tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87123357691131457642024-03-19T12:47:39.101+08:00MrsNordinWe come to love not by finding a perfect person, but by learning to see an imperfect person perfectlyMrsNordinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389192701993131122noreply@blogger.comBlogger287125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8712335769113145764.post-80831626894010076242018-09-08T00:15:00.001+08:002018-09-08T00:15:40.718+08:00Bandar Sri SendayanMy last posting attracted one comment from an unknown reader. That was a surprise. I didn't think anyone would read my blog anymore. Perhaps, my posting prompted an alert on her blog roll, which she happened to read. Whatever it is, i'm happy. Her comment encouraged me to write some more.<br />
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We went house hunting two days ago. Destination: Bandar Sri Sendayan. Why there, you may ask. Well, we came across their property sales booth at Intermark the other day and the houses (and prices) looked interesting. Since we didn't have anything to do that day, we made an appointment with the sales agent to view the units for sale.<br />
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It is indeed a lovely township. Located opposite Seremban 2, it is just next to the new TUDM training ground & residences. It is self-contained with an international school, a huge mosque equivalent to the Putrajaya mosque (under construction), a club house and driving range. The residences are mostly gated, well layout and has a resort feel about it. <br />
<br />
We viewed a semi-detached unit which has a built up area of 50x100sf. It is big! It comes with 6 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms, high ceiling and tall windows. There are only 2 units left and the asking price is RM1.2 million.<br />
<br />
We also viewed the double-storey unit. The built-up area is 22x85, quite spacious compared with the standard 22x75. I simply love the garden. The selling price is RM824k for an end-lot (Bumi unit).<br />
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I could see myself staying in one of the houses. In fact, until now, i am still thinking about it. However, i am not sure if we should commit to that kind of investment right now. RM1.2m is a lot of money.<br />
<br />
What we are looking for is actually a smaller place to stay after retirement. My husband has another 4 more years of working while i still have, well.. 5 years more or less. By that time, i'm sure the older children have settled down and would want to stay at their own home. So that would leave just the two of us and the youngest one, Nizzar, who would be 17 by then. He would probably go to college/university and that would leave the parents alone at home.<br />
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With that in mind, we figure we don't need a big house anymore. Ideally, a single storey detached house or a condo would be nice. But seeing the exorbitant prices for properties these days, my God... i don't know if we could ever afford it!<br />
<br />
I guess we will continue our search. I am sure we will find one that we truly like and meet our needs.<br />
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Until my next posting... Nite, Nite.MrsNordinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389192701993131122noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8712335769113145764.post-48663767407001949742018-09-04T18:27:00.000+08:002018-09-04T18:27:33.120+08:00Hello Again!I have been staying home for almost one month now. I had a hysterectomy done on 9 August 2018, after which I was given a 42 day MC.<br />
<br />
Staying home is not so bad after all. My husband is also on a long medical leave following his surgery two weeks before me. Since both of us are at home, we keep each other company and do a lot of things together.<br />
<br />
The day usually starts at 6.10am with prayers and getting the youngest child ready for school. We would send him to school and after that, we would have breakfast either outside or at home. There are days when we just stay at home doing nothing but most days, we would be out shopping or mall hopping.<br />
<br />
I’m beginning to enjoy this long break. I think this is the longest time that we both have ever been out of work. We thought of going for a long trip to Europe or something, but our post-surgery conditions do not allow us to travel far. Hence, we are quite contented with just being in the Ampang-KL area.<br />
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I want to write again but I feel I’m getting rusty at it. It has been a long time... I don’t know if I could ever write like how I used to write before. But as the saying goes: “If you want to do something, you have to start something”. So, here I am trying to do the obvious.<br />
<br />
If I could write again tomorrow, it means there is some hope to continue my blogging. Otherwise, this would be just another “<i>Hot, hot chicken shit</i>” attempt.MrsNordinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389192701993131122noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8712335769113145764.post-6558365421087530912015-05-06T15:21:00.002+08:002015-05-06T15:21:45.762+08:006th May 2015 ChallengeDear Reader,<br />
<br />
Thank you for visiting my blog. I'm accepting this challenge because I miss blogging.<br />
<br />
Ever since I joined Facebook, I've lost the interest to write. I suppose now that many people know who the real "MrsNordin" is, I have to be careful about what I write.<br />
<br />
And that's boring.<br />
<br />
Not that I write anything nasty or offensive, I was just expressing my feelings. But somehow some people may not like it.<br />
<br />
Do I care? No, I don't. But after a while, it was just getting on my nerves. <br />
<br />
So I have to write "safe" stories.<br />
<br />
And again, that's boring.<br />
<br />
Nevertheless, back in the days when I was actively blogging, I kind of like the feeling when someone whom I've never met before suddenly approached me and asked, "Are you MrsNordin?"<br />
<br />
Or, suddenly someone told me out of the blue, "Oh, I think I saw MrNordin the other day!"<br />
<br />
That was a great feeling. Thank you! That means, there are people who actually enjoyed my stories.<br />
<br />
I don't think I am able to write about my husband like before, now that he is also on Facebook. If I am annoyed with him, I can't possibly vent my anger here anymore. Nanti kecil hati, or he would scream, "Why can't you just tell me? Why do you have to tell the whole world?!"<br />
<br />
He has a point.<br />
<br />
And my kids? They are all grown up. I can't bear to write anything which may hurt their feelings. Good stories, yes... But bad stories? I'd better keep them to myself. Sometimes, it's better that way.<br />
<br />
The only person who I can write about (and he won't be so mad at me even if I do) is my little rascal, Nizzar. But he's not so little anymore. He just turn 9 today. He knows how to search and read my blog. Sometimes when we are in bed, I'd read him the old stories about him in my blog. Stories when he was 2 or 3 years old, when he was naughty.. and we'd laugh together.<br />
<br />
So, what's the purpose of this blog?<br />
<br />
It has defeated its old purpose. I have to come up with something new to write about.. new ideas..<br />
<br />
But, up til now, I still can't figure it out. I'm still searching for an answer. Until I find one, I guess there is no compelling reason to write.<br />
<br />
Perhaps someone can give me an idea. That would be much appreciated.<br />
<br />
Thank you.MrsNordinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389192701993131122noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8712335769113145764.post-7764624301528630052014-09-18T16:43:00.000+08:002014-09-18T16:55:23.456+08:00In The Land of Terracotta Warriors<div class="MsoNormal">
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Ever since I first set my eyes on the terracotta soldiers,
I’ve always wanted to see them in person. The life-size figures of warriors and
horses arranged in battle formations fascinated me. Each time there was a
documentary on TV about the terracotta army, I would be glued to the TV
screen.. wondering how they did it and what moved them to build such an
extraordinary thing.<br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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So, when my mum told me that her usual travel group was
organizing a trip to Xian, China, I quickly said “Yes, I want to go!”. Usually,
I would hesitate or come up with all sort of excuses because the timing was not
right or we didn’t have enough money. But this time, I told my husband, “By
hook or by crook, I’m going. If you don’t want to come, I’m going alone!” Hee..
hee… Alhamdulillah. All my kids wanted to tag along too, except for my eldest
daughter who could not take leave from work.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It was a 5D3N trip, organized by CS Holidays, a travel agent
based in Ipoh with whom my parents always go with whenever they go on holidays.
The group comprised mostly of retired teachers and government servants. There were 26 of us in the
group (my family made up 8 of them) while the rest were mostly couples. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I was a bit apprehensive at first about travelling with this
group (you know… I’m not “that” old yet..) but they turned out to be such a
great bunch of people. They were very accommodating, no air, no complain and
very polite. I like them! <o:p></o:p></div>
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The tour leader is the oldest man in the group. He is 83 years old but he
has more energy and stamina than most of the younger dudes. And he was as cool
as a cucumber! My son called him, “Pakcik Tak Ada Masalah” because he always
said, “<i>Tak de masalah.. tak de masalah</i>…” whenever we encountered any problem
during the trip. His wife told me, whenever they traveled, he would be most
energetic but the moment they reached home at the end of a holiday, he would
complained of aching bodies and tired feet. A sign that it was time to plan
another holiday.... <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<u>About Xian</u><br />
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Xian is a big city with 8 million population. It is located in the Northwest and is the oldest city in China. The weather is the same as in Malaysia. Day time is about 32C and night is about 24C. Since we were there in August, it was still pretty humid as it was just after summer. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGNtTFLH8x9wTeYwlc_suHaA7880nxQkTY1kVc17juSkqtFGuPEZIl_YLOWRl4lxSNIzawRf3VEl7QAQeaQyVrXPetzrcHv0jVb6_ogPVN1zkivtCNGUZy0EFDmxCPIaGmm-kqL-Krre8W/s1600/Map-of-Xian-Location-in-China.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGNtTFLH8x9wTeYwlc_suHaA7880nxQkTY1kVc17juSkqtFGuPEZIl_YLOWRl4lxSNIzawRf3VEl7QAQeaQyVrXPetzrcHv0jVb6_ogPVN1zkivtCNGUZy0EFDmxCPIaGmm-kqL-Krre8W/s1600/Map-of-Xian-Location-in-China.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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I always thought Xian was a small town but I was wrong. It's big! Big buildings, big roads, big billboards... everything is big in China.<br />
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Food is not a problem in Xian as there are many Muslim
restaurants. Our tour guide, May, is quite knowledgeable in halal food in terms of the food preparation
and selection, though I don’t think she is a Muslim. Each time we sat down for
our meals, there would be at least 10 dishes served. The food was mostly spicy
and tasty, unlike in Beijing where the food was quite bland. </div>
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We tried several
local dishes like <i>Yangrou Paomo </i>which was essentially crumbled bread in mutton
stew. It was nice... There were several noodle dishes too but they were
forgettable. The soups were different. Usually they served two types of soup in
each meal – one cold and one hot. I liked one which was green in color (it
looked like blended broccoli) but it actually tasted like sweet corn and
crabmeat soup. Very nice!</div>
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<o:p><u>Day 1</u></o:p></div>
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<o:p><u><br /></u></o:p></div>
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Day 1 was spent sight-seeing in the city. We visited the
Shaanxi Museum which had an extensive collection of treasures and antiques from
the Qin, Han, Ming and Tang dynasties. </div>
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There were a lot of people at the museum because it was a
Saturday and still a school holiday. We were told in China, parents bring their children to the museums to make them learn the Chinese culture and
history. Entrance is free to encourage people to visit the museum as often as
they like, so you can imagine the queue. </div>
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We also visited a mosque that afternoon. Strangely, the
mosque looked more like a hostel to me (4 floors divided into men and women quarters). When we arrived, the ladies who were guardians of the muslimah’s section were
about to leave as it was just after Asar. But upon seeing us, they were very
excited and told us that they would re-open the mussolah for us.<br />
<br />
They kept on
saying, “Malaysia! Malaysia!” and smiled a lot, as if happy to see other
muslimah visiting them from another country. We greeted each other with
“Assalamualaikum” and “Waalaikumsalam”.. but that’s about it. Thereafter, it
was all like “ayam & itik bercakap”.
They spoke to us in Chinese while the makciks spoke to them in Bahasa
Malaysia! None understood each other. <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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The bilal of the mosque was this 19 year old boy who had
spent 3 years in Malaysia studying at the UIA. He could speak a little bit of
Malay and was excited to see us all. The men took group photos with him and
the Imam. That is a photo to remember.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Since the group comprised mostly of senior citizens, the
tour guide took a more relaxed approach in completing the activities. If she
saw that the pakcik & makcik were getting
a little tired, she would cut the visit short. If there were some who
didn’t want to join the walk or tour, she would make sure they were seated
comfortably while waiting for the others. So nobody complained.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<u>Day 2</u></div>
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The bus picked us up at 8.30am on Day 2 to go to the Terracotta
Museum, which is located in Lintong, some 30km from the city. On the way, we
stopped by at Xian Ceramic and Lacquer Factory, where we were shown how the
terracotta figures were made. In recent times, the clay models were made using
molds. But the original terracotta warriors were made by hand, each and
everyone one of them 1.8m high.</div>
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All the way to the Terracotta Museum, I couldn’t help
thinking of what was going on in the Emperor’s mind to order such painstaking
task in preparation of his death. And this took place in the year 220 BC, some
2,200 years ago.<br />
<br />
The tour guide told us that Emperor Qin, the first Emperor of
China, was afraid of death and was constantly looking for ways to be immortal.
In preparation of his death, he ordered his men to build a mausoleum for him in
the afterlife.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Work on the mausoleum began in 246 BCE soon after Emperor
Qin (then aged 13) ascended the throne. The project eventually involved 700,000
workers. The place was picked due to its favored location: "<i>famed for its
jade mines, its northern side was rich in gold, and its southern side rich in
beautiful jade; the First Emperor, covetous of its fine reputation, therefore
chose to be buried there</i>". <o:p></o:p></div>
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Emperor Qin died aged 50 (untimely) and he was buried with palaces, towers,
officials, valuable artifacts and wondrous objects. The total size of his mausoleum is 56 square km. According to May,
100 rivers had their flow simulated by mercury in its tomb and above them, the ceiling was
decorated with pearl and jade to symbolize the clouds, the moon and the sky.<br />
<br />
I can't imagine how magnificent it would have been if I were to see it today. Rivers of mercury?? What is more remarkable is the fact that all the 700,000 workers were killed and buried (some alive) with the Emperor upon his death so as to keep the terracotta army a secret. They were safely hidden underground until its discovery in 1974 by a farmer who was digging a well at the site.<br />
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Seeing the terracotta warriors for the first time is truly an incredible experience. This is one place that one must visit before one dies... </div>
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Pit 1 - this is where the first terracotta figure was discovered in 1974. There are about 2,000 warriors restored to date and 6,000 still buried underground.</div>
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Each figure is different from another; none the same.</div>
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I managed to go down to the lower platform to get a better picture.</div>
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The armies in Pit 1 are arranged in battle formation.</div>
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Pit 3 - the Army Officers & Strategy Room. It looks like they are "talking" to each other.</div>
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The cavalry section</div>
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Some of the newly opened section. All in ruins & need to be restored.</div>
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They have a special room where visitors can take pictures with their own cameras</div>
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Pit 2 - the largest pit at the museum. Excavation work is still on going. </div>
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An open section of Pit 2.</div>
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Restoration work is painstakingly hard due to the fragile pieces.</div>
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It's like fixing Lego pieces..</div>
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The Kneeling Archer. This statue was found intact.</div>
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There are 160 kneeling archers altogether found in the middle of Pit 2. Their low position protected them from being broken as they were unearthed. When they were found, they were painted in brilliant colors. But contact with air deplete the colors.<br />
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Note the out sole of the shoe..</div>
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The Horseman</div>
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View of the open Pit 2</div>
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There are so many photos from the trip but I can't possibly load them all. Enough to say that, "You have to see it for yourself to believe it."<br />
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I would recommend Xian if you are interested in history. A few travel tips:<br />
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<ol>
<li>Nobody speaks English in Xian. You have to go with a tour/group unless you speak their language.</li>
<li>Toilets are dirty. <span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">If you think our public toilets are dirty, theirs are worse. And they
have this bad habit of not closing the toilet doors properly before they do
their business. Ewww!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">What I do
is, I carry my own toilet kit. Inside a plastic bag, I put one toilet roll, an empty
water bottle and a packet of wet tissue. That took care of my toilet needs.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">People spit
on the floor, in restaurants or just anywhere they like. That is really gross!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt;">There’s not much
shopping to do. You can buy souvenirs and gifts from the Moslem Street but you
must know how to bargain because otherwise, you will end up paying more than what you can get from the airport shop!</span></li>
</ol>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Enjoy the rest of the photos!</span><br />
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26 cool people of the tour group</div>
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My family</div>
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Trying on the terracotta army outfit</div>
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Playing dress-up. It's quite cheap - RM50 for 5 photos.</div>
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Resting at the park.</div>
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<span id="goog_344386163"></span><span id="goog_344386164"></span>Group photo with the Imam and Bilal of the mosque in Xi'an.</div>
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MrsNordinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389192701993131122noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8712335769113145764.post-71458160662075572582013-05-30T18:19:00.002+08:002013-05-30T18:25:41.204+08:003D/2N at Banyan Tree Bangkok<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">If you’re planning a quick getaway with your loved one, try the Banyan Tree in Bangkok. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their 3D/2N “Bangkok Romance” package is well worth every RM spent.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I was there last weekend with my husband. A nice break after such a long time. The last time we went away together was in 2011 (Krabi). So, this trip was much anticipated by both of us. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Why Banyan Tree? I’ve always wanted to stay at the Banyan Tree for its sheer luxury and spa experience. My husband had previously stayed at the Banyan Tree Bintan and Phuket with his late wife, and he always talked about how great they were. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Obviously, I avoided these two places for I’d rather reserve them for his memories with his late wife. I wanted to make new ones so he remembers us in a different way. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Hence, when choosing the hotel in Bangkok, I said no to all the hotels that he had previously stayed with his late wife. He concurred and we agreed on the Banyan Tree Bangkok.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We arrived at Sukabhumi Airport at 10.30am on Saturday via Malaysia Airlines. There was a car waiting for us - a BMW 7 Series with a driver in white suit. Wah.. rasa macam dalam “Pretty Woman”! </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">I had asked my husband earlier on, “<em>You want to travel in style or budget</em>?” He said, “<em>In style lah B… kita bukan selalu holiday berdua</em>..“ Hence, the BMW. Hee.. Hee.. <o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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Banyan Tree Bangkok </div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Car pick-up at the airport</span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">When we reached the hotel, we were immediately whisked to our room on the 27<sup>th</sup> floor. It was a one-bedroom suite with access to the Club Lounge. You should take the rooms on the Club Floor because it gives you access to the Club Lounge which offers drinks and snacks all day long, plus breakfast every morning. This way, you don’t have to compete with the rest of the hotel guests for food at the coffee house. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">After unpacking our luggage, we went down to the Club Lounge for a light lunch. Then at 4pm, we had our massage at the famous Banyan Tree Spa, which was part of the package. The massage was heavenly… My husband slept the moment the masseuse touched his body because I could hear him snoring (<em>he does that when the massage was really good</em>). He must be very tired… but he enjoyed it very much, he said. I did too.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">That night, we had dinner on the Apsara, a boat that sails along the Chao Phraya river. It was so romantic but I didn’t really enjoy it because I was very tired by that time. My contact lenses were drying up, I could barely open my eyes. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">At the end of the cruise, they took a photo of us together near one of the famous Wat and gave us a copy as we disembarked from the boat. I thought that was a nice gesture.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">That night, I slept like a baby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The bed was so comfortable you just sank in the moment you hit the pillows.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHMZCc-eCEnm7nQ9UJWcqmpJivKNW68dgDN0pEIhLP6O6hZKbDfF6YOI8lM5ybIE5_4_HL1tPg5L6SVQTcx3KMLVHrh9KPizVIEdwWcYSFc0JfpRfasilR6kV4UXFJgLTzTP9seyzqsDup/s1600/IMG_1169.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHMZCc-eCEnm7nQ9UJWcqmpJivKNW68dgDN0pEIhLP6O6hZKbDfF6YOI8lM5ybIE5_4_HL1tPg5L6SVQTcx3KMLVHrh9KPizVIEdwWcYSFc0JfpRfasilR6kV4UXFJgLTzTP9seyzqsDup/s320/IMG_1169.JPG" width="320" yya="true" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Dinner on the Apsara</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> We had Thai food on the boat</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVq185a0F1Mxng9BqymHAxWLtZ0yq9mceLuPQyh0Ko2LCqZOvfD11d4mNcBLg0WmX0CW0UnqOJnW3vvpdhhoXMAO2-uZXiMqAkJTjbbS1EzQU11HbVRvZG0ETUBc33M4BiVzkqKsUkBycs/s1600/IMG_1171.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVq185a0F1Mxng9BqymHAxWLtZ0yq9mceLuPQyh0Ko2LCqZOvfD11d4mNcBLg0WmX0CW0UnqOJnW3vvpdhhoXMAO2-uZXiMqAkJTjbbS1EzQU11HbVRvZG0ETUBc33M4BiVzkqKsUkBycs/s320/IMG_1171.JPG" width="240" yya="true" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Rice packed in a banana leave parcel</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">The next day, we took our time eating our breakfast. The food selection was fantastic. They had about 20 types of cereals, fruits & nuts; 10 types of jams and preservatives (mostly locally made), Japanese section, eggs (cooked to your liking), bread, cheese, noodles, porridge etc, etc. We sat there for quite a while trying out all the different food. It was awesome. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">After breakfast, we went out to do a little shopping. We took a cab to MBK to buy some t-shirts for the kids back home. My husband wanted to buy the “fisherman pants” which could only be found in Bangkok. He wears these pants at home most of the time because they are so comfortable. The last time we were in Bangkok, he bought several pieces at 199 Baht each. Now, the price is still 199 Baht and the quality is still the same (better, in fact). No inflation ke in Thailand?? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">I bought a few t-shirts for myself, 2 pairs of jeans and that was it. We returned to the hotel to rest because later that night, we planned to visit the Asiatique – a wholesale market that opened at night only. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">After a quick rest and shower, we headed up to the Moon Bar, which was located on 61<sup>st</sup> floor of the hotel. We had complimentary drinks at the Moon Bar as part of the package and so we decided to check it out. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">I didn’t know what to expect but when we reached the top floor, I was taken aback because the view was simply stunning. I could see the whole of Bangkok from where I was sitting and it was incredible! </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">We</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> watched the sunset from the bar. My husband, who is not such a great fan of heights, was looking rather nervous up there but he stayed on and I love him for that.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">We had dinner at the Vertigo Restaurant, just below the Moon Bar. It was one of the most fascinating dining experiences I’ve ever had. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stylish and sophisticated, we dined under the skies of Bangkok while enjoying the panoramic views of the city. We forgo our midnight shopping at Asiatique for the awesome experience at the Vertigo.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">As I’m writing, I am still imagining myself sitting at the Moon Bar, contemplating the heavens and admiring the beautiful city lights down below while sipping my favorite drink. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Ahh… what an unforgettable experience! </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Me & him at the Moon Bar</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">He does look nervous, doesn't he? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcxjdM6ctoATFHB8vQvOCouWRl6YI8-D1mb3Zn591l5ERYpQmx5mDDr33u1Pv05swCRB68Rbdj5acbOc7oJlu3UwCuziMK8oChA5zlrTYyKZBrm94va2i3m-A8Tk0J_GSUFIolX6bLkTz_/s1600/IMG_1186.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcxjdM6ctoATFHB8vQvOCouWRl6YI8-D1mb3Zn591l5ERYpQmx5mDDr33u1Pv05swCRB68Rbdj5acbOc7oJlu3UwCuziMK8oChA5zlrTYyKZBrm94va2i3m-A8Tk0J_GSUFIolX6bLkTz_/s320/IMG_1186.JPG" width="320" yya="true" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">View from the top</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3E_iHhi89QaFnuKcbi31uhinMs2ZHRuYJkQciYD87SAzdU4ztToT7PNi8zxdM99dbpKFtK5kaUNq4rUiHLnUr3G-DR1qmZeee-1V6TmG7uPDuG9w9Y5BO_4pVft5tLaFiROThmjC3DR9H/s1600/IMG_1249.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3E_iHhi89QaFnuKcbi31uhinMs2ZHRuYJkQciYD87SAzdU4ztToT7PNi8zxdM99dbpKFtK5kaUNq4rUiHLnUr3G-DR1qmZeee-1V6TmG7uPDuG9w9Y5BO_4pVft5tLaFiROThmjC3DR9H/s320/IMG_1249.JPG" width="320" yya="true" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Romantic dinner at Vertigo </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">When we got back to our room after dinner, we were suprised to find that the room had been transformed into this really romantic setting - lights down, soft music, candles and incense in the bedroom and roses in the bathtub. I didn't know when they had set up the place, but it was a nice surprise. They c</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">alled it "Intimate Bath", which is essentially setting up the mood for intimate moments with your partner.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I need not go into details but that was one of the most relaxing experience I've ever had. Usually I found it hard to relax in a bath tub, but this one made me forget about everything. It was total bliss.</span><br />
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Rose petals and lotus flowers in the bath tub </div>
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Strawberries and cream </div>
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The heavenly bed</div>
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Perfect setting for intimate moments</div>
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I must say the 3D/2N we spent at the Banyan Tree Bangkok were truly remarkable. The Banyan Tree experience was one of a kind and the things we did together do bring us closer as a couple. </div>
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When I asked my husband "What were your best moments during the stay?" He said, "First, the massage at the Spa and second, the intimate bath." As for me, the Moon Bar takes the cake and the bath came a close second.</div>
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Now I'm checking out other Banyan Tree destinations for our next rendezvous.. :)</div>
MrsNordinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389192701993131122noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8712335769113145764.post-58672697158581956762013-05-20T15:58:00.001+08:002013-05-20T16:01:28.464+08:00Help!Nizzar Nordin is sitting for his first real exam this week. Today is the BM paper. <br />
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Actually, the school had an assessment in March when the kids had to do some sort of mock exam, but my son only sat for 1 paper as he was down with a viral fever. The rest – “Tidak Hadir”. <br />
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So, I am very nervous. My weekend was spent teaching him, or rather, coaxing him to do some work for BM. It was tough. He was very slow. He didn’t know how to spell some words, didn’t know the difference between "<em>kita, kami, mereka</em>".. didn’t know how to form sentences. <br />
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I lost my patience. <br />
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“<em>Itulah! Masa cikgu mengajar, you main-main dalam kelas! Sekarang, satu apa pun tak tahu! How are you going to do your test tomorrow</em>?”<br />
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He stared at me blankly.<br />
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“<em>Don’t look at me! Look at your book</em>!” <br />
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Sometimes, he put up a strong protest and sometimes, he cried. Sobbing as he worked his way through “<em>kata hubung</em>” and “<em>kata ganti</em>”. Kesian dia. <br />
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But I had to be firm, otherwise we won’t do his work. <br />
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Each time I sat down with him for revision, I could feel my blood pressure shot up to 200! Very stressful! And after each session, I would take a breather and de-stress in the bathroom to calm myself down.<br />
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My husband said, “<em>Don’t be so hard on him</em>..”. I tried not to, yang… but most often than not, I would lose my cool.<br />
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As I’m writing, my little boy is just starting to do his BM paper. I wish you well, darling... I hope you will remember your spelling, huruf besar, huruf kecil, etc. Mummy loves you, no matter what. <br />
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See you soon! <br />
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Latest Update:<br />
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His class teacher called right after the BM paper. "<em>Puan, si Nizzar jawab soalan main tembak saja! Semua dia jawab A! Dia tak nak fikir langsung! Saya suruh dia buat semula. Boleh pulak jawab</em>..."<br />
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Please, help me God! <br />
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<br />MrsNordinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389192701993131122noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8712335769113145764.post-65660415922811865992013-02-21T09:58:00.000+08:002013-02-21T10:01:16.212+08:00TornEver since Nizzar started going to school, my life has gone haywire. When previously I could happily wake up at 7.30am, now I need to get up by 6am. By 6.50am, dah keluar rumah. Dulu, 8.00 am I was still at home. <br />
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At night, I’d be in bed by 9.30pm. “<em>I will only sleep when you sleep, Mummy!</em>” So, nak tak nak, terpaksa tidur cepat. If not, I would have trouble getting him out of bed in the morning. <br />
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The moment I hit the pillows at night, I would straight away doze off although in my mind, I thought I would get up again later. Unfortunately, this hasn’t happened yet. <br />
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I feel that my life is being controlled by the little boy. My mind is constantly thinking about him: <em>Does he has any homework today? Did he do his work in class today? Did he lose his pencil again? Is the eraser still in the pencil box? What books to bring tomorrow? What food to bring for bekal? Where are his shoes? His tie? His baju sekolah? His watch? </em>Arrrrggghhhh!!! <br />
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The constant worrying about the boy who-doesn’t-want-to-do-work-in-school is turning me into a nervous wreck. I worry most of the time, especially in the morning when sending him to school. I don’t even have time to care for myself anymore. I would just grab whatever baju I see in the cupboard to wear in the morning when previously, I would <em>plan</em> what to wear to office. Make up – sometimes sempat, sometimes tak sempat. <br />
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The worse thing is - I don’t even have time to do my hair! And that is just horrible! Before this, I need at least one hour in the morning to do my hair. Now, I don’t have such luxury anymore. I have to wash my hair at night now which is quite a hassle because after you sleep on it, the style would be ruined. <br />
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I did try to wash it in the morning recently. Memang tak sempat nak blow dry! It was wet and disheveled when I reached the school. And my son had the cheek to tell me, “<em>Mummy, never mind … on your way to work, you can wind down the window and let the wind blow your hair. By the time you reach your office, I’m sure your hair will look nice and beautiful!”</em> Ha ha… wishful thinking, Nizzar. It didn’t happen as you wished. <br />
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The constant worrying over the 7 year old has led me to neglect the other important person in my life, ie. my husband. Dah lah dia kerja di JB. Whenever he’s back, I wouldn’t bother so much about him because I would be busy organizing the little one. Kesian dia.. sometimes I feel bad for not giving him much attention. <br />
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Well, he does not complain lah.. but deep down I’m sure he feels neglected. But what am I to do? I only have 3 hours to spare after work! I can’t even allocate time for myself, what more to give attention to 2 persons? <br />
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Balik kerja, letak beg, shower and terus sit down with the little boy to do his homework. (<em>This is when I don’t have to cook dinner. If I cooked, I can forget about homework with Nizzar</em>). Homework would take one hour, at least. Then I’ll have my dinner. By the time I finish dinner, it would be 9 o’clock and that means, bed time is in half an hour. <br />
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By this time, my husband would probably be home already, if he’s in KL. He would just eat whatever that’s left with the older kids while I sort out budak kecik tu. By the time he comes up to our bedroom, I would be in bed, reading bedtime stories to the little kid. He insists I read to him 3 books every night! Lepas tu baru dia akan tidur. After reading, I would be so bombed out already and would fall asleep together with him. <br />
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How to layan husband? Plus my husband sleeps very late every night. Sorry lah… cannot wait! <br />
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Luckily the 2 older kids can look after themselves. And I’m so glad bibik is around to help with the cooking, cleaning, washing & ironing clothes. If not, can die lah! <br />
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Am I over focusing my attention to the little boy? Should I just let go a bit and focus more on my husband? Like, leave the kids and go for a much needed week-long break with my husband in Zurich? (like some people I know…) MrsNordinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389192701993131122noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8712335769113145764.post-50943157297383840802013-02-07T16:21:00.001+08:002013-02-07T16:21:27.259+08:00I Am English<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I received a phone call from Nizzar’s class teacher the other day. “Puan, anak puan ni tak nak buat kerja. Buku pun tak de!” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Adoi.. and that was on 7 Feb 2013 – a month after school started.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">So, I went to the school to meet the teacher. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I kind of expected this would happen because ever since he started schooling, I’ve only seen him doing homework twice. Whenever I asked him, he said “No homework.”, or, “I’ve done it in class.” </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Tak kan tak de homework? I tengok budak kelas lain, ada je homework. Tak kan he’s so efficient semua boleh siap in class?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Books – he took them all to school to keep in a locker, he said. So, I really had no clue what he had been doing in class until that day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">When I arrived at the school, I waited for the little rascal outside the pejabat gurubesar. At 1.15pm, I saw him walking towards me smiling, “<em>Hi Mummy!”,</em> he said (as if nothing happened). I told him that I was meeting his teacher because she said you have not been doing your work. He said, “Ok!” (<em>mode: indifferent</em>).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">At 1.30pm, the teacher came to see me. Happily, the little rascal introduced me to the teacher, “<em>Mummy, this is my teacher, Puan Suraya</em>!” (<em>mode: happy</em>). Again, as if nothing happened.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The teacher was very nice... She wasn’t angry or anything, she just informed me what my son had been up to.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">It seemed he has not been doing any work in class. He just refused to do his work! When teacher told him to copy what was written on the white board, he said, “<em>I don’t want to do!</em>” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Budak lain semua dah tulis 10-12 pages, buku dia kosong! Satu page pun tak de tulisan! Tak tahu apa dia buat in class!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Activity book – some ada buat, some tak de buat. Some of the text books are missing, the same goes for his exercise books. Aiyo… how lah?? The best thing is, every day I would discover something missing from his pencil box. Pensil hilang, eraser hilang, sharpener hilang.. tapi kerja tak buat! Mana pegi benda2 tu semua??<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">All I could do was just shook my head in disbelief. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Fortunately, the teacher was quite helpful. She asked me to go to the classroom and look for his books with her. Then she showed me how far the other kids have done in the exercise books and what Nizzar needs to do to catch up. So, I borrowed those books and made photocopies so I know what my son needs to do. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I tell you, those are easy work which he could have easily finished in a snap. But the thing is, he’s just too lazy to do it. I don’t know why he didn’t want to do it. Is it because he doesn’t understand what the teacher said, or because he doesn’t like writing? Or is it because he just doesn’t want to get penalized for doing a poor job?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">That was the BM teacher. I also met the English, Maths and Science teachers who all told me the same thing: “<em>Nizzar tak nak buat kerja</em>!” And they all gave me work samples of what he had missed out to do at home. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">It was very embarrassing, you know. But one consolation, they said, he’s not the only one. There are other kids who are in the same boat! Hee.. Hee..<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">When I got home that night, I sat down with him to make sure he did as much as he could. True enough, sekejap je dah siap. My question is, why kat kelas tak nak buat? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">So, I’m not surprised if the teacher scolded him in class. Cakap bukan main pandai. That morning when I sent him to school, he told me, “<em>Mummy, I really like school you know?</em>” When I asked why, he said, “<em>I like my class.. my friends.. and I want to get A+ in my work!</em>” </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Amboi… what a proud moment! At that time, I was truly convinced that my son was very into this school thing. Unfortunately, at 10.30am that same morning, the teacher called me saying my son has not been doing any work! How to get A+ like that?!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">But one funny thing happened when we were looking for his books in the classroom. I was with the BM teacher at that time and Nizzar was talking to me in English. The teacher asked me, “<em>Nizzar ni boleh cakap Bahasa Malaysia tak</em>?” I said, “, “Boleh… sikit2..”. “<em>Dia faham tak</em>?”, tanya cikgu tu lagi. “Faham… “ i said. Then, the teacher told me, “Hari tu saya tanya dia, awak ni Melayu ke? Dia jawab: <span style="font-size: large;">"</span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">I am English</span>!!”</span> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Nizzar… Nizzar… what am I going to do with you..??</span></div>
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MrsNordinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389192701993131122noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8712335769113145764.post-10367950051108859392013-01-18T16:30:00.002+08:002013-01-18T16:30:23.998+08:00Cry Baby<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">It’s coming to the end of week 3 of schooling, but Nizzar still cry sometimes when I drop him off at school. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The worst is Monday morning. Big drama! Nak kejutkan sikit punya susah. Then he’d start whining, “I<em> don’t like school! Hari ni lambat balik! 1 o’clock! Banyak kerja</em>!” </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">And he’d refuse to wear his baju sekolah.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I would often lose my temper upon hearing this and would scream, “NIZZAR, GET UP ALREADY!!” and drag him out of bed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">“<em>Mummy ni, asyik2 nak marah</em>!”, he'd protested.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">“<em>Ya lah! If I tak marah, you tak nak bergerak! Mummy cakap elok2 you tak nak dengar. Kena jerit baru nak buat!”</em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">“<em>Mummy ni! Asyik2 cakap macam tu! Asyik2 cakap macam tu saja</em>!!” </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Then he would stomp his feet and cry. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">By this time, my husband would come out of the bathroom screaming, “<em>Apasal<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>ni Nizzar…?</em>!!” And he would stare angrily at his daddy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In the car going to school, both of us would be very quiet. He would be sulking and I would still be angry at him. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">But nearing school, “<em>Mummy, hold my hand, please</em>..” </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Masa tu lah rasa nak turn back and start all over again from home! Masa tu jugak lah rasa kesian pada budak ni,.. pagi2 lagi dah kena bangun, mandi, pegi sekolah while everybody else is still sleeping. Then I would feel very bad for yelling at him. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Sampai sekolah, he would hesitantly get out of the car. I would tell myself, “Be patient, be very patient. This is not easy for him, so don’t make it worse.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">“<em>Mummy, please walk with me to school</em>…”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">At that cue, I would be betting, “<em>Would he cry or not</em>?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So, I would take his hand and walk with him to the assembly area. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">There are many parents going in and out of the school gate after dropping off their kids. Some would say hello to us and say, “<em>Wah… you’re a good boy today, Nizzar… Don’t cry, ok.</em>.”. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">But my little boy would just hold on to my hands tightly and not look up to the stranger’s face.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">When we reach the spot where I would normally leave him, he would quickly hug me and won’t let me go. And he would start to cry.. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">“<em>Mummy… I don’t want to go… I’ll miss you Mummy</em>…” Sob, sob..</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">“<em>No Nizzar, you have to go to school. Mummy have to go to work. It’s only for a while. Later when Mummy come back from work, we can play, ok</em>.” I tried my best to calm him down. “<em>Take a deep breath and stop crying</em>.” , I added.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">He would continue sobbing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I have no choice but to push him away from me before it gets worse. Sometimes, I would ask one of the prefects to take him to his class, sometimes I would just leave him there so he’d make his own way to class.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It’s hard to let him go but if I stayed on, he would continue crying.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">But there were some good days. Days when he would cheerfully waved at me as I took my leave. These would be happy days for me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Now that he knows how to call me from the public phone, I’ve been getting his calls every morning at 9am when he breaks for recess. He would call me twice; once as soon as he comes out of class and the second time after he finished eating. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It’s quite nice to hear his voice like that. I just hope the teachers won’t disallow him from calling me every so often. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Next week, real class will start. I hope Nizzar can understand what is being taught and will be able to do his work well. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I have faith in you, my dear boy...</span></div>
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MrsNordinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389192701993131122noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8712335769113145764.post-58379479427146696242013-01-07T23:34:00.002+08:002013-01-08T11:19:56.140+08:00Finding NizzarFirst day of school is always traumatic for parents, especially mothers. My little boy, Nizzar, started Standard One this year and boy, I tell you… it’s very distressing! <br />
<br />
Day 1 – he went to the wrong class. <br />
<br />
You know how it is on the first day of assembly? There were so many kids from Standard 1 right up to Standard 6. In Year 1 alone, there were 150 students - all seemed lost and terrified in the big crowd. Combined with the other classes, there must be close to 1,000 students at the assembly area that morning. <br />
<br />
I was nervous, and I’m sure all the other Year 1 parents who were waiting at the assembly area were anxious as well. <br />
<br />
My son was seated right at the back row because all the other kids had arrived earlier than us. I was watching him from far and he seemed just fine although he looked somewhat lost at times. That was understandable given the new environment and such. <br />
<br />
After all the announcements and speeches, I heard the Headmistress announced, “<em>Semua murid Tahun 1 diminta berdiri</em>…!” <br />
<br />
None of the Std One kids stood up. All the parents rushed to their kids and coaxed them to stand up. <br />
<br />
I just stood there and continued observing my son from far. <br />
<br />
Then the group started moving out of the assembly area towards the classrooms. I stood vigil and watched each and every one of the kid that passed by so I didn’t miss my son. <br />
<br />
One by one had walked on by, but I didn’t see my Nizzar. <br />
<br />
“<em>Murid Tahun 2 di minta berdiri</em>!” <br />
<br />
<em>Alamak.. dah masuk Tahun 2? Where’s my son? </em><br />
<br />
Ok, maybe I’d missed him in the crowd… he’d probably had reached his class now. <br />
<br />
So, I went up to his class. But when I got there, he was nowhere to be seen. His seat was empty. <br />
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I panicked! Where could he be? <br />
<br />
I asked the teacher, “<em>Anak saya, Nizzar, tak de disini, Cikgu</em>..” Non-chalantly, the teacher replied, “<em>Ohh.. tak apa.. hari pertama ni memang macam ni… Ramai budak2 masuk silap kelas. Nanti kita jumpa lah dia</em>..” <br />
<br />
What? Nanti kita jumpa dia? How long do I have to wait?? What if he had gone outside the school compound? What if he had gone elsewhere looking for me? Even I didn’t know the whole school compound! <br />
<br />
So, I went to look for him myself. I went to all the Std One classes but he was nowhere to be seen. Then I went to the Std Two classes – still, he wasn’t there (although there were a few Std 1 kids found in those classes). <br />
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Then I went back downstairs to the assembly area – it was empty except for a few parents mingling around. <br />
<br />
I felt my heart dropped. Have I lost my kid on the first day of school? <br />
<br />
I ran up again to the class area and stumbled upon the Headmistress. “<em>Cikgu, anak saya hilang. I cannot find him!”</em> <br />
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The Headmistress just looked at me and said (without any sense of urgency in her voice), “<em>Tak pe… dia mesti ada kat kelas lain tu</em>..”, and walked on by entertaining the other parents. <br />
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I was mad! What if it had been your son? Wouldn’t you be worried? Wouldn’t you be alarmed? <br />
<br />
Sweat was trickling down my face but I told myself not to give up. I went to each and every Std 1 classes once again to search for him, but still I couldn’t find him. In the end, I went back to his class and decided to just wait for someone to find him... <br />
<br />
As I entered the class, I saw him. Sitting in the front row, head down. The teacher whispered to me, “<em>We found him at the corridor. He went to Kelas 3</em>.” (when his class is Kelas 2). <br />
<br />
Phew... what a relief!! <br />
<br />
The moment he saw me, he started to cry. I saw tears rolled down his cheeks and I could feel that he was so relieved to see me. Poor baby...<br />
<br />
I ran up to him and gave him a big hug. “<em>Where did you go? Mummy looked for you everywhere but I couldn’t find you. I was so worried about you, you know</em>…!” Huu… Huu… now both of us started crying in the classroom! <br />
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Hee.. Hee… now you know why he didn’t want to go to school... <br />
<br />
It was very trying for me to get him to go to school the next day and the days after. Every morning he would cry and come up with all sorts of excuses to stop me from sending him to school. Kasut panas lah, beg berat lah, the class is lame lah, he’s not well lah… macam macam! <br />
<br />
It broke my heart to see him like that… but I had to be firm and continued sending him to school despite his pleadings. I knew for a fact, once he got into class, he would be okay. <br />
<br />
Today, when I got home from work, he told me the best news ever - “<em>Mummy, I am the Class Monitor!”</em><br />
<br />
Alright!! <br />
<br />
And he said, he volunteered for the job. <br />
<br />
That’s my boy…:) <br />
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Nizzar on the first day of school </div>
MrsNordinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389192701993131122noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8712335769113145764.post-21987173048587870312012-12-19T14:30:00.000+08:002012-12-19T14:51:41.426+08:00Of Van Gogh and Rembrandt<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am not much into art appreciation and don’t even know the difference between a Van Gogh or a Rembrandt. But a recent visit to Amsterdam has opened my eyes to the beauty of such paintings, how they evolved, their stories, and what made them so remarkable. Below are my favorite picks: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1) <strong>Van Gogh </strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Do you know there are 7 versions of the Sunflowers? I always thought there was only one… </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCXZrpI8kwtApinTnJ9gmOsHblMH4PbK4JMvDTqEyon5QUcxN0vGeM3-HqBf1Jk7oCJ1-Y32QZCBQYGLNAXwEhgo6SSy-DyfV419FxCxNUu-w3WyAtt_0ldABIhFzqlBpK8nszKvUuyP3u/s1600/f_0453.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img bea="true" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCXZrpI8kwtApinTnJ9gmOsHblMH4PbK4JMvDTqEyon5QUcxN0vGeM3-HqBf1Jk7oCJ1-Y32QZCBQYGLNAXwEhgo6SSy-DyfV419FxCxNUu-w3WyAtt_0ldABIhFzqlBpK8nszKvUuyP3u/s320/f_0453.jpg" width="254" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is the first one, painted in 1888 by Van Gogh when he was 35. It's known as "Three Sunflowers in a Vase". The background is turquoise. Currently owned by a private collector in the USA.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTWudkzjCz1jD_5fRqm9gOTXc0IYqgZFc5-ynmyKUKWQ4jfvESsmtQKCW0CkYIJSiLxeWOuo-zw7d4ejEoEt-kh9XJh2xB966k3EaFPFrvpCM79EiCibWq6QTJWqhlnWAT5hd1MKRT_Plw/s1600/f_0455.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img bea="true" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTWudkzjCz1jD_5fRqm9gOTXc0IYqgZFc5-ynmyKUKWQ4jfvESsmtQKCW0CkYIJSiLxeWOuo-zw7d4ejEoEt-kh9XJh2xB966k3EaFPFrvpCM79EiCibWq6QTJWqhlnWAT5hd1MKRT_Plw/s320/f_0455.jpg" width="257" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The fifth version, painted in 1889. "Vase with 12 Sunflowers". Currently located in Philadelphia, USA. Notice the different coloured background.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmMqKuE5efz3cnPu5FB1nNbJCRyClThAMoTtVBJFHlO9Yurm2I-9xfEKBFsF44djoH4cpAiOS-tbpPp2qhNNAq0mkTFnZVP8X3YxvDSwrzziAhwCi6-C2WHaDEDEV1Tra8798MtgQdonhA/s1600/f_0457.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img bea="true" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmMqKuE5efz3cnPu5FB1nNbJCRyClThAMoTtVBJFHlO9Yurm2I-9xfEKBFsF44djoH4cpAiOS-tbpPp2qhNNAq0mkTFnZVP8X3YxvDSwrzziAhwCi6-C2WHaDEDEV1Tra8798MtgQdonhA/s320/f_0457.jpg" width="247" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is the last one - "Vase with 15 Sunflowers", painted in 1889. Background yellow. Currently on display at the Museum of Art in Sompo, Japan. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Van Gogh first painted the sunflowers to decorate his friend, Paul Gaugain's, bedroom. Since then, he painted 7 versions of the sunflowers, one of which was sold for USD81 million at an auction in 1987.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another one of my favourite pick for Van Gogh is the "Starry Night Over the Rhone". Splendid....</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg97_13YUUcwc6yB3yYkXLIS5AV_423dcTVlzLmvmW2WuQ2lx6JVgR-i6pMfiEAwe3v5LFhhHpJJsfkUocGQy5tG3ZPay7MzDbmbQ73g4azXXseZ7OqfLqRXofKpgLtjHqllfmfzOrKqdZN/s1600/800px-Starry_Night_Over_the_Rhone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img bea="true" border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg97_13YUUcwc6yB3yYkXLIS5AV_423dcTVlzLmvmW2WuQ2lx6JVgR-i6pMfiEAwe3v5LFhhHpJJsfkUocGQy5tG3ZPay7MzDbmbQ73g4azXXseZ7OqfLqRXofKpgLtjHqllfmfzOrKqdZN/s320/800px-Starry_Night_Over_the_Rhone.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Starry Night Over the Rhone (1888)</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO3Bew8i9rdt2TPT6QMDQXADJP6YIDBEovo3g3wEPyiyJnFzKHnn6HIpxenguZSC4_E8_RVROVlbz8KuQ0PBUcOZpI2oi62OnHBkb46dv7jJ5kyQK8SITMDz04TxwZELYgeVCU2s5OKTfy/s1600/800px-France_Arles_Reattu_LaCroix_2008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img bea="true" border="0" height="105" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO3Bew8i9rdt2TPT6QMDQXADJP6YIDBEovo3g3wEPyiyJnFzKHnn6HIpxenguZSC4_E8_RVROVlbz8KuQ0PBUcOZpI2oi62OnHBkb46dv7jJ5kyQK8SITMDz04TxwZELYgeVCU2s5OKTfy/s320/800px-France_Arles_Reattu_LaCroix_2008.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The actual landscape for Starry Night Over the Rhone</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2) <strong>Johannes Vermeer</strong></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Vermeer was another famous Dutch painter. I saw his paintings at the Rijksmuseum and straight away fell in love with it. There’s just something about her facial expression and the way she pours out the milk that captivated my attention. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkPhIjkF9RrTGnuRk9x4xduK9LvZHdPCbHgw3vj_Rb-k0qpawERH1bJk8Kp-s43SjBF_cUEWbm4DVU_HXXPWh-QCCjjkWgz36fz0FOYAlKqbh1CMBITMyJUMVG8mEx-fg8KJ8VjPQtHYgz/s1600/Johannes_Vermeer_-_De_melkmeid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img bea="true" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkPhIjkF9RrTGnuRk9x4xduK9LvZHdPCbHgw3vj_Rb-k0qpawERH1bJk8Kp-s43SjBF_cUEWbm4DVU_HXXPWh-QCCjjkWgz36fz0FOYAlKqbh1CMBITMyJUMVG8mEx-fg8KJ8VjPQtHYgz/s320/Johannes_Vermeer_-_De_melkmeid.jpg" width="278" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Kitchen Maid (1660) - Vermeer</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Description: A maid concentrates keenly as she pours milk from a jug. It is a quiet, tranquil scene. The only movement is the flow of milk. Vermeer turned a simple composition of a prosaic subject into an intense work of art. It is in the rendering of light that Vermeer truly excelled, painting tiny dots for highlights as on the bread and the blue cloth. (Rijksmuseum)<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvwhV9iGBf0NdOAMeuVo70JaXRgbJwykDy5JMk7T1OFtvcizkLgRvloyuIIN3rBc853Ghtu5pHj22yg90VfCbCtMh0alwNljM3esh_tAroexw6loFUaBkiMQbQciINN3fULx9y_4ICfgcW/s1600/Girl_with_a_Pearl_Earring.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img bea="true" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvwhV9iGBf0NdOAMeuVo70JaXRgbJwykDy5JMk7T1OFtvcizkLgRvloyuIIN3rBc853Ghtu5pHj22yg90VfCbCtMh0alwNljM3esh_tAroexw6loFUaBkiMQbQciINN3fULx9y_4ICfgcW/s320/Girl_with_a_Pearl_Earring.jpg" width="270" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Girl with a Pearl Earring (1665) - Vermeer</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3) <strong>Rembrandt</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">The Night Watch (1642)</span></b><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> - a masterpiece. This is considered one of the most famous paintings in the world. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzi4KTEaAiHq32lyFPS8lPb2QZyrcVs-_9NPXyr_28DG5ikH-AanaZ5qfvH2RUcIhHxCsBMo5-bsMcIvL5PF844-9vcjX8f_YcySudnIKJy8dXN_G4A_6vaGgflBGVNjr0CVP9BvOSIG9L/s1600/The_Nightwatch_by_Rembrandt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" eea="true" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzi4KTEaAiHq32lyFPS8lPb2QZyrcVs-_9NPXyr_28DG5ikH-AanaZ5qfvH2RUcIhHxCsBMo5-bsMcIvL5PF844-9vcjX8f_YcySudnIKJy8dXN_G4A_6vaGgflBGVNjr0CVP9BvOSIG9L/s320/The_Nightwatch_by_Rembrandt.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Night Watch is renowned for three elements: its colossal size (363 x 437 cm ~ 11 ft 10in x 14 ft 4in), the effective use of light and shadow, and the perception of motion in what would have been, traditionally, a static military portrait<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">This painting was completed in 1642, at the peak of the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_Golden_Age_painting" title="Dutch Golden Age painting"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Dutch Golden Age</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">. It depicts the eponymous </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schutterij" title="Schutterij"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">company</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"> moving out, led by Captain </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frans_Banning_Cocq" title="Frans Banning Cocq"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Frans Banning Cocq</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"> (dressed in black, with a red sash) and his lieutenant, </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willem_van_Ruytenburch" title="Willem van Ruytenburch"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Willem van Ruytenburch</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"> (dressed in yellow, with a white sash). </span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With effective use of sunlight and shade, Rembrandt leads the eye to the three most important characters among the crowd, the two gentlemen in the centre (from whom the painting gets its original title, and the small girl in the centre left background. Behind them the company's colours are carried by the ensign, Jan Visscher Cornelissen.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In 1715, upon its removal from the <i>Kloveniersdoelen</i> to the Amsterdam Town Hall, the painting was cut down on all four sides. This was done, presumably, to fit the painting between two columns, an all too common practice before the 19th century (see below).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This resulted in the loss of two characters on the left-hand side of the painting, the top of the arch, the balustrade, and the edge of the step. This balustrade and step were key visual tools used by Rembrandt to give the painting a forward motion. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The picture below shows how it originally looks like. (Source: Wikipedia)</span></div>
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The un-cut version</div>
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I saw the Night Watch at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. It was awesome. The painting was huge, it occupied the whole wall of the building. It just made me wonder how on earth did Rembrandt paint that, given its enormous size.<br />
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And that was in 1642, the year the Dutch conquered Malacca from the Portuguese. Such amazing talent...</div>
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Will write more!</div>
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MrsNordinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389192701993131122noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8712335769113145764.post-59170994754174268682012-12-11T16:47:00.000+08:002012-12-12T09:14:44.578+08:00I Love Amsterdam - Part 1Looking for accommodation in unfamiliar countries can be quite tricky. First, you don’t know the city, then you don’t know which area to stay in. Next, you don’t know if you could trust the information given on the internet or the people you deal with online. <br />
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In our recent trip to Amsterdam, we encountered the same problems. Coming from Malaysia, we didn’t really know where to stay. Jordaan? Plantage? Oud West? De Pijp?These places sounded so foreign to me. <br />
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Thank goodness for the internet, I Googled for information, but all the time, I kept on going back to this place called Sarphati Suite Apartment. I don’t know why.. I just loved the photos. The purple cushions and white linen really caught my eyes.<br />
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I read the reviews like a hundred times, but still I wasn’t quite sure about the place. As time was drawing near, I told my husband, “<em>Let’s just book this Sarphati Suite 3. The place looks neat and the price seems reasonable</em>.” My husband asked, “<em>Where is it located?</em>” I told him, “<em>I’ve no idea</em>.” <br />
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So, we booked the apartment and prayed hard that it would not be a mistake. <br />
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In less than 5 minutes, I received a reply from <a href="http://amsterdamapartments.com/">AmsterdamApartments.com</a> confirming my booking. I posted several questions on how to get to the apartment from Schipol and was nicely informed that: 1) I could check-in and collect the apartment keys right at the airport, and 2) the check-in desk would tell us how to get to the apartment. <br />
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That was a comfort. At least we didn’t have to figure out how to get there ourselves. <br />
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So, the days passed and we finally arrived at Schipol Airport on 11 Nov 2012 at 3.45 pm. After collecting our luggage (there were 6 of us with 5 big bags in tow!), we looked for the apartment’s check-in desk at Level 1. <br />
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It was easy to find. The nice lady behind the counter briefed us on the procedures, gave us the keys and called a van to take us to the apartment. She also gave us a map and pointed to us where our apartment was. We were happy. <br />
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The trip from the airport to Sarphati Suite took about 20 minutes and it cost EUR 40. If you’re travelling in a large group, a big car or van would be better considering the number of luggage that you may be carrying. If you took the train, it would cost more or less the same but with a van, you wouldn’t have the hassle to drag your bags from station to station. <br />
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The apartment was located on a quiet area known as Sarphatistraat. The apartment was located on the first floor. The staircase was a bit steep, but we managed to drag all our 5 bags upstairs. There was a lift as well, but we didn’t know how to use it. <br />
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My first impression of the apartment – nice and cozy. The kitchen was fully equipped with pot & pans, plates, bowls, cups, glasses, cutleries etc. There was a microwave oven and a regular oven if you were in the mood for baking. My husband just loved to bake the bread in the oven every morning when we were there. <br />
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There was a dishwasher as well, and we found the washing liquid safely tucked in the cabinet under the sink. The fridge was ample; you could stock up quite a lot of things in there. I especially love the coffee machine! I would be the first person to make coffee every morning (and evening, as a matter of fact!) and the coffee was marvelous!<br />
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Moving on to the bedrooms, we found a nice queen sized bed with fluff-up pillows and cushion in the master bedroom. The heavy draped curtain and the purple cushions were just like how they were in the photos. The bed was just nice for 2 people, but since my youngest son (6 y.o) had to share the bed with us, it was a bit cramped. <br />
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My 2 daughters slept in the second bedroom while my other son slept on the sofa bed in the living room. They had no complains. <br />
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One good thing about the apartment was the location. Just a few steps away, you could find a grocery store, <em>Albert Heijn</em>, which sells food stuff and such. We went there practically every day to buy food and supplies. The tram/metro station was just nearby. Getting around was so easy as the Centraal Station was just 2 stops away. <br />
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And there was free Wi-Fi as well. So, whenever you want to go somewhere, just Google the place and use the map provided to find how best to get there. It was that easy. <br />
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If there was one thing that I would complain about the place was the lack of storage space in the bedroom cupboards. More hangers should be provided so guests could hang their clothes properly (instead of hanging them on the chairs!). <br />
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Also, we found only 2 rubbish bins in the apartment– one in the kitchen and another one in the toilet. They should provide one each in the bathroom and bedrooms for the guests’ convenience. We had to use plastic bags to put our rubbish in before throwing them away in the big trash can. <br />
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Nevertheless, these did not spoil neither our holiday nor our stay at the apartment.<br />
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The staff was very helpful as well. There was no water one day, so I called the number provided in the instruction manual. Shortly after, one good looking guy by the name of Ralf dropped by at our place to check on the water situation. “<em>Hello</em>!”, he said. It turned out there was water work going on nearby, and if that was the case, the water supply should be back to normal by 5pm. <br />
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In any event, Ralf informed us that if there was still no water by then, we could use the bathroom of the apartment upstairs to shower and clean up. I thought that was very nice of him/management to offer us such privileges. We thanked him and said our goodbyes. (we didn’t need to use the other apartment after all as water was back to normal when we returned to the apartment that evening) <br />
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In summary, I would say Sarpathi Suite 3 is a great place to stay if you're looking for a relaxing holiday with the family in Amsterdam. Until today, we still talked about it. My husband missed the kitchen and the freshly baked bread from the oven.. I missed the cold weather and looking out of the window in the morning with my cup of coffee… my kids missed the living room where we gathered each night to watch South Park, Family Guy or Friends… We all missed <em>Albert Heijn</em>, the tram station, the bicycles and the falling leaves of Amsterdam…. <br />
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If we ever made another trip to Amsterdam, I wouldn't hesitate to stay at Sarphati Suite once again. <br />
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Enjoy the photos! <br />
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Kids happy to touch down after a 12-hour flight</div>
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In the car to the apartment</div>
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Sarphati Suite Apartment</div>
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Lounging on the cozy sofa</div>
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The master bedroom</div>
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Freshly baked bread for breakfast</div>
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Strawberries and jam</div>
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View from the balcony</div>
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Entrance to No. 113 </div>
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The tram passed by infront of the apartment</div>
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Another tram</div>
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Iron and powerful hairdryer !</div>
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The kitchen</div>
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Bread in the oven</div>
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Smakelijk!</div>
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We love Amsterdam !</div>
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MrsNordinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389192701993131122noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8712335769113145764.post-74448468330137810672012-07-26T15:57:00.001+08:002012-07-26T16:24:08.309+08:00Flowers from My Husband<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Every year, without fail, my husband would send me flowers on my birthday. This tradition started from those days when we were still courting and it still continued after we got married. Alhamdulillah… </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Each year, the flowers would be different from the year before. Huge bouquet of roses one year, pretty pink and white lilies the next year, orange daisies and purple carnations thereafter, and so forth. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">His flowers were always very nice and different from the others which I’ve seen. Even the florist would tell me, “<em>Wah.. your husband banyak sayang sama you, ya… tiap2 tahun mesti hantar bunga..</em>”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I would always become the envy of my colleagues whenever the flowers arrived at the office, <em>“Waaahhh… Bestnya!!!” “Sooo nice!!!!”</em> “<em>Kena ambil gambar ni to show my husband so he gets the hint!</em>” Hee.. Hee.. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">But these are the ladies talking. The men, they would just keep quiet, probably thinking, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">What a waste of money…</i>” or “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I hope my wife doesn’t see this</i>!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I heard one saying, “<em>Beli makanan lagi bagus!”,</em> which were quickly rebutted by another lady friend who said, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Makanan lainlah, oii ..!!”</i> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hee.. Hee…</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">However, this year, the flowers were different. They came, alright, but they were not the kind which he usually sent. Not the big-over the top-kind of flower arrangement which I usually received. This year, for the first time, he sent me yellow roses in a small vase. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It looked more like a friendship bouquet which I would send to my girlfriend. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I wasn’t happy. I asked him, “<em>Who ordered the flowers this year coz it’s so not you</em>?!” He said, he did, but he just wanted to be different that’s why he chose yellow.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wasn’t convinced.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even my kids thought it wasn’t their baba. There was no “feel” in the flowers. The message read, “<em>Happy birthday and many happy returns of the day</em>.” “MANY HAPPY RETURNS OF THE DAY??” Formal nya!!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I knew he was busy that day and perhaps he didn’t have time to put some thought into the flowers. So I guessed, he had simply asked his secretary, who didn’t really know his style, to order it online. That’s what I thought. There was no personal touch to it. In addition, there were a lot more leaves than flowers in the vase. So I sent him a nasty message, “<em>Next year, no need to send me flowers. Just send me baja coz the leaves would last forever!”</em> He replied, “<em>Perli I ya</em>…”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I was still not satisfied but I said thank you anyway. Merajuk jugak lah.. how could he not put some effort into the flowers? Dah lah he was not around on my birthday (he was in JB). Even my good friend, SW, managed to top my husband’s flowers this year. She sent me a really beautiful bouquet of pink lilies, roses and purple carnations. The kind that made you go “Wow…!” in amazement. Thanks, Shila!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I spoke to him later that night and again, he convinced me that it was him who ordered the flowers and the color yellow was picked intentionally to be different. Didn’t he know that yellow roses meant “True Friendship”? Am I just a friend to him now instead of “My Lovely Wife”? Sigh…</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Anyway, the next day, I went to work with a heavy heart. Tak sanggup nak tengok the yellow roses which I purposely left on my desk. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">When I reached the office, I received a call on my HP from an unknown number. “Puan, ada delivery untuk Puan.” </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Eh, dari siapa pulak?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">So, I went downstairs anxiously (delivery boys are not allowed to come up to our offices) and when I approached the lobby, I saw the delivery boy standing by the reception with a pretty basket of red roses. “<em>Untuk Puan. Tolong sign</em>”, he said. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I glanced at the card which accompanied the flowers. It read, “<em>I am really sorry I am not around on your birthday.. Love you always.. NJ</em>”. It was from him – my husband! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I was smiling with glee. This was more like him…. <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I BBM him (now BBM saja… telephone conversations are limited to VERY important matters only) and said, “<em>This is more like you. Thank you</em>!” I told my kids and they were convinced that the previous day’s one was a slip-up. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I was happy. Two bouquets of flowers on my desk from the man I love. Friends were quick to remark, “<em>I think, you complained a lot lah yesterday.. that’s why he sent you another one…</em>”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, he should make up for it, right? I didn’t ask him to, but since he did, I was thrilled.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The day after, ie. 3<sup>rd</sup> day after my birthday, I received another call on my mobile phone. The number looked the same like the previous day’s.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“<em>Puan, ada delivery untuk Puan</em>.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Ayy, siapa pulak lagi ni? I thought it could be from another friend who had just texted me that morning. I was curious. Tak kan husband I nak hantar bunga lagi… gila ke apa?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">So I went downstairs, hoping that it’s just a small gift coz I dah segan nak bawak naik bunga2an tu. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">When I reached the lobby, the same delivery boy was standing there. This time, with a big bouquet of sunflowers in his hands. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Waaahhh… what a lovely sight! I immediately knew it was my husband! This time, the message read, “<em>Again, so sorry I’m not around but insyaallah I will be back later tonight. Love you</em>..”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">What can I say? 3 days in a row! This has never happened before! I’ve seen it on TV tho, where the girl would receive flowers from the guy who admired her and the flowers would fill-up her room. In my case, it didn’t quite fill up a room but it did make my work station look like a garden! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">When I asked him whether he had planned it all long or whether the last 2 were sent to make up for the first one, he just smiled and said, “<em>As I always said, I don’t want to be predictable..”</em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Oh well, whatever his reasons, he surely made me feel very special!</span></div>
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Day 1</div>
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From my dear friend, SW</div>
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Day 2</div>
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Day 3 - I love these!!</div>
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Little Rascal and sunflowers</div>
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</div>MrsNordinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389192701993131122noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8712335769113145764.post-69332300100637525692012-01-10T14:53:00.003+08:002012-01-10T15:12:16.507+08:00Not So Little Boy AnymoreHello everyone and Happy New Year. I believe it’s still not too late for me to wish you all a Happy New Year.<br /><br />Nizzar is turning 6 this year. My God! How time flies! I keep on telling him to stop growing and stay 5 forever.<br /><br />When he asked me why, I said, “<em>So I can still manja-manja with you and you will always want Mummy..”</em> He gave me a long sigh..<br /><br />That boy is becoming more talkative these days now that he knows how to form full sentences. Every day when I come home from work, he would wait for me at the door and enthusiastically persuaded me to play “Teacher, Teacher” with him.<br /><br />“Teacher, Teacher” is a role playing game where we take turn to become teacher and student in our imaginary classroom. Most of the time, he would emulate his teachers or friends, and this is one way for me to find out what actually happen in his class.<br /><br />I like it best when he plays the teacher. He would imitate his teachers’ stern warnings, instructions and activities to the tee and I would always end up laughing at his antics. We would sometime play this game when his Atok and Opah (<em>my parents</em>) come visiting (<em>Atok & Opah become new students</em>) and they would be so impressed with his acting skills that they would almost always buy him a toy the day after.<br /><br />He can speak English quite fluently now, thanks to the school. When I first sent him there last year, he spoke mostly in Malay but now I’m quite happy to hear him speaking in English quite confidently. Every now and then, I would hear him say a new word like “DEFEAT”.. “SHARING” (<em>quite big words there, I think</em>), and will talk non-stop until he falls asleep at night.<br /><br />Just this morning, when I woke him up for school, he looked at me with his eyes half closed and said, “<em>I’m sure your friends will like what you’re wearing today</em>”. I said, “<em>Are you sure? Do you like my baju?</em>” He nodded and said, “<em>Very nice, Mummy</em>...”<br /><br />Hee.. hee… how not to melt like that? Even my husband doesn’t pay me such compliment anymore these days. Nasib baik ada budak kecik tu. My morale booster! Hee.. Hee..<br /><br />And our parting words?<br /><br />“<em>See you later, alligator</em>…”<br /><br />“<em>In a while, crocodile</em>..”<br /><br />Remind me of his daddy when we were courting.. :)MrsNordinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389192701993131122noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8712335769113145764.post-88704202123061980962011-12-21T16:32:00.005+08:002011-12-21T16:44:46.908+08:00LangkawiI just got back from a trip to Langkawi. It was a long journey… but quite nice in some ways.<br /><br />This is the first time I took the ferry after a long time. If I remember correctly, the last time I went on the ferry was in 1988. That was right after my orientation prior to leaving for the UK.<br /><br />The orientation was held at this school in Jitra, Kedah. <em>Lover boy</em> was there too. So, right after the orientation, we both went to Langkawi for a quick getaway.<br /><br />I still remember strolling down the beach at Pantai Cenang that night. The stars were shining bright. We sat on the beach, talked, laughed until late at night...<br /><br />Can’t believe I did all that. I was only 19. Now when I think about it, what could have happened… scary man! But of course nothing happened. We were young and innocent… 19 then is nothing like 19 today!<br /><br />Anyway, it didn’t work out with that guy but memories of that night at Pantai Cenang still linger....<br /><br />This time around, the trip was made sweeter by thoughts of <em>Ombak Rindu</em>. That’s a very nice Malay movie I’ve watched in a long time. I was informed that the movie was shot mostly in Langkawi. So wherever we went, I couldn’t help feeling nostalgic about Izzah, Hariz and the location of their love story.<br /><br />I thought I saw the house of Datin S (Azizah Mahzan), the one with the swimming pool in the middle of the sawah padi. We passed by the house several times and it was indeed very beautiful.<br /><br />At the jetty, we saw the fishermen’s boat houses and thought, “<em>This could be Izzah’s house!”</em> or “<em>Mael’s fishing boat!”. Hee.. Hee...<br /></em><br />And we saw the yacht that Izzah and Hariz sailed on in the last scene (<em>yang macam Titanic tu</em>). Aaahhh…. It was so nice! Terbayang2 bab romantic tu! It didn’t help that I was reading the novel throughout the journey. So melancholic! The same feeling I had after watching “Winter Sonata”… Sigh….<br /><br />Ok, ok.. now get real. I think Langkawi did something to me this time which I cannot explain. Was it Pantai Cenang or Mahsuri that has cast her magic spell on me?<br /><br />I wonder.<br /><br /><iframe height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/a-mqkjDnljo" frameborder="0" width="420"></iframe>MrsNordinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389192701993131122noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8712335769113145764.post-84061767626316252912011-12-14T17:12:00.004+08:002011-12-14T17:34:58.690+08:00Maid UpdateI am pleased to inform that the maid has gone home for good. We sent her off last week at the airport. She didn’t call or SMS us after that. Either she’s very glad to be out of our house or she never reached her home town.<br /><br />But do I care? I don’t exactly.. but I do hope she has reached her house safely.<br /><br />We discovered some of our jewelry were missing a few days before she left. My precious gold necklace with a diamond pendant that my husband gave me for my 40th birthday, and my daughter’s rings that were given to her by her late mum. We did not accuse her outright although nobody else could be held responsible for it as she was in the house the whole time, but we did ask her if she had seen them. Obviously the answer was no. We searched her bags, body, clothes and room before she left but found nothing.<br /><br />So we concluded she probably had sold them or pawn them because during the last outing, she bought a lot of things… almost RM500. Where did she get the money from as I only gave her RM50 at that time? Tak kan lah boyfriend dia generous sangat nak belanja sampai RM500.. mostly on baju and handbags (<em>I knew this coz I found old receipts when I cleaned up her room to make way for the new maid</em>). We kept her salary, we only gave her money as and when she asked for it. So, where did the money come from?<br /><br />Anyway, it’s all in the past now. She had gone home and I do not want to talk about her anymore. If indeed she took the jewelry, I let it be because I'm sure God will punish her one way or another.<br /><br />Fortunately, we've got a new maid. She is expected to come in next week. This one comes highly recommended by the agent. Slightly older.. 40+, but is an excellent housemaid, according to the agent. Me and my husband are keeping our fingers crossed...<br /><br />In the meantime, Nadim is taking care of Nizzar at home. So far so good. No phone calls from home, means all is well at the home front.<br /><br />We had a short break last weekend after sending the maid. We went to Genting for my husband’s company’s Family Day and to JB after that as husband had work to attend to.<br /><br />Yes, we visited the Johor Premium Outlets. I wouldn’t say it was fantastic-fantastic, but there were several shops selling good bargains. Most handbags were off-season items, so they were not really screaming buys. Perhaps give it a few more months… I’m sure there will be more shops and items for sale.<br /><br />But it is a nice place to stroll while cuci mata. Tapi kalau tak beli apa2, buat penat saja! Ha! Ha!<br /><br />Cheers!MrsNordinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389192701993131122noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8712335769113145764.post-40615899451248114922011-11-16T16:44:00.003+08:002011-11-16T16:56:30.809+08:00Kantoi LagiI’ve almost had enough with people trying to fool me to get their way. And I find it totally strange that somehow, I will always find out the truth.<br /><br />When that happens, I always get anxious, wondering why God wants to show me the true colors of that person. What is he trying to tell me? Why reveal?<br /><br />My maid was caught lying last weekend. This maid, whom I’ve had for the past 2 years and whose contract is expiring end of this month, had requested for cuti last Saturday. And she wanted to stay overnight at her cousin’s place.<br /><br />My first thought, <em>biarlah dia pegi… dah nak balik pun</em>. But my husband suspected something else.<br /><br />When we questioned her about her plans, she gave us a long list of things that she wanted to do with her “cousin” ni. Nak pegi salon lah, urut kaki lah, tengok movies lah.. but most importantly, she wanted to check out the pasar malam at Jln Masjid India.<br /><br />“<em>Kak.. saya nak sangat beli baju India untuk anak saya.. dan baju melayu yang macam Nizzar pakai tu..</em>”, she pleaded with me. Kesian pulak I dengar. I pun memang ada intention nak beli baju macam tu untuk si Nizzar.<br /><br />So I said, ok.. nak pegi boleh, but nak stay overnight, tak boleh. Anyway, pasar malam is not a good place for foreign workers because ada banyak polis under cover. Instead we asked her to bring her cousin to stay overnight at our house and the next day, we would send them both to Jln Masjid India to shop (punya lah baik majikan ni, kan?)<br /><br />But she said, no.. the cousin wouldn’t want to stay at our house. (Cousin lives in Bandar Utama, sharing a house with other cleaners, and we live in Ampang). She said the cousin insisted that she stayed over at her place, which sounded a bit weird to me as Bandar Utama is further away from KL or Masjid India.<br /><br />The plan was, the cousin would pick her up Ampang Point after she finished her work at 7.30pm, and the next day, she would send her back by car.<br /><br /><em>By car? How could an Indonesian worker afford a car??<br /></em><br />My maid quickly corrected her statement saying that her cousin’s BOSS would send her home in his car. <em>Amboi… baiknya boss cousin dia tu kan.. sanggup nak hantar my maid ni balik ke Ampang from 1-Utama! </em><br /><br />That got me suspicious. I thought this girl was up to no good.<br /><br />So, we said no. And my maid buat drama… menangis depan I sebab dia nak sangat2 jumpa cousin dia tu. Macam tak boleh tidak lah! Mesti jugak pegi by hook or by crook!<br /><br />In the end, we said macam ni lah… why don’t you tell your cousin to meet you tomorrow since it is now almost 7pm. Kalau dia nak datang ke Ampang Point dari Bdr Utama, it’ll take at least 1 hour and there’s nothing much you can do at Ampang Point by then. We can still send you to Ampang Point tonight if you want to do your hair or urut kaki or whatever, but later we pick you up, suggested my husband (<em>See? We are THAT kind</em>)<br /><br />She agreed. So at 7.30pm last Saturday, we all drove her to Ampang Point so she could get her hair done.<br /><br />I don’t know whether we were being stupid or kind, but that’s what we did. I was cursing myself for giving in too much to her request but we wanted her to be happy as we wanted her to stay a little longer until we get her replacement.<br /><br />So, we dropped her off and went to have our dinner…<br /><br />As I had expected (<em>somehow we have this hunch, don’t we?),</em> at 9.30pm, she texted me, “<em>Kak, I’m meeting with saya punya saudara. Tomorrow I balik. I minta maaf tapi I nak pergi sangat dengan dia for 1 night. Please forgive me.</em>”<br /><br />With that, I straight away knew that she had been lying. The cousin was actually a cover up for, whoelse but, a guy. She had planned this all along and was supposed to meet up with him that Saturday night. Itu yang beriya2 menangis tu sebab nak jumpa jugak!<br /><br />I felt so disappointed with her, I really was. We treated her good, layan her like my own daughter, bawa dia jumpa doctor sana sini pasal jerawat muka dia tu etc, etc.. and she could do this to us?<br /><br />I didn’t reply her SMS. My husband asked me to call her, but what for? I was adamant that I would not have her in my house anymore! I couldn’t believe she could ditch us for this guy whom she barely knew.<br /><br />So anyway, the night passed with us strategizing our plans on how to manage the household without a maid...<br /><br />The next day, Sunday, we all went to KLCC because budak kecik tu nak beli Ultraman. He was pestering us to take him to KLCC since morning to buy his toy, so in the end we went there at 3pm.<br /><br />We had just arrived and had just finished buying some sweets from the new Candylicious outlet when, lo and behold… I saw MY MAID!!! She had just come out of a shop with many shopping bags in her hands, berkasut tumit tinggi, baju baru (<em>beli baru agaknya sebab semalam dia keluar sehelai sepinggang saja</em>), make up sikit punya tebal...<br /><br />And you guess it lah… she wasn’t alone. There was a guy walking besides her. Macam bagus2… tersengeh2 berdua….<br /><br />She didn’t see me because if she had, she would have run away. So I continued walking towards her and as our path crossed, I confronted her, “<em>Ohh.. inilah saudara kamu ni, ya? Siapa ni? Who is this?</em>” She looked stunned. Muka pucat! Not a word from her mouth! The guy just stood there, dumbfounded as well.<br /><br />Then my husband’s turn, “<em>SIAPA NI?? SIAPA NI??”</em> Also no answer. Senyap sunyi macam tikus dua-dua orang tu.<br /><br />But since we were very kind people and didn’t want to embarrass her in front of other people that afternoon, we let her go off. There was nothing more to say anyway. The truth had been revealed and she knew she had been caught red-handed.<br /><br />God is great, kan? Kita dah nasihat dia elok2, dia nak kelentong kita jugak… last2 Tuhan tunjukkan pada kita perkara yang sebenar. Haa.. padan muka! Who would have thought I would bump into her at KLCC that afternoon, right? Pasar malam, my ass!!<br /><br />I didn’t think she would come home on Sunday, but she came back anyway. We were not at home at that time. Boyfriend dia nilah yang hantar balik pakai kereta agaknya (they guy looked local, not Indon). We asked her to wait outside the house for nearly 2 hours. Padan muka! You bijak sangat nak tipu kita, tunggulah kat situ!<br /><br />Since that day, I have not spoken to her. I only speak when necessary. I didn’t ask her to explain why either because there’s nothing more to explain. Ikutkan hati, memang I nak suruh dia keluar saja dari rumah tu because I cannot trust her anymore. But my husband ni insisted that we keep her until we get a new maid.<br /><br />Keep lah… but I am no more Mr Nice Guy. No more gelak2 macam dulu, no more eating together at the dining table, no more leeway for you. We want to treat you like family, but it seems like you want us to treat you like any other maids. So, there you have it!<br /><br />Lesson learnt: Don’t be too nice to the maid, nanti dia pijak kepala kita. People used to tell me this before, but I didn’t believe them for I feel you have to be nice to them so they stay. After this incident, I would definitely be more careful…MrsNordinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389192701993131122noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8712335769113145764.post-72257828359414220282011-10-10T13:59:00.004+08:002011-10-10T14:16:55.928+08:00Because The NightI’m hooked on Patti Smith’s “<em>Because The Night</em>”. I can’t remember how I came across this talented singer/artist, but I guess it must be during one of those nights when I was youtube-ing, as they call it.<br /><br />She’s cool, that’s how I see it. Even when she’s almost as old as my mother now, she still has it when she takes to the stage. Awesome.<br /><br />Her music is known as “punk rock”. A fusion of rock and poetry; that’s what makes it so hypnotizing. They call her the “Godmother of Punk”. She must be a big name, then.<br /><br />Then I found out she’s written a book, “<em>Just Kids</em>”, which documents her relationship with Robert Mapplethorne, the love of her life. I went to get a copy at Kinokuniya. A very intriguing story and quite disturbing at times, but she told it in a very delicate way that I didn’t find it repulsive at all. More curious at the end of it, yes.<br /><br />This is my favorite video clip. Patti Smith performing alongside U2 and Bruce Springsteen during the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2009. <em>Because The Night</em> was written by Bruce Springsteen but Patti made it hit the charts in 1978.<br /><br />As U2 puts it, “<em>This is the song we wish we’d written..”</em> Oh yes!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSUgWCHpmHM&list=FLl-0d0itCm801RntRdpLBZA&index=19">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSUgWCHpmHM&list=FLl-0d0itCm801RntRdpLBZA&index=19</a>MrsNordinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389192701993131122noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8712335769113145764.post-31782539282191424632011-09-15T12:12:00.002+08:002011-09-15T12:24:06.115+08:00Dr Ban Re-visitedI paid another visit to Dr Ban in Raub last Saturday. My sinus has relapsed and I was getting irritated with my runny nose which gave me problems sleeping at night.<br /><br />I believe the reason for the relapse is because I tak jaga pantang. He specifically told me not to eat two things: eggs and peanuts. I followed his advise diligently in the first month but as I got better, I curi-curi makan telur coz I just love eggs.<br /><br />On the last day of Ramadhan, I purposely told my maid to make omelet as I was craving for it. “<em>I’m gonna eat this omelet and I don’t care</em>!” Memanglah sah-sah, during hari raya, I couldn’t sleep at night because I kept on going to the bathroom to blow my nose. That was a real torture.<br /><br />It continued well after raya and last week, I just had enough of seeing tissues strewn all over my bedroom as I struggled to stop the sneezing. “<em>That’s it! Let’s go and see Dr Ban!</em>”, I told my husband. My daughter has also started sneezing again in the morning and I guess it was high time we paid another visit to Dr Ban.<br /><br />The old man is still the same old Dr Ban whom I first met in April. He remembered me and my daughter and told me that many people had come to visit him after what I wrote in my blog. I don’t know if he has read what I wrote, but I believe he must have had. He did the same thing again and gave us our medication.<br /><br />This time around, I also brought along my maid who has this very bad acne on her face. The skin specialist at Gleneagles diagnosed it as “<em>chronic acne</em>”. I didn’t know how she got it but I think it could be from the facial treatments that she had at this salon.<br /><br />Yes, my maid loves to try out beauty regimes whenever she goes out for her monthly outing. Pegi buat rambut lah, facial lah… mengalah kan tuan dia! But it’s her day off and she uses her own money anyway, so I let her indulge herself.<br /><br />But now, muka dah naik jerawat macam tu, dah lama tak nak keluar rumah sebab malu! Hee.. hee… kesian pun ada! We’ve tried so many things before (jumpa doctor, beli ubat jerawat, control makanan) but her face just got worse. That’s why I brought her along to see Dr Ban if he could help.<br /><br />Why wasn’t I surprised when he told me that he has treated people with worse acne conditions than my maid? And the results can be seen within one month only! This, I really must see, because acne usually takes a long time to heal.<br /><br />He gave my maid some antibiotics and skin cleansers and asked her to pantang 3 things: Coffee, chocolate and milk.<br /><br />It has only been 5 days but my maid says there is no more itchiness. Although the acne on her face is still quite evident, it is less glaring.<br /><br />We’ll see how it goes... If it worked, then I would really think Dr Ban is a miracle doctor!MrsNordinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389192701993131122noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8712335769113145764.post-43932900554929485052011-09-12T13:27:00.007+08:002011-09-12T14:00:24.807+08:00A Happy DayWe had a wonderful family gathering yesterday.<br /><br />On Friday night, my husband told me that Y (<em>his youngest brother who got married 2 years ago</em>) wanted to bring his mother and father in law to our house for beraya on Sunday.<br /><br />Y’s MIL and my husband used to be classmates; in the same school that my MIL used to teach. Ever since Y got married, he never got the chance to bring his in laws visiting to our house although we have been to their house once.<br /><br />Anyway, I said ok. Let them come.. but what are we going to cook? We settled for laksa coz it was just a small do.<br /><br />But as we were on our way to the pasar on late Sunday morning, we were informed that my MIL and FIL would be coming as well. I know my MIL doesn’t eat laksa, so we decided to cook another dish ie. mee goreng mamak, which my husband would do. Set!<br /><br />With my MIL coming, we would also have to invite my other BIL, N, who just lived nearby. There were 7 of them in that family, which brought the total number of guests to 13 from the initial 4.<br /><br />Since my parents were also in town, so I told my husband, “<em>Wouldn’t it be nice if my mother could come as well</em>?” I’ve asked her before but she said she wasn’t sure if she could come.<br /><br />My husband said, “<em>Sanggup tak kita ni? Ramai ni... Would there be enough food coz we didn't expect that many people in the first place?" </em><br /><br />I resolved there would be enough for everyone. The most important thing was not the food; it was getting everyone together. Bukan senang nak get everyone together like this.<br /><br />So my husband said, "<em>Call again lah...”,</em> which I did , and my mother said she would try.<br /><br />So, I kept my fingers crossed hoping that they could come over. If they came, then we would have everybody that mattered to us under one roof!<br /><br />First, Y arrived. Then my MIL arrived. Next was N and his family. Everyone from my husband’s family had arrived but there was still no sign of my family. In my heart, I was saying, “<em>Maybe they couldn’t make it.. Never mind lah</em>..”<br /><br />But to my surprise, they did turn up in the end!<br /><br />I was so happy to see both my brothers and parents! They haven’t been to our house in a long time and haven’t met my in laws for quite a while already. The last time was during Y’s wedding 2 years ago.<br /><br />So, seeing everyone gathered yesterday at our house made me feel very proud. My MIL met all her <em>besan</em> and I must say, that was quite remarkable!<br /><br />Since my mum and my MIL hardly ever met, I could sense that they were quite uncomfortable with each other at first. Sorang duduk kat luar, sorang duduk kat dalam. Bila yang kat luar masuk ke dalam, yang kat dalam pegi keluar. My FIL and my dad are ok.. they got on talking macam biasa saja.<br /><br />You see, my mum and my MIL are similar in character in many ways. Both are strong headed, ex-teachers and very sensitive. I suppose, both wanted the other to make that first move. It was quite awkward at first, but after a while, they were ok. Siap gaduh lagi!<br /><br />MIL: <em>Dia orang ni, kalau raya, ada jugak tidur rumah Hajah 2 malam. Kat rumah saya ni, sekerat hari saja… pagi saja… lepas tu dah balik Ipoh! Dahlah tak pernah datang rumah.. nak jumpa sebulan sekali pun susah!</em><br /><br /><br />MUM: <em>Hajah sebulan sekali… Saya ni, nak jumpa SETAHUN sekali pun susah! Kalau saya tak menangis, dia orang takkan tidur kat rumah! </em><br /><br /><br />MIL: <em>Iyalah… Hajah selalu datang sini… selalu jugak jumpa si Yati. Ini dah lah dekat, nak datang rumah langsung tidak!</em> (Mode: exaggerating)<br /><br />ME: <em>Suami saya tak ada, mak</em>… (mencelah)<br /><br /><br />MUM: <em>Iya, suami dia tak ada. Dia tak boleh keluar</em> (my mother menyokong I, hee.. hee..). <em></em><br /><br /><em></em><br />MUM:<em> Saya sekarang dah tak kisah dah Hajah… Nak balik, balik. Tak nak pun dah apa…<br /></em><br /><br />MIL: <em>Itu lah budak2 ni… kita dulu suka tidur ramai2 kat rumah mak… sampai ke dapur kadang2…. Bla, bla, bla..<br /></em><br />By this time, I’ve lost interest and my mother said she nak balik.<br /><br /><br />Anyway, despite the <em>sindiran tajam</em> tu, I’m happy that they both had a chance to meet and “talk”. Nasib baik duduk jauh-jauh, kalau dekat, I rasa.. sure selalu gaduh! Sorang kata macam ni, sorang kata macam tu! Hee.. Hee...<br /><br />My husband was happy as well. He said it was a historical event as for the first time, both sides of our family got together at our house. Although it was only for a short while, we’re glad it happened and I hope we could do this again next year (<em>although to be honest... I doubt so we can.</em>)<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwQAkm99hMFpLbd5fkQL8DFWFtWegBrFqXUun8m45fB9SRpxPlKA6cXVSkDDSQaLq40kT5FnbW8_BR_rgDLsEunyJkiOrGO2woZYBb3nK5K9Ajzv1YkYyzoPSehZ6vjHv2UWRcHxcQ6qqs/s1600/SAM_1530.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5651347705955498882" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwQAkm99hMFpLbd5fkQL8DFWFtWegBrFqXUun8m45fB9SRpxPlKA6cXVSkDDSQaLq40kT5FnbW8_BR_rgDLsEunyJkiOrGO2woZYBb3nK5K9Ajzv1YkYyzoPSehZ6vjHv2UWRcHxcQ6qqs/s400/SAM_1530.JPG" /> <br /><p align="center"></a>All in the family!<br /><br /></p><br /><p></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidAsYmPLnBc9X1JaqcLtRQbyF6-OBtb1F4WpXbeqoZSgUr6M6U_-uPKvR8QzXY3PdI7xcul0oxc39WQGchz9reZIj7QDP_KgOoWIzqn3TJxvsU2xijY3ILWoNGbInV2Zs3EMw46mxi3uz4/s1600/SAM_1532.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5651341372093388770" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidAsYmPLnBc9X1JaqcLtRQbyF6-OBtb1F4WpXbeqoZSgUr6M6U_-uPKvR8QzXY3PdI7xcul0oxc39WQGchz9reZIj7QDP_KgOoWIzqn3TJxvsU2xijY3ILWoNGbInV2Zs3EMw46mxi3uz4/s400/SAM_1532.JPG" /> <br /><p align="center"></a></p><br /><p align="center">My in laws with their "besan"<br />(L to R: My mum, my MIL, Y's MIL, my FIL, Y's FIL, my dad)<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ0D9SPYEInS6ER1feRM5z274z1r-E7xImMlhXz4Y5g47aYwhMGd4xr8v_rzbwFSOy-JTFvqPcxowqX6FtzLTOm24zRRJQe5lGtjW_olwjbDgOm68Q6OIFbH3BUWHzwkT5Xc1_nmXRpNm-/s1600/SAM_1533.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5651341278392900594" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ0D9SPYEInS6ER1feRM5z274z1r-E7xImMlhXz4Y5g47aYwhMGd4xr8v_rzbwFSOy-JTFvqPcxowqX6FtzLTOm24zRRJQe5lGtjW_olwjbDgOm68Q6OIFbH3BUWHzwkT5Xc1_nmXRpNm-/s400/SAM_1533.JPG" /></a> The two strong women in my life..<br /><br /></p>MrsNordinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389192701993131122noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8712335769113145764.post-60027747881384440932011-09-08T15:19:00.002+08:002011-09-08T15:23:33.826+08:00M.A.I.DI’m in a dilemma. Maid punya cerita lah.. apa lagi.<br /><br />My current maid’s contract is coming to an end this November. She’s been with us for almost 2 years now, replacing our previous maid who had worked for us for 7 years.<br /><br />I like her, she’s very clean. I don’t have much complains about her except her penchant for shopping and grooming herself incessantly. But she’s young and uses her own money anyway to buy those things. So I let her be.<br /><br />I have asked her a couple of months ago whether she wants to extend her stay or go home when her contract expires. At that point of time, she said it was still too soon to tell. Now that the time is drawing nearer, I’m afraid to ask her again.. afraid that she would give me a negative answer.<br /><br />But I have to ask her soon. If she said no, I have to look for a new maid. Sigh…. and you know how difficult it is to get a reliable maid these days. Although the going rate is so expensive (someone told me it’s RM12k now!), there’s no guarantee that the maid is good and will not lari panjat pagar.<br /><br />Can I do without a maid? I suppose I can. Let’s see… how would my schedule look like:<br /><br />6.00 am : Bangun, run the washing machine, bagi kucing makan, feed the bird and goose<br />6.30am : Mandi & solat<br />7.00-7.45am: Sidai baju, prepare Nizzar’s bag & food, siapkan budak kecik tu, get ready for work, kemas bilik.<br />8.00 am: Send Nizzar to school<br />8.30am: Drop Nabila at office<br />9.00-5.30pm: At work<br />6.00pm: Pick up Nizzar from school<br />7.00pm: Angkat kain, cook dinner<br />8-10pm: Kemas rumah, lipat kain, etc.<br /><br />Problem is, I’ll be doing all these chores alone while my husband works in JB. If he’s around, he could lend a hand. Well, I suppose I could delegate some of the jobs to the older kids.. at least it won’t be too bad.<br /><br />Don’t know… don’t want to think about it. Maybe I’ll ask her the big question this weekend. I hope she’d say she’ll stay. Please, pretty please..!MrsNordinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389192701993131122noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8712335769113145764.post-50091360334280491252011-09-07T12:12:00.002+08:002011-09-07T12:24:18.500+08:00Justice for Cats!<div style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Calibri;">I</span><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"> read in horror about the Petknode debacle. There is no excuse for such thing to happen. What were they thinking?</span></div><br /><div style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"></div><br /><div style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">I do not know the real story.. I’ve never heard of “Petknode” before this either. But from the bits and pieces of news that I read from the newspapers, I gather the followings:</span></div><br /><br /><div style="TEXT-INDENT: -0.25in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1" class="MsoListParagraph"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="mso-bidi-: minor-latin"><span style="mso-list: Ignore">1)<span style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'"> </span></span></span>The owners have a good track record prior to this incident</span></div><br /><br /><div style="TEXT-INDENT: -0.25in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1" class="MsoListParagraph"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="mso-bidi-: minor-latin"><span style="mso-list: Ignore">2)<span style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'"> </span></span></span>They have been around for a long time</span></div><br /><br /><div style="TEXT-INDENT: -0.25in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1" class="MsoListParagraph"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="mso-bidi-: minor-latin"><span style="mso-list: Ignore">3)<span style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'"> </span></span></span>They are animal lovers; they have cats of their own too</span></div><br /><br /><div style="TEXT-INDENT: -0.25in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1" class="MsoListParagraph"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="mso-bidi-: minor-latin"><span style="mso-list: Ignore">4)<span style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'"> </span></span></span>They save strays and recently, took in cats for boarding during festive seasons.</span></div><br /><div style="TEXT-INDENT: -0.25in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1" class="MsoListParagraph"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"></div></span><br /><div style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">If that is the case, why did they take in too many cats? Why offer such low boarding fee when you know you don’t have enough staff to handle the cats? RM3.99 per day is a scream from the usual RM14.99 that they charge. Obviously many people would want to send their cats there. Why accept when you damn know you don’t have enough staff, space and food for all the 300 cats during the one-week break??</span></div><br /><div style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"></div><br /><div style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">I’m just trying to think what went through the 2 guys’ heads when they made the offer. “<em>We take in these cats, leave some food in their cages and balik kampong for raya. They should be ok for at least 3-4 days... cats have 9 lives..”</em></span></div><br /><div style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><em></em></div><br /><div style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">A true animal lover would never do such thing. They would never abandon the cats just like that. </span></div><br /><div style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"></span></div><br /><div style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">The “pet shop boys” have made their peace and apologized alright. But is that enough? Is it enough to say, “<em>We admit we mishandled the cats. But we were short handed... We are very sorry." </em>Eh, you are not Rupert Murdoch lah, this is not the newspaper business! You’re talking about “life” here. </span></div><br /><div style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"></div><br /><div style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Kalau tempat jaga kucing tu terbakar ke, I can understand. Kucing tu mati sebab kebakaran which cannot be avoided. But in this case, it was pre-planned and CAN BE avoided, if they wanted too. They cannot get away just by issuing a public apology like that. It’s very insensitive to the cat owners! </span></div><br /><div style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"></span></div><br /><div style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">My questions to them: Didn’t you know you were going to be shorthanded? Did your staff (if indeed you had any) just disappeared during raya and never returned, that’s why the cats were abandoned?</span></div><br /><div style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"></span></div><br /><div style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">If indeed that happened (ie. the staff ran away), a responsible caretaker would contact the cat owners and tell them to pick up their cats as an emergency had happened. They could add that if they did not collect the cats, there is a good chance the cats may starve to death, and return the owner’s money. If I were the cat owner, I would pick up my cats right away or get someone to collect them if I’m out of town. That way, no one can be blamed. </span></div><br /><div style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"></span></div><br /><div style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">I know for a fact, if you sent a stray cat to SPCA, the caretaker would tell you upfront that they would put down the cat if it is not in a healthy condition or too old for keep. At least you are forewarned and it’s really up to you to decide whether to leave the cat there or take it home with you. </span></div><br /><div style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"></span></div><br /><div style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Bottom line is, if you can’t promise to provide shelter for the cats, don’t commit like those people at Petknode.</span></div><br /><br /><div style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Hish.. I’m so angry at such irresponsible acts. I hope the petshop owners would be fairly punished. One person suggested that they should be caged for 1-week without food and water just like the cats did. Probably that would be a justified punishment for them. That way, I am sure for the rest of their lives, they would never ill-treated cats ever again.</span></div><br /><br /><div style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Justice for cats!</span></div>MrsNordinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389192701993131122noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8712335769113145764.post-1527077594336315062011-08-11T12:34:00.004+08:002011-08-11T12:43:33.464+08:00Mind Your LanguageThe DPM hath spoken… “<em>Many students are still unable to master the English language despite learning the language in school for 13 years</em>”.
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<br />I read with amusement the comments made by many people on the DPM’s statement. Many explanations are given and solutions proposed on how to improve the mastery of English language among students. This is nothing new… even Dr M had spoken about this many times before.
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<br />I remember vaguely the first time English was made compulsory in teaching lessons in schools. I can’t remember who the Education Minister was at that time, but the first thing that crossed my mind was, “<em>Can the teachers do it??”
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<br />Bearing in mind that these teachers had been teaching in Bahasa Malaysia all their lives (except for the English teachers, I suppose), asking them to switch language just like that was not an easy task.
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<br />I remember my kids coming home from school, joking about how bad their teachers’ command of English was: “<em>My English is better than hers lah!”,</em> uttered one. And I felt sorry for the teacher.
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<br />When it comes to learning a new language, practice makes perfect. And I’m not talking about 1 or 2 months’ practice; it could be a lifetime. We have to speak the language and write the language often to become good at it. Otherwise, it’s hard.
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<br />I guess that’s what happened to the teachers when they were forced to teach in English. If they can’t deliver the lessons in English well, how do you expect the students to understand and most importantly, grasp the language?
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<br />The DPM is not wrong in making that statement. I do feel that the quality of spoken and written English among students and adults nowadays has deteriorated. I don’t need to give examples coz I’m sure you know what I’m talking about.
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<br />Another thing is this. I noticed, if a student is very good in English, there’s a good chance he has problems with Bahasa Malaysia. My kids are living example. I had to send them for BM tuition, which I think is ridiculous, us being Malay.
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<br />My English is not that great, but I think it is somewhat better than some people in higher position that I know of. I didn’t get full English teaching when I was at school. All subjects were thought in BM, except for English, but my English is still good. And so is my BM.
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<br />Sadly, these days, you see students with poor command of English AND Bahasa Malaysia. Just look at the way they write in FB or SMS… I can’t make up what they are trying to say! I am not generalizing the students, perhaps some are good in both languages, but my gut feel tells me - not many.
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<br />Something must be done to correct this trend. Is it the teachers, parents or the students themselves? Or, is it the government? (Hee.. Hee… it’s easy to blame the Government for everything!)
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<br />My 5-year old speaks in dual-language. Sometimes English, sometimes Malay. His English is often interjected with one or two Malay words. My mother always blamed me for this because I don’t speak proper English to him. The older children speak English at home, so does their father. But me, I like to mix things up. The reason for this is so he won’t forget his Bahasa Malaysia and I don’t need to send him for BM tuition later on in life!
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<br />But jokes aside, it doesn’t really matter if you are more fluent in Bahasa Malaysia or English. Both are fine. What is more important is you use the language correctly in your speech or writing.
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<br />Bak kata pepatah, “Bahasa Menunjukkan Bangsa”. I can’t agree more with that!
<br />MrsNordinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389192701993131122noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8712335769113145764.post-24801115719119632732011-07-25T11:38:00.006+08:002011-07-25T11:51:52.893+08:00Happy BirthdayI celebrated my 43rd birthday last Saturday. It was without much pomp.<br /><br />I had thought about having a big “party” to celebrate the occasion, but on second thought, maybe not. Why would I want to spend my birthday cooking in the kitchen, right? I’d rather spend it at leisure.<br /><br />So, I had a nice breakfast with husband and the little boy at E’toile. Husband asked, “<em>What do you want for your birthday</em>?” A whole list of things popped up in my mind!<br /><br />“<em>I want “A”!”</em> He said, “But you have a lot of that already!”<br /><br />“<em>How about “B”?”</em> “<em>Ermm… I can get you that but you selalu letak merata2</em>!”<br /><br /><em>"How about C?"</em><br /><br />Macam2 alasan lah dia bagi… macam tak berminat saja.<br /><br />“<em>How about an iPad?? Let me get you an iPad!”</em>, he said. <br /><br />His eyes glistened with excitement.<br /><br />No, no iPad. I had a feeling he wanted to get me an iPad so the little boy can play with mine and NOT touch his. So… no iPad, honey.<br /><br />That left him a tad disappointed coz his wish to go to Low Yat Plaza was not well received by his wife.<br /><br />I don’t like to go to Low Yat Plaza, it’s too crowded. It’s not my thing either.<br /><br />So I dragged him and my children to Pavillion. Now, that’s more like it!<br /><br />We went into 3 shops and at the very last shop, I saw what I wanted.<br /><br />“<em>Can I have this</em>?” <br /><br />He nodded.<br /><br />So, that’s my birthday present for this year! Thank you, honey!<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYV-mtBEmSqQmKmo46GJPrpwV1xlh4l1hDBG7wxegIOdgcOqoEwNPbjQyByoB36Xb3nS28Ne59WioG6EmiRouVq7X0juwFS51m2AVn4LVqFEXYdFO1e5EVaxxmybbBXFEvevr4vGVeIQ_1/s1600/IMG03978-20110723-1614.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633130832480932290" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYV-mtBEmSqQmKmo46GJPrpwV1xlh4l1hDBG7wxegIOdgcOqoEwNPbjQyByoB36Xb3nS28Ne59WioG6EmiRouVq7X0juwFS51m2AVn4LVqFEXYdFO1e5EVaxxmybbBXFEvevr4vGVeIQ_1/s400/IMG03978-20110723-1614.jpg" /></a>MrsNordinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389192701993131122noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8712335769113145764.post-38952592060169589682011-07-05T12:54:00.005+08:002011-07-05T13:22:17.510+08:00Pentas Kilauan EmasMy husband and I love singing. Not that we are very good at it… tapi kalau ajak pegi karaoke tu, tak malu lah pegang mike.... kata orang.<br /><br />And because of that, we love to follow TV programs that have singing elements in it. We prefer local talent shows like AF. American Idol tu macam kurang sikit.<br /><br />We followed AF aggressively when Mawi was the reigning champion. At that time, banyak jugaklah duit habis hantar SMS to vote for Mawi. Unfortunately, ku sangka panas sampai ke petang… rupanya Mawi “panas” separuh jalan saja!<br /><br />Thereafter, we don’t really follow AF anymore. I think the contestants pun macam hangat2 tahi ayam je... Eloklah pun program tu dah habis.<br /><br />Just recently, we discovered this new talent show, “Pentas Kilauan Emas”. It’s like AF but for the older generation ie. for those above 45 years old.<br /><br />I remember talking to my husband about this many years ago when we were discussing about AF. I said, ”<em>Wouldn’t it be nice if we had an AF-like contest for orang tua2? Sure best</em>!”<br /><br />I think, someone heard me and there you have it! Pentas Kilauan Emas!<br /><br />What’s so good about this show is that it’s fun to watch. The contestants include bilal masjid, ex-bidan, nenek, pegawai keselamatan... even the disabled sang on stage, trying out their luck!<br /><br />And these people are really into it. They put in their best efforts in terms of costumes, make-up, dances and the accompanying props. Suara pun boleh tahan… orang lama lah katakan… <br /><br />Lagu2 pilihan of course lah lagu2 lama. Hits from the 70s and 80s. Best!<br /><br />Before each contestant starts singing, you get to see their family members wishing them good luck, which I find quite touching at times. Like last week, I saw this daughter wishing her mum, “<em>Mak, kami tahu mak suka nyanyi. Kat rumah memang mak suka nyanyi… Kami doakan mak akan berjaya menyampaikan lagu dengan baik dalam pertandingan ini!! GOOD LUCK MAK!!!”</em> (beramai2 sambil menunjukkan that “Malaysia Boleh!” sign to the mother).<br /><br />With that kind of message, she's already a winner, isn't she?<br /><br />So far, they have done auditions for Zon Timur and Zon Selatan. This week will be Zon Tengah, which I saw, will include a 75 year old nenek. The MC is Raja Azura and the juries are Nora and Suhaimi Meor Hassan.<br /><br />For a good clean fun, go watch Pentas Kilauan Emas this Friday at 9pm on Astro Prima (105). Especially those above 40 and suka menyanyi. Lepas tengok tu, sure nak lepas gian pegi karaoke!!! (like I did!)<br /><br />Have fun!<br /><br /><br /><iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/EZOrrhvAky4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>MrsNordinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11389192701993131122noreply@blogger.com7