Twinkle Lights London’s Not So Bright

M. Ismail is one of NewsFlashMedia’s team members. Since late October 2011 she has been living in London and will soon be continuing her vacation to France. She shares with us some of her less boring and tedious experiences while abroad.

THE Christmas lights displays in London aren’t as grand as I had imagined them to be. They pale in comparison to Singapore’s. To be honest, even Malaysia’s Christmas décor are way better.

The Christmas lights at Molton Street.

Since arriving in UK in late October, I’d been spending the weekends in Central London shopping as well as trying to catch the Christmas lights. Sadly, there wasn’t much to shout about although you can see some Christmas lights on Oxford Street, Regent Street and Molton Street.

Nearing Christmas, Oxford Street turned into a mini funland for the children.

I didn’t even bother shooting because the weather was just too cold and I preferred tucking both my hands in my pockets. When you are right smack there on Oxford Street where people are just busy shopping it isn’t such a brilliant idea to shoot. You almost always get knocked into. You don’t really tumble over but it is annoying when people just keep bumping into you.

Fancy checking this one out?

Well, London may not be among the 10 cities reputed to have the world’s best Christmas lights but that’s fine with me. I have often wondered when people will realize the amount of wastage in money and energy when they light up almost an entire city during the festive season. Surely there are better ways to spend all that money!

Crazy Christmas shopping at Hamleys.

Christmas appears way quieter here than back home in Malaysia. The idiot box doesn’t play a lot of Christmas-y tunes like in Malaysia. And there are no fireworks in the area I live. But I guess the bars were full last night.

Well, Merry Christmas everyone. And this will be the last festive celebration for the year. Six more days to the New Year and then comes the first festive celebration again – in February. Ready?

The Joy of Christmas

Whimsical Christmas Tree card is by Tinneketin while the rest of the decor used are from clker.com

Wishing all our friends near and far a very Merry Christmas!!! If there is one gift that we can easily share the world over, across nations and thousands of miles apart from each other is the gift of love. Ours come in abundance.

May LOVE follow you wherever you go :)

My Man, Rene

MY man Chris Rene has left X-Factor USA in third place tonight (viewing at 8pm London, Dec 24), just minutes after a teary footage of him overwhelmed by the well-wishes from family members and friends. Hundreds gathered at The Catalyst in his hometown Santa Cruz in a show of support of the young ‘homie’.

(Inset, left) is Renee onstage on the final countdown day.

Put aside his ‘drug taking’ history and sob-sob life story. I love this man firstly for his voice, the style in which he sings and his most humble character. No, I don’t like everything about him, especially the way he moves – you know, the slight bounce, the hand movements, tipping of his hat and all. These are all ‘influences’. But when you talk about character and behavior – Chris Rene has all that I like in an artiste. So shame on you Astro the young snob, perasan (vain) lil’ boy who thinks he is larger than life by not wanting to perform when he was voted out!

(From top, Renee in various moods) Renee overwhelmed by emotions, in anguish waiting for the result and sharing one good moment with his mentor L.A. Reid.

Rene winning third place wasn’t a surprise as it was very clear as to who the sure winner was on the night. But somewhere deep inside I wished either Rene or Josh Krajcik could have toppled Melanie Amaro. She has heck of a voice and stage presence but help me God when she opens her mouth to express her feelings.

Josh Krajcik came second, much to Nicole's delight.

There were several other contestants whom I think could do wonders to the entertainment industry but were voted out at such an early stage of the competition. Krajcik is the kind of artiste and voice I would love to listen to over and over again but Nicole has done such a tremendous job on him that she completely wiped out his natural singing abilities. Mid-way through the competition Krajcik sounded more like a commercial female act disguised in a man’s clothes! Leave him alone Nicole! He would have better chance if he was under the mentoring of L.A. Reid or even Simon Cowell.
Another act that I just adore, not for the talent but the look, is Rachel Crow, the chubby 13-year-old who wants her own bathroom. I think it’s true like one of the judges had said in one of the show’s segment – there could be a Rachel Crow doll soon. I will buy for my collector friend…

Both Simon and Amaro looking all jitters.

The face of a winner, swarmed by overexcited relatives. Hello...this is supposed to be an Amaro moment ok?

For the next season of X Factor USA, can someone tell both Paula and Nicole (especially) to suck it in when they sit on the judges’ panel? Stop whimpering about not being able to make decisions. That’s the very freaking reason you are there in the first place!

The judges celebrate!

Qar's Stay at Great Grandma's

QAR left Nek Yong’s home in the early evening today to stay with his Great Grandmother whose house is about an hour’s drive out of Kuala Lumpur. Nek Yong has to be at work but that doesn’t mean Qar didn’t have his usual morning bath with Nek Yong. The only difference with today’s bath is that his mother bathed him instead. Nek Yong sat quietly by my daughter’s side and taught her how to bathe Qar.

Sleeping ...

My grandson will be away right until Eid, which is just a few days away. And Nek Yong will join him on Sunday afternoon as Great Grandmother wants new curtains for the hall. It’s a last minute shopping again for Nek Yong but having done this for the past years for my mom, it doesn’t upset Nek Yong anymore.

Sleeping some more..

At this very moment Nek Yong is still in the office, alone, waiting for the breaking of fast hour. It is much easier to just break fast in the office and then go home because the after-office traffic is really bad in the area where Nek Yong works. By the time Nek Yong finish her mug of hot coffee and a small bowl of fried rice, the traffic would have subsided.

PEACE sign from Qar?

Nek Yong has to go now Qar. Will write more in the next few days as I know there will be lots of things to write about with Eid festivities taking place.

Thinking of you, Qar and missing my cute grandson already.

With loving care – Nek Yong

Sunday Shopping With Qar

NEK YONG’s mornings for now are specifically for Qar. I bathe and sun him before I leave for work and at the same time look after Qar’s mum, my eldest daughter.

Perhaps this week things will more or less go back to normal. Qar is getting easier to handle as he is growing up very fast and doesn’t look as fragile as the newborn that he was. Of course it’s been just past a week but in Nek Yong’s eyes, Qar is a ‘big boy’ already. He peed on Nek Yong twice while I towel-dried him after his morning bath. A few days ago, he pooped on his dad when he was cleaning him. Dad gave a loud scream when he was caught by surprise. Nek Yong thinks he has a lot more to learn about child-minding ;)

Dashing?

My daughter is regaining her health as well except for a few bumps and bruises. She is stronger after the delivery and is able to move about independently, thanks to the medication her gran made for her.

As promised to Qar on Saturday evening, the family took Qar to the nearby mall to shop for his Hari Raya clothes on Sunday morning. Not that Qar showed any emotions but the entire family thought he was extremely happy. You know how it is with grandmas and aunts. Their doting of their precious ones goes beyond logic.

There you go, fast asleep.

Nek Yong dressed Qar in his Sunday best – a smart-looking Onesies that an aunt gave to him as a birthday gift (Onesies is a shirt that snaps under the diaper to stay on). But before we could take one step out the door, Qar was asleep. So much for shopping.

With loving care - Nek Yong

My Cute Sleepy Head

BABY Qar is fast asleep, along with the rest of the household except for Nek Yong. At the time of writing this, the time is 2:58 on Sunday morning.

Like every doting grandmother, Nek Yong does a quick check on Qar every hour or so, just in case his little cotton blanket got tangled in his face. Qar wriggles and stretches a lot and when he does his entire small frame gets all twisted and contorted and red. He makes the cutest sound ever when he does his little stretch. It is so adorable that it melts Nek Yong’s heart every time.

Twist and turn and wriggle and stretch but never awake - that's Qar for you.

Qar’s mum and dad are in the bedroom with him but they are fast asleep, trying to recover as much as possible from the maddening event of August 13. So Nek Yong plays Nanny to make sure both parents and child are in good care.

Yesterday, Qar got his very own passport and Nek Yong accompanied him and his parents to the nearby Immigration Office. Nicely wrapped in a bundle, Qar slept through everything, even when Nek Yong placed him in front of the photographer’s camera to get a passport sized photo of him.

At 5pm yesterday, when Nek Yong gave him his bath, his umbilical cord stump finally fell off. It was a big relief for Nek Yong as it was quite unnerving seeing it dangled around Qar’s navel every day. It was especially tough ‘handling’ it during bath time and sterilising it.

Sometimes when Qar ‘yelped’, Nek Yong got worried just in case he was in pain. Of course he wasn’t in pain because the umbilical cord doesn’t have pain-sensitive nerve fibres, according to medical advice. Many of us however think it does.

Perhaps when Nek Yong has the time, I will write a little about this in my post, just to reassure my daughter as she has not been able to Google much of late.

Just slightly a week old, Qar, fast asleep.

Qar has just passed a week old and is already looking like a big boy. He is beginning to smile a lot too. Nek Yong can’t get enough of looking at Qar and cuddling and giving him small kisses on those rosy cheeks of his. My two daughters have a good laugh whenever they see me doing these. They make fun of me, purposely thinking aloud as to where my tough, disciplinarian qualities have gone to since Qar arrived.

Well, laugh all you like, daughters. Tomorrow, I’m taking Qar shopping for his Hari Raya (Eid)’s clothes. So there …

                                                                                               With loving care – Nek Yong

Qar's 2nd Day With Nek Yong

SLEEP eluded me the night after Qar's birth (Aug 13, 2011).

It was way past 3am on Sunday that I got to bed, sorting out things at home so I could be by my daughter’s and my grandson’s side again the next day.

That same Sunday, Nek Yong woke up at half past eight to the sound of an SMS bleeping on my hand phone. It was my daughter who just gave birth asking me to bring along a few more of Qar’s nappies, mittens and booties when next we visit.

By 11am my younger daughter and I were already heading for the hospital in her tiny twin-cam Kelisa, which runs like a blizzard. Before you knew it, we were at the hospital. Talk about safe driving in a matchbox.

The rules are very strict at the hospital – no visitors before visiting hours. Even grandmothers do not have privileges. But we were prepared to sit on the hot slabs outdoor again because the waiting area feels like a freezer with the air-conditioning turned down so low.

Nek Yong decided to take a chance. I walked up to the security guard at the entrance to my daughter’s ward and asked if I could go up to see my grandson. If looks could butcher one alive, the guard’s would. But somehow I managed to get in although it was only 15 minutes to Visitors’ Hours. Who cares? It’s nice to know as a ‘gran’ I do have privileges, given or forced.

I managed to snap some photos of Qar using my hand phone since the nurses watch over anyone who lugs in a camera outfit any bigger.

Qar giving Nek Yong the one-eye pirate look.

These are precious photos – Qar’s second day in this world. Nek Yong promise he will grow up a happy child.

With loving care – Nek Yong

My First Grandson, Grandchild - Qar

NEK YONG officially became a granny at exactly 11.40pm last night. My first grandson was born after I had spent two hours sitting on the stone slabs by the entrance of the delivery ward of Putrajaya Hospital.

Clad in faded blue jeans, a simple white T and a black leather jacket, Nek Yong felt jubilant as I cradled my grandson in my arms. He still had traces of blood around his shoulders, wrapped in the hospital’s blue blanket, wide eyed and perhaps wondering who the grinning woman cradling him was. I didn’t care if my first grandson thinks I’m an alien lost on Planet Earth. I was just happy he finally arrived...after 14 hours and 10 minutes to be exact.

Qar (pronounced ‘Khorr’) is adorable. His eyes were wide opened despite only being born less than an hour before resting in my arms. Nek Yong heard his wail right across the labour room to the waiting area right out to the main entrance. That’s my grandson Qar - my first grandchild.

Qar...Nek Yong has to go to bed now. While your mother wrapped you in her arms, Nek Yong was travelling back to our home in Kuala Lumpur. In the next few days you will come home with us and sleep in the baby crib that Nek Yong has prepared for you.

There will be more stories of our adventures in the next few days and weeks and months and years but for now Nek Yong has to sleep so I can see you at the hospital again this afternoon.

As I walked to the car-park at the hospital I was already thinking about taking Qar shopping. Nek Yong will get some new clothes and Qar will get some books.

Life – it’s very sweet at the moment.


With loving care - Nek Yong

Short Take 12

Text by My Name Is Insanity

Image by caseaplace (caseaplace)

You Speak Malay, No?

I SPENT half of last Saturday in a shopping mall in Kuala Lumpur’s Golden Triangle. It has been ages since I went there. Due to its declining popularity as KL’s top shopping mall I thought I might as well have my deserving hair wash at one of the little hair salons scattered in the area. Where my office is a simple hair wash for a long-haired female would cost nothing less than RM28 perhaps.

However, enjoying a hair wash doesn’t come cheap in KL, no matter the popularity of the building the studio is in. Everywhere I went the charge was at least RM30+ so I considered myself fortunate to find one that offered service at only RM24. That is a fair price for a hair scrub and scrunge-dry service, right?

Images: Parlour by Moini & Hair by doug26

So I took a seat and a young Chinese hairstylist came over. He had a full head of dyed hair with a fringe that was almost hiding his eyes. The only time I saw his squeaky little eyes was when he lifted his head a little to ask me a question.

If looks can kill his would and no, not because he is drop-dead gorgeous or a hunk but because he is just SO angry. I swear that if I had a tape measure with me and measured his pout it could have easily reached a mile! Why is he so ANGRY?

His entire mannerisms baffled me. There was no “hello”, “how are you”, “how can I help you”...nothing! Just silence and a pouty face! After placing some hand towels around my shoulders, he reached towards a bottle I had placed on the mirror stand and pressed on the lid so the contents of the bottle came gushing onto his palm. I let out a seriously surprised + annoyed exclamation. And he shot at me with a “SHAMPOO???” No duhhh! That was my mousse! What in the world is wrong with him? He didn’t ask what was in the bottle and then got angry when he realised he had mousse all over his hand when it was shampoo he wanted. Did I tell him I brought my own shampoo? Noooo...

I felt my ears went red with anger. I couldn’t believe what was happening and so I just stared at him as he shampooed my hair. Suddenly he decided to speak. He asked me in English if I’d like to blow dry my hair and roll them up. I said no, just scrunge-dry using the diffuser. But he couldn’t understand that I didn’t want my hair rolled and straightened out. Then he got mad again. And he repeated his question and I gave him the same answer. He gave me an annoyed look and just as I was about to swear profanities, his colleague told him what to do.

Image from clker.com

At this point I was thinking of knocking him senseless with my heavy leather handbag, or the bottle of mousse or even the hairdryer. When suddenly he said, “Are you Chinese?” I checked my skin – dark brown. My eyes – very Malay eyes, complete with double eyelid. My hair – wavy and dry and big (how many Chinese girls have big, wavy hair?).

I am a typical Malay with Indonesian, Dutch, Thai and Arab lineage and he asked if I was Chinese.

Strangely when I told him I am Malay his behaviour took a 180-degree turn. And then he asked if I can speak Malay. Can I speak Malay? Why? Do I sound like I’ve been eating too much French Fries when I speaketh English?

When he found out I am Malay, speaks Malay, all his anti-social-ness disappeared into thin air. Suddenly he was all chatty. He asked if I’ve ever been to the mall before. He wanted to know my age. And if I were to ever need a treatment to consider him. Before I knew it he was revealing more about himself. How he has to handle more than 20 customers in a day on weekends, most of whom are his regulars. Then he said, “I’ve not even had a bite to eat since the studio opened this morning. I’m so hungry I can barely talk.”

My conclusion of his behaviour is: he thought I was a snobbish Chinese girl who refused to speak in my native tongue to a native boy! And my replies to him in English had annoyed him because he isn’t conversant in English and prefers to talk in Malay.

Goodness young man! Say so la! I can talk Melayu anytime. With the way he was all dressed up and his brunette mop of hair and swagger I thought he was more Western than Western itself! Adoi... Talk about assumptions.