A sad news

This morning my husband received a shocking phone call. His relatives who lived no so far away were involved in a car accident around 1 am last night killing the husband, wife and son. Another son in the car survived. I was so shocked and very sad to hear the news. I was made to understand they were on the way to send their sons back to their colleges.
We had been to their house a few times for past few Harirayas and also the weddings of their other sons recently. I still can picture her face bright and smiling when she came to our house or when we visited them. Now they are gone just like that. May Allah bless their souls and they be rest in peace and God put them together with the solehs and solehahs. Amin.
Also a reflection for us who are still living that we be grateful for the life we have and knowing that life could be short.

Congratulations

The PMR result came out yesterday and I am pleased to say my two nephews Iqbal and Haziq did well. Iqbal scored 8As and Haziq 6 As. Congratulations you two. I am happy for both and many congratulations !!!!

My stop at Bukit Merah Laketown

I was just back from my in laws in Kedah last night. We decided to visit them for the weekend as my in-laws like my parents are growing into their old age. Even though they are quite some distance away and the journey was normally quite tiring we made sure we went home at least once in 2-2.5 month.
Yesterday we decided to come back during the daylight so that we could stop here and there and not feel too stressed to reach home as we normally did when we travelled at night. On the way I saw the billboard on the Bukit Merah Laketown resort. I have never been there. So I asked my husband whether we could have a stop and see and he agreed. So we went to the Laketown which was a short journey uphill and arrived at the Bukit Merah Lake. There was the waterpark which we did not enter. So we lingered at the lakeside area and entertainment park. Fatini and Emir had a couple of bumper car rides and had a go at the machines which simulated the car racing. Fatini gambled at the ring throwing and got a key chain and a dinosaur card. Then we had a hi-tea at the restaurant by the lake. After two hours spending time there, we resumed our journey. I think the Lake town area could be developed further as it is still a bit crampy, stuffy and small. But there were quite a lot of local visitors. The restaurant we had hi-tea did not serve too many varieties of food but the charge was cheap at rm18 per head. And there was this shop called fish spa where you can soak your feet inside the pond and the fish will feed on your skin cells. I was not that interested to try.
Meanwhile we were still a distance away from KL.
And we arrived KL at around 8.30pm and decided to have a go at the Japanese restaurant before going home as Fatini told us her tummy was asking for Japanese food. We finally reached home at 10 pm.

About the kids

Endearing quotes coming from my kids


" Mommy !!! My pants come down.." Emir remarked as his pants kept dropping when he walked (I didn't realise the pants waist band was loose already).

" I must win or I will cry" Fatini told her daddy when playing UNO so daddy had no choice but to let her win everytime.

"So00rryyyy mommyyy...." Emir said after everytime he gave me a painful playful bite and that was about 10 times a day.

" Sorry about the shout" Fatini said to me after recovering from a wailing outburst and she's only 4 years old.

" Mommy, this is not expensive" Fatini said to me when she wants to buy a toy.

"I am not ever going on an aeroplane again" Fatini said because the air pressure in the plane hurt her ears.

Emir's milestone achieable as of today:

He went to the toilet himself, took off his pants, peed and washed, all without even called for me.

Fatini's milestone achievable as of today:

She's able to read a sentence and an easy book with some help from me. She helped me fold her and Emir's clothing and helped me put them in the correct drawers.

Favourite cartoon : Emir -Ben 10 , Fatini - Anything on Channel 613.

Favourite vege/food: Emir - carrot (he pronounced cayot), Fatini- fishball

Favourite drink: Fatini-Ribena, Emir-Milk

Favourite shirt/dress: Fatini - any shirt matched with leggings and skirt (Japanese style), Emir- spiderman/superman/Ben 10 shirts

Personal Style: Fatini is more soft, polite, emotionally intelligent, expressive, suka merajuk, likes to whine and very communicative. She talked to me all the time. Emir is active, flying around the house 90% of the time, likes to sing, likes to smile, likes to laugh and that makes him so adorable to watch.

That's of my kids. I love you two very2 much.

A good job I have these days

I wonder if anybody is going to get pissed with me if I say being a housewife these days is so nice, and relaxing .... wait, wait, wait (copy from Emir) before anybody starts to reprimand me, let me explain myself.... this is only applicable to me. Since Monday I have been a housewife. I do what i always do like taking care of the kids and their affairs and did cooking and some cleaning but best of all is that I have 24 hour a day to do it!!!! and this afternoon I actually got the time to sit down and looking around my home and really, really see my home, nice, pleasant and tranquil. I guess most of the time I just walked and passed through the house quickly alway with my mind occupied with some purposes , like cooking, cleaning, feed my children and always like in the middle of chasing something i.e. time.
On Monday morning, I brought my children to the playground while I had breakfast, then had my car washed at the gas-station, then went to Giant shopping and then stopped at the nearby supermarket. All done in one morning! Offcourse I compared when I was at the office what achievement do I get in one morning, which really depends....like I maybe stuck in a 3 hour meeting or discussion.
Tomorrow I just got one daunting task to do which I look forward apprehensively... will tell you about it later.

A fine young woman

Last 17th December my eldest niece Ashley Faizah turned 19 years old. Remember our 19th birthday? Hmm it was so long ago, but I still remembered mine, I was with my dearest friends back in college.
A few years after the 19th birthday it was about a child turning into a young woman. For my niece, I am glad to say she has turned out to be a fine and good looking young woman. Most importantly what made me proud is she has developed responsibilities and maturity at this age. Her girlish/childish behaviour is disappearing slowly but surely. She's unselfish and always think about her grandparents and her parents and siblings first. She even looks after her little cousins who she regarded as her brothers and sisters. You know why because she was close to all her uncles and aunties. I am always touched by her sense of responsibilities towards her atuk and Wan. Hey, you know she still sleeps with her Wan, betul2 bawah ketiak Wan....

As a child she was closed to me as I was still single at the time and she lived with my parents. She was the one that filled my time and my emptiness. She liked to be carried and I remember walking in KL city with her on my waist and that was at her preschool age. She was heavier than Emir but I was much younger so it was okay.

As she grows up off course sometimes her birthday slipped my mind and I hoped she understands. When I got married I couldn't spend time as I liked with her and her parents have also moved back to KL.

On her birthday she received the results for her Australian matriculations at Taylors and she passed it with flying colours way above her target. I felt most of all relieved not because of anything but because she could be happy and proud of herself. I know her success was driven by her sense of responsibilities towards her atuk, wan, parents, aunties and uncles who she felt have so much hope for her. She didn't want to fail us, and that's why she succeeded.

So I hope her journey forward will be as what she wanted and hope for. May she turned into a good responsible person full with wisdom, calmness and dedicated to her purpose.

By the way, Faizah, next time we meet, I need to have that half hour talk with you (that means I talk, you listen, hehe) to discuss the difference between "love" and "in love".

I am back and tanned

Today, my husband gave me a new internet connection (P1WiMAX)and it was great. But i need to be near the window but what the heck so are with the other service providers. Hopefully the coverage is going to be enhanced in this area soon. So far so good.

Well I have been out of the web world for the past 6 days or so. I just got back last Saturday night. and I have been busy unpacking and cleaning house. I also felt the exhaustion at last.

The holiday had been great. After 3 nights in Andaman we spent another 4 nights in Holiday Villa which was on another beach. Andaman was more private while Holiday Villa was more lively with more people. Between both I think I prefered Holiday Villa, not because it was cheaper, the beach I thought was more beautiful and it was easy to get around from the hotel. Andaman was quite remote but the surrounding exudes romanticism but with 2 small kids you really have to exert your creativity ...hahaha.

We brought the kids to the crocodile farm where Emir was so thrilled but Fatini was scared. We visited the Underwater World twice, on demand off course. We also went island hopping.

I bought a prepaid card for internet from the hotel however it was wasted. My kids monopolized my computer playing Barney and whatever cartoons. By the time they slept I was dead sleepy as well.

I must mentioned I indulged myself to a 3 hour spa at the hotel. It was offcourse so good and well it was heaven to be pampered for once. Like other mothers i guess, I felt guilty about leaving the kids with the daddy alone to have this escapade but they turned out to be fine after all.

Now I am back to the routine but not quite yet because I am still not back to work. After spending more that a week closed to my kids 24 hour a day, I could feel they are getting closer to me. Now Emir wants to sleep with my hand around him! I also got to watch and learn about them more. They are wonderful and it makes me feel so grateful and blessed to have them.

Holiday of the mind

I was thinking how to make a holiday a real holiday. I know holiday means family time, a get away time. Away from norms. For me holiday is also a reward for our hard work and a special treat for the whole family. So it must be special. It must have memorable time, so we can think about it long after the holiday is over.

Some people really take their holiday seriously. They will save hard and plan for the holiday. Then during holiday time, they gave it all. They make the holiday as a reward for their hard work and make the holiday memorable and nice, comfortable and leisure.
On the other hand some people go to holiday with minds still busy on daily activities and some do not want to spend. They came back from holiday unfulfilled with good memories or as tired as they started.

So i treat this time as a payback for me and my family. The time i missed with my children, the day to day hours i punched at the office, the daily routine that was a busy as you may expect. It's not just "tukar angin", it is a treat and a memory creation.

Splendid first day!

Our real first day at the resort started with everybody waking up early so we went to the beach first. It was Fatini who just couldn't wait to see the beach and kept nagging. We reckoned if we went to the beach first Fatini would leave us in peace during breakfast time. So we had a short visit to the shore.
Then we had breakfast downstairs in the restaurant. As usual breakfast with the kids will be a messy one, with kids these age, restaurant affair will always be quick. No relax-relax taking time. Just eat and go.
The whole day was just for the kids where we spent it either in the sea swimming, on the beach playing sand or in the swimming pool. They were so excited and just not tired. Actually I hated to get wet and sticky but i got no choice as the kids called for me to go into the sea.
The weather was surprisingly very good, not too hot or cold or wet for that matter. Emir napped a little in the afternoon on the beach. So did I actually. There were quite a few families with very young children lounging on the beach like us. That was to my relieve as they wouldn't mind all the loud enthusiastic shouts and screams Emir was making.
I lathered a lot of sun protection lotion on the kids, but despite the sun lotion I can see them turning darker and this is only the first day.
At the end it was almost 6 pm when it began to drizzle and we returned to the room. Fatini was exhausted and went straight to slumber after dinner. Tomorrow is another day we look forward to.

A good start

Yesterday Fatini and Emir were so excited when we started out from home. we got a taxi to take us to the airport. I just noticed that it was their first time experience in a taxi. Fatini was a bit quiet with the experience while Emir was making a lot of exciting noise. When we were at the airport and on the aeroplane they were both so excited with lots of loud comments and remarks. Some people were amused by the kids behaviour while I hope they were not disturbing anybody. Emir spilled the whole cup of drink and wet his seat, poor him, I could see he was shivering cold. Luckily it was a short journey.

Andaman was quite a way from the airport and the taxi fare was about RM60. On the way we stopped to buy a supply of drinks, mineral water and snack. On the way both kids fell asleep.

Once arrived at Andaman Hotel, I was quite pleased with the welcome from the hotel people. They immediately picked our bags from the taxi. While I carry Emir and my husband carried Fatini who were both sleeping soundly to the check in. Pleasantly we did not have to go to the counter for check in. They came to us complete with everything, we just need to put the signature. And immediately also came the welcome drinks, fresh pipeapple juice and refreshing towels. Fatini and Emir also were given a monkey toy each. Then we were brought to the room quite immediately. I was never treated like this when arriving at a hotel, so with kids and tiring journey, thoughtful treatment like this starts the vacation with something pleasing and nice.

Island Vacation

Today is going to be my last day at work, no, not for my entire life, just for this year 2008. I’ll be taking 3 weeks off work without pay (L) starting tomorrow to spend time with my family (J). Thinking about the no-pay holiday especially during this economic crisis time may stir me a bit but come to think about it money is not everything (keep chanting that a few times and it will finally sink in, just kidding….)….the kids are growing up fast, and I need time together with my husband as well.

I have been extremely busy for the past 3-4 weeks. With lots of tasks at work to handle and address I almost cry of out frustration. Sometimes I feel like I am up to the nose already. I finally put a stop to any more task today and whatever defined as “urgent matters” by others I will handle only after new year.  Hey! I need a break, you know…. It’s been a long time since I had my real holiday. I am near to turning into a nervous wreck reaching the end of the year.

I am so looking forward to tomorrow when we’ll be flying to Langkawi to spend a week or so there. Fatini and Emir are both excited to be on the plane. I am already filled with happiness and euphoria in anticipation to the holiday time. I really hope we will have a really relaxing good time over there. We’ll be staying at two hotels, 3 nights at Andaman Langkawi and 4 nights at Holiday Villa Langkawi. I will certainly try to wind down and relax as much as possible.

 

This week after coming back from Melaka, I have been collecting things to pack. It’s not finished yet and I still have tonight and tomorrow morning. The most important things will be the crucial items for the kids like sun protection lotion, dark glasses, mosquito bites cream, some medicine in case they are sick and entertainment like books and toys. Hopefully it won’t turn into big baggages. Oh, I need to bring my lap top as well.

I hope me, husband and kids will have the needed break and enjoy our vacation. After the holiday in Langkawi, I will spend another two weeks at home trying the housewife role. Who knows, if I like it, it maybe an option some day. I already have plans of activities that I will do to keep the kids entertained. Just maybe I would plan and belanja my family out of town during the weekend or on the new year.

ayah ...

When I was at home during the weekend, something really triggered me happy happened. My father who had been ailed for almost 2 years, had never spoken properly to me since he was bed ridde . He had been in pain due to surgery to remove some of his body parts which had not had blood circulation due to his diabetic condition. We didn’t really realize how bad it was getting to due to our bad knowledge on his health and on the diabetes itself. The treatment of the surgery wound was also difficult due to his diabetes. 

He was already weak and aged and he had to stay in bed to recover. This basically made it worse for him as his movement was limited and that finally made him bed ridden as his muscle wasted away and due to reduced blood circulation. This is what I think. Before that he also had a couple of operations on his kidneys and then latest twice on the body parts.

So last weekend, maybe because he was not in so much pain anymore or he began to accept his condition, all of a sudden he called me …” XXXX, please scratch my leg, it’s so itchy…” . God I was so happy to hear that and spent a few minutes scratching him.

He also asked me “ anak kau mana…? Bapaknya mana…?” He also scolded Emir for making so much noise playing and when I wanted to go back to KL and told him so, he said “ Pungut barang2 habis2 , jangan tinggal…” 

Actually I have been feeling very guilty about him. I was wondering whether he was angry at me before. You know sometimes I am too outspoken. I did say a lot of things that hurt his feelings especially during some trial times.  And I felt guilty not attending to his weakening condition before it got out of control because of my lack of knowledge on his desease and maybe because I didn’t pay too much attention to him. He was a quiet man who rarely complaint and I took him for granted. I really wondered whether he was angry at me.

Monday and HariRaya

Monday was Hariraya Haji. As usual mak and my sisters were busy in the kitchen. Me, out of upbringing (hehehe), don't want to spoil the broth left all the cooking matters to them. Same goes for my SIL (mak lang) who sent her delegate to the kitchen (maid). My other SIL (mak teh) is the one who will never miss the kitchen if she's around, but she was not around during the Raya because my other brother has not arrived Malaysia yet.

As usual, there were lots of food. My bad habit is when there are lots of food especially if they are prepared by either my mum or mother in law, I would forget myself and really gobble up all the food. So in you go all the ketupat nasi, ketupat Cang, rendang, prawn sambal, lodeh and whatever all day long. I could easily put on 2 or 3 kg over the weekend. Hmmm, I really have to let go some meals today to compensate.

On Monday, my familes who made Qurban went to see the ritual. After Daddy brought Emir and Fatinito the mall and got birthday presents from Daddy. Emir is currently so besotted with Ben 10 so he got some more Ben 10 toys, and my... they were expensive, I won't buy them too often. Fatini was after a baby doll and water tumbler and she got them. I kept on telling her toys are so expensive hopefully she learn that sooner or later.

We left Melaka to go back home at about 5.30 pm and upon reaching the highway, it was so jammed with traffic we were crawling all the way to Nilai. Luckily once I entered the KLIA highway, the traffic was much less. Fatini slept throughout the journey. Emir who have slept earlier was wide awake but had been on a good behaviour. He slept when we almost arrived home. We arrived our house at about 9.30 pm. A two hour journey had doubled in time however the time spent with families made it worth the trouble.

celebrate again

Last weekend we were in our kampong in Melaka. I was happy to be with families and so were the children. Luckily amongst us we still have small children to make any gathering livelier. With their playing, bickering, and screams. The big kids are in the in their own world already, having separate activities amongst them in different areas of the house, sometimes you forget they were there. I am happy to see my nieces Nurul and Adek who I haven’t managed to see for quite some time. They are so grown up already at 12 and 13 years old respectively,

On Sunday I took the opportunity to celebrate Emir’s birthday again this time with cousins and second cousins at the kampong. We invited the children of my cousins who are the locals in Melaka to celebrate thier little 2^nd cousin from KL. Emir as usual is so ever excited about the 2^nd party he was going to have. I didn’t make any big preparation, just the cake, KFC chicken, fried meehoon , some jelly, chocolates, marshmallow and sweets to entertain the children. The children and adults certainly have a good makan2 time. At the end, Emir received a birthday present from Pak Lang and Mak Lang, his favourite Ben 10 toy. Happy Birthday again Emir.

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Today is 5th December and Emir big day!

Today is a happy day for Emir. He is a birthday boy turning three. All this week, he had been telling everybody about his coming birthday both to friends at school and at everybody at home. He was crying in the car all the way to school this morning when he saw the big, spiderman birthday cake I brought into the car because he wanted to hold the birthday cake in his lap. But when we arrive school all he did was smiling happy sitting in front of the cake and staring at it. So he became the center of attention at school today when we celebrated his birthday this morning.

After the birthday cake, Emir gave away the goody bags to his friends. He had to call his three best friends first. Pleasantly surprised to me, he called Fatini out as his 3^rd best friend.

Today is my happy day as well. My boy is turning 3 today. My heart swelled with love and pride for him. Looking back he’s been such a pleasure to have and to raise. When I was pregnant with him, everybody thought I would have twins because of the size of my belly. I couldn’t see my feet standing up even when I was only 5 months pregnant. The doctor asked me to undergo the sugar fasting test to rule out that I maybe diabetic because diabetic women have big babies. It turned out negative though to my relieve.  When I knew he was going to be a boy, I was so happy. I delivered him by caesarian because he was in breech position until the very end of the term. When he was born, he was born as perfect as I could wish for. I hope that he grows up to be a good individual who loves and respects his parents and I hope that he will be successful and happy in his life in this world and hereafter. Amin. Happy Birthday my darling Emir. Mommy, Papa and Fatini wished you the best in life and we love you so much!

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New neighbour

Last night my brother and wife (with daughter Nadirah) came to give us a house call. They just moved to their big new house, newly renovated and ready. Actually we went to give my sis in law a surprise visit last Sunday to the new house because we got to learn that she moved in already. She was happy to see us and entertained me with a tour inside the house. (Sorry la Intan, sampai almari2 pun akak bukak tengok)  Lawa… with the theme modern contemporary (whatever that means) but it’s very nice. I can guess my brother’s taste la… like those high chairs in the kitchen and the pangkin outside….. Most importantly to me, I am glad that their new home which I hope will be their permanent home is within our neighborhood just maybe 10 minutes drive away. That makes me feel like I have families around as I have always been jealous of those who were raised in KL and therefore have all siblings living within the same area or state. Now I feel like there’s a back up system in case of anything or when I need it.

Anyway, when they were saying they were coming I said have dinner at my house. My sis in law asked, sempat ke masak… and I said “not to worry, everything will be in order. Superwoman is here!”

So upon arriving home and after a few minutes rest, I started busying myself in the kitchen and finally ready with a few simple dishes at about 8 pm and the guests arrived at about half past eight. I could see my SIL couldn’t believe that I have managed to prepare the dishes and kept asking whether I ordered the food from somewhere. I said happily, “No lah Intan, akak masak….“ Anyway actually it was all goreng-goreng and rebus-rebus and tumbuk-tumbuk. This is my dishes when receiving guests with little preparation time. Kalau nak laksa2 tu, I have to prepare days in advance to find the ingredients and so on.

The kids are excited plus malu-malu seeing Pak Lang who they rarely see actually since Pak Lang has been working overseas for years, however they must have wondered every time this guy called Pak Lang sees them, this guy would kiss them and hug them, so the kids must have felt this guy must be somebody special….

Anyway we are all looking forward to spend the long weekend in Melaka for this coming hariraya haji.

Emir...what's happened to you..??

Emir went to the barber with his daddy to get a hair cut yesterday evening and I I thought a hair cut is just a hair cut. Never I expected he was to have his head close shaven. When he arrived home, all smiling and happy as he usually is, oblivious of what has been done to him and me upon seeing him felt like I was going to faint. His head was close shaven and he looked like how I can explain as the little boy who followed the beggar mother everywhere asking people for money, or the boy whose head was shaved because of some skin head disease or the poor Afghanistan boy whose country was so war stricken there is no barber around. When I look at him all that’s obvious is his long eye lashes !!! There’s no other hair on his head. I couldn't bring myself to take a photo of him.

He has thick hair and I am always so proud of his hair and I always ruffled and kissed and smelled his hair, Even now, I could still remember the smell of his hair, my favourite smell. Now I have to wait a few more months before I could smell his hair again and hopefully his baby smell is still there in a few months time. I felt so frustrated and this is just over Emir’s hair but he’s my baby. I felt so sorry for him. He is going to have his 3 YO birthday party on Friday and Weekend is Hariraya Haji. And just imagine him in his school uniform with bald head like that! He will be the laughing stock at school today. My poor Emir.

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