Friday, March 27, 2009

Meet My Girl - Olivia

Remember sometimes ago I mentioned about writing a post about my youngest daughter - Olivia. So here it goes.

Olivia is the name both hubby and I came out with after watching "She is a Man" DVD. Since both of us couldn't agree with the names suggested by either of us, so eventually settled with Olivia - what a unique and lovely name for her.

Little Olivia was wondering what mommy was doing with the camera and kept asking her to look at the camera. Big sister, Amanda was at the back imitating mommy with an old camera.

Olivia with her super short hair. Most of times people mistakenly thought she is a boy when her hair was short.

I like this pic very much, she is so cute,

Haha... Olivia with her 2-in-1 spectacles. "Mommy, don't disturb me, I am very busy now."
She was busy with her writing - taking down order for us, pretending herself the waitress of a restaurant. Both Amanda and Olivia like to role play, most of the time they play waitress-customer, teacher-student. I guess this is very common among children their age.

When she was done with the order-taking, she posed, I snapped. Sometimes I wonder why a little kid like Olivia will have eye bags like mine, is it inherited or is she not getting enough sleep?

Both Amanda and Olivia celebrating their 5 & 4th birthday. You know what, both the girls and myself were born in the same month of July. So, usually we'll celebrate our birthday together.

Olivia - one of the flower girl for my sister wedding. She looked so gorgeous in her white princess gown. I even put some make-up on her that made her very doll looking.

This is one of the rare photos of her posing nicely. Olivia likes to make funny face whenever she knows you are going to take her picture. She is very different from her sister Amanda who loves to be photo-shot. Amanda is very good at posing with her flashing sweet smile. While Olivia is good at making funny face, she acts very unnatural when comes to photo-taking.

Olivia is now 6 years old and it's her 2nd year in kiddie. She is now very independent and manage to finish her homework all by herself. But one thing, her hand-writing is terrible. So big that I don't believe it's a girl's hand-writing. I think one day I shall scan some of her workbooks and place it here. Haha...

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Little Cough-Prone Girl

Amanda is very prone to cough since she's still a baby. And the cough could last for weeks. Recently she has developed a really bad cough that interrupt her sleep badly. I can even hear the coarseness in her breathing. We brought her to see doctor on Tuesday and that's when I discovered her eyes were getting red, I can clearly see those tiny red vein in the white parts of her eyes.


According to doctor, it is associated with the cold she has developed, sort of virus infection. Doctor prescribed some cough syrup, medicine to reduce phlegm, and eye drop. But the cough syrup doesn't seem to work, her cough is getting worst and same goes for the eye-drop. Her eyes are getting redder with excessive sticky and crusty eye discharge that glue her eyes shut when she falls asleep.


We'll bring her for a second visit to doctor soon this evening when she is back from school. Don't ask why we're so cruel to force her to school with this alarming condition. She herself ask for it. She wanted to go to school so badly - all thanks to the Chinese school teachers and the tons of homework.


She was on sick leave on Tuesday when I found her not getting enough sleep the night before due to violent cough. Guess what she got from school on Wednesday when she was feeling better to attend school. 7 homework with few pages each, inclusive of those she missed on Tuesday. Imagine how a little girl like Amanda able to cope while she has yet to fully recover from the illness - to finish all 7 homework. Not to mentioned she reached home around 7.20pm.


So, today she insisted to go to school for scare that she might get homework piled up if she misses any, which is totally understandable. I tell her, never mind, two more days to go, then you will have a week break. Hopefully she is doing OK in school today.

Hokkaido: Noboribetsu Mountain

As promised, here are the photos taken at the steaming Noboribetsu Mountain.

See how beautiful the scenery made by these hot steams.

The weather was real cold in mid November, though the sun was shiny bright.

Getting more steams now as we went further down the mountain.



This was taken quite steep down the mountain as you can see loads of steams coming from the hot ground.

Hubby loves the scenery. It's simply lovely.

Can you imagine yourself flying about above the ground with these steams rising just like those old day wu-xia heroes and heroins.

Hubby took lots of picture in this place. One of his favorite touristy place in Hokkaido.

Love this pic. What a happy couple with the beautiful scene, a memorable place and a must-visit place in Hokkaido.

Welcome To Noboribetsu Mountain!

This was taken when we were about to leave. It is the entrance to Noboribetsu Mountain.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

原來貼 OK 蹦 也 有 技 巧








Thursday, March 5, 2009

Hokkaido Ramen Street... Slurpp...

This is the famous Ramen Street in Hokkaido. All the inn-like stalls are selling the yummy springy Japanese ramen. People have to queue up just to have a hot bowl of ramen especially during the cold winter.

While waiting for our Ramen, hubby chit-chatting with the cook in Japanese, yes hubby does speak Japanese.

We ordered two different flavour of ramen. This is his, ramen served with sweet corn and butter on top of the traditional pork slices.


This is mine, the very conventional Japanese ramen in miso soup. Yummyyy...


The cook helped to take this photo of us having ramen in his stall. A thumb-up for the flavourful ramen.

Are you a BANANA man?

This is interesting. After reading this, you'll never look at a banana in the same way again.

Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy.

Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes.

But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

PMS: Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Anemia: High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

Overweight: Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at wor k leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and crisps. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.

Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Temperature control: Many other cultures see bananas as a 'cooling' fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand, for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.

Smoking &Tobacco Use: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.

Strokes: According to research in The New England Journal of Medicine, eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!

Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape!

So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around. So maybe it's time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, 'A banana a day keeps the doctor away!'

PS: Bananas must be the reason monkeys are so happy all the time! I will add one here; want a quick shine on our shoes?? Take the INSIDE of the banana skin, and rub directly on the shoe...polish with dry cloth. Amazing fruit !

OK, let's start taking bananas daily ;)

This is what marriage is really all about . . .

One day we saw an old couple in a fast food restaurant. The old man ordered one hamburger, one French fries and one drink.

He unwrapped the plain hamburger and carefully cut it into half. He placed one half in front of his
wife. He then carefully counted out the French fries, dividing them into two piles and neatly placed one pile in front of his wife.

He took a sip of the drink, his wife took a sip and then set the cup down between them.

As he began to eat his few bites of hamburger, the people around them
kept looking over and whispering. You could tell they were thinking, 'That poor old
couple - all they can afford is one meal for the two of them.'

As the man began to eat his fries, hubby went over to their table. He politely offered to
buy another meal for the old couple. The old man said they were just fine - They were
used to sharing everything.

The surrounding people noticed the little old lady hadn't eaten a bite. She sat there watching her husband eat and occasionally taking turns sipping the drink.

Again hubby went over and begged them to let him buy another meal for them. This time the old woman said 'No, thank you, we are used to sharing
everything.'

As the old man finished and was wiping his face neatly with the napkin, hubby again went over to the little old lady who had yet to eat a single bite of the food and asked 'What is it you're waiting for?'

She answered . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . 'THE TEETH'