Merry Christmas!

Mommy's Me Time

My friends and I often share stories and swap notes about being a mom and there’s one thing that we all agree - that being a mom is the toughest, hardest, most difficult job in the world. And I cannot stress that enough. As a mom, we put our family first, the kids and the husband before ourselves. It’s a 24x7 job and there’s no quitting. Once a mom, you already have the responsibility to take care of someone else other than yourself.

As a working mom, when my office work ends, my mommy duties start. In my other post, I’ve mentioned that we currently do not have a house maid yet. My hubby who currently stays with the kids is cool enough to share a few chores. Even so, I still have to manage to do bulk of the household chores. 

Kuya's 9th Birthday

It is unbelievable that my baby boy just turned 9! He just used to be my little bundle of joy, Botchokoy. Now he’s almost as tall as I. It’s crazy how time flies.

For his special day, we planned to go to Petrosains because he's fascinated with science. But let me tell you about that a little bit later.

With our day starting late, we had late lunch at Yuzu, a Japanese restaurant. It’s our first time to dine there and we enjoyed the food so much we were stuffed like turkey.

Leap of Faith

Going out of the country to work was the most drastic decision I have ever made in my life. It’s out of character, out of my comfort zone and downright risky. It took me a few months to finally decide to accept the offer. I had to delay it several times making up excuses along the way. I was actually hoping a big voice from heaven would tell me the right decision to make, which way to go, to accept or not to accept. I was hoping to be very certain that I am making the right decision. However, there’s just no way to do that.

Sharing is Caring

Most companies, nowadays, have become more aware of how they impact society and the environment, as well as how tremendous their influence is in the world around them. That’s why most companies have Corporate Social Responsibility activities that help advocate their choice of segment in the society.

A recent CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) activity I joined with the company I work with here at KL was a charity event tied with Kechara Soup Kitchen. 

Marco Polo Restaurant

When I went back to work from my vacation leave, apparently my birthday was not over yet. I had another birthday celebration with my colleagues. Best part of it was that I got to choose the restaurant. First requirement in mind was to dine where there’s pork! Craving for dim sum, I chose Marco Polo Restaurant.

Ben's by BIG, KLCC Suria

November and December are the busiest months for the family. We have back-to-back birthday celebrations not to mention the holidays of course. Definitely the best time of the year!

For my birthday celebration, we went to Ben’s at KLCC Suria. It wasn’t planned at all. We only went there because we were stuck at KLCC Suria due to the traffic jam. Our Manileno visitors originally wanted to go to Jalan Alor. But the son was already cranky and hungry.

Ben’s by BIG is a family restaurant with a unique, home, cosy interiors and ambiance. The most interesting detail in the restaurant is their mantra on display “To eat is to love”. It also sounds amazing that they're proud about their menu being inspired by great memories shared over meals.

Around Penang

One of the places in Malaysia on my bucket list is Penang. Even before, I really wanted to walk the streets of Georgetown and have been intrigued by the street art.

The whole family including my mom, sister, nephews, nephew’s girlfriend, hubby and the kids flew to Penang via Air Asia. It was around 1000+RM for all 9 of us.

We decided to stay at a budget hotel to save a few bucks; anyhow most of the day will be spent going around town. Old Penang Guesthouse was one of the budget hotels that came out of my search with positive feedback. We got the whole dorm with 12 beds for 29rm each bed per night. The bathroom and toilet has to be shared with everyone else in the house. But our room was near the t&b so it was almost like exclusive for us.

Hello, December!

Today is the first day of December!

Maybank's Birthday Treat: Decleor Aromaplasty Facial

I was super delightfully surprised to see Maybank’s Birthday gift for me on my birthday month on the mail last week. They gave me a complimentary Aromaplasty Facial from Decleor France worth RM230. What a pleasant surprise indeed!

Morganfield's in Publika

Baby number 2 turned 2 on November 23rd. We had a simple celebration by eating out at a restaurant we’ve never tried before. We went to Morganfield’s in Publika.

Publika is a family mall located in an upscale neighbourhood in Solaris Dutamas, Sri Hartamas.It is modern, chic and artsy. It has a wide variety of high-end clothing boutiques, novelty stores and restaurants.

Acquaria KLCC

One of the fun places a family can go to in Kuala Lumpur is Acquaria KLCC. It is an oceanarium that showcases over 250 different species and over 5,000 land and aquatic species from Malaysia and around the world.

Located beneath Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, it is just walking distance from Suria KLCC or the Petronas Tower. There is in fact a walkway that links Petronas/ Suria KLCC and Acquaria KLCC.

Blog Makeover

As I try to revive my blog, I think that a makeover is also in order.

Genting Highlands

When my sister and nephew visited me a few months back, we went on a road trip to Genting Highlands!

Genting Highlands is located within an hour’s drive from Kuala Lumpur. It is on the peak of Gunung Ulu Kali within the Titiwangsa Mountains by the border of Pahang and Selangor.

Genting Skyway

From Pudu Sentral station, we alighted from the bus at the impressive Genting Skyway Station at Gohtong Jaya. It is an exhilarating way to go up the hill while watching the scenic views and lush greenery. For people scared of heights it is not at all relaxing. But the sight really makes you forget about the ride. At the top of the hill, the weather’s cool, which is so in contrast to the weather in KL.

Legoland Malaysia

For Kuya’s 8th birthday, we went to Legoland! It’s my promise to Kuya so he’d be excited about Malaysia. 

Singapore Adventure

It’s been months since the hubby and I went to Singapore but only had time to write about it today. 

This Singapore trip is for our wedding anniversary and we had a chance to travel with just the two of us. Like a second honeymoon of sorts. 

It’s a DIY adventure trip as usual and I only researched and asked around to plan it. As we are spendthrifts, the plan is to enjoy without so much costs. 

Thoughts on Leadership

Leadership is definitely a big word that’s difficult to live up with. I’ve worked with and met different leaders with different styles. Nothing is ever the same and there’s no cookie cutter type of leadership. Honestly, I also don’t know if I’m a good one but anyhow I have gotten good feedback *wink*.

Melaka. Malacca. Malaysia Truly Asia.

Our first out-of-town trip in Malaysia as a family was in Melaka. It is a historical site near KL that deserves to be given attention. It shows a different aspect of Malaysia, its Portuguese influence, which shows Malaysia’s rich culture and history.

Our day trip was full pack with the historical sites Melaka has to offer. Here’s just a few of the places we went to:

Christ Church and Dutch Square Malacca

Located near Malacca’s Chinatown centre, it is one of the most popular sites in the area. It was swarming with tourists and locals alike. Right outside the church are colourful trishaws that you can pay to take you around the city.

My Perfectly Imperfect Life

Working abroad gave the family a sense of independence that I did not realise we’re not used to. I came from a family where my mother was the only one who kept the house and took care of all 5 of us. My husband also grew up with his grandma who raised him without a nanny. Now that we have our own family, since both of us have our own careers, we’ve always had house help. 

When the family moved here in KL, we were forced to be on our own. We can’t afford to hire a helper whose based here while our nanny does not have papers so we can’t bring her here as soon as we'd hope. This is our biggest problem right now.