Haze, Filter and Health

The annual haze is back, and it's back with a vengeance with API reading of reaching 300-400, unhealthy to hazardous level. I went scrambling to look for an air filter. Procastination got the better of me. Every shop, all 8 of them I went to has no more stock for air filters. I called the larger and the smaller chains all are out of stocks too. Those in the filter business must be having a heyday. I read quite a bit on what filters are out there and what to get and buy. And have some things in my mind. But I cant get any now till all the madness has died down. I am then gonna get one for the bedrooms and the living room and be prepared for the next haze. How we take for granted the clean air that we have, and the blue skies. Sometimes we need a wake up call to start appreciating somethings. 

Blessed with the Best of Friends

If one's wealth is counted by the kind of friends one has, then I am a billionnaire. I have totally awesome friends. Totally awesome who genuinely cares about me, who is there for me, who makes this journey of life so wonderfully sweet. I have 2 bestest friends whom i have knows and been inseparable since I was 7 and I have bestest friends from 10 years ago. They know me at different stages of life, have seen me grown and develop and I cant' imagine better people to surround myself with.

It's already going to be June 2013!

I so remember the year beginning and now it's almost mid year. I have been better at exercising this year. Trying to keep to 2-3 times of running on the treadmill while browsing through the telly.  My 41st birthday was a few days ago. It was a totally glorious happy time I had. My besties came over to my place surprised me and we spent the morning together, just being together. Blissful. We dont do it often enough, but hey having some time together while having young children and a career is a challenge...We are so looking forward to our weekend away in less then 3 weeks....and we are trying to shed some pounds before that, so on the treadmill for me today, and fruits and salads for lunch today:) If wealth is measured with great friends in life, then I am a millionnaire. I have totally awesome friends, and I feel totally blessed. I have friends who care, to talk with, to help me, to give me a shake when I need one, to go shopping when I need one...How did I get so lucky!

A time to Rejoice

We are fasting now for 19 days from March 2nd to 21st and then we will end with celebrating our Bahai New Year. I am feeling the festive mode now. The cookies to make the cakes to bake and we are having a dinner celebration and inviting friends and families on the 23rd March. Many things to do before that. Get house organized and sorted out...I am always in the organizing and sorting out mode..I suppose it doesnt end as life it needs constant readjusting and rearranging to get it just right, better looking and more organized. And as any planning I am addicted to lists. I have a list for everything.  And I tick them off as I go along. I started with the garden and added in more colours and got it neater, and had new grass laid. It's looking good now, I have arranged for the caterers and the chairs and the tables and also thinking of idea of injecting some basic decors.

The fasting month is good for me especially as it draws me to what's really important, praying, thinking of goodwill, reading spiritual words and cooking meals for the family and also spending more time getting to know the community.

One of my most favorite saying by Abdul Baha:

If we are not happy and joyous at this season, for what other season shall we wait and for what other time shall we look? - Abdul Baha

For my Son's

"I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright.

I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more.

I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive.

I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger.

I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.

I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.

I wish you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye."

School Dilemma

We decided to enrol our children to Chinese Schools as we felt learning an additional language will be beneficial. Moreover China is an economy giant, and also being Bahais' we tend to travel and have a borderless thing when it comes to country, thus an extra language will take be beneficial. Now my son is in year 4 and Chinese Schools are very academic oriented and to cope in the language my son has to attend tuition almost daily. It pains me to see him being tired and going through so much when I feel he should be playing and running and exploring and not just being academical whole day through. Our education system has become so pathetic that people is losing faith in it and homeschools and private and international schools are mushrooming everywhere. So many seems to avoid the kebangsaan schools and spend so much money in sending their children everywhere else. This country does not seem to be the same place we grow up in, hope there is still hope...but left to be seen. So coming back to my son, we are in a dilemma of moving him back to kebangsaan school or remain in chinese school. So we decided to pray and ask for guidance and see what comes along. Chinese of not to chinese...that is the question.

Sarawak Trip

We just made a trip to Sarawak, the land of the hornbills. This is east Malaysia, about an hour and 45 minutes from Semenanjung Malaysia. I was glad, as it was a 6 days of being together with no electronic gadgets, and 6 days of nature. We did the mangrove tour, saw wild crocodiles, blue crabs, visited the orang utan sanctuary and was amongst oldest rainforest. It made me realise how important to spend time together as often as possible and also to learn new cultures and to be amongst nature. We will do this more often, and thinking about the next destination.

2013 is Here

2013 is here...and we are just about to end our first week for the year! School started, work started and life started. Thankful for so much abundance that we have, to be positive and not to sweat the samll stuffs, to respect relationship of all forms.

Boys are back to school and it has been good, and hubby has taken on new job at BAC and is excited about it. Hope he finishes his masters which he started though to work and study is challenging but will be good for him on the long run.  I hope and pray this year will be a good year in all ways and that I will open our homes and hearts to more people and to give more. Constantly remembering to those much is given much is expected. And yaay, excite about movie with hubby tomorrow, 'Les Miserable's' while kids are away at a birthday party:)...Finding happiness in the little things..isnt that what's life is about.