just minishorts.

I'll put it down here. I get it that you are all way way more experienced than I am. Had more salt than I ever swallowed rice, of course. I get it. You know more about babies than I do. Because you're older, you've been there, done that, and you know it all.

But…

• Give a little space for me to breathe
• Let me eat what I want to eat
• If its something my mom feeds me, don't tell me I can't eat it. I have a mother too you know, I love her and I kinda, well, trust her more than I trust you. Because I can't accept the possibility that she could mean me any harm (after all I'm her only kid, and she won't kill me).
• Don't bloody try to convert me into pentecostal extremism. What on earth is the difference between 'I believe in Divine Healing' and 'I stand for Divine Healing' anyway? You call yourself Christian? Get a mirror and look at yourself.
• What right have you to tell me that you are going to heaven because you have been personally saved by the spirit (as evidenced by nonsensical babbling) and I have not?
• BTW, didn't you see this 6 month old bump in front of you as you preached your mashed up version of the gospel and badmouthed the Methodist church?

I am not brave. I am just very honest here. I just believe that somethings have to be said. Since I'm on it, lemme ask a few more things:

• Do you honestly, honestly believe, that only the people from your church are going to heaven?
• Do you honestly honestly believe that only the King James Version of the bible is the true bible?
• DO YOU EVEN READ THE BIBLE AT ALL? Or do you just sit together heads bowed and shake yourselves into trances and then proclaim that the spirit has befallen all of you and therefore you are way way more blessed than the rest of us?

Seriously, we have major issues to handle here on earth. Since I do read some parts of the bible, I'll attempt a mini-your-style of dissecting literalism in the bible, can?

• In Genesis 6 it is written (please go and check your KJV):

 ¹And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,  ²That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.  ³And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.

• If I sort of interpreted THAT literally, I think it also implies that before God got upset with us, He gave us longer time to live on earth. Literally, that probably means that we were supposed to live for 500 years to 1000 years (Noah lived for a long long long time, remember?). So this world is NOT supposed to be bad mah.
• But for some reason, when I attend services at extreme fundamentalistic churches, the message is always about how evil this world is, and how we should keep praying until the rapture happens so that everyone who is evil to us will be thrown into the lake of fire, and all the perfect for Christ people will go and heaven and laugh happily ever after. *super duper morbid ok*
• I AM SO NOT CONVINCED THAT GOD IS SO EVIL AS TO BANISH EVERYONE WHO DOESN'T SUBMIT TO YOUR MANMADE THEORIES OF WHAT GOD WANTS, INTO THE PIT OF FIRE.

Personally, I happen to believe that God made Creation for Himself to enjoy, for Him to commune with all of His Created beings inside, Man included, and that our biggest task here in Creation is to take good care of Creation and sayang everybody and take good care of everyone.  Not point fingers at one pregnant woman and demand that she stand for divine healing and tell her that if she doesn't accept the truth she will go to hell. Not spend time talking and bitching about how other people who pray to other Gods are all going to burn in hell. Not joking and laughing at the practices of other religious groups.

It happened to me okay. God, Your overzealous followers have simply, no regard for respecting other people, and giving people space.

Seriously, I know sometimes we think we're being led by overzealous  Muslim fundies. But those of you in AOGs, Fundie churches, be truly honest, if the roles were reversed, and you led this nation instead, would you allow temples and mosques in the country?

Seriously.

Earlier this year, we had planned to fly off to some exotic land to enjoy a second honeymoon, to celebrate our 1st anniversary as Mr and Mrs Yeow. Except, somewhere along the way, Mother Nature decided to intervene and introduced a new person into our lives, henceforth catapulting our pre-made romantic plans into the ditch.

*Our mothers would glare us down if I so much so as mention I want to go on a plane and fly off for a holiday! "H1N1 okay, you pregnant in high risk group, don't even think about it!" *

So the furthest we could afford ourselves was this weekend one-day trip to Ipoh, more to satisfy my palate than anything else. My hubby gladly obliged, so one fine Saturday, we decided to drive North, just the two off us, and we went here:

Stopped by Bidor to have some Duck Noodles and visit Uncle Best Yam Kok in the world….

For lunch we went to Lou Wong Nga Choy Kai…This photo of me damn sia-suey I know.

Cannot find the famous Funny Mountain tau fu fah… so we settled for Lai Kee instead.

Still taste ok what…

Then we da paued Baked Salted Chicken from Aun Kheng Lim, but it was so good I forgot to take photos of it… all masuk belly adi.

At night we visited this place that Axian featured on TV before: Restaurant Rasa Lain.

The food is really really damn nice one!!!!

And then the next day before coming home, we went to Ming Court to try Ipoh-local's favourite Dim Sum.

*No photos because I didn't like the food here.*

To be honest, we didn't really like Ming Court cos the dim sum really very puny… the siew mai just about the size of Eric's thumb only! Foh San has now moved to this huge building opposite Ming Court and got really really refurbished, and well, I think the servings at Foh San, being bigger, is more value for money!

…

Well I had a pretty good time in Ipoh, quite satisfactory lah, considering I can't get around much and I'm pretty much stationed in Klang Valley the entire term of my pregnancy what with all the virus scares running around. Hopefully when baby comes out I get my license to fly again, and prayerfully baby is a non-fussy baby so that I get to bring him along without much problems.

Baby, you see the life mama has sacrificed for you! You see!

We saw our baby again on Saturday, and this time doctor told us that baby has little testicles, so baby's going to be a little boy!

Eric was so deliriously happy, he pranced around in the doctor's examination room and said to my belly, 'Good boy, good boy, hahahah, you are going to have a big big big ku ku jiao!'

Yes, doctor was there when Eric did his little victory chant to our baby.

We also bought our first gigantic stroller-car seat combi set on Sunday, so that levels us up yet another stage on the parenthood RPG fun! Next time when baby seats and cuddles up in his little car seat, I'll snap nice little photos for you to go 'ooh and ahh' over.

I'm zooming into my second trimester, and feeling pretty awesome. Sorta surrendered to the weight gain inevitability, I'm lavishing in the extra helpings of O'brien's sandwiches (Thank God for RM10 daily specials!) and yummy milo panas in the middle of the day. It's so funny how this pregnancy is changing everything about me, even the way I view issues. Of course my nerves are little shorted out these days, so poor Eric never knows when I'm going to blow my top or when my tears are going to burst out, HOWEVER, sometimes I am also extra patient, and all I do when I see something ridiculously unbelievable is, 'Oh? Oh. Cheh. Okay.'

…

Because we got preggers so quickly into our marriage, some people actually think that we had an accident of sorts. The truth is, we only started trying for a baby about five-six months after we settled in, thinking that trying for babies will typically take at least three months, and on the average, probably six months to a year. I must say we're extremely blessed to not have to try much at all! Sans the protection, and just about a month later, I missed my period already, and now I have a little life growing inside of me!

I've never felt this way about something that hasn't actually arrived in the real world yet! It's really amazing how love can just exist for something, just like that. *Sigh* Can't wait for January next year when we can really really hold baby in our arms. For now, photos, and the frequent tumbling in my belly's all I have.

Friday. 7.03 pm.

Pregnant also must work so late.

*grumble grumble grumble*

Someone should do something about all those phone databases going out to some telemarketing firm 'representing a bank' with quotas to sell some stupid 'special' package to people who don't need them or want them.

All true accounts, all true companies.

Last week, for example, I was in the midst of a meeting with an agency consultant, when my phone rang.

'Hello can I speak to Khoo Choo Ki please?'
'Speaking, who is this?'
'Oh I'm calling from EON BANK, we are very pleased to offer you a platinum card.'
'Ok it's a wrong time to call, I'm busy now.'
*slams phone*

WTF? You want my business and you can't be bothered to be polite. the fuck?

Then on Saturday I was napping (preggie mommies like to nap) when this idiotic aunty called me from this beauty salon called Praise Salon (there's a branch at Sunway).

'Hello is this Ms Khoo?'
*Groggily* 'Yah who is this?'
'Hello, this is Praise Salon, we have bla bla bla… bla bla bla.. many many branches, we want to offer you, this special package RM 600 normal price, now only RM99 only, very good one…'
'Hah? How you got my number?'
'My boss gave me a database.'
'I can't take up packages now, no massages, I'm pregnant.'
'RM99 only you can give to a friend.'
'I AM SORRY I AM NOT INTERESTED.'
'Why not?'
'Because I am sleeping now and you are calling at the wrong time.'
'I call you later can?'

OMG damn persistent right?

On Monday I think, I got this call from Citibank, Arab Malaysian Finance or Allianz (can't remember, it should be either of them), and the conversation was pretty annoying as well.

'Hello, is this Claire Khoo!'
'Yes…'
'Hi, I'm calling from (insert bank, I can't remember). I would like to offer you the opportunity to do a balance transfer..'
'Errr… I'm not free right now, busy.'
'That's okay, let me explain to you what a balance transfer is…'
*you ni bodoh ke ape?* 'I said I'm not free, can you try another person?'
'It's okay, my explanation is very short, at our bank, our balance transfer…'
'EXCUSE ME, I am not interested in balance transfers, and I JUST SAID THAT I AM NOT FREE, do you know that it is 3 pm and I have to work?'

Had to scream.

So in all, I have been harassed by several companies, listed as follows:
Citibank (they do it damn alot, on average I get 2 calls from Citibank each month, HSBC, Maybank, Arab Malaysian Finance, EON Bank (with their stupid platinum card thingy), Praise Salon, TRUE FITNESS, CELEBRITY FITNESS, FITNESS FIRST… and this thing called a Bank Agency, whatever that is.

See just now, I was in the midst of writing this MAJOR piece of proposal when some idiot called me in a chirpy voice.

'Hello, I am calling from a bank agency!'

Wtf is a bank agency? 'Errr, what is a bank agency?'
'Oh we are the agency for a bank.'

Like duh.

'Ok who are you representing?'
'Oh I am representing four banks!'
… 'Are you trying to sell me something?'
'YesSSS How did you know?'
*OMG* – this was where i slammed the phone.

Damn these banks and their whatever 'fantastic' crap. Are you fucking kidding me about 'fantastic' customer service? Just do away with your random call spamming please.