Budae Jjigae

Budae Jjigae literally translated as 'army stew' is an east meets west dish. After the Korean war the american army brought a number of foods that had never been seen in Korea such as Spam, frankfurter sausages and baked beans to name a few. Korean took these ingredients and mixed with their own to make a spicy stew named Budae Jjigae.

Hus was craving for the soup for weeks. Did a search online on the recipe and its seems easy to made. Hence, we gave it a try and Hus rated 95% alike.





We have used the Following ingredients:

150g of Spam
3 Frankfurter sausages
1 handful of Beansprouts
150g of Tofu
1 Instant Noodle (don't use flavouring)
handful of Rice cakes (if you have)
1/2 Onion
2 Mushrooms
2 spring onions
800ml of Water with Chicken Stock

Sauce
1 Tablespoon of Red Pepper Gochujang
1 Tablespoon of kimchi
2 Cloves of crushed garlic
3 Tablespoons of Soy Sauce
1 Tablespoon of Sugar
1 Tablespoon of Sesame Oil

Placed all ingredients and sauce in a steamboat pot



add in the chicken stock and let it boils. That's it. As simple as that.




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She is Left-handed

Noticed that Janelle preferred side is left.










Scientific Left Handed Facts
1. Make up between 5% and 10% of the population (depending on who you ask)
2. More likely to have allergies
3. More prone to migraines
4. More likely to be insomniacs
5. Use the right side of the brain the most
6. Three times more likely to become alcoholics – the right side of the brain has a lower tolerance to alcohol!
7. More likely to be on extreme poles of the intelligence scale
8. Tend to reach puberty 4 to 5 months later than right handers
9. More likely to suffer stuttering and dyslexia
10. Twice as likely to be a man
11. Better at 3D perception and thinking
12. Better at multi-tasking
13. Live on average 9 years less than right handed people
39% more likely to be homosexual



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A new week in childcare..

VP told me that I need to let go and let the form teacher and my helper to take care of janelle. She need to get used to it. Hmm.. Ok, I try.

Our weekend exercise @ ECP

This morning hus 心血来潮 says "Let's go to ECP for cycling" and here we go. We chose to cycle on the 4-wheel cycle “Quad Velo”, for the comfort of the shade and the convenience of family cycling together. The rental fee is steep at $30 per hour. Feeling like riding a trishaw. It's feel like tons of load, as the Quad velo itself has it's weight + janelle + helper and myself weight. Treating it as a first experience, we would prefer to go for the normal bicycles next time.

Day 4 in Childcare

Mummy was tasked to be one of the committee for thanksgiving + nov birthday celebration at work. And I'm charge of the food so I need to go into office to arrange the necessary. Was thinking to get my colleague to back me up, but hus assured that he took leave and will take care janelle in the childcare. And she will be fine.

At 930am, I called Hus to check on janelle. Hus told me that they are back at home, because janelle had a fall and a deep cut on her upper lip less than 1 min in school. He see janelle was unsettled and the bleeding wasn't able to stop so he brought her back home. My heart nearly dropped at work when I heard that. How to Trust a man on a simple task like this??

Don't wish to overwhelm her in a week, so giving her a day off from childcare on day5. Okok, I admit, its giving myself a day off. I had been applying leave to accompany her in childcare, and every time after her school I'm super tired and not able to concentrate on work. At working hours, busy with the team building and thanksgiving, I have a lot of backlog to clear and kanna additional workload. I need one day to concentrate and clear those. Dont wish to hang it there till next week.

Her swelling lip and the cheeky her:














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ChildCare - Discovery Garden

Knowing Janelle's medical condition and with her delayed developmental, many mainstream childcare and playgroup and even Integrated Child Care Programme (ICCP) childcare had rejected our enrollment application. Finally, i found a childcare that willing to takes in Janelle and very near to my mom's place. She is now attending morning half day at Discovery Garden Childcare, taking one level lower than her age group and need to have my helper to be around to assist her on some activites which i'm fine. My main purpose is to gives her more exposure and spending more time doing things with a purpose instead of staying at home and play with self or pushing the chairs without a meaning. I'm not withdrawing her from EPIC at Rainbow Center as she still needs the Therapy sessions and Teachers with special needs trained to help her in many areas, and since she is now having school holiday, so i need to fill up some activities for her.

Preparation:
As Janelle rainbow center class are at 1pm, so we have been enforcing her to take nap twice a day. One at 10.30am to 12pm, another from 4pm to 5.30pm and her night time is from 10pm to 7pm. So, enrolling into childcare center means her napping time and EPIC class need to be move. Submitted to move her 2012 EPIC Class to 3.15pm to 5.15pm session and it's approved. And a week ago, i have started to move her nap time and the idea timing is 1pm to 3pm and night time from 9pm to 8am. It's not easy, she is not able to tahan till 1pm then nap, and she refused to go to bed at 9pm but slowly we are reaching.

Things to buy:
- Toothbrush and toothpaste + mug
- Sandals

Days in Discovery Garden
Day 1 - with mummy -

• Woke up by herself 8am



• very good.



• She enjoyed the morning exercises and sing-a-long session.



• At the end of the session, she even followed her classmate Queuing up for lunch. Able to follow the crowd.



• But she refused to have the lunch there.



• We leave early at about 12pm as dont wish to overwhelm her



• Was very tired and took 3 hrs nap which mess up my scheduled timing. And only to bed at 10pm.

Day 2 - without mummy -

• Mummy woke her up at 8.15am



• No good, had been very cranky



• Granny to her rescue at 11am, mama told me once she stepped out of the school, she was smiling and clapping her hands



• Refused to have lunch at 11am, went to nap immediately once reached granny place.



• She had stomach upset and diarrhoea for 3 times.



• Dinner at 5pm



• When mummy was home, she becomes very sticky... stick stick stick to mummy.



• When OT, she is good. Enjoying herself and has better responsive and awareness.



• Daddy put her to bed at 9pm

Day 3 - with mummy (half session)

• Better than Day 2



• Woke up at 7.30pm by herself.



• when mummy was around, she was very good. With mummy hand over hand, she joined in the morning exercise and outdoor activities happily.



• when mummy not around, helper feedbacked that she is a bit cranky



• Refused to have the lunch there again



• We stayed a little longer today, she brushed her teeth and bath there too.



• Once we reached home, she had half portion of her lunch crankily + a bottle of milk and nap.



• very sticky still... stick stick stick to mummy



• She was ok in the afternoon, she distrubing jiejie. Pushing chair and playing ok. But once she heard daddy voice, she becomes a cranky baby.



• refused to have dinner, mummy and daddy had to sing song to clam her down, carried under daddy arms and slowly feed her.



• Mummy put her to bed at 9pm

hmmm.. when writting this post, i'm thinking.
- Refused to have lunch - maybe by 11.30am, she is very tired. Dont feel like eating anymore. + without her Hi5... hmm, nothing i can do, i need her to adpot to this scheduled and removed her bad habit watching Hi5 with meals. Slowly, and i believe she can.
- Sticky, my colleague told me this is normal as her child (normal mainstream child) also behave the same way.
- Should i put her to bed early, so that she can has a longer night time? Will she?



Keeping my fingers and toes crossed and praying that she will be better.

11-11-11 Soleminzation of E.O.N.Y

They choose 11-11-11 11.30am for their solemnization ceremony, together with Nicole's mom who specially flew over from KR and our family witnessed the solemnization ceremony with a "warm" hearting.












Baby sis, the founder of The Mr&Mrs and with me sacrificing my beauty sleep presented them with a lovely wedding gift - the desert bar. Meet Baby sis the night before at Phoon Huat to get all cupcakes ingredient then poped over to my mummy place to takes all her equipments then over my place and started baking the cupcakes and jellies till 12am+. Seeing the outcomes, It's worth it. However, with such a pretty desert bar, it ended up a photo taking background instead of desert bar. :) As the results, Me and SIL have packed all sweets into small bags provided and gave the guests as a wedding favours.

Kogan run for Rainbow Centre

My husband is dedicating his first 42km Singapore Standard Chartered Marathon Run 2011 to Rainbow Centre. Please support and help the special needs children today!!! https://www.give.sg/TeamGIVE/e_von/kogan_marathon2011

Months ago when hus told me that he wants to join the 42km Singapore Standard Chartered Marathon Run 2011, and i laughed at him. "42km?? you sure?? for you to run 2km is already a big problem, dont tell me about 42km.. old man". Yes, i know, i'm not a supportive wife :) i would says those was because early this year, he went for a run, from our place to punngol promenade, which was about 2km and he called me using a passerby phone to fetch him back home as he has no more strength to run back. No matter how i says, he signed up, and set a target of 5hrs to complete his 42km. Months later, witness his running time from 2hrs for 12km to now he managed to do his 20km within 2hrs. Bob says he is good and have very high confident with him to complete the run 42km within the target.

And this morning, hus told me that he wants to dedicate his run for Janelle... Being a supportive wife, i searched online and found http://www.give.sg/ that we can setup a fundraise for a charity. And we aggreed to fund raise for Janelle's School - Rainbow Center. To help other speical needs children in the school, and also to help the school to extend their services to more special needs children. Being a parent of a speical needs child, we know very well the feeling on waiting list for the children to be place in a school hoping the school can help them catching up any gaps of development delay as early as possible. Seeing the school are sourcing for different funding to build and provide better facilities to help the children. They deserved our support.

p/s: Kindly share the news and help to raise more fund... Many Thanks in advance.

HFMD Signs and symptoms

Janelle's Teacher just called to inform me that her schoolmates who are sharing the same classroom with her are down with HFMD. Teachers are very worried that Janelle would have it cos she likes to mouth things. Now mummy is very worried.
Surfing the net now to get more details on HFMD:

• HFMD usually affects infants and children, and is quite common. It is moderately contagious and is spread through direct contact with the mucus, saliva, or feces of an infected person.


• The usual incubation period is 3–7 days.


• The initial symptoms include fever and general malaise (poor appetite, aches and pains, etc.). These symptoms generally last one to two days before a blister-like rash develops on the hands, feet, and in the mouth. The rash initially appears as small red spots but then develops into vesicles (blisters). The blisters may develop on the gums, inner cheeks, and tongue, and patients may complain of mouth pain and a sore throat. These young patients tend to drool and avoid swallowing and may refuse to drink or eat because of the discomfort. Very young infants may even become dehydrated due to the refusal to drink. Rarely, other more serious complications occur, including viral meningitis (aseptic meningitis) and encephalitis. The symptoms associated with these complications include high fever, headache, stiff neck, and back pain.

*updated*
From some mommies sharing, the symptoms on hand and foot may not be obvious. Need to look out for blisters in the mouth... And the blisters must be red... if it's on the sole, it should be flat red spots... only on the 'surface' that it'll be blisters... but it must be red. and the impt thing will be on the tongue, and again, must be red.

Kepping my fingers and toes crossed...

My new love - Chanel

There are two bags you need to know about, the Birkin is one and the other, the Chanel. And i have set my target by 30, i want a Chanel and by 40, i want a birkin.

Finally, I hit my first target and got my new love - Chanel classic flap bag. A typical Chanel handbag you say? Well, hellllloooo, it's a big deal, It's one of those iconic bags that will never go out of style. Designed by Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel herself, it was named after the date of its inception, February 1955. Even until today, it remains as stylish as it was 56 years ago. In fashion, there are very few things that can last the test of time, but this purse has proven its charms. Beauty comes with a price tag, the price had been doubled since 2007.

It's comes with silver and gold hardware, lambskin and Caviar, and with different sizes. The one i wanted was a silver hardware since all my jewellery are in white gold. Going for caviar is a somewhat grainy leather and much more durable. Given my carelessness and inability to take good care of anything. And Jumbo size (12" x 8" x 3.5") with much recommendation by friends and blogger that this is a good size.

But the one i wanted was out of stock in Paris... and J sent me this photo and i gave her "Get THIS" within 5 min, love her low profile but not losing her classy and elegant. The only thing hold me back was it only comes with lambskin which more difficult to maintain as compared as caviar.


Jumbo Classic quilted flap bag in black lambskin with black metal hardware..
First event was my brother's ROM on 2011-11-11. With the crazy price tag, the guys get crazy over it and taking turns to take photo with her.

p/s: i got mine in paris from concierge service provided by chanel news. They will charge a small amount of concierge fee as their taxi fee to the chanel shops in paris and couriered it back personally back to Singapore but it will still cheaper than what you get in singapore.

Relationship

Recently I'm very moody and easily lost my temper. And there is this stupid colleague who made me throw my temper at work after I repeated myself 10times. Made me sounded so stupid, and of cos i got it from him as he went to complaint to my boss. Boss suggested that I'm under stress.. Am I?

During the FPR, boss suggested me to build up my network in order to move to the next level. Being staying home for 3 yrs, facing computer and janelle who doesn't give much appropriate response to me when I talk. The first question comes to my mind is "How to build a relationship?".

Relationship is like straw house, very fragile, once wind blow and it will break. Even for 10 / 20 years relationship, husband and wife, friendship, colleagues, children and parent. I see many break off because of money, betray and some because one simple words that either party don't wish to listen.

Children and parent relationship should has the closest bond among all. These days, stomp reported children who slapped their mothers and they can proudly blog and Facebooked their action. On papers we read that children disowned their parents. Even when they are sick, children can't even be bothered. So even this kind of blood related relationship can't last. What else can?

A true relationship is very selfish. One person to give another to take, and when both wants to give and take, the relationship will break. No matter how hard you build the relationship with one person, no matter how long it tooks, as long as you are not there for the most fragile period, or their most important days, or you says something that break his or his family/love's heart.. there goes the relationship.

"Beginning today, treat everyone you meet as if they were going to be dead by midnight. Extend to them all the care, kindness, and understanding you can muster, and do it with no thought of any reward. Your life will never be the same again." — Og Mandino

To me, building a relationship is an art. How many can have an selfish-less heart? How many does not thought of any reward? reward are not in terms of money or present.. as in the care, kindness, and understanding returned to them.

Take out your selfish-less heart and Treasure your friends, your colleague and your family today!!!
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謝謝你們 愛我的每個人

Work from Home Mom (WFHM)

Many people envy me as a work from home mom where i can take care of Janelle and work at the same time to bring in that piece of bread. However, they dont know that WFHM stress are so much more than Full Time Stay At Home Mom and Full Time Working Mom. As a SAHM or WM, they have only one boss to entertain at one time and they can focus on what they are doing. As a WFHM, i'm serving 2 bosses at one time... one is boss at work, she has her expectation on to meet and at the same time i have another boss at home to met his expectation too, and both at the same time.
Imaging, when you are having a meeting or a visual presentation, and Janelle cries.. who i need to take care? Most of the times, me and maid are there doing signing while my mouth is talking about work. I cant believe i did that but when you are forced to the wall, all things just come out. When I have a very good cencentration with one thing for work, janelle will just bushed into my room and mess out my things, and break my chain of thoughts. Always, i need to plan for lunch and dinner, and every hour, i need to check on Janelle to ensure all things are good with maid hands while i'm working and at times i need to report to boss when he calls. When need to works late to complete my uncompleted works, hus will there stared at me as i'm taking up family time. At times when i'm under work stress i will wakes up at 3AM to work just to complete the work. In btw the working hours, i have to fetch Janelle to and fro school when hus not in town cos the car is there and no execuse for not to do that as that was the cheapest option we oped for (the school bus wanted to charge me $280 for 3 days a week, thru and fro and for 12 months even the school holidays for maid + Janelle). When hus is in town, he takes the car and hence i will get a taxi to send her to school but hus expect me to follow, but i cant afford the time. So i just make sure that she gets up the taxi from home and got the teacher to ensure that Janelle gets up to taxi from school together with my maid. When i really need to rush for a project or assignment, i have no choice but to bring Janelle over to my mom's place for a day, and i have to ensure that i complete as much as i can.
So who envy who? I'm the one that envy that they can focus only one thing at a thing, and work more efficiently. Lines are drawn clearly that which hat you need to put on at what time.

Giveaway - enfakid A+

Received 3 sample packets of Enfakids A+ stage 4 (3-6 years old) milk powder from meadjohnson. Since I'm don't have the intention to switch Janelle milk powder, so I am giving them to my reader who is interested.




All you need to do is:
1. Leave a comment with your name and email address
2. Tell me what's your child current milk powder is
3. Check your email by 5nov (sat) to see if you've gotten yourself the free sample.

Easy!!! Good luck.

- Posted from my iPhone

Apple iPhone4S - still waiting

Was feeling quite upset for not able to secure the 1st batch of iphone4S as it's sold out the pre-order sets within 1.5hrs after it's launched via singtelshop.com and lazy me to Q over the weekend. :) Hus 安慰 me by sending me an sms yesterday when i'm having meeting, "iphone 4S is having very bad battery life, lucky you didnt buy it."

There are a couple of defects had been flag out by the iphone4S new users.
1. Battery life - According to Apple, iPhone 4S is stated to have 200 hours standby time when compared to 300 hours standby time of iPhone 4. Users complained that the battery life of iphone4S wasnt able to last up till end of day. There are some suggestion to extent the battery life is to disable iOS 5 Calendar Notifications, Disable "Setting Time Zone", Disable Location Services for reminders, Disable Mail Push, Disable WIFI search..
[sources] http://www.pcworld.com/article/242858/apple_iphone_4s_battery_drain_guessing_game_continues.html

2. Yellow screen.. This is due to the display is attached to the front with glue, as the set is fresh from the production site, its remains just do not have time to evaporate completely, so that after a while yellow colour will disappear by itself. Exactly same problem was in the previous version of the iPhone 4.
[source] http://webuserblog.com/?p=1053

3. The siri doesn't answer the questions correctly, especially when topic is changed abruptly. I believed this is an expected situation, you don't expect a robot to know about feeling and why you want to ask a machine to marry you.. silly users.. haha
[source] http://webuserblog.com/?p=1053

4. Camera
The camera of iPhone 4S had a much faster shutter speed than the previous versions but users are still experiencing slow shutters and even stuck shutters. Restarting the phone resolves the stuck shutters.
[source] http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/234903/20111020/apple-inc-iphone-4s-defects-difficulties-siri-ios-5-camera-yellow-screen-download-speeds-sprint-at-t.htm

5. Case makers were happier that iPhone 4S looks similar to iPhone 4. Hence existing iPhone 4 cases seemed to work just fine with the new model. If you think so too, please read this: "However, Apple had made a small but somewhat crucial design change in iPhone 4S: it moved the ambient-light sensor a few millimeters to the left, according to CNET."

6. App Incompatibilities on iOS5. App programmers, time for work!!!

Ok, guess i had enough to clam myself down from not getting iphone4S now.. I shall wait for batch2. :)

SME1 Asia Awards

Last friday, very last min, pop called me to attend a dinner at MBS on behalf of my bro as he need to report to his IPPT. It's the award presentation to pop for his success as a SME. Another award that he had conquered, more to come.

Had spent an hour to decide what to wear for thursday's wedding dinner, and it comes again... cracking my mind on what to wear. Looked into my wardrobe, from those i can fit in and presentable was the dress i reserved for my bro ROM next week. Dont have time to think too much, so just grab it. When i reached my mom's place, saw the invitation card, it stated dress code "ladies: evening gown".. Oh shit, i didnt know it's so formal, and was very worried that i'm under-dress. When I reached the function hall, looked around, yes many ladies were in evening gown with heavy makeup but not all. So i'm still looked ok. But a point taken, should have little black dress in my wardrobe.

Looked around me, all are successfully SME. The youngest top prize group was Paradise Group's boss who is at his age of early 30s and he took 3 years to 8 restaurants. Saw his mom, her very happy and proud of her son :) I'm inspirited by the function, I WANT TO START A BUSINESS. hmmm what business can i do? *cracking cracking my mind* maybe years later will be me the one who was presented the award


The dinner started at 8pm and ended over midnight. *Yawn* as a mommy now, seldom sleep so late... then next morning, still need to rush for BRT and back to my mom's place for breakfast with pop... celebrating his birthday.