From A Skeptic To A Believer

Many thanks to all those who have advertised on Mumblings in April. It has been a wonderful experience with EC. I was a skeptic before but I'm now a believer despite all the hoo-haa on paid ads. I just delete them, end of story. I've been getting a steady visit of between 100 to 200 EC droppers, and out of those figures hopefully I'd got at least 1 or 2 readers .

Here's a bunch of to all my lovely advertisers.

A Nice Place In The Sun
Emila's Illustrated Blog
Spiff, The Spaceman
Bikin Panas
Dream Themes
Wishing On A Falling Star
Postcards From Miss Igorota
My Second Trial
Indie Showcase

I think I've missed a few names, I forgot to take note of them and I can't seem to find the list (if any) of advertisers in my EC dashboard. Tomorrow I'll post my Top 10 EC droppers for the month of April. So stay tuned!

Buzz! Buzz!

Yay, today is American Idol night. You all know what a reality junkie I am . Tonight's theme is something I've been looking forward to. Just in case you didn't know, it's Jazz night and I can't wait to see what Adam is going to cook up. Urmmm, actually I've already heard the audio for the show this morning. I just haven't seen the performance yet and I can't wait for 8pm tonight.

I was planning to cook for the boys early and then head down and wait for the show with plenty of time to spare but when I checked my email, I saw that I had an assignment waiting for me. You know how scarce assignments are these days, right. Can't afford to give it a miss. Some things are way more important than watching TV , so I decided to rush this out before heading down. There goes that little free time I had before the show. If you guys have the time and want to humor me, go check out online buzz, a site about how to use the internet, not that you don't already know how to use it but who knows, you might just pick up some new thing or two.

Ok, that's all from me for now. I need to bathe and rush down and cheer on Adam and Allison.

Rain, Rain, Where Art Thou...

I hear leaves drinking rain;
I hear rich leaves on top
Giving the poor beneath
Drop after drop;
'Tis a sweet noise to hear
These green leaves drinking near.

And when the Sun comes out,
After the Rain shall stop,
A wondrous Light will fill
Each dark, round drop;
I hope the Sun shines bright;
'Twill be a lovely sight.

~ William Henry Davies

I miss the rain, the thunderstorm, even the lightning. Where are you rain?? It's so hot, hot, hot these past few weeks! My plant is dying...

Eau De Parit

As promised, here are some more pics taken back home. This was taken on the 2nd day if I'm not mistaken. I was bored cos apart from eating, I practically didn't have anything else to do all day.

So, I went and searched for a cangkul (hoe) and started digging...


Yeah, those are my not so elegant legs... full of dirt and not very flattering .


Halfway there...


The end-result. For a woman in her late 30's and hasn't touched a cangkul in ages, it's not bad work eh . Maybe I could even apply a job as a laborer at JKR.


Phew, I smelled worse than a rotten onion after all that digging. If I had jumped into a river, I'm sure all the fishes would have jumped out! Hmmm... maybe I could market the scent and call it Eau De Parit or something in some perfume blog! LOL!

Socks, Elephant, Feet and Lemon

Dear Rozella,

I don't really know how to tell you this, our socks don't match. I think I realized it when you smacked my ass outside of your office and I saw you sit on the elephant in the corner. I'm sure you're masochistic enough to understand that I may pee my pants. I'm returning your car to you, but I'll keep your glass eye as a memory. You should also know that I get sick when I think of your feet and I’m off to lead a new life as a lemon.

Please don’t hurt me,
Nessa

Hahaha!
Thanks Rozie for this silly tag. This is actually the 1st ever tag I did instantly as soon as I read about it. Thanks for the humor. Ouch! My cheeks hurt (from laughing too much!).

Here's how you do it:

Dear (the person who tagged you),
I don't really know how to tell you this,(1). I think I realized it (2)(3) and I saw you (4)(5). I'm sure you're (6) enough to understand (7). I'm returning your (8) to you, but I'll keep (9) as a memory. You should also know that I (10) and (11).
(12), Name

1) What's the color of your shirt?
Blue - I'm in love with your cat
Red - Our affair is over
White - I’m joining the Convent
Black -Our romance is over
Green- Our socks don't match
Grey - You're a leprechaun
Yellow - I'm selling myself for candy
Pink - Your nostrils are insulting
Brown - The mafia wants you
No shirt - Purple hedgehogs want to destroy you
Other -I dislike your eyelashes

2) Which is your birth month?
January - That night you picked your nose
February -When I quoted Forrest Gump
March - When your dwarf bit me
April - When I tripped on peanut butter
May - When I threw up in your sock drawer
June - When you put cuffs on me
July – When I saw the purple monkey
August - When you smacked my ass
September - Last year when you peed your pants
October - When we skinny dipped in the bathtub
November - When your dog humped my leg
December - When I finally changed my underwear

3) Which food do you prefer?
Tacos - When we skinny dipped in the bathtub
Chicken- In your car
Pasta - Outside of your office
Hamburgers - Under the bus
Salad – As you were eating Kraft Dinner
Lasagna - In your closet
Kebab - With Jean Chr�tien
Fish - In a clown suit
Sandwiches - At the Elton John concert
Pizza - At the mental hospital
Hot dog - Under a street light
Annat- With George Bush and Stephen Harper

4) What's the color of your socks?
Yellow - Ignore
Red - Put whipped cream on
Black - Hit on
Blue - Knock out
Purple - Pour syrup on
White - Carve your initials into
Grey - Pull the clothes off
Brown - bit of
Orange - Castrate
Pink - Pull the pants off of
Barefoot - Sit on
Other - Drive over

5) What's the color of your underwear?
Black - My boyfriend
White - My father
Grey – The Catholic Priest
Brown – The Montreal Canadian’s goalie
Purple - My corned beef hash
Red – My knee caps
Blue - My salt-beef bucket
Yellow - My illegitimate child in Ghana
Orange - My Blink 182 cd
Pink – Your ‘My Little Pony’ collection
Other --The elephant in the corner

6) What do you prefer to watch on TV?
One Tree Hill - Senile
Heroes- Frostbitten
Lost - High
Simpsons- Cowardly
The news - Scarred
American Idol - Masochistic
Family Guy - Open
Top Model - Middle-class
Annat - shamed

7) Your mood right now?
Happy - How awful you are
Sad - How boring you are
Bored - That I get turned on only by garbage men
Angry - That your smell makes me vomit
Depressed – That we’re related
Excited - That I may pee my pants
Nervous - The middle-east is planning their revenge on you
Worried - That your Ford sucks
Apathetic - That you need a sex-change
Silly - That I'm allergic to your earlobes
Cuddly - That Santa doesn't exist
Ashamed - That there is no solution to you being a dumb kid
Other - That your driving sucks

8) What's the color of your walls in your bedroom?
White - Your toe ring
Yellow - Your love letters to me
Red - The pictures from Vegas
Black - Your pet rock
Blue - The couch cushions
Green - Your car
Orange - Your false teeth
Brown - Your nose hair clippers
Grey - Our matching snoopy underwear
Purple - Your old New Kids on the Block blanket
Pink - The cut toenails
Other - Your Hannah Montana underwear

9) The first letter of your first name?
A/B - My virginity
C/D - Your photo with the moustache drawn on it
E/F - Your neighbors dog
G/H - The oil tank from your car
I/J - Your left ear
K/L - The results of that blood-sample
M/N - Your glass eye
O/P - My common sense
Q/R - Your mom
S/T - Your collection of butterflies
U/V - Your criminal record
W/X – Your suicide note
Y/Z - Your credit cards

10) The last letter in your last name?
A/B - Love your sweet, sweet ass
C/D - Always will remember the pep talks
E/F -Never will forget that night
G/H – Will not tell the authorites that you stole the whale from the backyard.
I/J – Mocked you behind your back constantly
K/L - Hate your cooking
M/N - Told in my confession today about the moose poaching
O/P - Told my psychiatrist about the bruises
Q/R - Always wanted to break your legs
S/T - Get sick when I think of your feet
U/V - Will try to forget that you broke my heart
W/X - Haven’t showered in a month
Y/Z – am better off without you

11) What do you prefer to drink?
Wine- Our friendship is ruined
Soft drink – I’m off to lead a new life as a lemon
Soda – I will haunt you when I’m reincarnated as an Eskimo
Milk - The apartment building is on fire
Water – I'm scratching my butt as you read this
Cider– I have a passionate interest for mice
Juice – You ruined my attempts at another world war
Mineral/Vitamin water – You should get that embarrassing rash checked
Hot chocolate – Your Cucumber-fetishism is weird
Whiskey - I love Oprah Winfrey
Beer – Thanks for the Cocaine
Other – you should stop picking your nose

12) To which country would you prefer to go on a vacation?
Thailand – Warm tingly sensations
Australia - Best of luck on the sex change
France - Love always
Spain - With tears of sadness
China – You make me sick
Germany – Please don’t hurt me
Japan - Go milk a cow
Greece - Your everlasting enemy
USA - Greetings to your frog Leonard
Egypt – Kiss my butt
England - Go drown yourself

Tag! You guys are next :~ Anny, Crystal, Jia, Bem, KadusMama, Spiff

Kisses From London

Rimmel London has arrived at my doorstep! Thank you so much Emila and thanks to Rimmel London as well . Loved the lipstick's color, I haven't tried the lip liner yet... still in its unopened casing. Sayang la nak buka. Loved the box and the cute pouch, thanks again Emila. You memang the best!!

I've got loads of pictures taken from my 1 week stay back home. I'll be posting them gradually cos I don't want my blog to be too saturated with pictures. Stay tuned. Thanks to everyone, both regular visitors and new ones for dropping your EC at Mumblings. Much appreciated .

One In A Million (OIAM) Season 3 ~ Top 3

Tonight I'm blogging 'live'

Come and join me, leave your comments as the show progresses. OMG! I'm having butterflies in my stomach .

Eliminated : Nine (Wow, that was a fast announcement)

OK, now that the elimination is done, I can concentrate on the contestants performance.

Theme : Jury's choice (JC) and Voters' choice (VC)

1st round

Tomok
JC: Crazy In Love

Listening to Tomok sing Beyonce's Crazy In Love for the second time, I didn't feel awed as the first time he sang. But one thing's for sure, Tomok can sure work a crowd.

Esther
JC: Better In Time (Leona Lewis)

Better than the first time. Less body/hand gestures. Esther looks very sweet tonight.

Aweera
JC: Gemilang (Jaclyn Victor). Video here.

I think he sang better the first time. He sounds off key in some parts.

Commercial break

2nd round

Tomok
VC: Coba (Faizal Tahir). Video here.

OMG! What's with the old glasses? He looks dorky!
Tomok is all out tonight... full of emotions. I miss his signature style of singing, turning a slow song into a fast tempo song but he did well.

Esther
VC: I Won't Go Home Without You (Maroon 5). Video here.

I just love Esther's version of this song.
Sounds just as fun and entertaining as the first time.

Aweera
VC: Aku Dah Bosan (Search)

Aweera needs to be more believable. He has the voice (and can definitely scream) but lacks that real rocker vibe.

Commercial break

Announcement!
Voters get to decide whether 2 or 3 contestants make the grand finale. Hmmm... just stick to the original show's format. I guess it's another way for them to make more money.

Related OIAM3 post:
Tomok Wins OIAM3!

A Bloody Miracle!

I'm only 38 and yet sometimes I feel so much older especially when I wake up in the mornings. My body and bones creak in all kinds of places... it's the sign of aging I guess . I really need to start working out to iron out these creaks and pops that has become a constant and regular sound I hear everyday.

Thank goodness I don't suffer from any more serious ailments such as heart problems, diabetes, cancer, Parkinson's or even Alzheimer's. Compared to those, I'd settle for the old creak and pops anytime. I do have to be careful cos my dad has diabetes and my mom died of cancer several years back.

I do worry about future health problems. With the stuff we're exposed to these days, nothing can be taken for granted. I've heard of the chemicals they spray on vegetables, the drugs they pump into chickens and stuff to fatten them up and things like these can lead to complications like heart diseases, cancer, etc. It doesn't even have to be hereditary these days.

What if you could change the future by acting on it now? Would you do it? There is a company that is basically taking the steps to help us combat these diseases. C'elle, a leading company for stem cell collection is offering for a limited time only an affordable way to protect your future. If you enroll now at a price of only $299, which is $400 off their regular price using the Promo Code CN400 you're on your way to making sure your future is protected.

Just what is C'elle? C'elle basically harvests adult stem cells and stores it for future use in case you need the blood in preparation for some surgery you hope to never have. They're also able to collect stem cells found naturally in menstrual blood. With their patent-pending technology and easy to use collection kit, you'll have the reassurance and peace of mind that you need.

Menstrual stem cells have demonstrated the ability to differentiate into other cell types such as heart muscle, cartilage, nerve and bone stem cells. This translates into possibilities to treat varies kinds of future diseases that you just may encounter. Hmmm... I wonder if I can collect my own menstrual blood .

I'd advise you to check out the C'elle website for more detailed information on what they have to offer you and how you can go about getting registered with them.

One In A Million (OIAM) Season 3 ~ Top 4

Bottom 2 : Nine & Amylea

Eliminated : Amylea

I was just stumped with the elimination of Amylea and from the look on her face, so was she. Totally unexpected. Amylea fans, what happened???! I wonder if many had voted her off instead of voting for her...

Amylea's mini concert performance rehearsal. Must watch! Video here.

Theme : In Concert (4 minutes to perform, the concept for their concert comes from the contestants themselves... from music arrangement to lighting and props, etc.)

Duet performance by Shila & Dafi (Rentak Optimis), later joined by the remaining 4 contestants.

Nine ~ Keroncong Untuk Ana (M. Nasir)
* Infused traditional element (no idea what the traditional instrument is)
* The song is way too slow and boring to start off a concert
* Nine's image is not appealing (simple attire with glasses)
* Joined by 4 back-up singers... urmmm, what's with the cups? What is the message?
* I'm not excited. Felt bored after a while.
* His vocals are good though

Tomok ~ Tribute to Alleycats! Medley. Watch the video here.
* 1st song (Jika Kau Bercinta Lagi)
* He did the mike flip AGAIN!! Wah, macam trademark je... hehehe
* Very good performer, his emotions flowed when he sang.. I laik!
* 2nd song (Sekuntum Mawar Merah)
* Increased tempo = increased excitement
* 3rd song (Kerana Kau)
* Very engaging = energized
* Clever pacing

Esther ~ One Night Only (Jennifer Hudson)
* Her intro gave me goosebumps!
* Looks lovely in pants
* Sounded off tempo in some parts
* 2nd song (Semua Jadi Satu - 3 Diva)
* Fun and entertaining, connecting with the audience
* 3rd song (Keeps Getting Better - Christina Aguilera)
* Clever to include the short Sabahan tune for the intro
* I was glued to her performance
* She showed off her vocals and she was in her element (not too showy)

Aweera ~ Tak Ada Logika (Agnes Monica)
* Got my attention for singing a current song
* The intro was nice but too short
* 2nd song (Emansipasi - Republik of Brickfields)
* Interesting, I was still watching him sing.. at other times I would be in the kitchen making coffee or taking a toilet break
* For once I didn't find his performance boring

Top 4 performance Recap. Watch the video here!

Who will be in the finale? Your thoughts please .

Related OIAM3 post:
One In A Million (OIAM) Season 3 ~ Top 3

Home Sweet Home

The past week had been a blast for me. Like the saying goes, there's just no place like home . But it went by so fast, I wished I could have stayed on much longer but then there's always the next holiday to look forward to.

The last time I went home was in 2007 and it wasn't a pleasant one. No,no... I didn't gaduh with my family or anything like that. A member of the family returned to the Lord and such an occasion always zaps the energy out of you rather than rejuvenate. So this time, it was entirely the opposite and I definitely had the time of my life!

I ate like there's no tomorrow, I think I gained 10kg eating my sis yummy home cooked food. Thanks sis for the treat at the Fish Spa. That was my first experience (it's odd that I never did try them in KL) and it was pretty exciting. I never thought getting my feet swarmed and nibbled at by a bunch of fish could be so exciting! We would have traveled all over the state if only I had a longer holiday and if my other sister had a bigger car... hehehe. Sis, I pray that you'll hit the jackpot! Om jan gia pura-pura inda tau kalau koontok noh kio...

But surely the bestest part was being with my sisters and my dad, sharing jokes and reminiscing the old times... we sure have aged ya cos we now have white hairs on our heads! Seeing my grown up nephews and nieces was a delight. They've definitely have blossomed into beautiful ladies and handsome men... errr, not that you guys were ugly before la. It won't be long before one of you gets married and that would surely mean I'd be a grand-aunt before long...

But now comes the hard part... to get rid of the excess weight! That means no rice, no dessert, no makanan sedap-sedap for me .

Banking For The Future

Hola everyone!! Miss me?? Boy, I miss blogging... I feel like I've missed out on a lot of things for the past few days. I won't be back till tomorrow evening but I just had to post this very important post... *ahem*

You know, planning for a new baby can be pretty frightening. There really are a host of things to worry about when you plan for a new baby, especially if it is your first time. Before you all go and start getting any wrong ideas, no, I am not planning for any new or additional babies for that matter. I've already got two full grown and often times difficult to handle hyper-active boys and I don't think I need another one! And here's a picture of one of them as proof .


I mean, with the current economy being what it is these days, it can prove to be really difficult trying to weigh your choices and balancing the family budget at the same time. And the people at Cryo-Cell believes nothing is more important than protecting and ensuring your new born baby's future.

Just what is Cyro-Cell and what do they do? Well, they're one of the largest and most established family cord blood stem cell banks and they have been helping over 175,000 families worldwide since 1992 to preserve their newborn's umbilical cord for potential use against diseases.

They're like a bank where you would go to to preserve your baby's cord blood. Cord blood or what is know as umbilical cord blood is blood that remains in the umbilical cord and placenta at the time of birth. Normally it is discarded after delivery. But scientists discovered a rich source of stem cells from it and has now become a viable substitute to bone marrow in thousands of successful transplants.

They have an offer right now called the Baby Bjorn offer. If you sign up with them before midnight April 19th, you get a discount of their retail price plus a Baby Bjorn. No, it's not a real baby ok. It's a baby carrier. And the enrollment is pretty simple too. No enrollment fees are necessary and you will not be charged until your specimen is processed. Your kit will also be shipped to you immediately upon enrollment. See, I told you it was simple.

So, if you're planning for a new baby, then you should really look into Cyro-Cell. Check out the testimonial below to see what I mean.

"My children are the most precious gifts that I will ever have and I want to do everything I can to make sure they are well. While I was pregnant with my first child, I would see articles and ads about cord blood and it bothered me that it was so expensive but what if I one day needed this blood. The reality of having only one chance or it really went in the garbage kept me wondering if I would regret not investing. What if he had cancer or his dad or I were sick, would that blood have been the cure? Through research, I came across Cryo-Cell International, Inc., a company with the most reasonable rates and the assurance of two holding facilities.

When I was pregnant with my second child, we wondered if one bank was enough? Finances were tighter and should we spend the money? Then we realized that his brothers blood might not match for the new baby. The next day, stories were breaking about how Cord blood had saved or changed the lives of children, one cancer, one cerebral palsy. Then we discovered that a friend was diagnosed with non-hodgkins lymphoma. He didn't bank his daughters blood and wished he had. Three years prior, I lost a friend to renal cancer when she was 29. We felt like it was our answer.

We are just beginning to see miracles that this blood can bring. We have two "life insurance policies", that is how we look at it. If anyone in the family gets ill, there is a chance that the blood could save our lives. If we don't use it, then it is there for our son's children."

Sincerely,
mother of Parker and Davis
Cryo-Cell International Client

An Easter Break

Image from Bluemountain.com

I will be away for the next few days and I'm not even sure if I'm able to blog. Do feel free to browse my past postings and rummage through my ancient mumbles aka archives, leave comments if you like and I'll definitely reply once I get back ya.

Have a blessed Easter!

One In A Million (OIAM) Season 3 ~ Top 5

We are just 2 weeks before the grand finale and I'm feeling the heat. Tonight's elimination of Simon was expected but I totally didn't expect to see Esther in the bottom 3!

Bottom 3 : Simon, Esther & Nine

Theme : Sheila Majid's songs (Malaysia's Jazz Queen)

Guest Judge : Dato' Sheila Majid

I love Sheila Majid! I remember singing her famous song Pengemis Muda in the early 80's... in 1985 to be exact. OMG! That was 24 years ago!!

OK, on to the review...

Amylea ~ Dia. Video here.
* Looked very charming and sweet
* She mesmerized me with her rendition of the song
* The transition was smooth, from the original melody to the new arrangement
* Her black high heels looked too bulky for her petite size

Nine ~ Pengemis Muda
* Decent performance but didn't wow me
* Kinda monotonous
* I don't like his flowery shirt, makes him look like a softy

Aweera ~ Antara Anyir & Jakarta
* Pitchy
* Looked nervous and distracted
* His lipstick's color is too prominent
* Shouty (as Sarimah, host of AF7 would say... Menanah telinga!!)
* Butchered a lovely song

Esther ~ Lagenda
* A much slower tempo from the original
* Showcased her vocal abilities
* Kinda draggy
* Indulgent (borrowing Simon Cowell's critique)

Tomok ~ Aku Cinta Pada Mu. Video here.
* Looked spunky and classy
* Engaging
* I expected more from Tomok but I enjoyed his performance
* He did the mike flip again!!

So, who was your favorite for the night and who do you think will be in the bottom 3 next week?? Tell me!

Related OIAM3 post:
One In A Million (OIAM) Season 3 ~ Top 4

Gimme A Kiss!

A quick post before I head out. Emila, I don't think I could pass this great giveaway la...

Hear ye! hear ye!

Rimmel London is having a great contest called The Perfect Kiss! Check it out peeps, cool prizes await . Contest is on until 15th April so you have plenty of time to join.

If you haven't heard of Rimmel, here's a short description :~

The name Rimmel is synonymous with edgy, streetwise and fun make-up. Built on 'streetwise London' imagery, Rimmel is savvy, witty, and in the know. With a comprehensive line of products, it offers women real, achievable beauty. The colours allow for experiment and individuality. The product range incorporates, eyes, face, lips, nails and body. Today Rimmel is Britain's top-selling cosmetics brand.

Rimmel lipstick, come to meeee!!