House renovation going at snail pace (2)

After another 3 weeks, 2 months from when it all started.

Horrific South Australian child abuse case

SHOCKING details have emerged of an alleged child abuse case in Adelaide. Five-year-old twin boys, found among 21 children living in squalor were so weak and malnourished they could not even sit up by themselves.

One of the twins had a head injury allegedly caused by an assault and was suffering from hypothermia, while the other had septicemia. Their three siblings were described as "very thin", withdrawn, having a limited ability to walk and suffering from pain.

Three men and three women, aged between 26 and 40, pleaded not guilty in court to charges relating to the five children.

For more details please read: Horrific South Australian child abuse in http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/

Almost 53,000 children are estimated to have died worldwide in 2002 as a result of homicide. In some industrialized countries, infants under one year face about three times the risk of homicide, almost invariably at the hands of parents, than children aged 1 to 4, and twice the risk of those aged 5 to 14.
- World Report on Violence against Children

A very special friend's new home

Visited Nor's new top floor (15th) condo unit in Subang Avenue, conveniently located right next to hypermarket chain Carrfour, shopping complex Subang Parade, the commuter train station and in the near future, the LRT station.

Nor, you're a very special person, I hope your new neighbours know how lucky they are!

Freinds, neighbours and relatives make my day!

It makes me a happy woman when many friends, neighbours and relatives dropped by on the first day of Aidilfitri, which fell on 20 September this year.

Second son Farouk and daughter-in-law Azni arriving home.

Amalia (second from left), daughter Deedee's best friend, and family were the first guests to arrive. On the extreme right are Amalia's parents.

L-R: Amalia's younger sister, Amalia and Deedee

My affable brother-in-law Ching.

Mr Cheah, Deedee's boss and his wife

My close friends, L-R: Nor Hajar, Ivy and Suan

Mr Teoh, as usual, in a story-telling mood!

The kindly Mrs. Teoh

Mrs. Teoh must be giving some kindly advice to Helen.

L-R: Ivy, Suzanne and Mrs Teoh

Nor and me with the ketupat and the lemang in the kitchen

Deedee seems to be a crowd favourite with the uncles and aunties

My in-laws who dropped by in the afternoon. L-R: my daughter-in-law's second sister, her husband, my daughter-in-law's Father, Zahari and Mother, Sharma. Dee dee is entertaining my ex-office collegues in the background.

Sharma posing for the camera

L-R: Deedee's friend Jane and her sister who is holding up my beef rendang which she enjoyed very much. She said she will come back again the next aidilfitri for the beef rendang. Ha...ha...so cute..

Cooking the rendang

Tommorrow Muslims all over the world celebrate the festival of Aidilfitri – known as Hari Raya Puasa in Malaysia. It marks the completion of Ramadhan, the holy month of fasting.

As ususal 1 day before aidilfitri, I would cook the traditional dishes such as the beef rendang, chicken rendang and ketupat for the children and neighbours and friends who come to visit. Probably I had been doing it for the last 30 years or so. But I don't think my rendang had shown any improvement over the years...mmm...in fact everytime I cook it, it tastes different, sometimes better, sometimes not so good. I think I am not destined to be one of those women who would leave a legacy behind in the culinary department...


The just completed chicken rendang in the kuali. In front are some of the many ingredients that go into making this must-have Hari Raya dish.

House renovation going at snail pace (1)

Spent almost 3 hours in the hot afternoon and fasting too, at the house in Kota Damansara, "pretending" to approve the rennovation at the back of the house. Eric the contractor explained the workers are doing the footing and reinforcement. Ya..ya...good...I said, as though I knew any better. Then went through with Eric and the electrician from room to room determing the extra electrical points that need to be installed.

After more than 1 month, that's all they have achieved, blaming it on the wet weather!

Will post again after some progress is achieved.

Another inspiration

You have brains in your head.You have feet in your shoes.You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. ~Dr. Seuss

An inspirational thought

"Believe it can be done. When you believe something can be done, really believe, your mind will find the ways to do it. Believing a solution paves the way to solution." -David Joseph Schwartz

Colourful Scenes of Bazaar Ramadan in Section 13 Shah Alam

The month of Ramadan is the ninth month in the Islamic lunar calendar, and is a month when Muslims must fast from sunrise till sunset. It is only during the month of Ramadan that you will find the Ramadan Bazaar, located at various places in the villages, towns and cities, where traders sell mostly food and drinks for the breaking of fast.

The food traders, who are given temporary license at allotted spaces by the local authority, normally sell under canopies and huge umbrellas. Stalls are normally set up as early as 3 or 4 pm and by about 5-6 pm the stalls would be packed with people of all races and religions, not only the Muslims.

Fasting is not only forgoing food and drink from sunrise till sunset, but also "fasting" and refraining from all bad practices and thoughts.

Friendship that dwells within the heart

Today my very close friend Nor and her family moved out from the condo where we had been staying for the last 11 years. I shall miss our daily brisk walks in the neighbourhood, her cooking, the special closeness I shared with her and most of all her touch of kindness when it was needed most.

Nor all packed and ready to go.

The kitchen counter where I had spent a lot of time over the last 11 years, sipping green tea and taking advantage of Nor's hospitality.

We had had the benefit of being entertained by Ezra (Nor's elder son) on this organ until he left to study medicine in Australia about 3 years ago.

The professional movers , Cheah and his assistant, moving the furnitures

Iskandar Lim (Nor's husband) standing guard at the second floor lift with some of the furnitures.

There's a miracle of Friendship that dwells within the heart,

And you don't know how it happens or where it gets its start...

But the happiness it brings you always gives a special lift,

And you realize that Friendship Is God's most perfect gift.

By Jean Kyler McManus

Limited to a few drops of water a day!

In the Carnation-area in Seattle, a teenage girl (now 15) was systematically starved by the stepmother who limited the girl to a few drops of water a day. The father Jon Pomeroy, 43, wrote in plea paperwork that he knew his wife, Rebecca Long, was disciplining the girl by depriving her of food and water, but he opted not to intervene.

Police and prosecutors say that Pomeroy and his wife had for long isolated and starved the girl, who was just 4 feet 7 and weighed just 48 pounds when authorities found her in August 2008 after they were called to the home to check on the girl at the request of Child Protective Services. The teen suffered dehydration so severe that all of her teeth were rotting!

A veteran King County sheriff's detective said it was the worst case of abuse he had seen.

Investigators say the girl told them that Long permitted her half a Dixie cup of water a day and supervised the girl's showers and tooth-brushing so she could not sneak a drink. The girl said she once was caught drinking from the toilet because her thirst was so bad.

For more information, please read: Carnation man accused of starving daughter pleads guilty

Teen starved for years in 'horrendous' case of abuse

"Violence can have severe implications for children’s development. In the most severe cases, it can lead to death or injury. However, it can also affect children’s health, their ability to learn or even their willingness to go to school at all. It can lead children to run away from home, exposing them to further risks. Violence also destroys children’s self-confidence and can undermine their ability to be good parents in the future. Children subjected to violence have a heightened risk of depression and suicide in later life "- quote from UNICEF

He Brews!

A man and his wife were having an argument about who should brew the coffee each morning.

The wife said, "You should do it, because you get up first, and then we don't have to wait as long to get our coffee".

The husband said, " You are in charge of the cooking around here and you should do it, because that is your job, and I can just wait for my coffee."

Wife replies, "No you should do it, and besides it is in the Bible that the man should do the coffee."

Husband replies, " I can't believe that, show me."

So she fetched the Bible, and opened the New Testament and shows him at the top of several pages, that it indeed says: "HEBREWS"

Ke...ke...ke...

Credit to: http://www.thejokeyard.com/