Sisters Power

My sister, Woofhams, and I are 3 years apart. When I was 9, she was 6. While other kids immersed themselves with Paper, Scissors & Stone at that age, we have already advanced to play Cops & Thief with a neighbour girl called Kitang. Kitang is a wicked girl. She manipulated our kindness. Every time she did something wrong, she concealed her mistake by telling her friends that she is a child that abandoned by her own mother. She stole things from her friends’ house. When she was caught red-handed, she threatened us that she could cast black magic on us and she extorted us for money. She told us that we have annoyed her by exposing her true identity and the money was to prevent her from turning us into ugly ducklings. Of course, Woofhams and I didn’t buy her extortions, so we always joined forces to design well-thought plans after school to have Kitang exposed her ill-doings herself. Amongst which, this particular incident is the most interesting:

Kitang flinged her ugly shoulder length hair acting as if she was Miss Universe when she saw Woofhams and Pancakeism.

Woofhams and Pancakeism: Kitang, Kitang, we saw your auntie buying a toy soldier for King Kong an hour ago at Kartiam corner shop. She might be using the money you got from William yesterday. You’d better run home and check.

Kitang: How did my auntie find out about the money?? I hid it in an old biscuits container under my bed.

Woofhams and Pancakeism shrugged: We don’t know about that. You’d better rush home and find out the truth yourself.

Kitang ran home. Woofhams and Pancakeism laughed heartily.

5 minutes later at Kitang’s house which she stayed with her auntie and her auntie’s three children.

Without checking her old biscuits container, she stormed into the living room and asked her auntie: Aunt, did you just buy a toy soldier for King Kong?

Kitang’s Aunt: Yes, I did. King Kong wanted the toy badly, and he refused to eat. How did you know? I thought you were at Siew Hiung’s house helping her with babysitting?

Kitang: How could you use my money to buy King Kong a toy soldier??? It doesn’t matter to me King Kong doesn’t eat. Afterall, he is already very fat.

Kitang’s Aunt: I didn’t use your money. Stop saying your cousin King Kong this way. Your money came from me anyway, I am the only auntie you have who is willing to give pocket money to you every day. What did you mean by USING YOUR MONEY? You are just a child, how could you have money besides the 50 cents I give you every morning before school.

Kitang: I have my own money. That was my money. I have the money. I have $10 that I STOLE from William yesterday.

Kitang’s Aunt: WHAT KITANG!! You STOLE???

The moral of above true story is: Don’t under-estimate the power of Sisters Pact ;P

Now This Is A Hard Act To Follow ...

Bobby was trying to catch a lizard.
Look how focused he was!

Don't worry, he didn't get the lizard. Initially, I thought he has spotted a fly. He doesn't allow anyone besides our family members in the house, and in Bobbytionary his unwanted strangers include birds, flies, lizards and ALL unfamiliar visitors. Whenever he spots an unfamiliar face, he barks non-stop at Papa and Mama until he gets their attention. Then, he will either tug at Papa's pants or Mama's slippers, and lead them to whoever and whatever he saw.

I scolded Bobby this afternoon re lizard. He is still mad at me. He shut his eyes when I called him an hour ago, but he ran to Papa when Papa merely called his name softly.

What can I say. Experts claim there is a negative relationship between IQ & EQ for men. HaHa.

ps: Have a look at Bobby's photos which I posted for entry on 1st September and compare with this photo. He has grown chubby!

Groovy Beats

Look at Bobby's envious face when he spotted Mama feeding Ally with the Pedigree's Dentastix that clinically proven to reduce plaque and tartar up to 60%.







Ally & Bobby were busy showing their respective best trick.

Polar

My work life:


My relationship life:

Practiconomics

If you were to notice, I hardly discuss work in my blog. Well, my blog supposes to function as a mean of escapism. HaHa.

But I can't resist to share this funny story that relates to my work.

After a meeting last week, a committee member (let's nicked her Ms Z) tried to Unbreak the ice and asked me: I heard you are practising Labourer Economics.

Pancakeism: Yes, I was trained in Labour Economics & Econometrics, but No, not Labourer Economics.

Ms Z: Oh! OK, pardon me. So, could you enlighten me with some insights of Labour Economics. I found it unbelievable why on earth a person wanted to spend 3 and half years to study on labourers when she could have earned more from studies on stocks speculation.

Pancakeism: It's personal preference. Studies on stocks and shares are principally more finance based, and we do have some of the relevant theories in Monetary Economics. Btw, Labour Economics is not synonymous with Labourer Economics. Labour Economics is the study of interplay between employers and employees, or in short, between demand and supply of labour. We do not have the branch of Labourer Economics in Economics's family tree.

Ms A: OK now I understood Economics better ... so besides looking for cheapest way to remit money to labourers' country of origin, what other things do you practise in Labour Economics?

Ugh. An old Chinese aphorism is true: Playing Guitar to Buffalo.

Good Coffee, Good Life

Behind every successful woman is a good cup of coffee.

I always blame the lack of varieties in tea selection for my loyalty to coffee - as if I would drink other coffee besides Nescafe instant coffee. The fact is I can't imagine life without coffee, but I seriously need to cut down my coffee intake due to dehydration I am having this week.

May be it's high time I should stop ignoring the fact that there are now new gimmicks in tea marketing: Cookies & Cream black tea, Watermelon flavour and even Cranberry, Raspberry & Strawberry flavour herbal tea.

Hope I won't turn into Bridget Jones due to coffee withdrawal ;p
Coffee intake: 2 cups
Tea intake: 1/2 cup
Happy factor: :(

100 Years

I must be in music mood today. Here is one of my top 5 songs: 100 Years by Five For Fighting.

Lyrics: A Hundred (100) Years

I'm 15 for a moment Caught in between 10 and 20 And I'm just dreaming Counting the ways to where you are

I'm 22 for a moment She feels better than ever And we're on fire Making our way back from Mars

15 there's still time for you Time to buy and time to lose 15, there's never a wish better than this When you only got 100 years to live

I'm 33 for a moment Still the man, but you see I'm a they A kid on the way A family on my mind

I'm 45 for a moment The sea is high And I'm heading into a crisis Chasing the years of my life 15 there's still time for you

Time to buy, time to lose yourself Within a morning star 15 I'm all right with you 15, there's never a wish better than this When you only got 100 years to live

Half time goes by Suddenly you're wise Another blink of an eye 67 is gone The sun is getting high We're moving on...

I'm 99 for a moment Dying for just another moment And I'm just dreaming Counting the ways to where you are 15 there's still time for you 22 I feel her too 33 you're on your way

Every day's a new day...

15 there's still time for you Time to buy and time to choose Hey 15, there's never a wish better than this When you only got 100 years to live .

Could-Be-Better Spice

Few days ago, I heard this song when I was in shopping mall and still one of my favourite songs - I am implying the easy-to-follow rhythm not the lyrics. OK, I admit I have bad taste when come to songs ;P

Actually, after I watched this music video after posting, I began to wonder what was the role of Victoria Beckham in the Spice Girls? She didn't seem to have any solo part in this Wannabe music video.

100% Foot Recovery

No more pain in the 5th metatarsal bone, I feel like a new woman!

Chocoholic-Approved Dream

How nice if it is raining outside now and I am watching the DVDs of The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman while savouring the Skinny Cow ice cream and learning how to knit a scarf! Don't laugh, I know above description fits the activities for an old lady, well I really could crochet when I was 10. So, it should be challenging to raise a bar and try a knit stitch now.

Man's Best Friend

Recently, Papa and Mama are very keen on dogs. It's extremely weird to see Mama (who used to keep a distance between her and any furry animals) feeding Ally & Bobby, and snapping photos of Bobby while he pouts. The first thing they do when they wake up is to check if Ally & Bobby have woken up. Of course, Ally & Bobby do - I'm telling Papa and Mama everyday. Ally & Bobby are dogs, and dogs are the most alert animals. They will be woken even by the drop of a leaf. After dinner, Papa and Mama will talk to the dogs. Papa will ask Bobby: "Bobby, naughty boy, have you eaten well?". Bobby is getting more vitamin intake than we human do. Yesterday, Papa asked our domestic helper to mix half-boiled egg with Bobby's canned chicken mince so Bobby's hair would grow out fast and glossy. Used to be, Mama always sat a corner and let me busy reading all labels before I made my purchase at the pet shop. Yesterday morning when we took Ally for her grooming appointment, Mama looked like as if she wanted to buy the entire pet shop home!

Papa and Mama saw a pug when they went to a neighbouring country's pet shop last week and since then the word "pug" has never left our daily dinner conversation. Wikipedia wrote a pug is a toy dog breed of dog with a wrinkly face, and medium-small body. The word pug may have derived from the Latin word Pugnus (fist). Really, the Pug's face can look like a clenched fist! HaHa! Since they like the pug so much, I've decided this morning that I'll buy them the pug as an early X'mas gift. A "clenched fist" X'mas gift, this is really weird ;)

In pensioners' households, grandchildren and pet dogs are substitutes. Sorry my pun!

It's My Way Or The Runway

When I was in primary school, I always teased by classmates because the nice slick bob hairstyle (that supposed to look neat and great on most girl students) looked like a black helmet on me ;/

I thank Mama for her wise words in pulling me out of the inferior-complex pot: "You will look most beautiful when you stop worrying how you look".

Let Us Be Friends

Ally: I hate my new hairstyle. I love my long fringe which could cover my eyes that I could completely ignore this black Bobby thing whenever he tries to say Hi to me. Ugh.

Bobby: I am so cool looking. I can't understand why this Ally thing doesn't like me. She steals my cheesebread, and barks at me every time when I try to befriend. I can never understand women. Ashton Kutcher, please guide me. Sigh.
Ally & Bobby: Why does Pancakeism always like to take our photo together? Can't she understand that love can't be compelled! Ugh.

Pancakeism: Well, I don't understand a thing about LOVE either!

I Want To Slim Down

We saw this girl when my family and I were window shopping around the OSIM outlet few weeks ago. With the cute girl parents' consent, we took this photo. The youngest OSIM iGallop's model, not camera-shy at all ;)

Happy Academics' Day

Teachers' Day falls on 23rd September in Brunei. However, due to Ramadhan month might likely to begin on the 23rd, Teachers' Day this year will be brought forward to 21st September ie. Tomorrow.

I'm hereby wishing myself a Happy Academics' Day in advance and hopefully in the coming one year I'll nag less, scold less, sit more and relax more. HaHa. Daydream.

One-Way Traffic & The Candle

A student asked me in the class what is the biggest disadvantage of using quantitative method in Social Science. I told her it's the difficulty to quantify attitudinal behaviour particularly on the affective and behavioural components.

***
I wish life is as easy and clear-cut as mathematics. In the past 2 years, I've met & missed two potential good relationships. When they showed interests, I wasn't aware. When I finally found out, they've shy away. When I tried to reignite the potential relationship from the remnant feelings, I found out I was the only party who was holding the candle.

Well, this is Life.
Misunderstandings + Doubt => Abandonment + Departure

If one were to compel, feelings are in fact able to be squeezed into a mathematical model. However, outcome might not be reliable because this model will consist lots of white noise.

So, between Happiness to let go & Regret to hang on, I've chosen the former.

To Balenciaga, My Love

My favourite handbags!

Lazy Person Cheesecake

Everyone who knows me well, knows that baking has never been my strength. A colleague has shared with me her passion in baking, and enthusiastically e-mailed me her one and only recipe that doesn't involve baking: No bake cheesecake. It reads easy. I am going to keep this recipe in my blog, so it's easy for me to find it when I feel like baking one after I retire haha!

Ingredients A:
1 cup yoghurt (250ml)
1 cup thickened cream (250 ml)
1 piece cream cheese (250 ml)
2 Tbs sugar
1 Tbs gelatine
2 Tbs hot water
1/2 packet jelly crystals

Ingredients B:
125g butter (melted)
200g Digestive biscuits

Instructions:
1. Dissolve gelatine in hot water and blend with ingredients A until smooth.
2. Crunch Digestive biscuits and add in melted butter. Mix well and press into pie tin to form a biscuit base.
3. Pour blended mixture over biscuit base.
4. Refrigerate cheesecake for about 1 hour or until the cheesecake is firm.
5. Cut and serve.

Stay Tall

"If you fall down, just stand Up"

Whenever I am unhappy, I tell myself above words because optimists do not wait for others to help them, they help themselves by turning difficulties into opportunities.

3/4 Of The Year

To beat Monday blue, think about - New Zealand's All Black rugby team with "Hanbags Haka", Prince Charles in red bandana, and smart-looking Suri Cruise despite having a father who seems to attach strongly to all impossible missions and a mother that never stops hiding behind the Dawson's Creek.

I Am A National Treasure Too!

To create the wide-eyes look so I would look smarter and happier, I bought Revlon's Blackest Black Fabulash and L'oreal Black eyeliner yesterday. Please see the photo on the left to find out how did I look this morning for 5 minutes before I removed all traces of eye makeup. Don't laugh, at least I'm "National Treasure" for that 5 minutes of fame!

Reality Bites

Please don't tell me that "Compromise" is the magic word that is missing in my relationship-vocabulary.

I did a mid-term review for my relationship sector this morning, and glad that I haven't made the wrong decision 5 and 1/2 years ago for not continuing a fruitless relationship with Mr Scorpio. Some friends might say these are words of sour grape. I admit I still felt uneasy when I saw Mr Scorpio with his wife few weeks ago at a supermarket. I was uneasy because it was the first time bumping into him and his wife after he got married last September. I don't have anymore butterflies in my stomach, and I don't have anymore feelings of regrets and hatred when his name is mentioned these days. I believe the news of his wife's labour has marked a closure for our futile relationship.

I must also admit I still apply the chopsticks manner that he taught me 6 years ago, I still keep the bag he used to carry for me, and I still smile every time I recall how he companied me, ran from one cinema to the next, tried to catch the last showing of Keeping The Faith.

Instead of "Compromise", I would rather quote some of my after-thoughts from reading Janet Evanovich & Charlotte Hughes's novel Full Scoop ie. lacking sense of Security, Reliability & Good Humour.

GahooYoogle

I discussed with my students on internet research this morning. 80% of the class use Google as their primary search engine, 19% use Yahoo and 1% uses GahooYoogle. What a ... twist-tongue name.

Are You From Southfork?

In barely a week, our family's new dog Bobby has gained much weight. In another two weeks, I believe he could be as chubby as Pickles before. Shit-Tzu really can gain weight easily. Bobby learns quick too. When he's in good mood, he'll response to words such as "hand" (for handshake), "jump" (stands on his feet) and "sit" (quietly sits like a prince). Of course, when he's in bad mood, he doesn't even want to step on the grass. May be it's his name, I keep associating him with the role of Bobby Ewing played by Patrick Duffy in Dallas. HaHa.

What Do Women Want?

The hairstyle that Mama likes ..... & I love Maggie's handbags, jackets & boots in the drama.

My Favourite Actor

I haven't watched HK TVB's drama for at least 5-6 years. Mama rented a video on CIB this afternoon because she wanted me to take a photo of Maggie Siu's hairstyle so she could show her hairstylist next Tuesday. I ended up watching 2 episodes of the drama because .....

Wong Hei is in the drama!

Ask Pancake On Love

For many who have seek my advice on how to differentiate 'like' from 'in love':

You know you are in love when you see the world in her eyes, and her eyes everywhere in the world
- David Levesque -

For You I Will (Confidence)

Yesterday I went to look for World Trade Center DVD, but came home instead with a Teddy Geiger's cd. I had no idea who Teddy was when I saw the cd, but one of the song titles caught my eyes - For You I Will (Confidence). After having listened to this song a few times, I don't quite agree with a few parts of the lyric - may be I've way past the teenagers' puppy love phase. Overall, not a disappointing voice.

http://www.teddygeigermusic.com

Beckham Or Kaka?

I injured my left foot (fractured the 5th metatarsal bone ie. below the last toe) 29 days ago. Orthopaedist insisted I should elevate my foot whenever I sit or rest, but I don't follow any. I have gone back to work five days after my foot injury. I am an active person, and I dislike seeing myself as a patient and nor do I like to be treated like a sick patient.

I am too lazy to explain when others asked how did I injure my left foot. Last couple of days when I was in a terribly jolly mood, I explained to some that I injured my foot during a football practice. The ironic part is people DO believe what I told them - I took their response by surprise. Are they too gullible or my words too convincing?! ;/

Ironic: GM Vs Microsoft

At a computer expo (COMDEX), Bill Gates once reportedly compared the computer industry with the auto industry, stating, "If GM had kept up with technology like the computer industry has, we would all be driving twenty-five dollar cars that got 1,000 miles to the gallon."

In response to Bill's comments, General Motors has issued the following press release:If GM had developed technology like Microsoft, we would all be driving cars with the following characteristics:

1. For no reason whatsoever your car would crash twice a day.

2. Every time they repainted the lines on the road you would have to buy a new car.

3. Occasionally your car would die on the freeway for no reason, and you would just accept this, re-start, and drive on.

4. Occasionally, executing a maneuver such as a left turn would cause your car to shut down and refuse to re-start, in which case you would have to re-install the engine.

5. Only one person at a time could use the car, unless you bought "Car95" or "CarNT." But then you would have to buy more seats.

6. Macintosh would make a car that was powered by the sun, reliable, five times as fast, and twice as easy to drive, but would only run on 5 percent of the roads.

7. The oil, water temperature and alternator warning lights would be replaced by a single "general car default" warning light.

8. New seats would force everyone to have the same size butt.

9. The airbag system would say "Are you sure?" before going off.

10. Occasionally for no reason whatsoever, your car would lock you out and refuse to let you in until you simultaneously lifted the door handle, turned the key, and grabbed hold of the radio antenna.

11. GM would require all car buyers additionally to purchase a deluxe set of Rand McNally road maps (now a GM subsidiary), even though they neither need them nor want them. Attempting to delete this option would immediately cause the car's performance to diminish by 50 percent or more. Moreover, GM would become a target for investigation by the Justice Department.

12. Every time GM introduced a new model car, buyers would have to learn how to drive all over again because none of the controls would operate in the same manner as the old car.

13. You would press the "start" button to shut off the engine.

Quote from http://onceuponasmile.blogspot.com

Source of "Tiger"-Bobby

Tiger doesn't respond to us calling him. I joked with Mama that either Tiger is hearing-impaired or a dumb dog. We are dogs-lover family, we fully aware that it's impossible to change a dog's name especially he's approaching 2 yr old in 3 and 1/2 months time. However, Poppy is a very sissy name for a boy. Mama is a positive believer that Tiger is a gift from Pickles for us not to be too upset with his sudden departure. After breakfast, Mama suddenly called a name that belonged to our Samoyed many years ago - Bobby. Bobby was given away in 1988 because we didn't have space at our old house to keep him. He's a bigger dog comparing to Ally, Pickles & Tiger. Mama called out "Bobby" and Tiger ran straight to her immediately! This is why Tiger is now the "Tiger-Bobby". HaHa.