A MOM'S JOURNAL

Hello to Everyone..

2011-05-20T22:25:00.000-07:00

Gosh..I admit! I even forgot that I actually have a blog until someone mentioned it to me ..! LOL..!

With the Facebook as my main source of cyber interaction, I guess I forgot to write!!!

My, my..how's everybody been? Me? Still hangin' in here and oh..today is my birthday...(don't want to mention the number..go calculate and figure it out..haha)..

I used to feel good on birthdays..but something is really missing this year, I guess that is what they call as the mid life crisis?? (Gosh, I can't believe I'm already there!)..No..no, it's not that I'm not grateful or anything..but sometimes I wonder what if I have done things that I should have done years back..and I know that if we keep on clinging to the past, how are we supposed to go on..? Well, I was just wondering! What if, I got better exam results yearsss back...I wouldn't be at my place right now? What if I did not meet my hubby (thank God, I met him)..who would I marry???hahaha..(cannot imagine!)..What if I continued my studies to the highest level..??

I have done things that I am not proud of over the years, but I think that what makes life more interesting..add more colours to life? Don't u think so? We make mistakes, but it doesn't mean that we have to live the rest of our lives with it..

We learn, we fail, we succeed...but at least we tried, that is most important...But all in all..we have to be thankful that we are still in the right track...Life is never a stagnant journey...We are always tested by God...God knows what is best for us..God created us, knows our weakness and strength..after all life is just a transit. Make the best out of it while we are still at this point...and be fully prepared for life thereafter, which is the life we have to live forever...

To all, have a great day...don't wait for tomorrow to make things happen..live life today!

Happy Birthday to anyone, anytime of the year..Today is the new beginning...Let's rock!!!LOL!

Luv you!

How are we supposed to forgive when we can never forget??? Can someone help...???

2010-11-26T22:14:00.000-08:00

7 Things...

2010-05-14T18:15:00.000-07:00

7 Things (this is what happens when your teenage daughter is a fan of Miley Cyrus!) that I wish I could do........

1. Shop till I drop at my favourite stores (minus the hubby and kids, for a change..hehehehe)

2. Watch American Idol - if Casey James promise to actually sing...
(can you please put down the guitar and sing! -he's a good looking dude, by the way (wink!)
3. Drink coffee, eat fast food (on the couch)!

4. Sleep for 8 hours straight (when did I last get 8 minutes of good sleep)?

5. Meet up with my girlfriends (yeah...with FB and all...a cuppa coffee at Starbucks are
actually more fun!)

6. Resign from my current workplace and do someting fun (plus the income) forever!

7. Hallucinating (like Ally McBeal used to do) and keep on dreaming....!

I can dream, can't I???

New Year 2010

2010-01-20T16:00:00.000-08:00

The hospital.....

I hope it is not too late to wish everyone a Happy New Year 2010...May this year brings joy to us all.

Baby Hariz............

The best "new year's gift" for me - the arrival of my 5th child - Hariz...Born January 13, 2010 at 12.58 am @ Regency Specialist Hospital, Johor. I asked for ephidural and then had to opt for vacuum delivery (I couldn't push anymore...since I couldn't feel anything!)...Everything went well..

Another Johorian!! And it's a boy!!...Weight: 2.9 kilogram

To all staff at Regency Specialist Hospital - Thank you for the superb service! I really rested and was pampered well during my 3 days, 2 nites stay! It's worth every single penny!

To Dr Tokha Muhammad - Thank you again...! Keep up the great work!

To all my friends - thank you for the prayers and wishes...the sms, the phone calls even when I was in the labour room!!! I really appreciate it...

May God Bless Us All....

Hugzzzzz....

My New Book

2009-12-13T03:04:00.000-08:00

Once I had my heart set on something...I have to get it!

I watch Oprah on TV last month, and she was talking to comedian Steve Harvey ...I didn't know that this guy actually writes books! I mean, I know him only as a funny guy...What I didn't know that he has a radio program which attracts 7 million listeners every morning in Chicago ..! People call in for advice..from a guy's point of view....You know, a person who can give advice and be funny at the same time is the best person to talk to! He knows when to be funny and when to actually advice you especially on relationships.

As usual, I ordered the book online from Kunikoniya (I hope I got the spelling right!)...The price is ...let's just say you can buy a week's grocery with that amount (considering my household headcounts!)...

I 've only read half way through, though...and yet, I have learnt quite a lot about - not only what actually lingers in a man's mind - but also their expectations and how they show their love (believe me girl, it's nothing like how we show our love)....

I recommend to those women who is always searching for answers esp when it comes to the man you love...or just buy it for easy reading...Steve really knows how to make you laugh..hehe...

I am so ready to.......

2009-12-13T02:48:00.000-08:00

I think I am so ready to "pop"!!...My body aches everywhere especially bottom down!!!! I have put on weight like crazy....and my Doc said maybe it's the water retention ...(yeah right!!)...

I cannot imagine being pregnant again after this...I love babies, though...but I just can't take the pain, the weakness in body, the mood swings anymore!

So just hope everything is gonna fine...I am due next January...(24th)..

Oh,yes..for those who didn't have the chance to visit my Facebook...here is my baby's first "pose" from inside my tummy!hehe..this was taken at 6 months ++ I think...Now I am 8 months plus preggy....

(Just being a proud, over reacting mommy...)

Salam...

2009-10-03T21:17:00.000-07:00

Mak aii...lamanya tak berblogging...too busy with..with ...life...I guess!

So many things had happened since I last logged in.

In August my 3 year old son, Kimi, was admitted to Hospital Penawar on August 12. Operation tonsil. Sian dia. Imagine a 3 year old had to endure the pain before, during and after operation. First he had to fast about 8 hours. Ya Allah, tak tahan aku dengar dia menjerit mintak susu, tapi tak boleh bagi!!! Then, kena bius sebelum operation...I saw his eyes before he 'knocked out'...sedih giler tengok anak aku kena lalui semua tu. Then after the operation..bayangkan lah kesakitan dia... ( I hope I'll never have to go thru that experience again... )...

At work, I am bossless again (macam dah biasa pulak ngan keadaan). Tapi yg aku bengang tu, ada yg tanya...u buat apa ek, boss tak de? Aku jawab "buat bodoh je lah". As if, the absence of my boss is my fault. Lagipun, although he's in our Corporate Office in KL, he still gives me work. Yelah, zaman sains dan teknologi, multi media apa ke ntah...Masa ni lah nak guna sepenuhnya, ye tak????

And......For those yang tak tau...

I am pregnant (again) with my 5th! Yup! Believe it....At my age, risau jugak mula-mula nya..tapi I am blessed with friends and family who are very supportive. My hubby said "mesti ada hikmahnya Allah nak bagi"...My friends sume happy for me...And my doctors (my gynae and my cardio specialist)...are being so supportive and feed nothing to my brain other than positive words. Phewwwww! I really need that...Tau la aku ni, suka pikir bukan2...(born with it la ni)...ish...

Oh, yes...dah 6 bulan dah pun...It's gonna be another boy for us...hehe..4 boys and 1 girl je. But right now, my concern is the health of my baby...Korang doa2 kan aku, ek...

Alhamdulillah, tak de major problems during this pregnancy...tapi cuma terasa berat sungguh badan...yelah, dulu 52 kg. Sekarang dah 60 kg...tolongggg!!

Satu lagi, nak pilih nama. My husband nak gak nama start ngan "Ha"..Dah ada Haziq, Hafizy and Haqimi. Pening kepala aku mencari dlm buku and in the net...Korang ada suggestion maksud nama yg baik-baik tak?

OK. GTG. I will try update my blog every now and then ek...

Till then...tata...

Bila Politeknik Johor Bahru kena kuarantin

2009-07-27T18:47:00.000-07:00

Abih semua students balik semalam bila keluar surat rasmi mengatakan Politeknik Johor Bahru had been quarantined...70 plus students were suspected with H1N1.

Lagi best, my husband aka..the warden sent 6 students the night before to Hospital Sultan Ismail. He came back around 2 am and told me the hospital had screened the students and they were released. He dare not enter the Innova this morning knowing the virus could still be in the the car! Hehehe...(kelakar pulak)...

The next morning 2 buses of students were sent to the hospital! All have the symptoms of H1N1...

And what about me? We are staying in the hostel of Infotech 2 (the warden quarters laa)...Hmm. So far I am fine, Alhamdulillah. Only my son is having fever at the moment and we have to be wary. My company told me not to come to work today. Well, I am not having fun, though...quarantine is still a quarantine...we are supposed to stay put...Kinda of boring staying at home...but I do not want to be the culprit incase the flu spreads in MMHE. Tak pasal2 pulak famous for a bad reason...tak mao!

Well, I do not know until when this quarantine applies to me (one week for students and staff of Politeknik)...As for me, I'm fine..and if the company thinks it's ok for me to go to work...by all means....I'll be back...very soon!

till then...chow chin chow...

Gossip

2009-07-14T06:38:00.000-07:00

My single-mum friend told me that she got a lot of attention from men since being single (duhh!! what's new??). She is young, good looking and has her own career.

But what disturb me a bit is, most of her admirers are married man! I mean...among them are married like over 20 years...Are they bored? Are they trying to 'spice up' their lives?Are they into some kind of a long term relationship or just having fun?

I told my friend not to give them hope or even a hint that she's interested in them. Men are men...they try and have got nothin' to lose...And as always, the victims is alway the woman! ...Correct me if I'm wrong...

So be careful, we may be weak physically...but inside - - we are stronger!

PS: (Aku doa laki aku tak la miang bila dah tua-tua...buruk betul kalau jantan miang bila dah tua...eee...)

Transformers

2009-07-05T01:20:00.000-07:00

I "hate" Megan Fox!!! That face, that body....I hope they're fake! Grrrr.....!!!

(Do you smell jealousy..???)

I'm out of ideas....my brain seems to be blocked from...err...thinking, creating, wanting....I just want to lay back and enjoy whatever moment that is left to enjoy...before "the" hormone starts kickin' again!!!

Hello people!...Transformer is the "thing" at the moment....Book your tickets early next time!! (We got our tickets 3 days earlier...Are we smarter than these people, or what??? ha ..ha...ha!)

Popcorn!

Can I have three of these...??

What's Cooking??

2009-06-28T05:48:00.001-07:00

Hi, guys...It's been quite some time since I last logged in...The thing about blogging is...you really have to have the time and mood to keep updating your blog...(rightttt..??)...

This week we baked a cheese cake...and fried some shell pasta for dinner (well, tired of eating rice all the time...this sounds good)...

The process of baking a cheese cake is quite tedious...So, it's my husband's job to do it...we just help with whatever we could...

Fried shell pasta....

Preparing the base of the cheese cake with crackers crumb

The base of the cheese cake

Preparing the batter....

Almost done.....

The final process before baking....

The aroma is unbelievable...yummmmm.....

Want some...???

Tomorrow we are going to the movies....Transformer 2 at Jusco Tebrau City...Till then...adios...!!

Let's walk down memory lane......

2009-06-10T01:52:00.000-07:00

First, I want to thank my husband for his 'effort' in scanning all these pics:)))...

Ok, enough of the 'grandmother's story'...let's just enjoy the pics which were taken between 1994 - 1997 in Columbus OHIO....

Graduation 1997 - Ohio State University, Columbus, OH

On our way back to Malaysia - Disneyland, Los Angeles, California...1997

Our last spring in Ohio 1997

Apple Picking 1997

Picture taken at Factory Outlet, OH

First Snow in OHIO

More pics to come :)))...

Nak dengar cerita takk..?

2009-06-07T06:28:00.000-07:00

Eish..entahlah...rasa tak tenteram lately ni..mood dah go haywire! My brain cells are going crazy...

Macam-macam aku pikir..Aku kan jenis suka memikirkan benda tak sepatutnya....I just can't help it..Dah born with it kot....Aku tengok mak aku pun serupa...Well, dah anak dia...it's in my genes!

First of all, I want to say goodbye to my cousin Farah, the newly-wed (I posted her wedding pics in my previous post). She is going to Columbus OHIO next weekend to work ... I mean, Petronas Research is sending her to work on some research, I guess, for two years....Sian dia...baru kahwin dah kena pisah ngan husband...Sian Lukman. Yelah, Petronas bukan keje gomen yg boleh ambik cuti tanpa gaji bertahun-tahun nak ikut suami/isteri. This is the sacrifice they'll have to make lah kan...Tak pe, 2 tahun kejap je...

I am happy for her.....lagipun I stayed 3 years in Columbus from 1994 - 1997....The most wonderful experience in my life is during those 3 years....Seronok tau duduk negara orang. Columbus is a peaceful place. We lived around Ohio State University campus area...Less crime....nice place to raise a family. My husband and I did part time work. I worked at the Ohio State University Child Care Center for 2 years (I always think about those babies I cared for...they are all in their teens now:))...Then, I joined Fawcett Center (ni kira macam hotel kat UiTM)...Lagi best kerja sini. Pepagi buta aku bukak kiosk for buffet breakfast. Aku sorang je tau. Pakai tudung kemas-kemas, pakai kemeja putih lengan panjang (with black bow), seluar hitam and smiled....Dapat banyak tips dari hotel guest...Sayang aku tak ambik gambor...Yelah, sape nak ambik gambor aku? Anak2 aku, yg sulong and 2nd duduk rumah ngan abah dia. Bila aku abih keje pukul 10 pagi, balik rumah..then it's my husband turn to go to work/classes...Sempat lah kami gi Disneyworld, Orlando....Chicago and few other places around Ohio...Then bila balik Malaysia...singgah Los Angeles for 3 days....Merendek lagi...hehe...Hmm..ntah ada ke lagi chance nak gi US...

Satu lagi aku suka shopping kat sana...Ngan duit part time yg tak seberapa tu pun boleh beli barang branded yg ter amatttt le murah...Especially kat Factory Outlet...Ya Allah...boleh giler kalau korang pergi...Sume jenis jenama ada....Dia org mana ada ciplak macam kita...nak mampus kena saman??? Aku suka cara American ni berfikir...Kita org Malaysia ketinggalan berpuluhan tahun dari segala segi...Yelah, kat sana pun ada yang hampeh macam kita kat sini...Tapi mostly are very nice especially bila kita tinggal di kawasan kampus...People come from all over the world. Ohio State Univeristy is the biggest U in the USA (masa tu...skg pun masih kot). Cara dia org ni hormat wanita, orang tua2 dan kanak-kanak. Cara tatatertib di jalan raya...At least I can see all these positive awareness in Columbus....Rinduuu sangat.....Khaleeda pun born kat sana...tak de bezanya layanan masa kat hospital walaupun aku org Asia....Harap2 dapat le bawak anak2 aku pergi sana satu hari nanti...kalau ada rezeki...Insyaallah.....

So, bila my cousin akan stay there for 2 years...I am so happy for her...she'll be ok...walaupun tetap le rindu husband tercinta....We'll miss her too...Jangan lupa hantar gambar banyak2...Am sure dah banyak perubahan kat sana....eeeeeeeeeeee....nak pergi, nak pergi!!!

Saje nak cerita pasal pengalaman paling indah in my life. Dapat mengubatkan tensen dan serabut kat otak ni...Tambah pulak CPD kena pindah KL...Aku suka keje ngan my boss yg pendiam dan tak banyak kerenah tu...Kawan2 pun ok...Tapi aku tak leh lah duduk KL...Kalaulah company transfer aku ke Dept yg memeningkan, membosankan...satu hal le pulak..Aku pulak jenis family dulu....Kalau kena stay back sampai memalam...memang aku tak sanggup!!

Eeeeeeeee.....serabut seyyy...

Aku serahkan pada Allah SWT jelah..tu je yg aku boleh buat....In the meantime, baik aku pikir perkara/kisah yang indah-indah je...kalau tak...hmm..naik lagi darah aku yg memang dah naik ni...

More Food...

2009-06-06T05:05:00.000-07:00

Mushroom Soup with 'betik muda' (young papaya(?))

Please forgive the low quality picture...I blame myself for forgetting to turn on the oven light!

Menu on Saturday was:

Breakfast - Fried Rice

Lunch - Rice Porridge (with fried anchovies and fish)....Didn't feel like eating rice or anything 'heavy'...The porridge was a perfect choice!

Dinner - Roast Chicken and Mushroom Soup.(As pictured above).

I roasted a chicken in the oven for the first time. Marinated a medium-sized whole chicken for 4 hours and roasted it until golden brown...or was it dark brown??

Hey, nothing beats a home-cooked meal ...(You don't have to be a chef to prepare a great, simple meal for the family....:)

Old pics...hehe

2009-06-01T01:34:00.000-07:00

Sebenarnya ada aku post gambar aku di ‘zaman jahiliah’ dulu..Aku bila tengok je gambar tu, sure tergelak besor…It was in the 80s. I was in my teens! Sabor jelah…dengan lengan baju kurung berlapis-lapis tu…Huyooo…zaman tu memang trend! Haha…Rambut ku ala-ala Zaiton Sameon lak aku tengok..wakakakaka! Tapi yg paling tak tahan – my eyeliner! Tapi I have taken out the pic from this post ...because ...rasa bersalah...sebab nampak aurat (guilty as charged!). So sesape yg sempat tengok...kira rezeki lah!!!

Zaman tu, me without the eyeliner (setebal mungkin) is like ice-cream cone without the ice-cream!!!LOL!

I remembered using double-layered eyeliner –first the pencil type from Revlon, then the liquid type also from Revlon…Dah rupe orang pakai spek je pulak…haha… Masa tu konon cun giler laa….Those days, I will never ever go out without my eye-liner (and my clothes, of course....LOL!)…

The picture was taken at my friend’s birthday party (in Keramat, Kuala Lumpur). I was 18 or 19 years old. Yang tak larat lagi tu, ada ka husband aku gi tampal gambar ni kat opis dia! My husband actually stick this particular photo on the wall by his office table…Daaahhh..sume orang tanya betul ke itu gambar aku? Of course, don’t compare me now with this pic…!

Then, these two photos of my husband when he was in the USA 1993 – 1997. He was around 26 years old. Perasan pulak dia bila tengok gambar ni “hensem jugak I ek..” E’eleh…sabo jelah…Aku kata terimalah hakikat nya sekarang dah tak macam tu…haha…(kalau ada yg terpikat pun ...hmm...ini gambor lama daaaaa....)!

Winter in Columbus, OHIO, USA

Fall Season...

Those were the days…I am posting this pics for old time sake…Dengan kekalutan hidup kat ofis dan di luar nun..sesekali teringat kisah zaman dulu, hehe..best gak..I'll find more pics..so ..tungguuuu...

Hai...

2009-05-26T21:36:00.000-07:00

Lamanya tak update blog...dah tak idea lately nih...

Tapi macam2 berlaku...

Dan yg menghairankan aku boleh terima dengan redha...syukur Alhamdulillah...selama ni aku dipertemukan dengan sahabat-sahabat yg berpegang kuat dengan ajaran Islam dan di kalangan orang-orang yang berfikiran positif. Sedikit sebanyak, kena gak tempiasnya....syukur sekali lagi...

Ingat:

Segala nya adalah ketentuan Allah SWT. Dia yg Maha Mengetahui...Rezeki atau bukan hak kita - semua adalah di atas kehendakNya.

I will keep you guys posted....

Time to watch movies...on TV!

2009-05-18T19:09:00.001-07:00

I spent the whole weekend at home, recuperating….craving for something, then forced myself to cook and ended up eating just a little.

Pelik, tak de selera tapi teringin nak makan itu ini…lepas masak (yes, I even baked a butter cake with some dates) makan sikit je…

A slice of my butter cake with dates....

I just lazed around the house and got some rest/sleep and even had the chance to watch movies on HBO! Yes, at last…this golden moment of watch-all-the-movies you can!

First it was The Bird – Land’s End on Star Movie. Not bad ..I like the scenery…an island, a house by the beach…one happy American family…and yes, here comes the thriller….killer birds..which attacked and killed humans! Yikes!…Oh, well ..not that scary but it was ..like I said..not bad for family viewing…

Then, on HBO I got to watch Philadelphia (again). I remember watching this movie on VHS…years ago… Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington are just two brilliant actors which made this movie worth every seconds of my full concentration (like…for the 6 or 7^th times)! This movie is already 16 years old and I recommend to those who love drama (and hate action/kungfu movies)… Tom Hanks won the 1993 Academy Award for Best Actor (in this movie he played Andrew Beckett, a gay lawyer who was fired because he had AIDS). Again 1994 Academy Awards, he won the Best Actor for his character in Forrest Gump. I just love this guy…he’s a true talent…what can I say….

On Sunday, I watched The Beach…..the one which has Leo DiCaprio in it. I didn’t have the chance to watch it until that day! Good movie…the rave about this movie is actually worth the trip to the cinema ((I mean if you’re living in year 2000!)…I am so ‘ketinggalan zaman’…

Then I realized, I was a frequent movie-watcher (on VHS/VCD)…..as the years go by and as my responsibilities demand ¾ of my life….there goes my favorite hobby which I think help me get connected with the world outside my home for many years….(sigh!)

More food....

2009-05-15T21:26:00.000-07:00

Since I wasn't feeling really well ... my hubby decided to cook on Thursday. I came back from work that day, and there he was in the kitchen preparing for dinner..(awwww..that's so sweettt...).... And this was what we had for dinner....Lamb Chop...

And on Saturday I feel like eating fish curry....I peeked into my freezer and found two pieces of 'ikan tenggiri' that had been in there forever...

Fish curry

"White Carrot" Soup

"Pappedum"

Nothing compares to a home-cooked meal especially when you're not feeling well...burp! (My throat still sore and my body still ache..but at least I can satisfy my tastebud..)

Demam la pulak..

2009-05-13T03:34:00.000-07:00

I was working as usual on Tuesday although I was not feeling well. (Yelah, konon nak jaga tak nak MC banyak-banyak)..But I felt worse before lunch and since I had an appointment with Dr Ibrahim Abdullah at Hospital Penawar for my blood pressure, I decided to wait till after lunch.

After my check up, Dr Ibrahim asked whether I would like to be hospitalised and I said 'no'. He said he had few cases of Dengue and Chikunguya fever recently.I promised him, if I do not feel better after a few days, then I will 'volunteerily hospitalised" myself (haha..). He gave me two days medical leave and told me rest..really rest at home.

I do feel better today although I have not fully recovered. Tak sedap hati pulak boss ada kat ofis, and I cuti lama-lama...Tapi...haa..tapi...selama ni I dok jaga tak nak ambik MC banyak-banyak..tak appreciate pun??? (err..kalau org HR baca ni...jgn la btau my boss ek..nanti I kena transfer ke dept jin bertendang pulak)..hihihi...

Satu lagi nak share, accordingg to Dr Ibrahim..the swine flu is so dangerous because the virus will damage the human lungs and eventually causes death..Nauzubillah...So, be careful and take care of yourselves.

Penyakit sekarang ni dah canggih. Even nyamuk aedes pun dah jenis species canggih zaman sekarang ni. Allah SWt turunkan bala, supaya manusia sedar siapa yang lebih berkuasa...All those advance technologies can never ever challege the power of the Almighty

Allah turunkan penyakit untuk menghapuskan dosa..kena redha...dan kita kena usaha mencari penawarnya..Dan kata Dato' Dr Fadzilah Kamsah...memang semua penyakit ada ubatnya tetapi kadang-kadang kita yg tak jumpa...

Well, I have to log of now...Hope to be back on my feet again...(tomorrow)!!

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-08T17:40:00.000-07:00

I received this email from a friend, wishing me a Happy Mother's Day ...

I was overwhelmed with emotions when reading this, not only because I'm a mom, but also because I'm a daughter..All those words and the things I've done to hurt the most special woman in my life...Nothing in this world can compare to her unconditional love ..nothing!No matter what, she's always been there...But still, we children could never understand her emotions, her way of showing how much we mean to her...

To my mom, Norma bt. Khalid....I wish you A VERY HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY....Again...and again..... I thank you ...for everything......

Love: Ija...

SELAMAT HARI IBU!

Kita semua adalah anak. Dilahirkan oleh ibu selepas berbulan mengandungkan kita dengan segala susah payah. Sesungguhnya kita sangat terhutang budi dengan bonda yang melahir dan membesarkan kita. Al Quran sendiri menjelaskan betapa tingginya penghormatan dan kebaikan yang wajib dilakukan oleh seorang anak kepada ibu bapanya. Allah berfirman:

“Dan telah kami perintahkan kepadamu, Janganlah sekali-kali menyembah selainku dan berbuat baiklah kamu kepada kedua orang tuamu. Sama ada kedua ibu bapamu atau salah seorang daripada mereka sudah lanjut usia, janganlah kamu mengatakan kepada mereka walaupun pun perkataan ‘uhh’, dan janganlah sekali-kali kamu meninggikan suara kepada mereka, dan bercakaplah dengan mereka dengan ucapan-ucapan yang mulia. Dan Hendaklah kamu sentiasa merendahkan diri di hadapan mereka dan berdoalah: Wahai Tuhanku, kasihanilah kedua-dua mereka sepertimana jerit perih mereka membesarkan kami sedari kecil” (al Isra’: 23-24)

Cinta Tak Berpenghujung Sungguh jasa bonda tak dapat dibalas. Mengandungkan kita berbulan-bulan lamanya, bertarung antara hidup dan mati ketika melahirkan kita ke dunia. Masih ingatkah kita, bagaimana kesabaran ibu kita melayan karenah dan segala ragam kita sewaktu kecil, bersengkang mata hingga ke pagi ketika kita demam dan sakit, menyedia sarapan untuk kita sebelum ke sekolah… Banyak sungguh jasa ibu… banyak yang sudah kita terlupa… Masih ingatkah kita doa ibu di penghujung solat mendoakan kejayaan kita anak yang dikasihinya, tangis syukur yang tumpah dari kelopak mata ibu sewaktu kita menggenggam ijazah. Ibu kita mungkin buta huruf dan tidak bersekolah tetapi mata hatinya celik, ingin melihat masa depan anaknya cerah, secerah mata hatinya.

KASIH IBU SANGAT LUAR BIASA; kasih tanpa syarat, cinta yang tak berpenghujung… Highway ke Syurga Rasulullah bersabda: “sangat rugilah, sangat rugilah, sangat rugilah, mereka yang masih memiliki ibu bapa atau salah seorang daripada mereka patah lagi yang sudah lanjut usia, sedangkan anak-anak tersebut dicampakkan ke dalam neraka” (riwayat Muslim). Hadith ini menjelaskan mentaati dan menyantuni ibu bapa apatah lagi yang sudah tua adalah antara jalan yang mudah untuk menikmati syurga.

Bahkan ganjaran lebih besar buat anak yang melayani ibu dan bapanya yang sudah tua sehinggakan Rasulullah menyebutkan betapa rugi dan malangnya seorang anak yang masih mempunyai ibu dan ayah sedangkan si anak tersebut tidak memperolehi syurga kerana mengabaikan kedua orang tuanya. Antara tanggungjawab seorang anak terhadap ibu bapanya termasuklah menyediakan makan dan minum serta kelengkapan hidup mereka sekiranya mereka tidak mampu, taat dan patuh kepada perintah mereka, sentiasa memohon maaf di atas segala kesalahan dan kealpaan dan sentiasa mendoakan keampunan untuk mereka dan kesejahteraan mereka di dunia dan di akhirat. Memang kita sibuk, kerja banyak, masa tak cukup dan bermacam-macam lagi alasan, namun sementara mereka masih hidup, janganlah bertangguh untuk mendapat ganjaran besar yang disediakan.

Ingatlah, Allah Maha Adil, sekiranya kita menghormati dan mentaati kedua ibubapa, maka kita juga akan dihormati dan di taati oleh anak-anak kita kelak dan begitulah sebaliknya. Kejayaan dan keberkatan hidup banyak bergantung kepada restu ibu dan ayah…

To Kuala Lumpur...

2009-05-04T18:22:00.000-07:00

Hmm...I went to KL on the 1st - 3rd May 2009. Again, attended a wedding (kali ni menghantar my cousin ke rumah sebelah pengantin lelaki)...Buat kat Dewan Kastam di Kelana Jaya. My cousin Farah was wearing the Aceh bride costume..hehe..cute je nampak...rasa nak cubit-cubit..wakakaka!

It's time to cut the wedding/groom's birthday cake...2-in-1!

Say cheese!!!...Waaaa..so happy lovey-dovey...hehe

Then, I got the chance to stroll around JTAR area....bought myself and my daughter a few kain ela for Raya. Luckily my sons and husband decided to go somewhere else as they are not really into textile shopping!

At Sogo, while waiting for him to pick us up..there I was being hypnotized by the Estee Lauder sales girl and end up with these............! (I hate myself for being so ...WEAK!!!!..Arghhhhhhhhh!!!)

Sesekali balik kampung...

2009-04-28T06:16:00.000-07:00

Aduh…masih sakit-sakit badan ku ini. 7 jam traveling from Ipoh to JB by bus…no kidding, man! Especially when there’s a three year old on board! Overall, Haqimi behaved well on the bus. And of course, he had his moments…at one time he even sang his favourite song (the one by Bunkface)…Imagine bus full of sleepy people, and there’s a cute small voice singing on top of his lungs!...

But it’s all worth it. I’m glad that I could make it to my cousin’s wedding. The wedding is as lovely as the newly-wed and oh, yes…Congratulations to both of them. May your life fill with happiness 24/7.

I love this pic...heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee....

I also got the chance to meet up with a long lost friend from school, Zarina. My daughter Khaleeda was admiring her from head to toe. She is as lovely as ever and yes, we got to see the Louis Vuitton handbag that she carried ....Hmm…cantik nya....padanlah dengan harganya yg beribu-ribu…

Antara yang seronok bila balik Ipoh ni, got to hear people talking with Perak accent. Masa nak naik teksi dari bas stand to my mom’s, I asked the driver “Pergi Taman Meru berapa?”..He replied “Lima beleh (belas)”…I said to myself…"Dah lamaa tak dengar slang Perak”..hehe…

Then, there’s the akad nikah on Saturday nite and the reception at Carsem Hall the next day. I was so happy to see almost everyone I know at the wedding…My aunts, uncles and other relatives…Seronok!!!!

My children and my cousins

Hmm…ni yang maleh balik Ipoh ni..you know why? Bila balik sana, maleh giler nak balik JB..Help!!

At least dapat jugak mengubat hati yg luka di saat boss bagi rating…This one is a whole different story altogether (sigh!)

When my brother wrote an email.....

2009-04-20T19:35:00.000-07:00

My brother forwarded an email that he wrote to the Star newspaper yesterday. He was commenting on the earlier email from a reader in KL.

Kelakar (It made me smile).. because I have never seen my brother angry and I have never heard him raised his voice to anyone. Where in the world that he gets his patience from?…(You tell me… I am sooooo opposite of him).

He wasn’t really angry with the reader’s opinion, just disagreeing with what was written. And of course I agree with my bro 100%!...…But then, I keep on imagining his face when he wrote that email!

Here's what he wrote:

I REFER to Hassan Talib's "http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/4/15/focus/3693054&sec=focus" target="_blank">Our Children need English-medium schools". He has jumped to the conclusion that the English medium is the only reason that his friend's son, who attended an international school, had the numerous characteristics that he proudly listed.

He should have also asked his friend about the international school's curriculum, syllabus, teaching staff, environment etc. Then ask him how much he paid the international school. Then compare all of that with those of a "sekolah kebangsaan", including the overworked and undertrained (for some) teachers.

I don't think English is the only reason. Let's compare apples to apples. English, though, is undeniably the universal language. It's important to master it, no doubt. But to go back to the good old days of the 1950s through the 1970s is to step backwards.

We already have a national language and should be proud to use it. It is part of who we are. The weakness of English in our present students should be addressed by focusing on improving the English lessons to the most effective methods for all students.

This is already the 21st century. I am sure this country has enough academicians and experts who can help the Government to achieve that. Just give them the opportunity to contribute and implement their ideas.

Lastly, Hassan also wrote that the "handicapped" students have to depend on the Government for work. It implies that those in the private sector are English proficient . Don't be too sure. After almost two decades of working in the private sector, I dare say the level of English among most of them is far from perfect. It is more Manglish than English.

ZULKIFLI MOHAMED YUSOF,

Penang.

Spa

2009-04-19T03:31:00.000-07:00

I wasn't feeling well since Wednesday...I went to the doctor and surprise, surprise..my blood pressure was really high. Since my regular cardio specialist was on a 2-week leave and I missed my appointment with him on the 7th of April...I don't have any medication in stock! (Yeah, as if I've been taking my BP pill regularly..duh!)...I'm not being stubborn, I just want to lower my blood pressure naturally...at least I'm trying to do it without drugs...I don't know how long I can do this but I've been taking my supplements and really watching my diet...I've got this feeling that I am going to be on BP med. for life (Gosh!)....Well, I have to take care of myself for the sake of my family..right ?

So, I decided to go for a spa treatment...a.k.a ''let me pamper myself once in a while'' eh? I've chosen the relaxation body treatment ...the hydrotherapy bath spa and of course the full body massage...(sounds good already, huh?)...

Hydrotherapy Spa Bath - I was soaked neck down in this bath tub full with warm water and 'powerful' bubbles. The girl put in some kind of therapy-oil...and I was almost asleep as the bubbles really relaxes my body...ahhh....It was only for 15 minutes and I felt a bit dizzy when I got out of the tub!(It's the side effects, they said!)

Then, the moment I've been waiting for...The full body massage - the tradional Indonesian massage. I was ushered to this dimmed lighted room, with a soothing "as-if-you're-in-Bali" kinda music...and I think the owner had done a great job on the decor! There I was being massaged for 1 hour by this nice, skinny girl...(where did she get all that energy from??). 1 hour really flies when I was having such a good time..haha!

When I reached home at around 7.30 pm, my daughter and my son were frying eggs..for dinner!! See, I wasn't around for only 2 hours and they 'missed' me already..:))

Can't wait to do this again!!!!

Muffin ku..ahaks!

2009-04-11T22:30:00.000-07:00

Vanilla Muffins with Lemon Flavour...

Akhirnya...dapat jugak buat muffin (kalau bubuh icing...jadi cupcakes)! Selama ni , oven kecik...tak muat bekas cupcakes! I made 24 nos. of them before noon...and they were all gone by evening....:))

Imagine the aroma...arrhhhhhh.........

For Self-Satisfaction...Until......

2009-04-09T20:28:00.000-07:00

Let’s see…one of the many soft spots in me..is for lipstick…I can just try the different colours and leave the counter without buying anything…so much for self-satisfaction but imagine the expression on the salesgirl’s face…I asked this and that and said “OK, thanks” and left…..(that's why I can never, ever sell anything...I'll throw tantrums if I were her!!!!)

Last week, I went to the Shiseido counter at Jusco Permas Jaya with my friends during lunch time and really love the new Perfect Rouge Lipstick. It’s really smooth and…since I was itching for something different from what I have, I chose a bright pink colour and actually bought one!

Then came the real nightmare (besides the eye popping price tag)…I tried it at home and realized that I’ve bought the wrong colour! It’s red! Really bright, striking red! What do I do now? (You know the feeling, right?)

Too lazy to go back and change, I decided to keep it. A friend of mine saved my life by giving me this very useful tip – wear it with a lighter colour lipstick! Luckily, I have this unused EL lipstick – it’s light, almost nude pink…And it worked…Phewwwwwwwwwwww!!

So, ladies next time you go shopping, make sure you take home the right size (for clothes) and colour (cosmetics)...Don't underestimate the frustration of bringing home the wrong ones because....you won't be able to get it out of your mind for the rest of the day...(believe me!)

My "Butterfly"

2009-04-09T05:41:00.000-07:00

I've always wanted to get myself a new oven. The one I have now, is waiting "to retire"...

We were at this electrical shop the other day, and my eyes were set on this stainless steel oven. And the thing that caught me most was the brand - BUTTERFLY...I remember my late grandmother (whom I called "Mak") had this round, black, glass-top oven the same brand. It made me think of her and realized, I missed her a lot. The shop owner even showed me a similar oven sent for repair and it's already 34 years old!I think its the reputation that makes it a sought after oven brand, uptill today....

Although there are other brands with the same size and capacity (and also at a much cheaper price), but my heart was set on this one...I have to have it!

It's been quite sometime since I bought something ..and feels really good about it:)))...

When Kimi sings Situasi by Bunkface

2009-04-05T17:39:00.000-07:00

He likes to sing..And my husband blames me and AF 3 (Mawi's era)...although I am not a Mawi's fan but all the fuss about him, made me a fan of AF3 when I was pregnant with Kimi..hehehe
(eleh...my husband pun suka tengok AF3..siap bakar ikan/ayam smbil tgok AF3..ahaks)

Laksa Asam

2009-04-05T02:09:00.000-07:00

I have been living in Johor since 1998 and one of the things I miss most about my hometown Ipoh is the food! Char Kway teow, laksa penang (chinese style), mee curry, mee soup...all cooked the Chinese style. There's one shop in Ipoh owned by a Chinese Muslim and everytime I go back, I will definitely go for its variety of noodles.

Laksa Asam is one of my favourites, so today I decided to cook laksa penang (chinese style). I'm not really sure what the recipe requires, but I used my intuition (hehe)....

I used a can of sardin instead of the fresh ones. Yes, pour everything into the pot including the sauce, add some blended big onions (the more the better)...chilli, crushed lemon grass, daun kesum, bunga kantan...and an inch of gallagar (lengkuas) - crushed. And I chopped some ripe pineapple and dumped it in the boiling gravy. The pineapple juice really gives the sweet taste! And don't forget mint leaves...The pineapple and mint leaves can also be added when serving...Add a bit of ikan bilis seasoning, salt and sugar to taste...

My husband's comment: Almost the same as the ones in Ipoh - adding ajinomoto would help!

Warning: The taste of canned sardin is quite strong. Some may not like it..

But as usual Khaleeda and my husband tambah dua kali! My sons don't really like laksa, anyway!

Ish, dah lama tak makan laksa asam penang nih....sedappp...yum..yumm..

And on Saturday went to Danga Bay night market...That place is quite interesting....Must check it out if you come to JB!

...Frust nyerrr.........

2009-03-30T00:12:00.001-07:00

Frust betul bila kek yg aku buat weekend baru ni tak menjadi. Yang buat slack nyer tu was the strawberry topping. Dah lah fresh strawberry tu sikit je, pastu bila masak dengan gula, air dan cinnamon powder ..jadi sikit pulak bila dah pekat.

Orange Cake with Strawberry Jem Topping

Nak tak nak, I just spread it on the cake. Ish, tak cantik langsung kek ni..tapi Khaleeda kat sedap! Ada orange flavor..then strawberry jem (home made topping). Dan untuk menutup kekurangan topping, I just sprinkled some chocolate rice.

The resipi was given by my friend. Dia pun dpt dari internet…Senang je, tak payah beli buku resipi mahal2…Tapi satu la, kadang2 resipi kat internet tu tak berapa menjadi. Kira nasib-nasib…

Dan frust jugak bila dapat tahu dari my boss yg few divisions in my company are moving to the corporate office in KL, that includes my Division lah! Laa…I really like working here and boss, colleagues sume okay..Dah kena pindah pulak. And of course I was asked whether I’m willing to relocate. Of course not lah! KL! Ish, tak sanggup hadapi the traffic jam, the hassle, the rush…Tapi kalau dah terpaksa ..macamana? Life in PGudang is so conducive, hassle-free esp when you have a family to take care of…I just hope I’m not ‘forced’ to move to KL….

May there be some other options..Insyaallah…

Kursus Masakan Western

2009-03-29T06:47:00.000-07:00

My husband...yg kiri sekali..with his 'students...

Weekend baru ni jugak, my hubby mengajar masakan Western kepada peserta anjuran Kementerian Luar Bandar. Anak aku yg pergi jenguk abah dia kat kitchen Politeknik kata "Pandai lah abah masak...kenapa dia tak masuk AFC? (Asian Food Channel)...hehe...Dan anak aku yang no 3 ni jugak lah bercita-cita nak jadi Chef. Ada je 'projek' dia kat dapur...goreng telur, buat maggie, masak air..."..pastu yg kena kemas...mak nyerrrr jugak..grrrrrrrrrrrr!!!

Hafizy, baju hijau....Chef in the making...tapi kali ni jadi 'food tester' dulu ..(bawak kengkawan sekali!)

Waahh...dah terrer nampakk.....

Tengok betul-betul....

Fish and Chips...

Bread Pudding

Gambar kenangan le nih....

Tapii...bila kat rumah...dia 'gantung apron!'....

Earth Hour Saturday 28.3.2009

2009-03-29T06:12:00.000-07:00

Attention Everyone...Let's get ready for the "lights-off!!

Enjoying themselves (camera flash and sky full of stars are the only source of light!..)

We, the residents of Female Students' Hostel, Infotech 2, Politeknik Johor Bahru supported the Earth Hour Campaign on Saturday, 28th March 2009!

The hostel was in darkness from 8.30 pm - 9.30 pm and we made the best out of it...!!

Oh, yeah...and there's the laptop for entertainment....

Let's just mingle for one hour...in darkness...cool!

Kimi took advantage of this 'exciting' moment.....!!!

Apa cite??

2009-03-26T20:26:00.000-07:00

Lately, ni banyak cerita aku dengar pasal rumahtangga runtuh disebabkan oleh orang ketiga. Kalau pasangan suami isteri muda, aku paham lah jugak. Tak tahan godaan, mungkin. Konon masih muda, masih ramai peminat, maka terjadilah kisah cinta suami dan isteri orang…Tapi kalau melibatkan lelaki umur 50 tahun ke atas, macamana ek? Pada aku lah, kalau dah umur dah hampir ke penghujungnya…apa lagi yg dicari? Pasangan muda? Habis yang lelaki tu ..tak cermin diri ke? Apa sebenarnya yg dicari dalam hidup ni? Bukan kah Allah dah kurniakan usia panjang tu sebagai satu bonus…apa kata gunakan untuk memperbanyakkan ibadah, muhasabah diri dan tengok balik apa yg kurang selama ni…masa ni lah, sepatutnya kita bertungkus lumus memperbanyakkan amalan untuk bekalan kita di akhirat kelak (chewah…mcm ustazah pulak aku nih).

All I’m saying is we have to know our goals in life. What do you really want in life? Sebab kita org Islam, life kita bukan setakat di dunia ni je? Ada lagi yg abadi…Di dunia ni, kita rasa kita wanita bekerja..boleh buat apa sahaja, hingga tak takut langsung nak menduakan suami…Masih cun, vogue …ramai peminat ..so rasa diri ni bagus sangat….At the end of the day, tak ke mana semua tu kalau dah buta hati. Sampai bila kita cantik? Esok lusa, tua jugakk….Ujian sebenarnya tu. “Penyakit segala cantik adalah riak”…Setiap penyakit ada ubatnya…Antibiotik paling berkesan – Taubat. Tapi ramai jugak wanita cantik yg mempertahankan maruah diri, tahu batas sebagai seorang isteri dan wanita Islam…Alhamdulillah.

Bagi suami yg rasa kuasa veto nak kawin 4 tu dia org punya….Jangan bab kawin 4 je ikut sunnah Rasulullah SAW. Tingkah laku yg lain tak de pulak sekelumit pun mcm Baginda!! Kesian lah kat wife yang cuba jadi isteri terbaik - - bekerja utk tolong suami (which is not compulsory pun!), jaga makan pakai sekeluarga…Masih tak cukup lagi ke? We are not getting any younger…Bila susah pandai pulak dgn isteri pertama, tapi bila senang mula nak buka cawangan. Boleh kawin 4..sebab ini Allah SWT telah benarkan …Dia yang Maha Mengetahui setiap hambanya….tapi ingat tanggungjawab! Bukan nya senang….Dengan sorang pun dah pening..kalau 4…muntah terus kot???

Buah hati pengarang jantung aku yg paling bongsu...Haqimi, 3 thn....
(tu bukan bantal...tapi cotton candy!!!)

Entahlah ek, kita perempuan ni paling banyak beralah…paling banyak bersabar, paling banyak berkorban demi kebahagiaan suami dan anak2…Tambahan pulak isteri bekerja…mak aiii..rasa hari cepat sangat berlalu…Kerja tak habis-habis…dari opis smpailah ke rumah…Tapi I’m glad to do it..selagi masih ada tenaga dan kesihatan….I love doing it for my family….Macam semalam, sampai rumah dah pukul 6 lebih. Tengok ada ikan sekor lagi…hiris serai, daun limau purut, asam keeping, daun sup, daun ketumbar…bawang putih sikit…bubuh kicap cair, minyak bijan, then lumur pada ikan…then stim je!!!! Pukul 6.45 pm kena ambik anak dara aku kat sekolah since on Thursdays, my husband kena gi kelas PhD dia kat UTM…Selalunya ada org tolong ambik anak aku, tapi dia gi outstation pulakk….Super Kelam Kabut!

Steamed Fish...

So, makan malam hanya dengan stim fish!!! And pagi tadi aku sempat buat nasi lemak. for breakfast. Yang sedihnya aku dah siap letak dalam bekas..nak breakfast kat office le konon...….boleh tertinggal kat rumah!!!!! Sedeyyy laaa….kempunan aku nasi lemak buatan sendiri…hmmm..tak de rezeki nampaknya....Ni lah nasib perempuan bekerja...cuba sedaya upaya pleasing others, sampai 'lupa' nak layan diri sendiri! Sigh..!

Breakfast pulakkk....

2009-03-26T00:18:00.000-07:00

Simple je...tapi kena bangun awal sikit...!

Pagi tadi, sempat buat roti jala for breakfast. Kari ayam tu I cooked for dinner last night. So, memang buat lebih utk makan dgn roti jala. Senang je kan buat roti jala ni. Make sure texture adunan tepung tu cair sikit and campur telur, gula dan garam. Tapis la adunan tepung untuk elakkan ketul-ketul tu…

Kari ayam masak malam tadi...hehe..

Well, walaupun kelam-kabut jugak la pagi tadi, tapi bila tengok my family enjoying it, sungguh berbaloi..ahaks! To me, breakfast la paling penting especially for my kids. Lunch dia org tak makan sangat, sebab kenyang lepas makan apa ntah kat sekolah. Tapi bila dinner, haa ..kau..! Makan banyak-banyak!!

Khaleeda makan pakai apron...!!

Mmmm......

Sweet and Sour Fish

2009-03-24T04:02:00.000-07:00

On every working days, I go out of the house latest by 7.15 am and only comes home earliest by 5.45 pm. I'm always in a hurry! The first thing I do when I wake up in the morning is to put the kettle on and then off to the bathroom. After solat, then it's time to prepare breakfast. It's as simple as french toast or nasi goreng. And if I have the time to make early preparation, so it's going to be nasi lemak for breakfast!

Then, comes the menu for dinner!! Goodness...it's hard enough thinking about it. I called my husband and asked "Nak makan apa?"...And sometimes he answered "Ntah"..Well, that doesn't help, dear! Well, I just have to use whatever is in the fridge and try to have dinner ready before Maghrib..! Phewwww...(the story of my life...sigh!)..

Like today, I just peeped into my fridge and found some vegetables that desperately needed to be cooked! Then there's one ikan siakap! Hmmm....The simplest dish I can think of is sweet and sour fish..

Recipe? Tak payahlah kot...it's everybody's "know-how"....just campak2 some onions-garlic-ginger-chilli, different types of sauce and don't forget some corriander leaves (I just love the taste and smell)...I also added some daun sup and fresh tomatoes! Hmm...kalau korang tak sempat nak buat (al-maklumlah, everybody is so busy and tak sempat) just enjoy the pic je lah, ek...ahaks!

Reunion - The Cyber Style...

2009-03-16T19:33:00.000-07:00

Amazing! How these modern technologies can do wonders to us all…With Facebook, Friendster, MySpace, we can actually ‘reunite’ with our childhood friends from school and even college.

Few friends from SM Convent Jalan Sultan Idris Shah, Ipoh are already in my friends list. When I look at them all, I could still reminisce our school days...

Amutha Taylor – We practically grew up together. Born the same year, she was my closest friend in Greentown, Ipoh. Greentown was a huge government quarters years ago. And now all that’s left are fond memories. It is now a business center in Ipoh. Amutha and I were neighbours and when we played, fight, shared our interests together. We even shared the same toilet once!! (I’ll skip the details!!). We went through the eras of the 70s and 80s ie Grease, Lady Di (the hair cut…arhhh!). She speaks Malay fluently (yeah, complete with Perak accent, sometimes) but I cannot speak a word of Indian…err… perhaps one or two …How I wish I can ‘master’ the Indian language as she did with the BM!

Now she is married to an American and living in Texas, USA. She has a son (woi..tak nak tambah lagi ker??)… Glad to be connected with her again.

Zarina Abdul Rahim - She is one of my most beautiful friends! Ramai peminat nih….She is tall, fair and she looks good in anything ..even in the altered jeans during Rock Kapak era…(remember?)..My mom said Zarina is very well-mannered. She married young and now her two kids look like her younger brother/sister!

Intan Bazian Zakaria – Intan and I went to primary and secondary schools together but we got acquainted during our secondary school years! I will never forget when Intan ‘taught’ me how to enjoy the KFC coleslaw (I used to hate it)..but when we were having lunch in KFC after school, I saw her putting lots of tomato sauce on the coleslaw..and it actually tasted good..and from there on, I never leave my KFC coleslaw untouched!

Today she is married to a Swiss, living in Switzerland and has two beautiful kids!

Firuz Husin – Firuz is the most intelligent Malay girl in Convent School that time. She scored straight As in every major exams! Although we were not that close, but we used to be in the same class in Form 4 or 5 (I couldn’t remember). She is just adorable and friendly. I still remember when she sold cassettes of Azura soundtracks for RM2…! I think she made a good income that year! Haha…

Latest info from Firuz (through FB of course)…she is now in USA with her family. She is working and hubby is studying..Good for her!!

And there’s Hanim and Ailisa…really, really happy to be reunited with all of you…! Keep in touch…and maybe someday there’ll be an actual Reunion, eh? I am still hoping to see more friends from SM Convent Ipoh in FB!

PS: Just to share - that Ms Zara Salim Davidson, who is now the wife of Raja Muda Perak’, is also an ex-Convent Ipoh student! She is 5 years younger than I am and I can still remember how she looks like in her primary school uniform. Since the primary and secondary schools are in the same compound.. I could see her running around with her friends sometimes. She had lots of admirers (anak Mat Salleh cun le katakannn…)..Daulat Tuanku...YM Raja Zara Salim.

Vegetable Dalca

2009-03-15T19:24:00.000-07:00

Not bad for a "first-timer"

When I got this recipe from my friend Sue of Paka, Terengganu, I was excited and tried it for dinner the very same day! After office, I dropped by the supermarket and grabbed two packets of frozen roti canai and some vegetables. As this recipe calls for fresh lamb bones, I substitute it with lamb slice (meant for making steaks). I reached home around 6 pm and started with my cooking adventure!

A perfect match!

True enough, the dalca was simply delicious and very easy to prepare. The only problem was my dal wasn’t tender enough as I was cooking it in a rush! It should be boiled for quiet sometime to get the right texture…Oh, well…next time round, I’ll make sure it will turned out better than this..hehe..

So, this recipe is especially dedicated to working moms who are always looking for simple, delicious recipe. As I always try to serve dinner before Maghrib, simple recipes such as this always save the day!

Happy cooking!

Bahan2

Dalca (cari yg kaler orange kecik tu sedap sikit and cepat empuk)

Bawang putih 3 ulas

Tulang kambing or kalu tak suka, ayam pun boleh (potong kecik2)

Tomato, kentang, terung, carrot (potong sederhana besar)

Santan or fresh milk

Serbuk kunyit satu sudu kecik

Serbuk cili 2 sudu or ikut suka nak pedas ke idak

Tumis darat

Bawang merah, cili kering, halia & daun kari

Cara2.

1. Masukkan dalca, tulang & isi sikit, bawang putih (seulas2, tak payah hiris) and serbuk kunyit, serbuk rempah kari daging, serbuk cili and rebus.

2. Dah empuk, masukkan kentang & carrot and teruskan merebus till half empuk.

3. Masukkan terung bulat tu (Yg dah dipotong enam) dah rebus lagi till empuk then masukkan tomato

4. Masukkan santan pekat (jgn pekat sgt, dah tambah air sikit) or fresh milk.

5. Garamkan, dah rasa sedap tutup api

Dlm kuali lain, tumis kan bawang merah yg dihiris, halia yg dihiris, cili kering yg dipotong 3 dan daun kari.

Dah kuning2, tuangkan dlm periuk dalca nnt.

Kem Kepimpinan Pelajar Hospitaliti, PJB in Tg Resang, Mersing

2009-03-15T18:58:00.001-07:00

Students' Lodging

Physical activities...

My kids and I followed my husband to Tanjung Resang, Mersing on 13 – 15^th March 2009. The Camp was organized by him and few other lecturers.

Our lodging...

Among the activities were mountain climbing, Explorace, night activities and talks by lecturers and ustaz.

Mountain Cllimbing....

WE DID IT!!!

Makan time....

Khaleeda (in green tudung) joined kakak-kakak makan setalam!

My older children were excited to join the students for these activities. But the most interesting was the mountain climbing. They started their journey around 9.30 am and were back at the resort at 4.00 pm! They even called me when they reached the peak of the mountain!!

In Tg Resang, besides the beach, we can also enjoy the waterfall and the mountain climbing.

Kimi enjoying himself......

Enjoy the pics...!

Why oh..why..

2009-03-09T05:44:00.000-07:00

Disebabkan harta benda duniawi...adik beradik boleh bergaduh, suami isteri boleh bercerai berai, rakan taulan boleh bermasam muka..Kadang-kadang terpikir jugak, bukannya boleh bawak mati pun...Yang kita bawak hanyalah kain putih membalut tubuh serta amal jariah semasa hidup.

Tapi itulah bila syaitan (yg direjam) menghasut manusia. I always remind myself and my children never to fight over something which is not even ours. Sayang sekali bila pertalian silaturrahim terputus begitu sahaja hanya kerana harta. Memang lah, siapa tak nak duit? Siapa tak nak kaya raya? Tapi I think it's more meaningful if we earned it ourselves? Betul tak..? Alhamdulillah jikalau harta dibahagikan sama rata and bertuah mak bapak yg punyai anak-anak di kalangan orang-orang yg bersyukur. Dah dapat free pun dah cukup baguih.

I think I'm babbling because I don't have anything to fight over ..I don't come a from rich family..Senang la cakap, ye tak..Cuba kalau keluarga kaya raya, sama jugaklah kes nya terjadi pada kami adik beradik agaknya. Alhamdulillah, kami datang dari keluarga yg sederhana...Tak payah nak susah2 berkelahi pasal harta ..(Ada ke hartanya??)

Sedih bila baca dalam surat khabar, anak lelaki menyaman ibu sebab rebutkan harta arwah ayah..akhirnya kalah jugak...Allah SWT Maha Adil dan Maha Kaya..dah bukan hak kita, just forget it ...Masa arwah hidup, jenguk pun tak pernah..bila arwah dah tak de, ada hati pulak nakkan harta peninggalan...Ish, tak malu betul...

Hmm..mcm kata my biras, seorang ustazah, "Orang yg banyak harta, adalah orang yang terakhir sekali masuk syurga"...Wallahualam....

My latest books collection...

2009-03-07T21:54:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, we went to Harris Bookstore at Jusco Tebrau City. Mula-mula ingat nak cari buku "Confessions of a Shopaholic" by Sophea Kinsella...tapi ada dua buku yg betul2 menarik perhatian. I bought these books without thinking twice.

Subhanallah...memang worth every single cent. Baru baca Mukadimah buku ni, dah buat hati ni rasa sebak...Well, I was impressed by La Tahzan by the same author...but this book is dedicated for every Muslimah and I really Thank Allah SWT ...kerana merubah niat awal nak cari buku yg tak berfaedah...Dalam buku ni ada sebut..selama ni kita membaca buku yg dikarang oleh penulist barat yg boleh merosakkan akidah, mengkhayalkan kita serta menjauhkan kita dari realiti sebenar kehidupan......

I have yet to finish the second chapter (bila tengah baca buku ni, Kimi pun sibuk nak baca sama...hmm..kena postpone niat nak baca at least 3 chapters today...)..

Another book is Hidayah by Dato' Seri Nik Aziz Nik Mat. I really admire him..and please...I am not referring the political party he represents, but I admire his knowledge and his simple way of life...

Dan terasa betul diri ni ketinggalan zaman sebab baru tau Tok Guru ni ada menulis beberapa buah buku...Tapi it's better late than never, ye tak...

So, I hope I can finish reading these two books ASAP...and the meantime Selawat ke atas Junjungan kita Rasulullah S.A.W...

It's life...indeed....

2009-03-04T20:10:00.000-08:00

“Kenapa Nobita dan Doeramon takut datang Malaysia?”

Sebaaabbb…kita ada GIANT…ha..ha…The first time I heard it, I laughed out loud (LOL!)..

Funny ..life is funny sometimes…We fell in love with the wrong person, the opposite of our Mr McDreamy. We also tend to repeat the same mistakes over and over again. The first time, maybe it’s human to err..What about the few other times after that? The bottom line is, as long as it doesn’t hurt us physically, then it’s a mistake tend to be repeated. Betul tak? Kalau setakat sakit hati, makan hati berulam jantung (whatever!).. we still let ourselves into that same situation which, the first time round, we vowed never to let it happens to us again. Tapi kalau dah patah riuk, lebam sana sini…masa tu ‘taubat’ tak buat dah…

Tapi itu lah kehidupan. It adds colours to our lives, right? Tapi apa-apa pun, nak jatuh cinta with the wrong or right person, don’t let yourself be fooled. Diperbodoh-bodohkan la…Sebab bila kita bercinta, semua dah nampak kabur je dah…yg penting si dia happy ..kita pun lega. Masa ni apa yg dia cakap je betul, nasihat orang lain dah tak boleh pakai…Tapi benda alah dlm kepala yang Allah kurniakan takkan nak buat hiasan dalaman je kot? Fikir betul-betul. Kalau kita dah nampak temberang dia dari awal lagi, why wait? Life is too short to be sad or grumpy 24/7.

Ingat lagi pesan my mom, lelaki ni masa bercinta sanggup apa saja. Dah kawin, hmmm…Do I need to elaborate more? Tak payah lah kan..buang masa dan tenaga jari aku menaip je…Yang dah kahwin lama pasti dah nampak perbezaannya (Rampinggkannn..?? – mcm iklan slimming kat TV tu..ahaks)…Kalau belum kawin pun dah bagi kita pening kepala with 1001 mcm alasan and problems, imagine life as his wifey....

Tapi kadang2 Allah SWT menguji hambanya dengan memberi apa yg dihajati. Nak kawin anak Tan Sri? Tup..tup dapat anak Tan Sri…tapi lepas kahwin, kita nyesal pulak sebab kita ni siapalah kalau nak dibandingkan dengan keluarga Tan Sri tu. Daahh.. kena sisih. Dah jodoh…(tapi sebenarnya ujian jugak tu). Sepatutnya tengok latarbelakang agama yg penting. Bila fikir-fikirkan, lebih baik Allah menguji kita dengan kesusahan. Masa tu baru sedar. Dah lama tak membaca Al Quran. Barulah nak solat sunat banyak-banyak. Ada jugak baiknya kan?

So be careful what you wish for….And bak kata boyfriend lama aku si Keanu Reeves tu (haha..dlm mimpi tido siang kat opis tengahari le kot)…If ain’t real, why bother.

Perak oh Perak

2009-03-04T00:04:00.000-08:00

“Did you watch the News yesterday”, asked a colleague. “Nope”, I answered “always the same ol’ story”…

After reading the newspaper today, I feel a bit disappointed with the political “chaos’ in Perak…

I am not a politician. Neither am I good at talking about politics. From my understanding it started of as "lompat parti" then, the MB was ousted, but refused to leave…Gosh..when will this end..?

I really hope whatever it is going on over there, will end very soon.

And I really, really hope whoever’s going to head the Perak government will take these two major issues (that I know) into serious consideration:

The Airport – Do something about this. Where are the planes? Do you know how disappointing it is to get adverts from Air Asia on RM0.00 fare to everywhere in the country accept Ipoh? What’s the airport for? Come on, we need an airport with actual planes landing on its runway. Just like the good ol’ days..

The Economy – Perak used to be (gazillion years ago..hehe) the biggest tin (bijih timah) producer in the world. But now, I think there are few cement factories (I used to work with one of the largest)and…ermm…what else…oh,yes..few tourist spots..which I think even Perakian like me don’t even know they exist! Need to promote more…hello, can anyone do this for Perak???I can't think of anything else that is booming (economically) in Perak...

Please, concentrate on the major issues and stop making a big deal out of the minor ones!

I LOVE IPOH, PERAK DARUL RIDZUAN….!

Yours truly,

Ex Sek. Men. Convent, Ipoh student

...The Tough Gets Going !

2009-02-27T19:11:00.000-08:00

Are we women weak? No..we are not. We are only weak if we let ourselves to be weak (a.k.a sengaja cari penyakit!).

My mom is one tough woman. Being a single mom at the age of 28, nothing has ever stopped her from moving on. Her priority, of course, her children (me and my older bro). Yes, I’ve seen her cry, I’ve seen her feeling down, but she never wanted for her children to know. Imagine having 2 kids, with her salary…(she’s a government servant and it’s the 70s). And she is the oldest of 10 siblings.

I’m sure she wanted to remarry or needed man in her life. She was not even in her 30s…however, her kids were the most important to her. Remarrying means having a new family and she didn’t want us to be neglected (because you’ll never know…will the new man in her life accept us or love us like his own?). Yes, words alone are not enough for her and she just didn’t want to take any chances….

When it comes to our education, she will never compromise. I still remember when my primary 1 text book loan was on hold for some reasons. And she said “Ish, kalau susah sangat..Mama beli aje nanti…”. And from then onwards, I did not rely on government supplied text books loan until I finished school. Then, there's the tuition fees, pocket money etc etc...She has to do it and think about everything .. alone...

When my friends walked or bicycled to school, I went by bus. I was in my primary school years and my mom was worried about my safety. I was home alone since Standard 3. She had no choice but reminded me to lock the door and never talked to strangers. I was lucky, back then the criminal rates were not as high as these days. She made sure that her children will never know of her hardship. I really respect her for this.

Although my brother stayed with my grandparents, but financially he was my mom’s responsibility. He went to MRSM after Penilaian Drj 5 (now, it’s UPSR). I’ll never forget when mom and I took the night train from Ipoh and reached Seberang Prai early in the morning, then took the taxi to Kulim. Just to send him pocket money. Then, after few minutes with him, we headed back to Ipoh. Just the two of us.

She sacrificed a lot not only for us but also for her family. I can go on and on about her but one thing I know my mom is one Iron Lady! Although I was raised single-handedly but I’m grateful that my life was far better off than some children with both parents.

See, we women can do it. When the going gets tough, one tough woman gets going!!!

And to my mom......Thank you....for everything.....

When the going gets tough, the tough......

2009-02-24T04:47:00.000-08:00

..........gets 3 days of Medical Leave and loads of vitamins!!!

Yes,I was given 3 days of rest...The doctor told me to relax. My Blood Pressure was high..But how could I relax when I have to think about almost everything. My children (you know what I mean if you read my previous post)...My job (not really pressuring, but sometimes I wonder what if I try doing something else)...I'm born with anxiety cells all over my body, I think!

Yesterday, one of the Politeknik's students had hysteria. Clinically saying, depression. Unfortunately it's not. Luckily there's one lecturer who is good at treating this kind of 'thing'. She was 'treated' almost 1 hour. I saw the video taken by my other half....Kesian dia...kena sihir. Subhanallah, if this kind of thing happens to your child, what would you do? You know what, I will 'solat hajat' and pray that whoever 'sent' the 'thing' to my child gets the punishment from Allah SWT! I was speechless when I saw the video. She was laughing, crying and screaming. Several other students were holding her hands, feet and body. She was uncontrollable. The lecturer recited verses from the holy Al-Quran and he had a hard time getting rid of that 'stuff"...Only seeing is believing. Some might not believe of 'makhlus halus' ..but I do..Because it's the devil itself. "Syaitan" boleh menjelma sebagai makhlus halus dan meresap ke badan manusia. At last after almost one hour, the "thing" was forced out of her body...And my husband said that the lecturer almost lost all his energy and vomitted!!! And the hysterical student was 'cured' but was sent home to be treated properly. In her case, the 'thing' was sent by somebody who has grudged on her. Only Allah SWT knows.

Pelik kenapa ada segelintir org Melayu, suka sangat guna ilmu hitam bila hendakkan sesuatu. Kalau dah bukan milik kita, then why bother. Sampai sanggup runtuhkan rumahtangga orang, sanggup melihat org lain derita asalkan hajat tercapai. Tak takut hukuman Allah ke? Tapi selalunya perkahwinan atau sesuatu yg didapatkan dengan menggunakan ilmu hitam, tidak akan berkat dan nescaya tidak akan kekal...Nauzubillah...Dijauhkan kita semua dari berfikiran singkat dan mengikut kehendak syaitan yg direjam...Aminn..

Oh, yes one more thing....I also know one tough, strong person is getting on with life positively.....I'm happy for you..and I hope that all your dreams will come true. Just don't forget to stay strong and positive (I always forget these...sigh!)...Things happen for a reason, and I think this is a reason (you know what I mean, whoever you are:)

Till then...

Raising My Teenage Kids....

2009-02-16T19:23:00.000-08:00

It’s been quite sometime since I actually wrote something in my blog. Well, I think I can express myself better in Malay (duhh…I am 100% Malay)…And I think I sound “not so clever” when I write in English…(get it??)

Let see, yesterday I received a call from Mas (I don’t know her but her son is in the same class with mine). She said she got my home phone number from the list of names in his son’s handphone. She was wondering whether her son is at my house. I said “Tak tau lah akak kalau dia datang tadi, sebab akak pun baru balik kerja”. And she expressed her concern of her son’s behavior. Teenagers! What else can I say…I have 2 of them (and the other 2 future teenagers). I told her to pray a lot and always think positive (yeah, right…the wrong person giving the advice)!

The problem with my son is he rebels in silence. Whenever I nag, he’ll just keep quite and I thought the problem is solved. But nooooo…he’ll repeat his “unacceptable” actions again. Sometimes I wonder if he has problem with his brain cells or just testing my sanity. He is like living in his own world and the only time he is in “my” world is during meals!

I’m not saying that he’s a bad kid. He is my son, for crying out loud! But I just couldn’t understand teenagers nowadays. I was a teenager before, but I don’t remember being difficult to deal with…

Well, I guess I will just have to let him “find himself”.. you know, like they say, teenagers are caught between childhood and adulthood. They are trying to find their own identity, their own self (so to speak)…

In meantime, I’ll do my part as a mom….and I know, I am not alone.

(PS: My other teen (daughter) is another story all together...She is trying to "find herself" through eyeshadow, lipsticks, fashion, Hannah Montanah, Jonas Brothers and all that comes with it..)

Kota Kinabalu, Sabah anyone...????

2009-02-07T05:12:00.000-08:00

My husband went to Sabah last week for a paper presentation at University Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu.

Kota Kinabalu (KK) is a beautiful city. The scenery especially Mount Kinabalu, the nearby islands, the pearls and crystals and...the fresh seafood. We went there during our 2008 vacation and it's a wonderful experience....

Okay, this time my husband brought home some fresh seafood which is much, much cheaper and fresh! He actually bought the white sterofoam container, put lots of ice cubes in it ..and just stuffed everything inside...These are the seafood he bought..............

"beautiful" shrimps....

Unbelievably fresh crabs...

and also some salty fish and some anchovies.....

And...if he has his way...I know he would brought these home too...!!!

"Licin" Fish ...(beats me....!)

Kerapu Fish

Tuna Fish

Or if you want to skip the hassle.......you can just have dinner at the Phlippine Market, KK... yummy...!

Don't miss these if you are ever in KK!

CNY Break in Seri Menanti, Negeri Sembilan

2009-02-07T04:38:00.000-08:00

26 - 28 February 2009

Hello!!....I am backkk...sorry friends, it took quite a bit to update my blog..Been busy...very busy.

We went back to Negeri Sembilan on CNY Break....the local fruit seasons...aaaahhh...the durian, the rambutans and the mangosteen all fruiting at once at the back of the village house (rumah kampung)... which belongs to my brother and sister in-law. It was nice to see almost everyone back home. My husband, being the youngest in the family, got the all the attention from his brothers and his sisters...Whatever he wanted to eat or craving for...they'd prepare it for him...(seize this rare moment!!!..haha)..

Breakfast together

"Tahlil" at my father-in-law's grave

King of All Fruits...

Do whatever it takes for....................................................

.....................THIS!!

Kimi and The Mangosteen...

My children with my husband's "grandchildren"..hehehehe

We'll be back.........

Week of 12 January 2009

2009-01-17T03:02:00.000-08:00

One of those weeks which I have to write down all the activities in my blog...!

Monday 12

I was judged for life (I think) with just one typing error. The person commented on my email "can't even send a simple email.."...But, as usual, the comment was not made directly to me but through other people...Such a coward!!!!!

Tuesday 13

Watched football...live at Stadium Pasir Gudang...Yup! I watched the local football on a week nite! Johor FC vs Selangor...Piala TM Super...

The reason is of course, Zack, the Selangor Team Manager is an old friend of mine from ITM Jalan Othman. Who can resist the VIP passes....Actually, watching the football live in the stadium is very interesting as compared watching it on TV especially when the local teams are playing...

Hmm...Selangor lost to Johor FC 2-1...Oh, well..thanks anyway, Zack...Don't forget us next time you guys are playing against the Johor team in Pgudang!!!

Thursday 15

Went to the dentist during lunch time! ...Long overdue...The company even allocate RM500 for staff dental claim...Yeah...if it's not for my aching front tooth...I won't be panicking and off to the dentist office without any appointment!!! Don't want to be 'rongak'...urhh...the thought of it makes me wanna move to Koreexzesjkiiueshtan...(err...won't find this in the map...)

Sunday 18

QHSE Family Day at Stadium Pasir Gudang (hey...I've gone to the stadium 2x this week...waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh)...

I thought of skipping this year's QHSE's Family Day but my "ever soft-spoken" boss asked me on Friday before I rushed out of this office at 5.00pm ..................."You datangkan Family Day nanti?"...

I was like "errr...Datangggg...Insyaallah (softly)...hmm...

Have to support the company's event eh, since I'm staying around this area..What about those who live in Johor Bahru..Most of them are definitely not coming...Not fair..! Oh, well..

January Intake 11 January 2009

2009-01-11T06:12:00.000-08:00

Although it happens again, and again every semester…I still look forward to it. The Registration of New Students at Politeknik Johor Bahru. And yes, I can witness right from my balcony! One of the reasons is after more than 1 month the hostels have been empty….quiet......I miss having the students around....(I think...)

8 am.... Hostels registration area

The bus for tranporting the students and families from the parking lot to the registration area..

The "must-haves"...

Err..they even sell it here?

Parents, relatives, siblings sending off their loved ones for a better future and these students should consider themselves lucky. There are many out there who would do anything to further their studies but have been denied the opportunity. Students and parents with luggage, ‘baldi’ etc ..you know the kind of things we bring along on our first day away from our family! I remember my mom, insist on the bedsheet that she had washed and folded nicely so that her darling daughter could sleep in peace! Oh yeah, plus the rendang kering, sambal tumis kering ..the kinds of dish that can last for at least a week’s ration. As if there weren’t any food resources around…hehehe…Love you mum…!

The wardens at work............

Oh yes, the induction week. Since our ‘neighbours’ are among the female students of Infotech 2, the new students must endure a one week physically-drained induction. And.....the 4 am wake up call! The Student Committee will use the speaker and scream at the same time “ANDA DIKEHENDAKI TURUN SEKARANG!!!!”…Yup, anything that ‘interfere’ with my deep zzzzzzzzzzzzz…is very annoying!! …(haha!)

Oh, well…I guess that’s something not everyone could experience over and over again…LUCKY ME????

Lost...

Smiling for the camera...?

A quote from my husband “Sekarang nampak innocent je...nantilah 2, 3 bulan...macam-macam hal!

Enjoy the pics!

Kami Merayu PadaMu,Ya Allah Ya Tuhan Kami....

2009-01-07T17:18:00.000-08:00

Ya Allah!! Sebagaimana Engkau Pernah menghantar burung-burung ababil menghancurkan tentera bergajah Musyrikin, maka kami memohon kepada mu Ya Allah....... . Turunkan lah bantuan Mu kali ini kepada orang orang Islam di Gaza, hancurkanlah rejim zionis..Amin..."
(Lalu bacalah surah Al Fil / membayangkan kehancuran tentera Yahudi - dengan Izin Allah)

Surah Al Fil:

A weekend at the beach....

2009-01-04T17:02:00.000-08:00

Saturday 3 January 2008

Batu Layar, Desaru

Batu Layar Resort, Desaru

We attended a friend’s wedding at Felda Lok Heng, Kota Tinggi, Johor. Since it’s already 20 km to Desaru, we (along with few others) decided to spend the night at Batu Layar Resort, Desaru. It’s our first time there and were quite impressed by the beautiful scenery!

Haziq....

We put up our tent, which can accommodate 6 people comfortably, facing the sea. Imagine the windy and cool weather at night. I just love the sound of the wave, sunrise and sunset….Hmmm…Sometimes I wish I have a vacation home by the beach…isn’t that wonderful????

Our lodging...

By the way, the tent is already 12 years old! Bought it when we were in the USA and it's still in good condition....Never have to worry if the hotels or chalets are fully-booked, the tent is always a 'life saver'...hehe...

2009 Already??

2008-12-31T19:30:00.001-08:00

Hmm...it's been quite sometime since I last logged in...

With the opening of the school year, my children's school fees, books, other related to Back to School nesecessities to take care of...I didn't even realize that it's the end of year 2008 until yesterday!! Johor does not recognize 1st January as a public holiday, only my company let us enjoy the 1st day of new year under "Company Holiday"..So, today is the best time to go to the bank, post office etc.

With the economic downturn which is expected to hit Malaysia badly this year, I have to be ready for the outcome. My company has already started reducing overtime for staff and it's not surprising if there'll be staff retrenchment. I can be one of them. Just have to be ready. I read in the newspapers that many companies are laying off upto 3,000 workers this year...Some companies are already slowing down productions....

.... in Malaysia....

The first quarter of this year will be most affected. What a way to start the year, huh?

...global recession ...

Luckily, I don't have many loans or debts to deal with. Only my Kembara is on monthly payment. I have already settled my credit card 'outstanding balance' last year and cut it off into two - and cut it out of my life! Haha...That was a great "achievement"!

So now, one of my new resolutions is ... saving more! More cash in hand can be a life saver! Believe me, to hang on for at least 3 months, jobless...these cash help - a lot!

So guys, start spending wisely (which also means that I have to detach myself from the Munawarrah bandwagon......for now....arghhhhh!!! sigh!) and save more. Someone told me not to apply for personal loans or any other kind of loans at the moment......because...you'll never know....

All the best to us and May Allah SWT guide us in these difficult times...Aminnn...

The Song That Made Me Smile....

2008-12-20T16:38:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I listened to this song. I used to like it so much.

While waiting for the roti canai this morning,which took about 20 minutes ...the song was on air...and it made me smile, again....hehe....

Getting a bigger MPV

2008-12-19T04:57:00.000-08:00

We are thinking of getting a bigger MPV. Believe me, we have to have a bigger MPV......

With 3 adults and 3 children (oh, by the way, Khaleeda is almost my height at 12 years old!)...we need to sell off the Avanza and get a bigger vehicle..!

Going back to Ipoh with 6 people plus 6 luggage.. and there are other unnecessary but "we'll-bring-it-along anyway" baggage ....it can be a longggggggg journey.

Traveling 600 miles can be a dragging, body and ear- aching experience when my children starts to fight for bigger space...("tepi lah sikit!"..."sempit la, woi!")

But we have to live within our budget. Toyota Innova is the best choice.

Yeah, who wouldn't want a brand new Honda Odyssey or a brand new Toyota Estima? With three kids still in school and other more important necessities to think of, I don't mind the 2nd hand MPV as long as it serves the purpose...!

The interior

After surveying, calculating and "soul-searching" which is more like (betul ke nak tukar ni, betul nih??Why do we need a bigger car? Is it really necessary)...we found this 2005 Toyota Innova G Spec. at the last used car dealer we went to...(gosh! we spent the whole of Sat 20 Dec. car searching from one used car dealer to another...!..It was soooooo tiring!)

I think this is good enough..... for now...!

Living Alone??

2008-12-19T04:15:00.000-08:00

Can I live alone?

Now that my older children are in Ipoh for the school holidays and it's the semester break for Polytechnic students (we live in a warden quarters of girls hostels)….it seems too quiet around the house. When they’re around they fight with each other, got into each other’s nerves and I sometimes have to use my highest vocal pitch to stop them!

My house - so quiet and empty

View from the balcony

It’s kinda weird and the house seems empty. Even Haqimi can’t stand the quietness…! He’ll just whine, whine and whine ….. He misses his siblings who are always picking on him…playing with him, kissing him, hugging him…

Empty rooms at Infotech 2 - Gone for the semester break!(View from our entrance door)

My mom has been living alone for years…(since I left for ITM). And now she told me she’s used to the loneliness and whenever we come back for the holidays, she’ll get nervous and tense to see children running around, the crying, the house wrecking…!

I sometimes wonder what if I’m left alone in my older days. Will I be okay like my mom or I’d choose to stay with my children…?My mom was restless on her 3rd day visiting us...(she's worried about her orchids, her plants, her unsettled utility bills, her doctor's appointment...these are classic examples of reasons to go back to her house - fast!).

Hmm...I guess we'll get use to anything if it's not a choice. Just live with it ...

Oh, well.. Whatever it is, I want to enjoy the moment when my children are still around (eventhough they can cause major headache sometimes!) and remind myself let the future be the future…there’s no point cracking your head thinking about it..!

How time flies...

2008-12-16T16:52:00.000-08:00

I was browsing the Picture Folder in my computer and found two baby photos of my daughter Khaleeda and my youngest, Hakimi.

It’s just amazing to send them grow…physically, mentally…and can’t wait to see them as adults, Insyaallah…

Haqimi - Chubby 4 months baby

Haqimi - Cheeky at 2 yrs old

Khaleeda - 1 year old

Khaleeda 12 yrs old

I asked my children what they want to be when they grow up:

Haziq (15) – “Ntah”

Khaleeda (12) – “Cikgu atau pensyarah”

Hafizy (10) – “Chef”

Haqimi (2) – he fluently replied “keje Poli”..

A Gloomy Sunday

2008-12-14T02:34:00.000-08:00

Sunday 14th Dec 2008

It rained from dawn till late afternoon. It was a gloomy yet cool day. Since my husband was attending a course in Politechnik Johor Bahru (just 5 mins. from our house!), I took Kimi to McD for lunch....

For dinner I prepared something 'different'...favourites of my husband and me!!

Gulai masam tempoyak ikan patin (others may call it differently), but I got the recipe from an opah in Kuala Kangsar, Perak. No onions involved. But the tempoyak (mmm...yummy) is the main ingredient! Just boiled everything (the blended red chilli, crused fresh tumeric or tumeric powder, the tempoyak and some crushed lemon grass). Add salt and sugar to taste....slurrrpppp...! It's like a spicy, hot soup eaten in a rainy day...what more can you ask for..!

Then, there's the peria kecil ..my husband wanted to eat them raw, I just couldn't!! So, I made two versions - peria goreng bercili dengan telur....and the raw one...

Additional dish - Ikan bilis dan jering goreng bercili...(NSembilan dish...)!

That's it!

Goodbye 2008

2008-12-12T18:01:00.000-08:00

It’s been a good year for me both personal and career wise. My company did a salary revision for certain group of employees and I was one of them..Alhamdullilah..It helps a lot..With 4 children…3 of them are still in school (and not to mention the needs of teenagers!)…the extra income give me more spending power!!!

And after almost 2 years “bossless” (2 of my previous bosses resigned or left this company - not even a year of service)…I got a new boss in February 08. As expected, he is more soft spoken than I am ..haha! (this is what we call…balance…to create a “colourful” working environment, huh?)

If 2007 was a ‘tough’ year for me, 2008 has been an ‘easier’ one…I managed to learn more about my self, alert of other’s needs and realize that things happened for a reason. One thing I know for sure, your inner strength will emerge in time of needs…I don’t even know I had it until….(well, it’s in the past…so let it be)..

My children did fairly well at school. With only 4As in the UPSR, I think Khaleeda could have done better but I told her, she has a long way to go… …as long as we’re breathing we’ll keep on learning even through mistakes.

Khaleeda and good friend, Intan...

My eldest, Haziq, like any other teenagers, can be rebellious at times. But I’m grateful he’s still on track. Boys will be boys…enough said.

Haziq posing with kasut and baju raya hehe...

Hafizy, my 10 year old son will be in a better class next year. I think he realized how disappointing it is to be moved to a lower class and he worked hard to achieve better results. Sometimes, a person should be taught a lesson and learn it the hard way. No nagging, babbling or pressuring involved…just make them learn as time goes by.

Hafizy posing masa raya kat NSembilan!

My youngest, Haqimi is going to be 3 next Feb. He was already potty trained at the age of 2 1/2, he is also our Mr Singing Sensation! (hehe..it's hillarious to hear him sing Ayat-ayat Cinta esp the chorus!!!) And it's amazing to see him developing his own personality and he talks like a 4 year old!!! Alhamdulillah....

Kimi wearing sampin ..!

Well, only God knows what’s in store for us in year 2009 (Insyaallah)..in the meantime, I’ll just stretch myself, let my hair down and imagite about a luxurious holiday in the Carribean…to get myself ready for what’s ahead!

I'm backkkkk.....

2008-12-10T04:34:00.000-08:00

Did everything that needed to be done in just 7 days!!

Wed 3rd Dec 2008

Went shopping in Maju Junction KL – about 2-hour …not enough..! Must come again….

Checked out Munawwarah imitations at JTAR – nothing beats the original and the satisfaction of wearing the originals…We are wearing the PRADA of all tudungs, remember???

Thur 4th Dec 2008

Already in Ipoh preparing for my son’s circumcision – doctor’s appointment, caterer confirmation etc etc..

Fri 5th Dec 2008 (morning)

At last, Hafizy is a big boy…He did not cry and stayed calm during the process..Proud of you!

waiting for his turn....

"I'll be fine...peace!!"

Fri 5th Dec 2008 (evening)

Kenduri doa kesyukuran at mom’s house after Asar prayer. Glad everything went really well…

Fri 6th Dec – 9th Dec 2008…

Just enjoying my days at mom’s and tending my son who suddenly needs all the attention!!

Made laksa penang and serunding ayam for AidilAdha…My mom was not well, therefore my husband and I did all the cooking!

We did it..a perfect serunding!!!

Sorry no picture of Laksa Penang!!

And today 10th Dec 2008…back in the office….half-heartedly…!!!

At last...I'm taking my much needed 'break'!

2008-12-01T20:44:00.000-08:00

hmmmm....I wish that's me!...

I will be on my annual leave starting tomorrow 3/12/08 till 9/12/08...I really need the long overdue 'break' from the office. I'm going home to Ipoh...celebrating the Aidil Adha and of course my son's circumcision on 6/12/08..then he'll spend the rest of the holidays with opah!

Well, to you guys...Selamat Hari Raya AidilAdha. I will try to update my blog during my 'cuti-cuti Malaysia"..till then, adios!

Saturday's Menu was....

2008-11-30T20:17:00.000-08:00

Saturday 29/12/2008

The “fastest going” cake in my house is the chocolate cake. Since I have to work ½ day last Saturday (sucks!), I didn’t cook for lunch as we were also invited to a kenduri kesyukuran. We were expecting a guest on Saturday evening, so I started to bake the chocolate cake which was named DEVIL’s FOOD CAKE in the recipe at around 4 pm.

Image failed terribly as I used the hp camera (a cheapo one!)

1/2 cup butter
3 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate
2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
1 cup water
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar

Topping

9 ounce bittersweet chocolate
1 cup heavy whipped cream (bring to boil)

Pour the hot whipped cream to the chopped chocolate. Mix until smooth...!

At 5.30 pm I started to prepare dinner. Just simple beef curry, mix vegetables and fried chicken. Glad everybody enjoyed it.

My kids were snacking on the cake and said “Ma, nanti buat lagi kek ni, sedap!”

Mind your thoughts!!

2008-11-28T18:43:00.000-08:00

I have read many articles about mind power. In one article from the NST on Thoughts Heal You, Kill You most cancer patients would have had traumatic experiences, six to 18 months before the onset. When your mind doesn’t want to be better, your body releases enzymes that make that thought a reality. It also says that when you adopt a positive attitude you find that everything is possible. Whatever you put in your mind and believe it is going to happen will happen!!

In my case, negative thoughts come first in every situation. Maybe I was born with it. The effect of negative thinking really stresses you out and this may cause illness. That is so true. I have experienced this. My body started to weaken. I had no strength or mood, so to speak, to go on just for that day. All I wanted to do was to lie in bed, and just dwell on whatever it was in my mind…I really hated being in that situation but it’s not easy to control our mind as it’s not easy to forget the traumatic experience. I talked to friends and even opt for online counseling. And of course as a Muslim, I turned to Allah SWT…I really did. I think one of the positive things that came out of it is, I performed the solat hajat, tahajud more often. Gradually, I gain back my “strength”. And I realized that I’m not strong as I thought I was. I’m just human with flaws and weaknesses. However, through that experience, I became more sensitive and wary. All these while I was so confident that it will never happen to me. Well, I was wrong.

So, I’m learning to stay positive and think positive things. Every negative thought that comes across my mind, I just push it away. I replace it with happy thoughts. It can be overwhelming sometimes as I’ve been mostly negative all my life…Hey, good things happen from one bad experience…I can live with that, can’t I? (see, now I’m beginning to think positive!)

Think Positive, Dear...Think Positive....

Legends of the Fall

2008-11-27T04:56:00.000-08:00

In my profile, I put Legends of the Fall as my favourite movie...I love everything about it...the storyline, the actors and actresses, the scenes...I've watched it over and over again since 1994. It was the first movie I watched when I was in the USA. (It's nostalgic, at the same time...hehe... Even my husband likes it..he rarely watch a movie twice!haha..I guess he's kinda soft hearted type of guy, huh?)

Brad Pitt as Tristen

I recommend it to those with hearts like jello...you'll surely melt (especially with Brad Pitt as Tristen)..It's a movie worth watching...well, at least to me, it is....

Julia Ormon as Suzannah

Why do married men/women flirt?

2008-11-27T04:37:00.000-08:00

I chose this topic upon request; and I find it quite interesting.

Not only married men flirt, married women are commonly doing it nowadays. I just don’t understand. Can flirting solve the marital problems or making them worst than ever? Or are they just doing it for fun? Do it for fun or whatever...just don't jeopardize your marriage..

Men with ego bigger than the Boeing 747 will never admit their mistakes, they will twist their words and makes it look as if it’s the wifey’s fault....Hello! (knock!knock!)...Admitting your mistakes, won’t kill (yeah, yeah..it will only kill your ego, but that’s just about it!)...

Remember the song by Rihanna...”Take A Bow”? I like the verse:

Don’t tell me you’re sorry cause you’re not
And baby when I know you’re only sorry you got caught....

If you’re lucky, he’ll say “I’m sorry”..., but I think deep inside he’s just sorry that he just couldn’t continue flirting..! (correct me if I’m wrong)!!

An article from msn.com

Why Married Men Flirt

Flirting is a often viewed as a way to meet potential mates. An overly flirtatious husband can cause several types of marriage problems. Often, the wife feels hurt, rejected, and alone.

The most common reasons why married men flirt:

he is having a midlife crisis

he is unhappy with wife

he is not sexually attracted to his wife

he likes the attention other women give him

he is bored with married life

he is insecure about self

it makes him feel better about himself

he needs to validate his attractiveness and sexuality

he thinks flirting is harmless

he is looking to have an affair

it is exciting

to meet emotional needs such as feeling liked, being popular, or being thought of as funny, entertaining, attractive, or sexy

as a passive-aggressive way of getting even with the wife. He may have felt rejected sexually and emotionally, so the flirting can be a message to the partner to shape up or risk losing the marriage

an attempt to get the wife's attention