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I got to inspect our apartment’s renovation progress over the weekend. It was such a horrible sight and site with almost everything stripped naked. You could see dust, sand, cement and more dust everywhere and it really did look like a new apartment that’s being constructed from scratch. 

There is a whole lot more work to be done that’s for sure!

I admit I’ve not been hands-on with the renovation because unlike the husband, I don’t have the flexibility at work where I can get in late or leave as I wish to see things through. Hence I am thankful that my dad is playing a HUGE part in helping out with the renovation works almost everyday. The not-so-street-smart husband would be very lost if it wasn’t for the extra help since my dad is very apt with these things.

So far, the only thing that’s close to remotely finished is the balcony and bathrooms.

A while ago when the husband went alone to a store to pick out some tiles, the saleswoman told him up front that she will not quote him a price until he brings the wife. Her reason? She was sick and tired of husbands picking stuff out on their own, only to have their wives argue later and change the tiles/design and everything else.

Obviously I can’t understand why couples would fight over TILES when there are far much worse things in life happening around the world. Makes you wonder……

Having some confidence in the husband, I let the man pick out the tiles on his own AFTER approving the color scheme. I’ve always had a fascination with black and white designs for an apartment hence I was game with a darker color scheme for some parts of the apartment.

He had earlier told me he wanted some mosaic design for the shower area so I assumed it was going to be in the light-dark grey color scheme. At worse, off blue to complement the grey tiles. I wasn’t really big on the whole idea but had  some sort of confidence that his idea would turn out good.

Behold the husband’s brilliant idea. Yes-I-am-being-sarky.

I dunno man, I’m not really digging it coz it gives a very 50s-60s old-ish feel to it? He said to wait till the entire bathroom is completed first before hating it so I’m doing just about that

The only argument we’ve had to date regarding the apartment (and touchwood it ends there) was the baby’s room. We initially agreed for the middle room to be Sairah’s little crib. And I already have brilliant ideas for her room.  But then someone just had to suggest we use the smaller room for her (since she will be spending most of the time in our bedroom anyway he reasons) so he can accommodate his stupid work desk and have a guest room in the middle room as it’s slightly bigger.

Needless to say, I was furious that he saw the need to put these so-called guest and blast it work space FIRST instead of giving my baby the better room.

I might have hit below the belt when I told him he wasn’t running a big business to demand his own office space and if he wanted a freaking desk at the comfort of his home he’d buy a bloody huge house with enough rooms to go by and not a  3 bedroom apartment. 

 B-I-T-C-H-Y I know (but you have to admit,  my points are valid), needless to say boys and girls, I won the argument and after coming to his senses (and it was within minutes so I don’t know if it was his sense or just his way of ending the argument quickly avoiding an escalation, who cares, I won, HA HA), he agreed his idea wasn’t so great but not before blurting out ‘now I know what the sales girl meant by couples fighting over these things’.

That was the day folks that I felt like clawing those eyeballs out. But fret not for all’s good in my world again.

His eyeballs are safe for now.

Meet cutie pie Rhys who is down on a month long holiday. His mommy is the husband’s cousin and they live in Australia. Kudos to his mom for braving an 8 hour flight alone with a 5 month old baby! I know I wouldn’t survive, heh.

Sairah got to officially meet him on Saturday. Baby Rhys is probably the second baby she has met to date granted there are not that many babies in the family.

Her first encounter was with one year old Baby Vera, about 2 months ago.  She looks a little afraid in the photo. You would too if there was someone bigger holding onto your hands

There’s just something calm about seeing babies interact with each other. It is pure, real, not anywhere close to being pretencious and simply a joy to look at! Makes you wonder why adults can’t be this way eh?

Both babies looking at the video camera. We HAVE to get one soon!!

Yup, still looking at the video camera. Start interacting will ya?!

There now, much better. 

Makes you wonder what’s going on in their little heads isn’t it?

All I see is my baby’s cheeks, lol

Rhys was being a typical boy by being hyper and trying to get close to Sairah, while Sairah was totally lady like sitting quietly, occasionally giving a ‘you’re such a boy’ look. LOL. The aunt asked if she’s usually this quiet, which we were both quick to retort with a huge NO. I guess she was curious about Rhys because she kept giving us the curious what’s going on look whenever one of us would carry him. Plus I think my baby has mastered the art of behaving well in public and in front of new people, lol.

After a while Sairah got bored and started looking for her mommy and daddy.

Gee where are my old folks?!

There you are motherrrrr!! Put the camera down and pick me up woman!

Both babies saying their goodbyes for now.

Awww see how she’s got her hands on his?? Too cute!!

After saying our goodbyes, we then headed to this quaint little cafe that I recently discovered. It’s called Upstairs Cafe (just opposite SJMC), and I”m kicking myself for not discovering it earlier during my pregnancy

It’s a small self-service comfy cafe, serving pastas and sandwiches. The menu is limited but it’s cheap at only RM9 per dish. However the drinks are equally priced at RM9 so I guess it kinda makes up for it. I’ve sort of taught Sairah to sit on my lap quietly while we eat away so taking her to restaurants thesedays have been easy breezy. And best of all, I am able to finish up a meal and she knows better to allow me to

That’s the owner/chef/baker behind us. He’s kinda cute, ahem (lots of blogs have already mentioned this but no this is not the no 1 reason to visit his cafe!). I have his number too. Well for ordering cakes that is

She adores posing for the camera. I wonder  from which parent she takes this great skill after

RM9 pastas Good for the pocket and YUMMY too!

Ok I dont know if I really want to do this but heck, this is the BEST brownie I’ve had to date!! You HAVE to try it. I’ve introduced this to my sis and cousins and well, they say it’s the BEST brownie they’ve had too so that really counts for something considering how they are such chocolate monsters. I would pay good money to get my hands on this recipe. It’s perfect!! The price - only RM5.

I’m also in LOVE with their Red Velvet Cupcakes. Possible the BEST cuppies in Subang area. It’s soft, moist and the owner is oh so generous with the toppings . Best of all, it’s only RM4.50 a piece.  There were only last 4 of these babies left and I bought them alllll.

I would go again and again for the cakes.  It’s that delicious that it makes you want more. If the I-dont-like-desserts-that-much-husband can crave for the brownies, that speaks volume!

Upstairs Cafe is located Jalan SS12/1B, 47500 Subang Jaya. It’s above Bawang Merah, which is owned by his dad I believe. Do take note that they open from 3pm-11pm. Except for Sundays. Now GO and thank me later for revealing such an awesome place!

So my gossip partner aka Kavin finally got hitched after 2  months of being engaged.

It was a tough call  because I actually had invites to a Magnum4D event on the very same day of his reception. Honestly, it was a freaking dream come true, to personally have the opportunity to witness how it all works followed by a million dollar jackpot LIVE draw with free dinner.  I even asked the husband if it was possible to actually attend this event first followed by a quick sprint on the highway to get to the hotel.

“You’re going to attend the event in your saree then”? He asked. Blast it, obviously I didn’t think it through.  And at the rate the husband drives, there is no quick sprint on the highway!!  Or anywhere for that matter. SO BOO!

Besides, the last thing I need is KK going on a bitch fit for not attending his reception. As it is, I received a whole lot of dagger stares from the macha when I told him we couldn’t make it to the wedding in JB coz of the baby.  I was afraid for my life that night.

So I did the next best thing a friend could do. I skipped the Magnum event and prayed at the very least there would be LOTS of alcohol at his reception

Hey I never once said I make a great friend okay?

The banquet @ Dorsett Regency. Rumour has it his momma spent close to RM100k for this reception but I believe it was indeed his dream wedding because alcohol was abundant and everyone was just HAPPY! Obviously.

Here comes the happy but sober bride and groom

Fireworks all the way. Wouldn’t really highly recommend this esp when as a bride, you have tons of hair spray laced on.  LOVE her saree.

Madhu and I

Yup yup, really am hoping more friends would have their babies already so Sairah will have friends to play it. She will obviously be the leader of the pack

The Brother in law and Shera, who are long friends with KK since college days making a very funny speech about the man.

Esp about his strange addiction for rice. The man just lovesss his rice. Period.

KK making his speech. 100 bucks says he’s already tipsy coz he was actually funny.

And let’s not forget this leecher who loves free drinks , lol

Group photo!

College buddies

The ladies

My neck is missing, grrr….

And for comparison sake, here’s a photo of us back in India, wearing the same saree. Yes, 3 years on,  I’m fat now, no denying that. Time is so cruel. And for the same reason, always go for the heart instead of looks, lol

Btw I decided to be a rebel again by not wearing a single speck of gold.  Had some diamonds on instead. Fake ones that is

The husband imparting some sound advice to the newly wed. I believe he said the wife is always right. That’s the only way you’ll ever get laid bro, heh.

Ok I just made that up. But that is the best advice you could ever give a dude, like seriously.

Next wedding on my calendar:

Despite the groom’s tipsy-ness that night, a week after his honeymoon he emailed to say that he noticed the two of us were the last of his friends to leave the reception. He was touched.

I told him of course we were, coz we were there to give him all the support he needs. What are great friends for?!

In actual fact, we were just leeching off the drinks coz it was still flowing even after 12 a.m (in a way that compensated for the event I had to skip, I’m so sad sometimes I know) but sssshhh,  he doesn’t need to know that! Period.

When traveling, one of the things we love to do is explore local areas and eat local food. There is not much said about Male (pronounced Ma-leh and not like the reference to the darker sex although when I first saw the Male Shopping excursion package at the hotel, I stopped and wondered why on earth would they have a shopping trip catered just for men. Took me a few seconds before I realized my bimbo-ness mistake!!) on the internet, well mainly because there really isn’t much to say about this tiny place:p

On our way back from paradise, we had 9 hours to kill before our flight back home. We checked into a hotel at the airport island which offered a day stay (coz I can never go on for long hours without a shower okie?), dumped our bags in the room and decided to explore Male.

Here I am at the jetty waiting for the water taxi which only cost us RM2 each to get to the other side. Safe to say we were the only foreigners on board because most people don’t really explore this part much.

A glimpse of Male. Boat ride took about 20 minutes.

This is primarily the ONLY mode of transportation for those who live in the airport island (which was built by the government to accommodate its growing population).  Of course you have the option of swimming too. If you dare.

Bollywood tour anyone? And yes, Hindi movies are popular here.

Male town is rather small and extremely congested.  You see alot of people, cars, bikes, buildings, more people at every corner. It reminded me of my India trip, except Male was much cleaner.  And the air was a little more fresh. Nevertheless, people here are not exactly courteous. For this reason, we both miss Thailand!

Be extremely careful about exploring Male in the morning as 90% of shops only open at, get this, 2 freaking pm!!! Good thing we arrived in time for lunch.

The hubby was up for something local so we stepped into a local cafe and got a breakfast set for lunch. I believe this is called Roshi, which is their version of chapati, some spiced tuna chunks (fish and tuna are BIG in Male for obvious reasons) with a side of egg. Total cost: RM10. Food is not cheap in Male for sure.  And it didn’t even taste all that great. Prior to that, we had a slice of tandoori pizza, coffee and milkshake and that cost me RM40.

Let’s not forget that Male is EXTREMELY hot too…..was sweating and smelling like a pig.

Ok so I”m tanned at every angle…….meh. But what’s a beach holiday without a tan eh?

After 2 hours of walking around and shopping under the hot scorching sun, we had enough and decided to leave with 2 small bags. So-not-me. Then again, there wasn’t really much to shop in Male to begin with.

On the way back to the hotel for some shut eye and longggg shower so I can smell good again before the flight home.

The best Banana Milk everrr and it’s made in Sri Lanka

I think we would have left Male earlier if it wasn’t for our attempt at getting Sairah something decent. The hubby for once was picky about her clothes. And we walked from one shop to another as most shops here sell clothes with wrong spelling or irrelevant banters!

Only perfect spelling for my baby girl please.

So yes we settled for this orange dress that says SHOPPING on it. Cost me RM40 just for this.  

I got home, turned to see the label and guess where it’s made from?

THAILAND.

I swear it’s a freaking sign or something.

For now it’s back to work and nappy duties

17 February 2011 – 23 February 2011

We’ve been enjoying the sand, sun and sea for the past few days in Maldives. The husband got this as an anniversary gift last year. I call this the Honeymoon Version 3.0, 3 representing our three years together as husband and wife And boy has it been a journey of sorts.

Honestly I dont even know where to start. The whole experience and trip was beyond amazing.  Maldives ranks the best beach holiday I’ve ever been to. One thing for sure without a doubt, we missed Sairah like CRAZY and have vowed to bring her here in a few years time. *promise*

On board MAS. It’s been a longgggg time since I set foot in KLIA or MAS for that matter, haha. The husband had to refrain me from taking out the wallet everytime we got served food or drinks, lol.

Still had pork and alcohol in the hotel

The airport with a view

Note the expression…..

Coz he had to fork out USD16 just for this meal. Maldives is indeed expensive!!

Our sauces made it to Maldives yo! You’ll find many Malaysian products here. And it’s absolutely BORING to shop here coz all you see is Malaysian products. Sheesh.

All on board! Boat transfer was over-the-top expensive @ USD150 a pop!! We could have literally bought tickets to Bangkok or Bali.

Nevertheless we were lucky that there were only another couple on board with us so it made it somewhat private and worth it

Have you seen water this blueeee???! At this point, we were getting anxious to arrive the hotel just to see how the island looks like.

Took us 40 minutes before we arrived Holiday Inn Kandooma.

We’re in Maldives bitches!

The breathtaking view.

Can you believe GOD created this?

Why can’t we get water this blue in PD? WHY?!

The reception area where we were given some refreshments.

As we arrived at 10 a.m in the morning, the hotel was kind enough to let us check in early, talk about fantastic service. And if that wasn’t enough……

We got upgraded to a private villa!!!! Talk about being lucky

The villa was perfect in every way…

From the lounging area outside where the hubby drank his beers and smoked his cigar

To the outdoor shower (though I could do away with the green walls)

The bed was the most comfiest bed I’ve ever slept on

*refusing to budge from the bed*

To the little details like an Ipod dock so we could play some music

Oh how I loved the outdoor rain shower

Peekaboo, we can see you…

Even the citrus juicer got us excited. Fresh and free orange juice everyday, mmm, mmm, I could live like this everyday!

And to think that this was suppose to be our ‘home’ for that 5 days. LOVE the idea of upgrades.

I would say that the major highlight of the villa was the balcony! For starters, it overlooked the Indian Ocean. I loved every minute I had on that balcony. I loved waking up in the morning to the sound and sight of the ocean. All I had to do was draw open the curtains, lie on my bed and in return I was rewarded with the most gorgeous view one could ever ask for.

After a swim in the ocean,  I would come back and plonk myself on the balcony while enjoying a whole pot of tea to myself as I ponder about life. The husband of course would spend his time downstairs having his cans of beer, no complains there coz I enjoyed my me-time!

We also dined in on one of those days. Talk about being anti-social.

But the moon was simply amazing that night. Couldn’t get more romantic than that.

Even the workaholic husband enjoyed the balcony as he worked away.  Life of a business analyst, tsk….

But they do work hard and play harder, haha

Did lots and lots of swimming too

Oooh who’s that girl, nanananana

Just me

Water so crystal clear you can see your chipped pedicure

3 years and counting…..

Complimentary snorkelling

Now this part was the hardest. Saying bye to this wonderful piece of heaven. It was a 5 day trip of pure relaxation with nothing much to do or crack our heads about. It takes about 20 minutes to cover the entire island by foot. We did alot of sleeping, swimming, talking, sleeping and honestly, it’s something I wouldn’t mind doing once a year, for at least a week for a little rejuvenation.

Now it’s back home with a REALLY bad tan….

A sight we already miss so much

As we were heading back to the airport island, we came across DOLPHINS! They actually have a USD40 dolphin tour, but we had ours for free, hehe. The Captain was too kind to stop the boat and let us take photos of  this beautiful and rare sight.

They say dolphins bring you luck, so here’s hoping I’ll hit the jackpot (yes yes same ol same ol) soon so we can come back to Maldives with Sairah!