Thursday 27 September 2012

Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA)

Dear Readers, 
I have revamped and created a new blog. For readers interested to follow my postings, please visit http://zchicchick.blogspot.com/
Thank you for your support.

We recently took lil' muachi for another overseas trip. This time we flew out of Kuala Lumpur International Airport (as MAS was cheaper than AirAsia!).

Juggling lil' muachi at KLIA is extremely easy. Definitely better than LCCT. This place is meant for serious travelers. So maneuvering a stroller there was a dream. Even going through the sensors were made friendly for parents with babies. We were not required to hoist it up to the scanners. And as all airlines, we could push the stroller up to the entrance of the plane. What convenience.

The space in KLIA is massive. You can run up and down anywhere with the stroller and you wouldn't have an issue. Most planes fly out of the terminal connected by the aerotrain. The aerotrain is great. It is frequent and the speed is just right. Simply push your stroller in, put the brakes on and you are on the other side within a few minutes. The bub will love the ride.

KLIA is like a big (premium) shopping mall. They even have activities within the airport to entertain travelers. 

There is a KLIA Jungle BoardWalk. If it gets a bit too cold for you or you just feel like a bit of nature, take your bub for a short stroll through this place. It's easy with the stroller. Just be careful when exiting, the pathway slopes down towards the exit. 


If your bub is older than lil' muachi (above 2 years I believe), don't forget to check out the kid's play area next to KFC before you go through immigration. 

Before I board any plane, I would always make sure lil' muachi has a clean diaper on. Naturally, I try to do it at a proper baby changing room for privacy.



The baby changing room at KLIA is fairly clean. It has the basic features of a baby changing area. The changing compartments are getting a tad bit old but it's not grotty or anything. There is nothing special about this room, except the loo inside..



Introducing the loo...Ok Maybe I have not been to enough baby rooms. But this is the first time I've ever seen a place where you can actually go with your bub.



Moving on, while journeying to your gate, you can take these wonderful inventions - travelators; no walking required. It's amazing. To save time, you can still use them to accelerate your walking. There is also heaps to see at the sides and on top of these things. So it's like a theme park for your bub while you dash through.



Handling lil' muachi at KLIA was a great way to ease into our holiday. Next time I travel, I would definitely try to catch a flight out of KLIA. 



Wednesday 26 September 2012

We are famous!

I am a writer! Ok not quite. But this is a great start!

It all began when the editor of ParenThots (parenting site powered by TheStar; a major newspaper in Malaysia) decided to give me a chance to submit a review on malls around KL/PJ. 

And the rest is history...

*drum roll* 

Introducing my article featured in ParenThots..(lil' muachi is the main picture!)
http://parenthots.com/features/Looking-for-baby-friendly-malls-in-KL-PJ.aspx

Here I am featured in their main site.
http://parenthots.com/home.aspx

Here I am again in TheStar online. I am the "mother" and a "ParenThots contributor"
http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2012/9/26/lifeliving/12065271&sec=lifeliving

In the article, I reviewed the baby friendliness of KLCC Mall, Midvalley and Citta Mall. Things I would have done in this blog..but in a "proper formal format". 

Do check it out and support by pressing 'like' at the bottom of the article. 

With your support, hopefully this can be a start of a very fulfilling freelancing career....(please get me out of corporate!)

Chomps: MacLaren's Restaurant & Pub

I was at MacLaren's for dinner about a week back. I rarely travel to Damansara Perdana as it is  a wee bit further from where I live. But my sis got some vouchers and so we headed there one fine night (which turned out to be a celebration for my birthday! ~Thanks sis~)



We were getting quite comfortable sitting outside until the mozzies decided to feast on us. Good thing the only smoker sitting indoors left around the same time. 




The food there is A-MAZING. If you are a fan of oxtail soup, try it. Their specialty is their pies. Super yummy. Their fries are delicious (I'm now their big fan). I was so wrapped up with their food that I totally forgot to take any pictures. But there are already reviews made by others on the net. So just go google. 



LMM Advice: The place is not exactly kid friendly. Outdoor: Mozzies. Indoor: Smokers. 
They have baby chairs which we did not use (as we were not aware of its existence). However, the food is really good and reasonably priced. The waiters were helpful. The owner was really friendly. If I decide to bring lil' muachi there again (which I probably would), I would go for lunch to avoid the pub goers (which hopefully that would help avoid the smokers). 

I told the owner that we would be back and I was not lying. 
MacLaren's Restaurant & Pub
E101 Metropolitan Square, Jalan PJU 8/1 | Jalan PJU 8/1, Damansara Perdana, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
0126106747

Tuesday 11 September 2012

chicken pox remedies

Now that everything is back to normal and I'm no longer covered in fugly spots. I will now share what worked wonders for me (but perhaps I got lucky and had a mild case).

First off, how do you identify pox? When you see something that looks like a burn wound (with watery bubble and all), especially if there's a few of them: alarms should be ringing. The sure sign that you have caught the pox is when the pimply looking things start to multiply. The other symptoms are fever and perhaps some dizziness. That was what I had when I decided to go to see a Dr. 

My Dr prescribed an antiviral pill for me which I took 5 times a day for about 8 days. It tasted a bit funky so make sure you swallow it whole immediately and not let it linger which will allow it to melt in your mouth. yuck.  



He also sent me home with some antibiotics. In a form of both cream and pills. And also panadol for my fever.

Once I was safely confined in a room, advice started pouring in. Here's what I learnt and did or did not do.
1) Do not take chicken or eggs or seafood - I avoided this and I was definitely less itchy

2) Mix Bedak Sejuk and neem leaves together. Just blend the neem leaves with some water, put some bedak sejuk, bit of water and mix until it looks like paste. Put it on top of your pox. This is super awesome. It reduces the itch and also speeds up the drying process of the pox.



3) I was also advised to sleep on the neem leaves; which I tried as GOTH's mum plucked a whole bunch for me. It was definitely cooler. 

4) Coconut juice. I drank bucket loads. It's suppose to either cool you off or flush out the toxins. It is suppose to be good for pox regardless.

5) Instead of soap, I used Pinetarsol. It's an Australian product. You just spray it on, wait a few minutes, then wash off. You can also use it on rash, insect bites, sunburn. I suppose it's a medicated gentle wash. Again, it does not smell all too pleasant. 



I'm not too sure whether it's a combination of all of the above or one of the products were really effective; but I was definitely less itchy (than what I think I was supposed to be anyways).

The master of all advice for chicken pox -> do NOT scratch..

Monday 10 September 2012

Lactating Paddings

It just occurred to me that we are not only first time mothers raising a bub, we are first time mothers who just gave birth and experiencing all things new to us.

I've decided in this blog, I will also write about things useful to new mothers. I was really clueless at the start. I wasn't sure what I needed. I wasn't sure what was out there. I would stare at an item for a long time wondering what it was for and how it worked.

So...along the topic of breastfeeding (re: earlier post on the silicon shield), this post is about "padding". 

When you are lactating, you do tend to leak at times. Especially when you are full and are unable to pump immediately. There are extra padding available that you can purchase and slip into your bras.



There are a variety of padding out there - disposable and non disposable ones. For me, I went with the non-disposable selection. I have tried three different types and brands.

LMM Advice: You need to choose the one with the best absorbent material. I am not too sure what it is made of. But it is not wholly cotton. It is pricier but the advantages are worth it;
1) it comes in its own little bag which is very handy when you throw these little things in the machine. 
2) it does not leak
3) it dries up faster (this is super useful when the weather is not exactly made for laundry)



The cotton ones normally comes in a pack of 3s. They are cheaper but they do not soak as well. What I did however, was to double pad it. You can always remove the "wet" ones and use the second pad if necessary. 

I would avoid getting the real thick ones. You are probably thinking the thicker it is, the more it will be able to absorb. Yes it does hold better than the thinner cotton ones but bear in mind, it is thicker and heavier (also hotter). It also takes ages to dry up after wash. I would still go with the light absorbent ones or double pad the thinner ones.

So there you have it. Things that I wouldn't have thought of either until I had to go through it personally.

Thursday 6 September 2012

hmm: Visa and all that jazz

For the past few days, it has been a crazy rush to renew my domestic helper's visa.

Ok our bad. We were not exactly on top of her visa's expiry. For the first 2 seconds, I did what came naturally - I panicked. Then I googled for any advice I can get from strangers or government sites. I realised, unlike us, everyone seemed to be pretty much on top of expiration dates.

So as my little domestic helper is very much here because of lil' muachi, I will blog about it here.

LMM advice:
1) Recover from your little panic attack after you see the expired date on that visa.
2) Decide whether you want to go with the Agency or do it yourself.
3) For Agency, they will guide you step-by-step but you will obviously pay a premium. Convenient, but you will burn a hole in your wallet. They will sort out all documentation and drive your helper wherever she needs to be.
4) If you have the time and decide to have a go at it yourself. Read on.

First Stop: Immigration
What you need:
- Original passport
- Photocopy of passport with details, visa details and your IC.
- Cash (to pay fine (if you are unable to get away with it) and special pass RM100
- Your Domestic Helper (for them to issue the special pass)

The immigration HQ at Putrajaya is in Precint 2 (according to their website) or 3 (according to GPS). They are side by side. So it doesnt matter. Once you reach putrajaya, there will be signs. Most of the people park outside. You will see this parking area with lots of cars but on rocky 'untreated' ground. It's free. So dont know about you, I parked there as it was bright and I was sure I would be able to locate my car.

What you need to do:
1) Now if you are late like me and MOTH, you will need to go to the 2nd floor to get a letter issued to say that the visa has expired and you will be whacked by "compound" (aka the penalty fee). 
2) Proceed to the 4th floor to make payment.
3) APPEAL for discount or waiver like you are appealing to stay out of prison. Think of the money you will save.

Note: Penalty charges are imposed on a daily basis. The longer it has expired, the higher your compound is. (Dont believe everything your agency tells you). If you give a decent reason for your tardiness and you are lucky to get an officer with a big heart, s/he will waive the fee. All you need to pay will be RM100 for a special pass. This is to allow your helper to stay on legally while you perform the rest of the needful before applying for her working visa.

http://www.imi.gov.my/index.php/ms/

2nd Stop: FOMEMA
What you need:
- Photocopy of passport and visa page.
- Bank draft, money or postal order (RM190 for female)
- Complete the form for renewal (you can get this from their website as below)

What you need to do:
- Go to FOMEMA office. I went to the one in Solaris Dutamas. They are at Block D. You can park at Publika. It's a bit hard to find but you will be able to with some searching.
- Submit all of the above
- Receive a copy of FOMEMA printed form

Note: Before I went to FOMEMA, I dropped by the postal office at Plaza Mt Kiara to buy postal order.
When completing the application form, you will need to choose the clinic you prefer to take your helper to for her medical check-up. There will be a list of clinics available on their website with its corresponding places for x-rays.

They say it'll take 10 days before the results are available online.

http://www.fomema.com.my/

3rd Stop: Hartamas immigration 

What you need:

- Original passport 
- Cash of  RM516 if helper is from Philippines

What you need to do:
- Go to Kompleks KDN in Hartamas
You can get the details from here: http://passport.com.my/Immigration_Offices/Kompleks_KDN_Jalan_Duta.htm
- Go early so you can find parking. There's only limited spaces in the compound
- Go to the 1st Floor - foreign/ domestic helpers office (just take the escalator near the entrance)
- Take a number, pass the passport to the officer. I believe this is where they will verify with Fomema on medical results
- Pay at the "Juruwang" (cashier) counter
- Go back to the first officer with the passport
- After a few minutes, the passport will be returned to you with the newly extended visa

The whole process lasted about maybe 20 minutes for me. It took a bit longer as the cashier was late coming in (I was there around 8+am). 

This step is really fairly simple. The rooms and the building is really quite pleasant. I believe it is new. 

OR Myeg


You can also get the assistance of Myeg to renew the visa. Just log into their website. You will need to wait 7 days for the visa and there will be a premium charged. But the visa is delivered straight to you.
http://www.myeg.com.my/

So there you have it. Bear in mind that the passport must have one year validity for the visa to be issued.

All the above is correct as of date of posting, please do refer to the relevant websites/authorities for updates etc.

I hope this helps!