Challenge

According to the Merriam- Webster Online Dictionary, the word "Challenge" means

1: to demand as due or deserved : require
2: to order to halt and prove identity
3: to dispute especially as being unjust, invalid, or outmoded : impugn
4: to question formally the legality or legal qualifications of
5 a: to confront or defy boldly : dare
b: to call out to duel or combat
c: to invite into competition
6: to arouse or stimulate especially by presenting with difficulties
7: to administer a physiological and especially an immunologic challenge to (an organism or cell)

My interpretation of challenge is pretty simple. A challenge to me is something you have never done before in life, it may be some form of work or studies or may be something else. This may include some examples like if you conquer the Everest Mountain in a worst condition weather within 2 days (which is almost impossible) , that would be a real challenge.

There are challenges like what I managed to achieve in my life, is to pass with a merit for my degree, that is what I define as a great challenge. What's more, in terms of work is that you have to pick up something new, say a new knowledge, that is a challenge to me when I conquer it.

In general, my point would be, doing last minute things because your boss wants it NOW, this is so not define as a CHALLENGE!

The Golden Compass Movie

Received an e-mail this morning from a friend with regards to The Golden Compass movie that will be showed in December 2007. It gives out a warning about bringing your kids to watch that is if you are a Christian or a Catholic.

If you haven't quite seen the trailer, below is the offical website. It is something like a fantasy movie that is if you like movies like this. What's more, Nicole Kidman is starring in this movie. I, personally is a fan of Nicole Kidman but somehow, I only selective about the movies to watch in which Nicole Kidman stars in. I must say that not every show with her is nice to catch.

Anyhow, this is only personal views by others. The way I see it, it may be true and may not be true but it is a matter of taking the movie in an artistic form of way and enjoy the movie that your favorite star is cast in. I, for once can't wait to catch this movie.

Golden Compass Movie

Here is the part of the message ...
=================

A anti-Christian movie called the "Golden Compass" will be coming out in early December, aimed at children and labeled as a family movie. This movie is based on a series of books by an atheist British author (Phillip Pullman) whose goal in writing the books is to be the "Anti-Narnia" series and to lead children into atheism. The main villains in the series of books are the Magisterium, Cardinals, and the Pope, and includes a heroine that is a young girl who sets out to kill God.
=================
To read more about it in detail, vist the link below.

http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/compass.asp

Getting to Work with your Pattern

Ok.. here goes this blog I promised to add.


As I have mentioned in my previous blog (check the Archives on the right) each pattern comes with specific instructions. From the layout to piecing up together. Below is how an example of a pattern instructions look like.




The brand new patterns comes in one big print out - like a tissue paper type. You have to cut to size to easily trace onto the cloth, something like below. This current pattern I have comes with many different designs so I just pick the required pattern piece. What I have done is I took the pieces I need and have it place properly onto the laid cloth by using pins to pin them down.



Next, I would use a tracing paper (not the type of tracing paper that is meant for paper. This tracing paper is made of wax and meant only for cloth - for those who are new to this).



Once it is traced, I will use a good scissors to cut the pattern out. That is cut on the dot you traced.

NOTE: Some patterns does not come with Seam Allowance (to allow access to sew the pattern up). So in which case you have to read the pattern instructions first before you start working on it. I am a PRO already ;)!

Once you have cut the pieces out, you are all set to piece them up together. You need to know the different kinds of finishes to prevent your seams from fraying after a wash. If you are unsure and want a quick solution, I recommend you can also get a pinking shears ( a special scissors with triangles) to cut the cloth so you can skip this step and just sew.

Job Interview Tricks

I have been quite a few Interviews in my time of life in trying to get a job. Many times, potential employers like to ask many questions. No, I am not talking about those questions that ask about your job scope as this is pretty common. It is those questions that really makes you stumble on what is the right answer to it. At times like these, you wonder all these potential employers could they have copied the question somewhere because everybody is using it or do they really know the logic behind using these type of questions. Some of the questions and I beleive that most of you have encountered once or rather more in you life going through interviews, which includes the below: -

1. What is your strength and weakness [I always fumble on this question]
2. What do you see yourself in 5 years time [and I was stupid enough to even answer to question now thinking back]

I recently found this forum to be very interesting. It actually shares other people views about the above questions. Perhaps it is good to look through and used this as a module answer when you go for your next interview.

http://www.sgclub.com/singapore/share_interview_experiences_30953.html

Things I HATE about my BOSSes

Here is a list to share with the WORLD about the things I HATE most about my Bosses.

1. Last minute want a room for meeting. As if this company got many rooms available. GIVE ME A BREAK!
2. Ask me do work during my lunch time while he enjoy his lunch outside. WHAT A JOKE!
3. Call me on my mobile when I am on leave to tell me some stupid things like you got no quarterly bonus this month or some donkey needs the meeting room. Why can't you just say 'NO WAY!'
4. When going home, purposely make you stay to do some thing so you would miss the company transport.
5. Make you do some adjustments when he can do it himself
6. Always the goodie two shoe type. Never side your staff or fight for you. You have fight the battles YOURSELF!
7. When I was 7 months pregnant, make me walk to his cubicle to tell me things several times.
8. Like to share his viruses with all the staff by coughing all over you.
9. Can't make up his DAMN mind how he want a thing to be done and after asking you do one particular way then want to change
10. Like to ask people questions he got no answer but he already have the answer. I call this GREAT PRETENDER

And there may be more to come in which I have not list down!

So how about your excuse for a the worst boss ever had?

Hari Raya Puasa in Lieu

Holiday in Lieu.. sound so good. However, like any other on leave days, I don't really get to rest and relax time. During times like this, I always get only very little out of it from enjoying what I like doing.


Wake up early again to catch my Cantonese favorite drama. After settling my kids at Babysitter's house, I have a full day ahead doing things.

To begin this very day with is the tracing the pattern for my girl's pants onto the cloth I seem to have bought ages ago (while I was still pregnant) . Now after delivery, have been so busy with baby that I hardly got time to even get to it. There was one time last month I planned to get to it but end up resting as I was very ill. Finally, got this traced and cut. Next is to find time to piece up together.

Next in line of the day, finally I got to get to the massage I have long been waiting for - almost a year and more. My back hurting like HELL... and I mean really like HELL... the feeling like there are so many knives stuck at my back... as if I have been stabbed too many times and unable to get those knives out no matter how I try. Even my little massager (my girl) also do not do the trick. Feel so much better now.. Sigh of relief! Next time must go try the burning stone coz my body got chills in the bones. Hope this will do the trick and when the next time I fall sick I will quiver.

More to come on the list to do TODAY! Went down to my favorite shop to buy some craft stuff. Bought some wool and also some felt. Next hit Carefour to get the fan for my close friend who is about to deliver next month.

A bit shack already up to here and I have yet to get to the list where it says 'CUT HAIR'. Ai yo... outside raining and I haven't quite reach my list yet and I am hungry too. Thought of hop onto the MRT train and drop at Novena for a quick cut at the EC House. When the MRT train reach Orchard and noticed that the crowd disappears, I sat down and decided not to drop at Novena coz I too lazy ... Hhahahhah...

The train went all the way to Woodlands Station. Ok.. walk quickly towards Civic Centre to cut my hair. Wow.. got people ... sigh wait again. My cut was real quick but not sure the comb is clean... now my hair seem to be itching... better to wash it later.

Still not over yet. Have a few more things to get at Causeway Point before I finally hit homr with a complete list. My friend's son birthday coming up and I have to get him a present. Ok ... no one's going to the birthday party so I also think I not going lah. Then picking some other stuffs too like the pajamas for my girl - Cheap so I bought two sets with each cost 10 bucks. Last in the list is to get the glue I need to paste things.

Hooray ... finally my list of things are over. Head back home to REST with 1 hour left before I pick my two monsters up. Do have a few didn't quite get to it. MY SAMBAL BLACHAN! Sigh .. but it was a good try that I manage most important ones...

All in all .... it was a FRUITFUL Day!

A Mother's Job never Done!

I have failed to recall what it was like having a baby around since my girl has grown so big. Now, having a second child reminds me of the nightmare I onced use to have. When I had my girl, I was jobless and was a Stay at Home Mom (SAHM). You think that life was good. However, my girl drive me crazy and I was always busy doing housework and looking after her daily meals. Picking after her and making sure that she is safe. In the end I gave up being a Stay at Home Mom (SAHM) and went out to look for a job for extra income so that I can use my money to pamper myself and kids.

After heading back to work, life was still pretty normal. Found a good babysitter I could rely on. Then we plan to have a second child. Now that the second child is here, I have to cope with being the three roles - as a wife, a mother to two children and a career (if you called being paid to do what I am required to do to be a career).

Trying to balance my life have never been easier. Now a days, from Monday to Friday, I wake up early in the morning say 6:30am. Wake my boy to feed him. After when he is done, I wake my older girl up to brush her teeth and have her breakfast before she goes to school. I have also to make the breakfast for her and boil the water so that it could cool down by end of the day to make milk for both kids.

At 7:20am we move to babysitter house. Before we head to babysitter house, have to give her Then babysitter will bring my girl to school after she is done with her morning milk. At the end of the day, I bring them home. Thinking I could rest after a hard day at work but... you are wrong. I have to take care of my boy until 10:00pm then he will go to sleep and I will put my head down to rest for the day.

When weekends arrive, you think I would be able to rest finally! Wrong again! Wake up early around 6:30am again to feed my son (if I could wake up at that time even). Then put the rice into slow cooker to cook his meals for the day. Make sure the warm water enough for everbody in the house to drink. Give breakfast to my older girl and my son. Afternoon meal arrives with porridge, and then bathing time for him. Afterwhich he goes to take a nap and here I will take the time to coach my girl in her studies.

Then if I want to find some relax time to myself, this is the time to sacrifice my sleep and do things I have hold up some time and have not really got to it. At times want to watch a movie from head to tail also difficult as I need to attend to baby in between so don't really know what the movie is going on. Afternoon, if we don't go out, I will take a nap in the afternoon to catch up with lost sleep.

End of the day, eat dinner and the cycle starts all over again!

My Little Artist

When she was young, I was so worried that she does not have any creativity. So what I did I send her to an art class to trigger her creativity and now she is my little artist in the family. Will all her creation all over my wall. Below are some of her creations and some in which I help her out. I am P R O U D of her !

Story about Lifts

Lifts have been around our lives seem ages. Sorry my history isn't all that good as to when it all started. Anyway, nowadays lift have changed so much for HDB Flats that it stops every floor. This is to provide the convienence of old people who may have problem walking up the number of steps. However, this has made many young people and middle age people to take advantage of this.

If you haven't notice it, even people who are staying on 2nd floor are also taking the lift just to get to their floor. What's up with that? It is 2nd floor only! Why some people even young people can't walk up the steps as a form of exercise and have to take the lift. I stay on the 5th floor and sometimes when I am not too tired, I will take the steps. For this reason, no wonder people are getting fatter and fatter because the lift reach every floor so why bother to take steps!

Still, complaining about lifts, here is the bicycle thing. Nothing against bicycle but I do wish some people would take into consideration during the morning peak hours that there are other people who would wish to get into the lift and rush for time too. If only some people with bicycle would know how to park their bicycle into the lift so that other people may enter, mornings would not really be a drag when you meet up with people with a bicycle!

Other times there are people who smoke in lifts. Are they so stress in the morning that they can't wait to get to 1st level to have their puff and must have it in the lift? Wonder why these people don't understand that some things other people might not want you to share with them. SMOKE is one of them! The worst part is having to breathe that second hand smoke. They might not die from the amount of cigarettes they take but others might die faster from breathing it!

So when you get into a lift, please please to take into consideration of other people. Not forgetting those who stay in 2nd floor, don't rely too much on lifts. For those who smoke in lifts, put out the cigarettes before you enter!

What's in a Ladies Handbag

My dream bag is something rectangle. One of which can stand on its own. I am not speaking of the kind like a huge travel bag but of something more to the lady like type. However, I haven't have much luck finding it as the one I want always burn into my budget.

For me, ever since I have children, my handbag has upgraded to a bag with all the stuff. Sometimes my husband buy things, goes into my handbag. My girl buys things, goes into my handbag and finally I buy thing, goes into my handbag. So my bag has become like limpy bag - more like a Sata Clause Bag.

To get to the point, so... what's in a Ladies Handbag? I don't usually put make-ups on, so you can't really find any proper lipstick in my bag. However, I do have some necessity inside it. This will include below

1. Vitamin C pills (this to keep my health up because the office I am in is covered with SICK people)
2. a quick refresh Aqua White Spray (as got children no time to really get to my face)
3. a cheap bottle of perfume spray (in case the lift smell like a chimney)
4. a portable bag (this is for wearing skirt.. Argh ... no pocket with it)
5. another portable small bag (this is to put my wallet, my coin pouch so easy to take and go for lunch)
6. an unbrella in case it rains
7. a lip gloss
8. Many packets of tissue paper (in case need to go PUBLIC toilets no tissue especially for family to go poo poo)

That's all in my bag. So care to comment what's in your bag?

Sewing Patterns

Ok. If you are like me who don't really know how to take measurements to draw your own pattern but would like sew and have your so called "Own Style" of clothes, here is a good idea - Get your pre-drawn sewing patterns of your style. You can easily get any designs you like from Spotlight. This will cost about S$10.00 or more depending on the design you pick. I strongly recommend those sewing patterns that comes with nine different styles so that you can make the different kind of clothes.

So how does a pre-drawn sewing pattern look like? It comes in an envelope form just like the picture below. There are many brands and different styles to choose from. This is one of them I have which is from Butterick.

In the envelope, it comes with tissue paper like pattern with instructions from how to place your pattern onto the cloth to piecing up together to become the final product on the envelope.

Visit the below site to see the various styles of patterns.

http://www.sewingpatterns.com/

Alternatively, you can view some of my USED patterns that I am selling off at an affordable price to learn to sew.

Handmade Your Own Sweet Girl Dress

This sweet colorful dress is handmade. Bought the cloth and pattern from Spotlight. The cloth was quite expensive. If I recall it correctly, it is about S$7.00 per meter. However, it was worth it as it turn out to be very sweet as you can see in this picture.

My girl didn't quite have the chance to wear it as I made it a bit too short ;).

Want to try to do it yourself too? Check out my Blog for new updates on how to sew like a pro!