Sunday, October 18, 2009

The Brezza Condominium - Service after sales

One word - unreliable!!!

Come to think of it, it applies to before, pre and after sales service.

I first made the 1% downpayment on Aug 20th and finally last week, I managed to pay the remaining 9%. That was like after several reminders to the salesperson to provide me with their company acct no and full name. The salesperson gave empty promises. "I'll let you know this afternoon". And that afternoon never came until 1 week later.

Not only that, they backdated the S&P agreement date to the date I first made the 1% downpayment which was one month later!!! And if it wasn't for us following up on the case, neither the lawyers nor UDA bothered to call us up.

And now, we have had received numerous progressive bills (which was supposed to be sent to our banker...), again backdated ones..!! And yet, they have the guts to request us to make the payment within one month time!! Which had already expired even before it reached us!! %^"$%$!!! So, I certainly "look forward" to the time they tell us to pay the penalty charges due to late payment...!

Are they really that incompetent????!!!

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Lazy weekend

It's only 4.00pm on Sunday but seems like I've been sitting here in the living hall for hours.... Time certainly crawls at this moment.

Rainy day... It's been raining non-stop since yesterday morning. The positive points are the air is fresh and the weather's just nice. Good time to just relax and do nothing. That's exactly what I've been doing... Doing nothing. Light newspaper and Facebook reading. Till I get so bored....and lazy...

The whole neighbourhood seems to come to a standstill except for the on-going passing by cars in front of the house. At least that keeps me company. Leia's soundly asleep. Since 1.30pm... Hubby woke up not long ago and he's out now. Maid - probably still finding things to do to keep her occupied. Pa-in-law is still resting nicely in his room....

What's there interesting and productive for me to do right now? Think about what to cook again? Oh... not again, though I must admit that I like to cook. I'm putting on weight again, that's why! Hmmmph!

Anywhere nice to go around Penang in such weather? It's weekend, come on! It shouldn't be turned into hibernating days every end of the week... Why am I not creative anymore when it comes to planning outdoor activities? Have I fallen into the trap of momhood? I shudder to think of being one like my grandmother used to be. No way... it's just not me.

Sunday, August 16, 2009

The Brezza Condominium

We have verbally booked a unit last Thursday. Pretty excited and yet concerned. After all, it's our first property investment initiative. Quite nervous actually...

Have been eyeing and following the updates of property market in Penang for a while now. The theory is that if you see something good, you gotta do it fast. Otherwise, you'll lose out. Well, being a conservative and low-risk taker I am, many good opportunities have indeed slipped out of the hand. So, this time must let hubby handles this investment plan of ours. No more pulling him back...

The Brezza Condo is one of the upcoming non-landed properties in Penang. Its developer is Uda Land (semi-owned by the government).

Some write-up made available in the developer's website;

The Brezza at Desiran Tanjong is strategically located in the hub of Penang’s growing township of Tanjong Tokong and is within walking distance to the Island Plaza shopping mall and Prima Tanjung business centre and a short driving distance to the famous Gurney Drive and Georgetown city centre.

02 km to Persiaran Gurney

08 km to Georgetown

12 km to Ferry Terminal / Jetty

15 km to Penang Bridge

35 km to Bayan Lepas International Airport


The Brezza comprises 24-storey twin condominiums totalling 312 units. Its unique V-shaped tower offers panoramic view of the sea and the surrounding hills and greens.


The Brezza units offer spacious built up of 1,250 to 1,450 sq ft, complemented by elegant and contemporary finishes. Each unit consists of three bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms, each master bathroom comes with shower screen. The living hall and master bedroom are linked directly to a private lanai.
V-Shape Design
View from ground infront block

Security is of essence at The Brezza whereby residents are provided with smart card access, 24-hour surveillance system and direct intercom connection to the security post.
A swimming pool, children’s pool, Jacuzzi, children’s playground and club house are among the recreational facilities offered at
The Brezza . The swimming pool offers an infinity view of the sea line from its landscaped rooftop podium.
Jacuzzi
Wading pool
Infinity swimming pool
Children playground
Club House with gymnasium, lounge and changing room
Landscaped garden
Reflexology track
BBQ area
Broadband ready
Intercom connecting Condo to Guardhouse
2 Tiers Security System
Covered Car Park

Lift lobby
View from swimming pool
View inside swimming pool
View podium
View pool deck
Security 24-hour

Got to place a RM500 deposit to confirm the unit tomorrow. So now, am busy checking out the best home loan packages in town.

Friday, August 14, 2009

Headhunter

Just got a call from headhunter for Shipping Manager position. Should I or should I not?

Friday, July 24, 2009

Second beach outing cum dinner

Last Saturday, I finally managed to persuade hubby to take us all to the beach. I read in several websites like this and this that toddlers at Leia's age are interested in playing with sand and water. So, I thought we must grant this favour to Leia. And the last time we took her to a beach was several months back. But of course, the recent raining season has been a "good excuse" to hubby as to why we shouldn't... Hmmm, I think he's getting lazier and heavier each day.... No wonder!


And the recent haze enveloping major parts in Malaysia (Penang certainly not spared!) just adds salt to the wound. So, if you ask us what we have been doing lately? Home and shopping complex quarantined.


Getting all ready to go. Where is this papa?

What happened to her pony tail??


Have to wait for mommy to get ready... as usual...



Meantime, let's play outdoor with Mr.Giraffe!



Phoenix wants to join in the fun!



Ah Kong continues to water the plants while waiting for everyone to get ready...

Real hot weather. Itchy...

Mommy, wipe wipe....

There are so many beaches in Penang and since clock was showing 6pm plus by the time we got ready, we decided to go to the nearest beach at Tanjung Tokong area so that we could get good sunset view. The beach was located behind Naza Hotel.

Getting there soon....

The sea!

Going down the steps


Yay, we're here!

Tie hair. Hot, hot , hot!


Wear slippers, roll up the jeans


We first visited the beach with Leia when she was less than a year old. I could still remember that she was afraid of the sea wave appproaching her then. And last Saturday, she was afraid too. The wave was rough and it was high tide. And it was so hot! We could hardly open our eyes. Ah kong and the maid were smart to go hiding under a shady tree.

So, this mommy decided to take on the role model stand. I went near the sea and dipped my legs into the water. She was encouraged by the sight of me touching the sea water and took a few steps forward.... before retreating. An angry' wave was approaching, you see...

And before we knew it, the wave reached her violently and SPLASH!! Leia's offcially wet. From her chest all the way down. And what's the next reaction? Waaaaahhhhhh...!!! Official sign of protest from the 'lil princess.
Very, very sad....


And perhaps we (or should I say... "I") have taught her too much about the need to being clean, she regarded the sand stuck to her feet as "dirty". In between her cries, she couldn't stop complaining, "dirty..... dirty.....dirty.... mommy dirty...... papa dirty......". Both hubby and I didn't know whether to laugh and sympathise at her antics! Well, we did try to explain to her that it is sand and not dirt... but.... tough luck.

Showing us her 'dirty' foot...

Still, I wasn't ready to give up on our beach outing. So, we quickly took out her beach toys - spade, Maggi mee empty cups, container... and showed it to her on how we're supposed to play with sand... build sandcastles....collect sea shells..... bury our feet into the sand....

A one minute of non-crying scene. But still in her static pose....


Well, she did sat down on my lap and played with sand for a while before she remembered the 'dirt' still stuck on her feet. Then, the whole drama started again. Haih.... that officially ended our beach outing. Went for dinner instead. In wet clothes and no change.

Hmmm....we should do this beach outing more frequent. What say you?

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

What now?

Okay, here I am trying to juggle a few tasks at one go. Well, not the first time, though...

Priorities, priorities! Set my priorities right, that's it! I think I have a serious problem with that.

So, what do I do first now? Prepare the listening text for my students (my least favourite task...) or search for some good classroom materials for my afternoon class later? Or even better, write a post in my blog now... hehehehe....

As I surf the net for ideas, I got information overload. One thing led to another and before long, I'm lost - once again....

Was trying to look for a great article for the listening test and ended up reading up Twitter. And since I haven't installed one in my blog yet, thought I could do a quick one. "Mana tau" I ended up wasting my half hour figuring out (still) how to fix it. And that took me a whole big process of reading, understanding and following the instructions. As you can see that there's still no twitter widget uploaded here, you can guess the outcome of my effort.... zero.

Why did I end up babbling here when I'm supposed to focus on my listening test preparation. Blame it on distractions!

Friday, July 10, 2009

Purpose in life


This must be the best year ever in my life! I'm able to focus on my family-building, particularly. Also, I'm enjoying my new working life, qetting acquainted once more with my old school buddies and many others through Facebook and indulging into new hobbies like cooking, baking and recycling. All at one go! My house, my home has never been much a better place to live than now!


I never thought that letting go that once prized job could open up so many new opportunities to me... But it was not easy to let go. It took me about a year to discern and finally took that leap of faith. I'll never forget that one very important person who made me realised the need to walk the talk. That is, to put important things in my life FIRST. It's always been easy to announce to the world that 'my family comes first' but it's always been a struggle to many families or parents like me to really put that into action. If we do indeed give it a real serious thought, it's not that difficult to see that it's almost contradicting to believe that our family comes first when most of the time we're engaged in office or other activities around the clock.


Really, God has been good. Now I understand the purpose of God placing those not-so-comfortable situations in my life 1-2 years ago. Yes, it is good!

My papa's 61st birthday celebration May this year.

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Bz mommy's back!

Phew...! Just came back to my office from a 2-day workshop. Tiring... but am happy that we achieved the objectives.

Hmmm, not too sure how many times I'm going to say this...but I'm surprised that this blog has been left un-updated for more than a month now! Yeah, yeah... I gotta discipline myself in my time management so that all tasks get done. With new responsibilities, priorities have changed once again... Can't help it but if it's gotta be done that way, then that's the way it is gonna be....

What am I mumbling about? Probably just need an avenue to clear out all the thoughts lingering in my head right now...

As expected, I have missed out updating so many latest happenings in my and Leia's lives. Thanks to my long silence but will try to catch up. I promise.

Leia has been growing up very fast. She's in her baby talk phase right now - "go ga tha di dum tha...", "ma cha si di na...". Incomprehensible but it's been fun reacting to her verbalisation. *Is there such word??* Also, she's now trying very hard to build sentences in her conversation with us. For example, " Papa wake up" (when she's been asked by yours truly to wake up her lazy daddy from his slumber...), "Mommy keep" (when she wants me to keep her books for her after reading), "Kakak (sister in Malay) makan".... Oh yes, she's learning Malay language too with her "kakak" (our new maid). Yup, you see it right... we've got a maid too!!! It's another long story to share... Will do it in another post, I promise. Oh god, it's the second promise I made within the same post!!

But one thing good for sure, I can now cook almost everyday for the family. Thanks to kakak's ever ready assistance.

Talking about that, I better think of what to cook for tonight now...!

Friday, May 1, 2009

Move over Swine flu, it's Coxsackie time

With so much news on swine flu in the media lately, who would have thought that it's Coxsackie virus which managed to be the center of attention in our family?

Just got a call from mom about half an hour ago, my niece - Cassandra was admitted to the hospital this late evening for this C virus. I was shocked to hear the unwelcomed news. As quick as lightning, my mind raced to flash back any past incidents that could possibly lead me to suspect Leia may be in danger as well. She has just met and played with her cousin last Sun. That was 5 days ago. 

So, as kiasu as I can be, I'm now stuck in front of the pc (for the last 1 and a half hour) refreshing my memory on C virus facts. The time now 12 midnight. 

Surfed up a few websites and here's one (FAQ) from the New York State Health Department,

What is hand, foot and mouth disease?

Hand, foot and mouth disease is a viral infection caused by a strain of Coxsackie virus. It causes a blister-like rash that, as the name implies, involves the hands, feet and mouth. (Hand, foot and mouth disease is different than foot-and-mouth disease, which is an infection of cattle, pigs, sheep, goats and deer and is caused by a different virus.)

Who gets hand, foot and mouth disease?

Usually this occurs in children under 10 years old, but occasionally can occur in young adults.

How is it spread?

The virus is spread by direct contact with nose and throat discharges, blisters and feces of infected people.

What are the symptoms and when do they start?

Symptoms of fever, poor appetite, runny nose and sore throat can appear three to five days after exposure. A blister-like rash on the hands, feet and in the mouth usually develops one to two days after the initial symptoms.

When and how long can someone spread the disease?

A person is contagious when the first symptoms appear and may continue until the blister-like skin lesions disappear. The virus has been known to be shed in the stool for up to several weeks.

How is hand, foot and mouth disease diagnosed?

The diagnosis is generally suspected on the appearance of blister-like rash on hands and feet and mouth in a child with a mild febrile illness. Although specific viral tests are available to confirm the diagnosis, they are rarely performed due to expense and length of time needed to complete the tests.

Does a prior infection with Coxsackie virus make a person immune?

Specific immunity can occur, but a second episode is possible from a different strain of Coxsackie virus.

What is the treatment?

There is no specific treatment. Treatment is aimed at fever control and maintaining good oral hydration.

Can there be complications associated with hand, foot and mouth disease?

The illness is typically mild, complications are rare. More serious infections have been seen recently with a certain strain of Coxsackie viral infection in Indonesia.

What can be done to prevent the spread of this disease?

Children who feel ill or have a fever should be excluded from group settings until the fever is gone and the child feels well. Thorough handwashing and care with diaper changing practices is important as well.

Is there a risk for pregnant women?

There is debate as to any congenital disorders related to Coxsackie viral infections and pregnancy. Pregnant women should consult their obstetrician for further information.  (source from Communicable Diseases)


So the conclusion is, there's no vaccine nor cure to this illness. To prevent - stay hygienic and to speed up the healing process - good oral hydration and fever control...

I'm now 99% sure that Leia is not infected coz she has not shown any cited symptoms so far... Except mild flu for 1.5 days more than a week ago. But nah....

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Accident!


Leia had a rather terrible fall this morning. As both hubby and I were busy getting ready for work, Leia ran across the dining hall and tripped. Her head knocked the edge of the fridge and in and instant, we heard a loud scream....!
It must have been the worst fall she had so far. Well, I could sort of guessed it coz her cry was unstoppable and the bruise was swelling so quickly.

Still not happy... Ouch, my forehead...

It took us almost 15 minutes to console and assure her that it was alright then. Usually, her cry will immediately stop once we pick her up if the fall is minor. Poor baby...

Monday, March 2, 2009

No teeth still?? Part 3

Yes, finally made it to the clinic! Well, guess I had overly-rated my expectations prior to the visit coz it was nothing exciting nor eye-opening! I have no one to be blamed but myself!

"What is it?, what is it?", you may ask... But oh well... nothing extraordinary happened. Reached the clinic almost 9am and for the first time, couldn't get a parking lot there. Why did every parents decide to bring their 'lil ones there on the same day..?? So, being the responsible road user I always am, I politely parked next to the motorcycle park illegally but made sure that I didn't obstruct the traffic. Very thoughtful, wasn't I? Thankfully, I managed to persuade the security guard to let me go. Not surprising, right? Who on earth will not sympathise to a helpless, semi-incompetent-looking mom with a toddler strapped on the car seat - without any other human being at sight to assist her, right? "Cheh eh ho liao ha?" ("Just for a short while, ok?" in Hokkien), requested the security guard.

The visit lasted about one and a half hours. I do hope it is considered "short" for the kind security guard...

Anyway, it was just another regular check-up. Checked her weight - 9.5kg. She only gained 100g since her last 2 months visit. It's considered a low increase... But nothing to worry about as long as she's still gaining weight progressively. She was measured height for the first time, though.. 77.4cm. Oh, another first time - dental check, the moment I've been waiting for!

"Buka mulut, Leia..." ("open your mouth" in Malay), the nurse asked her. "Mai..." ("no" in Hokkien), she retorted. This happened for a few times until everyone gave up. So, I explained her progress to the nurse. According to her, some babies are late bloomers. *Duh.... They will usually refer the late bloomers to doctors if there's still no sign of teeth by the age of 2. So, Leia "failed the test" to get the chance to meet the doc. Remember I told you earlier, one tooth on the upper gum is showing...

So, there we were... listening to some dental care advise given by the nurse. I find it hard to believe that I need to start cleaning her hardly visible tooth! and gum. No more pacifier. Fact or myth?? That babies may develop imperfect teeth if they continue chewing on their pacifiers.

Want to know our progress thus far? Well, Leia has successfully lived her last 2 days without pacifier. Easy-peasy. No violent protest required. But....but... as for cleaning her tooth and gum, no action has been taken yet. Blame it on my lack of urgency. Hmmm... maybe tonight.

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

No teeth still?? Part 2

Hehehe.... I see something in there....!

Yup! I'm seeing sign of teething! Leia's first tooth is struggling to pierce through her toughen gum. Counted. 1/4 tooth is out. Meaning, the first one is not totally out yet. But, it's ok. I can heave a sigh of relief now...hai..... :)

Hubby's right. We've not heard of cases of toothless child, right? And I'm pretty sure Leia will not place her name in Guinness World Records...if you know what I mean....

Nevertheless, I can't wait to visit her doctor this coming Thursday. Counting down!

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

One more day to go...

Though I'm loving it..!, but I'm also looking forward to a beauty sleep - desperately. It feels like my whole body system is going to give up on me anytime soon unless I give it a deserving rest.

As I write now, I have just had tightening of muscle near my right chest. Ouch! My eyes are heavy and my right wrist aches due to sitting extremely long in front of my laptop. I know... these are signs that I need to rest... but this will be the lastnight. Hang on there, "boddy".

It's been 4 nights in a row now that I've been sleeping around 2-4am. Just couldn't take a rest when I still have more to work on the training materials at the back of my head. Luckily, I have hubby and pa-in-law to look after Leia while I stare at this feelingless, square, "intelligent" box everynight. Leia has been behaving quite well and went to bed early. Thank God...

Despite feeling delighted to be the chosen as the trainer for workplace communication course for our Penang State Secretariat employees, I was a bit disheartened to discover that the existing training materials could actually be placed in the museum as artifacts! And that discovery was on last Thursday. And the training was scheduled on the following Monday till Wednesday! How would you feel if you were in my shoes??

Well, I almost exploded! In fact, I felt more amused than disappointed. As a consolation to me, there was basically coming to zero expectations from the organiser. So, I could have chosen to stick to the old materials and don't have to improvise them at all. But my conscience told me otherwise. So, here I am now... still struggling to complete the final piece of tomorrow's materials.

Ok, gotta get back to work after whining it all out to all of you...!

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Maid chapter

I have not shared this concern before in my blog. But I think I'll share now. Anxiety has been the key feeling of mine for the last few days. Not surprising especially when it concerns this matter, don't you think so?

Hmmm, where shall I start? Well, let's just put it this way - the need of having a maid to run the household with this semi-efficient wife cum mommy has cropped up again. In fact, hubby and I are giving it a very serious thought about having one now. It is with the hope that both of us will be released from doing the petty housework (which needs to be done on a regular basis in order to have a healthy home environment) and focus on other more important matters like spending quality time with Leia, spending more time with just the two of us, working on our investment matters, getting more sleep, having more time for leisure activities, etc, etc.

Yeah, very ironic situation, I know. Here I am quitting my high paid job for a not-so high paid job so that I can have more time for the family... and yet this yours truly still fail to keep the house in tip top condition. It's to the extent that we need to resort to a maid...??? Mind-boggling, isn't it?

Having a maid will cost us a total average of RM650-800 per month! Not a small sum, indeed. Plus all the maid horror stories that we're hearing everyday, it seems like a unwise move. But.... but....but if we do the mathematics right which is to include all the intangible costs (plus benefits) incurred, we should still be able to afford one.

When we have one, we won't have to send Leia to my aunty's place (her baby-sitter) on everyday basis. Leia can stay at home with my pa-in-law and maid for a few weekdays and the rest of the weekdays with my aunt. With that sort of arrangement, we would save some on car petrol, energy and equally important - time which then translates into expenditure for maid's salary. We can then cut down on unnecessary stress gained from getting caught in traffic jams everyday.

Then, I would have more time in brushing up my cooking skills too! Hahaha...let's see.

No teeth still??

Ok, ok, ok...there I go again... getting all paranoid with Leia's teething issue. Just great! I just got a weekly baby update from one of the baby's website that I subscribed to - Babycenter.com this afternoon... And guess what I've been informed..?

Quote
If your child still doesn't have any teeth by 15 to 18 months, schedule a visit with a pediatric dentist
Unquote

Haha! See, I knew something is not alright...! Leia's 14 months old now. Pretty close to the age range given above, don't you think?

Ok, should I get panic now? Her next regular medical check-up is in next 2 weeks time. So, I think I'll stay sane till that d-day (she'll turn 15 then!) and interrogate the doctor!

Monday, February 9, 2009

Leia's milestones


Physical development
Yay!! She could walk on her own d! She took her first successful independant step just right a day before Chinese New Year (that is 25th Jan, right?). Hooray! You bet, she's everywhere now. Good for this mommy. No more excuses to run along!

And now she's into going up and down the steps. Don't ever let her catch the sight of steps. She'll either run towards it on her own or drag us along. And then be prepared for non-stop "exercising" for the next 10-20 mins.... "Up!" and "down!"

And you better believe it.... yup, no sign of teeth yet. How old is she now? 14 months... What?? Yeah, yeah, yeah... you are not the first person to emphatise and say nice things to us...like, "it's good to sprout teeth late. Then her teeth won't spoil so soon...., etc, etc"

Well, many doctors and baby websites have said that it's normal... Ok, then it's normal. Not going to worry about it. * yeah, right!* You know, each time Leia developed fever, the common prediction was "oh, perhaps her teeth are coming out..." Well, they were false alarms alright. My heart has just decided to stop guessing... Well, the teeth will come out when it's time, I guess. Have faith!

Speech
She's at her peak right now, I think. She's learning words and memorizes the relation between a picture and word very fast. At times, all we need is to tell her one time and she remembers.

Some of the words that she has been using frequently;
Ah mie (mommy)
Ah pa/ Papa (daddy)
Ah kong (grandpa)
Ah ma (grandma)
Koh koh (brother)
Ah ku (uncle)
Bye....
Bb... (baby)
hi
phak! (beat you!)
mai (no)
ai (i want/ yes)
woh woh (dog)
bird
yugh.... yugh... (hot)
piggy
fish
bike
mam mam/ eat
up
down
sit
shoe
book

she can recognise;
lantern
fan
socks
sponge bob (her favourite bolster cum soft toy)
cup
thermos (her porridge container)
giraffe (her assisted walking toy)
chair
flowers
cat
handphone/phone
etc, etc

Oh yeah, she loves to "dance"! Play any kind of music, she'll happily shake her body for you, be it in standing or sitting position. So, this could be our life saviour when it comes to handling her tantrum throwing moments.

Oh, it's so true that babies grow up so fast. It's simply amazing to see a toddler who's just been living in this world for merely a year could handle so much in a day!

It's miracle!

Monday, February 2, 2009

Happy New Year!

Yes, I'm finally back online... Wow, it's been a month since I last put up a post. How time flies!

Oh, by the way, Happy New Year all!

No, I was not in hiatus. In fact, I was drowned with many new expectations as I have just started teaching in university. Yeah... back in the workforce but with different personal expectations and goals.

It's a different ball game altogether. But I'm happy and my family is happy.

I'm feeling at peace...