU TELAH MEMULAI
KARYA YANG MULIA DALAMKU
KAU BERIKAN HIDUP-MU
S’BAGAI GANTI DOSAKU
KAR’NA KASIH-MU PADAKU
REFF:
S’KARANG KUMEMUJI-MU
ALLAH YANG SETIA
YANG TAK PERNAH MENINGGALKAN
PERBUATAN TANGAN-MU
S’KARANG KUMENYEMBAH-MU
ALLAH YANG MULIA
SEMPURNAKAN SEG’NAP HIDUPKU
AGAR INDAH BAGI-MU
Joyous hope for New Year January 3, 2010
Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Close to Heart & Home, Relax & Celebrate, Thoughts & Scribblings , comments closed
Surely kickstarting the New Year with a delicious dim sum brunch with my family is a sign of good things to come. I don’t need to read all the predictions and fortune teller articles to know that a great exciting year lies ahead.
2009 was an awesome year as it is, definitely raising the bar as to what is constituted as a GREAT year, but still, there’s always room for more.
As we watched the fireworks from the comfortable balcony in our home as the clock struck midnight (Ethan going, “Wow, fireworks!”…yup, they were so loud they woke him up), we are just so happy that we have each other. And as we toast our little cups of Jasmine tea over dim sum, and satisfy our tummies with good food, we look forward to a year of hope, joy and togetherness.
Happy New Year 2010 everyone!
The Santa Claus question December 28, 2009
Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Close to Heart & Home, Thoughts & Scribblings , comments closed
We visited the mall on the 23rd of December, doing our last minute Christmas shopping. It just so happened that we bumped into the mall Santa Claus while we were there, and he gave some candy to Ethan.
When I was a little girl, I learnt about Santa and how he gives kids presents depending on how good they had been throughout the year. Every Christmas eve, I wondered if Santa would present me with what I hoped for, whether or not I had made the mark.
Actually I don’t even remember how I learnt that there’s no Santa.
Funnily enough, now I don’t really tell my kids about Santa Claus. They know exactly who gave them the Christmas gifts.
But you know, if ever any kid were to *find out* about Santa, I found a perfect answer in a little something special I received from Proactive Parenting. It’s a beautiful letter from a mother to a daughter, and I’d like to share it with you here.
I hope your Christmas was as meaningful as mine was. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!
Here’s the feature from Proactive Parenting:
*****
Martha Brockenbrough’s daughter, Lucy, has figured out the truth. That has left her mother grappling with how to explain that belief and wonder don’t have to end with this news.
Brockenbrough writes about parenting on the Web site cozi.com, and recently she posted a letter that she wrote to Lucy, trying to make sense of Santa.
She and the producers of the cozi.com Web site have given me permission to run the whole letter here:
Dear Lucy,
Thank you for your letter. You asked a very good question: “Are you Santa?”
I know you’ve wanted the answer to this question for a long time, and I’ve had to give it careful thought to know just what to say.
The answer is no. I am not Santa. There is no one Santa.
I am the person who fills your stockings with presents, though. I also choose and wrap the presents under the tree, the same way my mom did for me, and the same way her mom did for her. (And yes, Daddy helps, too.)
I imagine you will someday do this for your children, and I know you will love seeing them run down the Christmas magic stairs on Christmas morning. You will love seeing them sit under the tree, their small faces lit with Christmas lights.
This won’t make you Santa, though.
Santa is bigger than any person, and his work has gone on longer than any of us have lived. What he does is simple, but it is powerful. He teaches children how to have belief in something they can’t see or touch.
It’s a big job, and it’s an important one. Throughout your life, you will need this capacity to believe: in yourself, in your friends, in your talents and in your family. You’ll also need to believe in things you can’t measure or even hold in your hand. Here, I am talking about love, that great power that will light your life from the inside out, even during its darkest, coldest moments.
Santa is a teacher, and I have been his student, and now you know the secret of how he gets down all those chimneys on Christmas Eve: he has help from all the people whose hearts he’s filled with joy.
With full hearts, people like Daddy and me take our turns helping Santa do a job that would otherwise be impossible.
So, no. I am not Santa. Santa is love and magic and hope and happiness. I’m on his team, and now you are, too.
I love you and I always will.
Mama
Those unchanging things December 4, 2009
Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Close to Heart & Home, Drooling & Cooking, Relax & Celebrate, Thoughts & Scribblings , comments closedSome things just never change.
Like how crowded the popular ngah choy kai stalls in Ipoh are, most patrons being out-of-towners stopping by for a quick bite.
Like how crunchy and succulent the ngah choy in Ipoh still is. And always will be. We were afraid we could not finish such a big plate, but that obviously was not the problem at all!
Like how tasty the chicken is, although we could very well tell it was extremely oily! The combination of sesame oil, soy sauce, pepper and (I’m pretty darn sure) some secret magic ingredient made it all so worthwhile.
And as I mentioned earlier, some things will never ever change, and that is why my (unbiased) opinion is that Ipoh still serves the BESTEST koay teow ever.
Yes, some things just never change, and we love them all for their neverchangingness. But even more precious than the tastiest food in the world, the feeling of pride and joy when in the midst of a newborn will always remain unchanged too.
Last weekend, I met baby Caitlynn, newborn daughter to my brother and SIL. The sight of a peacefully sleeping baby, oblivious to all the noise made by her brother and sibling, is truly a sight to behold.
Welcome to the world, baby Caitlynn! I hope to be the your favoritest aunt in the whole wide world! 
Oh, and speaking of things that never change, the malls in KL were all decked out in Christmas decorations too, as usual. We were at The Curve and well, if you were not snapping pictures, you’ll really feel out of place!
Speaking of which…I need to go now,…cuz tonight we are setting up our tree!
My latest Friday’s obsession November 15, 2009
Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Drooling & Cooking, The Fairer Sex, Thoughts & Scribblings , comments closed 
I’ve always wondered why TGI Friday’s does not offer any special promotions on Fridays. Anyways, when we came back from the States, we discovered that the 3-course meal had become a 2-course meal instead (maybe because most people cannot finish the entire 3 courses?)
I had stopped ordering the course meals since they removed the half ribs from the entrée selection, but the inclusion of the Southwest Adobo Chicken recently is making me rethink my decision. Love the marinated herbs in it, love the sweet potato crips (shaped like fries actually) and love the hot hot Jalapeno sauce! Lately the chicken was done a tad too dry though.
However, I’d still recommend this choice to anyone ordering the 2-course meal. I’m not complainin’..my kid loves this place, even though they don’t give out balloons anymore.
Oh by the way, did you notice that I chopped off my locks? Had a concave bob done last Friday. My iffiness about it disappeared when my tot exclaimed, “Mommy’s hair is BEEEYOOOOTEEEFOOL!!!!”
The ultimate giddy ear test November 11, 2009
Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Close to Heart & Home, Thoughts & Scribblings , comments closedOur fridge is *decorated* with lots of magnets on its exterior, and one of these is a set of Fridge Phonics which Ethan loves to play with. What this Fridge Phonics set does is sing a song corresponding to a particular alphabet together with it’s phonetical sound.
A couple of days ago, Ethan was playing with it, when he suddenly exclaimed, “Oh NO!! Something’s wrong Mommy, look!”
Apparently the U was NOT pronounced as “U”. I tried it myself and agreed with him. The “U” sounded like “N” now.
We then reported this to my hubby, and demonstrated it to him.
Upon the first listen, hubbs looks at me strangely and said, “No…there’s nothing wrong with it. It says “U”!”
I repeated the process over and over again, but still we held differing opinions, … till now. I think there is something wrong, but hubbs thinks something is wrong with me, or rather, my hearing.
So what to do? I got proof….here’s the video clip of what the “U” sounds like. Please, tell me what you hear so that we can decide who needs to go for an ear checkup.
You must remember this… November 4, 2009
Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Parenting & Motherhood, Thoughts & Scribblings , comments closed
Things people should always remember NEVER to do/say to babies and toddlers:
- Touch or stroke their cheeks, hair, arms, …basically DO NOT touch them at all! Who knows where the stranger’s hand has been prior to touching the baby or toddler?
- Offer their thumb, index finger, middle finger, turtle or whatever for the baby to hold on to. Contrary to popular belief, it is NOT entertaining at all to see baby hold on to a stranger’s finger or any other item (see no. 1).
- Keep on touching a toddler’s hair or cheek when the toddler loudly protests and says “No!” Which part of “No” don’t you understand anyway?!
- Ask “Boy or Girl ah?” when clearly the baby is dressed in pink wih flowers. Who would dress a boy in flowers anyway? I tried dressing her up in a dress and also got the same response. Please. Observe and think before you speak.
*stepping off soapbox now*
Knit knit here, purl purl there November 2, 2009
Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Close to Heart & Home, Thoughts & Scribblings , comments closedAfter two quick lessons with my knitting teacher (the first was an introductory one, after which I destroyed the whole project and had to redo, and the 2nd lesson, I was given homework to practice first lest I destroy the nice yarn I brought back from US), days and hours of knitting and purling whenever I found some free time on my hands, sometimes having to unravel hours of hard work, putting up with the knitting needles poking me here and there, and viewing knitting videos online over and over again, I think I have the confidence to start on my maiden knitting project.
Here’s the practice homework I have been working on:
Well…I have run out of practice yarn now, and I just viewed and tried the casting off method on the internet last night and now I am ready to start on my new project
The inevitable goodbye? October 26, 2009
Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Thoughts & Scribblings , comments closed 
So all credit card holders will be charged a service tax of RM50 per card and RM25 per supplementary card, effective next year.
Definitely sad, sad news for someone like me, who is a very good paymaster. I only use the credit card as a means of convenience instead of lugging cash around. I always always pay my monthly bill in full and never make use of the transfer-here-transfer-there promotions. I have also never paid any interest to the bank for my credit card balances.
But how do I get rewarded?
Because of people who hold tens of credit cards and owe monies left and right, people like me now have to pay service tax too. Life simply isn’t fair. If only the service tax would be waived for people like me, based on our credit card historical records.
But until then, we might need to rethink which credit cards to cut and which to keep.
The view of Nutmeg Village October 19, 2009
Posted by The Giddy Tiger in : Thoughts & Scribblings , comments closedI never knew till last weekend that I had a perfectly clear view of Kampung Buah Pala from where I stay:
Little Miracles
Our Journey of Love
