I want the camera!

Daddy won't let me use the camera, but there are some signs that he might. He gave in a couple of days ago, after I'd cried for a while. I know he says he doesn't give in to emotional blackmail, but that's not my experience. Do I look triumphant? I was trying for 'satisfied'.

I'm not quite sure how we managed to make this photo, but I had my hand on the camera when it happened! Daddy says he might let me use the camera again soon. Next time I'll blow my nose, and try to catch daddy soon after he has had a shave.

Too young to vote

My little brother Oliver's eyes are clearing up a bit. They've been stuck shut with yellow stuff a lot of the time since he was born. Mummy and daddy clean his eyes with cotton wool buds and warm salty water. He is gradually sleeping more at night and less during the day. Everybody is pleased!

I don't pay much attention to Oliver, at least when mummy and daddy are looking. While daddy was checking my uncle's registration for the election this weekend, I jumped off the sofa and swung a playful slap at Oliver while he was wriggling on his bed. I don't think daddy saw.

Daddy has started complaining about Malaysian websites again. He usually does, especially if he has been trying to access government websites. He often asks me "how can they be so bad?". How should I know? Anyway, it seems that the website for checking registrations for the election is becoming very slow as the date draws nearer. He said something about a hastily set-up second server, and used a lot of extra words that only daddy uses. I recognised some of the words: the ones he always makes a nasty face for. I can't wait to learn them!

Anyway, as far as I can work out from what daddy was saying, if you're planning to vote this weekend, and you want to check your registration at the Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya (Election commission) website, don't leave it to the last minute! I'd vote, but I'm 19 years too young. I have to wait until I'm 21 in Malaysia. Daddy would vote, but he's too foreign (he does grumble about mummy being allowed to vote in the UK). I don't think Oliver will ever vote, he's either asleep or eating mummy.

Yellow

Oliver's a bit yellow. The health visitor said we had to take him to the doctor for a check. The doctor said "he's not yellow, he's Chinese!", but then said he's a little jaundiced, but not enough to worry about. The next day, another health visitor came and said "he has to have a blood test". So Oliver went back to the doctor, who did the test and said "jaundiced, but not enough for photo therapy". We have to go back again in a couple of days. Oliver didn't seem to mind being pricked in the heel, but he did object to having his foot squeezed. I gave him a cuddle later that evening to show him how much I loved him. At least that's what daddy told me when he made me put my arms around him.

Wo yao chi

Daddy was a bit slow getting me a snack when I came home from school last night, he just wanted to veg out on the sofa with me and watch the 3 oldest Star War movies - I love them! I grabbed his chin to pull his head towards me, pointed at the kitchen and said "wo yao chi!", chinese for "I want to eat!". Daddy will have to put a bit more work into his language skills, if he's to keep up with me.

If you've been reading the Malaysian news recently, you may have seen some pictures of election posters. The place is covered in them. BN (like BNP in the UK, only made up of BNP One Colour, BNP Another Colour, BNP Less Common Colour sub-parties, bizarrely) are the incumbents, and have the most posters. The local government offices have been very busy tidying up towns, trimming verges, clearing drains. Daddy suggested that maybe there weren't enough BN voters where we live, as the local council gassed us like badgers later that night. The photo is from the bedroom window, just before they did our side of the street. Mummy is still in a lot of pain from the birth, so we couldn't run away. It wasn't very nice, the fogging man deliberately targets windows to get the stuff inside the house. In the past, we've joined the crowd of neighbours walking around the block, turning and backtracking as the fogging man and the wind change direction. Like a carnival, kind of.

The next day, two very nice men came and explained they were checking for Aedes larvae, as one of the neighbours had Dengue Fever. There have been a lot of mosquitoes recently. We have mosquito nets over all the windows, but they can come in whenever we open the front door. Daddy didn't suggest his BN theory to the nice men. But he does mumble about not being allowed to vote, while mummy can in the UK.

Oliver and me

It's all going fairly well. Daddy has been better at getting up on time on school days since Oliver came home. Oliver's my new little brother. Mummy and daddy were struggling to find a name they both liked, but he'll probably be called Oliver - it's not official yet. Daddy liked "Leroy" or "Winston", but mummy wasn't keen. They both quite liked "Gabriel", and mummy was very keen on "Frederick" for a long time.

Do you think he looks like me?

Didi

I surprised mummy and daddy a couple of days ago. When I came home from school, I sat up at the dining table with my cookies and milk. Just when mummy and daddy looked like they were going to nod off, I stood up, pointed at the baby and shouted "didi!". Didi is chinese for "younger brother". I think mummy and daddy were impressed.

And then we had to go to hospital

Mid March, they said. Mummy woke daddy up, complaining of tummy ache and wanting to go to hospital. Daddy woke popo up and asked her to look after me. An hour after mummy arrived at the hospital, she had a baby (24th Feb 2008, 3.45kg). Daddy took me to see him later, but he wasn't very interesting. Watching the midwives rushing around when I started headbutting the viewing window was funny.

I forgot all about my new didi until I came home from school the next day. Daddy made me walk the whole 60 metres home. I was pretty grumpy, until I saw mummy cuddling that baby from the hospital on the sofa! I was outraged, livid. Daddy put Star Wars on, and I soon forgot about it. The baby's all right, actually. He just lies on his little bed on the floor and moans for food occasionally. When daddy picks him up, he sucks his arm! I was never that silly.