Pack-up

Alfred took leave today to settle all the remaining stuffs. The lorry and the movers arrived around 9.30 a.m. and they helped to transport all the boxes to John's sister's place in Melawati. It was very kind of John to let us store our boxes there for the meantime. All in all, we had about 17 boxes to be stored there; a working table; two working chairs; and a iron-rod display shelf. 

The dining set arrived around 5 p.m. And after that, we went to Wangsa Maju and Sri Hartamas to look for a house to rent and to survey the neighborhood there. Had dinner at Ikea restaurant - I really enjoyed the tomatoe pasta - delicious!

The first hard kick!

I felt the first hard kick of the baby today! It was so hard, I was stunned. All these while I was feeling flutters and nudges and twists; and now to feel a real hard kick is truly momentous. Alfred felt the kick on my tummy and he was speechless. It's priceless! My little baby, I love you to bits and am looking forward to seeing you soon, darling! Meanwhile, keep on kicking and punching as hard as you want- I am more than glad to feel you practice martial arts in my tummy.

Packing Day

Today is a day dedicated to packing - boxes and boxes of stuffs - it seemed neverending. I thought we didn't have much stuff to pack since we are leaving behind most of the furniture. But, once we start packing, more and more things appear. Alfred has already started packing last Friday - all my files and books - which took up lots of space. 

Today, we were packing and sealing the box; packing and sealing; after about 6 hours, we were almost 3/4 done. Then, we headed to Courts Mammoth to purhase the dining set. We found a nice piece which matched the motive on the curtain that we chose - and the dining set was on sale. After that, we headed to Bianco at Damansara for a late lunch. It was a long and tiring day - but we managed to get most of the things packed. Packing is one of the things I dreaded when it comes to moving out; but we don't have much time to even think about it - but to just do it!

A long day

My mom and sister arrived safely from India last night. Alfred picked them up from the airport and by the time they reached home it was past midnight. Had a good night rest - there's a long list of things to do the next day.

- In the morning, Alfred went to the workshop to change the tyres - took a long time. He was back almost lunch time.
- After lunch, went to Nilai to have the night-curtain sewn.
- Then, drove to Kota Damansara to Anwar's place to have a feel of the neighbourhood there - hunting for a nice house to rent since we'll have to move out soon.
- Went to Ikea to buy some furnishings for the condo - cushion cover (since the tenant didn't like the red sofa cover that we have now), linen and towel, wall lighting, cutleries, and blinds for the bathrooms.

Moving out

Today I was lamenting to Alfred on how I wish we could find a nice landed house with a nice cute garden. Although staying right smack in the middle of the city centre has its advantages, I never liked being cooped up in a condominium. It was not in our original plan to stay at the Idaman Residence condo unit; Alfred purchased the condo unit mainly for investment purpose - either sell it when there's a good price for it or rent it out.

We've been trying to find for a tenant for quite some time now. But I have to admit we were not actively looking to rent our place out since day-by-day we grew comfortable in the place and we've made it our home. It took us lots of effort and time in getting the condo unit furnished - from lighting and other fixtures, to the other soft furnishings to make the place a comfy home. But we both knew that we've always wanted to live in a landed home with a garden.

So, I was telling Alfred on the phone today that it's high time that we seriously look to rent out the place and move into a nice-cozy-home-with-a-garden and keep a dog. But, I didn't expect things to fall in place this quickly! Soon after the conversation today, Alfred made few calls to real estate agents and found an expat looking for a place to stay near KLCC area. The guy was immediately free to come and have a look at our place and he liked our place - and they negotiated the rental - and before I knew it, both parties agreed on the terms and conditions. The tenant was keen to grab the opportunity to rent the place since we offered a much lower rental rate compared to the going market rate for a fully furnished unit. We decided not to be greedy and to be realistic instead. The rental agreement is for 1-year. And the tenant wants to move in immediately. Wow, it's all happening too fast. We requested for a week to pack up our belongings and agreed to hand over the keys next Wednesday evening, 9th June.

Although, initially we both experienced a separation-syndrome after realizing that we will be moving out soon, -all the oh-i-am-gonna-miss-this-and-that- but we know that this is what we wanted and now it's time to act on it when the opportunity presents itself.

A Great Weekend

Alfred came down to Melaka for the weekend and we had a great time together. We went for long walks together and realized how therapeutic it is - to be walking hand-in-hand and sharing a serene moment together with nature. I love walking - whenever we want to have breakfast or dinner, I prefer walking rather than driving a short distance. I especially love walking early in the morning and in the evenings - those are the most beautiful parts of the day to be wasted sitting indoors.

This weekend stays fresh in my mind because of all the walking we did - it makes a difference - it gives quality to the moments spent with each other. We both are nature-loving person and it's truly wonderful that we both love walking. The beautiful moments seem to last longer when we take things a little slower and go for a long walk together.

Send-Off

My mom and sister, Suhashini left to India today at 2.30 p.m. for 12 days. Before leaving to the airport, we had a scrumptious vegetarian lunch near a Buddhist temple nearby our place. This is my sister's first time flying and neither of them were looking forward for the trip. The main reason they are going there is for my sister's medication and treatment. They will be staying at my cousin Kumar's place in Coimbatore. Have a safe trip! We'll be missing you; the dogs especially.

Muthukumar weds Manggai

Today is my cousin, Manggai's big day. We are very excited to attend the wedding and to meet up with all our relatives.

Pictures taken in our condo:

The beautiful and glowing bride:

The beautiful mannavarai setting:

Nanthakumar and I

After the wedding, we went over to my cousins, Umapathy's and Devi's place in Puchong to visit their new home co-shared by the two couples and to visit Devi's newborn baby. After that, we went over to my grandma's house at Old Klang Road and spent a couple of hours there. Though I was dead tired at the end of the day, I felt happy meeting up with everyone.

Family Gathering - the eve of Manggai's wedding

Tomorrow is my cousin, Manggai's wedding and my mom and sister will be coming to KL today. We picked my mom, Suhashini and Pravin from the Bukit Jalil bus station and headed to my uncle Muthu's condo in Seri Kembangan for a small gathering on the eve of his daughter's wedding. We had a great time there and was entertained by the greatest ever humorist, my cousin, Mr. Nantha Kumar. He is the best! Hahaha.

From left: My sisters, aunt, mom, Nanthakumar, and us

After that, we went over to Alfred's parents' house and had a great Chinese dinner with them. Both grandparents-to-be are so excited over the tiny little angle growing inside me. It was a great day shared with the people we love. Looking forward for more gatherings to come.

18 weeks

18 weeks pregnant.

Letters to Juliet

It has been a long time since I last watched a good romantic movie. We enjoyed the storyline of Letters to Juliet - a beautiful love story about an elderly English woman finding her long lost flame in Rome with the  help of a young woman who replied her letter to Juliet written 20 years ago- much to the dismay to the elderly lady's cold and serius-looking grandson. Eventually, romance blossoms between the young lady and the elderly lady's grandson. The sceneries around Rome shot throughout the movie is so breathtaking. The only letdown to this movie is the performance by the grandson and the heroine - the chemistry between them is totally lacking compared to the spark displayed by the reunited-after-so-long elderly couple. Overall, I would rate this movie 4/5. It's worth watching for the undying love professed between the two elderly couple. It's never too late to find your true love!

Random Pics

Some random pictures taken after shaving my head bald a couple of months ago.

Making banana pancake

Pilot for a Day

In my blog entry sometime November last year, A surprise for Alfred, I wrote about the surprise gift voucher - Pilot for a Day - that I presented to my dear husband for his birthday. Sometime this year February, he activated the voucher and had a blast experiencing the pilot-for-a-day adventure. It was his dream come true - as he once mentioned to me that he would love to sit at the cockpit area and experience the entire thrill of flying. I was so happy that he truly enjoyed this experience. The contented and excited smile on his face was priceless!

Wedding @ Melaka

Today was one of my mom's close friend's son's wedding in Melaka. It was a nice and simple wedding and the food was awesome - I had a hearty vegetarian meal. Met some of our relatives and friends there and had a good time catching up. I forgot to bring my camera to the wedding - so missed out the photos of the bride and groom.

Photos taken at home just before leaving for the wedding. 

 

17 weeks preggie

Beatrice and Virgil by Yann Martel

After reading Yann Martel's Life of Pi, I had been eagerly anticipating for his next book. Finally, after a few years of waiting, I was exhilarated when I heard of his new release: Beatrice and Virgil. His first book, Life of Pi left me dumbfounded at the end of the story. I recommended Life of Pi to my best friend, Chin Lay and she too gave an excellent review about the story. So did my other friends whom I lent the book to. We eagerly awaited for his next masterpiece. And finally it came. 

I devoured Beatrice and Virgil within 3 days. I was hooked to the story - and more than that I was possessed to read till the end to find out the twist to the story - the kind of twist to the story that Yann Martel had for Life of Pi. But, honestly, I concluded that there can be only one masterpiece created by an artist. For M. Night Syamalan it was the movie Sixth Sense, for Leonardo da Vinci it was the Mona Lisa portrait, and for Yann Martel it is the Life of Pi. 

Beatrice and Virgil revolves around the story's two characters, i.e., Beatrice the donkey and Virgil the howler monkey - and I am not going to disclose any more information - that would really spoil the suspense. My personal opinion is that the synopsis on the book's cover gave away too much information - thus, spoiling the suspense. I kind of expected the suspense to 'pop' out from the story at the end - but I ended up disappointed. Probably my expectation was too high - but I would still blame it on the too-much-information-revealed in the synopsis of the book. However, the characters in the book and its plot and  the story's ending was fantastic; but it doesn't resemble the same effect that Life of Pi had - which was hands down the author's masterpiece.

If you want a real suspense, don't read the synopsis. Read this book with an open mind and expect the unexpected - then you would really appreciate the story and you would really be taken aback with the ending of the story - the twist to the story. Basically, in both his books, Yann Martel's way of writing revolves around using animals to examine our humanity. He has an ingenious way of writing that ruptures the division between the real and the imagined.

Nahleen's Birthday

Today Alfred surprised me by taking emergency leave. I was so elated at the thought of having the whole day together. For the past few weeks, I was staying alone in the condo while he is away at work - and it has been depressing for me - I thought I was going to go crazy and I didn't have mood to do anything except to lie on bed. All sorts of unnecessary thoughts come to my mind - and I can't seem to control it. I presume my loneliness is exacerbated by the raging hormones within me. 

Well, anyway, it was a happy day today. Instead of driving, we decided to take the commuter to his parent's place to have breakfast with them. The break from the routine was exciting for me. We had a nice Indian breakfast with his parents - talked about our baby-on-the-way - everyone is so excited for the big day! After breakfast, we ran some errands and then headed home. 

When deciding what to do tonight, I reminded Alfred that it was Nahleen's birthday today. We called to wish her and she invited us to join them for a dinner at a Thai restaurant near Jalan Gasing. It was great meeting up with all of them. All in all, it was a great day - and I wish for more days like these - when I feel upbeat and driven and happy.

It was Nahleen's and her cousin's birthday

Nahleen and I

@ Delicious Cafe

Some random shots taken while dining at Delicious cafe @ Mark's Residence. I prefer to dine at Delicious, Bangsar though. I find the food prepared there is tastier compared to the Delicious cafe at Mark's Residence, KLCC. I especially love their tomato spaghetti and their warm-and-melt-in-your-mouth chocolate cake - heavenly!

Ironman 2

I didn't expect to enjoy watching Iron Man 2 because it's not my type of genre. My preference has always been thrillers, horror and adventure-related movies. Lately, I've stopped watching horror movies - all the fake-horror-flicks have failed to retain my interest. 

But, Alfred loves to watch sci-fi and superhero films; so, this time I relented to watching Iron Man 2 with him. Contrary to what I had expected, I enjoyed Iron Man 2 to its last bit. It's engaging, entertaining for all its high-technology flicks and has bits of drama and humor included. I would rate this movie 4/5.

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all mothers and mothers-to-be! I am blessed with a great woman in my life - who inspires me, motivates me and nurtures me from birth. She is the most hardworking woman I have ever met - and she is full with energy and perseverance in whatever she does. She brought her 5 children into this world - and each of us are thankful to be born to her. She has been always an enterprising lady ever since I could remember. I remember her venturing into various types of business to earn the extra money to support the family. I recall spending time in the video rental business premise which she was running back when I was still in primary school. When that business slowly loses its popularity after the advent of other forms of entertainment, she tried her hand in catering, baby-sitting and tuition to help keep herself occupied and earn the extra buck. I still remember joining the other kids in the tuition classes she conducted every night. I also received private tuition lesson from her since primary school. 

I owe most of my academic accomplishments to her effort in educating and inculcating the value of education in me. Back when I was in primary school, my class teachers used to complain to my parents that I might be having a learning disability - I tend to day-dream most of the time in the class - and nothing the teacher delivers will register in my head. My mother got very worried and she started her tutoring and coaching lessons with me - showing me the fun way to learning. I picked up maths very well and started scoring excellent grades. From then on, my results have always been great until I completed my secondary school with 8 As for SPM. I owe all this to her - her unwavering faith in me and the hard work she put in to educate me. 

Not only in academics, she has educated me greatly in being a better, kinder and more compassionate human being. All the values that I hold closely to my heart now is from her teachings. She always advise me to treat people with love and respect no matter how they treat you - her patience towards everyone - regardless how they treated her- has always marveled me. She rarely says no to any favor asked by anyone - she will do it sincerely and with love - that has always been her greatest virtues. Although it may seem that she is sometimes taken advantage of because of her kindness, she always tell me that "When you do good, only good things will come to you - in whatever form that may be; it might not be today, but one day you will reap the benefits from all your kind words and actions". 

Even though it's a tough game for me to emulate a great woman with great qualities like her, I've grown to appreciate the wisdom of her words and beginning to walk her talk. I am so blessed to have you as my mother, Amma. I count that blessing every day. I love you with all my heart. I wish you good health and joy and abundance in everything you do. My greatest gift to you will be a grandchild to fill you with joy and happiness :)

Family Reunion

It was a great gathering with our family members - my parents and siblings; my maternal uncle Ravi, his wife Chelvi, cousin Sharveen; my maternal aunt Usha, cousins Natasha and Hans; and Swadhini. We wanted to give them a treat to thank each and everyone of them for being in our life and making our life richer. The reunion was also in conjunction of Mother's Day. It was also a sort of thanksgiving dinner - for all the blessings God has bestowed on us. There were 14 of us and the restaurant was filled with our laughter. My uncle Ravi is a great humorist - made us all laugh out loud. I love all of them and I wish them good health, happiness and abundance in their life. God bless.