MrsNordin

Not So Little Boy Anymore

2012-01-10T14:53:00.003+08:00

Hello everyone and Happy New Year. I believe it’s still not too late for me to wish you all a Happy New Year.

Nizzar is turning 6 this year. My God! How time flies! I keep on telling him to stop growing and stay 5 forever.

When he asked me why, I said, “So I can still manja-manja with you and you will always want Mummy..” He gave me a long sigh..

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.

“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.

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 (my parents) come visiting (Atok & Opah become new students) and they would be so impressed with his acting skills that they would almost always buy him a toy the day after.

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” (quite big words there, I think), and will talk non-stop until he falls asleep at night.

Just this morning, when I woke him up for school, he looked at me with his eyes half closed and said, “I’m sure your friends will like what you’re wearing today”. I said, “Are you sure? Do you like my baju?” He nodded and said, “Very nice, Mummy...”

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..

And our parting words?

“See you later, alligator…”

“In a while, crocodile..”

Remind me of his daddy when we were courting.. :)

Langkawi

2011-12-21T16:32:00.005+08:00

I just got back from a trip to Langkawi. It was a long journey… but quite nice in some ways.

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.

The orientation was held at this school in Jitra, Kedah. Lover boy was there too. So, right after the orientation, we both went to Langkawi for a quick getaway.

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...

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!

Anyway, it didn’t work out with that guy but memories of that night at Pantai Cenang still linger....

This time around, the trip was made sweeter by thoughts of Ombak Rindu. 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.

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.

At the jetty, we saw the fishermen’s boat houses and thought, “This could be Izzah’s house!” or “Mael’s fishing boat!”. Hee.. Hee...

And we saw the yacht that Izzah and Hariz sailed on in the last scene (yang macam Titanic tu). 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….

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?

I wonder.

Maid Update

2011-12-14T17:12:00.004+08:00

I 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.

But do I care? I don’t exactly.. but I do hope she has reached her house safely.

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.

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 (I knew this coz I found old receipts when I cleaned up her room to make way for the new maid). We kept her salary, we only gave her money as and when she asked for it. So, where did the money come from?

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.

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...

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.

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.

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.

But it is a nice place to stroll while cuci mata. Tapi kalau tak beli apa2, buat penat saja! Ha! Ha!

Cheers!

Kantoi Lagi

2011-11-16T16:44:00.003+08:00

I’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.

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?

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.

My first thought, biarlah dia pegi… dah nak balik pun. But my husband suspected something else.

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.

“Kak.. saya nak sangat beli baju India untuk anak saya.. dan baju melayu yang macam Nizzar pakai tu..”, she pleaded with me. Kesian pulak I dengar. I pun memang ada intention nak beli baju macam tu untuk si Nizzar.

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?)

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.

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.

By car? How could an Indonesian worker afford a car??

My maid quickly corrected her statement saying that her cousin’s BOSS would send her home in his car. Amboi… baiknya boss cousin dia tu kan.. sanggup nak hantar my maid ni balik ke Ampang from 1-Utama!

That got me suspicious. I thought this girl was up to no good.

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!

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 (See? We are THAT kind)

She agreed. So at 7.30pm last Saturday, we all drove her to Ampang Point so she could get her hair done.

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.

So, we dropped her off and went to have our dinner…

As I had expected (somehow we have this hunch, don’t we?), at 9.30pm, she texted me, “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.”

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!

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?

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.

So anyway, the night passed with us strategizing our plans on how to manage the household without a maid...

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.

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 (beli baru agaknya sebab semalam dia keluar sehelai sepinggang saja), make up sikit punya tebal...

And you guess it lah… she wasn’t alone. There was a guy walking besides her. Macam bagus2… tersengeh2 berdua….

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, “Ohh.. inilah saudara kamu ni, ya? Siapa ni? Who is this?” She looked stunned. Muka pucat! Not a word from her mouth! The guy just stood there, dumbfounded as well.

Then my husband’s turn, “SIAPA NI?? SIAPA NI??” Also no answer. Senyap sunyi macam tikus dua-dua orang tu.

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.

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!!

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!

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.

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!

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…

Because The Night

2011-10-10T13:59:00.004+08:00

I’m hooked on Patti Smith’s “Because The Night”. 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.

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.

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.

Then I found out she’s written a book, “Just Kids”, 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.

This is my favorite video clip. Patti Smith performing alongside U2 and Bruce Springsteen during the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2009. Because The Night was written by Bruce Springsteen but Patti made it hit the charts in 1978.

As U2 puts it, “This is the song we wish we’d written..” Oh yes!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSUgWCHpmHM&list=FLl-0d0itCm801RntRdpLBZA&index=19

Dr Ban Re-visited

2011-09-15T12:12:00.002+08:00

I 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.

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.

On the last day of Ramadhan, I purposely told my maid to make omelet as I was craving for it. “I’m gonna eat this omelet and I don’t care!” 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.

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. “That’s it! Let’s go and see Dr Ban!”, 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.

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.

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 “chronic acne”. I didn’t know how she got it but I think it could be from the facial treatments that she had at this salon.

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.

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.

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.

He gave my maid some antibiotics and skin cleansers and asked her to pantang 3 things: Coffee, chocolate and milk.

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.

We’ll see how it goes... If it worked, then I would really think Dr Ban is a miracle doctor!

A Happy Day

2011-09-12T13:27:00.007+08:00

We had a wonderful family gathering yesterday.

On Friday night, my husband told me that Y (his youngest brother who got married 2 years ago) wanted to bring his mother and father in law to our house for beraya on Sunday.

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.

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.

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!

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.

Since my parents were also in town, so I told my husband, “Wouldn’t it be nice if my mother could come as well?” I’ve asked her before but she said she wasn’t sure if she could come.

My husband said, “Sanggup tak kita ni? Ramai ni... Would there be enough food coz we didn't expect that many people in the first place?"

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.

So my husband said, "Call again lah...”, which I did , and my mother said she would try.

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!

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, “Maybe they couldn’t make it.. Never mind lah..”

But to my surprise, they did turn up in the end!

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.

So, seeing everyone gathered yesterday at our house made me feel very proud. My MIL met all her besan and I must say, that was quite remarkable!

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.

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!

MIL: 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!

MUM: Hajah sebulan sekali… Saya ni, nak jumpa SETAHUN sekali pun susah! Kalau saya tak menangis, dia orang takkan tidur kat rumah!

MIL: Iyalah… Hajah selalu datang sini… selalu jugak jumpa si Yati. Ini dah lah dekat, nak datang rumah langsung tidak! (Mode: exaggerating)

ME: Suami saya tak ada, mak… (mencelah)

MUM: Iya, suami dia tak ada. Dia tak boleh keluar (my mother menyokong I, hee.. hee..).

MUM: Saya sekarang dah tak kisah dah Hajah… Nak balik, balik. Tak nak pun dah apa…

MIL: Itu lah budak2 ni… kita dulu suka tidur ramai2 kat rumah mak… sampai ke dapur kadang2…. Bla, bla, bla..

By this time, I’ve lost interest and my mother said she nak balik.

Anyway, despite the sindiran tajam 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...

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 (although to be honest... I doubt so we can.)

All in the family!

My in laws with their "besan"
(L to R: My mum, my MIL, Y's MIL, my FIL, Y's FIL, my dad)

The two strong women in my life..

M.A.I.D

2011-09-08T15:19:00.002+08:00

I’m in a dilemma. Maid punya cerita lah.. apa lagi.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Can I do without a maid? I suppose I can. Let’s see… how would my schedule look like:

6.00 am : Bangun, run the washing machine, bagi kucing makan, feed the bird and goose
6.30am : Mandi & solat
7.00-7.45am: Sidai baju, prepare Nizzar’s bag & food, siapkan budak kecik tu, get ready for work, kemas bilik.
8.00 am: Send Nizzar to school
8.30am: Drop Nabila at office
9.00-5.30pm: At work
6.00pm: Pick up Nizzar from school
7.00pm: Angkat kain, cook dinner
8-10pm: Kemas rumah, lipat kain, etc.

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.

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..!

Justice for Cats!

2011-09-07T12:12:00.002+08:00

I read in horror about the Petknode debacle. There is no excuse for such thing to happen. What were they thinking?

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:

1) The owners have a good track record prior to this incident

2) They have been around for a long time

3) They are animal lovers; they have cats of their own too

4) They save strays and recently, took in cats for boarding during festive seasons.

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??

I’m just trying to think what went through the 2 guys’ heads when they made the offer. “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..”

A true animal lover would never do such thing. They would never abandon the cats just like that.

The “pet shop boys” have made their peace and apologized alright. But is that enough? Is it enough to say, “We admit we mishandled the cats. But we were short handed... We are very sorry." Eh, you are not Rupert Murdoch lah, this is not the newspaper business! You’re talking about “life” here.

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!

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?

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.

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.

Bottom line is, if you can’t promise to provide shelter for the cats, don’t commit like those people at Petknode.

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.

Justice for cats!

Mind Your Language

2011-08-11T12:34:00.004+08:00

The DPM hath spoken… “Many students are still unable to master the English language despite learning the language in school for 13 years”.

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.

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, “Can the teachers do it??”

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.

I remember my kids coming home from school, joking about how bad their teachers’ command of English was: “My English is better than hers lah!”, uttered one. And I felt sorry for the teacher.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!)

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!

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.

Bak kata pepatah, “Bahasa Menunjukkan Bangsa”. I can’t agree more with that!

Happy Birthday

2011-07-25T11:38:00.006+08:00

I celebrated my 43rd birthday last Saturday. It was without much pomp.

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.

So, I had a nice breakfast with husband and the little boy at E’toile. Husband asked, “What do you want for your birthday?” A whole list of things popped up in my mind!

“I want “A”!” He said, “But you have a lot of that already!”

“How about “B”?” “Ermm… I can get you that but you selalu letak merata2!”

"How about C?"

Macam2 alasan lah dia bagi… macam tak berminat saja.

“How about an iPad?? Let me get you an iPad!”, he said.

His eyes glistened with excitement.

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.

That left him a tad disappointed coz his wish to go to Low Yat Plaza was not well received by his wife.

I don’t like to go to Low Yat Plaza, it’s too crowded. It’s not my thing either.

So I dragged him and my children to Pavillion. Now, that’s more like it!

We went into 3 shops and at the very last shop, I saw what I wanted.

“Can I have this?”

He nodded.

So, that’s my birthday present for this year! Thank you, honey!

Pentas Kilauan Emas

2011-07-05T12:54:00.005+08:00

My 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.

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.

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!

Thereafter, we don’t really follow AF anymore. I think the contestants pun macam hangat2 tahi ayam je... Eloklah pun program tu dah habis.

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.

I remember talking to my husband about this many years ago when we were discussing about AF. I said, ”Wouldn’t it be nice if we had an AF-like contest for orang tua2? Sure best!”

I think, someone heard me and there you have it! Pentas Kilauan Emas!

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!

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…

Lagu2 pilihan of course lah lagu2 lama. Hits from the 70s and 80s. Best!

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, “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!!!” (beramai2 sambil menunjukkan that “Malaysia Boleh!” sign to the mother).

With that kind of message, she's already a winner, isn't she?

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.

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!)

Have fun!

Sambal Rembau

2011-06-28T00:01:00.004+08:00

In continuation of my last posting on Raub, durian and Dr Ban, I just want to share with you a wonderful experience I had over the weekend, experimenting with durian.

I saw on AFC a couple of days ago, Chef Wan cooking up “Tapioca Leaves with Fermented Durian”, or in Bahasa Malaysia, “Pucuk Ubi Tempoyak Rampai”. I looooovvvve this sambal! Some people call it "Sambal Rembau".

I was first introduced to this dish by a friend who hails from Negeri Sembilan. Her dear mum, who lived in Kg Juaseh, had given me a small container of Sambal Rembau during one of those fasting months in Ramadhan for berbuka. I’ve never seen or tasted this dish before. However, from that moment on, it was like love at first bite!

It was so delicious! Those who have tasted it would know what I mean...

Unfortunately, that was the only time I had it because I couldn’t find it anywhere else in KL. Every once in a while, I would teringat-ingatkan this authentic sambal… especially when I was having lauk masakan kampung, but I could only dream of eating it again.

Then I married my husband, a pure orang Nogori, whose mother cooked the most delicious masak lemak kuning. Her masak lemak ikan senangin is out of this world! It is so simple and yet, neither me nor my husband could copy her masak lemak.

But she had never made or served the Sambal Rembau when we ate at her house, and I had never asked either.

Until one day, I was pregnant with Nizzar at that time, tiba2 I had a craving for this sambal. I asked my husband’s aunty if she knew how to make this sambal. She said yes, and made some for me.

I didn’t know how to cook it, I never asked her anyway coz I figured it must be very tedious. With so many types of leaves, thinly sliced… masak lemak… tempoyak… I thought it must be very difficult.

Until I watched Chef Wan demonstrating how to cook this dish on AFC last week.. “Ahh… that doesn’t look too hard..”, I thought. I told my husband about it and he said, “Jom lah buat!”

So, we went to the market, bought the daun and such (according to Chef Wan’s recipe) and started cooking. Since it was unplanned and we didn’t have any tempoyak at home, we bought some fresh durian and use the flesh as a substitute for tempoyak. It turned out quite well but you have to add some lime juice to give the sour taste.

The result - very nice!! Sehingga menjilat jari!! Bukan nak memuji but it was seriously nice, and it was easy to make. Hence, I’ll share the link & recipe with those who want to try it.

Ahhh… Sambal Rembau! The thought of it makes me smile... :)

It's best to have it in the afternoon with steaming hot rice and ikan masin goreng. Sure dua kali tambah lah! Hee.. hee...

Try it! This sambal is indeed OUT OF THIS WORLD!!!

Chef Wan's Recipe

MrsNordin's Recipe:

Ingredients (dimayang halus):
Daun pucuk ubi (tapioca leaves)
Daun kunyit
Petai
Serai

Bahan2 tumbuk/blend:
10 biji cili hijau
6 biji cili padi
Kunyit hidup (1 inci)

Perencah: (rendam sekejap & tumbuk sedikit)
Ikan bilis
Udang kering

Tempoyak
Santan

Cara2:

1) Campurkan semua bahan2 didalam periuk dan masak sehingga dedaun jadi lembut
2) Kalau terlalu pekat, boleh tambah air.
3) Masakkan selama 30-45 minit.

Selamat mencuba!

Klinik Ban

2011-06-23T11:08:00.007+08:00

It was a fine Saturday afternoon when we received a call from my husband’s uncle in Seremban saying that he wanted to come over to look for durian. Not in KL… but in Raub, because he said the best durian can only be found in Raub .

“What? Raub????”

I wasn’t very keen because firstly, I wasn’t feeling well. I was coughing and was coming down with flu at that time. Durian would be the last thing on my mind.

Secondly, although I love to eat durian, I avoid eating them these days because I hate the after effects. The burping, the smell and the stinking breath that can last in your mouth for days put me off from touching this prickly fruit.

But this uncle is a dear uncle. He seldom visits and when he and his wife arrived at our doorstep looking very excited about their durian-hunting trip to Raub, we couldn’t let them down.

So, off we went.

Raub is about one and a half hours’ drive from KL via the Karak Highway. It’s not that far, but when one is not in the best of health, it felt very far for me. In the car, I was quiet mostly, trying to suppress my irritating cough.

Both the aunty and uncle used to live in Raub before. The aunty told me that she had once suffered from a very bad cough. It lasted for 2 months until one day, she decided to go and see Dr Ban (their regular doctor in Raub). Dr Ban gave her this cough mixture and after 2 days, her coughing stopped. She also said the medicine that the doctor prescribed for her other medical conditions was so good that she would make the Seremban-Raub trip every month without fail to get her medication.

So, throughout the journey, she was going on and on about how good this Dr Ban was and I was going “Yeah.. yeah…” because I was too tired to listen. In the end, I gave up and said, “Ok, let’s go and see this Dr Ban. I can ask him about my cough.” That was the only way to make her stop talking.

The aunty looked pleased, made a quick phone call and within 10 minutes, we were already outside Dr Ban’s door.

Before I went in, my husband told me, “Maybe you can ask him about your sinus as well.” Yeah, my sinus was getting pretty bad and I was taking Clarinase every night to avoid sneezing and runny nose in the morning. It would get worse if I drank iced water during the day. If I ran out of Clarinase, I would panic and live in fear that the next day would just be a disaster.

So, in I went into his clinic. There’s nothing special about it – just an ordinary room with lots of papers and medicine on his table. Dr Ban is quite an old man, maybe about 70 years old.

After the exchange of greetings and formalities, I sat down and explained to him my ailment. I told him about my cough and sinus. He asked me a few questions, and after a while, he told me, “I can break your sinus.”

Huh? How?

“By laser.”

What??

“Yes, by laser.”

I wasn’t convinced. I told him I had a friend who had to go for operation to treat his sinus and you’re telling me you can just break it like that?

He said yes. He added, some of his patients had actually undergone sinus operations before and yet they still come to him for this treatment. He took out a chart, showed me the sinus areas and explained to me the procedure. The aunty, who was there with me, listened attentively as well.

“It’ll only take 10 minutes. No operation”, he said.

I asked him how much? When he said it’s less than RM100 and no operation required, I immediately agreed.

He asked me to sit on a chair facing him. Then, he took out this gun-like equipment which emit some sort of beam & ultrasound, pointed it to my face, and made a rotating movement around the sinus areas. He told me, the ultrasound was supposed to dislodge the clogged mucus from the eye and nose areas, and release me from sinusitis.

While he was doing that, I stood still, gripping the sides of my chair for fear of pain. But there was no pain. At some points, I could feel heat penetrating my face but that was it. After 10 minutes, he was done.

He gave me some medications and a nasal spray. He told me to stop taking Clarinase/Zyrtec and just take his medicines; I should be cured.

Before I took my leave, he told me to pantang 2 things, “No eggs and peanuts.” Ok, no problem. I don’t like peanuts anyway. Egg is a weakness but I suppose I could do without it.

So, I came home, started taking his medicines, and believe it or not, my sinus is cured! I don’t need Clarinase anymore! I can happily eat ice cream at night, but I won’t catch a cold the next day. You can’t imagine how good it feels to wake up in the morning and breath in fresh air without having a blocked nose. I could feel that my nose is clear and I love it!! No need for tissue anymore, ok? If not, melambak2 tissue at my work area and bedroom!

After that, I took my daughter, a friend who suffered from chronic sinusitis and his son, who also had a bad case of sinus, to see Dr Ban and they are all ok now. The friend actually was scheduled for an operation to remove his sinus the following week, but following his visit to Dr Ban, he did not need the operation anymore. Goodbye Sinus!

I told some friends about this story and they all in turn told their friends about Dr Ban. Those with sinusitis who went to see him in Raub are fully cured now and are so grateful for the discovery. The aunty, who introduced me to Dr Ban, also brought in her son the following week (she didn’t know Dr Ban can treat sinuses), and alhamdullilah… he’s ok now.

I know… It’s hard to believe.. but you just have to go and experience it for yourself.

I read from the internet that Ultrasound is not widely accepted by the medical community for treatment of sinus because it does not offer a detailed image of the anatomy like a CT Scan does and it doesn't remove the sinus completely like a surgery.

But what the heck… My sinus is cleared now and I don’t need surgery! That is what's important. Perhaps it is just a temporary measure and I may need to go in again if the sinus returns, but I’d rather do that than going under the knife.

Kudos to Dr Ban!

If you want to visit, Klinik Ban is located at:
No. 6, Jalan Kuala Lipis,
Raub, Pahang.
Tel: 09-3553467
(Mon-Sat: 9am-5pm, Sun: Half-day.)

You can Google the map to get there.

Adegan Sedih

2010-10-20T09:48:00.002+08:00

I was driving home last night after a short trip to Speedy Video to rent some movies. Nizzar was sitting behind, standing in between the driver’s and passenger’s seats.

Out of the blue, I heard him say,

“Mummy, saya rasa nak nangis.”

“Why? Why do you want to cry?”

“Because I love you Mummy…”

Aww… that was one of the sweetest words I’ve heard in a long time!

I turned to look at him and I saw his face looking downcast.

“Now, don’t cry… I love you too. Come on over and sit next to me”, I told him.

He hopped over and sat at the passenger seat next to me.

“Why do you love me?” I asked him back.

“Because you are very nice.”

“Oh? Some more?”

“You buy me DVD, toys.. (sob, sob)…”

Hee.. hee… drama betul budak ni!

When I told my husband about it later that night, he said, “Pandai betul dia bodek you...”

Hee.. hee...

Pencinta Wanita

2010-10-12T15:35:00.009+08:00

“Mummy, can we go to my girlfriend’s house, Mummy?”

“Why?”

“I like lah my girlfriend..”

“Why do you like her?”

“She’s so beautiful, Mummy..”

And that came from a 4-year old boy!

I was trying hard to control my laughter when I heard him say that yesterday. But I suspect, ada udang sebalik batu. He wanted to go there so he can play with their toys!

This girl is my husband’s friend’s daughter whom we met when we all went to Cherating for a short break last May. She’s 4 too.

The first time they met, my little boy straight away claimed, “That’s my girlfriend!”

I don't know where he got that word from...

Kids do learn fast these days, don't they? It scares me!

And off late, I frequently caught that Romeo singing. “Aku memang pencinta wanita, namun ku bukan buaya…”

Oh dear.. is this normal?

Pencinta Wanita

The Girlfriend

(both photos taken in Cherating)

Krabi Getaway

2010-10-08T17:40:00.016+08:00

People have been asking me to update this blog. Malasnya… don’t know how to write anymore. It’s been too long… the brain has become rusty!

But I’m gonna try anyway. First step is to change the outlook of this blog to make it more lively… fresher. I didn’t realize there are so many new templates that can be used now!

After that, the story. Let me just start with my recent trip to Krabi with MrN. That would make a nice story.

This trip was actually booked without much plan. We wanted a break, a quick break to get away from it all. I decided on Krabi coz it’s only a short flight away. 3D2N would be just nice for us; any longer would make me miss the little boy at home.

Krabi is a nice place to wind down for couples. It’s quiet, not much activities. If you are the type who likes shopping, you may not like it here coz there’s not much to do.

Shopping is limited to this one stretch of road in Ao Nang with shops selling mainly t-shirts and beach wear, similar to what you can find in Batu Feringghi.

But if you want tranquility, this is the place to be.

Honestly, I thought I’d never survive the 3 days alone with MrN. I thought we’d get bored of each other very quickly. You know lah, I tengok dia, dia tengok I… and then what?

But I was wrong.

I must admit, there were times when we just sat there doing nothing, and yet I did not feel the urge to do something. There were moments of silence, but I didn’t feel pressured to initiate a conversation like I usually would.

We just sat there minding our own business, but it was ok and it didn’t feel awkward at all.

I did ask him, "Aren't you bored ?"

"No."

"Aren't we supposed to talk or say something?"

"No."

He said, "Having you here is enough. No need for words."

The hotel where we stayed was awesome (Amari Resort). It was picked based on the rave reviews it received on Trip Advisor.

I didn’t stay at the same hotel which I stayed during my first trip there because I wanted to try a different one. So I took a gamble.

It turned out that I made the right choice. It was splendid!

The Amari is located on Tub Kaek Beach, 20 minutes drive from Ao Nang. It’s the last hotel on that side of Krabi and overlooking the Andaman Sea. The view is superb.

When we first arrived at the hotel, we were greeted by the Hotel Manager who was pleasant enough to ask us what our expectations were during our stay. We didn’t need to check-in as everything had been done while we were having the conversation.

As I entered our bedroom, I was surprised to find rose petals scattered on the bed and in the bath tub. A very romantic gesture indeed. Husband tanya, “Macamana nak mandi?” Rendam saja lah B…!

I like the little gestures that the hotel staff provided for the guests. Every night, when they turned down the bed, they’d put an orchid on our pillows and leave us with some scones/pastries for light supper.

During breakfast, they gave us a choice of coffee, latte or cappuccino when usually it would just be normal coffee or tea. That was the first time latte was offered for breakfast. Usually, one had to pay extra for a cup of latte.

We were very delighted about this because we love a good cup of latte in the morning. It’s a plus! And the Thais make good lattes. Every time I ordered latte, be it at the hotel or in town, it consistently tasted very nice.

First day was spent lounging on the beach and the Bellini, a quaint Italian restaurant located on the beach. We had our dinner there. It was supposed to be a romantic candlelight dinner on the beach but because it rained, dinner had to be held indoor.

It was nice anyway. The food was great, the ambiance was superb. We stayed there until quite late, just talking.

The next day was spent in town. We had a good 2-hour massage for RM30/hour. At the hotel’s spa, the rate quoted was RM180/hour. Obviously the spa would have been a nicer place for body treatment but we didn’t care much for the place. All we wanted was a good 2-hour massage and we got it for a bargain in town. It was really cheap!

After the massage , we headed to a seafood restaurant by the beach for a late lunch. We ordered pad thai, fried garoupa in 3 sauces, som tam and tom yam gung. The meal cost us RM120. Slightly pricey I think, but it was sedap!

One thing good about Krabi, 80% of the population is Muslims, so you don’t have to worry about finding halal food.

After doing a little shopping in Ao Nang, we went back to the hotel and just stayed in for the night. We lazed on the balcony overlooking the sea with music playing from MrN’s Blackberry. It was drizzling slightly that night.

By this time, I had already missed my little Ultraman. Every time I closed my eyes, I pictured him in my mind. I couldn’t get rid of his face! I had a feeling he was missing me too and it was a sign that our holiday was coming to an end.

The next day, before checking out, we took a quick dip in the pool. There were not that many people so we had a good time lounging there.

Check out was very quick. We said our goodbyes to the hotel staff and with a heavy heart, I boarded the hotel van that took us to the airport.

It had been a pleasant holiday. It was very relaxing and I could feel my body reacting positively to the change of environment. I think my husband had a great time too. He looked seriously de-stressed in his last photo taken at the hotel lobby.

When we got home, I asked him, what was your best moment in Krabi? He said, the evenings.

And the feeling is mutual.

This view greeted us when we arrived at the hotel

A view from the pool

Lounging on the beach

MrNordin

The hotel's ground

The bedroom

MrNordin - on the first day

Dinner at Bellini

Latte for breakfast

At the breakfast table

Ao Nang beach

Lunch at Ao Nang Seafood

Shopping at Ao Nang

The pool

Me and him

Goodbye Amari..

Two Tahlil and A Funeral

2010-05-31T17:51:00.002+08:00

It was a hectic long weekend. Full of kenduri.

Friday night was at our house. We held a kenduri arwah/tahlil for my husband’s late wife. It has been two years since the last time we had one. Ever since MrN joined the JB company lah. Busy tak habis2 busy.

But this year, we just have to do it because it’s long overdue. Furthermore, my SIL said she dreamt of her a couple of weeks ago, asking for a new baju.

My first thought was, scary. But on second thought, I felt sorry for her. Sorry that we had forgotten about her, sorry that the kids did not offer their prayers for her as often, and sorry that my husband was too busy to buat kenduri for her.

I spoke to a friend about the dream and she said, kalau kita mimpi macam tu, maknanya arwah tu nak kita sedekahkan tahlil or ayat2 suci. Bacaan2 doa tu ibarat makanan untuk dia.

She said, in the "other world", they’ll compare their baju. Ada yang pakai baju cantik, berseri2... dan ada yang berbaju lusuh dan kusam. Kalau kita rajin sedekahkan Al-fatihah buat arwah, akan naik balik seri warna baju tu. Macam tu lah lebih kurang..

So I told the kids to sedekahkan Al-Fatihah for their mother every night before they go to sleep. She has no one else to help her in the other life except for her own children. We can do tahlil or kenduri for her, but doa anak2 tu yang akan sampai terus kepada dia. And they understood.

During the tahlil, my SIL said arwah came and sat behind my husband. Orang yang sembahyang belakang my husband malam tu kata ada bau kemiyan masa baca Ya’asin. I didn’t feel anything or smell anything but I knew she had come. And I’m glad.

On Saturday, we all went back to Ipoh because my mother pulak nak buat tahlil dan kenduri kesyukuran. My SIL who has been teaching in Dungun for the past 9 years finally got her transfer to Shah Alam so she can now be reunited with my brother, who is her husband.

It was a happy occasion. We helped with the décor, chipped in for the gifts and helped her do the necessary stuff during the kenduri. I think my mother’s wishes were fully satisfied yesterday and I could tell that by the look on her face as we said our goodbyes.

And this morning, I went to visit a dear friend's sister who passed away at a tender age of 32. She had leukemia. I visited her last Thursday at the ICU where she remained unconscious in bed. At that time I thought, how sad...

I hugged her husband and tears fell on my cheeks. I remembered those times many, many years ago when she was still fit and healthy. She used to come to our office in the evening as her husband and I worked at the same office. Sometimes, we all would go for karaoke after work and she would join us and we would have so much fun laughing over some silly songs.

But now it's all over... she's gone.

Sigh... Life is too short, my friends. Treasure each day and make the best of what we have so we will not have any regret when it's time for us to go.

Peace.

Do You Believe in Ghosts?

2010-05-21T18:49:00.002+08:00

A friend had a recent encounter of strange happenings in her house. Spooky things that made her sleepless at nights.

The ustaz she called said there are jins in her house, activated by her Indonesian maid who had her own “bodyguard”. But even after sending the maid back to Indon, she still heard strange sounds from the ceiling of her bedroom and knocking on her door at night. That made her very scared.

My friend lives alone with her two children as her husband works overseas. Without a man in the house, her fear factor is even stronger. To make matters worse, her husband doesn’t believe in all this hantu mantu. To him, it was her own imagination. Every time she called to mengadu, he would be dismissive and blamed her for aggravating her own fear by calling the ustaz.

What would a woman do, right? Husband is not here, rumah ada macam2 bunyi… I would have called an ustaz myself if I felt that my house is spooked. Rightly or wrongly, at least I’m doing something.

So, she used to confide in me about her fear and frustration that the thing was still bugging her even after 2 ustaz had visited her house and she had paid more than RM2k to them. That’s a lot of money, don’t you think?

I think, the ustaz took advantage of her situation and extorted money from her knowing the fact that her husband wasn’t here. One said, it was to part-finance his Sekolah tahfiz in Bangi, but I doubt so. I’ve never heard ustaz asked for beribu2 ringgit untuk berubat secara spiritual!

Kesian my friend… duit dah banyak habis, tapi rumah dia still tak tenang.

After discussing about her situation many times with MrNordin, we decided to take her see MrNordin’s cousin who is a spiritual healer. My BIL and SIL also agreed because this guy had “cleansed” our house before. His method is simple, he will kill the thing, whatever it is that’s disturbing you. How he does it? He will “shoot” the thing using his fingers (macam main tembak2) and according to my SIL who can see “things”, there is actually fire coming out of his fingers when he does that!

Hard to believe, huh? Just take my word for it.

We didn’t want to take her to see this guy earlier because his healing method is quite troublesome. Kena mandi air tanah. Usually orang mandi air limau or bunga, this one kena mandi air tanah. Why? Because tanah is where we come from. He says, mandi bunga or limau tu is not good because it opens up your spirit to the other side of the world. Means, lepas you mandi bunga/limau, people from the other side can see you clearly and you will appeal to them more.

Hee…I don’t know how true this is, but that’s what he said.

Anyway, we took her over to this guy’s office and he said her house ada “orang bunian”. And that if she wanted to get rid of them, there were a few things that she needed to do like throwing small pebbles at each corner of her house including in the ceiling, and spraying salt water (which has been blessed) around the house. But she decided not to do that because i) she was going to move to a new house soon and ii) there was no one to help her do the ritual. Plus, she was tired of all this nonsense.

Hence, this guy told her to just mandi air tanah. Not once, but 9 times! Aiyo.. I dulu kena 7 kali saja and I thought that was a lot already. But my friend was quite adamant coz she wanted to get better. So, we brought home 3 packs of tanah for her to mandi later.

That night, I went to my MIL’s house to pay her a visit. My SIL was there too, so we briefed them on what happened during the day. My SIL said, maybe the thing had been there all this while, they lived there. When their home was disturbed, they got angry. I was quite worried that I might have trouble sleeping that night, but Alhamdulillah…I slept peacefully.

The next day was Mother’s Day. We had lunch at home and took our time going to my MIL’s house again in the evening to celebrate with her. We brought her a tray of apple pie, which we baked based on a recipe we got from “Cook Like a Chef” on AFC channel.

Upon reaching my MIL’s house, I heard a commotion in the kitchen. My SIL was talking to my husband. “Beritahu Yati lah”, I heard my husband said. Apasal pulak ni?

The moment she saw me, she pulled my hand and said, “Yati! Hantu XXX ikut you all malam tadi! She visited me last night!”

Oh, oh… !! Apparently, the “thing” in my friend’s house had followed me and MrNordin the night before and since they knew my SIL could see dead people, they visited her in her sleep!

The “thing” told my SIL that they had been living in my friend’s house for a long time. They were lost souls.. and there were 26 of them in the house! 26?!! No wonder the ustaz punya jampi tak menjadi!

In the dream, the thing actually “brought” my SIL to my friend’s house and showed her where she lived! Eww! My SIL had never been to my friend’s house before and yet she could tell me where the thing resided in the house. It was a lady actually who talked to my SIL. She said, they don’t want to harm my friend and her family, they just want to continue living there. Hence her message was, “Please tell your friend not to chase us away. Do that, and we won’t disturb her anymore...”

Eeee… scary, huh? My SIL said, the lady looked Chinese and wore a flower on her hair.

Takut! Takut! Takut! I immediately called my friend and conveyed the message to her. She was stiff scared! Who wouldn’t? But I calmed her down by saying that at least now she knew the real story, who were in the house and why they were there. Just tell the ustaz not to come anymore.

She did just that, and Alhamdulillah… the disturbances stopped. Not completely, but not as bad as before. And she could sleep better at night, especially after the mandi.

Phew… what an episode! I’ve never experienced such a thing before. Well, I know there are things in my house too, but as long as I don’t see them and they don’t disturb me, I’m very fine. This is also interesting because they ”communicated” with us so we know the real story (macam that movie “Sixth Sense”). Cool or what?

So, whenever masuk rumah baru, hati2… pasang “pagar” so that bad spirits don’t disturb your family. At night, always leave one light on. When you leave the house for a few days, leave a light on as well to protect your house from bad spirits as they love dark places.

That’s all for now. Share your ghost stories, if you had any. Cheers!

Botak Boys

2010-05-18T10:58:00.009+08:00

I have some free time now (actually, not!) so I can write a little bit more.

BIL and family came to our house last night. BIL is actually MrNordin’s second brother, the no. 2 in the family, and the only one who has (had?) a full grown hair. But three days ago, he decided to shave his head bald. To start a new life, he said.

Now all the three brothers are bald. If they had a band, they can call themselves the “Botak Boys”.

So last night he came to our house to ask for tips on how to care for his clean shaven head from my husband. Just like us who have full grown hair on our heads, bald men also need to take care of their hairless heads.

Must shave every two days, put a certain minyak to make it shine, must protect the head under extreme heat, and must always bring a hanky coz when you makan pedas2, you’ll sweat and it’ll be dripping on your face. Macam air hujan!

Some guys look good when they go bald while some don’t. It depends very much on his physique, the shape of his head (kalau melonjong, tak cantik sangat. The best if it’s round), the way he dresses and the way he carries himself. Kalau kena, he will look cool… kalau tak, he will look sick.

When I first met MrN, he was not completely bald. He had some hair at the sides of his head but very thin on top. He also had a thin moustache which made him look quite sweet. But after a while, he decided to just shave them off because uban dah banyak keluar. And he looked old.

But I think this style suits him better and he could carry it well. Sometimes, he would joke with the children, “What if I grow my hair back? Get a hair implant?” His children would scream, “Eeewww… NO, BABA!!!!”

Because it runs in the family, some of the children will have receding hair line too, especially the boys. Nadim is already experiencing thinning hair, kesian dia. Every day he would massage hair tonic or lotion on his scalp to keep his crown glory intact, but it’s a slow process.

Nizzar I think will face the same thing as his hair is quite thin and jarang2. Plus the fact that my father and brother are also botak, I think his chances of becoming botak is quite high. Sigh…. I will do something about it before it’s too late.

But personally, I think hair doesn’t make the man. What’s important is that a man embraces his hair loss issues rather than hide behind a horrible comb over or cheap toupee.

I once dated a guy who wore a toupee to cover his receding hairline (this was a match made by my mum, ok?). At first glance, I didn’t notice it but somehow, when I looked closer, the hair looked a bit weird. It was stiff and had no life. Then it occurred to me that he was wearing a wig! Eeeww!!

When I got home, I told my mum, “No, I’m not seeing him again!” She said, “Tak apa lah… ayah kamu pun botak.” Yah, but ayah doesn’t wear a wig, does he? I couldn’t imagine running my fingers through his hair in the height of passion and suddenly, “THUG!!”, the hair piece came off!

So I was glad when MrNordin did not hide his receding hairline when we first met. That spelt confidence, and I liked it.

Some women think bald men are hot. Again, it depends on individual preference and the men’s personalities.

Bald men who feel really good about themselves generally exude a sense of strength, confidence, passion and masculinity. That is hot. Otherwise, he's just like any other ordinary guys.

Old wives tales state the men with no hair have had their strands burned off because of their overwhelming passion. Hee.. hee... I can't help but agree!

Of course, truth be told, women that find bald men sexy do not necessarily find all bald men sexy. Just as guys that adore blondes don't automatically go for all blondes. What is more important is the chemistry. If the chemistry is right, everything else is secondary. Hair or no hair.

But one truth is universal. Almost all women love men that are confident, secure and honest who go after what they enjoy in life. A sense of pride and individuality is hot and women are naturally attracted to men that radiate happiness. I've found one and I'm happy with my hairless honey !

Weekend Rendezvous

2010-05-17T11:59:00.005+08:00

The weekend getaway with MrN was a success! Despite my MIL calling at 7.00 am (yes, she called!!), asking us to have breakfast at her house, it was swell.

No, we didn’t tell her we were going for a secret rendezvous at a hotel in town because according to my husband, she would make a big fuss about it. So we didn’t tell anyone except for our children, who were very sporting about it.

But I did ask him on our way there, “Kalau mak call rumah tanya pasal kita, apa budak2 should cakap?” He said, “Just tell the truth lah! Apa nak takut? I penat2 kerja all this while , tak ada siapa nak tolong. Now I want to spend some quality time with my wife, no one should say anything about it!”

Cewah… I was very impressed. Ok, if you said so…. :)

We had dinner at the coffee house after dropping off the children at home. I was pretty bombed out by that time because I had spent most of the afternoon in the pool with Nizzar.

The swimming pool at Mandarin is nice. The water is not too deep. Even at its deepest end, the water is still below my chin. So I’m quite comfortable there as I’m not really a good swimmer.

We got back to the room at almost 11pm. Watched a bit of football and called it a day (details are censored here).

The next day, early in the morning while we were still sleeping on that heavenly bed at Mandarin, his phone rang. “That must be his mum!”, I said to myself. Then I heard him say, “Erm.. hmm… iya mak… iya lah mak… ok… ok…” and he ended the conversation.

I turned my face away from him, feeling slightly disappointed that my plan to laze in bed will be messed up.

Slowly he turned to me and said, “Mak ajak breakfast kat rumah dia, dia dah beli lontong…” No answer from me. Then he continued, “Mak kata you suka lontong tu, that’s why she bought it for you.”

I kept quiet. How to say no like that?

At that point of time, I was thinking, why does she always have to spoil my plan to have a quiet weekend with my husband? Why must this happen again? The last time pun macam ni jugak (read here).

But on second thought, well… what the heck. I’ve had my time with my husband, there’s not much more we can do this morning. Anyway, we need to eat breakfast and the lontong IS nice. So I said, ok lah. Let’s go and pick up the children and go to mak’s house.

I think he was happy that I made that decision. Although I knew he wanted to stay on as well, sometimes something’s just gotta give. And I felt good not making that an issue between us.

Nizzar was happy to see us when we reached home yesterday. He asked me, “Mummy, where did you go last night?” Hee.. Hee.. I made up some stories for him and he seemed pretty satisfied with my answer.

So that was a good weekend. I hope you’ve had a good one too! Cheers!

What I've Been Up To

2010-05-14T23:53:00.012+08:00

I'm trying to write something here as this blog has been neglected for so long. People have been asking me why the silence? I'm just too caught up with work.

It's 12.01 am. The little boy is imitating his favourite Ultraman stunts in our bedroom. He's jumping up and down the bed, rummaging through my hair, strangling my neck from behind and making strange Japanese sounds. All these while I'm trying to ponder my thoughts.

Now he's sticking a strange object onto my hair (I think it's a comb) and trying to steal the mouse from my hand. How to write?

By the way, he turned 4 last week. No fancy birthday party this year. MrNordin and I took a day off to spend some quality time with him, doing what he likes to do best.

First stop was the toy shop. He came out of the store with 3 ekor Ultraman and 2 ekor monster! He was a happy bunny.

Next stop was lunch at our favourite restaurant. He got his balloons, french fries, pizza, ice cream and iced tea. Plus a cake and birthday song from the staff there. He was smiling with glee..

After that, we went to Pavillion as the older kids wanted to watch a movie. We dropped them off at the cinema and went to Red Box for karaoke with the little boy.

Big mistake. I couldn't sing, because the little boy was harrasing me.

Each time I picked up the microphone, he would pick up the other mic and screamed, "MUMMY! MUMMY! MUMMMMMMMYYYYYY!!! at the top of his voice or "HELLO!!!!! HELLO!!! HELLLLLOOOO!!!!!!!!"

Aiyo... it was very challenging! He did not disturb his father singing, tho', so MrNordin had a joyful time crooning to his favourite songs. It was so unfair!

But in the end, he gave up because I think he got tired of screaming so loud and played with his toys instead. Dapat jugak lah nyanyi a few songs undisturbed.

And yesterday was MrNordin's birthday. He came home very late from JB so we didn't pull any stunt to surprise him. But we are going to spend the night at M**d***n Oriental tonight..... just the two of us! Yeay! That should be nice. Just hope my MIL doesn't call!

All the children are at home right now. The two girls are back from college and are on their long term break. It's nice to come home and see them in the kitchen helping to prepare dinner. At least I don't have to think about that anymore.

Ok peeps, enjoy the photos. Will keep you posted.

Jigsaw Puzzles

2010-03-17T12:32:00.005+08:00

There’s a new craze going on at home: Jigsaw Puzzles.

Jigsaw puzzles are a great way to pass the time. I first picked up the hobby after watching “Winter Sonata” (remember the missing puzzle that the girl found?).

I’ve never really tried my hands at solving jigsaw puzzles before that, but the movie made me want to give it a try and I did and I liked it!

My first puzzle was a picture of a cat looking at a rubber duck. It was a 100-piece puzzle which did not take too long to complete. I did this before I got married (ie. when I had a lot of free time) and I still have it now. It is now hung on the wall of our kitchen along with another puzzle picture of a cat, which is slightly bigger than the first one I did.

After I got married, I found out that everyone in the house love jigsaw puzzles too. It is my husband’s favorite hobby since college and he still loves doing it now whenever he has the time.

My second daughter Nadira is another puzzle enthusiast. She has her dad’s patience and resilience in finishing a 1,000 piece puzzle till the end (I don't!). Nadim enjoys doing it too while Nabila will help as and when she pleases.

Very recently, I discovered that Nizzar can do puzzles too. He has a natural talent for it and can complete a 100-piece easily, especially if it is a picture of his favorite Ultraman. So far, he has attempted 4 or 5 Ultraman puzzles successfully.

I love to sit down and do puzzles with him because he is very quick at identifying where each piece should go to. I’d pick up one piece and ask him, “What is this?” He would immediately take it from my hand and say, “This one is Taro” (or whatever) and place it exactly at the spot where it should be. Once it’s finished, he would dismantle the whole thing and do it all over again.

The other day, just for variety, I bought him a 40-piece Mickey Mouse jigsaw puzzle. He finished it in less than 5 minutes and exhaled, “Boring…”. Hee..hee..

Puzzle enthusiasts look forward to putting huge puzzles together, but some people, like me, see a 1,000-piece puzzle as a huge test of their patience. I have very little patience, hence I want to finish mine as quickly as possible. That's why I only do small puzzles. I've never attempted anything more than 500 pieces.

At the moment, I’m working on a 250-piece puzzle of a Japanese Geisha. I’ve completed one over the weekend and now I’m doing another one of the same kind so they make a nice pair.

Nizzar is doing a 500-piece Ultraman puzzle which I bought recently. It is a big project for him and I can see that he’s getting a little frustrated because there are so many pieces to choose from.

But I told him that he must do it slowly, take his time. I will help him when I come back from work.

But I can't help smiling when he resorted to doing the Mickey Mouse puzzle again after he'd given up on the big one!

Nadim is doing a 1,000-piece puzzle of his animax cartoon. I don’t know how long that’ll take him, but I think his level of perseverance is quite high for this kind of thing. So, I’ll give him a week to solve it.

Meanwhile, I'll take my time to do mine...

The puzzle I'm working on

The Winter Sonata puzzle in the background

Eulogy

2010-03-16T11:38:00.004+08:00

I read about Ruby Ahmad’s passing this morning. So sad...

I’ve never met this woman personally but I’ve always follow her blog. She was so full of zest. And she had so many friends, old and new.

From her photos, I perceived her as someone who was very friendly, unpretentious, always wanted to do new things, see new places and meet new friends. And she was always smiling.

I secretly told myself, I wanted to be just like her.. to live my life to the fullest and make the most of everyday that I have.

So when I heard the news, I was shocked. I can’t believe that she’s gone. Just like that!

The comments I see on her passing in Facebook and blogspot are so touching. One said, "she’s a bright spark.. always giving her best to others..", and another one said, "she’s a nice lady.. full of zest.. bubbly.. first time you met her, she made you feel as if you’re a long lost friend or something.."

That’s when it hit me. How would people describe me when I’m gone? What would people remember me by?

I was asked to perform this task in one of the courses I attended long before, to write an eulogy about oneself. I can’t remember what I wrote then but right now, I would like to know how I will be remembered when I die… by my husband, my children, my friends, my family… don’t you?

Think of that for one second.

You know, when I first met MrNordin, in one of his e-mails to me, he did write something about his late wife. He said this,

“To me, I have not only lost a wife and mother to my children but my best friend, confidante, partner, advisor, critic, girlfriend and lover. I always believe one can get another wife easily but it’s the rest that I find difficult to find.”

I wonder if he would say the same thing about me when I'm gone…

I know for sure, my children will not describe me as a great cook. They would say that about their father, though. Sometimes when they come home from a party at their friend’s house, they would say things like, “Aunty XXX’s brownie is very nice!” Or, Kak Seri makes the best assam pedas or whatever. I don’t think they’ll have anything great to say about my cooking.

Or sometimes, I hear people describing their mother as, “She’s a great mum. Ever so gentle, she’s always there for me whenever I need her.” Err… I don’t think I qualify for that statement either.

But I can sort of gauge what my children think of me through the cards they sent me on Mother’s Day or my birthday. Children are transparent and they are very honest in what they say. So, I do know what my children think of me to a certain extent, and I’m happy to know just that.

When it comes to friends, it's quite tricky. Some friends make good company but they are not so good in times of trouble. Some friends are not such great "party friends", but you know you can turn to them when you're having a bad day. Some friends will go out of their way to help you, while some don't. So, pick and choose but keep as many friends as you can.

As for me, I would like to be a better friend to my friends. As the saying goes, “A friend in need is a friend indeed.”

I’d like to be thought of as a "friend in need" rather than a "friend for fun", if you know what I mean. So that when I die, I will be remembered as, "A great friend who almost always go out of her way to help you whenever you are in trouble..."

That would make a great eulogy.

Anyway, what I’m saying is, be good, all the time, so people will remember us for all the good things we’ve done and not otherwise.

Rest in peace, Ruby Ahmad.

Movie Reviews

2010-03-12T11:35:00.007+08:00

You know, there are days when you picked up a movie to watch and it turned out to be a great movie? Yesterday was the day for me.

Khan Kluay 2

I took my kids to the cinema yesterday to watch Khan Kluay 2. That was a rare treat because I seldom watch movies at the cinema.

Khan Kluay 2 is a Thai animated film about a young elephant, who was often teased and looked down by other elephants because he was fatherless, who eventually became a war elephant for the King of Ayyuthaya.

I watched the first film, Khan Kluay, from a rented DVD from Speedy many moons ago. I found it by chance, didn’t think much of it because it was a Thai animated film, “Surely it cannot beat Finding Nemo or Ice Age..”, I thought.

But surprisingly, it was a good film. The animation was fantastic, the storyline was very touching and heartwarming. Forget that it was spoken in Thai (which makes it better actually, but it has subtitles), the message is clear: if you have the will, you can be anything you want to be.

So, when I read that Khan Kluay 2 is coming to our cinemas, I must watch it! Indeed, it was still as good. It didn’t disappoint me although this time, it was dubbed in Malay.

The animation is better, the war scene is more fantastic and Nadim, who hardly likes to watch these kind of films, came out of the cinema exclaiming, “It was a GOOD!”

You should watch it with your children. It’s a beautiful story about love between a mother and son, husband and wife, loyalty and bravery, and a strong devotion by a father to protect his family.

And you know elephants… they are adorable anyway you look at them. So you cannot go wrong with this movie!

Hashiko

When we got home from the cinema last night, it was still too early to sleep. So we put on this new DVD which I bought recently, titled “Hashiko”. I had no idea what it was about except it starred Richard Gere but it turned out to be another great movie.

Hashiko is a story about a dog, who was very loyal to his master. It’s based on a true story in Japan. Every day, Hashiko would walk to the train station with his master (Richard Gere) to send him off to work (he’s a university professor). And in the evening, he would wait for his master’s return at the same spot in front of the train station every day.

One day, the master died of a sudden heart attack in his class and never made it home on the evening train. But the dog continued to wait for him in front of the train station, day in day out for the next 10 years, until he died.

This is a great story and has been used by the Japanese in schools to teach children about loyalty towards family.

The train station where he waited for his master is the Shibuya train station, outside of which, a bronze statue of Hashiko has been erected at the same spot where he waited for his master those 10 long years.

A very touching movie indeed. Another must watch. But make sure you have a tissue box next to you...

Richard Gere and Hashiko in the film

The real Hashiko

Hashiko statue infront of Shibuya train station

Be Grateful

2010-03-02T13:25:00.003+08:00

Why do marriage break? Why do they call it quits?

Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve been hearing stories about friends who have gone their separate ways.

“It was my choice..”, said one. “I just don’t love him anymore..”, said another.

On one hand, I was happy upon hearing this when I know the marriage was on the rocks anyway. They were not happy when they were together but happier when they were with other people. But on the other hand, it was sad because I’ve always known them as a couple but now they are not anymore.

Do we really have a choice when it comes to divorce? Do we follow our hearts or our minds?

It’s hard to say unless we have been in similar situations before. Lots of factors have to come into play. Sometimes the heart rules while other times, the mind does. You don’t just pull the plug unless you have weighed the consequences of doing so. It is a big decision and it requires a lot of thinking.

Sometimes when you see couples together, you can tell whether they are in it for a long term or not. If they are living separately but claimed they are happy that way, I guess there must be some problems there.

Or, when one goes away for a 2-month holiday without the spouse, surely one wonders what’s going on too. And what if one always sees this person with another woman but never with the wife – don’t you wonder as well?

These are tell tale signs. So if they say “We are divorced now,”, I won’t be too surprised.

But there are couples who, on the surface, look perfect for each other. Tak ada angin, tiba2, “We are divorced.” Bang! Just like that. That would be a real shocker.

Hearing all these stories made me realize one thing, that we should be grateful for what we have. We complain about our spouses all the time, but hey… he’s the best that we’ve got right now, so live with it!

If you’re looking for a perfect marriage, sorry my friend… go and fly kite. There is no perfect marriage because nobody’s perfect. If only we could achieve 50% of what a perfect marriage is all about, I think that is great already. But how do you define perfect, anyway? It is rather subjective.

I think, we must always appreciate the things we have in life. No matter how annoyed we are with our husband’s snoring or tardiness, try to think of other things that make him special in our eyes. Think of the reasons why we fell in love with him for the first time. Think of why we married him in the first place.

If we can continue to maintain that our partner is still attractive, funny, kind, and ideal for us in just about every way, I think we will remain content with each other for a long, long time. I'm not suggesting you should overlook an abusive husband or put up with a deadbeat bore. But with so many divorces happening right now, I think it's worth revisiting those happy moments again.

Hello !

2010-02-23T17:52:00.010+08:00

I’m really way behind my writing. The last posting was on 2nd February? Did anyone miss me? Hee… hee… I bet!

Let’s just do a quick recap on what I’ve been up for the last 3 weeks:

Old Flame

Has been deleted from my list. The flame has stopped glowing. You wanna know why?

A week after the reunion, I received a weird SMS from him saying, “Talipon Nani sekarang! Dia demam dan pengsan in skool. Awak kan kawan dia?!”

My first thought, “Budak mana hantar SMS ni? Sounded like budak darjah 6 je….”

I didn’t reply his SMS although I knew it was from him. I found it very strange that he would write such a thing.

So, I called up my friend Nani and asked if indeed she fainted in school. She said, it was a hoax. The guy was pulling a prank on her.

Why would a 42 year old man pull a silly prank like that on another friend? And using that kind of language? Macam bahasa Mat Rempit saja (if not Adnan Sempit!).

So, I was disappointed. He has such bad writing (and spelling) skills. Plus, he’s acting a bit weird for a man his age.

So, I extinguished all thoughts of him from my mind. All the 30 years of glorifying this guy came crushing down just by his dense SMS. How could he be so childish? Did he think he was still 12?

And right at that moment, I’ve never felt more relieved that I married my husband, who has impeccable writing style. And he's normal. Thank God!

Nasi Kandar

I’ve tried the nasi kandar at the brand new Kassim Mustafa at Jalan Doraisamy. It’s yummy!

I would safely say, it’s nicer than Kudu. They have this nasi minyak which is very light and tasty, goes very well with their ayam masak kurma. Go and try it one of these days. You won't be disappointed.

The restaurant is clean and the food is not that expensive either. 6 of us, 4 had nasi kandar while 2 had naan and tandoori chicken, cost only RM49.00. I almost flipped! If at Kayu near my house, it would probably cost us RM100. Madness!

Nizzar

He’s growing up fast. Has put on quite a bit of weight ever since the new maid came around. His feeding time is more regular nowadays. Breakfast, lunch & dinner at almost the same time every day. He likes to eat rice and chicken with kicap manis.

The new maid is pretty attentive towards him and the little boy has grown quite fond of her. He picks up new words every day and tersangat lah bijak bercakap. Tak henti-henti!

Whenever I call home from the office, he would be the one answering the phone. I guess kids that age just love talking on the phone, don't they? Kalau Wan dia yang talipon, sampai habis lah prepaid orang tua tu!

But I love to hear him chat. Sometimes merapu, sometimes cute. The other day, we were going into the car when he stopped by to read out his Baba’s car plate number. He went, “W..J..X.. 8..5..6..5..… BABA!” Hee.. hee…

His fascination for Ultraman hasn’t faded just yet. Still crazy over Ultraman after all these years. But at the same time, he also has taken a strong liking for Upin & Ipin. Hey, actually that film is not that bad. Very good for a local production. I'm very impressed with it and have been watching it time and again with the little boy. He likes Ipin while I like Raju. "Sepiiiii... GO!!!"

Holidays

Oh ya, we were in Cherating during the last CNY break. A friend's father runs a "resort" there and so we were booked for 3D/2N. There were 4 families altogether. Plus children, there were easily 20 people in our group.

The weather was surprisingly nice in Cherating unlike the scorching heat in KL. But you can't go to the sea anyway during the day, unless you want to get sunburnt. So in the afternoon, we just lepak at the chalets. In the evening baru main kat pantai.

I didn't really enjoy this trip actually. Maybe because it was one of those days, you know... I was getting my p****d and just simply tak ada mood. At one time, I just wished we had stayed elsewhere.

But my husband seemed to enjoy himself very much. Surrounded by his friends and family, I think he enjoyed himself the most main layang2 on the beach.

We set up tents and bonfire the last night we were there. Then we huddled around the fire, telling ghost stories. The children loved it.

I lied down on the beach that night, looking up to the stars in the sky. It was magical. But considering the amount of sand that got stuck in my hair after that, err... I think I should have known better!

(no photos, malas nak ambil gambar)

Cheers!

Facebook and Old Flames: A Dangerous Mix

2010-02-02T12:21:00.004+08:00

I found this article by chance. Read on and give me your thoughts:

I wonder how many old flames have been reignited because of Facebook. I wonder how many affairs are going on right now that began with a friend request. Quite a few, I would bet.

I signed up for Facebook less than six months ago. I love it. I live thousands of miles away from where I grew up and went to college, and I’ve gotten back in touch with many old friends. It’s a fantastic tool.

I’ve also become “friends” with more than one ex-boyfriend. With most of them, we say hi, give a quick status update, check out each other’s photos, and that’s that.

But a few have made definite romantic overtures. They’ve sent questionable emails, and flirted, and told me I look great. The problem is that at least two of these guys are married.

I think this is pretty common. I would guess that it’s happened to most people on Facebook – at least, most of those of us who are old enough to have lost track of old lovers.

Would it happen without Facebook? Probably not. Until I signed up for Facebook, this didn’t happen to me. And for all we like to wail about the loss of privacy on the internet, most of us aren’t actually googleable.

I’ve googled lots of old friends and acquaintances and had zero relevant hits turn up. And even when google does turn up with something and you find an old flame, you have no valid reason for contacting an ex-lover out of the blue. To send an out-of-the-blue email to a long-lost lover, you must be either very curious or very brave.

But this all changes with Facebook. Suddenly, we can find old flames in an instant, and there’s a perfectly good reason to contact them – we’re friending all our high school buddies, why not them too? Friending is so casual. It doesn’t violate any etiquette. It’s all too easy.

I haven’t been tempted to engage in online flirtation with these guys, but that’s because I’m not what I call an IVP: an Intrigue-Vulnerable Person. But IVPs are common. My workplace is crawling with them. And a few years ago, I was one.

Here’s what makes for an IVP:
• Boredom with your relationship and/or homelife
• Stress related to your relationship and/or homelife
• Loneliness and/or a feeling of being undesirable or taken for granted by your mate
• Unrequited love for someone from your youth (this one is the most dangerous)

If you’re an IVP, and you get a flirtatious email from an old flame, a little spark goes off in your chest. A tingle. It puts a smile on your face. So you start corresponding, perhaps innocently at first, and now you have a fun little secret. You start reliving old memories.

Online, you’re both at your charming best. You carefully compose your emails and you choose your words to be witty, self-deprecating, and fascinating. You anxiously await a reply in your inbox. Your instant messages are effervescent.

Not only do you put your best self forward online, but your old flame sees you that way too. They remember you when you were young. They still think of you as young. They don’t see you as middle-aged, they see you as a vibrant 19 year old in a grown-up body. It makes you feel young. It makes you feel sparkling and interesting and desirable. It’s intoxicating.

Some of these emotional affairs will never leave the bounds of the internet. But some will turn physical, and some will break up marriages. I posit that this phenomenon will grow by leaps and bounds because of Facebook.

I am not blaming Facebook nor excusing adulterers. We are all responsible for our own behavior. But in my assessment, most people are vulnerable to affairs at one point or another. The reason they don’t happen more often is not because most people have wonderful self-control, but because opportunities are either non-existent or come at too high a cost.

But Facebook significantly decreases those costs. It allows people to fool themselves. It starts so innocently. It provides both the means and the motive for contacting an old flame. Hell, you can chat with your ex-lover on your laptop while your spouse is in the same room!

But an “innocent” exchange can turn into attraction and emotional attachment very, very easily. The allure of the old flame – of the person who knew you when you were young – should not be underestimated. It can be very powerful.

So, while I believe in personal responsibility, I also have sympathy for those who struggle to resist something so powerful. Technology dangles an exponentially-increasing number of temptations in front of our noses: 5,000 years ago, we didn’t have to struggle to avoid that last piece of pizza, or that unnecessary credit card purchase, or surfing on our boss’s dime, or having an online affair – those things simply didn’t exist. Today, we must all exercise constant vigilance against incessant social and technological influences that do not have our best interests in mind.

So, I’m not quick to judge. But I do worry.

Am I making something out of nothing here? Should we all just trust ourselves and our partners to use proper self-restraint and go on our merry ways?

I’m admittedly a cynic, but I work around middle-aged family guys, and judging from the boredom and dissatisfaction most them express with their lives, I doubt they could be trusted to maintain appropriate boundaries if they were contacted by a flirtatious ex. (Note: the same could be said about women, I just happen to work with mostly guys).

What do you think?

The Reunion

2010-01-26T18:43:00.016+08:00

I’ve been trying to write about the reunion I had with my primary school friends last Sunday. But every time I do that, the words get in the way.

For some reasons, I’m feeling sad. When I look at the reunion pictures posted on my FB, I can’t help wishing that I’m 12 years old again. Back in my small hometown, riding bicycles in the evening and climbing trees with my friends.

Why do I feel this way? Did I miss anything?

The meeting we had last Sunday was a blast. It provided an avenue for us, 11 good buddies when we were small, to catch up on lost times.

I met B again after 30 years. I must confess, I used to have a huge crush on him in Std 6! Who wouldn't? He was a popular boy in school, being a school runner and all. I thought about him all the time after primary, sometimes even dreaming of him. But in my dreams, he was always the 12 year old boy looking at me with a smile. And I remember that smile perfectly...

So when he walked into Melting Pot last Sunday, I was very nervous. I dared not look him in the eye for I was afraid he would notice how edgy I was. He recognized me straight away. We exchanged hellos and he went on to sit at the end of the table. I wonder if he felt the same way about me. He still looked the same, though, like he never aged. Perhaps, that's why I felt it was a bit of a letdown.

Then I met the love-letter boy. Also nervous the first time we shook hands, but after a while, things just jived in. We joked about the time when he was called in by my mother to the staff room. He was teased by the girls for being such a naughty boy in class.

I recalled the time when we went to mengaji with the same ustazah whom we called Wan. Wan lived next to Shera’s house and all of us mengaji with her. Me and my two brothers, Shera and her sister, a few other friends and him. I remember, he used to cucuk the al-Quran with the penunjuk until berlubang. Don’t know why he did that.. sampai berlubang Quran tu! Tapi tak jugak pandai2 mengaji! Hee.. hee…

My two Angels were there too... Nani and Shera. Nani still looked the same after all these years. Her face looked exactly like how I remembered her when she was 12. The way she walked, the way she talked, the way she laughed... they were all the same. Amazing!

And Shera, I don't remember her being so quiet but that was how she was then and now. She just sat there next to me observing the others mostly unless she was spoken to. She had kept her hair straight and long, very elegant. This was the only thing that was different about her as she used to wear her hair short last time.

Jamilah, the one who I remember as someone who liked to pick a fight with us, is the only one who still maintain a slim figure despite having two kids. She looks a bit different now from the last time, more refined, I would say. Had I bumped into her on the streets, I wouldn't have recognised her.

She hugged me so hard when we first salam each other. It was so hard that I just broke down and cry. I didn't realise how much I've missed her.. I couldn't contain my feelings at that time because I felt so happy to see her again and be reunited with my other childhood friends whom I haven't seen for so long.

Jamilah & me

The rest who came were Sayed ~ we called him Cili Padi last time because he was short and small. The shortest boy in class. He has grown taller a bit now, looks more mature and holds an important position in one of the investment banks in town. Very well done. His parents still live in Bota. They were teachers, just like mine.

Then there was Nizar ~ oh yes, how can I forget about him? He was the boy who I always competed with during exams. If it was not me, it would be him who would get No. 1 in class. My mother would always grit her teeth whenever Nizar's marks were higher than mine.

When I was choosing a name for my little ultraman, "Nizar" was in the Top 3 because all the Nizars I know are either a very important person or is very clever. MrNordin's ex-boss was En. Nizar, there's a doctor, who we usually go to, known as Dr. Nizar, and this friend of mine, who was very clever in school, is also known as Nizar. Hence, the name Nizzar for my baby, but with a double zee.

Me and Nizar

Besides them, there were Zaida and Meor. Zaida was one of my close buddies too, her parents were teachers as well and I used to go to her house with my father dulu. Her mother has passed away recently but her dad still lives in Parit.

Zaida has one daughter who she brought along during the meeting. I heard, she had just gone through a divorce but I did not ask her about it. I think it was too personal and that kind of question should be reserved for another occasion.

Meor ~ he was the second shortest guy in class. We didn't expect him to turn up but he was a surprise arranged by Nizar. Like Sayed, Meor has grown slightly taller now. Very nice.

So, what's next?

We are planning to meet again during another classmate's wedding in April. It is his first marriage, to a 20 something girl. He missed the boat earlier on, I guess.

Someone shouted, "Jom buat kat Parit lah!" Yeah.. that's an idea. Then we can invite some of the teachers who are still around, including my mother. I'm sure she would love to see her old students again.

As for now, I'm still trying to digest this wonderful feeling I had since last Sunday. I suppose, reunion does this to people: It makes us feel nostalgic, and it's good for our system.

Us then...

Class photo Std. 2, 1976 (I'm seated at no. 4 from the right). The class teacher was my mother.

Us now....

L to R: Isham (LLB), me, Bakri, Sayed, Nizar, Meor, Jamilah, Zaidah & her daughter, Nani, Shera

More photos at http://www.facebook.com/#/nmunit?v=photos

More stories on my childhood at http://mrsnordin.blogspot.com/2010/01/childhood-memories.html

Letting Go

2010-01-22T11:53:00.005+08:00

MrNordin received a call from his second daughter a couple of nights ago, asking if she could go to Langkawi with her friends. Seven of them are going, they plan to rent a car and stay there for a couple of days.

My husband was alarmed. I could see cold sweat forming on his head while he was still on the phone with her. He flashed that “WHAT SHOULD I DO?!!” sign to me and I whispered, “Say you’ll think about it…”

This is not the first time she seeks permission to go for an outing with her friends. The first time was during fasting month last year, wanting to go to a waterfall in Sg Petani with a few of her friends. That request was met with a straight no.

“Waterfall?? Doesn’t she read the newspaper?!!”, screamed my husband.

Even I was against the idea. Nak pegi waterfall during fasting month? Whatever for?!

I spoke to her against the idea and she was freaking mad. I told her our reasons, but she was very adamant about going. After pleading with her (yes, I pleaded. Never before in my life), she decided not to go in the end.

But her parting words to me were, “If like this, I won’t tell Baba wherever I’m going again!” Very harsh.

So that night when she asked again whether or not she can go to Langkawi with her friends, I’ve already had my answer.

I told my husband, “Just let her go. You can’t stop her from going anymore. At least she told us about it...”

“Yes, I know. But telling me doesn’t mean I have to agree!”, he argued.

I guess, this is a common dilemma for parents. When children start leaving the nest and wanting to do things on their own, we worry for them, we worry for their safety, we worry for their future. All because we love them.

My husband is very protective of his children. There is no such thing as outings with friends as and when you please, sleepovers and what not. Details must be given whenever they want to go out. If he’s not convinced, you’re not going. Masa sekolah dulu, budak2 ni mana ada peluang nak pegi cuti2 organized by the school or friends. The answer was always “No, if you want to go, I’ll take you there.”

But the whole idea was not about going to the place, it’s all about going with the friends, right?

I am quite relaxed when it comes to these things because my parents were not very strict about travelling with friends when I was growing up. I used to go to Pangkor and Langkawi with my A-Level friends dulu. Sometimes I took the bus alone from Ipoh to meet my friends in KL, Kuantan and Terengganu. Sampai ke Kelantan pun ada, sorang2! Hee.. hee…

I know the need to get away with friends and I’m sure my husband does too. It’s just that he worries for their safety more than anything else. “What if something happen to them? I will never forgive myself, you know…”, he keeps on telling me.

I guess my husband should learn to let go. We can’t stop them anymore because they are all so big already. They are ready to venture on their own and do their own things without the parents’ supervision. All we can do is tell them to be careful. And every once in a while, to call us and inform us of their whereabouts so we don’t wonder and worry about them. That’s all we can do at this stage...

As of now, my husband still hasn’t made up his mind. It’s a tough call for him, but I know he will make a wise decision eventually…

Latest Update on My Friend

2010-01-15T12:51:00.004+08:00

She's conscious now. The doctors are going to do a CT scan on her to confirm there's nothing left inside. She's terrified but holding on. She's also had her first drink and porridge this morning.

That's great news!

Aneurysm

2010-01-14T13:11:00.002+08:00

I visited a friend at the hospital the other night. She’s been diagnosed with Aneurysm.

I’ve never heard of this illness before but upon investigations, I found out that it is actually a small bubble in the artery of the brain caused by, most likely, stress. And it is quite fatal because if the bubble bursts, it could lead to brain hemorrhage, which could be deadly.

It all started with a tooth ache (yes, just like my husband’s). But it got infected and spread to her eyes, causing one of it to swell. She started to lose her vision and experienced bad headaches, and was admitted to Assunta for further tests.

Through MRI and MRA scans, the neurologist detected something else, that she has this tiny bubble inside one of the arteries in her brain. They were hoping that the bubble is located right at the back of her head so that surgery could be done easily. Unfortunately, it is located right deep inside her brain, just behind her left eyeball.

I was shocked to learn about her condition. I rushed to the hospital to see her before they could do anything to her. “I had to see her!”, I told myself.

She is actually not my friend; she's my husband’s colleague in Iskandar. I knew her through my husband because they work together closely. She’s a lawyer with the company. She follows my husband to JB sometimes when she needs a ride and we always meet during company functions or other social events.

She’s a very nice lady, her husband too. They make a swell couple, very friendly. They have a daughter, aged 4. They’re trying for another one but her work commitment is not making it easy for her.

She is a workaholic, as observed by my husband. It’s all work for her coz she loves her job so much. Either that, or she has no choice.

The last time we met was right after that Sunway Lagoon thingy when her husband invited a few of us for a surprise birthday party for her. We went, and she was very happy to see us. We had a good time that night, chatting and laughing away. She looked so happy that night. I gave her a birthday present which she said she would keep until Christmas.

She invited us to her house on Christmas Day but we couldn’t go because my husband was not well that day. “I’ve made something for you, you know..”, she told my husband when she saw him again after that. She was supposed to give it to us on that day she was admitted to the hospital, but I guess, it was not meant to be.

Back to her condition. When I saw her that night, she could still recognize me, although blurry. Yesterday morning, I was told, she had lost all vision. She was rushed to Pantai as her neurosurgeon wanted to work on her immediately. The surgery was conducted last night. They did a cardinal surgery which involved opening up her skull to remove/clip the bubble (not sure which one).

She went in at 9pm and came out at 5am this morning. A 7-hour procedure! Her husband said she is still in the ICU now, with stable condition. But her mental state has yet to be ascertained.

I’m praying very hard that she’ll get through this operation successfully. That night when I saw her, she said to me, “I’m scared…”. I could still remember her face and her strong hand gripping mine. She had her eyes closed most of the time because she couldn’t stand the pain in her head.

I spoke to her mother at length that night. I’ve never met her before but she’s a very sweet lady and very engaging. She told me she has 3 children, but one has passed away.

I didn’t sense any tense or worry in her eyes that night because she was very calm throughout, but just as I was about to leave, she took my hand and said, “Please pray for her. I’ve already lost one daughter, I don’t want to lose another one..”

Tears streamed my eyes as I hugged her at the door. “Don’t say that, aunty, she’ll be ok. We’ll all pray for her…”

Please pray for her too.

Joanne and her daughter, Tamara

(photo taken from her FB)

An Evening in Genting

2010-01-12T16:07:00.016+08:00

It’s 4.00 pm on a hot Saturday afternoon. My MIL had just gone home after lunching at our house and my husband was lying on the sofa, dozing off. The air-cond was on full blast.

"Yang, I have an idea".

"What?" (eyes half shut)

"Let’s go to Genting this evening".

Silent.

“Nak buat apa?”

“Saja.. jalan2. Get a coffee or have our dinner there..”

“Ok.” And he went back to sleep.

That was how we ended up in Genting last Saturday night.

For some reasons, we always go up to Genting Highlands late in the evening. I like it coz it’s colder at night.

The kids were excited, “Are you sure?? Why??” They couldn’t believe their parents wanted to do something crazy like that one more time.

The last time we went up was two years ago. 12 people in our Naza! 2 in front, 6 in the middle row, and 4 in the back row, all squeezed in like sardines. It wasn’t planned, that’s what made it more fun. But this time, it was just the 6 of us in our family.

The drive up took only 45 minutes. By the time we got there, it was almost 8pm. As we wound down the windows, strong icy wind blew onto our faces. Oooo… sejuk!!

I saw the late Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong’s memorial just before (or was it after??) Awana. Eee.. it was kinda spooky seeing his statue “sitting” there by the roadside!

We parked our car near First World Hotel and made our way to the indoor theme park. It was very cold! There were not that many people for a Saturday night, but I guess it was because it wasn’t a public holiday or anything like that.

We wanted to go on the Motion Master but the little boy was not allowed in as he didn’t meet the height requirement. My husband didn’t even want to try, so he agreed to take the little boy on a floating boat that goes around the theme park. That was about the only thing that my husband was willing to venture on as he is acrophobic.

The outdoor theme park was almost closing at that time, so the older kids didn’t get to go on the more adventurous rides. It was too cold anyway. The little boy was the one who went on the most rides, getting on and off the different cars and carousel. Habis satu round, “Nak naik lagi!” Habis yang tu, “Nak lagi...!” Layan je lah…

We had dinner at one of the food courts. Be prepared to spend as food is quite expensive up there. RM13 for kuey tiaw goreng, RM12.50 for nasi lemak. Coming from a food court, I think it is expensive.

Ice cream, yang kat bawah ni jual RM1 per scoop, up there is RM5 per scoop! But since we don’t go to Genting often, I bought ice creams and let the kids eat them in the cold. I used to do this in winter when I was studying in the UK. Best! Mulut berasap je lepas tu, macam naga!

It was almost 12 midnight when we were ready to go home. But not before buying a cup of latte from Starbucks @ First World to drink in the car. Ahhh… coffee in the cold is definitely heavenly!

We reached home just before 1 am. No one complained, everyone seemed happy and I'm glad we made that trip.

You should try it too one of these days. It’s only 45 minutes to go up (if you lived in Ampang lah..), it’s cold, and there are a lot of things to do. Forget the rides… just walking around the place is sufficient to make you feel good.

If you’re worried about driving up, don’t be. The road is quite safe and not steep. Hey, I’ve driven up there in my Kancil before, ok? I’m sure you can do it too!

Take care!

With Nadim infront of First World Hotel

Nabila and Risna (the new maid)

The Flying Coaster (sadly, tak dapat naik because it was near closing time)

The Rio Float

Nizzar & Mummy on the carousel

Red car!

Blue car!

After buying coffee @ Starbucks

Last shot before driving down..

Childhood Memories

2010-01-08T14:41:00.015+08:00

I was just reading K.Teh’s posting on the passing of her friend M. She had cancer. How sad… it must be sad for her to lose someone dear like that. They were primary school friends and have been friends for a long, long time. Al-Fatehah for her, may she rests in peace...

I remember once I wrote a piece about a friend who’s attending a reunion with his primary school friends and I was thinking, “Who the heck have reunions with primary school friends?!”. I thought the guy was pulling my leg because I was not in contact with any of my primary school friends.

Then K.Teh cleared my doubts by saying that she has reunions with her primary school friends ALL the time, so did her husband. That got me thinking. Perhaps that guy did go to his primary school friends’ reunion after all..

In my case, I had no clue where my primary school friends were. I left the school in 1980 for a boarding school in JB and had never returned because a few years after that, my parents moved to Ipoh.

I thought about my primary school friends all the time, but I just didn’t know how to find them, until recently, thanks to FB, I've managed to locate some of them. And I'm so thrilled!

I was so happy to see photos of some of my childhood friends whom I haven't seen in 30 years. Of course, semua dah "blossomed", but in my mind, they are still the 12 year old friends whom I used to hang out with when I was small.

And this, brings back the memories of my childhood days which I'd like to pen down here.

When I was small, I grew up in a small town called Parit, Perak. It’s about 20 miles from Ipoh and is located next to the Perak River.

My parents were teachers, and because of that, we got to live in a house in the school compound. There were two schools in the area, ie. Sekolah Iskandar Shah and Sekolah Kebangsaan. My mum taught in the former while my dad taught in the latter. I went to my mum’s school.

In school, I was more well known as “Anak Cikgu Johara”. My mum was a very garang teacher. I had the privilege (or was it pain?) of having her as my class teacher when I was in Std 2 and 6.

Oh my… the pressure! Kalau tak siap homework, sure kena; kalau tak dapat no. 1, lagilah kena! My friends kena rotan, I pun kena rotan jugak in class (even worse, kata some of my friends!)

I remember there was one time, I didn’t do my homework over the weekend. It just slipped my mind. So, come Monday, when cikgu Johara tanya mana homework, I had to say I tak buat lah, kan? I was in Std 2 at that time.

And she got so angry! She stared at me, pointed her index finger at me and said, “Balik karang siap lah!!”.

Aiyo… I had never been so scared before in my life! I remember standing behind my desk, in the middle of the class, looking at her fierce face. It felt as if she was going to eat me alive! Everybody else had their heads down becoz cikgu Johara dah naik angin! Semua tak berani angkat muka! Bila balik rumah, memanglah kena!

I don’t understand my mum, give mercy lah sikit, kan? And I pun, tak faham why I didn’t do the homework knowing that my mother would surely beat the heck of me if she knew I tak buat homework. And why didn’t she remind me??

Another time was after the exams. Every time after the exam and when she had given out all the marks, she would list down all the students marks on the blackboard. From the highest to the lowest, and she must make sure that my marks always stayed on top, ie. No. 1. If markah turun sikit, she would give me the stare and I would be under pressure.

Why lah mak… chill lah! Dia pulak yang tension bila I exam. And because of that, I pulak yang jadi stress!

Hee.. hee.. that was my mum for you!

But until today, all her students still remember her fondly. They would call her up once in a while asking how she’s doing and visit her at home whenever they feel like it. They say, she was garang but sayang murid2. Anyway, she has mellowed down a lot now. Most times when she’s angry, she would just break down and cry. No more libas melibas macam dulu!

As for my dad, he was a very cool cikgu sekolah melayu. If you watched cerita P.Ramlee “Masam-Masam Manis”, my dad was just like that Cikgu Shaari in the movie. Bila masuk kelas, he would say, “Murid2, bukak buku… Tulis ini…”. Then he would write a one or two liner on the blackboard and asked the kids to copy. And he would go on and do other things. How I know this is because I had attended some of his classes before (anak cikgu, kan? Boleh masuk mana2 sekolah sesuka hati!)

Ahh… those childhood days…

My mum told me she met my dad when they were teaching in the same school, ie. Sekolah Tanjung Blanja. To get to that school, one has to take a boat/sampan to cross the Perak river. I remember this because I used to follow my mum to that school when she was still teaching there.

The story goes, at that time, my dad baru putus tunang (dengan siapa I tak tahu) and he was mending a broken heart. During recess, my mum always found him sitting alone by the river entertaining his thoughts. And she used to tease him. Usik mengusik punya pasal, lama2 suka, I guess.

They used to write letters to each other. I found some of them at my opah’s house, where my dad used to live. I think I picked up my writing habit from my mum. Their letters were full of pining for each other, and I think this was before they got married. Every time I visited my opah’s house in those days, I would surely lock myself in that room and read those lovely letters from my mum to my dad. I should have kept them, I don’t know where they are now…

Btw, my mum calls my dad “Sir” (as in Sir Elton John). I don’t know why.. until now.

My friends from school are aplenty. But the ones I remember most are Nani, Shera, Ramni, Yuliza, Mawar, Haslinda and Jamilah. Jamilah ni suka cari gaduh, she was very well known for that. When we lawan balik, she’d say, “Nanti kita beritau abang kita!” Ek eleh.. beritau lah… tak takut pun!

Nani and Shera lived near my house. We were the so-called Charlie’s Angels of our time! Every evening, we would ride our bicycles around the football field near my house and boys would be trailing us behind. But we were not interested. Our favorite pastime at that time was to update our scrapbooks with pictures of Farrah Fawcett and Bionic Woman and Six Million Dollar Man which we cut out from magazines/newspapers.

Oh, and we so loved Donny & Marie! During one of the Hari Penyampaian Hadiah, we did a dance routine with the song “That’s The Way Ahak, Ahak, I like it ahak, ahak.. “, wearing Donny & Marie T-shirts and bellbottom pants! Cool!

And this was also the time when I used to exchange letters with one of the boys in my class. Entahlah, masa dulu suka sangat main tulis2 surat! Bukan ada benda pun, saja bertanya khabar. Very innocent, ok?

We would write to each other and in the evening, when we went on our bicycle rides with our respective friends, we would meet half way and “swapped” letters while we were still on our bikes. Much like passing the baton in a relay.

That was going on for quite some time and I was enjoying my first introduction to writing love letters when one unfortunate day, my mum discovered his letters under my bed! Oh dear! She tarik my telinga and screamed, “Ohh… kecik2 lagi dah pandai nak bercinta, ya?!!”

But the worst was yet to come. The next day, she called the boy to the staff room and gave him a long lecture in front of all the other teachers! Poor boy… I felt sorry for him!

I remember seeing him standing in the staff room with his head down while my mum was going on and on about why he shouldn’t indulge in such things. Soon after, he was transferred to another school in Ipoh.

That explains why my friends and I used to call my mum “Harimau Berantai”.

I don't usually like to write about my childhood because it brings pain in my heart. Partly because my mother was so garang, but most often than not, the memories are just rather vague.

But eversince I found these old friends on FB, I've been reminiscing about those yester years with a smile on my face. I remember my class, I remember my friends, the things we used to do, the games we used to play...

Life was so simple then and it was all about friends.

On this 24th January, I'm going to meet up with my primary school friends after a 30-year lapse. It's sort of a mini-reunion, so to speak, as we haven't located everyone yet. I'm so excited! I can't wait! Thoughts of meeting up with Nani and Shera bring joy to my heart and I'm sure we'll have a great time.

Of course, the love-letter boy is going to be there as well. We've spoken and he's now a very happy family man with two boys in tow. In my mind, I still picture him as how he was when he was 12, but obviously he is not anymore. I'm sure he thinks of me the same way too, but that's not important.

What's important for me is, I'll get to rekindle that long, lost friendship, not only with him, but with the rest of the gang as well, and that would be simply wonderful.

Will keep you posted!

Pekan Parit, if you were coming from Ipoh

Right at the end, where the trees are, is the river. You take the boat from here to go across to Tanjung Blanja

The shophouses

In the olden days, there were not that many cars..

The road leading up to my school

Perak River. Right across is the school where my mum first met my dad.

Ironically, the bridge is known as "Jambatan Nordin".

(Note: photos courtesy of http://www.panoramio.com/)

Home Alone

2009-12-22T15:59:00.005+08:00

Yesterday, for the first time ever, I left Nizzar home alone with his two older siblings while I went to work. No choice, because the old maid dah balik kampong while the new maid will only be back tomorrow from Tanjung Balai.

I’ve never left Nizzar alone at home with his brother or sisters. There was always a maid present because I didn’t trust the kids with the little boy.

From my observation, I noticed that the older kids had very little patience for their little brother. Even in my presence, budak kecik tu selalu kena marah or yelled at for being naughty or demanding.

The older kids prefer to do their own things without interference from the little one. The maid will be the one looking after him the whole day.

The older children never seemed to want to do anything around the house except eat, sleep and do their own things. Suruh jaga adik will be met with much hesitation.

So, now you know why I was paranoid about leaving him alone with his kakak and abang? I always had this cynical feeling that if I left him alone under their care, his stepbrother and sisters would torture him like in Cinderella. No, I dare not risk it!

But in the past few days, we have been deprived of a maid since my old one had eventually gone home last Friday while the new one still hasn’t returned from Tg Balai after more than a week. The agent said, esok baru sampai. So, I had no choice but to leave the 3 kids at home alone.

I was very worried. What if the little boy threw a tantrum? What if he misbehaved? Will he be punished by his sister/brother? What if there was an accident and the house was on fire? All ridiculous thoughts crossed my mind.

My husband said they’d be fine although I knew deep inside he was a bit apprehensive about leaving them alone at home. But we had no choice and we didn't want to menyusahkan orang lain.

On Sunday night, we had a trial run when my husband and I had to join some people for a surprise birthday party in PJ. I was reluctant to go but I told myself, let this be a tryout. If not now, bila lagi?

When we left home that evening, the little boy was playing with his big brother. He didn’t even realize that we were gone. During the party, I kept on thinking about the kids at home, whether they were ok or not. I had my Blackberry next to me all the time just in case Home called, but to my surprise, there was none. When I called home to check, Nabila said everything was ok. The boy was still playing with Nadim.

Hmm…strange….

When we got home later that night, the boy was still awake, lying on the floor in my bedroom, watching TV with Nabila. He looked at me and pulled a long face. Merajuklah tu sebab kena tinggal! But he was fine after that and I was happy that they all survived the 4 hours that we were gone.

And yesterday was the real thing...

I left home at 8.30am, after leaving behind a “To Do List” for the two older kids:

To Do (Mon, 21/12)

1) Take out the wing chair yang dah kena kencing kucing to dry
2) Lipat kain (Nabila)
3) Masak nasi (Nadim)
4) Bagi Nizzar ubat (Nabila)
5) Note: When changing Nizzar, just use a wet towel to wipe his face and body. DO NOT bathe him!

I drove to office nervously because I wasn't sure how the day would turn out to be. In the office, I waited for phone calls from home but there was none. When I spoke to Nadim later, he said everything was fine. No worries. Then it was quiet for the rest of the afternoon.

When I reached home at 6.15pm, the house was quiet. Nabila came out to open the door for me and when I asked, where was the little boy? She said he was sleeping. Sleeping?? You must be kidding! Budak tu susah nak tidur siang, tau! So I went upstairs to check, and yes indeed he was sleeping.

The house was in order. Nothing was broken, all chores were completed.

To tell you the truth, I was so happy to see Nadim's and Nabila's faces yesterday evening. The first thing I said was, "You survived!!"

I was very impressed that they managed to look after the house and their little brother on their own devices. The kitchen was clean, the rubbish bins were empty, the wing chair dah kering and kain dah berlipat.

The only complaint I heard was from Nabila who now realizes that melipat kain is hard work. “I hate lipat kain!!”, she said. Don’t we all? Hee.. hee…

Again, they caught me by surprise, these kids. They’ve proven that my worries were unfounded, and that they are capable of taking care of their little brother when I’m not around.

I was also surprised when they told me they had no problem giving ubat to Nizzar coz when I tried, that boy put up a very strong resistance by kicking his feet and clamping his teeth to avoid being fed with the cough syrup! Aiyoo.. what does that tell you?

Anyway, we went out for dinner last night to give them a treat for a job well done.

Actually, life without a maid can be a blessing because in some ways, it does bring the family closer. Each family member would have their own role and duties and together we do it to help each other out.

Like the other night after we came back from the party, I had to hang the clothes out to dry in the backyard. It was almost midnight but there we were, all 5 of us in the backyard helping each other out. Nabila helped me with the clothes, Nadim helped his Baba feeding the angsa, while Nizzar sat in his toy car watching us. You can never get this when the maid is around!

It’s just a different feeling when there’s just you and your family. It’s nicer. But of course it’s tiring. The kids can’t wait for the maid to come back. I can’t wait for her too so I don’t have to do ironing!

House work is really hard work, so I have very high respect for full time housewives. Imagine doing all those chores alone… day in day out. Letih !!

That’s why I always tell my kids, help out whenever you can even when we have a maid. Don’t expect the maid to do everything. Dahlah dia kena bersihkan rumah, basuh baju, lipat baju, iron baju, basuh tandas, basuh pinggan, kemas bilik, masak, jaga baby, jaga pets… banyaknya kerja! Even I can’t do all that on my own! That’s why we must help her.

Anyway, today is the second day they are home alone. No calls so far, so I guess they are ok.

Alhamdulillah…

Jalan-Jalan

2009-12-21T11:39:00.005+08:00

What have you been doing so far during the holidays?

We were in Sunway Lagoon last weekend as MrNordin’s company organized a Family Day for the staff. We were given 2 rooms at the Resort and free passes to enter the Theme Park.

I haven’t been to Sunway Lagoon in a long time. The last time I was there was maybe when it was first opened, sometime in the early 90’s. The place is cool, man! The rides are awesome and the slides are only to be tried by those who do not have any heart condition. I’m serious!

We arrived on Friday evening after sending my maid (the one who’s getting married) to LCCT. It was quite sad to see her go after being with us for 7 years, and as expected, there were lots of tears at the airport.

But if she had to go, we must let her go... I kept on telling myself that we’ll see her again (yes, we will), and so the farewell did not turn out to be too dramatic. For me, at least.

Sunway Lagoon provided a good diversion from the farewell. Soon after that, we were having fun walking along the corridors of Sunway Pyramid and had a late lunch at Tarbush.

I think, if you needed a break with your family, Sunway Lagoon is an ideal place to be. Everything is under one roof. The hotels, shopping mall and theme park are just walking distance from one another and there are just so many things to do. Yes, there are a lot of people especially now it’s the school holidays, but it’s worth the ride. Your kids would love it!

We came home on Saturday evening, all tired and bruised. Nizzar had a slight temperature and was having runny nose sebab lama sangat main dalam swimming pool. We knew he was going to be down after the swim, but tak apalah… we let him have his fun first, suffer later, ok?

The previous weekend, we were in Penang. I didn’t post about the trip earlier because I had lost all the photos taken on that trip. Geram betul! They were deleted by none other than the little rascal lah, who else!

I went out, left the camera on the dressing table, when I got home and checked the camera, the photos are all gone! I was so upset, tapi nak marah siapa kan? It was my mistake too for not keeping the camera in a safe place. I should have known better.

But I did take a picture of him at the Ultraman kindy (it was awesome!!) and I did find a great place to eat Nasi Kandar, ie. Kassim Mustafa.

Actually, we were looking out for a different restaurant (Hameediyah) but couldn’t find it along Jalan Penang when we saw “Kassim Mustafa - Nasi Dalcha & Nasi Kandar”. Then, I remembered muteaudio telling me that I should try Nasi Dalcha when in Penang and so I forced my husband to stop by.

It was a wise choice because the nasi dalcha was very delicious indeed. It tasted a lot like nasi minyak but not as heavy. The gulai ayam that accompanied the rice was very tasty too, making the meal simply heavenly.

The rest of my family members had the nasi kandar and they said it was very nice too. Habis licin semua pinggan! I will definitely go back to this restaurant the next time I’m in Penang.

We also tried the Nasi Kandar Beratur near Masjid Kapitan Keling since this place was heavily promoted by a friend. However, that was a bit of a disappointment because rasa dia biasa saja lah. I have tasted better nasi kandar in KL.

Maybe the timing was not right, tapi orang memang beratur lah kat situ!

We only managed to try two nasi kandar eateries this time, but that was just fine.

So now, the Top 2 in my Nasi Kandar list is Kassim Mustafa (Penang) and Kudu (KL)!

And the search still goes on…...

Julie & Julia

2009-12-01T16:33:00.004+08:00

I saw Julie & Julia last night. It’s a story about Julia Child and her conquest to master the art of French cooking during her stay in Paris in the 40’s. It’s also a story about Julie Powell, who aspires to cook all 524 recipes from Child's cookbook, within 365 days.

Both are true stories...

What’s amazing about the story is the determination that each woman had to complete something and to do something meaningful with their lives. Both actually had zero knowledge of cooking, one can’t even fry an egg! But they both decided to challenge themselves and put their skills to the test.

I always believe that if you put your heart into doing something, you’ll do it very well. And just like Julie and Julia, they both did.

Many of you can relate to this story. It is an inspirational movie. With Meryl Streep as Julia, one shouldn't give this a miss.

So, if you are a food lover, romantic at heart, kitchen goddess and blogger, Julie & Julia is a must see! Go and get it today!

My Little Ultraman

2009-11-25T11:27:00.007+08:00

I was taking my shower this morning when I heard a little voice outside the bathroom, "Mummy... Mummy..".

The little boy had woken up and was looking for me.

I answered, "Yes....", and I heard him cry.

I just kept quiet and after a while, the little voice went silent. I thought he must have gone back to sleep.

To my surprise, I saw this as I opened the bathroom door after my shower!

He was waiting for me outside the bathroom sampai tertidur2 kat situ! Hee.. hee...

Inilah dikatakan "Occupational Hazard". Malam tadi main Ultraman sampai pukul 12.30 tak mahu tidur lagi. Now ada dua orang dayang2 kat rumah, sukahati lah our friend. Kalau Kak Sri tak nak main, dia ajak "Kakak Baru" main. And as someone new, the new maid is very obliging.

Dah habis bersepah all his toys, bila suruh kemas balik, he'd look at me and whisper, "Kakak baru boleh kemas..." Eh, banyak cantik! No way! As much as possible, I would force him to pick up his own toys. Ingat anak raja ke apa?

But in the end, normally we would be the ones picking up after his Ultraman pieces. Sigh...

But I love you anyway, little Ultraman! Peace!

Kisah Pembantu Rumah - Part 2

2009-11-23T11:24:00.004+08:00

So I’ve got a new maid. She came in last Saturday.

Phew… you don’t know how relieved I was when I finally got the new girl. I was in panic mode when Sri told me last week that she wanted to go home mid-Dec. That’s too soon! I haven’t got a replacement for her!

I had inquired from an agent-friend earlier on but she told me it’s not easy to bring in Indon maids nowadays. Nak get yang illegal pun the same thing, lagi pulak sekarang ni we hear so many horror stories about maids. Eeee… I cringed thinking about our fate if the maid ran away!

As luck had it, two days after Sri broke the news to us and as I was frantically trying to call agents for a new maid (to which all said have to wait at least 2.5 months), a dear friend, SW, told me the agent for her Nanny McPhee ada lagi 4 orang maid available right now! And that I should call the agent right away!

I didn’t call him right away but he called me a few minutes after that. We arranged to meet and the best part is, I got to select and interview the maids as they are all here already. First time I dengar orang boleh interview maids, usually one just choose from the biodata and photos.

So,I went to the agent’s house with Mdm Tai Tai since MrNordin was in JB. Upon arrival, the agent called upon all the maids to line up in front of me so I could take a good look at them. Hee.. hee… rasa macam mem besar pulak!

Please remember that I have never hired a maid before in my whole life, that was the first time I was given such tasks. I didn’t know what to ask, not sure whether my choice would be the right choice etc, etc.

Out of 4, I picked 2. One elderly lady – I quite like her coz she had a pleasant face, but I think she’s quite slow… don’t think she larat kerja at my house. The second choice was this young girl aged 23 and had worked in Singapore before. She’s too skinny for my liking but highly recommended by the agent.

When it comes to choosing a maid, I think we just need to trust our gut feel. No line of questioning would bring out their true colors coz their answers would be standard answers. So, I did just that, trusted my gut feel, chose the young one and prayed hard that she would not run away!

Two days at my house, I think she’s ok. Only speak when spoken to, that’s what I like. Sri has been teaching her what to do around the house, boleh lah… it’s too soon to tell anyway.

One interesting fact tho’, this new maid prefers to converse in English. “I prefer English,” she said when I picked her up from the agent’s place. Having worked for a Chinese family for 4 years before this, she speaks better English than Malay, so it seemed.

But her sentences always ended with Chinese connotation like this, “I looked after the house, lor…” “I cooked, lor…” Hee.. hee.. I found it strange coming from an Indonesian gal’s mouth!

And yesterday afternoon, we all went out for nasi kandar lunch. We brought her along. Guess what? We all ate with our hands while she ate with fork and spoon!

Hee.. hee... not bad, huh… our new maid! I suppose, she was used to doing that before this and doesn’t know our norm yet. So we let her be...

And last night, we had Roast Duck for dinner. When I asked her, “Pernah makan duck tak?” She said, “Selalu !"

I think she’ll be happy staying with my family.

Kisah Pembantu Rumah - Part 1

2009-11-20T16:48:00.006+08:00

Ever since I married MrNordin, I only know of one maid, Sri.

Sri came into my husband’s family in 2002. I was not married yet then. She was this tomboyish-looking gal with short hair and big-built, always looking at me nervously whenever I came around visiting.

I remember her going in and out of the kitchen when I visited their house one day and I thought she looked rather suspicious. She was illegal at first, but after seeing that she was quite capable of handling the housework, MrNordin applied for her work permit and so, she was made legal.

I got to know her better after I moved into the family. One word to describe her is ~ competent. She takes care of everything in the house while we are at work ~ from cleaning, cooking, washing, ironing to taking care of the pets (we had a lot then ~ chickens, cats, birds, tortoises and now a goose) and the kids.

She also supervises the gardener, the plumber, the electrician, the driver, the bill collector, the air-cond man and whoever that comes around to the house while we were out. We can trust her with giving instructions to them and clarifying what’s wrong with the devices.

She can cook very well, sekali ajar dah boleh buat. I thought her how to cook nasi lemak and asam pedas, now her asam pedas and nasi lemak are the ones that my kids crave for when they come home for the holidays. She makes the best sambal goreng and ayam berlada (which I don’t know how to). Her sambal belacan is only second best to my MIL’s and her masak lemak is almost as good.

Besides masakan melayu, she can also cook pasta and such ~ macaroni and cheese tu pejam mata je lah, spagetthi olio, carbonara, bolognaise etc, etc. But I thought her first how to do all these lah... (must claim credit !).

She’s also a good seamstress. Before she came to Malaysia, she was working in a garment factory in her kampung for a while and that’s how she acquired the skill. She sews her own baju, Nizzar’s baju melayu, repair our baju2 yang dah koyak, jahit tepi kain, jahit samping etc, etc. It’s so convenient.

Besides her multi-skills, she’s also quite clever. Maybe because she has been with us for a long time and she knows our style. Sometimes when I’m out with my friends at night and my MIL calls the house, she could cover for me by saying, “Kak Yati dah tidur, bu…” (I didn’t ask her to do that).

Or when some sales man call, demanding to speak to my husband, she could gaduh with the guy to stop bugging us.

And she can speak English as well. Not fluent, but bolehlah sikit-sikit. She reads Harry Potter, ok? And watches TV with my children. I guess that’s how she picks up the language.

I’m glad she wanted to learn although my MIL was not very happy when she found out that our maid reads books instead of doing housework. We told her, "Daripada dia dok melepak dengan maid2 lain kat luar, baiklah dia baca buku, mak…" She was not amused.

Having her around was a blessing for us all. I remember when Nizzar was just a little baby, she was the one who took care of him after I went back to work. She’s very good with children and I can trust leaving her with my baby.

But not everything is well and good. She has her flaws and her days as well. If you’ve been reading my blog, there were times when I got cross with her due to her lax attitude. And that’s normal especially when one has been working for one employer for a long time. Complacency sets in… she becomes lazy, sloppy with her work… that’s when we gave her a scolding so she toe the line once again.

But most times, she would realize it was her mistake and she would come to me after that to apologize. At least she felt remorse and that’s a good sign.

To this very day, I have never treated her as a maid per se coz she’s been a part of our family. She eats with us at the dining table, she goes on holiday with us, she comes with us whenever we dine out, she eats what we eat and she drinks what we drink from the same Portmeirion plates and cups that we have in the house. No different pots/plates/cups for maid vs our own use coz we don’t believe in that.

Well, initially she did eat alone in the kitchen after we had our meals but over time, we just asked her to join us at the dining table. Dahlah penat2 masak, takkan makan sorang2 kat belakang pulak, ya tak?

To me, she’s family. That’s why when she told us that she wanted to get married at the end of this year and that she wants to go back to Indonesia, we were devastated. Can we do without her? Can we get the same maid as good as her? Is she sure of her decision?

Going home is one thing, but getting married is another thing. She’s a good girl, hard-working, and has lots of money having worked here for 7 years. This guy is a painter (tukang cat) and he does odd jobs as and when they are available. Don’t know how they met but she told me he is a neighbor in her kampung. He came here only recently.

From what she told us, we were not convinced that he’s a good guy. I think he’s just after her money. But pressure from both sides of the family and the fact that she’s now 25 and still not married (kat kampong dia kira dah andartu lah tu..), she succumbed to their wishes tho’ deep inside I know she doesn’t really want to marry this guy.

I shed tears when she told me about it coz I worry for her future. After being with us for some time, my only wish is that she’ll have a better life after she leaves. Having worked so hard all this while, I don’t want her to lose all the money that she has earned to this guy. I want her to have a good life; not lavish but comfortable enough for a small family unit.

I feel that she deserves a good life. She always told me, "Saya datang ke sini untuk kerja dan kumpul wang supaya adik2 saya and anak2 saya boleh pergi ke sekolah... sesuatu yang saya tak pernah alami selama ini. Saya mahu mereka dapat kehidupan yang lebih baik dari diri saya, k.Yati...”

I know her intentions are noble, that’s why I don’t want this guy to screw it up!

In Search of the perfect Nasi Kandar

2009-11-16T16:38:00.012+08:00

For the past two Saturdays, I have had nasi kandar for lunch. First, it was Nasi Kandar Kudu and second was Nasi Kandar Yaseen, both located along Jalan Raja Laut/Tuanku Abdul Rahman.

I love nasi kandar, so does my family. Our favourite haunt is Pelita near Wisma Central at Jalan Ampang. I don’t know what they put in the rice, but it is just so sedaaap! Every time makan, sure licin satu pinggan!

I usually like my rice loaded with all the kuah, but my lauk would just be ayam goreng. Plus a bendi or two and telur masin... sehingga menjilat jari, babe!!

The thing with us is that, once we like eating at a certain place, we will continue going there and will not try anywhere else. Call us boring, but that’s how we like it. Familiarity, I suppose...

But this time around, we decided to try other nasi kandar restaurants just for the fun of it.

I was sceptical at first about Kudu. The restaurant is small (compared to Pelita) and there’s nothing fancy about it. Just a typical family run business at the corner of Jln TAR.

But what made me changed my mind was when I saw there were a lot of mamaks having their meals in the restaurant. I saw this popular TV personality who is a renowned gynaecologist eating there with his family and I thought, “Kalau ramai mamak makan kat sini, I’m sure the food is good”.

Then I saw old newspaper cuttings on the wall, stating that Kudu was P.Ramlee’s favourite nasi kandar joint. Apa lagi... terus duduk lah!

Indeed, the curry was good. Well combined without any spill at the side of our plates (unlike in Pelita). But I couldn’t finish my rice because there was just too much on my plate.

(photos courtesy of http://pablopabla.blogspot.com/)

Then, the next Saturday, we tried Nasi Kandar Yaseen pulak which was just a few steps away from Kudu. This restaurant is not as clean as Kudu but their signature dish is the ayam masak kicap, ie the black sauce. Not bad, the ayam goreng is nice and crispy, but still, I couldn’t finish my rice coz there was just too much on my plate.

(photos courtesy of http://www.foodpoi.com/)

(For location of these two restaurants, please Google. Thank you.)

From my experience eating at these two (or three if you included Pelita) restaurants, one can’t really tell the difference when it comes to taste. Each has its own unique taste, so it really depends on what you’re going for.

But for me, if the all nasi kandar tasted almost the same, then the deciding factor would be: 1) cleanliness, and 2) ease of parking.

So for now, the Top 2 in my nasi kandar list would be Pelita and Kudu. I think Pelita still takes the cake coz I love their rice.

Anyway, I’m off to Penang next month for a vacation and while I’m there, I shall continue my search for the perfect nasi kandar! Yeay!!

As Good As It Gets

2009-11-05T17:35:00.005+08:00

Last night, we were all gathered in the study room. It was after midnight but we were still wide awake and didn’t want to go to sleep yet.

Nizzar was looking through old photo albums for pictures of his brother and sisters when they were about his age while Nadim was guiding him with the “who is who”.

As he flipped through the pages, suddenly he stopped at this one particular photo and asked his brother, “Nadim, ini siapa Dim?”

Nadim took a second look at the picture and softly replied, “This is my arwah Mama..”

I choked up when I heard his reply.

“This is Nadim’s Mummy, Nizzar…”, I added, and the little boy turned over the page.

I didn’t know if the little boy understood what we said or not, but I found it quite surreal because what was going through his mind must be, “Hey, I know everyone’s faces here… but I’ve not seen this one before. Who could she be?”

That must have prompted him to ask Nadim who she was.

Right after that, I felt a tinge of sadness. I went into the bathroom and sat on the throne quietly, pondering over the incident.

I felt sorry for Nadim coz he had lost his mother when he was still very young. He didn’t get enough love and affection that he should be getting from a real mother because she passed away much too soon. He was only 7 at that time… and it has been 8 years now since he lost his mother.

Throughout the years, he struggled to grow up into a fine young man without the love from a mother. Fortunately, he had his father who tried in every way that he could to be both mother and father to his children. Yes, I was there too in the middle of it, but it's just not the same.

So when his father tends to give in a little bit more to him than to the girls, I can understand why...

When we were looking at those pictures, I could feel that this boy must be wishing that his mother was still alive. That he could still be showered with her hugs and kisses, just like what I love to do with Nizzar. I wondered if he missed his mother…

You know, being a stepmother to 3 kids and a real mother to 1, I do feel the difference when it comes to displaying my affection towards them. With Nizzar, I could easily smother him with kisses and roll over in bed many, many times before we go to sleep because I feel there is no holds barred. He is my son, I can spoil him if I want to and I can spank him if he misbehaved.

But with the older kids, I feel quite awkward to show my affection and I think, they feel the same way too. Something is holding me back. Maybe because when I came into the family, they were already grown ups. I didn’t know how to “manja” kan them although many times I wished I could just hug them and smother them with kisses like how I do to Nizzar.

But this doesn’t mean I love them less. I love them all the same and I treat them like I would my own children. I worry over them like any parent would. When they go away, I miss them… when they come home, I am elated.

My favourite moment is when I find them all sitting at the dining table, chatting about everything under the sun. I love to hear their laughters. That's when I'm the happiest person on earth.

I suppose, mothers show their love and affection towards their children in many ways. I try as much as possible to be fair, and I hope my children realize that too.

My only wish is that I could be a better mother to them. I don't know how much better, but I think it could have been better.

But for now, I guess, this is as good as it gets...

Nizzar's 1st Halloween Party

2009-11-02T16:18:00.036+08:00

Last Saturday, my little boy was invited to a Halloween Party at Beverly Heights. This is where his Aunty Gina lives.

I’ve never been to a proper Halloween Party before. The closest experience I had on Halloween was when our next door neighbor threw a big Halloween Party for their 15-year old last year, complete with a DJ and disco for all the kids who came dressed up to the theme. We were all admiring from far (we were not invited, of course) but I did give the kids candies when they came around “trick or treating”.

So for this one, I really didn’t know what to expect. I knew it was actually meant for the little ones, so I thought a nice Halloween costume for Nizzar would be proper. So we went to get his outfit, a Power Ranger suit, and a pumpkin. The little boy was very happy, he didn’t want to take it off once I put it on him!

Red Ranger

Anyway, on the day itself, we arrived at Gina’s house just after 5pm. Outside, I could see children and adults walking down the street towards the club house in their Halloween costumes. Cool! Gina got us a hat each. We wore those hats and joined the crowd going to the clubhouse.

The scene at the clubhouse was amazing! People really made the effort to dress up for the occasion and I was very impressed by some of the costumes they wore. There were games, but we did not participate, preferring to sit down and enjoy the food while snapping away photographs of the children.

What I like best about the evening was the trick or treating. We went to almost 20 houses (or more) in the neighborhood for trick or treating and I tell you, Nizzar was very thrilled with all the sweets and candies that he collected. At one point, he even whispered to me, "Nizzar tak suka rumah Nizzar. Nizzar suka rumah Aunty Gina!"

Oh yeah! Now my boy is thinking that going to Aunty Gina's house means candies all night long!

Some owners really went all out to decorate their houses with Halloween paraphernalia. Some even converted their front porch into a haunted house. Spooky! I was having so much fun until I lost my voice!

It was such a joy seeing all the children running around from house to house that night, shouting “Trick or Treat…!!!” and receiving sweet treats in return. People there were really friendly. Though we didn't know anyone besides Alya and Haris (Gina's kids), the neighbourhood made us feel welcomed and that's what made it more special.

I told Gina after that to just buy a house there. No need to look elsewhere...

As dusk sets in, we made our way through the dark alley looking for treats. It was quite windy and drizzling slightly, so it left quite an eery feeling. Just perfect for the occasion and I loved it!

The trick or treating ended at 8.15pm. By that time, my little boy was already too tired and demanded that I carry him home. Hee.. hee... never mind... Mummy had fun too, Nizzar, and I don't mind carrying you though you are now much too heavy for my size. I piggy-backed him in the end.

After dinner at Gina's house, we left for home. I wanted to stay and watch "Drag Me To Hell" which Gina had purchased for the occasion. Unfortunately, my husband told me some people were coming to the house and so I had to go home. Well, we've had enough fun for the night, thus going home didn't seem like a bad option after all.

Thank you Gina for inviting us and I sure look forward to next year's Halloween at your place again!!

Enjoy the photos!

Me and my brood

Haris and his scary mask. I thought it was so cool..

Walking towards the Clubhouse. Notice the little Red Ranger on the right.

I love the hat! Thanks Gina!

The party has just started when we arrived

The lady giving instructions to the children

Mdm Tai Tai and a friend. Nabila eating chicken wing which was yummy!

Luke Skywalker

A lady and her fork

Red Indian lady

I like this boy's cool head gear

This one takes the cake. He told me it was his mum's idea.

The scary pumpkin

Halloween cupcakes

Red Ranger enjoying his food

These two girls look so adorable in their outfits

Arrgghhh!! I'm gonna eat you!!

Witches and vampires

Boo!!

Freddy Kruger

Nabila and the scary orange balloon

Mdm Tai Tai and her candies to give away

Trick or treat!! Kids who came around to Gina's house

Walking in the neighbourhood looking for treats..

We bumped into Harris and his friends..

Harris & friends

This guy waited for us at one of the houses we went to

The alleyway

Nizzar and his botol air

Happy!!

More houses to go..

This boy's parents were very smart in thinking of this.

Another interesting house we visited

Nizzar's treasures

Sweets and candies to last weeks..

A Wedding Story

2009-10-20T22:51:00.008+08:00

My BIL has finally ended his bachelorhood days when he uttered the lafaz akad nikah to his beloved wife two weeks ago. This was followed by a wedding reception on the bride's side the very next day, and last Friday was the reception on our side. Tiring, but fun.

And that explains my long silence.

The newly weds after akad nikah

My husband was the chief coordinator for his youngest brother's wedding. I played a supporting role. Organizing a wedding of this size is no joke but with the help of many relatives and friends, I think we did pretty well.

Personally, I think weddings are over-rated. The planning took months, the money spent was exorbitant, and for what? Just for show. I've been to so many weddings before this, from the one where the Agong was the guest of honour to the one which had the whole ballroom transformed into a secret garden from the Middle East. Very extravagant indeed...

But at the end of the day, as the guests took their leave, it would be just another wedding. Perhaps, it's the bride and groom who would cherish all the pomp of their wedding day. But do they? Or is it the parents?

Long before I got married, I'd never dream of a big wedding. All I wanted was a simple nikah and right after that, I'd getaway with my new husband to our honeymoon destination. That's it. But I must be joking, right? My mother would disown me if I did that! So, I agreed to a small reception at home in Ipoh, but even then, no merenjis what-so-ever. Although it was just a small wedding, we are still happily married to this very day. So who's to complain?

Bottomline is, no matter how big or small your wedding is, you must do it according to your own means. Ukur baju dibadan sendiri, kata orang. Kalau disebabkan nak buat majlis yang besar2an kita kena berhutang sana sini, baiklah tak payah. Orang datang, dah makan pulang. Kadang2 tak sempat pun jumpa pengantin. Yang kita ni, lepas tu nak menanggung membayar hutang. Buat apa? Baiklah duit tu digunakan untuk keperluan selepas kawin.

That's my take on it lah...

But, if you had the financial means, by all means, buat lah se-grand mana yang dikehendaki. Panggil lah Permaisuri Agong sekali pun, who cares (but still, I don't believe in inviting a royalty to your wedding because it should be kept as a family event. Unless you pun memang kerabat di raja, lain lah cerita). Tapi kalau tak ada, buatlah secara sederhana sahaja. Jangan nanti, rumah dah siap, pahat pun berbunyi. Enough said.

Anyway, back to my BIL's wedding.

My dear friends, SW and her husband, had agreed to become the MC for the evening. I think, that made the event somewhat special for me. They did a very good job, very cool and composed, despite the lack of practice. Both looked resplendant in blue and I believe after this, they would receive many offers to become the MC for important events.

Usually, all weddings on MrNordin's side of the family would be MC-eed by this lady who has always held that position for as long as I can remember. But for Yem's wedding, we were determined to make a difference and that's when Shila and Jab came into the picture. I've never seen them doing an MC job before, but I had a feeling they could do the job. So when I SMS Shila while she was still on holiday in Japan and she said Yes!, I was elated.

And true to my expectation, they did a very good job indeed. Even Yem complimented them by saying, "They are cool, huh?" So there you are, Shila! Next time boleh charge! Thanks again to you and Jab. It was lovely!

Bab2 yang lain tu, biasalah...

My MIL is happy that her youngest son has finally settled down. My new SIL is now staying at my MIL's house. Hee... hee... I wish her all the best! As I hugged her and said, "Welcome to the family!", deep inside I wished she would be strong and not easily affected by what's coming.

Perhaps she won't have it so bad, but even if she did, I'm determined to help her in anyway that I could coz that's what a SIL is for, right?

Enjoy the pictures!

MrNordin the Chief Coordinator

Shila and Jab

With Shila and Gina

The MCs at work

The Pelamin

With FIL, in dark blue

Pengantin Tua No. 1

Pengantin Tua No. 2 (hee.. hee...)

Red Raya

2009-09-24T00:04:00.010+08:00

I just got home from a 13-hour journey KL-Sg Petani-KL to send Nadira back to college. It was tiring.

Sg Petani-Ipoh took us 4 hours when usually, 2 hours would do. Sorry Lyana, I didn't get to call you or singgah rumah coz we were in a hurry to get home.

And I'm nursing a runny nose. Bad combo...

Anyway, raya was good. We wore red this time. I made KG's carrot cake for raya morning and my MIL was pretty impressed.

Just sharing some photos. Will write more when I'm in a better frame of mind. In the the mean time, enjoy your open houses and be merry.

Selamat Hari Raya from MrsNordin and family!

Boleh masuk URTV tak?

Mont Blanc vs Kilometrico

2009-09-17T11:09:00.005+08:00

It was 1 am and I was just coming out of the bathroom when I saw my husband sitting on the floor, rummaging through piles of papers and stuff from the drawer of our dressing table.

"You buat apa tu yang?"

"I’m looking for my pen."

He has been searching for it since last week but he can’t seem to find it.

"Alah… give up je lah the search. You’ve already bought two new pens recently, kan?"

Every fasting month, my husband would have a penchant for collecting something new. Last year it was kain pelikat. Kemana pergi cari kain pelikat. This year, it’s pens.

He would go out with his office colleagues during lunch break (if he was not sleeping) and visit some old stores like P.Lal or G.S Gill to browse for unusual stuff. That day, he brought home this pen which he just bought from P.Lal for RM300.

The next day, another pen from I-don’t-know-what store for RMx00 “It’s transparent, yang!”, he said excitedly.

Over the weekend, he bought another pen. This time, it was a fountain pen with a proper ink in a bottle. Then as we sat down for coffee, he started reminiscing about his younger years when he first learnt to use a fountain pen.

Remember that time? I remember I was in Std 4 when my teacher taught me cursive handwriting using a fountain pen. It was hard at first, must write very slowly because all the alphabets must be connected to one another. But once I got the hang of it, I loved it.

It’s really nice, actually. I especially like the part when I had to refill the ink. Dip, squeeze, let go – voila! But one must be careful not to dabble in it too much coz otherwise, you’ll get blue marks all over your fingers!

Unfortunately these days, I notice schools do not teach cursive handwriting anymore. Nadim told me there is no such thing in his school, he never learn cursive handwriting. No wonder his handwriting is still sebijik2 even though he’s now in Form 3!

I think, my husband managed to find one of his lost pens last night coz he seemed happy this morning. Already last night I overheard him talking to his buddy at work, “So esok lunch time, apa project kita? Nak cari pen lagi ke?”

At first, I couldn’t understand his fascination with pens. To me, a pen is just a pen. I wouldn’t pay more than RM5 for a pen, which I use for taking down notes, mostly. But as for my husband, his signature is very important, hence he must have a very good pen to sign with.

It’s a status symbol too, I guess. Having a good quality pen tucked inside the pocket of his shirt exudes superiority and class. Just like what handbags do.

Compare a Prada and non-branded handbag. See the difference? You feel like you’re walking on air if you’re carrying an original Prada on your shoulder than if you’re carrying one with no brand name.

For a non-fussy person like me, any pen will do. As long as I can sign my name, the pen has served its purpose. But for my husband, he may have his reasons when choosing his precious pens.

Last time, I used to roll my eyes whenever my husband brought home an expensive pen. But now, I'm thinking, if that's what he likes, let it be.

What can I say.... he's a Mont Blanc man while I’m just a Kilometrico girl.

Biskut Arab

2009-09-14T10:32:00.006+08:00

My experiment with kuih raya is getting better by the day. I’m surprised they are actually not that difficult to make. Just a little patience, that’s all it takes.

So far, I’ve made 4 types of biscuits: Cornflakes, Samperit, Rock Bun and Biskut Arab/Suji. The last one was my latest invention. Why? Because MrNordin told me he likes Biskut Arab, the kind that melt in the mouth.

I was at KLCC last Friday with Madam Tai Tai and we saw this stall selling very pretty multi-colored Biskut Arab. Harga dia: RM35 for 50 pieces. Mak datuk! Mahal nya! Tapi sebab cantik punya pasal and for the love of my husband, I bought it anyway hoping that it would turn out to be nice.

Sampai rumah, after berbuka, we popped one in our mouths and believe it or not, tak berapa sedap. Terlalu banyak tepung. Rupanya cantik lah, tapi rasanya ada kurang sikit.

I was a bit upset. I honestly thought it would taste good given the price that I paid for it. So, I made another resolution, just like my Rock Run, to try baking my own Biskut Arab.

The recipe I used is this:

230g tepung gandum (goreng dulu & leave it to cool)
175g minyak sapi (cair kan & leave to cool)
175g gula halus
50g tepung suji

(source: internet)

Surprise! Surprise! They turned out to be pretty nice. “Sedap! Macam ni lah rasa dia, yang!”, exclaimed my husband.

And he was promoting it to my MIL when we visited them on Saturday night. Buat malu saja… bukannya elok sangat! My MIL took one piece (I was very nervous to know what she thought of it!) and as she munched away, she slowly gave me that approval nod and I was thrilled! Yeay!! She liked it! “Macam nilah… cuba2 …”, she said. Hee.. hee…

(but after that, she whispered to me, “Ada yang tak betul pada kuih tu tadi…”. Hmmm… memang tak pernah dapat perfect score!)

Anyway, I think dah cukup lah kuih raya I tahun ni. Maybe I’ll just make a little bit more to bring home to my parents in Ipoh.

For now, I’m quite happy to see stacks of my home-made kuih raya nicely arranged on the kitchen table. Kuih yang beli-beli tu dah tak tengok dah!

And the smiling faces of my family members as they eat away my home-baked cookies make all the trouble worthwhile…

Kuih Raya MrsN

2009-09-03T13:13:00.004+08:00

Hari Sabtu yang lepas, I went to visit a friend. I wanted her to take me to the shop where she had her sofas reupholstered. Unfortunately, the shop does not take any more order because they are fully booked. After raya nanti baru boleh buat. Hmmm… nampaknya tahun ini, raya pakai kerusi buruk tu jugak lah. This is what happened when we procrastinate.

Anyway, after going to the shop, I dropped by at her house coz she wanted to show me her kuih raya which she has just attempted to bake after so many years. Usually, like me, she’d just buy them from the shops or order from the bakers. This year, she said, she wanted to make them herself because it’s so easy and cheaper that way. Plus she has a new maid who actually sells kuih raya.

So apa lagi… she went to shop, bought the stuff and started baking. Over the weekend, she managed to make a good 5-6 type of biskut raya and they looked pretty neat to me.

“BJ, engkau buat lah sendiri. Senang saja..” , said my friend.

I was a bit skeptical at first because I have never tried making my own kuih raya. Dulu-dulu, masa kecik, adalah tolong mak buat kuih raya. Itu pun setakat potong buah cherry, terap adunan dengan acuan, or susun kuih dalam balang. Buat sendiri the whole thing from scratch memang tak pernah.

Tapi memandangkan my friend ni yang beriya2 kata senang, senang, I pun terus teruja untuk mencuba. She gave me the recipes of some of the kuih which she has tried plus some of the basic ingredients like tepung kastad, badam kisar and a block of butter. So, I really had no reason not to try it, lah kan?

I went home and started thinking of what biscuits to make. In my mind, I only had 2: Biskut Cornflakes and Samperit because these are the biscuits that I like best. Kalau beli, satu balang can cost me RM27-35 (depending on where I buy it from) itu pun tak tentu sedap. Kalau buat sendiri, lebih murah:

Butter - RM3.50, Tepung - RM3.60, Gula – RM 1.50.

Vanilla essence, cornflakes, apa ke benda lagi tu memang dah sedia ada kat rumah, tak payah beli lagi. So, you see? Tak sampai RM10 je costnya and you can make a lot more than satu balang. With that, I was convinced.

I first tried the Cornflakes because I didn’t have the acuan samperit at that time. First batch, tak menjadi. Rasa ada, tapi rupa dia tak berapa menarik. It was flat and a tad too sweet.

So I tried it the second time. Ok sikit ~ rupa ada, tapi rasa ada kurang sikit sebab terlupa taruh susu tepung (konon dah terror tak payah tengok resipi!). But overall, I think they were quite nice (for my standard lah). Kata orang, tak malu lah kalau nak hantar rumah mak mertua! And every time after berbuka, MrNordin & Nadim will take a bite or two, and I’m quite happy to see that they like it.

On Monday, we went to hunt for the acuan samperit at Chow Kit. Why there? Because I wanted to buy yang tembaga punya, like the one my mother had. I went down to look for it, my husband and the rest of my family members waited in the car, amidst the jam. Tapi mana ada jual lagi acuan tembaga sekarang ni… jenuh bertanya, semua kata tak ada. In the end, I bought the plastic ones because my husband was already screaming at me on the phone to come back to the car. Oh well… men! They just don’t understand the concept of look, see and feel before buying anything, do they?

With those things in my possession, I could start making my biskut samperit. But the recipe? I had 3 different versions, tak tahu mana satu nak pilih. Ada yang pakai tepung gandum and cornstarch, ada yang pakai tepung kastad saja and ada yang pakai a combination of all three tepungs. Hai… pening! Pilih punya pilih, I chose the one with tepung gandum and cornstarch because this recipe uses condensed milk.

Tak jadi…. KERAS!!! Campak kat dinding pun tak pecah! Biskut samperit is supposed to be soft and melt in the mouth, right? Not hard like biskut Tai Thong!

I tak puas hati! So a day after that I tried it again, this time using the tepung kastad version. Amazingly, that turned out very well. Just the right texture and taste. My maid kata, “Sedap… macam nilah baru ada rasa samperit!”. Lega….

Having completed two types of kuih raya (after two failed attempts), I realized that I’m not cut to be a baker, like some of my friends who can actually make money out of it. Baru dua jenis kuih, dah tak larat. Macamana lah agaknya orang yang buat beratus-ratus biji kuih tu untuk dijual di hari raya? Yang jenis duduk depan oven dari lepas sahur sampai nak berbuka, buat kuih punya pasal. Hee… amazing! But I suppose, if you know there’s money in it, you’ll do it anyhow.

As of now, tepung ada banyak lagi kat rumah, butter pun ada lagi. So, I think I’m going to make some more this weekend.

My husband told me his favourite biskut raya is “Rock Bun” but not many people make it anymore. So semalam I dah try lah, tapi err… tak berapa menjadi jugak. I think the texture was not quite right. The recipe I used stated “Beat butter and sugar”, but I think the correct way to do it is to use teknik “Gaul & Ramas”. I remember this because Rock Bun was the first biscuit I made in my SRT class! So tak apa, I shall try it again and surprise my husband when he comes back from JB tomorrow.

Cheers everyone and selamat mencuba! If I can do it, so can you!!

Notes di Bulan Ramadhan (1)

2009-08-26T11:23:00.003+08:00

Bulan puasa datang lagi. Seperti biasa, hari kedua I dah terlajak sahur. Hee.. hee..! Nasib baik MrNordin tak pegi Johor this week. Kalau tidak, Nadim kena bersahur sorang2 with the maid. I haven’t changed, have I?

Nadira came home for a short break last weekend. It was good to see her again. She seemed to be having a good time there in Sg Petani ~ good friends, good food, good vibes, and we are just so happy that she’s enjoying herself. So on the first day of berbuka puasa, I had everyone in my family at the dining table. It was such a nice feeling...

On the second day, we broke our fast at a Thai restaurant in Pavillion with S and her family (S was MrsN#1 good friend). Third day berbuka at home and yesterday, we berbuka outside again (I felt like having a burger for berbuka, that’s why...)

Have you noticed how much hotels are charging customers for their Ramadhan buffet? It’s exorbitant! Even a 3-star hotel like Dorsett is charging RM75++. Most 5-star hotels are charging RM99++. The most expensive, I think, is Shangri-La @ RM128. Crazy! How much can you eat anyway during berbuka?

These days, the most I’d eat is just rice and one of two lauk for berbuka. Itupun dah kenyang. To eat something worth RM128 must be ridiculous. Ok, if you just go for the oysters, Japanese and all those expensive food stuff, maybe it’s worth it. But still, how much can you eat during fasting month?

If I brought my whole family that comprises 6 adults and 1 child to Shang for berbuka, the bill would probably cost me RM900 ! That’s a lot of money!

I haven’t been to any of the hotels Ramadhan buffet in a long time. The last time, I think, was about 4 years ago when Concorde was still charging RM55++ for the buffet. Now it’s RM82++.

Berbuka at home is so much nicer eventho’ it’s just a simple one or two lauk. Once in a while when we feel like having something different, we’ll pick a restaurant proper where we know the food is good and just order a-la-carte. It’s better that way. At least we don’t have to scramble for food with so many people.

Even at the Bazaar Ramadhan, harga makanan... masyaallah... punyalah mahal! The other day, Nadim bought 2 small tubs of caramel and it cost him RM1.25 each. RM1.25 each, people! And it’s not even nice. I would only pay 30 sen for it.

We all should boycott lah all these expensive stalls and eating places. Pakai main taruk saja harga! Kalau sedap, tak apa. Ini....... ?

I rest my case.

When It Rains...

2009-08-17T12:46:00.001+08:00

In the last three weeks, I’ve been a constant visitor to the hospitals.

First, it was my mother who had to undergo a retina re-attachment on 27th July. She was complaining of poor vision on her left eye and was having difficulty focusing that her doctor in Ipoh advised her to see a specialist in UH. Upon examination, my mother was diagnosed as having “retinal detachment”, it was serious and should be corrected as soon as possible.

So the next day, she was admitted into the hospital and was immediately operated on. The surgeon had to make an incision into her left eye and insert a small gas bubble to put the retina back in place. Was it painful? Oh dear… it must be! My mother was crying and was holding tight to our hands (me & my brothers) the moment she woke up from the anesthetic. I couldn’t bear to see her in pain like that.

It took her two weeks of “face down” after the operation to make sure that the retina is properly engaged in its position. Alhamdulillah, she’s ok now and only need to visit the doctor one last time this Friday. She could see clearly now and doesn’t need to use her glasses anymore!

One week after that, my husband pulak was admitted into the hospital. It started with a tooth ache on the night my mother was admitted into UH. That night, he complained of a severe pain on his lower left molar and went to see his dentist the next day. He was given a filling but the pain didn’t subside.

The next day, he drove down to JB for work. Since the pain was still there, he went to see another dentist in JB, who took out the filling to release the pressure and prescribed him with antibiotics and pain killer. He said he felt much better, but it was still painful.

On Friday, he came back to KL and reached home at 1 am. At 5 am, he woke me up and asked me to send him to the hospital because he couldn’t stand the pain anymore. His face was swollen and so was the part underneath his tongue. I’ve never seen him in such a situation before!

Upon reaching the hospital, the MO on duty advised him to see his dentist as he couldn’t do anything about it. At 10am, we went to see his dentist at Gleneagles who immediately admit him because she feared the swelling might block his windpipe. He was quickly put under drip and that began the episode of my husband’s 7-day stay at the hospital.

He was operated on Monday, 3rd August. The dental surgeon had to remove the abscess first to stop the swelling. One cut underneath his tongue and another one just under his chin. The one underneath his chin was left open with a rubber tube attached to it to allow the abscess to drain out after the surgery.

Kesian dia.. tak boleh makan apa. Cuma minum air for two days. Everyday I stayed with him at the hospital. He was released on Friday, 7 August and was given MC for a week. Gigi yang sakit tu had not been treated yet at that point of time.

Last Thursday, we went to see a root canal specialist (recommended by his dentist) to see if the tooth could be saved. Upon x-rays and what not, he said the tooth could not be saved because there was a crack evident. It had to be extracted, no choice.

And so my husband was admitted again last Saturday. The extraction had to be done under GA because the surgeon said it was going to be painful. Plus he had to suture the old wound, both inside and outside the mouth. Poor guy… had to go under GA again for the second time in two weeks!

The operation went well but my husband said, it was more painful than the first one. Nak buat macamana, yang…. Sabar je lah.

For someone who loves eating good food, my husband finds this a real challenge for him. I feel sorry for him when I saw him eating just soup and barley water instead of a good piece of steak that he loves so much. Tho’ he managed to cheat a little to satisfy his craving, it was not the same, he said.

The doctor said tak payah pantang apa, he can eat anything he wants but slowly. So yesterday, he had nasi lemak for breakfast and when my MIL heard about this, she gave me a long lecture on why I shouldn’t give him nasi lemak!

Lessons learnt:

1) Always go for your dental check up, don’t skip or wait until sakit baru nak pegi
2) Always have spare cash for emergencies like this, or make sure you’re covered by insurance.
3) Be very patient. Dealing with a sick husband is not an easy job. Dia nak lebih manja sikit.
4) Dealing with your MIL when your husband is sick is even trickier. Always take a back seat whenever she’s around. Never show that you are a better nurse than her.

Before I end this note, I just want to say that my cat, Austin, was also hospitalized on the same day my husband was first admitted at the hospital, for swelling on his face due to a cat fight. Muka dia sekarang dah berjahit sana sini!

And my SIL (my youngest brother’s wife) has just been admitted to the hospital this morning coz she’s expecting a baby anytime soon.

When it rains, it really pour, huh?

Dinner with K.Teh & MA

2009-08-10T11:44:00.003+08:00

I’ve been away from blog-land for a long, long time. Ada banyak nak cerita, tak tahu mana satu nak start.

Last week, MrNordin was hospitalized for 7 days! The longest ever anyone close to me was admitted to the hospital. Why? He had a swollen face as a result of a tooth ache. The surgeon had to do a slight incision on his lower jaw and underneath his tongue to drain out the abcess. That must be a painful procedure! He was put under GA and was knocked out for a good 5 hours! Kesian my baby…After the operation, he couldn’t eat anything solid for 2 days, only barley water and soup.

I stayed with him at the hospital for 4 nights. The traveling from home to the hospital and office really took a toll on me. Letihlah lari sana lari sini! Jaga orang sakit ni bukannya senang. I wonder how my mother does it. Every time my dad or brother was admitted to the hospital, she would insist on staying with them, day in day out. No matter how hard I try to tell her to just go home and rest, she would politely refuse saying that, “Kalau mak balik nanti, kalau apa2 jadi pada ayah, siapa nak tolong?” “Alah, nurse kan ada mak? “Ish, nurse tu bukannya nak layan kita sangat..” That’s her rationale. So I would just leave her there even though I know it must be tiring for her.

Anyway, he’s resting at home now. The doctor gave him another one-week MC. This is a rare opportunity coz he’s hardly at home more than 3 days in a row! I shall cherish this moment!

Dalam suami sakit2 tu, sempat juga I berjumpa some of my new blogger friends. Initially, I was invited to K.Puteri’s dinner do at Lake Club last Monday but I couldn’t make it coz my husband was in the hospital. I was a bit disappointed but I was thinking, well… perhaps the timing was just not right. Maybe next time.

But as luck would have it, I received a call from K.Teh on Thursday evening, asking me if I could join her for dinner organized by MA on Friday night. Since MrNordin was going to be discharged that Friday afternoon and the location was just so near my house, I immediately said yes! I wouldn’t miss a chance to meet K.Teh!

So I arrived at KDE just after 8pm. MA was already waiting at the dinner table with her 3 children. I have met MA before, at the same venue, but with another person (Nek Rock). Shortly after that, K.Teh arrived with her niece, Anedra. “So, this is the famous Kak Teh!”, was my first words to her. Again, I had the same feeling ~ it felt like we’ve been friends for a long time. She is a very sweet lady and very bubbly. Now I know why she is so popular!

Conversation took off as if we’ve just met yesterday. Diselang seli dengan gelak ketawa dan cerita2 yang menggeli kan hati, I had a good time. As I sat there in the company of MA and K.Teh, I reminisced about those early days when I used to read their blogs silently every day.

I like to read MA’s blog because she is so sensible in her thinking and approach to life. What she writes make a lot of sense to me and I enjoy reading about the trials and tribulations of her life and her impromptu trips with her 3 children. Sometimes I shed a few tears and sometimes I’d be laughing out loud reading her postings, but I never left any comment. Segan lah, she’s such a high-profile blogger! Until after I started my own blog, then only I was brave enough to leave a comment and was I glad to find out that she’s actually a nice person.

One day she e-mailed me and said she spotted MrNordin as the pasar! Hee.. hee… then I realised that she must have noticed my blog too. We exchanged a few short e-mails after that about children’s tuition etc, but we only met when Nek Rock came back from the USA for a holiday. It was a short meeting but my first impression of her at that time was, “She’s a no nonsense kind of woman!” Indeed, she still is.

But after meeting her the second time around, I noticed something else about her. She’s very kind and cares a lot for her friends and family members. She made sure our meals were ok, that we’ve had our coffees and that we were having a good time in her company. At one point, her youngest son was feeling somewhat tired listening to us crooning to the oldies in the karaoke room, she decided to send him home first and re-join us later. She took the trouble to do all that for us and I was very grateful.

And K.Teh, everybody knows who K.Teh is. I was introduced to her blog the same way I was at MA’s. I enjoy reading her stories in London and her love affairs with her cats. Her pining for her mother would make me cry, but her stories of yesteryears would never fail to make me smile.

What I find so fascinating about K.Teh is her ability to remain cool, calm and collected in all her comments and postings. And she will reply ALL your comments although she has 50 or more people commenting on her blog! She appeared to me as a very thoughtful person and full of compassion. Every time I see K.Teh leaving a comment on my blog, I’d be smiling the whole day coz she made me feel special.

So that night as I sat there with these two wonderful ladies, I couldn’t help feeling special. There I was having dinner with K.Teh and MA, the two bloggers who I admire most from the very beginning, and it just felt so unreal.

Thinking of the days when I was just their silent readers, I couldn’t help feeling lucky for I can now call them my friends. ..

Alleycats

2009-07-30T10:09:00.005+08:00

This past few days have been really hectic. Work, house, etc...

I have so many deadlines to meet starting tomorrow. I'm taking it easy but I think I should be able to finish on time.

The plumber is at my house restoring the bathroom in the guest room (paip pecah!). It has been two weeks already and they are still not done yet. I'm getting quite pissed. This morning I told the guy to finish it all up today, by hook or by crook. I can't stand the mess anymore and I want to do up the guest room properly. I hope when I go home today, I'll have a brand new bathroom downstairs.

My mum had an eye operation on Monday at UH (I never knew UH ada Specialist Centre). It was quite a major operation as she had a retina detachment. Alhamdulillah.. it was successful. She's recovering now but as part of the post-operation, she has to keep her head down for 10 days. Head down, 10 days. In between, bolehlah break for 10 minutes, but that's all. This is to keep the retina in place. She finds it quite hard to do that at first, but I think now, she's managing it quite well.

Anyway, let's not talk about serious stuff. I don't want to worry too much for now.

Last Saturday, we attended a kenduri tahlil for MrNordin’s late uncle. It has been 100 days already… how time flies. I was so tired from the running around during the day that we decided to leave as quickly as possible. Plus the heat… oh my God, it was so hot that Saturday night!

But on the way back, we decided to stop by for coffee. I wanted some place cold, with full blast air-condition. Then I remember Royale Chulan, a new hotel in town, where I attended the company’s management meet recently. It’s a nice posh hotel, but what I remember mostly is the air-cond. It’s very cold! So I said to my husband, let’s go there!

The hotel lobby was quite empty when we arrived, maybe because it was still early (10pm) plus the fact it is a new hotel. We scouted for places to sit down when we saw, right at the end of the lobby, there was this notice saying, “Alleycats playing tonight.”

What? Alleycats? We could hear drums beating from inside the club and when we enquired, true indeed, Alleycats was performing that night. However, the gentleman at the door nicely informed us that, “Datuk David tak ada tonight. He’s performing at the PM’s house.”

Oh well… it doesn’t really matter, does it? We were looking for coffee. “Do you serve coffee here?”, I asked. “Sure we do”, he said. So ok, we’re in then.

I’m not really a big fan of Alleycats but I like their songs. And I know they are a good band, so I used to follow their gigs when they were playing at Uncle Chili’s PJ Hilton and Blue’s Café at Lot 10, di suatu masa dahulu.

That night, we sat at the bar listening to Alleycats while sipping our lattes. Even without David and Loga, they are still great. The new guy who sang that night was pretty awesome himself. Just like the Strollers, the band members are really cool dudes!

Their repertoire includes songs from the 70’s and 80’s, something which will not fail to make you smile when you hear the familiar tunes. Some people were dancing, I refrained myself from doing so because I was clad in a baju kurung (I was from a kenduri, remember?)

A "Datin" was celebrating her birthday that night. It was so nice to see her and her group of friends & family dancing on the dance floor without any cares for this world. That’s how it should be..

We stayed for two sets and was about to leave when I saw David Arumugam walking in! He just came back from the PM’s house where he entertained the "birthday boy” along with Shah Rukh Khan and Rani Mukherji who were especially flown in from India (they did a dance routine, I was told).

How could I leave when David was there, right? So I we decided to order another round of drinks and stayed on for the last set.

It was worth the wait. He sang several of Alleycats’ greatest hits including “Sekuntum Mawar Merah”, “Senyumlah Kuala Lumpur” and “Andainya Aku Pergi Dulu”. His voice is still the same after all this years. Just like in the record!

Btw, he said “Hi” to me as I passed by. Hee.. hee… cheap thrill!

Anyway, I had a lovely evening. So impromptu like that, with my husband, and I like it.

So, if you were looking for a nice place to chill with good music and good coffee, head to the Heritage Club at The Royale Chulan. Alleycats play there every night from 10pm onwards, Mon-Sat. You won’t regret it!

Cheers!

The Dinner

2009-07-24T12:11:00.005+08:00

I had a nice birthday treat last night from MrNordin. He took me to Mandarin Oriental for dinner.

We dined at the Pacifica. We used to frequent this place before, masa zaman2 sebelum Nizzar, but after the baby, we just stopped going because the place is not particularly child-friendly. It's more conducive for business meetings or intimate dinners.

Plus the meals are a bit pricey. For special occasions like this, ok lah. Tapi kalau nak bawa satu gerabak keretapi, alamat botaklah kepala husband I which is already so botak!

Pacifica used to be a fusion restaurant before, specializing in Japanese and Italian fine cuisines. But it has recently been transformed into a stylish seafood restaurant with an intimate setting, carrying a price tag of RM110 for a small meal of cod fish and couscous! I thought it was exorbitant!

But as the night carried on, I realised we were not only paying for the meal, but also for the ambience and great service.

As you go down the steps that lead you to the restaurant, you’ll find yourself surrounded by sphere-like fish bowls and floor-to-ceiling glass windows, which make you feel as if you’re dining under the sea. The tables and chairs have that Moorish influence and are set on sheer, curtained alcoves ~ very exclusive and trendy.

The staff made the dining experience more worthwhile. Ever so courteous, they adressed you by your name: "Would you like some more water, Mr Nordin?" "How's the food, Mr Nordin?" "Are you done, Mr Nordin?"

And there were a lot of “extras” like complimentary entrees from the chef, yummy chocolate pralines to savour with coffee, and surprise! Surprise! A complimentary baguette, nicely packed in a crisp paper bag to bring home for tomorrow’s breakfast! I thought that was a very nice gesture!

The food was delicious (it had to be!). We both had the fish. I had cod, MrNordin had the halibut. There were having this truffle promotion, but we didn't order any of those because it was very expensive.

We stayed on until quite late, talking about the kids, work and us. By the time the bill arrived, it was almost midnight and we were the only ones left ! Always like that when you’re having fun, right?

Before we took our leave, I asked my husband, "What's the damage?" I was feeling quite worried if the bill had cost him a bomb. With a smile, he answered, “No matter what amount it was, having you here with me is worth much more than that...."

Hee.. hee... and I melted !!!

Another Birthday

2009-07-23T08:41:00.003+08:00

My husband asked me last night, “How do you feel about turning 41?”

I said, “Contented.”

That's just how I feel about life right now...

Weekend Update

2009-07-20T11:59:00.003+08:00

The first weekend without the girls was quiet. We spent Saturday morning having breakfast in front of the TV, watching AFC while sipping coffee. That is something which we haven’t done in a long, long time!

Usually, Saturday morning will be filled with activities starting from breakfast at one of the mamak restaurants and marketing at the pasar tani. The pasar tani will keep us occupied the whole morning. We never have breakfast at home on Saturdays, so last Saturday was a nice change. It was bread and cheese instead of roti canai and kari.

In the afternoon, I went out to Ampang Point with MrNordin to buy some stuff. We left the boys at home, so it was a relief to be able to browse the shops without having to chase after the little boy, who loves to tag along whenever we go out. He screamed, of course, when he saw us leaving without him, but we left anyway.

We spoke & texted Nadira a couple of times during the weekend. She seemed to be having fun. Her meals have been mostly consisted of Indian food ~ vegetarian, briyani and such, which she loves to eat. Malay food tak banyak, she said, but adalah ulam and sambal.

When I was there, I saw two Chinese stalls selling chicken rice and noodles. The chicken rice was not bad. But my only complain is, the dining hall ada banyak lalat! I don’t understand why. At Nabila’s matrics college in Gopeng dulu pun ada banyak lalat at the cafeteria. It was difficult to eat because you have to compete for space with the flies!

I just hope the students won’t get sick or food poisoning. There must be a rubbish dump or factories nearby. At the hostel tak ada pulak, only at the dining area. Does anyone know why?

Back at home, the two boys have been quarrelling with each other because they only have each other to fight with now. That day, they were fighting over which toys belonged to who.

“Ini baby punya!”

“Ini abang punya!”

“Alah Nadim…..!! Ini baby punya!”

“No!!! Ini abang punya!!!”

Nadim was trying to salvage his headless monsters whereas Nizzar was trying to rescue his limbless Ultramen. I think this is going to be a common feature from now on.

Very early this morning, MrNordin has left for JB. So there’s just 4 of us at home now ~ me, the maid and the two boys. It’s gonna be pretty lonely tonite but I’ll see what I can do to beat the boredom.

Have a nice day!

Snippets of SP

2009-07-16T15:45:00.003+08:00

For some strange reasons, I miss Sg. Petani. Is it because of the warm people or is it because of its serenity? Is it because of the good food or is it because of the picturesque beauty? Or is it because I miss that girl with the curly hair and sweet smile?

Late yesterday evening, Nadira waved us goodbye from the door of her new flat at AIMST. She looked happy and I was glad she has finally settled down at the new place.

I was doing pretty well when I left her at the door, but the moment I walked away, right on the 3rd floor of the 5-storey apartment, I broke down and cry. My husband held me in his arms and told me not to cry. He held my hand tightly as we walked down to the car.

Tears were streaming down my cheeks uncontrollably as I thought of the good times we've had together, laughing and doing many silly things at home. Ahh… goodbye is such a hard thing to do! I’m never good at it.

So goodbye Nadira, you shall be missed by everyone at home. Take care of yourself and here’s hoping you’ll have the best of times with your new friends and place. Kalau makan banana leaf rice, ingat we all kat sini, ok?

Cheers!

Goodbye Michael

2009-07-07T11:11:00.004+08:00

I just finished watching another set of Michael Jackson's music videos. Since the day he passed away, people in my house have been glued to the TV watching him dance and sing, every day. Even Nizzar has taken a liking for Thriller and Beat It, and can imitate some of the more famous moves.

The more I watch his videos, the more fascinated I become of this extraordinary human being that is known worldwide as the King of Pop. Indeed, the title belonged to him and him alone.

What is so amazing about MJ is that he is such a great performer and a fantastic dancer. I can watch his videos again and again and yet, I won't get tired of it. I can still watch Billie Jean tomorrow and still find something new that will captivate my attention and I'll get hooked. How many artists have that same effect on us?

None.

I enjoy watching Madonna too, be it her music videos or concerts, but the effect is not the same. For one, Madonna cannot sing. She is a good performer, no doubt, but her moves are nothing compared to MJ's. Plus, she's full of controversy. It's either you love her or you hate her.

But with MJ, it's different. It's just pure dancing and good music. This guy can really dance! And he's amazing! Put aside his fascination for weird stuff like altering his face or naming his youngest child "Blanket", I think he's a brilliant performer.

I think when you are so famous, something's gotta give. You can't have the best of both worlds. Just like Diana, Elvis and Marilyn Monroe... they were famous and were adored by millions around the world and yet they were not happy. Ironically, they all died a sudden death, just like MJ. And that is so sad.

For those who have nothing good to say about him, just save your comment to yourselves. Let him rest in peace. Calling him a "low life" and a "pervert" after his passing is uncouth especially from a politician who is running for the US Senate.

I also read in the weekend newspaper a small article written by a local wartawan hiburan. She said, she doesn't understand why people are so crazy over MJ. To her, he is not that great because if you stripped down all the props and equipment used in his music videos and concerts, he is nothing. She's all for "good singing talent" because to her, if you are a good singer, "menyanyi di padang pun sedap..."

How shallow is her thinking. Malas nak komen.

Today mark the day when the world makes its final send-off to MJ. He will be buried at Forest Lawn, California followed by a memorial service at Staples Centre thereafter.

Despite what people say, he will be remembered for his music and talent that have touched many hearts over the last four decades.

Thank you for the music, Michael. I love you.

Update

2009-06-30T18:55:00.004+08:00

Nadira – has decided that she wants to go to AIMST. After much soul-searching, fact finding, site visits and haggling with JPA, she decided AIMST is the best for her.

We visited the campus last Sunday, I must say it is very grand ! New buildings, modern facilities… we were very impressed. No doubt it is far from KL, but it’s a nice place to study.

I think she’ll like it there. Sg. Petani is not that bad either. Quite nice, have several decent shopping complexes. The only concern her father has is she may come back speaking English with an Indian accent. I think, she may get herself an Indian boyfriend.

The registration date is 15th July 2009. I will miss her, definitely...

Nabila – is at home, finishing the last few days of her semester holidays. She did quite well in her last exams, qualifying her on the Dean’s List.

I’m not bragging but I think she has done pretty well in college. So unlike her primary/secondary school years when she was quite happy just being an average student.

These days, I could see that she worries over her exams or course work whereas previously, she really couldn’t be bothered. I’m happy with the changes she’s made and I hope she’ll stay that way.

Nadim – baru lepas kena marah pasal Report Card. Don’t want to go into details but he has promised to change. PMR is in October. I hope it’s not too late to do a crash course for all the 8 subjects.

Nizzar – went for his first movie outing last Thursday night. We went to watch Transformers. The older kids loved it but I think it was a bit overblown.

I couldn't concentrate much either because I was busy watching over the little boy who managed to befriend a girl and was happily playing catch right infront of the movie screen.

Even in the dark he could spot a girl, what can I say about that...?

Cheers!

Photo: Courtesy of Nabila's FB

Then and Now...

2009-06-24T11:24:00.006+08:00

A friend uploaded an old photo from our university days in his FB…

Look at me! I look so young!

International Night (UKC, UK 1989)

I must have been 21 when this photo was taken. My face still look very tight and the skin.... oh my, still very firm.

Now, 20 years on, I can see that I've aged. Muka dah nampak tua... badan dah makin mengembang... no longer "bergetah" as before.

L to R: Friend, SIL, Friend, me (at BIL's engagement Jun'09)

Sigh... I'm depressed. How do I get back my youth?

Airport

2009-06-22T19:14:00.004+08:00

I'm writing from KLIA. No, I'm not going anywhere. Just waiting for MrNordin to arrive from JB.

I haven't been here in a while. The last time was in March last year, I think.

Instead of picking him up from KL Sentral as I usually did, I decided to drive to KLIA from work just now. Using the new Maju Expressway, it shouldn't take that long to reach here.

True enough, it wasn't that long. I took a slow drive, enjoying the beautiful scenery along the way with Phil Collins crooning on the radio. I passed by places which I never knew existed. As the sun was coming down, it was indeed a beautiful feeling.

Why do airports make us feel that way? As I approached the huge billboads nearing KLIA, that feeling of excitement suddenly came rushing in.

Seeing all those cars dropping off passengers at the "Balai Perlepasan" made me wished it was me who were travelling tonight. Seeing all those happy faces as they greeted their loved ones who were waiting for them at the "Balai Ketibaan" made me wished it was me who just came back from a holiday.

Unfortunately I'm not, and I have to be contented with just waiting here at Burger King for my husband to arrive. With their RM10 prepaid internet card and a cup of black coffee, I'm quite contented indeed.

Ok, he has called and is here already. Ciao!

Hagemaru

2009-06-17T15:33:00.004+08:00

We have blocked Ceria TV program on Astro. My little boy has been picking up "bad" words from Hagemaru.

Nizzar loves to watch TV programs on Ceria and his favourites are "Geng Bas Sekolah", "Tom Tom Bak" and "Hagemaru". Sometimes ada Ultraman, he watches that too.

Of late, I've been hearing him say strange words like "Berjaya!", "Ba*g**g!", "B*d*h!" which is so uncalled for. Every time he said these words, sure kena marah by either me or his siblings. I was wondering where he got to know these words, rupa2 dari si Hagemaru.

Last night, I was watching Hagemaru with him. I've never actually watched the whole thing in one sitting. Actually, kelakar jugak cerita tu. No wonder anak2 K. Ezza suka tengok cerita ni. I mengekek2 ketawa! It's quite ba*g**g, actually... tapi funny! Hee.. hee... (see the kind of things I have to watch these days?)

Anyway, since I want my boy to pick up English as well, I've asked the older kids to block Ceria until further notice. Now he can only watch the English programs like Mickey Mouse, Pocoyo and such. He used to love watching these cartoons before, but after he discovered Ceria, terus tak nak tengok Disney Channel.

But now he likes "Power Puff Girls" pulak! Alamak... Nizzar... you're a boy lah!

One more thing, he also likes to watch "Indah" on Astro Awani (or Oasis, I'm not sure). This one I know is from my maid. That boy can even sing the song by heart! "Malam ini...... ku sendiri..." If he was happy, he'd be singing this song in full version. No joke!

To distract him from all these "non-educational" TV programs, I'm teaching him a new song:

"Papa ku pulang dari kota.... Papa ku belikan kereta....."

Hee.. hee... he loves the "Pon! Pon! Pon!" bit!

He drives me crazy

2009-06-16T17:16:00.004+08:00

I have a problem. My little Ultraman always want to buy something new whenever we go out to the shops.

Since he can now form sentences, he has been pestering me to go to the shop every day and buy something for him.

Mummy, jom pegi Speedy!

Mummy, jom pegi kedai!

Mummy, nak pegi situ!

Mummy, nak pegi sini!

And he knows what to get at each place we visited. If at GE Mall, he'd run to Speedy without anyone's help and pick-up an Ultraman toy. If at the mamak shop near our house, he'd hover near the toy area. If we passed by Ampang Point, he'd say, "Baby nak pegi sana. Nak beli Ultraman!" Nampak KLCC, nak pegi KLCC because he knows there's a toy shop there!

Aiyoo... pening!

When I told him, "Mummy tak ada duit!", he would answer, "Ada!"and he'd korek the coin box in my car or my purse for loose change. "Haa... ni duit ada!". 10 sen. Tak boleh beli apa, Nizzar.

His definition of "duit" is just the loose coins. He still doesn't know that the red and blue paper notes are also money. Thank God for that!

Now, I try to avoid all possible areas yang ada jual Ultraman. But it's hard because even Petronas stations pun sekarang dah ada jual Ultraman!

What should I do? How should I handle this situation?

I cannot reason with him because he still don't undertand reasoning. I can trade the Ultraman for something else, but later, he'd ask for it again and again, tak berhenti2 sampai I naik rimas and in the end, I'd buy the thing to make him keep quiet.

I can't possibly be doing this everytime he pulls a stunt like that. How should I make him stop? Alternatively, how should I stop giving in to his requests? He's driving me crazy!

The Engagement

2009-06-11T18:10:00.000+08:00

Let's side track from my daughter's predicament to something more enlightening ~ my BIL's engagement. It went well. Alhamdulillah...

We left KL very early on Saturday so we could reach Seremban in time. Unfortunately, due to an accident involving 4 cars just after the Seremban rest area, we had to endure a longer than expected traffic jam on the road. A good 45 minutes from there to Seremban! Sheesh!

But the kids while the time away by watching 80's music video which MrNordin had just bought from JB. I didn't bring Nizzar because he was not well. Infact, MrNordin and I were not feeling that great either that Saturday morning ~ all 3 of us had caught the flu bug. But kenalah gagah kan badan... takkan tak pegi pulak?

The engagement ceremony was held at Spanish Villa, a condo dwelling somewhere in Seremban. The girl's parents rented the common hall there to accommodate the big crowd. From their side, there were about 100 people, and from our side, there were about 50, or more. I didn't count, but there were 12 cars in the rombongan meminang. So there were many.

My husband was the spoke person from our side. This is the second time he became a juru cakap. The first time was during a cousin's akad nikah in Mukah, Sarawak. Just goes to show he's becoming more "mature"...

He did well, was quite nervous at first but after while, he was ok. The jurucakap from the girl's side was her Pak Lang, an old timer and a very seasoned speaker. He started off with a pantun, so my husband dah mengelabah!

Nasib baik we all dah prepare some pantuns the night before, but they were meant for the penutup majlis. Alah... pantun "Dua tiga kucing berlari.." and "Kalau ada jarum yang patah..." je, mana tahu pantun-pantun yang lain. So hentam je lah! Hee.. hee.. berpeluh jugak husband I!

But it all went well in the end. Akad nikah will be held on 3rd October, after raya.

My BIL is now a happy man. Soon he will become a married man. Should we congratulate him or offer him condolences?

Hee.. hee.. just kidding! Enjoy the photos!

The happy man

Waiting to go inside

Walking up the stairs

My husband, the jurucakap

Pak Lang in pink coloured baju

My MIL and her soon-to-be new besan (on right)

Sarung cincin

Part of our rombongan

The happy man's fiancee

Hantaran dari perempuan

Hantaran dari lelaki

Mr & Mrs Nordin

Dua orang pengangkat dulang hantaran

The Visit

2009-06-10T14:40:00.006+08:00

We went to JPA this morning to make inquiry. It's true, she will be sent to AIMST. I asked the officer in-charged if the keputusan is "muktamad" and she answered me with a firm "Yes".

So, no chance to appeal to go overseas. She said even if we got it, it'll be Russia or Indonesia. I think, in that case, better study here.

From what I gathered, my daughter didn't get the overseas scholarship because of our income bracket. According to them, students are assessed based on 4 criterias: 1) exam results, 2) co-curicular activities, 3) interview session, and 4) family background.

The first 2,000 students who met the criteria would be sent overseas whereas the next 2,000 would be sent to study at a local private institution. For Nadira, I think she scored highly for the first 3 but the fourth one pulled down her overall rating. Hence, she's given a place to study locally.

Besides AIMST, there are 3 other places where JPA send their students locally: Sunway College (Monash Univ), Sedaya College (in Subang) and Cyberjaya. We're going to appeal for Sunway/Monash. At least it's closer to home. But the officer said chances are slim coz a lot of people are appealing. We'll give it a try anyway. Kalau ada rezeki, dapat. If not, my daughter is quite resigned to the fact that she has to do her Medical degree in Kedah.

Although we are not delighted, we looked at it positively:

1) At least she got the scholarship. Out of 100,000 applicants, only 4,000 were given scholarships. We should be grateful for that. Nak finance sendiri, tak mampu. And she doesn't want to do any other courses.

2) Upon many inquiries (sampai peninglah malam tadi), my daughter said AIMST is not that bad. The lecturers are mostly from India and the level of teaching is quite good. I guess, this is just like studying Medicine in India, only done here in Kedah.

3) Her objective is to complete her Medical degree as soon as possible. After that, she plans to specialize and for this, she could go overseas. Masih ada peluang ke luar negara.

My husband and I are quite relieved that she is quite firm in her decision. And she wants to give is a try. Kalau dia yang jenis mati2 nak pegi overseas jugak, susahlah we all.

When she asked me just now, "Are you ok with me studying locally?" It just broke my heart. I wish we could send her to the UK to give her a chance to experience life in a foreign country but our hands are tight.

We have to admit that times are hard and it's very competitive for students to do Medic in good countries like UK or Ireland. Those who got the overseas scholarships must be well-deserving and we are not challenging JPA's decision.

Perhaps, like what some of you said, there's a blessing in disguise. Perhaps there's a silver lining somewhere... I don't know.

But I know for a fact that wherever she goes, she will do well. I only hope she'll be happy with the new living environment and she won't be too depressed to study.

So, what we're going to do now is appeal for Sunway/Monash. And this weekend, we are going to Kedah to check out AIMST!

Alright!

(subject to my husband's willingness to drive up North at the end of school holiday)

AIMST Kedah

2009-06-09T14:14:00.003+08:00

Nadira has been offered to do Foundation Study at AIMST University in Kedah. What the h*** is this place? Does anyone know or have any inkling at all about this university?

From what I read in their website, it's a 1-year foundation course after which, the student will continue doing a 5-year Medical degree at the university. How credible is this university in churning doctors?

I have no clue...

Err... it looks like my daughter does not get the JPA scholarship to study abroad. They are only sponsoring her to do local.

I'm a little disappointed. We are looking at other options.

Jalan-Jalan di Masjid India

2009-06-04T16:01:00.002+08:00

My brother in law is getting engaged this Saturday. No, not to that girl who I tried to match make him with, but to another girl. She's very young, barely 25, I think. And my BIL is 35 this year.

I've met her twice, both times with her family. She's nothing like my BIL's ex-GF who was very stylish and classy. This one is very simple. I think my BIL won't have much problems with her. So is my MIL.

This girl pakai tudung, so that's a plus point for her in the eyes of my MIL. Now my SIL and I are under pressure to wear the tudung!

Anyway, for the engagement, the hantaran will comprise 9 dulang from the girl's side and 7 dulang from the boy's. On our side, 7 men have been selected to become the pengangkat dulang hantaran, including Nadim. My BIL wanted something different for his engagement, hence, let the men carry the dulang hantaran.

During our mesyuarat tergempar last Monday, it was decided that the pengangkat dulang hantaran shall wear red. Since my dear boy tak ada baju melayu warna merah, I had to go and buy one for him.

So just now during lunch time, we all went to Wisma Yakin to look for the baju. Me, Nadim, Nadira and Nizzar. I asked Pak Cik Mat to drop them off at my office since I'm working today and so off we went to Jalan Masjid India.

Best jugak pegi Jln Masjid India at this time of day. It was not too crowded, so we didn't have to bergasak2 dengan orang ramai. We went to the first shop, saw one nice red one, Nadim tried it on, it fitted him well and we took it. Then I saw another nice red baju melayu for the little one and I bought it for Nizzar. It cost me only RM147 for both. So cheap!

So it looks like this year, the theme colour for our baju raya will be red. I shall now hunt for red kain/baju for the girls. Yeay! I love red!

Lepas shopping, we went to Insaf for briyani. Huuu... sedapnya! I used to frequent this place many years ago sampai mamak kedai tu dah kenal lah I. Every Saturday, after work, sure datang sini makan. The briyani rice is out of this world.... so is the mango juice. Yum! Yum!

I think, of all the nasi briyani in town, I like this one the best. My husband likes Bismillah's (at Jln Semarak), but I think Insaf's better. The rice at Insaf is so much tastier. It's simple, tak banyak spices, but the taste is all there.

After that hearty lunch, we went to Gulati's and Maya's to tengok2 and pegang2 kain. There were some lovely ones, but we didn't buy any. We need to take our time in choosing the kain, so I told Nadira, we'll come back again.

Oh well... I can't wait!

A Day at The Zoo

2009-06-02T14:04:00.004+08:00

I was on leave yesterday. It felt so nice waking up late in the morning and not having to rush out of the house by 7am to send Nadim to school. I just took my time, didn't have any plan for the day except for a 2-hour massage later to soothe my aching body.

I tossed and turned in bed while watching Mickey Mouse on TV with Nizzar. The little boy was very happy to see me next to him when he woke up. Finally got out of bed at 9.30am as I remembered I had to send Nadim to his Kelas Tambahan at 10.30 am.

So I hit the shower and was ready to go by 10am. I pooled everyone to come along so we could have breakfast together.

After a hearty breakfast of roti canai at Dharbar, I was thinking, "Apa nak buat ni?" I had about 1.5 hours to kill before I pick up Nadim from school at 12.30 pm. So I thought, "Let's go to the zoo nak?" It was so nearby anyway.

My maid was pretty excited but Nadira was a bit sceptical, "In this heat?" I told her I'm sure they have shades.

So off we went. Hee.. hee... me in my heels, Nizzar in his selipar jepun! So tak plan!

As it was still quite early, there were not many people around. We took the tram ~ didn't want to hurt my feet walking long distance, did I?

The little boy was pretty excited when he saw the elephants and giraffes. We saw one or two tigers, a bear, some monkeys, rhinos and hippos, zebras.. and that's about it. The tram driver told us the animals were mostly asleep as they just had their meals. Oh well... that explains the empty cages.

The last time I visited the zoo was in 1999, a good 10 years ago. Nothing much have changed since then, the animals' living conditions are still the same. Sometimes I feel sorry for the animals at our zoo. If you've visited the Singapore Zoo, I'm sure you know what I mean.

Considering the droves of people who visit the zoo especially during school holidays, I'm sure the authorities can do something about it. Make the place more lively, add more animals and attractions. The animals at our zoo looked so bored!

Nevertheless, the zoo is a great place for family outings. I only wish it is given a new life.

We didn't take any photos as we didn't bring our camera. But near the zoo entrance, there is a place where you can get your photos taken by a professional photographer for a fee. We did just that, and my husband was surprised with what he saw, "You all pegi zoo?!" He couldn't believe his eyes.

With a little pony

"Alla and ular" (as Nizzar says it)

Letting Go

2009-05-29T13:53:00.008+08:00

A cheerful 5-year old girl with bouncy golden curls was waiting with her mother at the check-out counter when she saw them: a circle of glistening white pearls in a pink foil box.

"Oh please, Mommy. Can I have them? Please, Mommy, please...?"

Quickly the mother checked the back of the little foil box and then looked back into the pleading blue eyes of her little girl's upturned face.

"One rand ninety-five, that's almost R2.00. If you really want them, I'll think of some extra chores for you and in no time you can save enough money to buy them for yourself. Your birthday's only a week away and you might get some money from Grandma."

As soon as Aysha got home, she emptied her penny bank and counted out 17 cents. After dinner, she did more than her share of chores and she went to the neighbor and asked Mrs. Kamaa if she could pick Dandelions for ten cents. On her birthday, Grandma did give her another rand and at last, she had enough money to buy the necklace.

Aysha loved her pearls. They made her feel dressed up and grown up. She wore them every where - Madrassa, kindergarten, even to bed. The only time she took them off was when she went swimming or had a bubble bath. Mother said if they got wet, they might turn her neck green.

Aysha had a very loving Daddy and every night when she was ready for bed, he would stop whatever he was doing and come upstairs to read her a story. One night, when he finished the story, he asked Aysha,

"Do you love me?"

"Oh yes, Daddy. You know that I love you."

Then give me your pearls."

"Oh, Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have Princess - the white horse from my collection. The one with the pink tail. Remember, Daddy? The one you gave me. She's my favourite!"

"That's okay, honey... Daddy loves you". And he brushed her cheek with a kiss.

About a week later, after the story time, Aysha's Daddy asked her again,

"Do you love me?"

"Daddy, you know I love you."

"Then give me your pearls."

”Oh Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have my baby doll. The brand new one I got for my birthday. She is so beautiful and you can have the yellow blanket that matches her sleeper."

"That's okay... sleep well little one. Daddy loves you."

And as always, he brushed her cheek with a gentle kiss.

A few nights later when her Daddy came in, Aysha was sitting on her bed with her legs crossed Indian-style. As he came close, he noticed her chin was trembling and one silent tear rolled down her cheek,

"What is it, Aysha? What's the matter?"

Aysha didn't say anything but lifted her little hand up to her Daddy.

When she opened it, there was her little pearl necklace. With a little quiver, she finally said,

"Here, Daddy... it's for you..."

With tears gathering in his own eyes, Aysha's kind Daddy reached out with one hand to take the cheap store necklace, and with the other hand he reached into his pocket and pulled out a blue velvet case with a strand of genuine pearls and gave them to Aysha. He had them all the time; he was just waiting for her to give up the cheap store stuff so he could give her the genuine treasure.

So as it is with Allah. Allah is waiting for us to give up the cheap things in our lives so that Allah can give us beautiful treasures. Are you holding onto things which Allah wants you to let go of? Are you holding on to harmful or unnecessary partners, relationships, habits and activities which you have come so attached to that it seems impossible to let go of?

Sometimes, it is so hard to see what is in the other hand, but do believe this one thing : Allah will never take away something without giving you something better to take its place.

~ The End ~

Nice story, isn't it? I believe, some of you might have read this story before.

It's so true... sometimes it's just so hard to let go of someone or something which have been a part of you for so long eventhough he/she doesn't serve any purpose anymore.

Take relationships, for example. I've been through this many times before but when people asked me, "Why is it so hard for you to let him go"? I just didn't have an answer.

Maybe it was habitual, a hard habit to break. Eventhough all he did was making my life miserable, I stayed on for fear that my life would be even more miserable if I had lost him. I failed to realise that if I had let him go, I'd be a better person. I'd be happier, I'd cry less, I'd have less stress, and perhaps I'd meet someone better.

But the act of letting go is no small task. Not everyone can do it. I, for one, could never muster the strength to let go of my man no matter how bad he'd treated me. I was afraid I could never meet someone new.

The period between separation and meeting someone new can be strenuous. The fear of being alone can force one person to stay on a bad relationship eventhough everybody else says "Go!"

I learnt the art of letting go from my husband, then my boyfriend. He was the one who told me to let go of my past before I can find true happiness.

We were having a quarrel at that time and he wrote me a very long e-mail. He said,

"Yati, you will never find happiness if you keep holding on to your past relationship and maintained a link with it, be it friendship or anything similar. One day you will hurt yourself and saddest of all of all, you will hurt your partner who has no connection with your relationship in the past. This time it was me who are at the receiving end... but it will be the same for the next guy and the next guy if you continue to play around with your past and the present.."

At that time, I never realised that by maintaining close link with my past would spoil my chances with my current partner. I never looked at it that way, anyway. So after that incident, I began to think. Is it true what he said? That I should completely detach myself from my past in order to find true love? That I shouldn't hang on to old boyfriends in my pursuit of happiness?

So I made a decision that night - my past had to go. It was a choice between him and and my ex. I chose him, and so my ex had to go.

Oh man, it was so hard to pick up the phone and tell him that I couldn't see him anymore. I was crying buckets because he had been a part of my life for so long. But I had to do it. I kept on saying, "I'd rather lose you than him."

So I did it. And after that, MrN and I became very good friends, then lovers and now husband and wife.

I'm happy I made that decision because it just lifted a whole burden off my shoulder. Something that has been hanging on to me for a so long and when it's finally gone, it was such a relief.

MrNordin was right when he said, "You can never find happiness if you hold on to your past". Be it old boyfriends, old grievances or old habits, just let them go. You'll be so much happier if you just do that.

Lessons in Love

2009-05-22T00:11:00.004+08:00

I’ve finished reading that Goldie Hawn book. Very inspiring.

For a big star that she is (or was), she is actually quite ordinary. She worries over the same things, she cares about the same things, and she aspires to be just like any of us, that is, to be a good mother.

The only difference I picked up from my reading is how she treats her relationship with Kurt Russell. They’ve been together since 1983 and yet, they never marry. And why is that? It’s because she doesn’t believe that a marriage certificate is the only thing that could keep two people together and happy. “Been there, done that” she quips.

Putting aside the moral issue of living together out of wedlock, I think she has some good points to ponder about relationships. She says, eventhough they are not married, it doesn’t mean she doesn’t have to work hard at the relationship. Infact, it makes her work harder.

“Everyday I wake up with the intention to be happy and the best that I can be. I try to make each day a new day. I try to remind myself each morning why I am in love. And when there are differences, I try to put myself in the other person’s shoes so I can feel what they are feeling, not just what I’m feeling. I try to look with four eyes instead of just my two”.

She also talks about keeping the flame burning, which I find quite fascinating. She says,

“I know it isn’t easy to keep the flame burning. People grow comfortable with each other, or they become creatures of habit. And they are always not in tune with their partners. Sometimes, when you have been in a relationship for a while, you get bogged down with a lot of negativity and dullness, and you get tired of dealing with all that stuff.

One trick when you’re feeling down about your relationship is to imagine life without the other. It is a very scary thing to ask yourself to do, because when you do it, you really get the sense of what your world looks like. Maybe you’ll like it better, in which case the relationship is probably over. But more often than not, you’ll see a huge void.”

Then she goes on to explain how to deal with the void:

“If you feel that void, if you feel sadness, then take out some pictures and remind yourself what you were once like. Laugh together at how young and stupid and how crazy you both were, or even how you looked. Photos are great triggers of memories and emotions. Ask yourself if you too have changed.”

Reading this particular chapter makes me come to my senses. Why am I angry all the time? Why am I always unhappy? I shouldn’t be too critical of my loved one. I shouldn’t try to make him what I want him to be. I should rejoice in our differences!

A philosopher Khalil Gibran once wrote about marriage, “Stand together, yet not too near together, for the pillars of the temple stand apart.” How very apt!

On that note, Ms Hawn has this to say about her man:

“There is nothing more unpleasant for me to see a man stripped of his power. I’ve watched it happen in my own home. It is far better to respect a man who has his own life, his own excitement, his own passion. Celebrate that in him, honour his variety and his power.

The next time you ask, “Why didn’t you call? Why were you late for dinner? Why didn’t you pick up the milk? Or continue to jab at what you view as his weaknesses, ask yourself, is this what you want to end up with? Is this your intention, to tame the beast? Is that the prize? The man who just says “Yes, dear” and falls asleep in the armchair every night?

Be careful what you wish for, because you might end up stripping away the vitality, the sexual energy of the man who you once thought as your knight in shining armor.”

Does that ring a bell?

A good read, try and grab a copy.

Was I Selfish?

2009-05-18T14:54:00.005+08:00

I'm not one who would jump at a sudden outburst of emotion from my loved ones, but last night was a different story.

We were lying in bed, pondering what to have for dinner when my husband received a phone call from his cousin & brother. They wanted to take him out for dinner ~ "a birthday treat", they said. Fine.

But a thought suddenly crossed my mind, "Why is it whenever they asked you out, they never include me? Why do they always ajak you alone?"

He kept quiet. "I don't know lah.. I suppose when they all ajak I, ajak you sekali lah kut. Nak pegi ke? Jom lah!" (macam tak ikhlas je..)

No, thank you.

"I don't really want to go, but wouldn't it be nice if they had asked, "Ajaklah Yati sekali..". Ini tak, it's always you alone. Kalau I yang ajak diaorang, I'd always include their spouses!"

At this point, my husband mula naik hangin.

"I don't know lah, B... I don't know why they don't ajak you sekali! Maybe I'll call them and ask them now!"

I kept quiet.

"No need", I said. "I'm just saying, it would be nice to be asked, not that I want to go anyway. They know I'm at home and it's only proper if they had asked!"

My husband tak puas hati.

"You're asking me an impossible question, something which I don't have an answer to. Why don't they ajak you? I don't know! It's the same thing like why your friends never ajak me when they want to go for coffee with you!"

I interjected, "No, I always include you when I go out with my friends..."

He said, "No, I was only included because you asked me to!" (then he slammed the door to the bathroom)

I didn't understand why he was so mad. I was just asking why they asked him out alone. Yeah, it was a birthday treat, fine. Tapi ajaklah the wife sekali, kan? Just for courtesy sake. Bukannya I nak pegi sangat pun!

The room suddenly felt very hot and I had to get out. So I quickly changed, took my car keys and drove out with Nizzar. Rasa nak nangis... He was still in the bathroom when I left.

When I got home, he has already left. I didn't know what time he got in. Even this morning, we didn't really speak to each other.

Tell me, was I wrong to ask him that question? Should I just shut up, gave him my sweetest smile and said, "Pegilah yang... have a good time...." when deep inside, I wished he would have spent the rest of the evening with me?

Ultraman Kindy! No joke!

2009-05-18T14:05:00.003+08:00

I received these two photos in my mailbox today.

I can't believe such place exists! A kindergarten with a huge Ultraman waiting for children at the main entrance... it's awesome!

If only I lived in Penang, my little Ultraman would surely go to this kindy!

(p/s Thanks, MHB for the photos! It was very thoughtful of you. Like I said, I'd surely make it a point to go to Penang soon to scout this place!!)

Update: Birthday Dinner

2009-05-15T10:30:00.015+08:00

We had a quiet dinner at home last night. Birthday boy's wish. Like last year, I came out with the idea, the others executed it.

The girls made a lovely pot of Moussaka, a specialty Greek dish. We had this at Porto Romano last weekend and thought, wouldn't it be nice if we could have this on Baba's birthday. So, we looked up the recipe and the girls volunteered to cook it.

They went to their Khala's (their mum's sister) place the day before to learn how to make the Mousaaka. K.Mahani is a wonderful cook. She makes excellent kambing kuzi and other aunthentic Middle Eastern dishes that we so love to eat whenever she invited us to her house.

The girls said it was quite easy to make. So, I went to the supermarket and get all the necessary ingredients. It turned out pretty well actually. Very delicious! To accompany the Moussaka, we had Greek salad with Feta cheese, tzatziki dip, tortillas and some garlic bread. In a way, it was very Greek.

MrNordin loved it. My little Ultraman loved it too! He especially liked the candle-lit setting. It was the first time we all had candlelight dinner at home. With soft music playing in the background, it beats any fancy restaurants in town!

Overall, it was a nice birthday dinner prepared by MrNordin's loved ones. The only slack was the cake. It was a tad too sweet and PINK in colour! Oh well... if you ever thought of buying Baskin' Robbins ice cream cake for a birthday party, don't get con by the sales girl who told you that their pink heart-shaped cake is their best seller. It's too sweet, and for the price, I think you can get better ones elsewhere.

Enjoy the photos!

Table setting for 7

Moussaka and Greek salad. Tortillas in the foreground

I gave him a coffee table book on Zheng He. Actually, he wants a pair of brown shoes.

MrNordin and family

No Tarzan & Jane after the party. My Tarzan slept much too early...

(photo snapped by Little Ultraman)

Selamat Hari Jadi...

2009-05-14T11:34:00.008+08:00

While I'm still doing my "thinking", here's announcing that today is MrNordin's birthday! (kalau dah suka menulis tu, memang gatal jugak tangan ni nak menaip, kan? hee.. hee)

MrNordin...MrNordin... what can I say about you today?

M - Metrosexual (he used to follow me for manicure & pedicure!)

R - Romantic (his words are like "sugar")

N - Notable (he stands out in a crowd)

O - Organized (very pantang kalau rumah tak kemas!)

R - Rational (Quite strict, but fair. Must reason with him)

D - Delightful (very pleasant to be with, a funny character, and charming too)

I - Insightful (looks deeper, never skim the surface)

N - Not Available! (he's mine, of course!)

Here's a picture when he was 10 years old.

Here's one when his cheeky mood strikes! (Raya 2006)

Dilemma

2009-05-13T17:39:00.003+08:00

I have become more and more hesitant to write these days. Not that I don’t have anything to write ~ I do! It’s just that I’m beginning to feel that my blog has defeated its purpose.

In blogsphere, your life is an open secret. Everyone is welcomed to read it unless you take it private. I don’t mind that, really… my stories are to be shared.

But recently, it has come to my attention that some unexpected readers have been frequenting my blog and it made me wonder whether some things which I don’t want some people to know will become public knowledge anyhow.

Nadim told me his classmates read my blog and they enjoyed it, it seemed. Then a couple of times, at private functions, I bumped into people whom I’ve never met before and they told me they love my blog. Some of my officemates from different departments read it too (I don’t know how they knew!) but I sure hope my boss doesn’t!

At first, I was quite thrilled. I like it when I hear people say, “You must be MrsNordin!” or “Hi, MrsNordin!”. Rasa macam celebrity pulak!

But after a while, it got me thinking, “Oopps… have I written anything that would offend anyone?” “Have I written anything that shouldn’t be known to this person or that person?” “Should I delete this posting?”

It’s not fun any more.

I'm still thinking how I should go about doing it. Until I find an answer to that, I won't post any new stories.

'Til then my friends... adios!

On Mother's Day

2009-05-12T10:52:00.008+08:00

Last Sunday, I was lying down on the sofa trying to get some sleep. The heat was really getting on to me. Plus, I had a headache after a late night out with my husband the night before.

I was half asleep when suddenly I felt a small hand nudging me to wake up. I opened my eyes and I saw my little Ultraman standing next to me with a pink envelope in his hand. His brother and sisters were all standing around him.

“Mummy, for Mummy..”, he said.

I was thrilled. I didn’t expect the kids to bother.

They gave me this card:

And inside it, was written this:

I love the card! It's totally cool!

Then each one of my children took turn to kiss me. “Happy Mother’s Day!”, they said.

I felt somewhat embarrassed because I was still in a daze. My hair was disheveled.

Then, the cutest thing happened...

I think, that little boy didn’t know what was going on, but seeing everyone kissing me, he must have thought it was a special day for Mummy. So, after everyone had done kissing me, he turned to me and ordered, “Mummy, baring!”.

Oh ok...

Then he held my face, looked me in the eyes, and gave me a peck on both cheeks. Aww... so sweet!

Then he ran to the kitchen. I was wondering what was he up to now. Then, he came back running to me with this:

“For Mummy!”, he said.

Hee.. hee… that’s Doraemon in the McDonald’s kids meal ~ a leftover from his birthday the week before.

Ha! Ha! I thought that was so cute!

Now, that is what you called, "It's the thought that counts!"

Happy Mother's Day everyone! Hope you've had a good one!

Nizzar's Doraemon for Mummy on Mother's Day

Goldie - A Lotus Grows in the Mud

2009-05-08T09:25:00.002+08:00

I'm reading this now. Very engaging. Hard to put down. Will tell the story once I'm done.

Nizzar's Ultraman Party!

2009-05-04T15:38:00.030+08:00

Last Saturday, MrsNordin and family organized a small birthday party for little Nizzar. He’s turning 3 tomorrow, but the long weekend made it more appropriate to do the party last Saturday.

What theme, you think? ULTRAMAN lah, of course!

The party almost did not happen because Nizzar’s mummy had exhausted all her energy in trying to find the exact items that she had wanted for the party. It was quite hard to find balloons and such in the shape of Ultraman due to the copyright control.

But I insisted on having those things. If not – No Party. I had almost given up when at the last minute, the owner of this one balloon shop told me that they do have Ultraman balloons. Yeay! Then I found another shop which had Ultraman blow ups and several other things which I could use for the party. Another Yeay!! So there was hope after all for an Ultraman Party!!

Once I found those things, then only I started the ball rolling. Everyone was pretty excited about it. MrNordin especially, which helped a great deal in thinking of the décor and guest list (and the financing, of course, but that one, we shared).

The children helped too. The girls prepared the music for the party ~ all the famous Ultraman songs in a thumbdrive. Marvellous! Nadim helped with the balloons and decor. The maid helped with the teh tarik.

I love it when everyone put in their effort and helped out whenever we do parties like these. It made me feel so happy to see all family members rallied round to make sure the party was a success. If it's not for them, the party wouldn't happen. So thanks, children!

We didn't cook any food for this one, but invited the rojak makan to come. So, the adults had cendol, rojak and mee goreng mamak prepared on the spot, whereas the children had McDonald's Kid's Meal. We had an ice cream man, too! He was on standby throughout the party, so you could just go to him and ask for an ice cream for free!

And the little boy? He was pretty excited at first, but after a while, he missed the attention from Mummy who was busy entertaining the guests. Poor guy… we found him playing alone in his room when everyone else was having a blast outside!

I think, my boy doesn’t like big crowds. He just wants all the attention to be focused on him, and him alone. Ahh…

But I picked him up later for the cake cutting. He got an Ultraman cake, and as for the presents, he got lots of Ultraman toys. Enough to keep him occupied for the next few weeks.

Actually, that little boy doesn’t really understand what the fuss was all about but he had a field day when the whole house and garden were surrounded by Ultraman paraphernalia. That's why when you asked him, “Who’s birthday is it, Nizzar?” He’d say, “Birthday Ultraman.”

Enjoy the photos!

Ultraman Blue greeted guests as they came in

He is as big as the birthday boy!

Ultraman Father (in white) and cool Ultraman masks for every child

The party venue

Bouncy castle and Ultraman balloons filled up the sky

Bouncy castle and Ultraman's tent

MrsNordin trying on the bouncy castle. Definitely not for 40 year olds, this one!

Children having fun bouncing around. MrsNordin dah terduduk!

Ultraman Kiddos (and adults)

It was quite hard to get all the kids to stay put for this photo shoot, but we managed to capture the moment somehow.

Happy Birthday, Nizzar

Ultra Nadir & Ultra Nizzar

A cousin

Another cousin

My friend Tina & her kids (I love this photo!)

The Ultraman Cake for Nizzar

Nizzar trying to pull out the Ultraman's head. Oh no!

Birthday boy and his Ultraman cake

Blowing the candle

Ultraman Mask

Ultraman Taro

Power Rangers

Another Baju Ultraman!!

MrNordin's ex-colleagues

The ice cream man on his motorbike. He was a hit!

The Party Planners

Boh... Rem... Han....

2009-04-23T17:14:00.005+08:00

Today, I read in the newspaper about a new Malay movie entitled “Bohsia, Jangan Pilih Jalan Hitam”.

Have we run out ideas for Malay movies?

This film is directed by Yusuf Haslam’s son, costing RM1.5 million. For that amount of money, he could have thought of a better storyline.

This film is about two bohsia who got involved with some bad guys, one of them a Mat Rempit. For those who don’t know what a bohsia is, it is actually a girl (usually under aged) who is willing to go to bed with a man just for a ride on his bike and a cup of tea the next day. These kind of girls are quite prevalent these days, and they usually come from broken homes.

And a Mat Rempit? He’s the guy with the motorbike. He participates in illegal street racing (at nights usually) involving under bone motorcycles or scooters. They are quite rampant on Saturday nights, infront of Dataran Merdeka, and the strange thing is, they are hardly nabbed by the policemen even though they are such pests.

Anyway, I’m not planning to discuss about the bohsia and Mat Rempit here.

What I’m trying to argue is, why Malay film producers are so fascinated with stories of Mat Rempit & bohsia in their films? We’ve had Rempit 1, Rempit 2, Ramp It, KL Menjerit, Impak Maksima and a few other titles yang sewaktu dengannya. Semua ni cerita pasal budak2 merempit tengah malam and their social activities.

I’ve not seen any of these films (except for KL Menjerit, itupun tak habis), so I can’t tell what the moral of the story that they are trying to portray. Even if there is one, I don’t think it is something that will leave a huge impact or lesson to the viewers.

Tak ada ke jalan cerita lain? Buatlah cerita macam Benjamin Button ke, Slumdog ke, some heavy drama ke… like in Hollywood. Give us some GOOD movies, barulah orang nak pegi panggung tengok wayang. Kalau setakat cerita Bohsia or Mat Rempit macam tu, I think beli VCD pun I tak mahu.

I’m not trying to put down our local film industry, but that’s a fact. Tell me how many good Malay movies that you have seen so far? I can count with jari sebelah tangan sahaja. Even Indon & Thai movies have better quality and storylines than ours, so don’t blame us when we choose to watch foreign films.

Sometimes I feel sorry for our local film industry. Macamana nak maju kalau buat cerita tajuk “Anu Dalam Botol”. What is that? Come on lah! Firstly, you know this kind of movies will not pass the censorship board. It’s very controversial. Why make it in the first place? You’re just wasting your money!

Secondly, can’t you think of a better theme/title? Buat lah cerita pasal keagamaan ke, pasal keluarga ke… Like that Slumdog story, it’s such a simple storyline but with great acting and strong plot, it managed to win several Oscars.

When we argue about this, people in the film industry complain that they don’t have enough budget, no support, tak dapat enough slot in the cinemas etc, etc. They blame the public viewers for preferring to watch foreign films than our own local films.

But hey, kalau cerita hampas macam tu, siapa nak pegi tengok? Siapa nak allow viewing lama2 at the cinemas? You come up with a good story, then only people will come in droves to watch your film.

My BIL said that new cerita hantu, “Jangan Tegur” is quite good. It’s scarier than Jangan Pandang Belakang (which I think is quite funny because hantu dia kelakar!). Perhaps I’ll just buy the DVD. Kalau tak best, I can just turn it off !

Air PaLang Pagi...

2009-04-22T19:43:00.005+08:00

This makes me smile, every time...

The Third One

2009-04-21T09:30:00.003+08:00

I received a call from my mother early this morning. An aunt just passed away.

That must be the third molar in my dream...

Al Fatihah.

Polygamy - does it work?

2009-04-17T08:55:00.019+08:00

I've not been writing for over a week. Reason being ~ I didn't know what to write. These past few weeks have been really taxing on us. Funerals, tahlils, work, children... Everything seemed to be coming on to us at the same time. And it's exhausting, really.

Everyday I wake up wishing that the day would end quickly. And that I would have an extra hour in the evening to play with Nizzar. Unfortunately, by the time I arrived home, I'll be so tired. But I forced myself to stay awake and amuse him for a while. If I couldn't do it for a whole day, the least I could do is spare him an hour of quality time everyday. That would make me feel good about myself.

My husband has been bogged down with work. I don't want to write much on that. Nabila is studying for her exams, which will start next week. Nadira is "doing nothing" at home while waiting for her offers to come in. Nadim is being a good school boy. Everything else remains the same at the home front.

Ohh... btw, my neighbour is now the new Home Affairs Minister. That's good news, isn't it? Tighter security in our neighbourhood! MrNordin sent him an SMS the other day congratulating him. He replied with a note of thanks, expressing his gratitude to us for being "so patient" all this while (you know, cars parked haphazardly infront of our house and so forth). Did I tell you he offered to buy over our house before? No thank you, that was my husband's answer. We're not selling.

Anyway, let's move on to something else.

I received quite a lot of comments on my last posting on Aunty A. All have mixed feelings about it. Still on the same subject, let's dwell on it a little bit more, shall we?

This issue on polygamy, is there a formula to make it work?

I have this theory that polygamy can only work if the 2nd marriage has the blessing from the 1st wife. I believe, if the 1st wife is willing (not by force, ok?) and she is well informed of her husband's intention to marry another one way before it actually happen, the second marriage could potentially work. If not, it is doomed. The husband will have difficulty to please both wives, and there's bound to be war, like my FIL.

I believe, if the 1st wife is aware and consented to the 2nd marriage (for whatever reason there is), the subsequent marriages will work out by itself. Take for example that guy in Terengganu who has four wives. We all saw his picture in the newspaper grinning from ear to ear with all his 4 wives, who all seemed very happy sharing this one lucky man. And why is that? I think it's because the other 3 wives have the blessing from the first wife.

My point is this. If the 1st wife agreed that her husband takes on another wife, she herself will make sure that the subsequent marriages will work out. She will control the game. You know how women are, right? If they liked the other woman, they'll treat them nicely. The same with "madus". If the 1st liked the other "madus", she'll treat them nice. The four will be like sisters in the whole matrimony with the 1st wife holding the key to their happiness, the husband included.

So, the 1st wife is the key to a successful polygamy. But men failed to see this fundamental point. The 1st wife is always the last to know.

I have a cousin who is the No. 2 in her marriage. She married her husband when she was very young, 17 years old I think. At that time, her husband was living next door to her mother's house. He was a married man, his wife lived with him, but they didn't have any children. I remember everytime I visited my aunty's house at that time, I always met up with this guy and his wife too. They were just like family. The next thing I knew, he got married to my cousin. We were all shocked, but my cousin and the related parties involved seemed undeterred by it all.

It's been more than 15 years now and my cousin is still married to the guy. She lived next door to the 1st wife and has two boys (twins). The 1st wife worked, but my cousin stays home. She looks after both houses and do the household chores while the 1st one is at work. They attend functions TOGETHER, both she and the 1st wife, along with the husband. My cousin seemed more like a sister to the 1st wife and they all seemed happy.

But there are not many women who are willing to share their husbands like my cousin's madu. I, for one, cannot. Not at this point of time. It takes great pain and sacrifice to allow the man whom you have loved and lived with since you got married to love and live with another woman.

I cringed at the thought of my husband kissing me tonight and yet tomorrow night, he'll be kissing another woman. I don't think I can tolerate that. So the best way for me, if this ever happened, is to go our separate ways. That way, it only hurt for a while, not forever.

But I suppose if you don't have a choice (eg. you don't have a job, anak ramai, have always been dependent on your husbands), then when your husband states his intention to marry another one, perhaps you'll relent. These kind of wives, kata orang, akan "dapat payung emas di syurga nanti". Wallahualam..

So, to all the men out there, if you have the slightest intention to take on a second wife, please be honest about it and tell your wife. At least give her the respect she so deserves for being your wife and mother to your children. Don't shun her away and marry off secretly in Thailand because this is not the conduct of a man with honour. If you tell her and she agreed, you'll be happy forever. If not, I would say, forget it!

And another thing, if you're seriously unhappy with the marriage, please talk to your wife. Tell her about it, not tell another woman. Talking to a third party about your marriage problem is not going to solve the problem, it'll only to make it worse.

Having said all that, is there any man out there who is willing to do as I said?

I doubt it.

Ultraman Tiga

2009-04-16T00:06:00.002+08:00

This is Nizzar's favourite music video. I like it too!

Can We Forgive and Forget?

2009-04-07T18:07:00.004+08:00

Aunty A’s death marked the end of my MIL’s nightmare.

For the past 35 years, she and my FIL have been fighting over Aunty A, a third party in their marriage. My MIL could never accept her presence. Even on her death bed, my MIL never forgave her for stealing her husband.

This is a story that has run in the family for many, many years. It’s a well known fact that my MIL and her “madu” were public enemies. Every week, there must be at least one quarrel over this and it’s usually on the day when my FIL went to Aunty A’s house to spend the night.

I don’t really know Aunty A. I’ve only met her twice before. But from what I gathered from MrNordin, she married my FIL when my MIL was pregnant with her third child, ie. my youngest BIL. The marriage was kept a secret and my MIL only found out about it after two years. That’s what made it hurt so bad.

My MIL was a very devoted wife. To her, her husband is everything. So when someone else came into the picture and claimed possession of her husband, she was shattered. And she was mad, for a very long time…

She had so much hatred for Aunty A. The very mention of her name would send her furious. But my FIL played his cards well. Both never met face to face and he treated both wives equally. Only thing was, either way, sure kena marah punya. Bila pegi rumah bini muda, isteri tua meradang; bila pegi rumah bini tua, isteri muda pulak merajuk. Macam lagu P.Ramlee.

Kesian my FIL..

Like that lah for 35 years. Even at 73 years old, my MIL still had the energy to fight with my FIL over Aunty A. I understand she was bitter and angry, but still angry after 35 years? I don't know...

When I met my MIL yesterday after the funeral, she seemed somewhat happy. My FIL was obviously devastated. My MIL didn’t go to the funeral tho’ I wished she had gone.

As I was sitting in the mosque waiting for the body to come out of the bath, I wished my MIL had come, even for a while, to sedekahkan Al-Fatihah. Let by gone be by gone, kata orang. She’s dead now anyway.

If she had gone to the mosque yesterday, she would be blessed. She would earn the respect from everyone for doing such a noble thing. In addition, she would make my FIL, her husband, a very happy man despite the difficult circumstances that he was in yesterday.

But she refused. My SIL talked to her on the phone and asked her to forgive Aunty A for whatever hurtful things that she had done. But her answer was, “As far as I’m concerned, she does not exist”. My husband offered her a ride if she had wanted to attend the funeral, but she declined saying that she wasn’t well. Keras betul hati dia!

But then again, perhaps it was her ego that stopped her from going yesterday. Who knows... perhaps deep down in her heart, she has already forgiven her? We'll never know.

Sigh… what a sad ending...

As I watched all her children and cucu crying as they kapankan her body, I couldn’t help thinking that there must something special about this woman. They seemed to love her very much. She must be a good mother and a loving opah.

Usually, little children wouldn’t understand death and would just carry on playing at a funeral. But during Aunty A’s funeral yesterday, it was the little children who cried the most. One grandchild sat at her feet while another sat near her head, weeping incessantly. It broke my heart to see them cry like that.

I think, during her lifetime, Aunty A loved children tremendously.

And it was her rezeki when during the sembahyang jenazah, there were so many children from the nearby sekolah agama who came and pray for her. The masjid was full to the brim with children, said my husband.

And her last resting place?

It was surrounded by children’s graves.

Oh my... such is God's greatness!

May her soul rest in peace, Amin...

The Dream

2009-04-06T09:19:00.005+08:00

On Monday last week, I dreamt I lost three teeth. Dua gigi geraham kecil dan satu gigi geraham besar, kesemua dibahagian bawah.

I was very disturbed by it because people say, kalau mimpi gigi tanggal, alamat ada saudara terdekat akan meninggal.

So I waited. Each day I prayed that I wouldn't hear of any death in my family. I was particularly worried for my husband who was in JB at that time. I was also worried for my parents. But thank God MrNordin came home safely on Tuesday night and my parents seemed ok the last time I spoke to them.

Just as the week was coming to an end, MrNordin's uncle passed away on Friday. He was my FIL's younger brother. I heard the news on my way home from work that rainy Friday evening. We were all shocked because Uncle Z seemed fine the last time I saw him a couple of weeks ago at someone's wedding. His wife also said there was no indication that he was "going" but I guess, his time was up and so he had to go.

I recalled the dream I had and told my husband about it. He just kept quiet, probably thinking about the same thing that I was thinking.

We went to the funeral and attended the tahlil for two consecutive nights. Tonight is supposed to the last night and I've planned to bring the kids along for tonight's tahlil.

Just when I was almost certain that Uncle Z's passing was what my dream was telling me about, we received a phone call from my brother in law early this morning telling us that my FIL's second wife has passed away at 3am.

Innalillah...

That was another shocker. MrNordin had met her at the mosque during Uncle Z's funeral on Saturday afternoon and she seemed fine. She had asked about me, he said, and kirim salam to me as they spoke, so the early morning news came as a total surprise to both of us.

As I sat there on the bed trying to make up what was happening, it suddenly dawned on me that this could be the two small molar that came off in in my dream. Uncle Z was the first and Aunty A was the second! I was scared stiff and told my husband, "B, there will be another one... There'll be another one!" He didn't say anything.

Oh God, please don't let me hear any more bad news. This is such a bad omen already and I'm terrified! In the dream, I could clearly remember the last molar that came off. It left a big cavity in my lower gum and it scares the heck out of me!

What does it mean now? Will there be another one? A closer relative perhaps?

I'm praying hard that no such thing will happen. Please pray for me too!