A challenging task

28th June 2010

Nope, I am not talking about our new baby boy. He is definitely an easy-going baby with minimal tantrum episodes - he only cries when he is sleepy, hungry or uncomfortable. His picture is put here because he also witnessed the task that I'm going to tell you about.

So what do I mean by a challenging task? It's this...

About a week ago, my elder children were playing with balls. They were tossing them down from above the stairs, and one green ball landed right inside our huge chandelier - way up high!

Finally just a day before Syafi's birthday, I decided that the ball must go. Equipped with a tall ladder on top of four tables (with the assistance of our maids holding the ladder), I managed to push the ball up so as not to be so entangled in between the small metal parts within the chandelier. Then, from above, I put some sticky tape on a long pole and managed to pull out the ball.

It was definitely not easy, coupled by the fact that standing at such an altitude made me prone to danger. Thankfully, my sweat was worth it in the end.

This is definitely a down side of having a chandelier hanging from a high ceiling - but hey, these things doesn't happen everyday, right?

Happy birthday son!

26th June 2010

A big hug for our son, Syafi, who turns 6 today. Time really flies since it seems like it was not long ago that my wife and I were blessed with the birth of our first child. At 6 years old, Syafi is a good, bright, friendly and creative boy.

Happy birthday son!

Love always from daddy, mummy, Safiya & Safwan

One year anniversary

25th June 2010

Today, it's officially one year after we moved in. It has been a fun and memorable year, but we are still far from over in decorating our home. We do believe that it's a never-ending process, and making a perfect home does not happen overnight. However, we will definitely enjoy every moment doing that!

On our checklist for years to come
(just to name a few):

- Perimeter fencing
- TV sets in the bedrooms
- Carpets for our formal living area
- Display cabinet(s) in the living / dining room
- Guard post and outdoor storage room
- Swimming pool and leisure area

That's a long way to go!

Killer plant

9th June 2010

We received an email about a dangerous plant that can cause fatality. It actually looks very familiar and is common to be seen anywhere in Brunei. I'll definitely be cautious the next time we go shopping for plants. Just thought of sharing this with all of you. Thanks to my sister, Liza, for sharing the information. Here's the extract of the email:

"Dear all, Please read below. The message is true. I almost lost my daughter who put a piece of the leaf of this plant in her mouth and her tongue swelled to the point of suffocation. This is one plant but there are others with the same characteristics of coloring. Those are also poisonous and we should get rid of them. Please watch out for our children. As we all leave our children home in the hands of the helpers, we should give them a safe environment where they can play".

This plant that we have in our homes and offices is extremely dangerous!

It is a deadly poison, mainly for the children. It can kill a kid in less than a minute and an adult in 15 minutes. It should be uprooted from gardens and taken out of offices. If touched, one should never touch ones eyes; it can cause partial or permanent blindness. Please alert your buddies.

Gardening in action

6th June 2010

My wife took some pictures of me whilst I was busy gardening outside. I didn't know about it though. I was actually originally accompanied by her and our lovely kids, but they stopped earlier since we had to get ready for a wedding invitation. A great workout and a good way of spending time with the family too!