This month we’d nicknamed her the scholar.
She is always looking through her picture books at the book shelf.
She is always asking us to read to her.
E.g. She’ll go to the shelf, picks up a book, walks to us, hands us the book, uttering “Ugh. Book Book.”, and then tries to sit on our lap.
She likes to point out the picture and says “There!” when we say out the name.
She likes to name the picture (if she can say the word) we point to her.

Language Development
She knows her body parts now. Head, Hair, Feet, Hands, Nose, Eyes, Ears, Face, Teeth, Mouth, Stomach, Belly Button, Petpet (Chinese : Female private part) and of course Breast.

Her vocabulary is expanding :
Baloon Meh-noon; Rainbow Boh; Clouds Cows; Moon Moon; Eyes Aiyes; Ears Yers; Mouth Mao; Nose Nohs; Hair Air; Read Yeed; Help Hep; Kick Kick; Cow Cow; Bike Bais; Bus Bus; Chair Chair; Hug Hugs; Splash Pash; Poke Poke; Socks Sohs; Shoes Soo; Rice Yais; Put Poot; Scared Sked; Happy Eh-Pee; Yai Yai (Chinese : Naughty) Ya-yai; Zaria Za-yah (Zara is Za-wah, and she knows she’s Za-yah, and Zara is Za-wah)

One day when I was getting all the syringes filled with her medicine in the kitchen and she saw them; she looked at me and said, “Ya-Yai” and walked out of the kitchen away from me.

When she wants to drink milk, she’ll be saying “Mehk”; and if I don’t feed her still, she’ll be saying it louder and louder until it becomes a scream “MEHK!!!”

She says “Deh-Doh” when she wants something to be given to her (a word she created, it’s like her saying “Pass me that”).

“Take off” to her is “Pops”. A sound I used to make to draw her attention when I take off her socks for her. When she ask for “Mehk”, she’ll come over to me and try to lift up my clothes and will say “Pops”.

“Pao Pao” (Chinese : Full) to her is “Enough”. Put her on a swing for too long, and she’ll say “Pao Pao”

Physical Development
She’s walking very well now and refused to be held.
Getting up and down the stairs or furniture on her own by going on all fours.
She likes to climb up on the stepping stool to reach for things, and sometimes tries to push it around to get to places she wants to reach.
She sometimes tells us she wants to poo but most of the time, she tells us after the fact.

Eating and Drinking
Since I got back from Japan, she has refused to drink from a bottle, and only wanted to be breastfed. Not sure if this has anything to do with her ear infection.
She likes to eat, but is starting to prefer some food over others. She likes ABC soup but will spit out herbal soup. She eats spinach but will spit out carrots.
She demands for the things that we’re eating, and if it’s not something she should eat (e.g. french fries) normally we have to lie tell her it is spicy and even dip it in chili sauce before giving to her, so she knows it’s something she can’t eat.

Emotional Development
Unlike Zara who do things to get praises, Zaria does thing she wants to do. No amount of persuasion can get her to do the things she doesn’t want to.
She’s always looking very serious around people, and sometimes will hit the person or herself when the person comes too close to her.
She’s starting to be clingy and always wants me or Daddy. When I need to return to work after feeding her, she’ll be crying and screaming, “Mummy! Mummy!”
She’s always eager to come over and hug us, or give us kisses; but when she’s not in the mood, you can keep asking her for a hug or a kiss, and she’ll just ignore you (or hit herself).

♥She’s walking, she’s talking, she’s demanding, she’s cute!♥
♥She loves eating, she loves books, she loves going out, she loves ME♥
♥The girl is absolutely fun to be with!♥

My brother, the romancer the king, threw a not-so surprise party for King’s Wife to celebrate their 20th anniversary. He had the event planned out with the help of my nieces and his staff.

(I was sms-ing my niece, Ally, before the party, if King wanted a real surprise, he should have invited some of her blogger friends.)

It was a garden party in a down town restaurant; the place was adorned with flowers, and candles lining the path to the dining area, very romantic set up. They also hired a music machine for the night.

The royal family arrived after everybody. King’s Wife wasn’t quite surprised because my brother burst his own bubbles in the car. Haih. Nonetheless, I think she must feel very ‘lum’ (Cantonese : touched to the core).

My nieces gave an opening speech, followed by my brother, and then without any planning, this happened.
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Zara took on the stage with little coaxing from Sam, her favourite cousin, and started singing totally irrelevant A, B, C song, and then a Chinese New Year Song (Gong Xi Gong Xi Gong Xi Ni) to an audience of ~40 people. What guts she has! (My dad said she was just like me when I was her age, ever willing to stand up and sing a song to entertain his friends.) o.O

After her, my brother’s staffs made him sing ‘their song’ for King’s Wife, accompanied by a violinist. No prize for guessing who went on stage to dance.

(It wasn’t a karaoke party, so the singing stopped here).

Ally conned her mum into giving her all their really old photos, using the reason that she needed them for school project. Using the photos, a photo slide was done on the royal couple’s courtship to the 20years they’d been married. Everybody had a good laugh seeing some of those really ancient photos!

The food was a disappointment, but when the DJ started playing all the 1980s hit, every body hit the dance floor; even Daddy, who normally shy away from dancing (I trust he had a bit too much to drink too). Haha.

The girls, especially Zara, really had a great time.  What a great party it was!

Last week, we brought Zara along on our weekly visit to the wet market. She was with Daddy next to the chicken stalls while I was busy with picking up the vegetables for the week.

Daddy told me she turned her head away from the chicken stalls and said, “I’m very angry!”
Daddy asked why.
And she said, “I’m very angry because they are slaughtering the chickens. I don’t like to see them slaughtering chickens.”
Daddy told her without them slaugthering the chickens, we won’t get chicken to eat.
She said, “But I’m still angry they slaugther the chicken.”
She turned her nose up and really did look angry.

On another day, we were talking about beef.
Zara : “I don’t like beef.”
Me : “But you like Ikea’s beef balls.”
Zara : “No. Today I don’t like. Because I don’t like the cows to be slaugthered. You know, beef is from cow?” (like I don’t know).

On another day, “Eating fish is ok, because they are dead already.”

Ha!

!#$%!#!

My Italian junk car just went dead on a busy road on my way to pick Zara up from school.
Car zoomed me by, drivers glared at me for slowing them down, but nobody offered to help!
And 2 of our traffic police stopped by and asked me what happened, instructed me to lift up my boot up to notify cars zooming by my situation, so that I don’t get rammed. And they too didn’t offer to help push my car to the side!

In the end, it was Axa that came to the rescue. I called their hot line, and they sent a tow truck to tow my car away. All free! (next time when you buy car insurance, make sure the company you buy from offer such services at no additional cost)

Daddy too rushed from the office to pick Zara up (her school was quite good, changed her and fed her lunch while she waited for us) and then home to check on the car, he declared my battery has totally gone flat. !#$%!#!

Sigh!

Zaria had recurring fever since Christmas. Her fever always fell on holidays, and got well after the holidays so she’d only been checked out by GPs. Yesterday, on her 4th fever, we brought her to see a paed.

It seemed, she had middle ear infection, and so had to be put on antibiotic. Sigh!

Baaah!

Zara’s school has a post Chinese New Year celebration today, and they had placed the notice in Zara’s bag. Neither Daddy nor me checked her bag ever the last few days.

Today when she went to school, all her friends were in their Chinese New Year’s best and our girl was wearing her uniform!! What kind of parents are we for not being more interested in the girl’s school work bag. Baaah!

Another 3 more days to go and it’s the end of Chinese New Year and this will be stale news.

This year, we have such a low key Chinese New Year, mainly because the 2 weekends before Chinese New Year, I was in Japan. There was no cookie baking or buying at all, and the decoration in the house is minimal. Thanks to Daddy who didn’t do anything during my absence.

This year’s reunion dinner was held at our house, and we did something different from the past 9 years! We had steam boat, instead of the anual steam fish, steam chicken, stewed mushroom that MIL always dished out. I was busy in the kitchen and later with serving everybody food that I forgot to take photo of my handy work. *sigh*

1st day of Chinese New Year is always the same, we visit MIL and FIL in the morning, and then it’s off to lunch with my family and then a visit to my close to 90 year old maternal grand father.

And that’s it for us, the rest of the new year, it’s stay at home (except for the open house that my bro threw). So low key, huh?

Some of the photos taken during the New Year.

Yearly, we serve tea to my dad and wish him good health, and in return get a big ang pow. This year, Zaria joined in as well.

Zaria enjoying a stroll and a roll in the royal garden.

Zara playing those (hopefully kid friendly) Pop Pop fire crackers. Red Cheong-sum was hand-me-down from my niece Samantha (and Zara’s favourite cousin) who wore that to my wedding 10yrs ago!

It’s always a difficult feat to take photos of the cousins together. At some point, one will try to sneak away, or one or two will cry. These few are by far the best shot during this Chinese New Year.

I bought a new set of pajamas for Zara and had her put on tonight.

Me : *pretending* Who bought this pajamas for you, huh?
Zara : “Mummy bought from Reject Shop (this shows how often I buy her clothes from Reject Shop) one.”
Me : “This is not from Reject Shop. This is from Marks & Spencer. Do you like it?”
Zara : “Yah it’s very nice.”
Me : *testing her*“Mummy used your ang pow money to buy the pajamas you know?”
Zara : “It’s ok, you can use the money.”
(Talking like an adult!)
Me : “What about other things? Mummy can use your money to buy other things or not?”
Zara : “You are my mummy, of course you can use my money. Other people cannot use my money, but mummy can.”

^.^ How sweet.

If she said this to me when she’s 20, that’ll be really nice.

I think I’m slacking I’d not been writing as regularly as I have wanted because of work commitments.
I’m supposed to write about CNY but then I thought let me write this first before I forget or it becomes stale news.

On Zaria

She started taking her first steps 3 weeks ago.
1, 2, 3 steps while her hands were let go, and now 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 ….. until she lost her balance, and thud, she lands on her buttocks.
Most of the time, she holds on to the wall and cover the distance she wants to travel.
When she looses her balance and lands on her buttocks, she frowns and looks at us, waiting for the encouraging words from us.

When I returned from Japan, she clung on to Daddy, and cried when she saw me.
Didn’t allow me to carry or touch her.
When I offered her the breast, she pinched it, and looked at me with suspicion.
Daddy said she’s taking the bottle really well when I was away, maybe I should wean her.
But then, I wanted to breastfeed her till she is at least 18months like I did with Zara to be fair, so I continued to offer her.
On the 2nd day, she clung on to me, as though regaining her memory of me and the breast.

She started ‘hitting’ her self when she is angry or unhappy, she just smacks the head and frowns. Don’t know where she learns that. *sigh*

A typical conversation we have during feeding time. I like to tease her and see her reaction.
Zaria : “Milk”.
Me : “Bottle milk or breast milk?”
Zaria : “Best”.
Me : “Mummy gives you bottle milk, ok?”
Zaria : *smacks herself and frowns* “Ugh!” or *moves her index finger in front of her face* “No”
Me : “Mummy gives you breast milk then”
Zaria : *smiles and moves herself to the bed or sofa* “K!”

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On Zara

I don’t think I’d mentioned this before, but since her 3rd birthday, she refused to put on a diaper. She has been diaperless ever since. She has 2 accidents so far and we thought that has to do with Tuyam leaving us.

She’s talking and singing more. She’ll entertain us with her make up stories or songs, or sometimes throws in some dance moves as well.

Some recent events :
She was singing Baa Baa Black Sheep and sang, “Yes sir, yes sir, three bag full.”
Daddy corrected her by saying it’s three bagS full, not three bag full. Daddy told her she needed 3 bagS or else there won’t be enough to give the master, the dame and the little boy.
She kept getting it wrong, and after several corrections by Daddy, she sang, “Yes sir, Yes sir, one bag full. None for the master, none for the dame, one for the little boy who lives down the lane.”

On our way home one day, she wanted to get off her car seat to sit close to me.
“Mummy I don’t want to sit in the car seat any more.”
“We’re on the highway, so you must sit on your car seat.” (I sometimes allow her to be without her car seat when we make short trips to the nearby mini-market.)
“What if we’re on the low-way, can I come out from the car seat?.”

MIL nick-named her Lou-chou (老粗, which is used for someone who’s roudy in Cantonese) when she becomes too rough.
So these days, when we see a behaviour we didn’t like, we ask her, “Are you a lou-chou?”
She’ll quickly replies, “I’m a princess, not a lou-chou.”, and quickly change her behaviour.
It’s a very good way to remind her of her manners, and that she’s a girl. 😛

Back from my trip of 8 days in Japan, it was super! This is my fifth trip to Japan, but the 1st four was spending a night in Narita town while in transit to US.

I have always loved Japanese food and Japanese snack; so being there in Japan, was like being in ♥gastronomic heaven!♥!

I stayed 5 days in Hachioji (八王子) which is 1hr train ride from Tokyo downtown. We worked hard everyday, so there was no time to sight see. And then when we moved to Ueno (上野), which is in Tokyo downtown for an additional 2 days, we spent most of our time shopping. So most photos taken were food shot!

Breakfast is near the hotel or the office (walking distant from each other).

Breakfast menu : Green tea latte that beats any other latte; Mos burger; fruits (the dried one is persimmon, which is abolutely devine!); Noodles and Rice from Donut King

Lunch is always some where near the office, which normally comes in a set, about RM21 to RM30.

I have mainly fish or tempura. Delicious!

We have more time for dinner so we’ll walk further. Japan really have fantastic fish and seafood menu! One day, we had Sashimi, and even though the fish was sliced up with its head still in tact, its mouth was moving and its eyes were clear and silvery staring at us. It was difficult, but I still stomached one slice of that sashimi. Blech. I also discovered Sawa (サワー), Japanese cocktail. Love it, especially the one with melon syrup!

Try spotting the fish with its silver eyes, staring back at you.

The best meal we had was the king crab meal. It was expensive (but not as expensive as my crab meal in Shanghai); we took 2 sets and shared it among the four of us.

Boiled crab, crab roe (so delicious!), crab sashimi, BBQ crab (at your table). Delicious! 美味しい! Oishi!

The cheapest meal we had was a ‘fast food’ restaurant, where food is ordered through a coupon vending machine, coupon is then passed to the chef, and your selected meal will be served to you in a minute or two. No seats! Stand while you eat. But, quite Delicious! And then there was the RM30 green tea crème brûlée that I have which was oh-so-heavenly.

My RM12 Tenzaru soba; the coupon vending machine; the box that held my RM30 green tea crème brûlée; the box came with 2 small pack of ice to keep the crème brûlée fresh.

On our last day, while walking to lunch and realised there was actually a temple and a shrine just at the back of the office.

Some nice scenary around the office

We stayed in Hotel Park Side in Ueno (上野) on our last 2 nights. It was near to Ameyokocho, a shopping street for snacks, seafood and apparels.

Seafood in Ameyokocho, the last picture are Bonito pieces. You shave it, and you get bonito flakes!

♥Japanese culture♥
People are so polite there. They took the time to explain the menu to us with their limited English; they offered us help when we looked lost; they queue up in train station and wait for their turns; they seem to always have time for us when they are so busy! This is so different from the Shanghainese.

Our Japanese colleagues threw us a dinner party, and forked out their own money to pay for the party. We told them we were on expense and they should let us settle the bill, but we were told this is their way they show their hospitality.

In almost every toilet in Japan, you get this toilet seat with gadget! To be discreet, you can play a ‘flushing sound’ for 10seconds while you do your business. Your seat is warmed, and you get bidet, and a spray. One of the toilet we went to, even have blower to dry the royal a** after you are done! My bottom never remain so clean before!!

Toilet seat control panel

And just before I left, I got this!
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And everything went white!

Snow covered Tokyo! (and imagine dragging a heavy suitcase, notebook bag, handbag, 2 other hand luggages with all the shopping 1Km in this weather to the station!)

Japan, I really love it there!

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♥Happy Chinese New Year to all who celebrates! 新年快乐!♥