Two Js looking good! :)

Jojo has put on some weight and looking more sturdy these days! It must have been the effect of being nuetered early last month!



Anyway, we always thought he was a little on the thin side.. so now we're glad that he looks better and healthier.. and yes, his appetite has increased too!

We haven't observed any major change in behaviour, though I think he is a bit less aggressive and `hamsup'.. but still as playful as ever!


Jojo's favourite squeky toy.. he loves any toy that makes noise!


Hmm..trying to get a bit of shade in the garden as I chased him to snap photos?

Meanwhile, Jelly's biggest interest now is to go for a car-ride! She would jump into a car whenever anyone opens a car door. So again today, she was waiting to go into my car as I was leaving for work


And as she saw my camera, she came closer to me...

Fluffy and nicely-groome Jelly is such a poser!

Alarming Statistics!

Had my consultation session for personal training this evening.

Technology is really amazing - I just had to stand (barefooted) on a machine called `In-Body' and hold onto its metal-like handle for a while.. and Ta-Da! It read all the `scary statistics' for the trainer and me!

Nope, I'm not gonna divulge those stats which spelled out everything from my weight to body-fat/bones/muscles/water weight (and many others) to the ideal stats for my height and age.

It couldn't read my age of course.. haha!

Well, what I learned about my own body condition is nothing funny. In fact it is quite alarming, although I know already more or less where I stand - from my sessions with slimming centre and the measurement when I first joined the gym more than two years back.

It is confirmed that my bone structure is actually consider small - thus the weight of my bones in proportion to muscles (not much) and to my FAT is really quite SAD!! Yes, my fat weight is the heaviest - in proportion! Just base on the fat percentage alone, I'm considered obese! :(( And BMI wise, I fall in the slightly overweight category..

My trainer, after explaining in alarming tones to me all the stats, suggested a training outline AND the goals that I'm gonna achive in 12 sessions.. But mind you, after 12 sessions, I still have to work on it, but the $$$ I am to pay will be less.. There are no shortcuts nor miracles here.

And of course, to accompany this tough-sounding exercise regime, I will have to watch my diet too! After the first few strength training sessions, I will be given a nutrition guideline to follow. It didn't sound as bad as what I had to go through before (at those slimming centers) and so I am determined to follow it faithfully.

Training will commence after Raya break. In the meantime, I need to build up my stamina by doing some exercises too. I went for spinning class after that and had a great workout!

I will be measured again by `In-Body' on January 17, 2007. By then, I hope to, no, I MUST achieve the statistics target that had been set for me!

Jelly's `boyfriend' and make-over

Last night, I brought Jelly along to my cousin Chien's home mainly so that she could play with their Miniature Schnauzer Charlie! Jelly hadn't bathed for 8 days but it turned out that Charlie too was equally, if not, more smelly!

We put them together in Charlie's pan while we chatted in the house for about half-an-hour or so.. I also took both of them for a short walk. Charlie was quite well behaved but Jelly was the one getting all excited as usual and kept tugging me along!



She also seemed to be playing `hard to get' hehe.. as they got reacquainted with each other - some time back, Charlie stayed with us for a few days when my cousin went away.. (btw, if you don't know - Jelly is the one with lighter colour fur)



Took Jelly for an over-due grooming session today - it has been more than two months! Incidentally, my cousin also took Charlie for grooming today. However, Jelly's specialised `beauty salon' charged RM90 while Charlie's grooming cost only RM60 (bargained down by my cousin)

Well, she (I mean jelly) is a girl after all.. ;)

A Beautiful `English Wedding'

It was a memorable weekend. I attended a beautiful and cosy wedding up in the mountains!

My cousin Yen Sze married her Dutch boyfriend Chris at the colonial style Ye Olde Smokehouse at Fraser's Hill on Saturday. They had graciously invited their close relatives and friends to join in the celebration of their big day.

The booked up the whole colonial bungalow for the wedding - where the immediate family also stayed there. The wedding took place outodoor (good thing the earlier drizzle had cleared) on the spacious terrace.


I helped with the reception table - getting guests to sign in and pen their wishes to the bride and groom and Mei Lian (Yen's brother's gf) snapped photos of them to be placed in the guestbook later.

Amidst a cool afternoon sun, the guests were entertained by a string trio who presented some melodious numbers. Soon, the bride made the appearance by walking down from her room upstairs, accompanied by her dad.. and the romantic song `She', played by the band.

The groom took her hand and they walked out into the terrace where the exchanging of vows took place... surrounded by their closest families, relatives and friends.


A friend of Chris read some Scripture verses and the couple said their vows.. when it came to the exchanging of rings, Yen was joyful and moved that her voice choked.. indeed it was a solemn, tender and moving moment for all those who know them well..

















Then it was a time of congratulating the newly weds and taking photographs, before a simple Chinese tea ceremony took place - also outdoor. Just shortly before that I found out that my name was on the list! As in Yen and Chris were going to present tea to me too (as I'm Yen's elder cousin). So I quickly got my act together and pack two small angpow packets :p



Unlike many Chinese weddings where the tea cermony could be quite a draggy and long affiar, this one was over quite fast.. and soon, we were treated to a `performance'!

The three singers were none other than the mother of the bride and her two younger sister (one of whom is mom), while the pianist was Chris mother. They sang `The Wedding' followed by `Moon Represents My Heart'. Although they were no great singers, the gestures already won them much applause! And they did practise hard for it, I could vouch.





Later we took a short break back to where we stayed - Silverpark Apartment - to get ready for the dinner, also at Ye Olde Smokehouse.

It was a traditional English fare - there were five long tables where the seating of each guest having been allocated. Sat together with mom and dad as well as second aunt's family, as well as few other guests. It was nice to have the band serenading us throughout the dinner.

The dinner lasted almost four hours! But it was not boring as there were some candid speeches in between.. My uncle (ie. the bride's dad) made a short speech in English and proceeded to read out a Chinese poem he had written for his daughter and son-in-law.. I helped him to translate into English - not easy as Chinese literature is far richer than Englihs. And it was kinda embarassing how he introduced me - telling everyone what I do and over-stated my calibre :p



When it came Chris the groom making the speech, we were all suprised that for a big portion to it, he spoke in Mandarin! He has been learning the language and joked that Yen had said he must speak Mandarin to the family before he could marry her! His pronunciation, the structure and the content of the speech was very impressive. I could see my aunt and uncle smiling in approval and the bride was beaming from ear to ear.. It was indeed a very touching gesture. Even my dad gave him a standing ovation.. well done Chris!

Then there were the toasts - in Dutch and Chinese fashion.. Of course the three loud and rowdy `Y-U-M Seng!' took the cake.. speaking which, the cake cutting and coffee followed. After that, everyone just carried on chatting and enjoying themselves.. the dance floor was open too but we left just before midnite..


Had a really nice sleep in the cool and clear air and before we left, we went to Ye Olde Smoke house again to say bye and took more photos! Aunt and uncle asked us to stay for brunch - which turned out to be a huge English breakfast.. we took our own sweet time talking and enjoying the weather before taking the road down at about 2pm.




The bride and groom and their two familes, meanwhile, drove towards East Coast to Club Med Cherating for an extended family `honeymoon'! hehe.. i think they will have their own honeymoon later too..

Yen & Chris, may both of you have a happy life together and God bless. :)

p.s. for more photos on the wedding, visit my flickr (via the badge on the right)

My Fitness Challenge!

Went to gym tonight and after 30 minutes of cardio exercise and another 20 or so of weights training, I suddenly had the urge to have a proper fitness regime that could see results!

Had been considering personal training in the past but due to time and cost factor, I had just been working out on my own and although I feel a bit fitter I know I'm not achieving enough

But soon, I would have no work hours to observe - my time will be flexible in the next two months at least! Oh, speaking of that, I just did a mental countdown - 10 more working days to go!! :D

So I did it! I signed up for personal training! (here are some of the benefits of having a personal trainer)

I was recommended the six week/ 12 sessions to start with. Two guided sessions a week with tailored program to achieve my targets - which is basically to increase fitness AND to lose fat! There will also be nutritional advice and fitness/fat analysis etc...

I plan to start during the festive time when work load had waned off..

Well, it's not cheap but not something I couldn't afford. I decided it's a worthwhile investment, even if I don't lose much weight at least I will build muscles and be fitter! It sure beats signing up for slimming treatments, which I had done before and it's all in vain now.. :(

I'm quite excited and am determined to go through with it!

A Family Affair

We celebrated grandma's 88th (Chinese age 89) birthday on Sunday evening. Her actual birthday (only her lunar birthday is known) is the 19th of the 8th month which actually fell on Tuesday.

My two aunts, uncles and some cousins from Singapore drove up and most of the family members in KL turned up. So we had two full tables. But to think of it, if all the family members are able to make it, we will need at least three tables or more!

Due to a stroke she suffered several years ago, plus the onset of old age, poor grandma is immobile and also suffering from senility. She has to be `transported' on a wheelchair and somehow I feel the dinner was more a gathering for her children and grandchildren rather than for herself as she was quite oblivious to the happenings around her..

Anyhow, it gave her children and their children a chance to catch up with one another.. as most of us have not really seen each other since Chinese New Year or even longer than that! And yes, we all had a great time mingling and chatting away..

The food was good - dad chose Rasa Sayang Restaurant at Sri Petaling. We had a private room fortunately, as outside was a wedding reception complete with many rounds of`yamsengs'!

My humble present to grandma was the famous chocolate-banana cake from La Manilla - which was yummy. And with the sumptuous 10-course dinner, most of us had overeaten!

Here are some snap shots: (family members reading: feel free to `lift' any of them!)


Grandma and her loyal and helpful daughter-in-law - ie. mom ;)


Cousin Dawn from S'pore who has the misfortune of having her bag stolen just that afternoon in KLCC! She lost many valuables including her passport! Yet the optimistic gal won't let that dampen her happy spirit. :p


Cousin Nong with our cousin Chien's son Ally


The two youngest guests that night - Ally and Laura (the great-grandchildren)


Grandma and her birthday cake


Laura is all grown up and almost as tall as me!


Dawn, Denise and me taking a pix and Ally budges in!


Grandma getting ready to cut her cake


Just the gals - (standing) Dawn, Chien, (seated) Shelly, Vivian, Me and Denise


The Singaporean cousins - Dawn, Chien, Nong and Denise


The Malaysian cousins - Wei Zheng and wife Shelly, Vivian and Ee-Wang (Chien's husband Andrew is not in the pix so we are still not outnumbered!) :p


The 3rd generation gang + one 4th generation (minus others in KL, S'pore and HK)


And finally, a group photo taken but a camera-savvy Chinese waitress!

Wishing you a Happy and Blessed Birthday Ah Nay. May you be healthy and happy always.. !! :)

The One and Only Alan Tam!

Had a good but pretty tiring weekend - highlights being Alan Tam's concert and grandma's 88th birthday dinner with family/relatives.

Went to my long time `idol' in concert last night at Bukit Jalil.. how could i miss it? It sounds crazy but I've watched him in concert (both M'sia and HK) for a total of 10 times now since 1986! And still not tired of it.. Yeah, i know some will say he's old etc.. but perhaps it is the nostalgia.. still love all his older classics way back in the 80s. That shows i'm also not young but not ashamed to admit it:)



I've actually watched this `30 Glorious Years' concert first in HK last Sept and blogged a bit on it too.. well, compared to that, I think the show was better there - in the beautiful four-sided stage and cool air-con and comfy seats at HK's Coliseum. (here is a pix from that concert)

Last nite, it was really hot and the seats were plastic chairs.. but still Alan put up a great show - only gripe is he sang too many Mandarin songs (unfamiliar and his pronunciation is quite off...)

Won't go more into concert details as I need to write two reviews on it - suffice to say that at 54, he still has the charisma and energy of a 25-years-old! Well, his dance not as vigorous as what it was 20 years back. But his voice was impeccable and great showmanship.. despite the fact he looks a bit rounder now.



Towards the end, I too like other fans stood on chairs and sang and danced myself away.. totally exhausted when I reached home at 1am!

But too bad the photos I took from where I was seated were mostly blur.. as the zoom lens of my digital cam is not powerful enough..

Will blog and post pix on grandma's birthday dinner/family reunion soon..

update: short review of the concert in MM here

New Look!

`Jess' two Js' has undergone a `makeover'! Ever since I started this blog in May last year, this would only be the 2nd time I experimented with the layout..

I have now changed to using Beta Blogger.. but still having some problem with the template (as u can see!) The site meter is meant to be at the end while the flickr is also not supposed to be where it is now..

When I arranged properly and tried to save, somehow an error sign will pop up! :( Hope i know how to design my own.. but still up to there.. anyone can tell me how to do it?

a hazy, moonless, mid-autumn night

This was how the skyline from our home balcony looked like at midnight (taken with the `night landscape' mode on my camera) It's such a damper to those who observe the mooncake/mid-autumn festival - as the moon is supposed to be the roundest and brightest on the 15th day of the eight lunar month!

Yeah, the haze had been pretty bad for the pass two days (choke, cough). Quite depressing. But guess what? As I was beginning to post this, God sent some much needed rain! It's still raining now...and I hope it will rain more to clear the haze away

Can we look forward to some clearer weather over the weekend?

Jelly the little owl

Oh dear..! Like me, Jelly has become an OWL!!

She refused to sleep and was yapping in her crate after I tugged her in at 1:40am! (only silent just) Mom said this morning she was fast asleep still at 10:30am while the whole house - minus me- was awake!

Is this unusual for a dog? :0

Learning to let go...

Think I have to face the fact that I'm quite prone to anxiety and restlessness.. and just can't easily `let go'..

Yeah, for the past one month, I've been `gloating' that I'll soon resign and will have at least two months of R&R (maybe do a little freelance work to keep myself going and the money coming), before I step foot back into the workforce again..

But now, as I'm counting down to my last day - 15 working days to be exact - I'm already starting to feel slighty uneasy! No, I don't regret resigning. And in fact, I'm quite fortunate to be promised a job early next year - all I can say now is feature writing that covers a wide scope - but there's nothing in black and white yet..

Funny thing is, as I try to analyse the reasons of the anxiety - I found out it is not just the fear of no income, but the `fear' of missing out doing the type of work that I have been enjoying for a few years now!

True. I'm unhappy of many things in my current paper, as well as the job scope and limitations and various other woes I face. But yet, deep down, I do love many of the stuff I write and cover. I think I have inadvertently been carved into an entertainment journalist in the last three years or so (plus the earlier times when I have been contributing to the Chinese ent. scene.) In my 14 years of journalistic career, I probably have been writing on entertainment beat the most. Even when I was with news, I did a variety of stuff and not really `speciaslise' in any areas much..

Interviewing celebs and artistes, writing on movies, music albums, concerts, television, shows and the performing arts have become something I can say I know pretty well - of course not ALL areas but definitely on the Chinese beat.. Also, I have built up a wide contact with individual artistes, movie distributors, recording companies, event management, concert organisers, the performing arts groups etc.. the showbiz industry on the whole..

Here lies the dilemma. On one hand, I told myself I want to further broaden my writing scope, try something else in feature writing - lifestyle related and more serious social issues. But it seems (at least at this point), I still can't let go of what I have been doing.. and hoping that I can still touch on the arts and entertainment areas in whatever and whoever I'm writing for in the future.

This morning, I had more or less secured a contributor's job that will start probably some time in November. But it is not really entertainment/arts related. Still I am happy because of the new challenges and also the income of course. Earlier, I also spoke to the editor of another publication hoping for some freelance jobs.

Then it dawned on me that I can't be as `cool' and `carefree' as I project myself to be.

My initial idea and how I have been telling anyone who asks what I'd be doing after I leave, was that I'm going to take a break - a nice longish break until the end of the year (which is like 2 months only) and then only start work again - fulltime or freelance in January.

But guess what? I'm already planning and seeking for jobs now, even before I leave!

I have NEVER considered myself a workaholic, nor think I would be bored to death (if money is not a factor) if I don't work for a period of time...

I guess may be work to some is just a means to an end. But I've been fortunate enough that in my whole working life, my work has been mostly enjoyable and fulfilling, and actually makes my life more interesting and exciting.

Still, I know I better not crack my brains planning and thinking too much. Remembering the teaching in the Scripture telling us not to worry about tomorrow. And like what I wrote in my previous post, there is a time for everything - and only time will time.

Just hope I can walk the talk!

A Time for Everything

We had a timely message and good reminder from the church sermon this morning..

Preaching on Ecclesiastes 3, the preacher said: "There are only two things that are certain in life. First, we all will die. Secondly, it's certain that life is uncertain."

It may sound harsh and grim, but this is a fact of life. Life is unfair, and unpredictable.. we can go on planning to achive our dreams but even if we do attain that, there is no guarantee that it's gonna be smooth sailing. Or that the happiness may be short-lived.

I'm an optimist by nature.. and the truth is life has been good to me.. although I have gone through some sufferings and trials that are not not material/physical in nature.. but compared to some other serious sufferings - be it health, relationship, financial etc.. I could really count my blessings.

But who says life is fair? even the Almighty never promised a bed of roses to even those faithful ones.. this is the reality of living in a broken world.

Ecclesiastes is a beautiful book.. in the surface, it sounds quite pessimistic.. but it is a book full of wisdom and the philosophy behind is enlightening. I especially like Chapter 3 - entitled `a time for everything'..

Ecclesiastes 3 - A Time for Everything

1 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:

2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,

3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,

4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,

5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,

7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,

8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

9 What does the worker gain from his toil? 10 I have seen the burden God has laid on men. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. 12 I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. 13 That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil—this is the gift of God. 14 I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him.

15 Whatever is has already been,
and what will be has been before;
and God will call the past to account.

16 And I saw something else under the sun:
In the place of judgment—wickedness was there,
in the place of justice—wickedness was there.

17 I thought in my heart,
"God will bring to judgment
both the righteous and the wicked,
for there will be a time for every activity,
a time for every deed."

18 I also thought, "As for men, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals. 19 Man's fate is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath ; man has no advantage over the animal. Everything is meaningless. 20 All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return. 21 Who knows if the spirit of man rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?"

22 So I saw that there is nothing better for a man than to enjoy his work, because that is his lot. For who can bring him to see what will happen after him?

It's so true... King Solomon seemed to have so much wisdom yet he did many unwise things that caused his down fall.

We may not know the reason why we have to weep, or hate, or be at war.. But on a personal level, trials and pains often make us stronger and closer to God (or the other way round). We know at the end.. everything is in His hands.. it's He who can give and take away.

I like what the preacher said at the end.. there are many little things in life that we so often take for granted, but if we see it as a blessing from God, we would be grateful and happy..

Yes, there is always a time for everything. But only in His time that he will make things beautiful and right.

A church friend asked me over lunch what if my supposed job offer doesn't work out? (since it's nothing in black and white yet and I have to wait a while - I guess she was asking whether I have plan B)

I just replied casually - `remember the sermon just now?' and we all just laughed.. Honestly, at times I did think of it a bit, but now I'm more assured that I should just trust that God will guide me..

After all, there is a time to toil and a time to unwind; a time to slog and a time to slack... ;)