The Climb

i'm scared of heights - there i said it! that wasn't always the case - as a kid growing up i used to climb trees (e.g. pokok jambu, rambutan). my fear of heights crept in my late twenties and it has gotten worse now that i have kids - i can't even go on a ferris wheel now!

i set a target to climb this wall before the end of September and today was my last day to do that and i'm so happy that i actually did climb up to the very top of the kids wall and also the starter wall and this is my first time climbing! and i hope to do the beginners wall soon.

i wasn't feeling too good when i stepped up to the wall (felt faint!) - the wall looked a lot different up close i tell you! i got my kids instructor, Roy (who is super patience), to belay me - the poor guy weigh less than me some more! he told me i could do it, to trust in him and the equipment. my hands were shaking so bad when i got down (ha ha ha ha) - i only felt the hurt in my arms after a couple of minutes - after the adrenaline wore off ;)

i'm so disappointed the lady didn't take a picture of me at the top of the kids wall :(

trying out the kids wall (crawl before you run)

going down

daughter & mother

starter wall

my Boy finally reached the top today too - had to bribe dulu ;)

TiM

i love movies directed/produced by Tim Burton - dark, quirky-themed movies.

Timothy Gray wants to be just like Tim Burton when he grows up.

TiM from Ken Turner on Vimeo.

p.s. thanks Dino for sharing this on FB.

F1 Singtel Singapore GP

King of Singapore - Alonso

safety car came out twice

Schumacher broken front wing

Heidfeld retires after the accident with Schumacher

Hamilton retires after making contact with Webber

Kobayashi crashed into the wall and Senna slammed into the Sauber
Liuzzi ends race after contact with Heidfeld on the opening lap

Alonso started the race in pole and managed to stay there till the end

aerial view of the circuit

saved the best for last - Kovalainen's Lotus car on fire!



couldn't believe how cool he was getting out and extinguishing the fire himself.

Week #3

shots for week #3 (19/9 - 25/9)

Legend of the Guardians

Legend of the Guardians : The Owls of Ga'Hoole is a computer-animated family film loosely based on the book series Guardians of Ga'Hoole by Kathryn Lasky.

Soren is a young adventurous owl who loves hearing stories from his father Noctus about the legend of the Guardians of Ga'Hoole, a legendary alliance of owls that are sworn to protect the Kingdom of Ga'Hoole. His younger sister Eglantine is enamoured by these stories, but his older brother, Kludd, is jealous of the attention Soren receives. One night after accidentally pushing each other off of a tree branch, Soren and Kludd are captured and taken to The Pure Ones, lead by the evil Metalbeak and his mate Nyra.





my take on the movie : stunning animation, awesome midair combat, love the slow motion action shots and adorable owls (kids love the baby owls (owlets)!). i know it's a family film but to me there are parts that i find uncomfortable for younger kids to be watching (bit violent lah).

little facts on owls -
Owls are a bird-type that usually live and hunt alone with some exceptions. Though owls are typically solitary, the literary collective noun for a group of owls is a "parliament".

Some owls can see well enough in sunlight to hunt by day as well as by night; however, the majority of owl species hunt for food at night. Most night-hunting owls have keen vision in the dark; however, some have such sensitive hearing that they rely very little on vision. These owls locate and catch mice, voles, and other small mammals in total darkness by listening to the rustling noise the animals make running through the forest. Owls eat mostly mammals. The larger owls catch rabbits and squirrels, and the smaller ones catch mice, rats, and shrews. Some owls also hunt a few birds and insects; others have been known to take fish from shallow waters. Like hawks, owls tear large prey into pieces when they eat it. If the prey is small enough, they swallow it whole. They later cough up pellets of undigested bones, fur, scales, and feathers. These owl pellets are found under their nests and roosting areas.

There are about 145 different species of owls. They are found throughout the tropical, temperate, and subarctic regions of the world and on many oceanic islands. The smallest species is the tiny elf owl, measuring about 6 inches (15 centimeters) long, that lives in Southwestern United States and western Mexico. The largest species is the great gray owl that lives deep in woods of Canada and Alaska as far north as trees grow. Gray owls grow to about 30 inches (76 centimeters) long and have a wingspread of 54 to 60 inches (137 to 152 centimeters).

just look at the owlets below and tell me they aren't adorable!

Amazing Race Asia

Photos courtesy of AXN

yeah, season 4 started last night and was really happy that Ethan and Khairie were the first team to arrive at the pit stop. hopefully they will stay till the very end! unfortunately the other Malaysian team has already started to grate on my nerves - only a blind person couldn't see all those stairs (Batu Caves) and of course you have to climb the darn thing! so why didn't she (Hilda) get her husband to do it - i'm not being mean okay, you go into this race knowing that it won't be a walk in the park so stop the crying and complaining.

Ethan & Khairie (Malaysia)

another series that deserve a mention is on HBO - The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency - i'm addicted to this series!

The first major film/TV project to be shot entirely on location in Botswana, "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency', is based on the best-selling novels by Alexander McCall Smith.

Like McCall's novels, the series chronicles the adventures of Precious Ramotswe, the cheerful, eminently sensible proprietor of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, located in the Kgale Hill Shopping Center on the outskirts of Gaborone. Aided by her efficient yet high-strung secretary Grace Makutsi, Precious investigates a variety of cases, helping townspeople solve mysteries in their lives, from missing children to philandering husbands to con-artist scams.



Jill Scott is such a talented woman - when i first watched the series, i had a strong feeling that i knew Mma Ramotswe from somewhere and being slow (as you all know by now) it didn't click with me till after a couple of episodes later - duh. she is also a R&B singer/songwriter - check her out below - enjoy!

Gone Climbing

the kids are really into climbing now and i've learned to do something new today too - belaying.

Belaying is the basis of climbing safety, of ensuring both your and your partner’s safety. Belaying, simply put, is a simple process of holding the rope and the climber in the event of a fall. The rope links both the climber and the belayer together in a safety partnership, allowing the climber to fall without fear of hitting the ground and suffering injury or worse.

now that i've seen my butt doesn't look that big in a harness i might actually try this climbing thing. ;)

wow, i'm shock that my butt doesn't look that big with the harness on!

belaying my Boy

advance walls

Mid-Autumn Festival

Every year on the fifteenth day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar, when the moon is at its maximum brightness for the entire year, the Chinese celebrate "zhong qiu jie." The festival is the second most important festival after the Spring Festival to Chinese people. Every year, when the festival comes people go home to meet their family and have dinner with them.

The moon plays a significant part of this festival. Children are told the story of the moon fairy living in a crystal palace, who comes out to dance on the moon's shadowed surface. The legend surrounding the "lady living in the moon" dates back to ancient times, to a day when ten suns appeared at once in the sky. The Emperor ordered a famous archer to shoot down the nine extra suns. Once the task was accomplished, Goddess of Western Heaven rewarded the archer with a pill that would make him immortal. However, his wife found the pill, took it, and was banished to the moon as a result. Legend says that her beauty is greatest on the day of the Moon festival.

Of course, the most famous legend surrounding the Moon festival concerns its possible role in Chinese history. During the Yuan dynasty (A.D.1280-1368) China was ruled by the Mongolian people. Leaders from the preceding Sung dynasty (A.D.960-1280) were unhappy at submitting to foreign rule, and set how to coordinate the rebellion without it being discovered. The leaders of the rebellion, knowing that the Moon Festival was drawing near, ordered the making of special cakes. Backed into each moon cake was a message with the outline of the attack. On the night of the Moon Festival, the rebels successfully attacked and overthrew the government. What followed was the establishment of the Ming dynasty (A.D. 1368-1644). Because of its central role in the Mid-Autumn festival, mooncakes remained popular even in recent years. For many, mooncakes form a central part of the Mid-Autumn festival experience such that it is now commonly known as 'Mooncake Festival'.

Climbing

UPSR started today and so the kids have three days "get out" of school card. i had already decided to check out the new indoor climbing centre last week but didn't mentioned it to the kids. they were so excited thinking we were going swimming as the centre is located in the same area. of course their disappointment vanished once they saw the wall and couldn't wait to start climbing.

they had such a damn patience instructor - not allowing the kids to climb higher than they feel comfortable with. the mother lagi garang telling them if they want to continue to come here to climb they have to climb higher (ha ha ha ha). after a few climb on the kids wall, my Girl graduated to the other wall - don't know what it's called - adult wall?? my Boy is still on the kids wall cause he refused (even after my countless threats) to climb higher. couldn't believe they actually climbed for one and a half hours before calling it quits!

Sabah Indoor Climbing Centre

my Boy on the kids wall

my Girl on the kids wall

my Girl not on the kids wall

kids are still asking me when they can go back! so if you are interested to give this sport a try click here to get more info. happy climbing!