No water, but juice ok. Huh?

This confounds me alright!

As usual, I picked Shaayla up from her preschool at 12noon today. For the past few days, she's been bringing a straw water-bottle to school as she's still trying to get over her cough. We want her to be able to get water easily whenever her throat feels itchy, and to stay away from the juice the preschool serves during snack time.

However, today, Shaayla's preschool teacher, Ms Priti, told me that it was NOT ok for Shaayla to drink from her water bottle, if it had water, BUT, that it was ok if it was juice or whatever else!! Huh?!?

And I thought juices in water bottles and sippy cups were the main culprit for the increasing incidences of early tooth decay in toddlers. Where's the logic? Ms Priti explained that Shaayla could drink water from her water bottle, except that she would have to pour it out into a paper cup for her to drink it! Double huh here!! Ms Priti didn't quite understand the logic as well, but explained that it was a 'Social Services' guideline for preschools.

I've read about the 'dangers' of using a sippy cup beyond a certain age & the use of a hard straw (delayed speech development etc), but ok to juice and not ok to water?

This is America for you....

I'm Yelping

Finally, after some harping by Suresh about neglecting our blog, finally sat down for a short entry.

It's true...I've been neglecting this since Suresh came back from Europe. We were busy getting ready for our short Spring holiday down at Disneyland and SeaWorld (which reminds me that I should post something about that here). It was a great extended weekend holiday at LA with Alya (Shaayla's best pal) and her parents. For the parents, it was more about the chance to indulge in authentic Indonesian nasi bungkus from Toko Rame.

Unfortunately, all 3 of us came down with a real bad cold after coming back. We 'house-bound' Shaayla for 3 days and kept her away from preschool. Not only was she getting bored out of her mind, we were mentally and physically exhausted as well.

After her usual Mandarin class last Sat, I was chatting with Soon and Lisa who recommended a new Asian cafe - 37 C - at Fremont. It was supposed to have a wide selection of Asian desserts, much more than Bolansa at McCarthy. The weather was great after Shaayla got up from her nap, so we took a walk around Lake Elizabeth at Fremont before heading off to 37 C for dinner.

The meal menu was disappointing, but since this was more of a dessert place than meal place, we couldn't complain too much. However, the ramen portions were tiny. I usually share a bowl of ramen with Shaayla at Maruichi and it would be more than sufficient for us, but at 37 C, she ate half the noodles and there were hardly any ingredients.

So I finally decided to get registered on yelp.com and post my 2-cent worth of review. I've been going to yelp.com for sometime now to look up recommendations etc, especially on food, but I've never contributed a review. Thought it was high time I said my piece as well.

Finally What I had Hoped for in the Malaysian Elections Came True

March 8th, 2008 will be a day to remember for all Malaysians at home and abroad. The day when people who were born in a country that their ancestors made prosperous, regardless of where they came from have a say in how they want this country to be run. Enough of corruption, cronyism and reckless abuse of power from the "suckers in power". Although I could not vote, mainly due to the fact that I was overseas and there are rules regarding voting for persons living abroad, I made sure that my mother and aunt went out and vote. I sponsored their travel to the voting offices/schools.

When I spoke to my aunt 1 week before March 8th, about going out to vote, her reply was pretty candid. She mentioned that no matter how the Indians vote there was no place for us in this country. Well in that case, all Indians in Malaysia should just pack up and move to Singapore. Why even bother to contribute to the economy and pay taxes if you have no future in that country. This was the mentality that got the Indians ignored in the 1st place. But I am glad to say that they finally united as a race and voted opposition on March 8th. Goodbye Samy...thanks for the years of nothing. He should step down as MIC chairman and leave the country. Cause he has no respect among Indians anymore except for the few that have not used their brains since they decided to support MIC.

The Indians in Malaysia are definitely to blame for the way they have deteriorated through the years cause this is one "God Damn Race" that can never seem to stick together. I have seen that happened within my huge extended family and outside of my family. You would think that this is only happening in Malaysia but to my surprise, a Nigerian colleague told me that in Nigeria, the Indians never seem to be able to work together or help one another out. This is in Nigeria, mind you. Yes!! Nigeria in the continent of Africa, for some of you who don't know where Nigeria is. What the hell, Nigeria! I was taken aback by that comment and realized that it is going to take much more that 1 election to bring the race together as one.

Since coming to the Bay Area and traveling to Europe, I have come across many Indians who hold good jobs and are respected for what they do. I told my father what I saw here and in Europe and mentioned that only in Malaysia are the Indians treated as laborers from the time they arrived in Malaysia in the 1900's till now. Almost a century in a foreign land they call their own and still no progress. I can't think of a word to describe my feelings for this.

I would like to say that March 8th may be the turning point in an Indian life in Malaysia but I have to hold myself back cause knowing what I know about the race, it's going to take much more than just 1 general election to change the mental attitude of Malaysian Indians.