Feng Shui 101

I just made a statement to my husband that I didn't buy Feng Shui rules. I remember in Indonesia, my friend hung a sun ornament above his front door because his "feng shui" friend from Hong Kong just informed him to put it there; otherwise, bad spirit will come and stay at his house. Come on!

In Indonesia, so many people do believe in Feng Shui; they even implement the rules for their business. The office where I used to work at, was set based on Feng Shui. The owner regularly brought Feng Shui expert from Hong Kong to read on where the "fortune" was; hence, re-arranged the furniture and interior setting accordingly.

I remember when, out of the blue, my big boss had to move his office space from the far back to the very front. The expert said, putting his office too far from the entrance might cause the company not getting profit as fast as it could be. I questioned, "so why did you recommend us to put his office at the far back at the beginning?"

"Last time, feng shui read it differently".

What!!!??? Why would you make your world so complicated like that?

I went to Barnes and Noble yesterday. I found a book where my point of view on Feng Shui changed ( a bit). The title of the book is "Chic living with Feng Shui: Stylish Designs for Harmonious Living" by Sharon Stasney. I like this book because, instead of ordering you to do this and that with your home, it gives you a basic knowledge about Feng Shui - how it relates with color, chi energy, ying and yang and chakras.

The book also understates that according to Feng Shui, your home might be best for you to stay but not for your neighbor - because you have a different personal chi assessment from others.

That make sense! That relieves me!

I don't against Feng Shui whatsoever; but I do against people who believe in Feng Shui BLUNTLY, without thinking the rational (and other people preference in designing their own home).

do you TRUST your babysitter?

For mommies who work, do you trust or not trust your babysitter?
Even for stay-home mommies, do you trust or not trust your babysitter?
Share with me.

After talking with as much resources as possible, I pick one best solution:
Keep [trying] to trust your babysitter but at the same time, have your mother or mother in law or whoever from your family you can count on to supervise the sitter.

The babysitter is pretty much like us in the office. We will less diligent or at least feel having more freedom when our boss has a one-day meeting outside the office (be honest, please). Whether you notice it or not, you will start do things that are unfavorable for your boss (but so favorable and fun for you) such as chatting, friendster-ing, ringing up your friend or smoking on the emergency stairs.

Same here as your babysitter: when you or your family members are not around, she tends to be less careful, less diligent and "ASAL", sometimes she just does it unintentionally. Supervisor is somewhat very important in every level of our life.

But the thing is, we're talking about human baby here, "Titipan Tuhan", not a kitty nor business. If you make mistakes at the office, worse come to worse, they will kick you OUT. GOD will never fire you from being a MOM.

Family Matter, this one's so FUNNY

I live in the apartment complex which they called has a "family environment". That was the reason why I and Vandy, my husband, decided to stay here since we were about to have a baby last two year.

True. There are kids playing around in the afternoon, kids who like to suddenly hop near our fence trying to find their lizards and kids who ride bicycles while his mom shouting from well, I don't know, "KIDSSSSS!!!!! GO HOMEEEEE!!!!!!NOWWWWWW!!!". Scary.

In the morning I routinely take Vala, my 10-month-old girl walk around the complex. No kids. Kids go to school. But there are moms who walk with their "other" kids that are so cute. We liked to have a quick chat. "How's Vala? Oh my God, she's growing fast" "Yes, as you can see. How about him?" I asked about the "other kid" she brought "Oh, Bryan was naughty last night. He didn't want to have a dinner with us. He kept playing. So I punished him. I put him in his room".

We separated.

There are about 5 families in this complex who have "other" kids. First I didn't notice it when we first met. At that time, we had this small gathering in the poolside. We started talking about our babies. They were talking about Bryan, Megan, Tanya, Farell, etc.

"Vala starts to crawl and grab things around her. She also starts mumbling"
"Yes, Megan also likes to scream, out of the blue. That makes Farell cries".

Later I knew that Megan was actually her chi-hua-hua, the "other" kid I talked about, ladies and gentlemen, while Farell was her "biological, human" daughter.

She always talked as if Megan was a human too, not a dog. Tanya is a little black puddle and Bryan is a big lambrador. Ou...owwwww....woof woof...

Sixth Sense

My 20 month old baby likes to talk on the front hallway as if she communicates with "someone". At first, I did not worry at all. She might be just learning to talk the way her parents do. When I do household activity such as cooking in the kitchen, I sees her enjoying herself on that hallway, pretending that she has a friend to play with. She starts bubbling, yelling and laughing. Watching that, as a mom, I just laughing. She's so cute and imaginative.

BUT not today. I think she acts beyond being imaginative. When I cooked in the kitchen and noticed that my daughter did not come to me for quite a long time then I saw her talking... on the hallway. I observed her ... she was actually communicating with "her friend". It was so obvious. She talked, then stop as if she listened, then talk back, then nodding, then yelling, then watching a focal point, then laughing, then running before turning back to see whether her friend tried to catch her. My heart beat so fast. Who's her friend?

I slowly came closer to the hallway, wondering if I have the so-called sixth sense so I'll be able to see her friend. Zero result. Nothing was there. As my baby noticed I was there, she then went over to the living room. Her friend has left. Perhaps because I came?

My sister once told me that her 4 years old boy one day said, "Bye grandma...". He was waiving his hand to an empty chair in front of my sister's bedroom. My sister was scared to death, asking all of the two nannies and two servants to sleep in her room. Do kids actually see spirits we don't? Do they really play and make friends with them? Will they disappear as our children grow? Trying hard to be wise on this, I just hope that those unseen won't bother my family member.

I do believe that there are "the others" who live in our place. As long as they don't bother us, I won't bother them. And I just wish that my baby won't have that sixth sense every now and then. I just feel that it is safer to be "dissabled" on this particular matter. My job is to protect my children from anything, including from being insecure of seeing them.

I wish...

American Teenagers Going Crazzyyyy

When I say they're going crazy, I trully mean it. It's crazzzzyyyyyy up to the next level. MTV has a new program named "I Want a Famous Face (IWFF)". Despite of being one of those reality shows, IWFF is 'lil bit different. Frightened. Horrible.

It's about American youngsters who desperately want to be exactly like their idol. How? Plastic Surgery. They undergo a one-day surgery for all needed to be done. Wider eyes, deeper eyes. bigger breast, up-tight breast, higher nose, smaller nose, sexier lips, thinner lips, tummy tucked, leaner hips, stronger jaw *like Brat Pitt :P*, whiter teeth. For all these, they probably praise silicon and lipposuction more than anything else *may I say... more than to God?*.

MTV taped each profiles including the surgery process. Horor. You see blood, needle, dripping blood *that's scarier* and the fact that their parts of body are being "diedel-edel" with the cold hands of fortunately, experienced MD, not dukun santet.

A girl dreadfully wanna be Britney Spears. A macho man who apparently transformed himself into a woman terribly wants a J-lo look. Twin boys forfeit their cute face for having Bratt Pitt face - after the extreme make over finished, they are cuter, but still far away from Brat Pitt genuinely handsome gaze. Sorry. It's been an issue here in the states on why MTV produces that kind of reality show.

As a trendsetter, MTV may trigger american teenagers to get their face repaired. This show may cause their mentality in danger. They may think that "diedel-edel" are cool, updated, stylish, modern. Watching the show, I just couldn't stop squeezing my husband's arm and said repeatedly "astaghfirlahualladzim!!!!!", while he's sleeping tight, contentedly ignoring me.

Hai Mommy Around the Globe

They say being a full time housewife is BORING
They say being a mommy is RIBET a.k.a WORTHLESS
They say being a full time housewife and mommy is NOT COOL

They don't know being a full time housewife is REWARDING
They don't know being a mommy is THE MOST BEAUTIFUL EXPERIENCE EVER
They don't know being a full time housewife and mommy is GORGEOUS
They don't know being a full time housewife and mommy and career woman is POSSIBLE
Pity those close-minded people. Let them be. Meanwhile, let's focus on US!

Have an enjoyable reading! Your comment and say are most welcome, too!