The Ninja Boast

Have you heard of the Ninja Boast?

The first time I read about it in one of those gossip column, I was trying to imagine a ninja executing a boast...sword and all... quirky stuff... I was thinking.

My first family Ninja Boast  photo execution on Facebook

First Facebook Profile Pic Ninja Boast

But as I read on, I discover that a Ninja Boast is actually a term meant for people who so cleverly master the art of boasting without looking like they are blatantly showing off, whether it,s their auntie,s new car or their freakishly stylish niece new outfit!

A showoff of my daughter first self-bake cake....another Ninja Boast!

Instantly I felt a little hot on the cheeks.

Does posting my humble homemade cheesecake on Facebook or Instagram consider a Ninja Boast or telling the whole world about my daughter academic achievement is also counted as one or worst, flaunting my holiday photos is also guilty?

Hard core selfie uncle.....

Am I worst than some people who loves to bombard their friends network with their most flattering angle possible selfies?

On second thought, maybe a little Ninja Boasting is fine however if overdone, it might backfire and instead cause your audience to roll their eyes at you. In a nutshell, skip the theatrics and save the drama  for your mama.

Flashy cars and humongous bungalows does appear on my homepage occasionally to the envious of the general public and of course me included...naturally.

Boastie... be it hugh or humble, we all love to share good things but personally I feel it should be done subtly.

My daughter is a fan of selfies....

Who knows, there might be uninvited characters out there stalking your Facebook and for my wealthy friends, be careful, they might even want to share your wealth....

A BLESSED YEAR 2014

The year of the horse has been good to all of us at the home front.

Mom miraculously recovered from the stroke within two months.

The road to recovery for her was one filled with love and care from all her children.

Mom during one of her acupuncture session...

We all take turns to send her for acupuncture everyday at the hospital amidst the madness of the traffic in that part of the city.

Initially Mom has no confidence on her full recovery and she was very depressed but the Chinese physician at the hospital has been very positive and encouraging towards her plus all the attention that she received from us drives her to push herself  harder to stay strong and positive.

Getting a haircut before Chinese New Year.

She thought that she would not be able to visit her only brother which is 95years old this Chinese New Year but this was made possible through everyone,s sheer dedication and of course also Mom,s own strong willpower to recover.

In the mood for Chinese New Year...

A week before Chinese New Year, she has all her angpow and goodies bag ready.

Chinese New Year visiting...

Chinese New Year lunch..

Birthday celebration with children and grand children....

According to the Chinese custom, on the second day of Chinese New Year married daughters will go home to pay respect to their parents and Mom has been visiting her only brother every year although her parents are no longer around and this year is no exceptional thanks to her speedy recovery and I hope there will be many more years of these to come.

A day trip to Kuala Sepetang, Taiping....

For Mom, each waking day is an added bonus for her and she is definitely one lucky lady who have so many children and grand children to love and care for her.

Mom is truly excited going on the LRT..

THE SECOND STROKE...

Celebrating mom,s birthday in 2011

On the 2nd of December 2013 mom suffer a second stroke and this time the blockage was at the nerve that supplies blood to her eyes.

It started with a bout of vomiting and coughing and we thought it was some bugs that made her sick.

After a week when she was not recovering and her vision was getting worse, we realise there is something more serious than just a simple bug attack.

We took her to the hospital and one look at her, the doctor told us she have stroke on the left side of her brain.

I was shock and mom was devastated.

I asked myself over and over again...how could we not see the symptom.

The doctor gave her two weeks medication to try to clear the blockage and to  follow up with a brain scan if things does not gets better after that.

haha....sometimes she can be very selective on her food...

Somebody suggested acupuncture so we started her on the therapy hoping her condition might improve.

After three days of medication and acupuncture, mom began to feel insecure and depressed as her vision is not getting any better.

Our last resort was to send her to the ophthalmology  hoping that they can do something about her eyes but more bad news awaits us.

Mom celebrating the birthday of her twin great-grand-son last year....

After checking mom,s eyes, the doctor told us there is nothing they can do for mom.

We went home with a heavy heart and mom was more depressed and she gets agitated very easily.

Now the only hope for us is to wait for the medication and acupuncture to work.

But day by day I can see that mom is slipping into her depression again....

FATHER AND DAUGHTER

It was love at first sight, and since then, it's been 13 years since this precious little gem came into our live.

A precious Valentine card.....

I call her the third party because I am on second ranking since her invasion.

Father and daughter having a splashing good time.

My husband doted on her like a mother hen would over her chicks.

I definitely do not mind  to be demoted when the doting father would jump out of the bed in the middle of the night over the slightest whimper coming from the cradle.

Hanging on to daddy....

Now you know why being second is a blessing for mommy...but most of all, nothing makes me love my husband more than seeing how much he loves our little daughter.

Happy together....

He would spoilt her rotten and she has definitely got him wrapped around her little fingers, not to take advantage of him, but more just for the comfort of knowing he is there for her.

The little princess has grown into a young lady and daddy is as protective as ever and he is actively involved in her daily development.

A rabbit's ear for daddy....

It is a blessing to see father and daughter sharing such a strong bond together and they adores each other.

Hellooo.. there....

He does not see the awkwardness of her teenage years, her tantrums and neither does he see her mistakes or the secrets she keeps.

Getting the young lady for school...a daily affair

They say that a daughter is a man,s lover from his past life and this is so true....

A handmade Father's Day card...

On father's day, she wrote him this little note that really melt his hearts..

"YOU MAY NOT BE MY PRINCE BUT YOU WILL ALWAYS BE MY KING"

Cute handmade Birthday Card.....

Whoever she grows up to be, she is always to him that little girl in pigtails.

A heart for daddy...

JUDGEMENT OVERKILL

My daughter feels stress out whenever we have a family gathering.

My husband family....his sisters and brothers with their spouse and children.

You see, there is this particular aunt who loves to pass unkind judgment on the youngsters except her own.

We are all judgmental. Yes, even you. I certainly am and many times too.. I think it,s human nature.

My family....

But be careful, do not overkill it.

These young's  may have forgotten how to live outside of electronic gadgetry and high-end coffee shop or those who really want to live like those awful reality show personalities calling everyone "babe" or "darling"

Think about it for a second.  Do not pass judgment on people based on their looks or actions without making an effort to understanding them or see whether our judgment is right or wrong. We were young once.....

Niece, nephew, uncle and aunt celebrating Chinese New Year in harmony...

As aunt or uncle, we don,t have to be as hip as  them and neither do we demand that they bow down to us just so we are older but instead we should try to communicate and understand each other by building a bridge between two human beings.

The kind aunt may have good intention but probably did not realize that she is overdoing it and everytime when there is a family gathering, the kids will avoid her like she has some kind of contagious disease.

Fooling around...who says there's generation gap...

Rambling aside, after talking to my daughter, I have to re-assessment myself to make sure I am not another annoying agony aunt.

Of course I would be a damn hypocrite if I deny that I have not step over the line sometimes in my entire life but for now, the young ones have not treated me like a diseased aunt yet......


"Be curious, not judgmental" - WALT WHITMAN

GOODBYE AGAIN.....

Once again I have to bid farewell to Val again.......

Korean BBQ lunch... Val in checked shirt.

I remember this scenario  two years ago when she came back to settle some documentation problem in Malaysia.

This time her visit was not planned.

Her estranged husband passed away unexpectedly.

We meet Val at the wake of her husband and she look tired after a 24hours flight and I worried for her health.

Sleepover party....

After the funeral, Val  have to sort out her husband business so we did not meet.

Before she goes back to New York for good, we had a smashing good time together.

A jovial good time....

All girls happy hour...

We have a girl's night out and  have the best sleepover ever at Jen's place over the weekend.

I have to admit that I have not acted so crazy in such a long time.

One for the road before goodbye...

It was fun and carefree like good old days again.

Soon it was time for Val to leave.

It is still hard to said goodbye.

I gave her a big hug and could not  hold back my tears.

I wish her luck and health as she really need these two antidote in her live.

Once again, goodbye my dear friend....

FEMALE ONLY

During the mid-term school holiday, I made a bold decision  to drive 540 km to Hat yai, Thailand with my sisters and their daughters.

Hat yai famous for its toot-toot car, food and elephant....

Of course my dear worried husband would not allowed but eventually he relented and give in to my daily whining demands.

We started our journey at 6.30am on a cool Wednesday morning and made a stop at the Tapah Rest Area for a late breakfast and continue our journey to Alor Setar at about 12.30noon for lunch.

Mesmerizing view along the highway...

After lunch, we visited a relative whom we have not seen for a long time.

At about 3.00pm, we proceed with our journey and the drive from Alor Setar to the Thai border was a beautiful sight with green padi fields lined up all the way on both side of the road.

Suckling pig is a famous delicacy in Hat yai also..

Upon reaching the border, we parked our cars at the Bukit Kayu Duty Free Complex and boarded a rented van to Hat yai.

All female holiday :)

Our stay at the Lee Garden Plaza Hotel was a pleasant one and did not scares us one bit although it was known for its notorious bombing last March.

Overall, Hat yai is still the same to me after my last visit 2 decades ago except that the traffic has gotten worse in term of human and machine.

The food is still great but it is no longer cheap and you can find more massage parlors in every crooks and corners.

Crafts and food found at the morning market...

On day 2, we hired a van to take us on a day trip to Songkla which is about an hour drive from Hat yai.

Places of worship in Songkla..

Basically, Songkla is more of a place for worship and it is famous for its elephant farm.

Feeding the elephants at the farm..

It seems Samila beach is a must visit in Songkla because it is famous for its white sandy beach and the symbolic mermaid statue.

Samila Beach...

Shopping in Hat yai is nothing to shout about but we truly enjoy the foot massage.

After a relaxing foot massage...

After spending 4 days in Hat yai, its time for the long drive home.

Traffic was fine except that when we were crossing the Malaysian border, there was a long queue because only 2 counters were open at the immigration. Guess the people working there are still in Hari Raya mood.

The drive home was smooth sailing all the way until half way through the journey, a monkey dash out from nowhere along the highway and went right in front of my car.

Driving at 120kmph, I would not risk the life of everyone in the car but to drive straight through.Everybody was shaken but otherwise fine.

Souvenirs my daughter got for her friends..

I feel so sorry for the poor lost soul and could not do much but said a prayer for it.

We reach home past Cinderella's time at half past twelve midnight and of course logically, our cars did not turn into a pumpkin nor do the human change into any kind of animals except that we are all dead tired.

The worried hubby a.k.a. daddy was waiting anxiously for his queen and princess with a face full of relief....and so the journey ends with a beautiful note...AND THEY LIVE HAPPILY EVER AFTER.