Articulating Thoughts

Few weeks back Oliver and I were revisiting his college area at the Pearl Point Shopping Center (not sure what its called now).  Well, we came across a store selling white meat. Now White meat to me is Chicken. To my surprise the shop was selling Crocodile Meat. Krocies Crocodile Shop . Can you believe it? I mean Crocodile Meat in Malaysia? I wouldn't be surprised to find such stores in Thailand, Cambodia or Vietnam, but Malaysia? Well what do we know. Apparently, Krocies import their "materials" from crocodile farms in East Malaysia. They sell crocodile meat which is healthy - low in fat and high in protein. Other then crocodile meat they even sell other crocodile related products such as balms, oils, a real stuffed crocodile and souvenirs.  Do check out their website for more info.

Well, while we were at the Popular Mega Sale at Straits Quay few days ago. We bumped into this. Have you ever seen a Gigantic Christmas Tree?? A Christmas tree made of books? Really? Well here it is. It's a Christmas tree made of readable books. Isn't it cool1? A wonderful way to promote books and be green. I personally loved the tree and the deco. Sweet and simple. If you happen to be around do check it out.

What am I doing here at this hour? Oh well, I had coffee and now I can't sleep. Anyways, since I can't sleep I thought of hoping here to share this post. Baby Lukas hasn't been out of the house for almost 2 days. So today we decided to go Straits Quay and stroll with him. When we were ready to go he fell a sleep. We decided to wake him up - I got him dressed up and we were about to leave when he poo-ed.  This went on until the sun was down - good bye strolling...sigh!! Now that the sun was down and walking around in dark wouldn't be so fun we still decided to go. When we came to Straits Quay what do we see? The evening got interesting as we stepped towards the SQCC at 6th floor. Hubby and I love books, so we spent the evening here. While for baby Lukas - he was tied up in the stroller and had to tag along mom and dad. Not very interesting evening for him but his eyes brighten up as we walked around admiring the Christmas tree and the lights.

Cards I made for my sister. She graduated from The School of ACTS on the 11th November 2012. And she asked me to make few cards to give her friends. So here is what I came up in the short time and the little material I had here in KL. I would also like to congratulate her on her Graduation. CONGRATS BINNY...!!

I was drawn to the crafting world by my mentors and friends. It ' s interesting to know how the art of making s imple cards and sending greetings across has now become a huge industry. It's not just about the message or the greeting anymore. Now this field has a new set of vocabulary like patterned papers, embellishments, b lings, glitters, various inks, Washi tapes, big shot, Cricut and so on and has taken the world of scrapbooking into a different dimension (of course for GOOD!!) Well, it is so easy to find these materials in USA, England and Australia at affordable prices with a wide variety to choose from w hile the crafters here in Malaysia face the scarcity of such perks. They either look for materials in local station e ry stores or order stuff online which could be expensive. While digging for some stuff I found many Malaysian bloggers with same interest and also links to where I can get these things so, I have decided to check out these few craft stores in a...

Recently we took a weekend trip to Penang. On the way back we halted at the R&R at Tapah, Perak. The one on the North-South Expressway. Well while looking around for some coffee in such a huge place - LOOK WHAT WE FOUND...!!!

I can't say "recently", as this was last month. But yeah we celebrated Baby Lukas' Full Moon. It was on the 6th of October. However, friends and family got together to celebrate on 7th as it was a Sunday.  Full Moon (Man Yue) is a Chinese custom that celebrates the baby's first month. Lukas' Poh-Poh (grandma), Gung-Gung (grandpa), Gu-Gu (aunt), Gu Fu (uncle) and Jie Jie (cus Sis) flew all the way from Sibu and his cus aunt flew from Kuching to celebrate God's goodness and faithfulness with us. We had a table booked at Tai Thong: Imperial City Restaurant in Cheras for a family dinner on the 6th. We were a bit late due to traffic jam and were so hungry that we actually forgot to take pictures of the food served.  Family picture at Tai Thong Restaurant Since my mom's house in KL can't accommodate many people at the same time so hubby and I decided to have an "open-house" on Sunday. I guess it was a good idea since we got ...

A million Dollar view from our apartment in Penang.

I was so confused - was so overwhelmed by what to pack and what not to in the hospital bag for the newborn. I checked online and it further confused me. You know how they say, "too many cooks spoil the broth"? I guess too much information leaves you just as confused as well :p Here are few things I felt confident about and a newborn might need - and if I do forget something or need something last minute - I guess I should allow myself to make such mistakes and learn from it. After all we learn from mistakes and this is what will become an experience, isn't it?      Well, these are the things I packed in my lovely brand new diaper bag (was dying to use it ;p) Diapers (newborn size - now is the time to use those received from hospital/clinic during our regular visits)  Diaper Rash Cream Changing mat Baby Wipes Baby blankets -2  Newborn baby clothes - 3 pairs  hat, mittens, booties, 2 tops and 2 bottoms (be it long/short sleeves, I gues...

I thought my labour would be dramatic, at some random place at a random time - like in the movies. But it wasn't like that at all. We went for my regular appointment at week 39. Things were fine no contractions and no sign of anything. I was asking my doctor (I guess all first time moms do), "how would I know I am in labour?" and his response was, "Aarti, you will know".  We came home (my hospital bag was ready by week 34 so we had nothing to worry), had dinner, watched the first episode of Guilty Crown (anime) with my hubby. Went to bed very late (was almost 2pm). By 3 PM I could feel it coming. The contractions had begun - were mild and I could walk. We called the doctor at 5AM and as per his suggestion went to ER. The contractions became stronger by 7AM and I could barely walk (now I knew what the doctor meant by, "Aarti you will know"). The nurse who was monitoring my contractions on the machine said the contractions were very strong (as per th...

I had been designing my baby birth announcement cards for a long time. Just couldn't figure out what and how I wanted it to be. One thing I wanted was the card to be not heavy (to save on postage). Due to my weaknesses I couldn't spend much time on these cards. And I was at my mom's without my craft materials and accessories. So had to do with what all I had.  So here is a very simple Baby Boy Birth Announcement Card. I made 50 of these and they were sent to family and friends near and far. Material used: Blue and White Card Stock and printer.

Introducing Our Little  Bundle of Joy "We prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted us  what we asked of him. So now we give him to the LORD.  For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD." - 1 Samuel 1:27-28 (Bible)  

Both Oliver and I are seminary students (since Jan 2011). Three weeks into our marriage - we came to MBTS for theological education to equip ourselves for future missions. When we celebrated our first wedding anniversary (Dec 2011), we were done with one year of our seminary education, had started our weekend ministry and were settling in a church and had wonderful, godly friends who would and could speak into our lives. We told ourselves that one more year and we will be in the mission field. We were planning a mission trip in August 2012 with few other friends who shared the same burden. We were meeting mission organizations to inquire and learn more about long-term mission possibilities. It was as if the desire and calling God had placed on Oliver's heart a decade ago was finally coming to completion. We saw things happen and pieces coming together. Things were planned and the plan was smooth. But when things are smooth is when something is not quite right. God interven...

Both my husband and I were not able to attend the Prenatal classes offered by the hospital. While my OB in Penang was hosting these classes - Oliver was preaching and I was terribly in pain due to my first ever migraine - and we couldn't attend, even though we had registered for the classes long ago and paid in full. Thought the amount paid for the classes was not refunded but we did get the class materials and some baby stuff - sample diaper packs, car stickers, baby magazines and some sample baby products and some discount coupons from Mom's Care . We also received the Mummy bag from Baiboo.com.  Here is a picture of things we received from the Penang Adventist Hospital. During my 7th month of Pregnancy I was invited to stay at my mom's in KL (Indian tradition). So we were visiting an OB at HUKM Specialist Center - this was also the hospital where my mom worked for almost 10 years. When we inquired about the Prenatal classes here in HUKM - they didn't hav...

Yesterday I posted a couple of Birth Announcement cards for girls. Today I was working on some Birth Announcement cards for newborn baby boys - so here is what I came up with. You can affix your baby's picture on the inside - right, and include the details of the birth as well. I am selling a pack of 6 cards with white envelopes for Rm 30/- including postage (Malaysia only). PM me if interested to buy.

This year of 2012 is the "Dragon Year", according to the Chinese Calendar. And many of my friends are popping babies - including me (week 37 now). So I decided to make some birth announcement cards to sell. Here are 2 simple girlie birth announcement cards for Newborn Baby Girl. I am not sure if in Malaysia we follow this tradition of sending birth announcement cards, but I think its a wonderful way of announcing the arrival of our newborn.  Welcome Baby - Purple   Welcome Baby - Pink You can affix your baby's picture on the inside - right, and include the details of the birth as well.  I am selling a pack of 6 cards with white envelopes for Rm 30/- including postage (Malaysia only). PM me if interested to buy.

This post is dedicated to Oliver, my beloved husband. As we celebrate his 33 years on planet earth - we thank Christ Jesus for his love and provision and for his call upon Oliver's life. We strive to serve him - and serve him alone. "If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen." - 1 Peter 4:11 Adding to Oliver's collection of Transformers - as his Birthday Present    Transformers Animated Dinobots - Grimlock, Swoop and Snarl . Transformers Cybertron: Red Alert (2005)  Transformers Alternators: Rodimus Here are some compiled "expression of love and encouragement" for the Birthday Boy - taken from facebook. Grace Ngu : Hello Oliver!!! ヾ(●⌒∇⌒●)ﾉ Happy Birthday!!! Congrats to you and...

Please refer to Luke 10: 38-42. Martha and Mary, Lazarus' sisters are wonderful examples of Christian Hospitality. When Martha and Mary are preached, we are led to make a conscious or subconscious choice. We either fit in Martha's shoes or in Mary's. We often get divided. For those of us who believe in keeping their houses functional and providing for visitors - we side with Martha, and for those of us who enjoy the love and companionship will side with Mary.  Martha and Mary, by He Qi, China I feel that many times Martha has been frowned upon. But in real life circumstances we know that even if we want to be Mary and sit at Jesus' feet we are forced to wear Martha's robe and are framed between the pots and pans. So my question is who should we strive to be Martha or Mary? Was Martha right when she asked Jesus to release her sister Mary so that she can help her? Or was Mary right to leave her sister alone to manage the household stuff and t...

I watched The Da Vinci Code few months back. It's quite an interesting movie. I had watched it before - a long time ago - when it was released. Well, the questions about the divinity of Christ never posed any doubts or has never challenged my faith. Talking about the Holy Grail and descendants of Christ has never been an issue. I understand this book as a total work of fiction with some crazy twists involving historical details. Just like combining Transformers III: Dark of the Moon with the historic event of the first man on the moon. Like merging X-Men: First Class with the Cuban Missile Crisis. I guess we are smart enough to differentiate the truth from fiction (or are we?). Well, regarding the Jesus issue in The Da Vinci Code - I believed that Jesus having any descendents or a family and so on didn't matter. I thought it doesn't make a difference if Jesus had any marital relationship or had a family - He was (is) still God. It doesn't make him different, or ...

Just a very quick thank you card.

What is 'Bon Odori'? Originally a Japanese Buddhist observance honouring the spirits of ancestors, today it has evolved into a family reunion holiday during which Japanese return to ancestral family places, and visit, and clean their ancestors' graves. In comparison to the celebrations in Japan, the festival celebrated in Penang and Selangor is less associated with Buddhism and more with Japanese culture. Held mainly to expose locals to a part of Japanese culture, the festival provides the experience of a variety of Japanese food and drinks, art and dance, with the vast number of Japanese companies in Malaysia taking part to promote their products.         And the upcoming Penang YOSAKOI Parade 2013!!! 19th January 2013!!!     Cosplay