A Star Is Born

Astrophysics tells us that a star starts out as a black hole in the universe in an area where a mass has formed to such a great amount that its gravitational pull becomes immense. So powerful is this force that even light particles at their high speeds-286,000 miles per second, cannot escape it and are drawn to the mass. Eventually a massive explosion occurs, changing the solid matter into a brilliant fireball and a a STAR is born.

In this season of Advent, exactly a week before Christmas, amidst an explosion of emotions, a universe of choices, a milky way of tears and a supernova of love, our own little star shone his light into our world.

Meet our son,

JULIEN ANDRE CHASSIN
Born 17 December 2008
In Singapore
At 4.15pm
Weighing 3.97kg
Measuring 51.5cm



Mummy and Baby's First Kiss



What a big strong little boy!



In dreamland....





Some privacy please paparazzi!



My favourite photos of Julien to date...they look so serene and contented together, my two boys :)
To the AP people at TAG HEUER, listen up!...Ditch Lewis Hamilton & Uma Thurman....here are the models for your next ad campaign..the Chassin boys!

Dum dee dum STILL WAITING

Our little baby boy is still not out yet.

Am now 41 weeks and 2 days.
Will see Dr Chong 2mrw and he will start induction by sweeping the membranes.

After the drama of last week (trying to sort out JF's flights was a nightmare cos the Turkish SQ office was CLOSED THE WHOLE BLOODY week thanks to the Bayram (Hari Raya Haji) and SQ in Singapore codn't get in touch with them AT ALL) we had to lose both JF's air tickets and he thankfully sorted his work schedule and got his boss blessing to stay on with me in SG till baby comes. PHEW.

He was supposed to leave on 12 Dec and back again in SG 22 Dec. So now he's staying right thru til 3 Jan.

We have tried everything over the past week that's supposed to induce labour:

1. Spicy Food (had Indian food, nasi lemak with super hot sambal, more curry, fresh cut chill....)
2. Lots of walking & squatting (gravity helps) and rolling on my birth ball
3. Eating a TON of pineapple
4. Religiously drinking Clarysage tea (thanks Jana!)
5. Almost 2 litres of Red Raspberry Leaf Tea everyday (damn heng that I like the taste of herbal teas)
6. Pressing acupressure points
7. Massage
8. Singing, talking to baby, telling him to come out
9. Other stuff!!

Schirin (who was due 16 Dec) was the first one in our Hypnobirthing group to give birth.
And last week Lori had her son Caleb on 12 Dec.

This morning, reading Lori's birth story on her blog was very encouraging...she had a short, easy, comfortable birth just liked Ginny said was possible :) And they went for a waterbirth too.

Hope Julien will come just as easily and quickly.

Baby Baby WHERE ARE U?

Ok I am officially GAN CHEONG.

Julien Andre Chassin where are U??
U were supposed to be born 2 days ago on Saturday. That's right, you are ripe, well-cooked, and ready to pop out.

Hmmm....I guess U think the room service is too good inside Mummy's 7-star luxury hotel huh?

Well my little boy, it is time to check out! Mummy feels like she is lugging around a very big watermelon, and Daddy REALLY wants to see U before he has fly off this weekend.

Please come out! We're trying to do everything to help U.

Everyone is anxiously waiting for you and Mummy is REALLY XIAN of everyone asking! (Hint hint if U people see me with a bump, I am still OBVIOUSLY PREGNANT...DUH!!!! So don't say things like "Still not out yet ah?" Not constructive peeps!!)

Fingers crossed...come out today!

Counting Down!

Baby's hatch day is getting closer...and I'm nervous and excited all at once! Have been back in my home sweet home for 3 weeks now and enjoying being with my family, Bloss Bloss and scarfing down all the yummy & nutrious food I've been missing! I swear I can eat tau huay and fish porridge every single day!

Started HypnoBirthing classes with Ginny (who is also going to be my doula) 2 weekends ago and really enjoying it. Find it a lot more useful than the Birthing From Within Classes we did with Julia in Istanbul. While Julia's classes were fun (we did a lot of drawing with pastels!) and eye opening, they were very hippie touchy feel-y and not practical enough I felt. Whereas the HypnoBirthing classes have helped me to focus a lot. Really recommend them to every mum-to-be!

Slight panic last week when I found out my SG OBGYN Dr Paul Tseng was going to be away near my delivery date!! The panicky thing was he didn't tell me! I just overheard another patient talking to the receptionist while I was waiting to see him.
So I asked him who would replace him, and he said for births at Mt Alvernia, it would be Dr Beh. Consulted Ginny and she said Dr Beh may not be as open to my birth plan as Dr Tseng.

ALAMAK! Why do gynaes always do this? Ok I understand docs also need time off, but the least they could do is inform their patients as a common courtesy right?? I don't like the fact that I found out by accident and he didn't tell me. I remember June saying her doc was also away last minute near DN's birth, so Dr TC Chang had to step in.

So I was very gan cheong trying to find another doc who WOULD be around. Finally settled on Prof. Chong Yap Seng at NUH bcos Ginny said NUH is the best place in SG for waterbirths (which is what we plan to do). NUH is the only hospital in SG that has birthing tubs in every alternate delivery suite. Was also quite surprised that all the fees (both docs and hospital fees) are much cheaper at NUH. The only thing is, it's pretty far from my home. But JF says no where in Singapore is far....just that we're so used to short distances here.

We decided a waterbirth would be great for us cos we both are natural water babies, love swimming, diving etc and feel at home in the water. Waterbirth is also a very gentle birthing method for the baby bcos they have been living in water for 9 months. I want a natural birth without any drugs, so no epidural for me. (Here's where the HypnoBirthing relaxation and breathing techniques come in for pain relief!)

Have been busy gathering baby essentials and Mummy even inspired (and helped) me to make mittens! Ok lah I suck at sewing, but these are not bad rite?? (Thanks to Mummy's help too!)



Next I am going to attempt to make a Baptism gown if I can!! Heheh so ambitious eh?

In the meantime, I'm still driving (surprise surprise I can still fit behind the steering wheel! PHEW!) and wadling about town looking for baby stuff. My little Julien is wiggling about so much too! The funniest feeling is when he has hiccups almost immediately after I eat. (Hahah just like Mummy and Daddy who love yummy food and eat too fast!) It feels so funny in my tummy! Hic hic hic!

CONGRATS TO ZERNERD who also recently announced they have a little sugarbug on the way!! YIPPEEEEEE!!!

Miss JF and Cookie SOOOOOOO much even though I see them on Skype often. Can't wait til JF gets here.

Baby Shower Wish List

My friend Heather wanted to throw me a baby shower here before I go home in 2 weeks.
But there simply isn't enough time because all my friends are away at the moment due to the week-long Bayram holiday.
Also baby showers are a pretty American concept, and I've only ever been to one in my life...the one we threw for Christy in May this year. (it was really fun with GREAT food I got catered by another friend, Ayse)
Wonder if anyone will throw me one in SG?

Anyway Heather was talking about typical baby shower gifts and she said she was surprised that most people here almost ALWAYS give clothes as baby gifts. After all, new parents are already SWAMPED with clothes as gifts, and often the baby grows too fast to even wear them.

Heather said that in the US, friends and family usually get stuff that the new parents would REALLY need, like a Pack n Play foldable cot or a Diaper Genie.

Diaper Genie? What's that? It was the first time in my life I heard that term. Well, she explained what it was, and WOW! I'm impressed! ALL NEW PARENTS SHOULD GET THIS! How come no one EVER told me this existed?

Here's how it works: (from Wiki)

"Diaper Genie, a creation of entrepreneur John Hall, is a baby diaper disposal system. The unit consists of a large plastic container with a plastic lid. The system seals diapers individually in a scented film to protect against germs and odors. By opening the lid on the top of the canister, a soiled diaper may be inserted into the "mouth" of the container. After inserting the diaper, the lid is replaced and twisted 3 full rotations to seal the diaper inside. After the container is filled with dirty diapers, it can be emptied by unlatching the bottom of the canister, where the diapers fall out still individually sealed."



How cool is that??? An easy clean way to deal with stinky poopy nappies.
Considering that new babies need to be changed 10-12 times A DAY for the first few months, this is GREAT!
It retails for about US$50 in the US. How come this isn't widely available elsewhere?
Definitely never seen one in Turkey, or France or even Singapore for that matter.

So if anyone wants to get us one as a baby gift INSTEAD of clothes, PLEASE DO!
Getting hold of the refiil bags is another issue....but I was told you could sorta work it out with regular trash bags.

So start hunting this down for me folks!

Good Parenting

Scary how more and more foodstuff from China is toxic.
First killer dog food and instant noodles made with motor oil, now baby milk.
I wonder how many White Rabbit Sweets I've eaten in my lifetime? As a child, the little rice paper wrapping was a constant source of fascination for me. Hmmm....that could explain the overall weirdness of my cousins and I!! White Rabbit Sweets have been slowly altering our mental states all these years! If only our parents knew....

Speaking of parenting, here's a good baby care guide for all mums n dads to be! Hee hee hee!

ATTACK BY EVIL ALIEN CREATURE!

Today we came under siege by an EVIL ALIEN CREATURE with SHINY GREEN EYES! Eeeeeks!

I was sitting happily in our bedroom, listening to Baby Einstein Mozart CD (very soothing!) and writing in my baby journal when this thing WHOOSED in. (The balcony door was open cos it's so hot)

It zipped around like crazy! So fast that I couldn't really see it clearly. But because it was bigger than a moth or a bee, I thought it might be a HUMMINGBIRD. I had seen cute little hummingbirds before around the lilac bushes near the pool. Always wished I had my camera, but usually I was swimming at the time.

Suddenly the creature flew up to the ceiling and into the hole at the base of the light fixture. (Yes, til today the gaping holes made by the useless people who installed the lights more than a year ago have never been fixed! HMMMMMMPH!)

Anyway, I quickly closed all the doors and windows and rushed downstairs (as fast as a 6.5 month pregnant woman can waddle!) to grab my camera and zoom lens.

When I got back into the room, the creature was hiding in the hole and REFUSED to come out. I think I waited about 45 mins but it didn't budge!

OK nevermind, so I go downstairs again to Google HUMMINGBIRDS. Didn't I read somewhere that they need to eat every hour so they don't die? Cos they have the highest metabolic rate in the world. (all that fluttering about flowers).

I came across an article called HUMMINGBIRD RESCUE and it described how to rescue hummingbirds trapped indoors. Also I thought it might be a good idea to hang a cup of sugar water out so the poor thing wouldn't starve.

Armed with my sugar water, I get the ladder and climb up to hang it on the light. Waited 10 mins but the creature still didn't emerge. Suddenly I got the idea to tap the ceiling with a mop stick.

Sure enough, it flew out!! Grabbed my camera and started snapping! On closer look, IT WASN'T A HUMMINGBIRD! It was......this!













What in the world is THAT? My overactive, pregnancy hormone-driven imagination tells me it's an ALIEN SPY SCOUT sent to monitor us earthlings (So I recently finished reading The Host!)

Or could it be Oberon in disguise? Come to survey my mortal baby?

Anyway, the THING flew back into the hole and IS STILL THERE!

Aaaah the musings of a very pregnant, rotund writer. :)

Ladybird Books - the UN-PC version!

Do U remember reading Ladybird books when we were kids?

Peter & Jane and all that? I loved those!

Well take a look at THESE!!!
They are so un-PC they made me howl with laughter.
Boy, this must be the work of a very bored AD with too much free agency time on his/her hands ;p





Read the rest of the book here:
http://seorant.ath.cx/police/ladybird.html

Jia you Jiawei!

Wow. We actually made it somewhere! Our women's ping pong team has made it to the final!! Face off with China on Sunday.

Which means at the very least, we will get our FIRST OLYMPIC MEDAL in 48 YEARS! (last one 1960)
And a Silver one to boot. Let's hope it's GOLD :) Jin jin eh jing ah! (snicker snicker, WK knows this pte joke!)

Isn't it ironic, our top paddler, Li Jiawei was born in BEIJING on Singapore's National Day (9 August) 27 years ago?
It was in the stars. She was born to be Singaporean huh?
Damn farneee rite? Of course Ms Li is now a loud and proud SGian.


(photo: Reuters)

SPEAKING OF NATIONAL PRIDE...

Here's an exerpt from an article I read today by a Turkish journalist, commenting on Turks themselves. (Time Out Istanbul, August issue)

"You may have noticed that we Turks don't care too much about quality. In fact, some might point out that we even have a genius for mediocrity. Anyone who's had their plumbing patched with paint and cement....or whose request for directions has been met with grunt and point of a finger by someone who was too lazy to say "Second street on the right" or too ashamed to say "I don't know", will have figured out that in all endeavours we undertake, we almost invariably opt for some kind of sloppy all encompassing middle-way quick-fix. If there's a corner that needs to be cut, we'll be damned if there isn't a way we can cut it even more."

See, I wasn't being a paranoid whiney cow. This place SUX cos the people SUCK. It's in the very core of their culture. Even they themselves KNOW SO.

Like when we bought a brand new aircon 2 months ago and it started leaking indoors ON THE 1st DAY of use.
First of all, the repairmen show up 2 days later than the scheduled appointment. Then, without even opening or looking at ANYTHING, they ask me what temperature I set the thermosat at (22 degrees celucius). They immediately declare, "Turkish people don't put it below 25 degrees. Aircon won't work properly below 25 degrees." and promptly leave. DUH.

Same dumb reasoning from the landcape people when I asked them why the grass they planted for me in May still hasn't grown in some areas. "Oh, the grass will only grow in NOVEMBER." Double DUH.

C'est la vie a la Turca.

Coming this Christmas....

What It Means To Be Singaporean

On the eve of the eve on National Day, sitting in this godforsaken, sweltering, smelly city with bombs going off now and then (latest attack..this morning near JF's office) I was thinking about what it means to me to be Singaporean. Yes the safety, cleanliness, security, efficiency, clean air and water....I miss all that about home.

But the most recent sense of national pride that I felt is: When I saw a CHARLES & KEITH shop in Cevahir last week!!

CHARLES & KEITH is my absoulte favourite Singapore shoe store...EVER.
Every time I go in, I leave with at least one (or 3!) pairs of fab shoes.
Great designs and great prices! When they started doing handbags a few years ago, I was over the moon.

So imagine my joy when I saw a CHARLES & KEITH in Cevahir last week. I was almost moved to tears, no kidding.
Cevahir is one of the biggest malls in Istanbul. Stores are a mix of international brands like Zara, Pull & Bear, Next, Mothercare, as well as Turkish high street brands.

I felt SO proud to see CHARLES & KEITH here. They also have another store in ASTORIA (another mall in Istanbul, but not as centrally located and as big as Cevahir)

Like WOW here's a homegrown Singapore brand halfway around the world. Plus it's my fave shoe store to boot. I guess Americans probably don't feel the same sense of pride when they see a Gap or Levi's store overseas, but to me seeing a homegrown Singapore brand that I grew up with go international, well it's really something.
Of course the stores in Istanbul have less than half the range of the average CHARLES & KEITH store in SG, and prices are about 3 times higher, but still the fact that they're here, makes me smile :)

I still remember shopping at the very first CHARLES & KEITH store in Amara Shopping Centre more than 10 years ago.
They had great, affordable shoes then and still do now. The 2 brothers were then making their shoes out of a factory in Ang Mo Kio. Now they're in 25 countries all over the world.

I guess it's a little strange that my sense of national pride comes from a SHOE STORE. But hey, shopping (together with eating and movies) IS our national sport.



That said, it gives U a pretty good idea of how we'll do in Beijing! Ok so we may not be bagging the Golds (or even Bronzes) and Team Singapore getting into the first round of ANY EVENT at the Olympics may be cause for nationwide celebration. (BTW GOOD LUCK TEAM SINGAPORE! At least just TRY to trump the next door neighbours at anything lah ok?)

But by jove, our brands will one day conquer the consumers of the world! Muahahahahahah world domination through retail!

Charles & Keith Wong, way to go and HAPPY NATIONAL DAY!

Coffee Bean and A-1 Curry Puff, please hurry up and come to Istanbul so I can have my fix!

(Incidentally, THIS National Day, I will be sitting in some cafe in Rome, dearest hubby by my side, stuffing my face with REAL Gelato, hunting down the legendary Italian 5kg jars of Nutella and looking forward to meeting the Pope. To show my national pride, I will be wearing a red and white striped T-shirt which makes my baby belly look rather fetching :)

Bee In The Bonnet

As my tummy grows rounder and rounder by the day, and little Baby Chassin has started to kick a lot, JF and I felt it's time to do some serious shopping for the little tyke.
After much research we were surprised to discover that not all baby things are made equal!

Just like Ferraris and Hermes bags, the baby world also has it's exacting standards for the uber chic.

To sum it up...all the cool Mums have these:


- Bugaboo stroller (and not just the Bugaboo Bee but the Cameleon mind you! Top of the range)
900 EUROS (SG$1890)
The Limited Edition Denim version costs even more...and of course, my friend Christy (also a first time mum) who just gave birth to her daughter 2 weeks ago, bought one.



- Baby Bjorn front pack
150 EUROS (SG$315)



- STOKKE crib (in walnut no less!)
700 EUROS (SG$1470)



Not only do these babyssentials come with astronomical price tags, (the Bugaboo costs more than a round-trip plane ticket from Singapore to Paris), but they are seemingly justified by experts. For example, the Bugaboo is supposed to have the best safety, suspension and cushioning on the market. Perfect when U need to stroll with your baby in sleet, snow or sand. Or just skim over bumpy potholed city streets, latte in hand. Well for THAT price, I'd expect it to come with dual airbags too!

BUT NONETHELESS, first time parents as we are....we want the best for our little bebe.
So just before we left for France 3 weeks ago, we trundled along to one of the hip kiddy stores in Kanyon to place our order and deposit for the Bugaboo. We checked out the display model top to toe, tried out the brakes and suspension. After all, we were about to buy the Rolls Royce of baby strollers! We chose our colours - Red and Sable. Then suddenly JF had an illumination in the store - HEY we were going to France! I get a 13% tax-free refund there. So we decided to buy it in France.

The very next day......my friend Bonnie calls to tell me she has other stuff to sell....specifically, baby stuff. (She was moving out of Istanbul and I had agreed to buy her vaccum cleaner for 80 YTL, cos Amelia Bedelia, our doofus ex-maid had broken ours...together with the fan etc.)

The short of it is...we ended up buying Bonnie's 5-year-old Bebe Confort stroller for 250 YTL. (125 EUROS) Ok, it's a well-known French brand, the stroller is well-made and in perfect conditon, it folds easily AND she threw in all the accessories, but I can't help but feel WRACKED WITH GUILT!!!!!!
AAAAAAACKS!!! Who buys 2nd-hand stuff for their FIRSTBORN?? Does this make me a bad parent?
I literally have been having bad dreams about it since then. (Just last night I dreamt I was pushing our baby around and all the other mums were laughing at me cos I was the ONLY one without a Bugaboo.

JF tried to rationalise with me and we talked it over again and again. All the money saved from NOT buying the Bugaboo would go towards other nice things for Baby or even a diving trip for us.

But to make things worse, when we were in Paris, I saw so many Bugaboos!! Plus, JF's brother also has all the cool baby stuff for Carla. A STOKKE stroller (also 900 EUROS), Baby Bjorn frontpack and a STOKKE highchair (now that she can sit up and feed herself).

So we set out to at least buy a Baby Bjorn, but after trying it out with other rival models, we ended choosing a Tomy, The Tomy frontpack was a mere 30 EUROS less than the Baby Bjorn, but JF felt the Tomy would be more comfortable for Baby.

So now we're Bugaboo and Baby Bjorn-less!

And what do I see in all the French parenting magazines?

"Les Mamans Glamour ont le Bugaboo pousette, Baby Bjorn "carrier-bebe", lit STOKKE (crib) et le biberon Dior (Dior baby bottle)"

AAAAACCCCCCCKS! I feel absolutely BAD now. Have I truly fallen into the parent trap?
When I was a baby, I think I slept in a sarong hung from the celing, rolled around in a ratty green mesh stroller but at least had Marks & Sparks undies.

So how come I feel so malu that my kid will be Bugaboo and Bjorn-less??

Well at least I'm proud to say I've bagged some fab Petit Bateau gear for Baby Chassin while we were in France. Whoever heard of a French baby without Petit Bateau togs?

I'm an ANG MO??

Mummy and Daddy and WK are here now in Istanbul and I'm really enjoying my time with them.

They are so enanmoured with Cookie, even though he seem's to have gone on a chewing rampage recently! (The newest victim being his IKEA shoe soft toy which he's ignored for months!) Mummy is trying to teach him new tricks like SIT, STAND, STAY.
But Daddy says Cookie reminds him so much of Beauty that he's possibly Beauty reincarnated. Both dogs are nervous, stubborn, look alike and are so loving. They even eat the same way.

Went for another check up at the OBGYN yesterday. Everyone came along, but only Mummy and JF came in with me to view the ultrasound. Baby Chassin was swimming about as usual, waving little arms and legs at us! Baby moves even more when I cough or laugh.
I tried using the Jedi mind trick to get baby to turn around for the camera. JF was so happy and emotional he almost cried.

The Down's Syndrome test results came back and we're in the clear. Hurray! Thank U God!
Daddy noticed something funny which I've never noticed before on all my test results.
On the results, my ethnic group is listed as: CAUCASIAN.

HUH!?!?!??! When did I become an ang mo???
Is it because of my surname? (or rather JF's)
But I've been going to this clinic since last August and they can CLEARLY see I'm Asian. So how did I become CAUCASIAN? ;p

Akan Datang! Coming Soon

...in 6 months anyway :) Hurray! Hurray! :) Fingers crossed, prayers needed.
We're very excited and nervous.
Praying hard tht everything goes well.

Have spent the last 2 months literally sleeping and feeling nauseous.

Weighed in today at the docs. Surprise, surprise! Who knew being pregnant made u lose weight? 2kg to be exact.
Probably because I feel like throwing up all day long and not just in the morning. Especially during car rides.
Cooking has also been difficult bcos the smell of raw food (even some veggies like carrots) makes me want to puke.
So quite often in the last 2 months, if I didn't order take-out, or we didn't eat out, I just didn't eat.
Almost everyday I found myself wishing that someone was around just to make me fish porridge so I could just get up, eat and go back to sleep.

The doc gave me anti-nausea SUPPOSITORIES (of all things!!). Why not oral medication I DON'T KNOW.
They probably learnt it from the French who love sticking medicine up their butts...Even from a very tender age.
(Poor Carla, it has happened to her since she was 5 months old....haiz traumatised I say, traumatised.)

So, not wanting to take THAT route, I just haven't taken any anti-nausea medicine.
The ONLY thing that seems to help is Ting Ting Jahe Indonesian Ginger Candy, which I whip out when I want to puke.
With only about 5 sweets left, I'm panicking! And no one seems to be able to find ANY! Wee Keong has sent his legions scouring Singapore for it but no luck. Who wants to hop on a ferry to Batam for me? :) Anyone going to Indonesia real soon?? I'd be so grateful!
SEND ME TING TING JAHE! (Strangely enough, the last time I found it was in Tang Freres in Paris!)

Anyway, all that aside, 12 weeks is supposed to be a milestone where all the tiredness and nausea is SUPPOSED to wear off.
Fingers crossed again!

JF is over the moon of course and I'm excited too. But more than anything else, I guess I'm just anxious. About everything. Baby's growth, baby's health, the birth, where to give birth, how to give birth. It's crazy!

It's a life altering event in so many ways, and frankly I don't know if I can cope. Some people make it seem so easy.
But very honestly, can U imagine someone needing U 24 hours a day? 7 days a week? Non-stop?
Even a dog doesn't need that kind of attention.

All my friends who are moms say the anxiety will fade the moment U see ur baby. U just want to be with him or her all day.
Let's hope so!

Today I felt so happy and excited to see Baby Chassin do para para dance in my tummy during the ultrasound. So active! Saw cute big head, nose, fingers and toes and even brains. Yup brains! Amazing :)

My husband the make-up artist!

How do U know when your husband really REALLY loves u?

When he fixes on your false eyelashes for U and does it DAMN WELL!!! ;p hee hee hee.

My dear hubby is so talented.
He can cook, make pancakes, do electrical wiring, pin my kerosang onto my kebaya, build a wooden deck for the garden from scratch, bathe Cookie (no easy task with all tht wriggling!!) and now, to add to his already stunning repetoire of skills, he can put false eyelashes on for me!!

Last Sat was the IWI Spring Ball which I organised. It was a charity ball and our theme was Orient Express/1920s.
Have been working on this for the last 6 months, so very happy tht we raised about US$30,000 for charity.

With my now very GOON haircut (aka Dora the Explorer) I thought I needed something extra in the make-up department to detract from my clownish fringe.

Rummaged around and found a pair of false eyelashes tht I bought from BKK, dunno how long ago. AND a bottle of glue!
I was in luck. BUT I have never put these on myself before (usually a make-up artist does it for me). So I rope in JF to do the deed.

With so much experience sealing the bathtub and windows with silicone, my dear husband paints on the eyelash glue with such precision and then gently taps the lashes in place.

VOILA! My super long getai singer lashes are in place and stay put all evening.

THANKS MUNKYNOU!!!!!!! U are zeeee best teeeny chocolit munky in the world! I love U!!

MEET COOKIE!

JF and I have just adopted a dog :)
We have named him Cookie! (JF’s choice but I like the name too :)
I initially wanted to name him Scooter but since this is JF’s first dog ever in his whole life, I think he should name it.
Well, Cookie does look like an Oreo.....black with a creamy white stripe down his chest :)
He looks like Blossom (my Black Lab) but is the size of Beauty (a bit taller).
He also has a strange curly bushy tail.
We don't know how old he is, but the vet at the shelter thinks he's about a year old.

Have been considering this adoption for 3 weeks now....I first saw him when I was volunteering at the dog shelter.
He was found on a highway with a black n white dog who was very affectionate with him. The rescue workers think that they were living together as house pets but their owner dumped them on the highway. Unforunately a lot of people here do that, get dogs as puppies then when they grow up, they just abandon them.

Anyway, he is a very very sweet natured dog but extremely timid. (I think the bad experience of being abandoned made him like tht)

We hope he loves being our dog :) So far it's been 3 days and he's a sleepy little fella......sleeping all day long, and he likes to carry our house slippers to his blanket and sleep with them. (So cute, he doesn't chew them but just sleep on them)

The way I see it...

I'm crazy happy with my new camera!!
My very first "BIG" camera so to speak. A SLR.

After all these years of watching my little brother Mark shoot with his monster camera with lenses that cost more than my engagement ring, I finally decided to explore my love of photography with a SLR.

A Canon EOS 400D XTi. It was JF's Valentine's Day present to me. (Incidentally, we celebrated Valentine's Day by eating Thai street food next to a longkang in Krabi and it was GREAT!)
I've waited so long bcos I wasn't sure if I wanted to carry about a heavy camera and bother with constantly changing big lenses. But in the end I decided to jump in and give it a go.

Now back in the Bull, I've joined a Photo Club and went on a trek to try out my new toy. Here are the results! I'm mighty pleased :)