I am 8 months old and I am just so Adorable...

Hi! I am 8 months old today. I have just started to have a new sense of freedom, gliding from one place to another, reaching for my favourite items like plastic bags and my mummy's books and magazines, my daddy's remote controls and bit and pieces of paper here and there. I get very upset when my mummy takes these things away from me and gives me other items, so-called toys to play with instead. She doesn't understand I don't really care for them but they are sometimes quite nice to chew on.

My mummy sometimes put me in front of the television but I am not interested in the Baby Einstein programmes it shows. I prefer to play with my Chie Chie who loves to tickle me and is very good at making me laugh. My Chie Chie is also very good at singing and dancing and I love to watch her whenever she does that. I particularly like it when we play catch the balloon. That is my most favourite game. And my Chie Chie is my most favourite person.

Apart from my Chie Chie, my other favourite person is my mummy. She always kisses, hugs and strokes me and whispers sweet little nothings into my ears. She also cuddles me all the time and makes me feel very comfortable and safe and loved. My mummy sometimes feeds me very strange things like mashed pumpkin and avocado. They are nice but I still prefer my mummy's milk which I drink every 3 hours except in the nights when I get particularly hungry, so my mummy has to feed me as and when I need a drink. Sometimes I just want to suckle but my mummy doesn't mind that. She is always just there for me whenever I need her.

Most of the time, I lie down on my back or on my tummy. But once in a while, I like to sit up to watch the goings-on in the world, in which case, I'll scream and kick a fuss to catch my mummy or my daddy's attention and won't stop until they come to pick me up and let me sit on their laps. I particularly like sitting on my daddy's laps. He likes to bounce me up and down which is really fun and which makes me giggle. He also tickles me and showers me with lots of kisses. I like that very much. At the moment, I still need support to sit upright but the day will soon arrive when I can sit on my very own. I simply can't wait!

I love bath time. I love the little duck and other items that mummy sometimes lets me play with in the bathtub. I also love to kick in the water and to watch and feel the tiny droplets of water jetting out from the shower head onto my chest. Bath time always ends too soon. I am always so disappointed when mummy carries me out from the tub and wrap me up in a towel. That always makes me scream a little in protest. I particularly hate it during dressing time when mummy puts my head, hands and legs through the tiny holes of the collar, sleeves and trousers, so I scream even louder whenever she does that.

Mummy sometimes brings me to the mirror where I could see my mummy and a cute little baby smiling back at me. I like him and am always happy to see him.

Other persons I love are my Er Yee and my grandparents. My Er Yee stays with us and I see her almost every evening. She is very bubbly and always calls my name and asks me how I am when she comes home from work. She also carries me and lets me sit on her laps sometimes. I also like her as she is always smiling. As for my grandpa and granny, I sometimes see them a lot and sometimes not at all. This is because they live very far away but come to see me once in a while. I love to sleep on my grandpa's very big tummy as it is very comfortable. I love to be cuddled by my granny as her arms are always very warm.

What else do I love? I love it when my mother sings to me or blow air onto my face. I love it when my granny pats me to sleep and sings me her lullaby. I love it when daddy gives me a high five. I love it when everybody around me is smiling and laughing. And I love it so very much when chie chie bounces up and down beside me.

My mummy always says I am so very adorable. She calls me her little angel and her cutie pie and her darling little baby boy. She also tells her friends that she is very lucky to have me, that I bring her lots of joy and that she is thankful I am blessed with luck and graciousness. Everywhere I go, people come to take a closer look at me. They all call me "The Friendly Baby". That is why grandpa says mummy should stick a notice on my stroller to say "Please see and not touch!" That is also why my daddy says one day I will have many many girls to love me :)

This is a picture of me when I was 7 months old. See how much I have grown. Do you like my funky hair-style?

Graham Greene: Collected Short Stories: 21 Stories

My first Graham Greene's book was The End of The Affair. It was a brilliant book. So, when I chanced upon his collection of short stories, I did not hesitate to grab a copy. It took me a few nights to finish the book. I went very slowly as I wanted to savour every single word and phrase. Greene's plots are full of twist, irony and are thought-provoking. And I often find myself repeating what I read just to check if I've missed something that could have been a hint of what was to come.

I really like the book and highly recommend it anybody who enjoys being surprised.

My Baby Is Now Mobile!

Date: 25th May, 2007

Time: 3.00pm

Occasion: Zuwern glided forward on his tummy to catch a ball some 3 feet away from him. For the very first time!

Concert

We brought Zerlynde to a concert organized by her dance school Acts Dance last Sunday. It was a two hour concert featuring various dances (ballet, tap, hip-hop, ballroom, groove) as well as violin and piano recitals performed by toddlers as young as 4 and adults as old as 60. The concert was held at the hours coinciding with Zerlynde’s usual naptime but she amazingly sat through the whole 2 hours wide awake! And each time the curtain went down, she would ask us the same question, “Where is chie chie?” [referring to the dancers] Both hubby and I were so wearied towards the end having had to reply her every 3 minute, telling her to wait and to be patient for the next act! Zuwern slept a little and was awake a little. He too seemed to enjoy the performances. Good thing the environment was “baby-friendly” we weren’t embarrassed when he occasionally shrieked in excitement.

Rachel the principal of the school is a really amazing woman, having single-handedly organized such a grand event involving so many performers, and towards a charitable cause too. It was no easy task indeed! Simply getting 20 toddlers to stand in line, in my opinion, is a real huge challenge, let alone getting them to dress up as fairies and swan princesses, at the same time dance in tip-toes and all in sync.

Albeit the performances are a bit amateurish, I am glad we took the afternoon off for this occasion. I sure hope the performances will inspire our little ballerina to continue dancing and will arouse enough curiosity in her to try out the piano and the violin quite soon.

Oh! I must add I was pleasantly surprised to hear the Latin version of Secret Garden’s Heartstrings which the Rhumba dancers used for their dance, and the rendition of Chopin’s Fantasie Impromptu by a 12 fingered pianist! Those were my treats.

Palate Palette Restaurant & Bar

We had dinner with some friends at this restaurant & bar a couple of nights ago. The company was wonderful. The so-called international fusion cusine is, however, not much to speak for. (solely my opinion!) But the place is definitely worth a check-out, if only for the murals on the wall. The rather avant-garde decor upstairs may be a notch too fancy for some. But I rather think the owner-designers are kind of creative in a cute childlike manner. My verdict: I like it ;)

Amy Tan

Amy Tan must be one of the greatest female Asian writer alive. How I love her books; The Joy Luck Club, The Hundred Secret Senses and The Kitchen's God's Wife! Oh! And her non-fiction The Opposite of Fate, her autobiography somewhat, is a delight to read.

My Music Pal

I have this friend who gives me special treats once in a while. I am always so uplifted when he sends this or that song to my Gmail account which was specially created just for that very purpose.

The very first song he sent me was Stevie Wonder’s “Lately”. I was so very thrilled to hear that lovely song for the very first time. (The intro is out of this world!) And my friend was right. Because of this extraordinary ballad, Stevie Wonder is forgiven for his “I just called to say I love you” (my hubby’s favourite song – private joke!) He also sent me other stuffs as varied as an instrumental version of “Me and Mrs Jones” and Brook Benton’s Rainy Night In Georgia”.

On another occasion, he surprised me with Rod Stewart’s “Hot Legs”, Francis Yip’s “Bengawan Solo”, Sarah Vaughan’s “And I Love Her So” and “Something” and “Venus” (which he says is ‘syrupy’ which I agree completely, whatever that means ;)).

And the latest gems he sent were the “Moonraker” theme, the “Munster" theme, “Jeannie” and Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On” and “Mercy Mercy Me”.

His gifts even extended to my dad. He sent “for my papa”, a mandarin song which recalled memories of those 70’s movies starring heartthrob Chin Hang and one of my very first movie idol, Ling Fong Chiao, and lately a very old song called “Walk Away” which I shall play for my dad when he next comes for a visit in KL.

They say music brings the world closer. For me, music brings intimacy to a friendship. I will always remember my friend KB for those Jazz Circle evenings, the chatting till late to candlelight and music playing in the background at Marina Bay planning and dreaming about the craziest wedding which was realised a few years later! ;) (those were one of the most carefree time we future bride, groom, bridesmaid and best man had); and the first time he invited us to his apartment where he displayed all his 100 or so Sarah Vaughan’s CD collection on a little makeshift table, arranged neatly in rows like those stalls selling pirated VCDs at Pulau Tikus. That was also the first time I heard and fell in love with Sarah Vaughan’s “Corcovado”! (The amazing Vibrato – how did she do that?!)

It takes a lot of effort to sit at one’s pc and to upload those songs and to do and take all the little things and steps involved in sending songs to another being in cyberspace. So, for my very special friend who thinks of me sometimes, here’s a very big thank you, arigato, merci, xie-xie, gracia, terima kasih! And you are right, Marvin Gaye has one of the smoothest soul voice in the whole wide world.