home sweet home meaning的八卦，YOUTUBE和Yahoo名人娛樂都在討論

Kalau ayah tak ambik berat,lelaki lain akan buat..

Sampai satu masa,anak perempuan akan datang perasaan segan dengan ayah.Ada sesetengah perkara yang dia rasa cuma boleh cakap dengan mak sahaja.

Selalunya masalah ni lagi kritikal kalau waktu kecilnya ayah jarang luang masa berkualiti dengan anak-anak perempuan.

Ada tak bermaksud ada.

Tubuh ada.Tapi main handphone,tak berbual,tak tanya khabar,tak peluk cium,tak ajar mengaji,takda buat aktiviti apa pun dengan anak...sama macam tiada.

Anak-anak faham kalau ayah memang tiada dirumah.Tapi,kalau ada macam tiada,memang boleh mengundang bahaya.

Masalah kritikal ni lebih meruncing kalau sudahlah ayah jarang luang masa berkualiti bersama,anak cuma asyik ditegur dan dimarah.Mereka makin menjauh hati.

Simpan semua gadjet.Televisyen juga.

Banyakkan beraktiviti dengan anak perempuan.
Main kad,bersukan,melukis,ajar anak baiki paip,pergi pasar.
~Supaya dia tak cari aktiviti diluar rumah dengan orang lain.

Banyakkan memuji anak perempuan.
'Awak cantik'.
'Pandai masak nasi'.
'Suka tolong ibu'.
'Pandai jaga adik.'
~Supaya dia tak termakan pujian lelaki lain.

Banyakkan beli hadiah untuk anak perempuan.
Tudung,barang sekolah,mainan,barang keperluan.
~Supaya dia tak rasa ingin dengan hadiah dari tangan orang lain.

Banyakkan pegang tangan anak perempuan masa berjalan.
Di pasaraya,ke masjid,diatas jalanan,di tempat orang ramai.
~Supaya tidak lagi rasa perlu untuk dapat perlindungan dari lelaki lain.

Biasakan bergurau dan menasihati anak perempuan dengan kata-kata yang baik dan manis.
'Kakak wanita solehah'.
'Tutuplah aurat elok-elok'.
'Nanti malaikat lindung'.
'Allah sayang sebab kakak budak baik'.
~Supaya hatinya sentiasa diisi dengan tarbiah yang tak putus sebagai peringatan dari seorang ayah.

Biasakan teman anak perempuan ke tandas awam.
Tempat asing,stesyen minyak,rumah orang,pasaraya.
~Supaya dia rasa ayah sentiasa ada untuk jaga keselamatan dia.

Nampak macam dimanjakan dan tak pandai jaga diri sendiri.

Tapi ironinya...

Anak perempuan yang dekat dengan ayah selalunya lebih kuat semangat dan berani.Mereka tahu ayah mereka akan sentiasa jadi pelindung dan penyokong mereka yang paling utama.

Yang benar,
Seorang Ummi.
Kredit : Siti Suryani Yaakop
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If dad doesn't take weight, other men will do it..

For one time, girls will come to feelings of shame with dad. There are some things he feels can only talk to his mother.

This problem is often critical if when he was a child dad rarely spent quality time with the girls.

There is no meaning to exist.

The body exists. But playing with handphone, not chatting, not asking about news, not hugging kisses, not teaching, not doing any activity with children... same as nothing.

Kids understand that dad is not home. But, if there is nothing, it can invite danger.

This critical problem is more greedy if dad rarely spends quality time together, the child is always reprimanded and scolded. They're getting away with the heart.

Keep all the gadgets. Television as well.

Have a lot of activities with girls.
Play cards, sports, draw, teach kids to fix pipes, go to market.
~ So that he doesn't look for activities outside the house with others.

More praising the daughter.
'You are beautiful'.
'Good at cooking rice'.
'Like to help mom'.
' Be smart to take care of brother. ' '
~ So he doesn't eat other men's praise.

More gifts for girls.
Hoods, school items, toys, needs.
~ So that he doesn't feel like wanting to be gifts from other people's hands.

Hold more hands of girls while walking.
At the market, to the mosque, on the streets, in the public places.
~ In order to no longer feel the need to get protection from another man.

Get used to joking and advising a daughter with kind and sweet words.
'Solehah'.
'Cover the aurat well'.
'Later the guardian angel'.
' Allah loves you because you're a good boy '.
~ So that his heart is always filled with unbroken tarnish as a reminder from a father.

Get used to my daughter's friend to the public toilet.
Foreign places, oil stations, people's houses, supermarket.
~ So that he thinks daddy is always there to keep his safety.

Looks pampered and can't take care of yourself.

But the iron is...

Daughter close to dad is always stronger and courageous. They know their dad will always be their ultimate protector and supporter.

For real,
A Ummi.
Credit: Siti Suryani Yaakop
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《什麼都看不到、什麼都看不到》

昨天女兒視訊畫畫創作課完畢，
老師要求孩子們畫一幅全家福，
我看其他學生把家人的互動畫的是甜蜜又幸福，
七歲女兒卻速速畫了這張交卷。

我實在不懂她為什麼要把我們家畫成這樣？🤷‍♀️
她答：「因為我是天使，所以你們也要變成天使。」
她這樣一回答，我又更不懂了。🤷‍♀️

直到晚上睡前，我看見最新新聞播報：
「加州宣佈這學期都停課」，震驚之虞，
我再看一次這幅圖......我恍然悟道了!!

原來畫中的我跟KJ正處於閉關修煉時期，
經歷這次的磨難，我們才能跟孩子一樣飛升上仙。

😇❤️「父母切記，當孩子停課每天都待在家裡時，
若想要與天使孩子們好好朝夕相處，
讓家庭保持如天堂般和諧及快樂，
當父母的一定要經常靜坐修煉，
學習腦空....心空...一切都要放下，
面對孩子的懶與散，
請務必要裝作.....什麼都看不到、什麼都看不到」❤️😇

感謝女兒的神來之筆，讓我在磨難中頓悟。

Yesterday, the virtual drawing class teacher asked the children to draw a family portrait,
I saw other kids drawing the interactions of their families as sweet and happy.

But my 7 yrs. old girl drew THIS.

I really don’t understand why she drew our family like this. 🤷‍♀️
She replied, “Because I am an angel, you all have to become angels.”
I was confused more.... 🤷‍♀️

Until bedtime at night, I watched the latest news:
“California announces suspension of classes this semester,” I shocked and look at this picture again ...
I finally realized what is the meaning behind my girl’s family drawing.

During the quarantine,
Dad and Mom are going through a lot of sufferings at home.
They need to be calm and peaceful to overcome these sufferings,
they will enter the Heaven and become an angel as a child.

😇❤️”Parents remember that when your kids stay home every day,
if you want to get along with your angel children,
and keep your family as peaceful and happy as heaven,
you must practice meditation regularly.
Learn to empty your brain and mind …. just let everything go.
When you see your kids are lazy and undisciplined,
be sure to pretend ... "I didn’t see anything; I didn’t see anything". "❤️😇

#VonVon我的小貝拉

My sister, Michelle-Ann Iking's 3% chance of conceiving naturally was a success! Here's her story:

(My apologies as I've been overwhelmed with personal matters. I've only managed to get to my desk. So finally got around posting this).

This is the story behind my sister's pregnancy struggle and how she shared her journey over her Facebook page.

Because some may have not caught her LIVE session chat with me (https://www.facebook.com/daphneiking/videos/687743128744960/) , or read her lengthy post (as it's a private page);
she's allowed me to copy and paste it over my wall, in case you need to know more about her thought process on how AND why she focused on the 3% success probability. Read on.

-------------------------------------------

Posted 10th May 2020.
FB Credit: Michelle-Ann Iking

A week ago today I celebrated becoming a mother to our second, long awaited child.

Please forgive this mother's LONG (self-indulgent) post, journalling what this significant milestone has meant for her personally, for her own fallible memory's sake as well as maybe to share one day with her son.

If all you were wondering was whether I had delivered and if mum and bub are OK, please be assured the whole KkLM family are thriving tremendously, and continue scrolling right along your Newsfeed 😁.

OUR 3% MIRACLE

All babies are miracles... and none more so than our precious Kiaen Aaryan (pronounced KEY-n AR-yen), whose name derives from Sanskrit origins meaning:

Grace of God
Spiritual
Kind
Benevolent

...words espousing the gratitude Kishore and I feel for Kiaen's arrival as our "3% miracle".

He was conceived, naturally, after 3 years of Kishore and I hoping, praying and 'endeavoring'... and only couples for whom the objective switches from pure recreation to (elusive) procreation will understand how this is less fun than it sounds ...

3 years during which time we had consensus from 3 different doctors that we, particularly I (with my advancing age etc etc) had only a 3% chance of natural conception and that our best hope for a sibling for our firstborn, Lara Anoushka, was via IVF.

Lara herself was an 'intervention baby', being one of the 20% of babies successfully conceived through the less intrusive IUI process, after a year and a half of trying naturally and already being told then my age was a debilitating factor.

We had tried another round of IUI for her sibling in 2017 when Lara was a year old. And that time we fell into the ranks of the 80% of would-be parents for whom it would be an exercise in futility... who would go home, comfort each other as best they could, while individually masking their own personal disappointment... hoping for the best, 'the next time around'...

So the improbability ratio of 97% against natural conception of our second baby, as concurred by the combined opinion of 3 medical professionals, was a very real, very daunting figure for us to have to mentally deal with.

Deep, DEEP, down in my heart however, though I had many a day of doubt... I kept a core kernel of faith that somehow, I would again experience the privilege of pregnancy, and again, have a chance at childbirth.

And so, the optimist in me would tell myself, "Well, there have to be people who fall in the 3% bucket... why shouldn't WE be part of the 3%?"

Those who know me well, understand my belief in the Law of Attraction, the philosophy of focusing your mind only on what you want to attract, not on what you don't want, and so even as Kishore and I prepared to go into significant personal debt to attempt IVF in the 2nd half of 2019, I marshalled a last ditch effort to hone in on that 3% chance of natural conception... through research coming across fertility supplements that I ordered from the US and sent to a friend in Singapore to redirect to me because the supplier would not deliver to Malaysia.

I made us as a couple take the supplements in the 3 month 'priming period' in the lead up to the IVF procedure - preconditioning our bodies for optimum results, if you will.

At the same time, I had invested in a sophisticated fertility monitor, with probes and digital sensors for daily tracking of saliva and other unmentionable fluid samples, designed to pinpoint with chemical accuracy my state of fertility on any given day.

(UPDATE: For those interested - I obtained the supplements and Ovacue Fertility Monitor from https://www.fairhavenhealth.com/. Though I had my supplies delivered to a friend in Singapore, and redirected to me here since the US site does not deliver to Malaysia, there are local distributors for these products, you will just have to research the trustworthiness of the vendors yourself...)

I had set an intention - in the 3 months of pre-IVF priming, I would consume what seemed like a pharmacy's worth of supplements, and track fertility religiously... in hopes that somehow, within the 3 month priming period, we would conceive naturally and potentially save ourselves a down payment on a new property... and this was just a projection on financial costs of IVF, not even considering the physical, emotional and mental toll it involves, with no guarantee of a baby at the end of it all...

It was a continuation of an intention embedded even with my first pregnancy, where all the big ticket baby items were consciously purchased for use by a future sibling, in gender neutral colours, in hopes that sibling would be a brother "for a balanced pair", though of course any healthy child would be a welcome blessing.

It was a very conscious determination to always skew my thoughts in service of what the end objective was. For example, when 3+year old Lara would innocently express impatience at not yet having a sibling, at one point suggesting that since we were "taking too long to give her a baby brother/sister", perhaps we should just "go buy a baby from a shop", instead of getting defensive or berating the baby that she herself was, we enlisted Lara's help to pray for her sibling... so in any place of worship, or sacred ground of any kind that we passed thereon, Lara would stop, close her eyes, bow her small head and place her tiny hands together in prayer, reciting earnestly, "Please God, please give me a baby brother or baby sister."

After months and months of watching Lara do this, in the constancy of her childlike chant, Kishore started feeling the pressure of possibly disappointing Lara if her prayer was not answered. Whereas for me, Lara's recitation of her simple wish became like a strengthening mantra, our collective intention imbued with greater power with each repetition, and the goal of a sibling kept very much in the forefront of our minds (hence our calling Lara our 'project manager' in this endeavour).

And somehow in the 2nd month of that 3 month period, a positive + sign appeared on one of the home pregnancy tests I had grown accustomed to taking - my version of the lottery tickets others keep buying in hopes of hitting the jackpot, with all the cyclical anticipation and more often than not, disappointment, that entails...

This time however I was not disappointed.

With God's Grace, (hence 'Kiaen', a variation of 'Kiaan' which means 'Grace of God'), my focus on our joining the ranks of the 3% had materialised.

It seems poetic then, that Kiaen chose to make his appearance on the 3rd May, ironically the same date that his paternal great-grandfather departed this world for the next... such that in the combined words of Kishore and his father Kai Vello Suppiah,

"The 1st generation Suppiah left on 3rd May and the 4th generation Suppiah arrived on 3rd May after 41yrs...
One leaves, another comes, the legacy lives on..."

***

KIAEN AARYAN SUPPIAH'S BIRTH STORY

On Sunday 3rd May, I was 40 weeks and 5 days pregnant.

The baby was, in my mind, very UN-fashionably late past his due date of 29th April, so as much as I had willed and 'manifested' the privilege of pregnancy, to say I was keen to be done with it all was an understatement.

In the weeks leading to up to my full term, I had experienced increasingly intense Braxton-Hicks 'practice contractions' - annoying for me for the discomfort involved, stressful for Kishore who was on tenterhooks with the false alarms, on constant alert for when we would actually need to leave home for the hospital.

Having become a Hypnobirthing student and advocate from my first pregnancy with Lara, and thus being equipped with
(1) a lack of fear about childbirth in general and
(2) a basic understanding of how all the sensations I would experience fit into the big picture of my body bringing our baby closer to us,
I was less stressed - content to wait for the baby to be "fully cooked" and come out whenever he was ready... though I wouldn't have minded at all if the cooking time ended sooner, rather than later.

With Lara, I had been somewhat 'forced' into an induced labour, even though she was not yet due, and that had resulted in a 5 DAY LABOUR, a Birth Story for another post, so I was not inclined to chemically induce labour, even though I was assured that for second time mothers, it would be 'much faster and easier'...

That morning, I had a hunch *maybe* that day was the day, because in contrast to previous weeks' sensations of tightening, pressure and even spasms that were concentrated in the front of my abdomen and occasionally shot through my sides and legs, I felt period - like cramping in my lower back which I had not felt before throughout the pregnancy.

It was about 8am in the morning then, and my 'surges' were still relatively mild ('surges' being Hypnobirthing - speak for 'contractions', designed to frame them with the more positive connotations needed to counteract common language in which childbirth is presented as something that is unequivocally painful and traumatic, instead of the miraculous, powerful and natural phenomenon it actually is).

I recall (masochistically?) entertaining the thought of opting NOT to have an epidural JUST TO SEE WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE...

I figured this would be the last time I would be pregnant and so it would be my 'last chance' to experience 'drug free labour' which, apart from the health benefits for baby and mother, might be *interesting* in a way that people who are curious about what getting a tattoo and skydiving and bungee jumping are like, might find these *interesting*...even knowing there will be pain and risk involved...

Since I have tried tattoos and skydiving (unfortunately not being able to squeeze in bungee-jumping while my life was purely my own to risk at no dependents' possible detriment) a similar curiousity about a no-epidural labour was on my mind...

In the absence of other signs of the onset of labour (like 'bloody show' or my waters breaking), I wanted to wait until the surges were coming every few minutes before we actually left the house for the hospital, not wanting to be one of those couples who rushed in too early and had interminable waits for the next stage in unfamiliar, clinical surroundings and/or were made to go home in an anti-climatic manner.

I was even calm enough through my surges to have the presence of mind to wash and blowdry my hair, knowing if I did deliver soon I would not be allowed this luxury for a while.

Around 9am I asked Kishore to prep for Lara and himself to be dressed and breakfasted so we could head to hospital soon, while I sent messages to family members on both sides informing them 'today might be the day.'

My mother, who had briefly served as a midwife before going back into general nursing and then becoming a nursing tutor, prophetically stated that if what I was experiencing was true labour, "the baby would be out by noon".

The pace in which my surges grew closer together was surprisingly quicker than I expected; and while I asked Lara to "Hurry up with breakfast" with only a tad more urgency than we normally tell her to do, little Missy being prone to dilly-dallying at meals, I probably freaked Kishore out when about 930am onwards, I had to instinctively get on my hands and knees a couple of times, eyes closed, trying to practice the Hypnobirthing breathing techniques I had revised to help along the process of my body birthing our child into the world.

I recall him saying a bit frantically as I knelt at our front door, doubled over as he waited for Lara to complete something or other, "Lara hurry up! Can't you see Mama is in so much pain and you are taking your own sweet time??!!"

SIDETRACK: Just the night before, Lara and I had watched a TV show in which a woman gave birth with the usual histrionics accompanying pop culture depictions of labour.

Lara watched the scene, transfixed.

I told her, simply and matter-of-factly, "That's what Mama has to do to get baby brother out Lara, and that's what I had to do for you also."

In most of interactions with my daughter, I have sought to equip her to face life's situations with calmness, truthful common sense, and ideally a minimum of drama.

Those who know the dramatic diva that Lara can be will know that this is a work-in-progress, but her response to me that night showed me some of my 'teachings' were sinking in:

She looked at me unfazed, "But Mama," she said. "You won't cry and scream like that lady, right? You will be BRAVE and stay calm, right?"
#nopressure.

So as we prepped to leave for the hospital I did indeed attempt to be that role model of calm for her, asking her only for her help in keeping very quiet,
"Because Mama needs to focus on bringing baby brother out and she needs quiet to concentrate...".

As we left the house at 10.11am, I texted Kishore's sister Geetha to please prep to pick up Lara from the hospital, and was grateful Kishore had the foresight to ask our gynae to prepare a letter for Geetha to show any police roadblocks between my in-laws' home in Subang Jaya and the hospital in Bangsar, this all happening under the Movement Control Order (MCO).

To Lara's credit, in the journey over to the hospital, she - probably sensing the gravity of the situation, sat very quietly in her seat at the back, and the silence was punctuated only by my occasional deep intakes of breath and some variation of my Ohmmm-like moans when the sensations were at their height.

By the time we got to Pantai Hospital at around 10.30am, my surges were strong enough I requested a wheelchair to assist me in getting to the labour ward, as I did not trust my own legs to support me... and Kishore would have to wait until Geetha had arrived to take Lara back to my in-laws' house before he himself could go up.

I slumped in the wheelchair and was wheeled up to the labour room with my eyes closed the whole time, trying to handle my surges.

I didn't even look up to see the attendant who pushed me... but did make the effort to thank him sincerely when he handed me over, with what seemed like a palpable sense of relief on his part, to the labour ward nurses.

The nurse attending me at Pantai was calm, steady and efficient. I answered some questions and changed into my labour gown while waiting for Kishore to come up, all the while managing the increasingly intense surges with my rusty Hypnobirthing breathing techniques.

By the time Kishore joined me at around 11am (I know these timings based on the timestamps of the 'WhatsApp live feed' of messages Kishore sent to his family), I was asking the nurse on duty, "How soon can I get an epidural??" thinking what crazy woman thought she could do this without drugs???!!!

The nurse checked my cervix dilation, I saw her bloodied glove indicating my mucous plug had dislodged, and she told me, "Well you are already at 7cm (which, for the uninitiated, is 70% of the way to the 10cm dilation needed for birthing), you are really doing well, if you made it this far without any drugs, if can you try and manage without it... I suspect within 2 hours or less you will deliver your baby and since it will take about that time for the anaesthesiologist to be called, epidural to be administered and kick in... it might all be for nothing... but of course the decision is completely up to you... "

So there I was, super torn, should I risk the sensations becoming worse... or risk the epidural becoming a waste?? And of course I was trying to decide this as my labour surges were coming at me stronger and stronger...

I was in such a dilemma...because as a 'recovering approval junkie' there was also a silly element of approval-seeking involved, ("The nurse thinks I can do this without drugs... maybe I CAN do this without drugs... Yay me!") mixed with that element of curiosity I mentioned earlier ("What if I actually CAN do this without drugs... plenty of other women have done it all over the world since time immemorial.. no big deal, how bad can it be...??") so then I thought I would use the financial aspect to be the 'tiebreaker' in my decision making...

I asked the nurse how much an epidural would cost and when she replied "Around MYR1.5k", I still remember Kishore's incredulous face as I asked the question, i.e."Seriously babe, you are gonna think about money right now? If you need the epidural TAKE IT, don't worry about the money!!!"... and while we are not rich by any stretch of the imagination, thankfully RM1.5k is not a quantum that made me swing towards a decision to "better save the money"...

So in the end, I guess my curiosity won out, and I turned down the epidural "just to see what it would be like and if I had it in me" (in addition of course to avoiding the side effects of any drugs introduced into my and the baby's body).

My labour occuring in the time of coronavirus, it was protocol for me to have a COVID19 test done, so the medical staff could apply the necessary precautions. I had heard from a friend Sharon Ruba that the test procedure was uncomfortable, so when the nurse came with the test kit as I was starting another surge, I asked, "Please can I just finish this surge before I do the test?" as I really didn't think I could multitask tackling multiple uncomfortable sensations in one go.

The COVID19 test involved what felt like a looong, skinny cotton bud being inserted into one nostril... I definitely felt more than a tickle as it went in and up, being told to take deep breaths by the nurse. Then she asked me to "Try to swallow" and I felt it go into my nasal cavities where I didn't think anything could go any further, but was proven wrong when she asked me to swallow again and the swab was probed even deeper. Then she warned me there would be some slight discomfort as she prepared to collect a sample... but at that point all I could think about was:

(i) I really don't have much of a choice
(ii) please let this be over before my next surge kicks in
(iii) if all the people breaking the MCO rules knew what it feels like to do this test maybe they won't put themselves at risk of the need to perform one...

In full disclosure as I was transferred into the actual delivery room at some point after 11am, another nurse offered me 'laughing gas' to ostensibly take some of the edge off... I took the self-operated breathing nozzle passed to me but don't recall it making any difference to my sensations..so didn't use it much as it seemed pretty pointless.

I recall some measure of relief when I heard my gynae Dr. Paul entering the room, greeting Kishore and me, and telling us it was going well and it wouldn't be long now and he would see us again shortly.

From my previous labour with Lara I knew the midwives pretty much take you 90% of the way through the labour and when the Dr is called in you are really at the home stretch, so was very relieved to hear his voice though knowing he would leave and come back later meant it wasn't quite over yet.

I do remember realising when I had crossed the Thinning and Opening Phase of labour to the Birthing Phase, by the change in sensations... it is still amazing to me that as the Hypnobirthing book mentioned, having this knowledge I was instinctively able to switch breathing techniques for the next stage of labour .

Was my opting against epidural the right choice for me?

Overall? Yes.

Don't get me wrong.

I *almost* regretted the decision several times during active labour... especially when I felt my body being taken over by an overwhelming compulsion to push that did not seem conscious and was accompanied by involuntary gutteral moans where I literally just thought to myself, "I surrender, God do with me what you will..." (super dramatic I know but VERY real at the time...).

I think I experienced 3-4 such natural explusive reflexes (?), rhythmically pushing the baby down the birth path, one of which was accompanied by what felt like a swoosh of water coming out of a hose with a diameter the size of a golf ball... this was when I realised my water had finally broken...

The nurses kept instructing me to do different things, to keep breathing, to move to my side, then to move to the middle, to raise my feet... and when I didn't comply, Kishore (who was with me throughout both my labours) tried to help them by repeating the instructions prefaced with "Sayang..." but I basically ignored all the intructions because I felt I had no capacity to direct any part of my body to do anything and someone else would have to physically manoeuvre that body part themselves.

When I heard Dr. Paul's voice again and the flurry of commotion surrounding his presence, I knew the time was close... and when I heard the nurse say to Kishore, "Sir, these are your gloves, for when you cut the baby's cord", it was music to my ears...

I'm very, VERY grateful Kiaen slid out after maybe the 4th of those involuntary pushes... the wave of RELIEF when he came out so quickly... it still boggles my mind that my mother was essentially right and as his birth time was 12.02pm, it was *only* about 1.5 hours between our arrival at the hospital and his arrival into the world.

Kiaen was placed on my chest for skin to skin bonding and remained there for a considerable time.

For our short stay in the hospital he would be with us in my maternity ward number C327... another trivially serendipitous sign for me because he was born on the 3rd (May) and our wedding anniversary is 27th (July).

I was discharged the following day 4th May at about 5.30pm, after I got an all clear on COVID19 and a paediatric surgeon did a small procedure on Kiaen to address a tongue-tie that would affect his breastfeeding latch... making the entire duration of our stay about 31 hours.

I have taken the time and effort to record all this down so that whenever life's challenges threaten to get me down I can remind myself, "Ignore the 97% failure probability, focus on the 3% success probability".

Also that the human condition is miraculous and it is such a privilege to experience it.

To our son Kiaen Aaryan, thank you for coming into our lives and choosing us as your parents.

Even though Papa and I are both zombies trying to settle into a night time feeding routine with you, I look forward to spending not only all future Mother's Days, but every day, with you and your Akka...

And last but not least, to my husband Kishore...without whom none of this would be possible - we did it sayang, I love you ❤️

Photo credit: Stayhome session with Samantha Yong Photography (http://samanthayong.com/)

■DOWNLOAD / ダウンロード・サイト
iTunes USA: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/monogatari-single/id1208289384
iTunes JAPAN： https://itunes.apple.com/jp/album/-/id1200699748?app=itunes&ign-mpt=uo%3D4
レコチョク： http://recochoku.jp/song/S1004203778/
Mora： http://mora.jp/package/43000005/VE3WA-17847/

■ストリーミング・サイト
Apple Music： https://itunes.apple.com/jp/album/-/id1200699748
LINE MUSIC： https://music.line.me/launch?target=track&item=mb00000000011f9e7b&subitem=mt000000000a725b90&cc=JP&from=tw
AWA： https://s.awa.fm/album/7d59a88092115790c641/?playtype=copy_album&t=1487084402

モノガタリ (Monogatari) Official Lyric Video
テラスハウス アロハ ステートで演奏した卒業ウクレレ ソング「モノガタリ(Monogatari)」が配信開始となります！ 皆さん是非チェックしてみてください！

"Monogatari" original lyrics & music by Eden Kai is his debut single release as a J-pop artist. "Monogatari" is a Japanese word meaning 'story' or 'legend' and is the "Terrace House Aloha State" graduation song.

LYRICS: (Japanese/English)
モノガタリ Monogatari
Story or Legend
🏝🏡
見上げたらそこには Looking up over there
ステキな家がありました There was a nice house
一歩踏み込んで I took a step forward
ドアを開けて Open the door
知らない顔が5つありました And there were 5 unfamiliar faces
"今からみんなと暮らすのか” って [mentality thinking] Imagining my new life with them
思いながら While thinking
外の景色を眺めてた I stared at the views outside
⚬
全然信じられなくて I had no faith in myself
毎回強がって I put on bravado
人に合わせ続けた I've always gotten along with everyone
それから見直して But after rethinking
何度も繰り返して And repeating and repeating
本当の自分になれたよ I've become my true self
⚬
見上げたらそこには Looking up over there
ステキなアートがありました There was nice art
瞳が綺麗で Her eyes were beautiful
笑顔が好きで I liked her smile
その想像力に見とれました That imagination [of hers] fascinated me
"今からその子を誘おうか" って [mentality thinking] "Are you going to ask her out now?"
思いながら While thinking
言いたいことを必死に考えてた I was desperately thinking about what I wanted to say
⚬
勇気を出して I Took courage
時間をかけて I Took time
同じ世界を見てみた To see the same world
それから見直して But after rethinking
何度も考えて Thinking over and over
正直になれたよ I have become honest
⚬
素直になって I have become myself
たくさん経験して And experienced more
同じ時間を過ごした We have shared the same moments
感謝がしたくて I want to thank you
ありがとうが言いたくて I want to tell you that
物語は続くよ My story still continues

Eden Kai: Main vocals, Backup vocals, Ukulele, Acoustic Guitar, Percussion
© 2017 Eden Kai LLC ASCAP All Rights Reserved.

With millions of fans around the world, Eden Kai has earned his reputation as being a ukulele and guitar virtuoso, a Pop/R&B vocalist, and an accomplished actor. While many were first introduced to Eden when he joined the cast of Netflix and Fuji Television’s Terrace House: Aloha State, the young star’s success had already been years in the making. He has since gone on to make additional appearances on Terrace House: Tokyo 2019-2020, appeared on Shiro to Kiiro on Amazon Prime and has performed at the Fuji Rock Festival (the largest outdoor music festival in Japan), Nisei Week Festival in Little Tokyo, OC Japan Fair and ANA Honolulu Music Week in Waikiki. Eden’s accomplishments have earned him interviews by NBC News and The Yomiuri Shinbun (the world’s most circulated newspaper).

His most recent album, Home Sweet Home, released in 2018 and was recorded in Tokyo, Japan, produced by his music label in Japan Victor Entertainment. Three tracks from that album were featured in episodes of Netflix Japan’s Terrace House during the show’s Opening New Doors and Tokyo 2019-2020 seasons. The series also featured Eden’s instrumental compositions of “Touch the Sky” and “Feel the Earth.” “Monogatari” was his debut pop vocal single, which he wrote and performed on the show. That music, as well as Eden’s past album releases, can be heard on all major streaming services and is available for purchase on Eden’s official website, www.EdenKai.com.

In addition to working on his own music, Eden has collaborated with some of the world’s top artists and producers, including EXILE and Dream. One of his compositions was used to create “Anuenue,” a hit J-Pop single recorded and released by Dance Earth Party, which landed at #11 on the Oricon Music Charts in Japan.

Eden also recognizes the importance of using his music to help others. He has hosted several ukulele workshops in Honolulu and Japan, been the featured performer at the Waikiki Spam Jam, benefiting the largest non-profit in Hawaii that feeds the needy, and the Hawaii Food and Wine Festival from which proceeds helped local children in the community.

***CLICK "SUBSCRIBE" NOW*** FOR THE NEWEST VIDEOS!!!
チャンネル登録、宜しく御願いします！

CONTACT（連絡）: imagine@edenkai.com

MERCH(グッズはこちらから) : http://edenkai.store

CAMEO (For personal video shoutouts ビデオメッセージをご希望の方はこちらまで）https://www.cameo.com/edenkai

Let's Connect!（SNSやってますー！）:

WEBSITE（WEBサイト）: https://edenkai.com/

INSTAGRAM（インスタ）: https://instagram.com/edenkai_official

TWITTER（ツイッター）: https://twitter.com/edenkaiofficial

FACEBOOK（フェイスブック）: https://www.facebook.com/EdenKaiOfficial

TIKTOK（ティックトック）@edenkai_official

Osechi-Ryori is traditional Japanese New Year's food eaten during the first three days of the New Year. Each dishes that make up Osechi-Ryori has a special meaning celebrating the New Year (such as good health, fertility, good harvest, happiness, long life, etc...) and those dishes can last for a couple of days in the refrigerator or at cool room temperature in winter. Usually, they are served in jyubako (重箱: three-tiered bento boxes). In the first tier, we serve colorful festive dishes such as shrimp, black beans, sweet chestnuts, etc... In the second tier we serve sunomono (pickled dishes) and yakimono (grilled dishes). And in the third tier, we serve nimono (simmered dish) called Nishime (simmered Japanese vegetables).

Traditionally, we spend few days to prepare Osechi but I always spend few hours to complete mine. I use ready-made dishes for sweet dishes since my darling doesn't eat a lot and cook the non-sweet ones at home.

So, this is my darling's favorite Nishime recipe for the third tier :) I use frozen Japanese vegetables to save time and money.

For the seasoning, I used Yamasa's Konbu Tsuyu (3 times concentrated Konbu kelp seaweed soup stock) which is tasty and convenient. I'm sure it is available overseas at Asian grocery stores.

With just a little extra effort decoratively cutting vegetables, it become gorgeous, so try to make it fancy ;)

In the end of the video, I will show you my Osechi-Ryori from past years! Don't miss them!

I hope you all enjoy :D

---------------------------------
Easy Nishime (Simmered Japanese Vegetables)

Difficulty: Easy
Time: 1hour
Number of servings: 5

Necessary Equipment:
1 large deep pot
1 medium pot
1 small pot
1 otoshi buta (drop-lid - you can use aluminum foil)

Ingredients:
1 large chicken thigh
250g (8.8oz.) konjac
400g (0.9lb.) 1 bag of frozen Japanese vegetables (includes: taro potato, lotus root, carrot, shiitake, green beans, bamboo shoot, burdock root)
5 decorative cut shitake mushrooms
1 yurine (lily bulb)
5 decorative cut carrots
A
* 3 tbsp. soy sauce
* 1 tbsp. mirin (sweet sake)
* 1 tbsp. sake
* 1 tbsp. sugar
B
* 20cc 3 times concentrated Yamasa's Konbu Tsuyu
* 80cc water
C
* 30cc 3 times concentrated Yamasa's Konbu Tsuyu
* 120cc water

Directions:
1. Thinly slice or make decorative cut konjac and boil 2-3 minutes in order to skim the scum.
2. Cut chicken thigh into bite-sized pieces, parboil (to remove the scum and fat), drain, and set aside.
3. Separate frozen vegetables and keep frozen until just before you use. NOTE: not going to use carrot and shiitake if you prepare decorative cut ones.
4. In a large deep pot, put konjac, chicken and mushrooms, cover with water above the layer of ingredients, bring to boil, add A, cover with otoshi buta (drop-lid - you can use aluminum foil) and cook over low heat for 20 minutes.
5. Add lotus root, bamboo shoot, burdock root, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.
6. Wash yurine and separate into pieces. In a small pot, bring water to boil, cook yurine pieces for a minute, quickly rinse with cold water, and drain. Bring B to boil, cook yurine pieces for 3 minutes.
7. In a medium pot, bring C to boil, add taro potato and cook for 5 minutes. Add decorative cut carrots and cook for 5 minutes. Add green beans and cook for 2 minutes.
8. In the third tier, nicely arrange 5, 6, and 7 (drain excess liquid).

Product:
Yamasa Konbu Tsuyu ヤマサ 昆布つゆ *available overseas
3 times concentrated Konbu kelp seaweed soup stock
http://www.yamasa.com/konbutsuyu/product/index.html

レシピ（日本語）
http://cooklabo.blogspot.com/2010/11/blog-post_09.html
---------------------------------

Best wishes for a happy new year and see you in 2012 :D

Mummy Ebi (Shrimp) Tempura Udon is nominated for YouTube Video Awards Japan 2011
Voting starts from 12/23/2011
http://www.youtube.com/VideoAwardsJP2011

YouTube ビデオアワード２０１１ にノミネートされました！
投票は以下URLの画面右上の「投票」タブをクリックし、動画を見つけたら右の「いいね」ボタンをクリックをして完了です！
http://www.youtube.com/VideoAwardsJP2011

Music by
Hungry Lucy
Just Imagine
Wandering
http://www.jamendo.com/en/

♥Please Subscribe♥
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♥Facebook Fan Page♥ Please "Like" me ;)
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♥Google+♥
https://plus.google.com/u/0/116260125265266627000/about

♥Visit my Blog for more Recipes♥
http://createeathappy.blogspot.com/

♥My Recipe Posts♥
http://cookeatshare.com/chefs/ochikeron-137433
http://cookpad.com/ami (Japanese)

♥Follow me on twitter♥
http://twitter.com/ochikeron
http://twitter.com/alohaforever (Japanese)

僕の日本デビュー・シングル「モノガタリ（Monogatari)」のミュージック・ビデオが完成しました。
この曲は、6月21日に発売になるアルバム『Music For You』にも収録されています。
みなさん、宜しくお願い致します！
■DOWNLOAD / ダウンロード・サイト
iTunes JAPAN： https://itunes.apple.com/jp/album/-/i...
iTunes USA: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/mon...
レコチョク： http://recochoku.jp/song/S1004203778/
Mora： http://mora.jp/package/43000005/VE3WA...

■ストリーミング・サイト
Apple Music： https://itunes.apple.com/jp/album/-/i...
LINE MUSIC： https://music.line.me/launch?target=t...
AWA： https://s.awa.fm/album/7d59a880921157...

JVC VICTOR Entertainment Artist link: http://www.jvcmusic.co.jp/-/Artist/A025719.html

This is the official music video of "Monogatari", original lyrics & music by Eden Kai, is his debut single release as a J-pop artist. "Monogatari" is a Japanese word meaning 'story' or 'legend' and is the "Terrace House Aloha State" graduation song he was inspired to write on his ukulele during his stay in the Terrace House, seasons 1 & 2.

LYRICS (Japanese/English translation):
モノガタリ Monogatari
Story or Legend
🏝🏡
見上げたらそこには Looking up over there
ステキな家がありました There was a nice house
一歩踏み込んで I took a step forward
ドアを開けて Open the door
知らない顔が5つありました And there were 5 unfamiliar faces
"今からみんなと暮らすのか” って [mentality thinking] Imagining my new life with them
思いながら While thinking
外の景色を眺めてた I stared at the views outside
⚬
全然信じられなくて I had no faith in myself
毎回強がって I put on bravado
人に合わせ続けた I've always gotten along with everyone
それから見直して But after rethinking
何度も繰り返して And repeating and repeating
本当の自分になれたよ I've become my true self
⚬
見上げたらそこには Looking up over there
ステキなアートがありました There was nice art
瞳が綺麗で Her eyes were beautiful
笑顔が好きで I liked her smile
その想像力に見とれました That imagination [of hers] fascinated me
"今からその子を誘おうか" って [mentality thinking] "Are you going to ask her out now?"
思いながら While thinking
言いたいことを必死に考えてた I was desperately thinking about what I wanted to say
⚬
勇気を出して I Took courage
時間をかけて I Took time
同じ世界を見てみた To see the same world
それから見直して But after rethinking
何度も考えて Thinking over and over
正直になれたよ I have become honest
⚬
素直になって I have become myself
たくさん経験して And experienced more
同じ時間を過ごした We have shared the same moments
感謝がしたくて I want to thank you
ありがとうが言いたくて I want to tell you that
物語は続くよ My story still continues

Eden Kai: Main vocals, Backup vocals, Ukulele, Acoustic Guitar, Percussion
© 2017 Eden Kai LLC ASCAP All Rights Reserved.

With millions of fans around the world, Eden Kai has earned his reputation as being a ukulele and guitar virtuoso, a Pop/R&B vocalist, and an accomplished actor. While many were first introduced to Eden when he joined the cast of Netflix and Fuji Television’s Terrace House: Aloha State, the young star’s success had already been years in the making. He has since gone on to make additional appearances on Terrace House: Tokyo 2019-2020, appeared on Shiro to Kiiro on Amazon Prime and has performed at the Fuji Rock Festival (the largest outdoor music festival in Japan), Nisei Week Festival in Little Tokyo, OC Japan Fair and ANA Honolulu Music Week in Waikiki. Eden’s accomplishments have earned him interviews by NBC News and The Yomiuri Shinbun (the world’s most circulated newspaper).

His most recent album, Home Sweet Home, released in 2018 and was recorded in Tokyo, Japan, produced by his music label in Japan Victor Entertainment. Three tracks from that album were featured in episodes of Netflix Japan’s Terrace House during the show’s Opening New Doors and Tokyo 2019-2020 seasons. The series also featured Eden’s instrumental compositions of “Touch the Sky” and “Feel the Earth.” “Monogatari” was his debut pop vocal single, which he wrote and performed on the show. That music, as well as Eden’s past album releases, can be heard on all major streaming services and is available for purchase on Eden’s official website, www.EdenKai.com.

In addition to working on his own music, Eden has collaborated with some of the world’s top artists and producers, including EXILE and Dream. One of his compositions was used to create “Anuenue,” a hit J-Pop single recorded and released by Dance Earth Party, which landed at #11 on the Oricon Music Charts in Japan.

Eden also recognizes the importance of using his music to help others. He has hosted several ukulele workshops in Honolulu and Japan, been the featured performer at the Waikiki Spam Jam, benefiting the largest non-profit in Hawaii that feeds the needy, and the Hawaii Food and Wine Festival from which proceeds helped local children in the community.


***CLICK "SUBSCRIBE" NOW*** FOR THE NEWEST VIDEOS!!!
チャンネル登録、宜しく御願いします！

CONTACT（連絡）: imagine@edenkai.com


CAMEO (For personal video shoutouts ビデオメッセージをご希望の方はこちらまで）https://www.cameo.com/edenkai

Let's Connect!（SNSやってますー！）:

WEBSITE（WEBサイト）: https://edenkai.com/

INSTAGRAM（インスタ）: https://instagram.com/edenkai_official

TWITTER（ツイッター）: https://twitter.com/edenkaiofficial

FACEBOOK（フェイスブック）: https://www.facebook.com/EdenKaiOfficial