Movie Review - The King's Speech

Cast: Colin Firth, Helena Bonham Carter, Geoffrey Rush

I didn't expect anything much from this movie - looking at its dull title, with an overwhelmingly good cast - I thought I'd give this movie a try.

Surprisingly, it wasn't as dull as its title and not as boring as I was warned. I suppose you MUST watch it when you're fresh and ready to "eat" lots of words!

I sat there watching it with my son and we were both enthused by the movie and Colin's spectacular performance mimicking the stuttering King George.

It was a moving story that went beyond words since you don't realise that a King needs to give many speeches during his reign as King and one needs to be authoritative to show POWER!

Colin certainly did that.

Recommend: **** A film to watch and well deserved Oscar nomination

Where has the Weekend gone??

Some weekends you plan to do many things, get soooo many things done and then Monday appears and you wonder "Where has the Weekend gone?"

This weekend I did have many things planned - like waking up early and taking the kids for pancakes at McDonalds. Do some grocery shopping and make sure we hit some balls at the driving range....but ended up doing.....?????

Woke up late (the whole household), planned to go for late pancakes but diverted to showrooms at Cheras. No pancakes for lunch but HK Kuey Teow instead. Went to sis-in-laws' - kids played with each other while adults sat down and chit-chat. Bid farewell to Lil Sis-in-law before her return to her new country. And got home, felt ill & took a nap!

Next morning, got up and went grocery shopping, went for lunch + shopping w kids. Hubby ended up shopping and kids got themselves a book each. Myself personally, I didn't shop (again!!! no surprise) At night, sat down to watch a HBO movie with kids until their bedtime (in between entertaining Daughter with her new sticker storybook) Then put on "Burlesque" in my room....until half-way Hubby wanted to watch Arsenal match!

Now I'm wondering - where has my weekend gone? I certainly didn't feel anything I did was productive / therapeutic.

We'll see the next weekend

THE NEW CHAPTER - Ep 1

End of 2010: December

It's been 2 months since we returned from UK. Hello Malaysia!! And already you can sense the pressure that is expected of us.

Dealing with Traffic:

It was horrifying on my first drive on Malaysian roads - yet AGAIN! Well....compared to the courteous, law-abidding drivers in UK - it is the complete opposite here. It was stressful from the moment you put your gear into D!

Somewhat like the cartoons you watch on Cartoon Network...cars swerving left right and center...everyone's in a rush....and NOT signalling! Overtaking left and right....NOT signalling!! Beating the lights....motorcyclists included!! And pedestrians J-walking everywhere!!! Of course we have an abundance of motorcyclists around compared to UK....and they are the most hazardous of the lot! I probably have to double check (triple check) everytime I want to switch lanes...JUST IN CASE...some unknown motorcyclist decides to overtake me, or squeeze in between cars. Next comes owners in 'little cars' like our Peroduas (the Kancil, the MyVi, the Kelisa....u name it!!) Any God forsaken 'little car' on the road is a sign of DANGER!!! Just like the motorcyclists, they loving squeezing between us big cars....and drive onto any road they can go through. Leave a space and u find a 'little car'!!!

Not forgetting our pedestrians who think that they can cross any road as they please....You wonder if they intentionally want to get HIT! Don't they love their lives? Are they on a mission to TEST us drivers?

It used to be that moving cars are PEST!! But now the scene has moved on into the parking lots. Again the culprits are 'little cars' and motorcyclists!!! Drive into a secured parking lot and you think people park decently in the yellow boxes???? INSTEAD...it's like a wholesale market of car parking indiscriminately anywhere they can fit their can into a space. THANK GOD...for some common sense they try not to obstruct oncoming traffic!!

Between beams of parking lots....(often not a designated parking space) at the curbside, ON the curbside......under ramps, along the ramps....u name it ...u find it!!! No matter how many CLAMPING ZONE signboards around, these drivers do not fear their vehicles being clamped for parking indiscriminately!!! Even signboards saying CLAMPING operational for 24 hours do not scare them....perhaps RM100 is not a high enough FINE?!!! Or they know the authorities do not REALLY operate for 24 hours...and they don't REALLY have enough clamps to go around!!!

Arrrggghhhh.....What's the use of all these LAWS when everyone breaks them and no one enforces them?

Responsibilities:

The moment we got back....we got a whole load more responsibilities to carry on our shoulders. Now it's no longer JUST THE 4 of US!!! It is the WHOLE FAMILY (plus extended generations)!!!

The marketing for household back to me. The cleaning and washing and cooking...back to me. I'm not talking about our 3 bedroom house.....small enough for 1 person to look after....the rooms have tripled and the people to feed have tripled as well!! The mess has probably quadrapled (if not more)!!!

That's only 1/4 of the story & responsibilities!!! Let's not start about those outside the house proper. Relatives, parents, in-laws, siblings, grandparents, nieces, nephews, aunties, uncles.......Is that why the Europeans move out at 18-21? Once married they only worry about their own family? I once despised that attitude but sometimes there is some logic in that. However, as Asians, we have been raised into an integrated family ...and everything we do is AS A FAMILY!!! (inclusive of all extended family members) It's more FUN!!!

Don't get me wrong! I LOVE MY FAMILY & all its EXTENSIONS! But please, lift some of our burden and spread "the love"!

Nonetheless, the responsibilities are in abundance and shared amongst us!!!

Could just be too much to handle at the moment?

End of February 2011:

We've celebrated New Years' and have just welcomed the Year of the Rabbit!

Work has started for everyone - including the children. Hubby has secured a job (of which - into his 2nd month, he's still unsure if he wants to stay but boasts about his boss and clients). I have started my pupillage - which has its ups & downs - depending on the workload that I get.

Kids started school and enjoying the company of their friends. Son has developed and caught up with all his friends very fast. His schedule is ultra-busy every week and yet he leaves no time for rest over the weekend. I fear that he may not enjoy his childhood as he should. Daughter is picking up the Malay language fast. I'm sure she can soon form a sentence without an English word in it. She already understands Malay pretty well so we can't speak of her in Malay anymore.

Back to the question - Are we happy?

The start was a bit rough for everyone but we've overcomed it and gotten used to our routine...and I dare say we're happy (the Asian Family-kinda-way)

By that I mean, non-stop parenting and dedication. We struggle when it comes to dealing with the unexpected but at the end of the day, we continue doing what we do best - Being a Family! Weekends are now strictly for us to spend time with the Kids! If it means taking them out for a meal, I'll do it....if it means just taking them out (even if it is to the Car Wash) i'll do it because I know they need time with me!

So no matter what, I reserve my weekends with my Kids!

The Beginning of THE NEW CHAPTER

Obviously it's been ages since I wrote in this blog....which simply means that I have lots of stories to tell.

Going by the Blog title "Where stories Never End"......This New Chapter embarks upon a journey filled with joy, laughter, ambition, stress, worries....and much more! Life itself will have no meaning without all the jumbled-up emotions that we face, experience and overcome each day.

Taking baby steps out into the urban jungle... I brave myself to face the challenges that lie ahead! With many unexpected events, it will not only make me stronger, but definitely make me WISER!

2009-2010: My Disappearance

It was a very BIG decision to move to UK. The family, the kids, the husband - the sacrifice that each of us had to make. Leaving the loved ones behind, we embarked on an adventure to the other side of the world - The United Kingdom!

Off we went to relocate at Bristol. We based ourselves about 10mins away from the university...and 30mins from the Florence of England - BATH. We settled in pretty quickly...scouted for nurseries around the area and found 2 ideal ones for each kid. Even though they were separated during the day, they still remained the closest of buddies at other times. Despite their rows and disputes, they still look for each other in times of need. That's how we raised them - the great sibling bonding!

Nonetheless, they settled in the fastest. IT was all a great adventure for them - new experience, culture, friends and routine. No doubt it was toughest for us parents and even tougher for their father. Mother feels blessed to have such an understanding person for a partner. (Aren't I fortunate?)

We were very happy - just the 4 of us - without all the complications of extended families & intrusions into our personal lives. All we had to do was take care of ourselves ; our family (the 4 of us). Then there was a 5th person - the youngest grandma in the family - that joined us for 6 mths. How blessed Mother feels again that she has help at home....and especially to mind her kids. (Aren't I fortunate?) Upon reflection, I couldn't have done it without them!!

So now it was the 5 of us ...and still things are no complicated. Life was SIMPLE!! No great expectations and overburdens ...and stressing about other people...All we had to do was take care of 5 of us!! WE WERE HAPPY!

Indeed we had less quarrels and more comprising....the communication was better....the kids even had time to see Father and PLAY with him. There was plenty of laughter at home...Life was SIMPLE! No doubt we felt like newlyweds AGAIN!

Every moment spent in UK will always be cherished forever. Indeed....we also owe it to our favourite person - Nanny. Nanny made us feel at home abroad. Nanny made us feel welcomed...fed us with all the English food she could cook. Sonny's fav was her Roast Lamb! Nanny's visits to us - though a few - put smiles across the kids' face!!! They entertained her to their heart's content; and Nanny never failed to disappoint them!! Nanny exposed them to British culture...their 1st Xmas, their 1st snowfall, their 1st Roast!!! We love Nanny!

Of course there were times when we struggled...it wasn't just Mother or Father...everyone faced their dull moments. But we overcomed it with Love and Support from each other.

It was sad to leave our Britannia Crescent (No.13) = where the kids cycled around the neighbourhood, where we had snowball fights & rode on sledges, where we mowed the garden together, where we shovelled the snow together, where we cooked, bathed, ate and froze together......Goodbye Bristol!

Hello Malaysia! And how has it been? What has changed? Are we happy?