A Mother's Monologue

Finding clothes for 12-14 year olds

Posted on January 19, 2013April 19, 2014 by Mamapumpkin

Believe it or not, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find clothes in KL that fit T1. The last time we shopped, we only found some clothes from M&S that fit her. She wears sizes for 12-14 year olds, I kid you not! This is because her butt.......click to learn what next.

Entertaining kids in Yangon

Posted on January 19, 2013January 19, 2013 by Mamapumpkin

Entertaining kids in Yangon is easy. Kids really don't need much. In fact, it is because we spoil our kids here in KL with all sorts of stuff that they no longer know how to entertain themselves. If they don't have a gadget, they're bored. In Myanmar, it.......click to learn what next.

On Crowds

Posted on January 19, 2013 by Mamapumpkin

I hate crowds. No matter what, I hate crowds. I will just not go. Forget sales. I'm not there. For the time I'd have to fight with the crowds, I'm losing money already with my time. Recently, we had a negative experience at one of the hotels we.......click to learn what next.

Parking Lots in Yangon

Posted on January 19, 2013 by Mamapumpkin

Another quirky observation in Yangon was the parking lots. They're all kerbed up to make sure you stay within your space. Ha. Ha. Ha.

Improving listening skills in kids

Posted on January 19, 2013 by Mamapumpkin

I'm training my kids to listen because more often than not, they suffer from this disease of selected hearing. It's the most annoying thing in the world so instead of listening to music in the car now, I make them listen to the 2 audio storybooks that we.......click to learn what next.

Where’s the Bloody Water Heater?

Posted on January 19, 2013 by Mamapumpkin

We stayed at a reasonably priced hotel in Yangon, not a top tier hotel that my kids are spoilt with and only because we get free hotel stays sometimes at that. So when T1 first saw the hotel, she exclaimed that it wasn't a hotel but a motel........click to learn what next.

Database for Workflow Management

Posted on January 19, 2013 by Mamapumpkin

I wear so many hats at work but one of the things we are now looking at is developing a database for workflow management in order to make the company run like a premium oiled machine. I apply the same concepts when looking for suppliers wanting to know.......click to learn what next.

Playing with the Children of Myanmar

Posted on January 19, 2013January 19, 2013 by Mamapumpkin

I asked her if she wanted to follow me inside to take photos and talk to the people and she said no. The lure of many kids to play with was much too strong and despite usually being weary of strangers and always clinging to me in times.......click to learn what next.

Learning the guitar

Posted on January 19, 2013April 19, 2014 by Mamapumpkin

My girl wants to learn every musical instrument! Whilst she can learn the basics of some instruments, it is impossible to be able to really know so many instruments or to excel at any. She currently does piano and recently took up the violin (crazy girl!!!) and today,.......click to learn what next.

Orphanage in Yangon 2

Posted on January 19, 2013March 29, 2013 by Mamapumpkin

As promised, this is the second orphanage that we visited. It is essentially a monastery and because the rule of thumb of monasteries is that you can never turn a person in need away, the monastery has collected 180 kids who now live there cramped like smelly sardines.......click to learn what next.

Helping Out in Yangon

Posted on January 17, 2013January 17, 2013 by Mamapumpkin

Our trip to Yangon last November was really a mission of answering to a call of help. There was no time for sight seeing or relaxation as most holidays would include, just pure hard work, as T1 learnt very quickly. On Day One, we had gone shopping to.......click to learn what next.

Just Imagine……

Posted on January 14, 2013 by Mamapumpkin

That you have been given a death sentence except that you don't know when exactly. Whilst you try to go about your daily life with great difficulty, yet not wanting to impose onto anyone for help of any sort, you struggle day in day out, with the physical.......click to learn what next.

Patagonia Sale

Posted on January 6, 2013 by Mamapumpkin

I love fleece jackets. They keep me oh, so warm. I am a sucker for warm weather and cannot take the slightest bit of cold. The coldest I've ever experience was winter in Poland - it was crazy cold till you could get a hard tongue just by.......click to learn what next.

Yangon Orphanage Visit 1

Posted on January 6, 2013December 18, 2019 by Mamapumpkin

May I present to you our visit to the first orphanage in Yangon, Myanmar.......This house is home to 25 little children ranging from 6 years old right up to 16, both boys and girls and is cared for by a family who lives there with the kids. We.......click to learn what next.

Scala Riders

Posted on January 6, 2013October 8, 2013 by Mamapumpkin

Scala what? I hear you say......yes, scala riders. My dad is a biker and I know quite a few people who are bikers as well. In order for bikers to communicate effectively, they need scala riders. Normal handphone headphones will simply not cut it as their super bikes.......click to learn what next.

Journey to the Unknown – Yangon

Posted on January 6, 2013January 6, 2013 by Mamapumpkin

Continuing from our trip to Yangon, we spent the first half of the morning buying some supplies for the orphanages, such as rice. I thought we were just going to buy like 2-3 packets of those 10kg bags we normally see in the local supermarkets in KL that.......click to learn what next.

Flat Panel TV Stands

Posted on January 6, 2013 by Mamapumpkin

Currently we have a TV that sits on our wall that we hardly ever use because we do not subscribe to Astro and well, we lead such super busy lives that we hardly have any time for TV. When we're home, the kids are either reading or playing.......click to learn what next.

First Time to Yangon

Posted on December 30, 2012January 19, 2013 by Mamapumpkin

For the benefit of those who are traveling first time to Yangon, this is Part 1 of our trip to Yangon in November 2012. First and foremost, I must admit that Yangon was never on my travel list. Neither was Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. So how did we.......click to learn what next.

Help needed for The Children of Myanmar

Posted on December 27, 2012December 5, 2019 by Mamapumpkin

30/12/12 - NEW POSTS FOR THIS BLOG ARE AFTER THIS POST HELP NEEDED FOR THE CHILDREN OF MYANMAR These are the kids from one of the Myanmar orphanages that T1 and I met whilst in Yangon. This photo was taken this Christmas day and it was such a.......click to learn what next.

Updates and then some…..

Posted on December 19, 2012December 19, 2012 by Mamapumpkin

I know you hardly see me here these days and that's because I'm very busy working and smelling the roses with my kids (it's holiday time, remember?) and being active in raising funds for a cause and trying to get my body iron strong (so I can beat.......click to learn what next.

Chaos

Posted on December 10, 2012 by Mamapumpkin

I'm so tired. I'm really tired. I'm tired.

T1’s Christmas Tree

Posted on December 10, 2012December 10, 2012 by Mamapumpkin

Posted on Facebook - T1's Recycled Christmas Tree made from old toilet roll holders. Total credit to T1 who spent days decorating these, with T2 only completing two toilet roll holders before running off to do other things, but T2's only three. I had not a finger lifted.......click to learn what next.

Kids who don’t listen

Posted on December 2, 2012December 2, 2012 by Mamapumpkin

More often than not, if you have kids who don't listen (read disobedience) or who just generally misbehave and go against your grain, chances are you aren't paying enough attention to your kid. Now you may think that you pay your kid(s) tons of attention or perhaps pay.......click to learn what next.

Taking the Orphanages to the MTV Concert in Yangon

Posted on November 30, 2012November 30, 2012 by Mamapumpkin

Bless her big heart again, our Myanmar friend, Eileen, is planning to take the orphans to the MTV concert this 16th December and really needs help in managing the kids. I thought I could fly in to help her just for that Sunday but alas, I have way.......click to learn what next.

Am I really that busy?

Posted on November 30, 2012November 30, 2012 by Mamapumpkin

The answer is yes. I am that busy. Some people think, if I'm so busy then why do I agree to bring boxes and boxes of supplies to Yangon for the orphanages? How come I have time to make comments on Facebook? Why do I stress myself and.......click to learn what next.

Me Time

Posted on November 19, 2012December 2, 2012 by Mamapumpkin

This has been written from the iPhone so I'm not going to be anal about the English errors! Frig! Typing this on the iPhone is hard! I can't see much, just few words here and there so if it comes out completely wrong, c'est la putain! I have.......click to learn what next.

Aung San Suu Kyi’s House

Posted on November 15, 2012 by Mamapumpkin

Our first stop in Yangon the moment we landed - to visit The Honourable Lady.

Human Trafficking in Myanmar

Posted on November 15, 2012May 5, 2014 by Mamapumpkin

Recently I heard that there was going to be an MTV concert in Myanmar. I was like, really??? For a country that has poor electricity supply, my mind just went to how they were going to hold a full blown concert unless they used stage lighting at Musicians.......click to learn what next.

Humbled by Sacrificial Love and Selfless Giving

Posted on November 15, 2012November 15, 2012 by Mamapumpkin

This week, I brought T1 to visit a few orphanages in Yangon. Today, I am a changed person. I've been trying every day since I was there excitedly thinking of the best words to describe my incredible experience but alas, have decided that no words would do the.......click to learn what next.

Swimming Pool Pump

Posted on November 15, 2012 by Mamapumpkin

Recently we looked at a house with a swimming pool and although the Hubs is completely anti houses with swimming pools as he knows he would be the one responsible for the pool, I looked at them anyway. He said that it was a pain having a swimming.......click to learn what next.