All About Monday

Have made plans for iftar at Giggsy’s place since last week.

Carefully planned my Monday and made sure that everything was done and settled before going off to a meeting at 3pm. When I got to my cubicle an hour later, there were a couple of documents that needed immediate attention and to make it worse, my boss want them completed before I leave the office.

Arghh!!

So I slaved till 6pm and emailed everything to him before practically running to the car park. The road was packed!

Oh no!! I won’t make it on time!!

Reached home before iftar – thank God, despite the bad traffic. As if knowing I won’t make it to the glorious party on time, the highway toll attendant handed 2 boxes of mineral water and dates. The kids were excited to see such fancy boxes and didn’t waste any time to gobble it all up. Thank God (again) that nobody choked!



So we quickly bathe and headed straight to KFC to buy the biggest value meal on the menu.

Reached Giggsy’s pad at 7.30pm and started the feast. We talked and talked and talked till it was late. Picked up the pineapple tarts I ordered from Reena’s aunt and headed home soon after. Kakak was pouting – refusing to leave her aunties. What can I say, my kids love the company of their aunties.

So.. that was Monday.

Oh, I received more picts from Deli.

Enjoying the weekend in Tokyo
We really missed him but looking at the picts made me missed him even more.

I had this unexplainable ache in me – the same feeling I had when he left me for his first overseas trip..

One Dull Weekend

So. Weekend wasn’t much fun without my favorite guy around.

Spent Saturday at home doing laundry and the sort. I am blessed with such great kids. They did their chores without much hesitance. Kakak didn’t even whine when asked to deal with her school shoes, like she normally would.

Adik was as helpful as always. He’s more attentive towards us these days. He’s such a darling.

Anyways, I was bored to the skull by 7pm. Called up VF and asked if she’s free to catch a movie with us. I wanted to see The Devil Wears Prada but would think the kids will fidget non-stop throughout the movie, so I booked tickets to see Zoom instead.

We left before 8pm and did a bit of window shopping. Spent some time in Times bookshop while waiting for the royal highness to make an appearance.

Movie started at 9ish and it wasn’t that interesting. I say so because kakak was bored at some point and started bombarding VF with questions like ‘did you drive to get here’ and ‘where’s your car’. Adik on the other hand, almost dozed off with popcorn still clutched in his hands.

To add more to it, some idiots decided to share their not-so-interesting life stories with the audience by conversing loudly. Not to mention, making and receiving calls with the same shrill voice. Annoying indeed!!

Sunday was no different.

Went to Carrefour for groceries. I wanted to dine at Chicken Rice Shop but it was full to the brim with people for iftar. Got tired of waiting, drove back to Setiawangsa and bought chicken rice from a mamak stall instead.

Had dinner (coz I was on mid-Ramadhan raya) and prepared the essentials for the coming week.

Dang. That was one boring weekend!

Epidemic

Was out of the office yesterday. Wasn’t feeling well. So did adik.

We sent kakak to school for her last day of final exam before heading to the clinic. Yes, you read right. Kakak sat for 3 days of final exam and yes, she is in kindergarten. I can’t even recall if I had to sit for any exams while I was in kindergarten. The price of being a kid in the new millennium.

My poor baby.

The clinic was quiet. Not that many people queuing to see the doctor.

Adik was not wheezing anymore so that’s a relief. On the other hand, my tonsils were not doing well. A bit of swelling but some home remedy of yummy ice-cream should do the trick. The best medicine you could ask for!

Headed to the workshop to send my car for service. We spent 2 hours in the workshop. Adik brought Tin Tin books with him while I had my eyes glued on Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. I can’t remember how many times I’ve read the book. It’s the only series that I am willing to read over and over.

We picked up kakak with the newly serviced car and since kakak was done with her final exams, she requested for a trip to the mall. So off we went, kakak still clad in her uniform and adik feeling all well and merry that very instant.

I wasn’t planning on getting anything but ended up with a spanking new watch! My watch went kaput a few weeks back but I have 2 other watches to rely on so I didn’t bother to get a new one.

My baby that went kaput on me

Somehow or rather, all of my watches were attacked by some sort of an outbreak and they all went dead 2 weeks ago. Still, I didn’t think I needed another watch that urgently so I borrowed kakak’s watch.

Kakak's Baby-G

As you can imagine, kakak Baby-G was a magnet for cruel criticism and endless kutukan from fellow colleagues.

One can only take so much of such behavior. *Excuses, excuses*

Acting on that ground, I surrendered to the evil desire to purchase a new baby.

My new baby

I love you baby, I love my watch yup, yup. I love my watch.

Ramadhan in Kisarazu

I know I have to write in here more frequently.

I always wanted to but every time, something came up and I forgot all about updating my blog.

Pathetic excuse, I know.

First thing first, Deli is in Japan. Again. He’ll be back 2 days before Raya itself. He didn't really complain about iftar and sahur in Kisarazu. Judging by the picts he sent me, he's doing okay.

Iftar at a local restaurant.


Some wierd looking food. Erkk!


I’ve spent a couple of nights being the only adult in the house and frankly, I wasn’t as paranoid as I was before. Maybe because it’s Ramadhan and at the very far corner of my mind, I have this theory that bad people tend to be less evil during the holy month. The devils are safely tucked way below the grounds and thieves and robbers doesn’t have much of the hasutan syaitan, so to speak.

Then again, I might be wrong.

The thing is, I like my theory better. Helps me to sleep better at night.

Apart from that, I am celebrating mid-Ramadhan Raya since last Sunday. That being the case, I didn’t have to rush home and cook. For the past few days, I just bought desserts and kuih to last me to dinner. Depending what the kids want to want to eat, I’ll whip something up just for the three of us.

By the way, Happy Birthday to two lovely ladies - Syeri & Ana.

Also to Bossy Boss who's celebrating his 30++ birthday yesterday.

Party On!

Mummy, i think i've had too much to drink!

Had a small party for the kids. We didn’t invite that many people because of time constrain. I didn’t plan to have the party until after Ramadhan but changed my mind at the last minute.

It was super fun for both kids and the parents, I would say. The party started at 2.30pm and ended at 9ish. It went pretty well though I couldn’t seem to recall why I didn’t take that many pictures. Hmm. oh wait, i was busy gossipping away with friends. Heheh.

Anyways, Deli and I were left to manage the aftermath. The kids went to bed pretty early that night. Once we’re done with the cleaning, I decided to spend 5 minutes to watch the telly before retiring to bed. So much for the 5 minutes – I ended up dozing off on the couch, clad in the same clothes I wore during the party. I was not alone - Deli was at the other end of the couch! We woke up around half an hour before Subuh and had our meal, all prepared to welcome the first day of Ramadhan.

So.. Selamat berpuasa to all muslims, wherever you are.

Jangan ponteng puasa ikut suka-suka hati. Ikut hati, nanti mati.

Happy 6th Birthday

Happy 6th birthday to my beautiful princess.

We all love you so very much!

Happy Birthday to Adik!

Happy 5th birthday to the little boy with a big heart.

We love you so very much!

Series of Events

Wow. I have abandon this blog for too long.

I couldn’t remember most of the things that happened in between. Below are some of the highlights. I’ll update more as and when teringat balik.


Picnic at Sungai Congkak
It was super fun! The trip started a tad bit later than planned but it was worth the wait. That was the first time my Monsters Inc. had ever set foot in a river. We rented a pondok and started grilling and eating almost immediately. The kids didn’t waste any time either. One minute they were shaking hands and greeting the aunts and uncles and the next minute they were all in the river!

Check out the pictures at http://serilangkat.textamerica.com

Audition for Macam-Macam Aznil
Kakak and Adik was called for an audition for the talk show Macam-Macam Aznil. We reached Astro around 2pm and they were both called in half an hour later. Parents were not allowed to watch the auditioning process so Deli and I waited for a good 20 minutes for the session to end.

Both of them were very excited and couldn’t wait to blurt every details on what went on in the audition. Looking at the turnout, we were not that hopeful. It’s just a nice experience and exposure for the kids.


Sprained Ankle
Kakak had a little mishap while rollerblading (roller blades - the ones with 4 wheels on a row) a few weeks back. Fell off and sprained her left ankle, to be exact. We brought her to see the GP an hour after the incident. No signs of broken bones or anything like that, thank God!

I have no problem with the kids wanting to try new things and I sometimes let them have a taste of consequences of their actions. I expect my kids to be independent. I want them to know that Deli and I are not gonna be there for them all the time. They have to learn what to expect and how to deal with it. This particular incident taught them that they need a packet of ice cubes to bring down the swelling.

One lesson down, a million more to go.

The swelling turned ugly by the next day and she had a slight fever so we brought her to Gleaneagles for a check. X-rays were clean, alhamdulillah. Her fever were nothing to worry about and the swelling should be gone in a week or two. The doctor paid a little compliment to my bandaging/dressing skill. Funny thing was, I have never ever involved in any balut-membalut process in my life. When you’re a mother, most of the times maternal instincts will lead you to the right path. Mothers out there, you know what I’m talking about.

Most important thing is to not panic and try to control the situation.

I’m saying this because my better half tends to perceive a minor cut as a reason for you to go to the A&E. I’m not trying to make you look bad honey but sometimes you scared the hell out of me. Hahaha.

Once, Adik accidentally had Kakak’s finger tersepit between the car doors. Deli called me, told me what happened and mentioned that the cut was quite bad. He was nervous, I could tell from his voice. I couldn’t drive like Schumacher so the only thing to do was to curse every traffic lights that turned red when I reached the junctions and imagined nothing but the worse for my little daughter.

When I finally get to see the aftermath, it was JUST a cut with some skin scraping and a bit of blood. She didn’t even need to go and see a doctor. Imagine my ‘surprise’. Hahah.

I am also telling this to myself and parents out there. We have to be calm and take control of the situation. Think of what need to be done and don’t ever, ever, ever scream at your child. Believe me, I have seen this happened.

I was just getting out of the car with Deli for our weekly pasar malam routine when a boy suddenly ran across the street (without stopping to check the traffic) and was hit by a car. The mother who happened to be at the other side of the road, walked over to the scene with no sense of urgency or whatsoever, and started screaming at her son for not checking the traffic before crossing the road.

True that it was the kid’s fault but at times like that, don’t you think the boy’s life is more important? She should at least check if he was okay. After all, he was hit by a car. Not a bicycle.

Anyways, back to Kakak and Deli.

Kakak cried as if her kaki patah but what do you expect? To her, that would be the most painful thing that she has ever experienced in her life. Deli was trying desperately to get the rollerblades off and being nervous didn’t help much with the process. I admit I was worried when I heard her cry. It was my daughter’s first accident – I was entitled to worry. Alhamdulillah, I managed to be clam and helped her with the rollerblades and with the will of God Almighty, remembered what to do to help her condition.

I bought a book called Emergency First Aid for Kids years ago and it was a great help. We can never be too careful when it comes to safety. Accidents can happen anytime to anyone. Which reminds me that I still have the smoke detector laying on the counter. I need to get Deli to install it soon.

We have never had any fire extinguisher in the house but the day we read how a family (siblings of 4, I think) was burnt in their house while sleeping, we immediately bought the extinguishers.

Sometimes we didn’t think any of these mishaps could happen to us. We forgot that accidents happen without warning. By then, most of the times, it would be too late to do anything and we will then live in regret for not paying attention to nitty-gritty stuff like having a fire extinguisher or a smoke detector in our homes. We always say those things are too expensive and we’ll buy them when we get our bonuses. How much would you pay to get back the lives you have lost?

Dang. This is not good. I’m babbling about safety in my blog!

Okie.

I’ll write again when I have the time. Have been extremely busy lately.

Happy Merdeka Day to all Malaysians!

Please be home soon!

Am really looking forward to this weekend.

Syam NB has planned for an outing on Saturday. The Dutchman and I will be joining him, of course. Syam NB’s wife will prepare breakfast while the Dutchman will prepare his ever so famous spinach pasta. Deli and I will have the barbeque stuff ready. This is gonna be fun! It’s been a while since I last bersuka ria at or even nearby a waterfall.

We’ll be going to Astro on Sunday. The kids were called to audition for Macam-macam Aznil program. Kakak is all excited about it while adik decided not to participate coz he’s too shy to be in the lime light. Very unlike kakak who’s all in to be famous. Hahah.

On a lighter note, Deli was off to Taiwan last Sunday and he’ll be back on Wednesday. As always, I had stacks of toy boxes and stuff behind the main and kitchen doors. Just in case, you know. I’ve been walking like a zombie to work these past few days. I’m a bit paranoid when it comes to being the only adult in the house when Deli’s off to work overseas. It’s even worse after the house was broken into last 2 months. I’d wake to even the slightest noise and as if there’s a built-in alarm clock, I’d wake every 2 hours to check on the kids and have a quick peek at the living room. I’d finally wake up tired and sleep deprived in the morning.

Adding to that, I had several meetings yesterday and I hope I didn’t offend anybody by the constant yawning. Hahahah.

Just received a text message from Deli saying that they have some problem with the things they do up there. Oh no!

Am crossing my fingers and everything that’s crossable, praying hard that God will help him in solving the problems so that he’ll be home on time!!

*silent prayers in progress*

I Stink!

Don’t you just hate the Toyota Yaris advertisement?

I don’t even know what they were singing about. To my ears, they were singing lagu alien dari planet yang tak masuk dalam sistem cakerawala.

Anyways, I’ve just got my car back from the workshop on Monday evening. It looked as good as new, I would say. The paint job was marvellous. It better be coz it cost Deli a BOMB for the whole thing!

Thank you honey. You’ll always be my sugar daddy. Hehehe.

Damn. I hate the way I smell right now and I’m not talking about BO!

I just got back from the canteen with my boss who smoked like a dragon along with a dozen of other people. Once I got to my cubicle, I realized that I smelt like a freakin dragon too! I hate the stench. Yuck. It’s giving me a throbbing headache. Argh!

I need to go to the pharmacy and get something to get rid of the smell.

This whole thing reminds me of an episode of the sitcom, Friends. The one where Rachael had to join her boss and colleagues on cigarette breaks for the sake of getting business tips, juicy news and gossips.

My situation is a bit different. My boss actually asked me to join him for minum-minum and talk about business. So I couldn’t say ‘no’. I don’t mind the smoking but I can’t stand the after-effect – the stench!

With my colleagues, I always told them (jokingly but meaning every word of it) that I’ll mati cepat from being a second hand smoker. Being the smart-asses that they were, they said the best defence is to play offence - be one of them!

Yeah, like that would happen!

Anyways, I’ll see what I can find in the pharmacy.

Other than that, I need to have a plan for the ICW Project that is falling apart with each passing day. I have to start it over, kick some butts so that they’ll actually do their work and put in drastic measures. I have 2 months to see this through and make sure the project go live as planned. Please help me God!

Sometimes I think I’m not really up for this job. The challenges are huge. It takes a lot of creative thinking and I need to play multiple roles at times. I’m not used to this just yet. I don’t have to get my hands dirty and produce any deliverable – which by the way, is very new to me. Most of the times, I find it hard to be in the current position which requires me to speak more than actually do something or get involved in the project like a real team member.

In the beginning I felt (a bit) useless coz I was not producing anything tangible. It annoyed me more when I had to wait for so long to get a simple info or when I have to kick so butts (so to speak) to get things done. Maybe I’m so used to a fast-paced environment and being in a place like I*G really mencabar kesabaran.

Oh well. I’m getting the hang of it, slowly that is. I know I can be good at this. I just need to practice more and ask a lot of questions.

There’s no short cut to success, right?