Assoc. Prof. Dr Rachel F. Mansa

As a child I never really appreciated what it meant to be an Independent Country. Why did we need to be Independent? Why do we need to be self-suficient? Why did we need an independent economy? What could ever happen to us? Why did we need to govern ourselves? Why can't we let someone else do that for us and we just live as we used to? In a simple life. As I grew up and traveled to a few places in the world and also learning about the stability of world peace. I learned that Malaysia is a very very special country. We have no war. We have no serious natural disasters. We have an abundance of nature's gifts. We are multiracial. We are one of the most developed of the developing Nations. But most important of all we are have a prosperous peaceful period, which I pray and hope will last. For young and old, ignorant or knowledgeable. We need to celebrate our independence day to celebrate our gift of peace.

It is so easy to do. If you are tired rest. If you are hungry then eat. If you feel sad then cry. If you are happy clap your hands. But why is that when one is tired it is not that easy to be able to just rest. I have watched about 4 movies today. :) Really well spent weekend huh. I also breastfed baby, changed his nappy, stared at him throughout the day. Pumped milk twice. Fed my kiddo his medicine. Had an argument with MOH. Made peace with MOH. Ate breakfast, lunch and dinner. Also went FBing for an hour. Hmm I should get some sleep. Tomorrow is a long day. My helper is gone for the weekend. I am still worried about my work. Hmmm I should start but I am sooooooooo happy enjoying my holiday. Feeling guilty? yes.

Honestly I am a politic dunce. I do not care or know anything about politics. However Anwar winning it is very scary for me as a Sabahan. I still remember how sad and cheated I felt when PBS won in 1994, only to lose due to the massive numbers of jumps. How can the vote of the people be soo blatantly disregarded. How could our own leaders fall to such low standards. It was due to this incident that my believe of the system fell to ruins. Remember who was behind all those jumps in the pass. Check out the nekad climatologists page . I understand Malaysia needs a change in the political atmosphere. Yet I hope it is not this one. Very scary indeed. I likened it to seeing how the old "Servay Penampang" use to arrange their electrical department. The wiring were here and there and I was saying to myself.. It looks like they will surely have a fire problem here in the future and then hearing that it burnt down. Hopefully not. But no surprise hey?

The nurses from KD Limbanak came over after lunch yesterday. I was shocked to find that my son had gained approx 750 g over ten days. How amazing is that? Well that is what you get from a continuously drinking, peeing and pooing baby. In the first few days he was consistently attached to me. Which was different to during my Kiddo's time. I guess it was because this time my milk took a while to come. My baby would pee and poo sooo often I was wondering if I should start plugging his behind to stop things from coming out. Anyhoo... although he is not as consistently stuck to my breast now, he would pee as soon as after feeding. I would basically go through more than ten nappies per twelve hours with this kid. Luckily I have someone to help me witht he washing. I was also planning my baby's full moon. Guess what? His full moon falls bang in the middle of the Ramadhan month. Oh dear. My MIL and I decided to push it back to two months later. So I do not have to be so busy yet. I sti...

This morning I woke up feeling okay. However it is almost noon and I feel like I have walked a million miles and am damn tired. I am also thinking so many weird and stupid things. I wonder why I am so exhausted and irritable. Let me see. I woke up at about quarter to nine. So that means I have only been awake for 3 hours. Last night I stayed up late cause I was not sleepy. I woke up late then had breakfast while watching my kiddo play with his bubble making machine. Thanks sweet little sister (I know you are not so little but you are still my little sister). She got this cool bubble making machine for my kiddo from Toy's r us. Anyway. I finished breakfast. Breast fed baby as well as to pumped about 5 oz of milk for baby for storage. Entertained my kiddo. Changed my baby's nappy a few times. Had my mom come over to give baby a bath. Took my bath and now I am BLOODY KNACKERED!!!! Oh dear. Full morning. I need to got o sleep. Sweet dreams...

For those who had never come upon these terms. A C-section is a cesarean cut on your lower abdomen to bring out your baby. This is something most people do only if they fail to have an SVD due to; baby breech position, baby too big (the case with my first son), baby having complications etc. However it is very famous with the celebrities who are too posh to push. A term coined in the UK for people like Posh spice. :) Anyway an SVD stands for Spontaneous Vaginal Delivery. I am like, what??? duh... what is so spontaneous about hours of contractions which is ended only by heavy pushing. Anyhoo, my verdict. Since I have had personal experience of both. Do the SVD. No matter how painful it is... it is still one of God's most amazing creations. I think sometimes God has a sick sense of humour or maybe balance. I am not sure. The pain of childbirth and the pleasure of having your baby in your arms. It is like having the highest mountain and the lowest valley wrapped in one moment in time...

Raphael Olivin Moosom Big happy smiles. Finally my handsome son is born. In the evening of the 18th of August, in the year of 2008. I delivered My darling son to this world. He weighed 3.55 kg that day in Likas Hospital, labour room number 5. At about 10 pm we were finally discharged to our Ward bed 18. As the Doctor placed this precious bundle of joy on my chest for the first time. Covered in vernix and blood. I could not help but feel the happiest I have ever been in my life. I love you my son. Strange that just an hour before that moment, I was cursing and screaming my head away. Wishing I had opted for C-section instead. 28 hours I laboured to bring you into this world. I would not wish that pain on anybody else. Imagine that your hips being reshaped in the span of 24 hours to allow a baby of approximately 10 cm to 15 cm in diameter to go through. Ooooh... very painful indeed. I know other women may have it easier but I think mine was ultimately difficult owing to having had a spo...

I thought about you recently and in my heart I was celebrating the fact that you had soo much of life even towards your old age. I never expected you to leave us so soon (00.45 am 11/08/08). I enjoyed your jovialness and your love for life. The way you would seize the day and just have as much fun as you wanted to. You were always the life of the party. You treated everyone of all walks of life with the same attitude. Happy and warm. You make people feel they are appreciated and loved. I know Penampang will miss your presence at every "Keramaian" (party). I miss you already. You remind me of my own Grandma, your Aunty as well. I miss my "Ina". She was strong and decisive. Always had a mind of her own. My Dad did mention that he thinks I have been made similiar to you and Ina. That is an honour I can not take for granted. You were both strong and believed in your ideas. The only difference was that you were more accessible to everyone at any time. I know you would no...