Visit from childhood friend

We were happy to receive an old friend and his family (actually his brother was my primary school classmate and he's my brother's classmate) who came to my mom's house in Melaka on the Hariraya. They are from Jitra. We had not seen each other since primary school. Ha ha Faiz told me he had been silent reader to this blog all this while.

I almost couldn't recognize him with his well built body and more grey hair... I thought he was so tiny back then, just joking.

We had an enjoyable long chat, and lots of recollection of childhood memories and talk of the carefree days. Wish could go back to those times and really love to meet all friends back then.

Tiada kata seindah lukisan...

Selamat Hariraya to all... Maaf zahir Bathin....

The ending and the new beginning

So the raya is coming…. I have been so busy both at work and at home throughout Ramadhan, I didn’t have time to make any entry on this blog. Time was hardly there and there was so much to do. Nevertheless I had great time spending time with my family in this month. It was heavenly to have dinner with my husband every single day, that is 26 days so far in a row, this does not happen during other months! And my kids have been splendid. We went out two times for breaking fast, we skipped all buffet places which was unwarrantedly so expensive and wasteful and went for ala carte places instead and pay only for what we need to eat. Other than that, it’s simple home cooking plus some bazaar food, if any.

It was so fun to shop for Fatini and Emir’s beautiful Raya clothing and shoes and we didn’t count that we bought a bit too many. And the cost, we rather not think about it… Yesterday I went to buy some more stuff for home and Fatini hair accessories since she’s so much into hair nowadays, she wants buns, she wants pony tail, clip here, clip there… hahaha she’s a fussy lass, my little girl!

I called my mom and we talked about who’s coming back and when and what we are going to prepare for hariraya. My mom has already kacau dodol, yummy…, my favourite exactly.

My sister already texted me, when are we going coming back to hometown... soon my dear...

I can already feel the ambiance…that subtle familiar feeling of anticipation when hariraya is coming, that little excitement, the coming holiday…. We are going back to my home town first and then my husband’s hometown and there will be lots of visit we’ll be making.

Most of all, I’m going to love spending time with my family and relatives and watching the kids having fun together.

Fatini didn't puasa....at the end of shopping spree.. she's so tired already.

This is daddy's little girl.

T

Once a while picture taken by the daddy

she likes to pose

Always make funny faces for me.

He stand in front of the sister to block her from the camera, typical Emir...

A little deviation from routine

As swiftly as it can, 12 days of fasting have passed. I have been waking up promptly at 4.30 am every single morning. After the early breakfast, which for me and hubby, could be as simple as sandwiches and coffee, especially me, I just couldn’t swallow any rice, I didn’t go back to sleep. It’s just worthless to continue the sleep when I know I have to get ready to work soon. It will jut give me headache to wake up again so soon. Exception is on Sundays off course where time is more at my leisure.

So, I used the quiet uninterrupted moments to clean the kitchen, clear up any mess my children made the night before and get myself ready. In fact I enjoyed the early morning chores and felt like I have a lot accomplished compared to doing work at other times. I could even get to pick and choose what to wear to work. On normal days, I would just blindly grab anything thing that is hanging in the wardrobeThen I woke the kids up before they changed and once everybody rise and shine we set off to our destinations.

I could feel the effect of lack of sleep. If I allow it, I could doze off at my desk at any moment. And work at the office is as stressful as ever, and off course this makes the time flies even faster. Which is to my preference anyway.

Came 4 pm, by hook or by crook, I have to leave the office to avoid the traffic jam which I know would be massive and would start to pack as soon as 4 pm. I don’t want any additional stress especially from the traffic. On my way home, as usual I picked up the kids.

First day I picked them up early, the one most surprised was Fatini. She kept on asking me, repeatedly, why did I fetch her so early? The usual time was normally very very late and all of a sudden it was so early. And kids don’t like sudden changes and wanted explanation. I told her, not sure what to say, “It’s fasting month, I don’t want to be caught in the traffic.” I feel very sure she didn’t understand my reply and maybe wondered at the connection between fasting (which meaning she has not fully grasped yet) with traffic jam, what has one got to do with the other? Anyway, after getting no satisfactory explanation from me, she resigned. She asked again the next day though.

Arriving home, still in my working attire, I would be in the kitchen, applying my speedy skills to prepare for dinner. The kids behave themselves upstairs. Watching TV and sometimes my daughter would sleep for a while.
Emir would sometimes come into the kitchen, looking for me. I know he wanted me upstairs. But sorry sweetie, mommy’s busy.
Then hubby arrived home buying a kuih or two.

We haven’t been going out for the breaking fast even though there’s no lack of invitations either from my hubby or my side of acquaintances. It’s just that I feel it’s such a waste of time to break the fast somewhere ( we used to do that in previous years) and then by the time we got home it would be late, the children would be tired, and I would be extremely bloated and exhausted. I prefer that we break our fast at home in a simple manner and right after we could just rest at home. Then off to sleep. There's one that I plan to bring my kids to, though, which is to break fast with the orphans from one of the orphanages. That will be next week.

Last weekend, taking advantage of the extended weekend, we went back to Kedah. We left in the morning and the journey in the morning was quite comfortable and pleasant. The kids behaved surprisingly well in the car. They were excited to see Tok and Tok Wan. For me I have always enjoyed the visit back to my husband’s hometown.

Once we were there, other siblings started arriving, knowing we were there. As usual, the house was brightened up by cheers, laughters and jokes between cousins, aunties and uncles. We broke our fast over a vast variety of food, since there were many children.

There was also my favourite northern dish as well “lauk daging batang pisang”. You cannot get this outside Kedah, at least I never found it.

On Monday we left Tok and Tok Wan back to their routine and heading back to KL, to our home sweet home.