Easter trip 2009 - Stratford Upon Avon

Day 1 - Stratford Upon Avon

The town itself is quite small but it's certainly a tourism attraction town. You could see lots of people snapping photos here and there under the rain. Of course, we too... :)



Love this flower bloom at its peak
The house where William Shakespeare was born and grew up
Not forgetting me and AJ
Found this "alive" motionless statue
just a typical restaurant in the town centre
HSBC the old bank - excuse my hair, blame it on the wind
The New Place - where William Shakespeare left the world
Found this lovely garden next to it

Look at the view of the garden, how I wish I own such a nice garden
Next, some light shopping - AJ make himself comfy as well
in the tray it went....opps, nearly
AJ is glued to the TV at the hotel =="

Ah, we did something silly. Actually, we've been fooled. Before we head to the travelodge for the stay, we wanted to stop at Tesco get some cakes or buns for breakfast the next day. So, we hit search for nearest food store in the sat nav which we borrowed from Rudolf. Right, according to the sat nav, the nearest tesco will be about 20 mins drive. hmm..it's must a big tesco so we head off. To our surprise, as we drove according to the map, we're heading towards Birmingham. Birmingham? No, we just wanted to go to a Tesco store. Just a tesco ~~~~

Why oh why? Why couldn't you just bring us to a Tesco..I'm sure there's a tesco in Stratford. We're already in the middle of the journey, so we thought...right...continue the journey anyway. When we arrived, our mouth were wide opened, couldn't believe our own eyes. Rubbing our eyes for a few times, pinching ourself to make sure we're not dreaming....We've arrived Tesco Express (a small store by Solihull, another small town / village nearby) =.= no joking, mate. Tesco Express, the smallest Tesco store =.=

Thanks Sat Nav for wasting our petrol and bringing us to the small store with not much selection on foods. =.= Waste our aweful lots of time. and petrol too! haih...Blame on ourselves also for depending heavily on the sat nav. haih~~~~

But anyway, we're enjoyed the stay. AJ was running & screaming everywhere in the hotel. haha...because he has been sitting in the car and pushchair throughout the journey.


Ciao...xx

Recycle your unused phone

Hello everyone!

Miss me a lot neh. haha....Sorry for leaving you guys with no news. As mentioned from previous post, we were away from Plymouth and totally no access to Internet. Just the 3 of us enjoyed every moments.

It was a short trip, unexpectedly raining but we missed not much. We arrived Plymouth on Sunday and spend some nice time with the Eh Gordon (greeting everyone with eh not names), beautiful Joline and cute Xavi.

Anyway, I got this when I checked email just now. wah..I'm so happy.


My old phone Nokia 6120 is not working anymore, thanks to AJ so lovingly throwing the phone to the ground while he's having his meal. Nokia 6680, previously owned by hubby, then gave away to Alice which she used a few years in Malaysia. She as well RIP not long after Alice brought her over to UK...obviously thanks to AJ again. =.=

Next, their destination is the bin of course. Not until I saw this promotion offered by Boots the Chemist. Trade in your unused phone for points. Get 300 boots points (1 point for 1p) for faulty mobile. I thought..wahh...then I could get 600 points equivalent to £6. Although it's not much but at least I can get something in return, right? No pain, no gain, mate. haha...

To my surprise, I didn't just get 600..but I got 4697 points. Nice~~~~ very nice~~~~ Now I could redeem those points on some nice goods for FREE. especially on AJ's stuff. AJ medicine's la, nappies la, wipes la, baby food la, la la la...la la la...la la la...haha...

Ok ok....I know I still owe you guys the summary of our Easter trip. Photos are coming soon. Promise!

I have only slept for 5 hours yesterday because we were chatting non stop with Gordon and Joline. Working in the office today was dreadfully long but luckily I have some projects to keep me busy & awake. T___T So am still recovering from inadequate rest. But it was all worth it! I am starting to miss the Hons T___T! Terribly~~~~



Ciao...xx

Just the messenger

Happy Easter to you lots.


Ciao...xx

Two cows...moooo...

SOCIALISM
You have 2 cows.
You give one to your neighbour.

COMMUNISM
You have 2 cows.
The State takes both and gives you some milk.

FASCISM
You have 2 cows.
The State takes both and sells you some milk.

NAZISM
You have 2 cows.
The State takes both and shoots you.

BUREAUCRATISM
You have 2 cows.
The State takes both, shoots one, milks the other, and then throws the milk away.

TRADITIONAL CAPITALISM
You have two cows.
You sell one and buy a bull.
Your herd multiplies, and the economy grows.
You sell them and retire on the income.

SURREALISM
You have two giraffes.
The government requires you to take harmonica lessons.

AN AMERICAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You sell one, and force the other to produce the milk of four cows.
Later, you hire a consultant to analyze why the cow has dropped dead.

ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND VENTURE CAPITALISM
You have two cows.
You sell three of them to your publicly listed company, using letters of credit opened by your brother-in-law at the bank, then execute a debt/equity swap with an associated general offer so that you get all four cows back, with a tax exemption for five cows.
The milk rights of the six cows are transferred via an intermediary to a Cayman Island Company secretly owned by the majority shareholder who sells the rights to all seven cows back to your listed company.
The annual report says the company owns eight cows, with an option on one more.
You sell one cow to buy a new president of the United States, leaving you with nine cows.
No balance sheet provided with the release.
The public then buys your bull.

A FRENCH CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You go on strike, organize a riot, and block the roads, because you want three cows.

A JAPANESE CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You redesign them so they are one-tenth the size of an ordinary cow and produce twenty times the milk.
You then create a clever cow cartoon image called 'Cowkimon' and market it worldwide.

A GERMAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You re-engineer them so they live for 100 years, eat once a month, and milk themselves.

AN ITALIAN CORPORATION
You have two cows, but you don't know where they are.
You decide to have lunch.

A RUSSIAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You count them and learn you have five cows.
You count them again and learn you have 42 cows.
You count them again and learn you have 2 cows.
You stop counting cows and open another bottle of vodka.

A SWISS CORPORATION
You have 5000 cows. None of them belong to you.
You charge the owners for storing them.

A CHINESE CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You have 300 people milking them.
You claim that you have full employment, and high bovine productivity.
You arrest the newsman who reported the real situation.

AN INDIAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You worship them.

A BRITISH CORPORATION
You have two cows.
Both are mad.

AN IRAQI CORPORATION
Everyone thinks you have lots of cows.
You tell them that you have none.
No-one believes you, so they bomb the crap out of you and invade your country.
You still have no cows, but at least you are now a Democracy.

AN AUSTRALIAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.
Business seems pretty good.
You close the office and go for a few beers to celebrate.

A NEW ZEALAND CORPORATION
You have two cows.
The one on the left looks very attractive

MARGELISM
TRADITIONAL CAPITALISM + SWISS CORPORATION

haha...

What about you?


Ciao...xx

The olden times

Stonehenge and Stratford-Upon-Avon, here we come! Weeeee…

Woot! It’s a long weekend, while the church-goers (suddenly I felt bad) rejoice Good Friday & Easter Monday, we’re heading to Williams Shakespeare’s town (the start and end of the life of greatest writer in English)


and...stonehenge claimed to be the world's favorite megalithis stone circle. I'm expecting to see this with my own eyes.


Now…I’m not a historic person, in fact I hate history a lot at school. Can’t remember much of the storylines but I still remember some of the heroes name – Temengung Jugah la, Rentap la, Tun Abdul Razak la, Hang Tuah la, Hang Jebat la, Masturi la. Eh..didn’t expect my memory was that good but how come I couldn’t remember what I did yesterday. haih... ==”

It going to take about 3 to 4 hours drive to Stratford and we plan to spend a day tour around the town before heading to Travelodge, which we booked last month at really bargain price £19 Easter sale (at least £60 at normal price). That’s the Friday plan. Then head to Europe’s biggest mall, just outside London – the Westfield Shopping Centre on the next day. Don’t have anything I need in mind but we shall see the offers there. Hehe…*wicked grin*

Stonehenge is our last place on our way home on Sunday. It’s claimed by the archaeologists as the complete monument blab bla bla…wiki it if you want to know the details. Val went there before and said it’s just some stones, not so peculliar so we didn’t expect to spend much time there. Maybe just pass by…haha

We had originally plan to go over to Dylan & Carol’s on Sunday, poor AJ must have miss his gf so much, Chloe. I know son, LDR is really difficult & challenging as well. But plan be changed. Poor AJ & Chloe. T___T I felt so bad…huh..I really want to enjoy this holiday…not feeling bad twice. Bad & bad..sounds like I’m aweful T__T

Fear not, son for we’re going to meet the Hon’s family. The Hon!!! Xavi, their first son is just a few months older than AJ and I can’t express in words the anticipation I’ve been waiting for. At our xmas trip last year, we planned to pay a visit when we stopped by Leeds. Alas, they were away. T__T So I have been harassing them since then, Gordon especially on how often he broke his promise and named him as the King of aeroplane. Haha…now that we were informed of his latest plan yesterday, I’m praying & crossing fingers very hard very hard so that his plan won’t be changed at the last minute. Haha…

It’s gonna be good and will sure take a lots of photos….

Woot~~~~



Ciao...xx

Lord Louis

I was supposed to do this on Sunday, but I was too exhausted and I'm sure you wouldn't mind to wait for another to see the photos. I'm sure you'll enjoy it. :)

*** Saturday ***

AJ was too bored doing nothing playing with the same toys at home, so we went out for a walk around the new housing blocks

take note on where he's standing
oii...wait for mummy!
paused to look at the cars
mom, this house is for sale.
again, take note what he's trying to do
and again...I noticed that he enjoyed stepping on those =.=
then he posed for the camera
AJ: tadah..I'm so geng~~~

*** Sunday ***

Heard this is a good place pub & restaurant...
and saw this lovely blossom tree...
our meals...mine wasn't that nice though. it's served in cold. blerk!
under the sun, AJ walking around so freely...
oi!!! stop taking me photos, Mr. paparazi...
nah..the cap to cover the lenses
haiya, why keep taking my photos?
ada leng lui? flower on my ear...cute neh~~~
then, we head to the Hoe
the boys enjoyed ice-cream outside while me
inside with air-cond on. sweet~~


Ciao...xx

My name is Margaret

Have you ever ponder the meaning of your name? Any part of you name, be it just your Christian or Chinese (if you’re a Chinese). This reminds me a lot of what I have used to known for.

My first name (other than my surname) is Margaret. When I was younger, I really hate my name. I even asked my mom why my name is Margaret.

Why? Here’s why. I grew up in a town with most of the Chinese speaks fuchow. I don’t speak fuchow much but I can understand quite well. I aged 12 (primary 6) when a boy classmate didn’t call my name properly. He slurred it in fuchow PURPOSELY!

“Mar-gie-rei, have you finish your homework? Can I borrow it?”
“Mar-gie-rei, do you write down what was on the blackboard? I missed it”
“Mar-gie-rei, can I borrow your eraser?”
“Mar-gie-rei, can I borrow your dictionary?” haha…I was so stupid and don’t know why I bring a thick dictionary to school everyday. EVERYDAY! I walked to school carrying in with my hands because my school bag is full of textbooks. Luckily the school is literally just 5 minutes walk. Phew~~~~ I nearly forgot about this until hubby reminded me. He was my classmate!

"Mar-gie-rei"... "Mar-gie-rei"... "Mar-gie-rei"...

Translating Mar-gie-rei into English means the shyt of horse’s and chicken’s. So my name is The shyt of horse’s and chicken’s Lee XXXX XXXX (Chinese name), huh. T___T So upsetting, aint it? I was so upset, in fact depressed, when people call me that that I really wanted to change my name. I even blame my mother for choosing that name. and I hate fuchow people.

Some people couldn’t even spell or call my name properly. Margeret or Margerat or Mergaret, Margret. How fascinating is that?

To be honest when thinking back over what happened during my schools time, I was bullied indirectly. But then I didn’t really give much thought of it probably because I don't want to stress about it. All I want is to focus on my studies. And hey, it works. So there's not much sweet memories in schools.

Orite, where was I again? Right, my name....

Humm...the callings continued a few years later. And I realised it stopped when I ignored those who call me the aweful name. haha.....

Then as Internet become common as years passed by, I began searching the real meaning behind my name. It was mother-of-pearl. Wow! That's was so awesome. woot~~ even great, my name was called correctly and precisely with the correct tone for the first time by someone I forgot but I remembered it was in UK. haha...

Indeeeed, I'm now married to fuchow husband, I don't hate fuchow people anymore. Margaret is such a lovely name and I don't even care now when Hubby sometimes jokingly called me using the aweful slang. Between, I still remember who's that boy who so "creative" calling my name that way. Note that it's not hubby.

***
Oooo...AJ not just having a tooth. But two!!!! We found another one at the back. It's a big one. And thankfully, his apettite has gone back up. to his normal aptitie and I'm extremely delighted to see him back to himself again. He still has a little bit of coughing every now and then but indeed is getting better and better everyday.

Thanks for your prayer, guys~~~~ a big mwuarhhhhh to you all...



Ciao...xx

April's fool Valentine

It's April's Fool day. I didn't get pranked today ~phew~ until I read Alice post. =="" But at least I wasn't pranked physically. wahaha....

On the other hand, we took half day off today. No other reason. No reason at all, come to think of it!
"What?!" Yes, I'm not fooling you guys
"Are you nuts?" No, well..maybe a little bit
"What for?" Just the two of us together.

Hubby said sporty (our car) needs 2 of the back tyres changed. He's planning to take the half day off. I said I would like to join him. As AJ is in good hands, so there's not need for me to worry much. Just the two of us~~~~~

Still can't believe a word I'm writing here? To prove my honesty (since there's no free lie detector here), I took some photos of our today's activity.
heading towards a restaurant for lunch
Nando's
Hubby still in his working shirt
we had chicken with mango & lime. not bad
with salad
and extra sauces..yum
Then I saw this. I'm indeed a messy eater
Me while hubby went to toilet
at car's clinic

We went to pick AJ from the nursery today. As AJ didn't see me much, he was so excited (screaming) when he saw me at the door. I felt the same way too...sweet neh~~~ haha...I know you're jealous already...especially you Alice or Connie! haha...

Right, working tomorrow....Before that, restaurant city~~~~ my Jelobi baby restaurant

and oh oh oh...as everyone is waiting for, latest video of AJ



Ciao...xx

Had to do this...Tagged by Connie

1. What is your mobile phone brand?
- Nokia 5310...cool stuff but I kinda fall in love with Nokia 5800. =.=

2. When did you buy it?
- last month? Can't remember when!! Why?

3. What color your mobile phone is?
- Red

4. How many messages are in your inbox?
- 9

5. Who gave you SMS recently ?
- Carol, Chloe's mother

6. What picture became your wallpaper?
- Aj who else...am going to change soon

7. Please state:- Missed called :
- Hubby. My phone only rings when he calls

8. Why do you like your mobile phone?
- coz my previous nokia broken

9. How long did you use your mobile phone?
- can't you calculate it from the 2nd question?

10. SMS ( Tagged ) People :
- Alice
- Connie
- Jenny
There's no one else in my list?



Ciao...xx

Weee…

There has been a change to my company’s working hours. I would say, it’s quite big as it affects my personal life. This subject was brought to our (employees) attention around Christmas last year. Because of the vagueness information when we were briefed, I didn’t mention about it until this has confirmed.

And guess what? Yipeee!

Time waits for no men (women on top), this project is going ahead as far as I can see. I just signed the new contract detailing the change of working hours. The executive board believe this brings benefits to both the company and us. I certainly support for this new pattern for it affects my personal life too.

With effect tomorrow, my weekly working hours is reduced from 37.5 to 35 hours. Isn’t it great? This would mean I’ll get to off work early each day.

To be honest, I’m ok to work from 8 till 6 but the long working hours are too long and leaving me exhausted at weekends. Don’t get me wrong. I would still prefer for the 5 days workload in 4 working days even though it is going to leave me weary for I want to care for AJ myself. I don’t want to detach myself too much from AJ.

And as a result of clinging too much with AJ, he’s clingy to me as well. Follow wherever I go. Want to be carried and eyes follow to whatever I do. T___T haha…speaking of which, AJ did some stir fry himself the other day after saw me cooking for a few times. Sabar sabar, photos at the end.

I do feel that I need some Marge personal time especially on Saturday or Sunday albeit for an hour only……for my beauty nap. Because I’ve used too much energy at work! ==”

Thanks hubby for being so understanding. He has to entertain AJ when I need the time myself. This at least gives some father and son time neh~~~What's more, he has to see my extremely strenuous pulling face once a week because I’m so drained. Poor hubby…haha…

Right…I got carried away again, didn’t I? Where was I?

Okok…yes now that it is confirmed, I aint gonna work till 6!!!! By taking just half an hour break, I can now off at 5:15pm. This would also mean I don’t get any free lift home anymore T____T

So I would be better off walking home that only just take 15 minutes – a slight exercise add-on to get back to sexy size. Great! I would be reaching home first, greeting hubby and AJ with a warm smile. Great great!

Then, we could have dinner early. Great great great! More time for me to rest. Great x 4 –lazy to type so many words but come to think of it, when I am writing this or typing to be precise, I’m actually doing the same thing =.= and still is typing. More time with AJ (great x 5) and more smiles at weekend (great x 6). *finger-crossed*

This is a perfect plan of so many greatnesssssssssssss. There’s no charge for greatness, it’s the enjoyment of greatness you’re looking for. So great-nya…Now you see that it’s affecting my personal life right?

***

Oh…nearly forgot to give update on AJ’s health. He’s still recovering. It’s better than last week. Expect a slow recovery due to windy cool weather and without medication. You could hear a lot of mucus when he coughes. He starts eating now but still on low amount. Diarrheoa thankfully has ended. I can see his new teeth. Sharp edges…better watch out when I wash his mouth with my finger.

Now that the winter is nearly over, it’s getting warmer now. I’m hoping that AJ will be feeling better soon. And bring him out to walk on warm sunny day.

Here comes the photos of little naughty baby (oppss…toddler)
Chi Cha Chi Cha..King Kang King Kang
AJ starts throwing things after his bath
his toys floating~~~
shopping at his favorite stores
Posing with daddy


Ciao...xx