Penang Book Club

This past weekend we headed back to Penang with Sophie in tow. Her first trip out of Singapore and her first flight. Sheesh and she not even a year old. Oh well this is the world we live in.

Anyways the whole Malaysian household were awaiting the arrival of the new arrival and soon all were cooing and smitten by her presence. With Hainanese being the communication medium of choice and with the telly on either some violent cartoon or a Cantonese drama, I needed to find something to engage myself. With no Wifi as well I needed to get back to basics by settling myself down with a good book.

On one of my maiden trips there, I bought Home Beautiful magazine, in desperation, and I read it cover to cover, all articles, snippets and columns. I even played close attention to the ads. After that I became interested in home decorating and eventually that magazine became the inspiration for our current home. So began the Penang Book Club.

This time around I tried to go the magazine route but as I perused them in the plane, I knew I would be bored soon. When we were out shopping one of our stops was at a bookstore. I scrambled to find a good read. As the wife was queuing to pay, I more or less given up the search when I stumbled upon LaHaye and Jenkins latest release. These guys brought us the Left Behind series that kept me enthralled for nearly 10 years.

Luke's Story is a novel about Luke's life and how he became one of the authors of the Bible fictionalised to put it simply. Within two days I was half way through and was looking forward to continue my read on my flight home.  Guess what? Of all the things to get left behind in Penang, it had to be this book by the authors of the Left Behind series. Ironic. Now I need to scour Singapore for this book so I can continue my read.

M loves to read

Monday Blues

Telephone Call

**Rrriiiiinnnnggg, rrriiiinnnngg,**

**'Hello?'**

**'Hi honey.**
**This is Daddy.**
**Is Mommy near the phone?'**

**'No, Daddy.**
**She's upstairs in the bedroom with Uncle Dave.'**

**After a brief pause,**

**Daddy says,**
**'But honey, you haven't got an Uncle Dave.'**

**'Oh yes I do, and he's upstairs in the room with Mommy,**
**Right now..'**

Brief Pause.

**'Uh, okay then, this is what I want you to do.**
**Put the phone down on the table, run upstairs**
**And knock on the bedroom door and shout to Mommy**
**That Daddy's car just pulled into the driveway.'**

**'Okay, Daddy, Just a minute.'**

**A few minutes later**
**The little girl comes back to the phone.**

**'I did it, Daddy.'**

**'And what happened, honey?' **

'Well, Mommy got all scared, jumped out of bed with no clothes on and ran around screaming.**

**Then she tripped over the rug, hit her head on the dresser**
**And now she isn't moving at all!'**

**'Oh my God!!! What about your Uncle Dave?'**

**'He jumped out of the bed with no clothes on, too.**

**He was all scared and he jumped out of the back window**
**And into the swimming pool.**
**But I guess he didn't know that you took out the water**
**Last week to clean it.**

**He hit the bottom of the pool and I think he's dead.'**

*****Long Pause*****

*****Longer Pause*****

*****Even Longer Pause*****

**Then Daddy says,**

**'Swimming pool? ………..**

**Is this 486-5731?'*

**No, I think you have the wrong number……

M

Sept découvertes cette semaine*

 1) Likes the taste of Gripe Water.

2) Is completely reliant on His supply for the days' demands.

3) Does not like this time of the year. The season ends for all my
favourite shows. Bye bye Lost and 24!

4) Realised that Twitter is basically spam!

5) Thinks there is divinty in the time 11:11.

6) iPads all sold out!!! - was the title of the email I recieved at
4am from sister visiting the US. Just when I psyced myself on getting
one. Oh well!

7) Not only do I think but I know I am the most blessed man in the
world. Thank you Maju and Mojo. Thank you Jesus!

* Ha! Yet another change in title, more fitting yes?

M

Monday Blues

Ease your Monday blues with this:

After getting all of Pope Benedict’s luggage loaded into the limo, (and he doesn’t travel light), the driver notices the Pope is still standing on the curb.

‘Excuse me, Your Holiness,’ says the driver, ‘Would you please take your seat so we can leave?’

‘Well, to tell you the truth,’ says the Pope, ‘they never let me drive at the Vatican when I was a cardinal, and I’d really like to drive today.’

‘I’m sorry, Your Holiness, but I cannot let you do that. I’d lose my job!
What if something should happen?’ protests the driver, wishing he’d never gone to work that morning..

‘Who’s going to tell?’ says the Pope with a smile.

Reluctantly, the driver gets in the back as the Pope climbs in behind the wheel. The driver quickly regrets his decision when, after exiting the airport, the Pontiff floors it, accelerating the limo to 205 kms.. (Remember, the Pope is German..)

‘Please slow down, Your Holiness!’ pleads the worried driver, but the Pope keeps the pedal to the metal until they hear sirens.

‘Oh, dear God, I’m going to lose my license — and my job!’ moans the driver. The Pope pulls over and rolls down the window as the cop approaches, but the cop takes one look at him, goes back to his motorcycle, and gets on the radio.

‘I need to talk to the Chief,’ he says to the dispatcher.

The Chief gets on the radio and the cop tells him that he’s stopped a limo going 205 kph..

‘So bust him,’ says the Chief.

‘I don’t think we want to do that, he’s really important,’ said the cop. The Chief exclaimed,’ All the more reason!’

‘No, I mean really important,’ said the cop with a bit of persistence. The Chief then asked, ‘Who do you have there, the mayor?’

Cop: ‘Bigger.’

Chief: ‘ A senator?’

Cop: ‘Bigger.’

Chief: ‘The Prime Minister?’

Cop: ‘Bigger.’

‘Well,’ said the Chief, ‘who is it?’

Cop: ‘I think it’s God!’

The Chief is even more puzzled and curious, ‘What makes you think it’s God?’

Cop: ‘His chauffeur is the Pope!’

M

7 Things*

1) Is starting to see distinct similarities between Sophie and me.

2) Health tip -- Symptom: Right shoulder pain can be a sign of indigestion.  Cure: Rub tummy in clockwise motion 80 times to increase blood flow which will aid digestion thus easing shoulder pain. Cause: There is nerve running from the digestive system to your right shoulder.

3) My mum has an inexhaustible repertoire of English and French nursery rhymes.

4) Children are like sponges they are constantly absorbing all they see. Imagine this bumper sticker : Adults beware, Children absorbing!

5) Loves Phaidon books! The CENTURY book we bought nearly 4 years ago is still an amazing book to flip while on the white throne.

6) Has given in to the high Pay-TV price to watch the 2010 World Cup. It better be good. :-)

7) God always shows Himself in places you least expect only if you care to look.

*Changing the title from 7 in 1 to 7 things

Children

Innocent little minds are like sponges, they are absorbing non-stop. Sometimes we adults take for granted the intense impression and influence we  have on them. I remember using the F-word many years ago when I was talking on the phone. My niece heard it, she was 4 at the time and started to repeat it to her mum who was in the room with my parents much to their horror as well as mine! That was nearly 16 years ago.

Now that I have become parent, I want to set the best possible example for Sophie. Of course I will do this in the best way I know how which incidentally will differ from other parents. Not only will they absorb our minor indiscretions but also our idiosyncrasies and soon they become the images of ourselves. Personally, its quite scary sometimes to fathom someone walking, talking and acting like me.

It’s quite a responsibility to shoulder. But I look forward to the day when Sophie does something good and someone says “Oh, she’s just like her Dad!”

M proud of my little girl

7 in 1

1) 50mm f1.8 lens has been a revelation of a lens and it's so cheap

2) Found out that meals are more satisfying when dessert is eaten
first. Much more!

3) Self improvement is better that static improvement

4) Cats are vile creatures

5) Loves Manchester United

6) Simple and thoughtful gifts are always sure winners

7) I work to live and not live to work

Mothers

Always under appreciated and very often taken for granted. Society has always labeled a mother's job as being easier than going out to work. Though I am glad that this notion is changing, personally being the primary caregiver of Sophie this past month, I can attest to the devotion, the unique heart and endurance it takes to be "MOM"

We folks who head out for work have it easy. If we feel demotivated at work we can always head out for a quick latte or have a chat to a colleague for relief. A mom hardly has this luxury, when she's demotivated she sucks it up and changes that dirty diaper, makes that bottle of milk or tries to pacify the crying child. But the greatness comes from the fact that moms are never demotivated and each thing they do is a labour of love. I am sure that none of us attend meetings, or give that presentation, or polish off that report in the labour of love vein.

I guess that's what separates mothers from the rest of us. It's all a labour of love. It's that consistent, unwavering and intense passion that allows or rather necessitates them to dig deep each and everyday. If our workday was anything like a mother's we'd be job hunting and quitting.

So Mums, here's to you and all the things you do. My admiration for you is bountiful but it cannot be compared to that labour of love. Nothing comes close to you!

Happy Mothers Day!

7 in 1

Just a new weekly post that I am starting; 7 in 1 which is basically 7 new things in 1 week. So enjoy!

1) Phoenix's 1901 is an awesome track for that quick pick me up.

2) Should skip lunch more often. Find myself eating it because it's 
lunch.

3) You can open a bank account online.

4) 1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear
         -- this has been my mantra this week

5) Enjoys the bad habit of reading on his iPhone in complete darkness 
before bed time.

6) Just finished Michael Crichton's Pirate Latitudes, it was published 
posthumously. I will miss his storytelling.

7) Ruminate!