It's the time of the year when you fetch the kids from school, and the first thing you would ask them would be, "Did you get any results yet for your exams?"
If the answer is "Yes", and after you've been fed with all the marks they get that day, the next question would be, "Did anybody get more marks than you?"
If the answer is "Yes", the next line of questioning would be, "Who?", followed by - "How many more marks did he/she get than you?"
And you expect your kids to know the marks of EVERYBODY in the class, okay?! So that when you get back home, you could take out your little calculator, draw out a few nice columns with the names of your kids' competitors in his/her class in one column, and the marks that they get for each subject in the other columns.
But, of course, more often than not, your kids couldn't care less about the other kids' marks, and this would mean that you would be kept hanging in suspense, because you could not gauge how well (or badly) your kids have fared compared to the rest of their classmates without the full data to analyse maaa!!!
So, for the next couple of weeks, the standard first question you would ask when you fetch them from school would be, "So, have your teachers told you your position in class yet?" (while trying your very best to appear as if it didn't matter if the reply to the question was "No", when in fact you would be fuming mad while trying to comprehend WHY the teachers are taking such a looooong time to work out the kids' position in class!)
And finally, when the kids were given their position in class for their final exams, and if they get Top 3 and/or highest in any of the subjects in their class, the next question would be, "So, when is your "Hari Anugerah Kecemerlangan"? - so that you could block the whole of that day to attend it and later maybe celebrate somewhere.
So far for us, it's 2 down, 1 more to go.
Hasya got 1st in her class, and top for English and Bahasa Malaysia. Syukur Alhamdulillah... She has always got 1st, except in the last exam when she got 2nd placing (which we think was due to her rigorous and traumatic rhythmic gymnastics training that she was going through earlier this year)
Hanna got 5th in her class, an improvement from her 6th position in the last exam (and her marks are much, much higher. Syukur Alhadulillah... So now we're just waiting for her UPSR results which will come out middle of next month... (and I'm already having cold sweats now...)
We are now waiting with bated breaths for Hilman's position in class. He got number 12 in the last exam (despite getting over 95% for 3 of the core subjects!). His marks this time have also improved, but of course, his friends might have also improved a lot, too!
Okay, okay....I confess - I AM A KIASU PARENT!!!!
There... satisfied?!
Now, don't tell me you guys don't do the same things?!
Errrrr...... you guys DON'T do these things?
Oooooopss..... Wowww...
30 October 2007
Latest update - Hilman got No. 5 for his final exam - that's a climb of 7 places. Yayyyy!!! AND he will go on stage (as will Hasya) on 13 November for Hari Anugerah Kecemerlangan for being the best student for Science in his class! Hmmmm... He definitely got it from Ayah. Science and myself - we never see eye to eye...Hehehe!
I am so happy and very proud of all three of them :D!
Monday, October 29, 2007
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Di mana kan ku cari ganti... NOT?!
I felt the urge to write this after reading Dad of Four plus One's latest posting today. I really can relate to his predicaments.
Remember I wrote some time in June that my maid ran away, right?
Since then, I had been without a bibik. The agent had been promising to get a replacement for us, but, he seems to be full of excuses - no supply, too young, too old (we specifically asked for one aged 30-34) failed medical, passports not ready, puasa, raya, etc.
It has been more than 4 months, and I think we've been coping quite well (just...).
Some of you might know that for the past 9 years, we have been staying with Mak in PJ. Even after we bought our own house in SD 7 years ago, we still stayed in PJ during weekdays, and only went back to SD during weekends. We've had, let me see...7 maids in the last 7 years.
One was sent home because she was so "gedik", and was trying to woo one of Mak's staff. She somewhat succeeded - we had to send her back.
One would have won an Oscar - she would be the best actress if she were to star in the Exorcism of Emily Rose.
One was quite good, and we had no issues with her - except that when it was time to renew her permit, she failed her Medical. She was Hep B +ve.
One followed us to the UK during my first year of my PhD. We brought her everywhere we went around the UK, we let her call Indonesia every 2 weeks (we footed all the bills), we gave her pocket money (in pound sterling) on top of her monthly salary, we let her cook whatever she wanted to eat (because she was quite particular with her diet), we bought her clothes and stuff, we even bought for her whatever she fancied at all the Car Boot Sales in Newcastle we went to. She ended up telling people that we starved her, and we found out that she also pasang a Pak Arab boyfriend there... (and until today we couldn't figure out how both of them communicated with each other!). So, when we came back home to Malaysia, we sent her back to Indonesia.
One was quite pleasant, but she just could not stand Mak's bibik who was so bossy (even bossier than the majikan, mind you!) and was subject to being bullied and ended up doing most of the work! She asked to be sent home. Our principle - if our maid asks to be sent home, we send her home. No point of keeping her.
One was another Oscar winner - faked a fall, and ended up at the A&E, and pretended to lose consciousness (from morning until the afternoon!), when all the docs (including Ayah) and the nurses could tell that she was faking it! She had to go.
One was quite okay - quite hardworking, but quite loud. But, she, too could not stand Mak's bossy bibik! This was the one who ran away in June...
(We really are at their mercy, aren't we? Mak's bossy bibik was a REALLY good cook and very hardworking, and she can do just about whatever you asked her to do! So, we just couldn't send her home just because she was bossy with the other maids, could we?! Anyway, her contract just ended in August and she's gone now)
So, for the past 4 months or so, everytime we went back to SD during weekends, I would be the bibik. I would do the sweeping, the mopping (all 3 floors AND also outside, okay?!), the washing/drying/ironing of the clothes, the cooking (including the pre- and post-cooking chores), the dishes, tidying up the mess, etc. It's not that Ayah and the kids did not help at all. They did and still do, but, it's just me. I like to do things MY way, so at the end of the day, I would re-do the chores which had been done by them! But, it's strange in the sense that when we had the maids, I just let them be and do the chores around the house, and I would be Ma'am Besar and just supervise them. Boleh pulak?!
Anyway, it's a bit of an irony and quite mind-boggling that in our dire maidless situation, Ayah and I decided that we would move from PJ to stay at our own house in SD permanently. And the decision was made about 2 weeks into Ramadhan. Can you imagine that? Elok-elok we stayed in PJ, with Mak's and my SIL's maids there to prepare for Iftar and Sahur, we decided to make our life difficult during Ramadhan.
Yes - yours truly had to set at least 3 alarm clocks just to make sure I wake up in time to PREPARE for sahur. I also had the chance of honing my driving skills going through the Ramadhan traffic jam everyday from my office, to the kids' school in PJ, to SD (going through Jalan Universiti, Section 12, Section 16, SPRINT and LDP or Penchala Link!) I also decided that alang-alang dah jadi Ibu Mithali, I would also COOK for berbuka... Smart, eh? So, I did just that.
It was quite a torture.
People might think that we were crazy - the timing was not quite right...
But, we were adamant. We REALLY wanted to experience Ramadhan with just the five of us. And we are so glad that we did it.
It has been 5 weeks now - living in our own home. It's quite exhausting, but it's nothing compared to our feel-good feelings. Even the kids enjoy their home. More space. (More like more internet access! ;)) even though sometimes it looked as if a toranado had just passed through the whole house sometimes...
What we do now is - Ayah would send Hanna to school in the morning before going to the hospital. I would send Hasya and Hilman to Mak's house before going to my office. Mak's staff would send them to school in the afternoon and also fetch Hanna and send her to Mak's house. I would fetch the kids from school straight after work, fetch Hanna from Mak's and drive everybody back to SD.
Prepare dinner. Wash dishes. Iron clothes (aaaarrrrggggghhhh!!!). Settle kids for bed. Sleep. Wake up. Do the laundry. Sweep. Mop. Hang laundry. Shower. Wake kids up. Send them to PJ. Go to office. Work. And the cycle continues.... Hmmm...I sound like a robot, no?
Hasya and Hilman are quite independent and so, when they're in PJ, the only thing that Mak's maids need to worry about is just to prepare lunch for them (which is no big deal because more often than not they would only ask for Ayam Goreng and Nasi!) What' so difficult about that? They would take their shower and get ready for school on their own.
Shouldn't be a problem, right?
Shouldn't be.
Just that - this morning, two of the maids ran away...*
Ppppfffhhh...
(*Apparently one of them has a boyfriend somewhere out there...)
Remember I wrote some time in June that my maid ran away, right?
Since then, I had been without a bibik. The agent had been promising to get a replacement for us, but, he seems to be full of excuses - no supply, too young, too old (we specifically asked for one aged 30-34) failed medical, passports not ready, puasa, raya, etc.
It has been more than 4 months, and I think we've been coping quite well (just...).
Some of you might know that for the past 9 years, we have been staying with Mak in PJ. Even after we bought our own house in SD 7 years ago, we still stayed in PJ during weekdays, and only went back to SD during weekends. We've had, let me see...7 maids in the last 7 years.
One was sent home because she was so "gedik", and was trying to woo one of Mak's staff. She somewhat succeeded - we had to send her back.
One would have won an Oscar - she would be the best actress if she were to star in the Exorcism of Emily Rose.
One was quite good, and we had no issues with her - except that when it was time to renew her permit, she failed her Medical. She was Hep B +ve.
One followed us to the UK during my first year of my PhD. We brought her everywhere we went around the UK, we let her call Indonesia every 2 weeks (we footed all the bills), we gave her pocket money (in pound sterling) on top of her monthly salary, we let her cook whatever she wanted to eat (because she was quite particular with her diet), we bought her clothes and stuff, we even bought for her whatever she fancied at all the Car Boot Sales in Newcastle we went to. She ended up telling people that we starved her, and we found out that she also pasang a Pak Arab boyfriend there... (and until today we couldn't figure out how both of them communicated with each other!). So, when we came back home to Malaysia, we sent her back to Indonesia.
One was quite pleasant, but she just could not stand Mak's bibik who was so bossy (even bossier than the majikan, mind you!) and was subject to being bullied and ended up doing most of the work! She asked to be sent home. Our principle - if our maid asks to be sent home, we send her home. No point of keeping her.
One was another Oscar winner - faked a fall, and ended up at the A&E, and pretended to lose consciousness (from morning until the afternoon!), when all the docs (including Ayah) and the nurses could tell that she was faking it! She had to go.
One was quite okay - quite hardworking, but quite loud. But, she, too could not stand Mak's bossy bibik! This was the one who ran away in June...
(We really are at their mercy, aren't we? Mak's bossy bibik was a REALLY good cook and very hardworking, and she can do just about whatever you asked her to do! So, we just couldn't send her home just because she was bossy with the other maids, could we?! Anyway, her contract just ended in August and she's gone now)
So, for the past 4 months or so, everytime we went back to SD during weekends, I would be the bibik. I would do the sweeping, the mopping (all 3 floors AND also outside, okay?!), the washing/drying/ironing of the clothes, the cooking (including the pre- and post-cooking chores), the dishes, tidying up the mess, etc. It's not that Ayah and the kids did not help at all. They did and still do, but, it's just me. I like to do things MY way, so at the end of the day, I would re-do the chores which had been done by them! But, it's strange in the sense that when we had the maids, I just let them be and do the chores around the house, and I would be Ma'am Besar and just supervise them. Boleh pulak?!
Anyway, it's a bit of an irony and quite mind-boggling that in our dire maidless situation, Ayah and I decided that we would move from PJ to stay at our own house in SD permanently. And the decision was made about 2 weeks into Ramadhan. Can you imagine that? Elok-elok we stayed in PJ, with Mak's and my SIL's maids there to prepare for Iftar and Sahur, we decided to make our life difficult during Ramadhan.
Yes - yours truly had to set at least 3 alarm clocks just to make sure I wake up in time to PREPARE for sahur. I also had the chance of honing my driving skills going through the Ramadhan traffic jam everyday from my office, to the kids' school in PJ, to SD (going through Jalan Universiti, Section 12, Section 16, SPRINT and LDP or Penchala Link!) I also decided that alang-alang dah jadi Ibu Mithali, I would also COOK for berbuka... Smart, eh? So, I did just that.
It was quite a torture.
People might think that we were crazy - the timing was not quite right...
But, we were adamant. We REALLY wanted to experience Ramadhan with just the five of us. And we are so glad that we did it.
It has been 5 weeks now - living in our own home. It's quite exhausting, but it's nothing compared to our feel-good feelings. Even the kids enjoy their home. More space. (More like more internet access! ;)) even though sometimes it looked as if a toranado had just passed through the whole house sometimes...
What we do now is - Ayah would send Hanna to school in the morning before going to the hospital. I would send Hasya and Hilman to Mak's house before going to my office. Mak's staff would send them to school in the afternoon and also fetch Hanna and send her to Mak's house. I would fetch the kids from school straight after work, fetch Hanna from Mak's and drive everybody back to SD.
Prepare dinner. Wash dishes. Iron clothes (aaaarrrrggggghhhh!!!). Settle kids for bed. Sleep. Wake up. Do the laundry. Sweep. Mop. Hang laundry. Shower. Wake kids up. Send them to PJ. Go to office. Work. And the cycle continues.... Hmmm...I sound like a robot, no?
Hasya and Hilman are quite independent and so, when they're in PJ, the only thing that Mak's maids need to worry about is just to prepare lunch for them (which is no big deal because more often than not they would only ask for Ayam Goreng and Nasi!) What' so difficult about that? They would take their shower and get ready for school on their own.
Shouldn't be a problem, right?
Shouldn't be.
Just that - this morning, two of the maids ran away...*
Ppppfffhhh...
(*Apparently one of them has a boyfriend somewhere out there...)
Saturday, October 20, 2007
An outing that was...
We took the kids skating at Sunway Pyramid yesterday.
The plan was (if you could call it a "plan" that is) - that we would send Hanna and a friend to join four other friends there, and one of her friends' parents would be there to accompany them, and Ayah, Hasya, Hilman and I would just do some (window) shopping for a couple of hours before fetching Hanna and her friends and send them to one of the friends' house where they would stay on for dinner (I know...it's pretty confusing - so many friends maaa!)
THAT was THE plan.
But, this was what actually happened.
When we reached Sunway Pyramid, the friend whose parent was supposed to accompany the kids was not there yet, and we waited a while. As luck had it, the ice rink was being resurfaced and everybody had to wait for half an hour before they could go in and skate. Half an hour gone. We noticed all of her friends who were supposed to join the skating session were there - but...no parents around.
Apparently, Hanna told the friend concerned that Ayah and I were there, so THE parent concerned just dropped her daughter and left! You would have thought that after what happened to Nurin Jazlin, parents would be more alert and cautious, wouldn't you? Apparently NOT. None of the parents made any efforts to call Ayah and I to make sure their kids would be under adults supervision.
What if the girls were making up stories that there would be adults around, when there were none? What if the girls wander off somewhere, instead of spending the time skating at Sunway Pyramid? What if there were perverts around preying for their next victim(s)? Nauzubillah.... I just cringed to think of all the possibilities...
Honestly, we don't mind keeping an eye on the kids IF somebody were to tell or ask us to be there and supervise them. We wouldn't have minded to keep an eye on the kids IF it the outing was properly planned and organized, and we were tasked to be there for 4 hours in the first place, or if we were to take turns with another parent to supervise the kids. No problemo.
But, apparently, Hanna and her friends had planned the outing on their own, and they took it for granted that ONE of their parents would be there throughout their skating outing. And, it just so happened that we were there.
We had no choice, but to stay on. And Hasya and Hilman joined their big sister and her gang gliding on the ice (well...in Hilman's case, it was more like "walking" on ice... Hehehe!). We were quite surprised that both Hasya and Hilman took the whole thing like duck to water (or is it "penguin to ice"?), being first-timers on the ice. Of course, Hilman probably fell down more than 20 times maybe? Hasya, being a gymnast that she is, she was quite poised, even though she also had her fair share of falling down flat on her b**t. But, they were okay with the whole thing. They didn't cry, they just laughed it off. They had fun. Hanna was quite good at it as she had gone ice-skating before.
When Ayah left for Solat Jumaat at 12:45p.m, I was left alone to look after the kids. They were resurfacing the rink again, and the kids took a 30-minute lunch break while waiting for the rink to be re-opened. Another friend joined the party at 2:15p.m - this time around, the mother called to speak to me to make sure that there would be adults around. Hmmm...there's still hope. There are still responsible and cautious parents out there, I thought to myself.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that Ayah and I are perfect parents. Far from it. But, come on laaa... All these are basic parenting know-hows, and sheer common sense. It's called p-a-r-e-n-t-a-l r-e-s-p-o-n-s-i-b-i-l-i-t-i-e-s. What happened before this should stay in the past. We could not change what was in the past, but we should have learnt our lesson. If we used to be quite laxed with our kids whereabouts before the Nurin Tragedy, we should have a different attitude now.
The outing which was supposed to end at 3:00p.m, dragged on until 4:00p.m because one of the girls' driver could only come and fetch her at 4:00p.m. So, all of us had to wait to make sure that she would be safe and sound in the car before we were to make our way home. 4:15p.m - still no driver in sight. 4:20p.m, the friend got a call. The driver was waiting for her in front of OUR house in SD! Somewhere somehow there was a miscommunication, or rather, everything was not clearly planned. We had to make arrangements for the driver to fetch the girl at Hanna's friend's house in Section 11.
By this time Ayah and I were starting to lose our patience. Ayah especially, as he had his clinic to go to at 5:00p.m! We were supposed to be there only from 12:00 p.m until 3:00 p.m, and the girls were still dilly-dallying behind us. We hurried everybody back to the car, and drove them to Hanna's friend's house in Section 11, PJ. We dropped everybody there - EXCEPT Hanna. We decided that because the outing was not properly planned, and because she had taken both Ayah and I for granted the whole time, she would not be joining her friends for dinner at Section 11.
Hanna, everything said and done, we did all these because we love you VERY much, and we want you to learn a valuable lesson in respecting us, and also to be more responsible. Mommy knows that it may not be your fault totally that the outing was poorly planned, BUT, Mommy and Ayah care about you, and we want YOU to appreciate that, okay?
Anyway, we went back to Mak's house in PJ, and Ayah went straight to the hospital after Solat A'sar. Mak had invited a few friends and relatives for a Raya Dinner at her place, and as yesterday was our final day for Puasa Enam, we decided to celebrate it with a feast in PJ (having said that, Ayah only managed to join us at 8:15p.m as his clinic only ended at 8:00p.m last night!).
And what a feast it was - Mak had ordered Nasi Dagang with Gulai Ikan Tongkol, Ayam Percik and Jelatah, Sambal Tumis Udang, Daging Dendeng, Egg Salad, and what do you call that Jawa dish - with veges, tofu, tempe, soohoon tu? She also ordered the famous Sate Sa**ri Kajang (from Uptown, by the way...), and of course, complete with Mak's bibik's yummylicious Sambal Belacan and Ulam Timun... Yummy! Yummy! Yummy... (All weight lost in Ramadhan, gained again last night! Whatever....Hahaha!)
We reached SD just before midnight. Eventhough Hanna had apologised to both Ayah and I earlier, we decided that there will not be anymore outings with friends for her - until further notice. She knew she was at fault and she accepted the punishment willingly.
The moral of the story - just be with your kids ALL the time.
The moral of the story- kids will be kids, and you cannot trust them to be responsible and take responsibilities.
The moral of the story - kids will be kids, and they will always take us for granted - intentionally or unintentionally.
The moral of the story - you must be understanding enough to forgive them...but, you must also be strict enough to punish them...(because you can't be punishing other kids, can you?!) ;)
(And finally - if you want to have a really good feast, go eat at your parents' or in-laws' house...)
Wassalam.
The plan was (if you could call it a "plan" that is) - that we would send Hanna and a friend to join four other friends there, and one of her friends' parents would be there to accompany them, and Ayah, Hasya, Hilman and I would just do some (window) shopping for a couple of hours before fetching Hanna and her friends and send them to one of the friends' house where they would stay on for dinner (I know...it's pretty confusing - so many friends maaa!)
THAT was THE plan.
But, this was what actually happened.
When we reached Sunway Pyramid, the friend whose parent was supposed to accompany the kids was not there yet, and we waited a while. As luck had it, the ice rink was being resurfaced and everybody had to wait for half an hour before they could go in and skate. Half an hour gone. We noticed all of her friends who were supposed to join the skating session were there - but...no parents around.
Apparently, Hanna told the friend concerned that Ayah and I were there, so THE parent concerned just dropped her daughter and left! You would have thought that after what happened to Nurin Jazlin, parents would be more alert and cautious, wouldn't you? Apparently NOT. None of the parents made any efforts to call Ayah and I to make sure their kids would be under adults supervision.
What if the girls were making up stories that there would be adults around, when there were none? What if the girls wander off somewhere, instead of spending the time skating at Sunway Pyramid? What if there were perverts around preying for their next victim(s)? Nauzubillah.... I just cringed to think of all the possibilities...
Honestly, we don't mind keeping an eye on the kids IF somebody were to tell or ask us to be there and supervise them. We wouldn't have minded to keep an eye on the kids IF it the outing was properly planned and organized, and we were tasked to be there for 4 hours in the first place, or if we were to take turns with another parent to supervise the kids. No problemo.
But, apparently, Hanna and her friends had planned the outing on their own, and they took it for granted that ONE of their parents would be there throughout their skating outing. And, it just so happened that we were there.
We had no choice, but to stay on. And Hasya and Hilman joined their big sister and her gang gliding on the ice (well...in Hilman's case, it was more like "walking" on ice... Hehehe!). We were quite surprised that both Hasya and Hilman took the whole thing like duck to water (or is it "penguin to ice"?), being first-timers on the ice. Of course, Hilman probably fell down more than 20 times maybe? Hasya, being a gymnast that she is, she was quite poised, even though she also had her fair share of falling down flat on her b**t. But, they were okay with the whole thing. They didn't cry, they just laughed it off. They had fun. Hanna was quite good at it as she had gone ice-skating before.
When Ayah left for Solat Jumaat at 12:45p.m, I was left alone to look after the kids. They were resurfacing the rink again, and the kids took a 30-minute lunch break while waiting for the rink to be re-opened. Another friend joined the party at 2:15p.m - this time around, the mother called to speak to me to make sure that there would be adults around. Hmmm...there's still hope. There are still responsible and cautious parents out there, I thought to myself.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that Ayah and I are perfect parents. Far from it. But, come on laaa... All these are basic parenting know-hows, and sheer common sense. It's called p-a-r-e-n-t-a-l r-e-s-p-o-n-s-i-b-i-l-i-t-i-e-s. What happened before this should stay in the past. We could not change what was in the past, but we should have learnt our lesson. If we used to be quite laxed with our kids whereabouts before the Nurin Tragedy, we should have a different attitude now.
The outing which was supposed to end at 3:00p.m, dragged on until 4:00p.m because one of the girls' driver could only come and fetch her at 4:00p.m. So, all of us had to wait to make sure that she would be safe and sound in the car before we were to make our way home. 4:15p.m - still no driver in sight. 4:20p.m, the friend got a call. The driver was waiting for her in front of OUR house in SD! Somewhere somehow there was a miscommunication, or rather, everything was not clearly planned. We had to make arrangements for the driver to fetch the girl at Hanna's friend's house in Section 11.
By this time Ayah and I were starting to lose our patience. Ayah especially, as he had his clinic to go to at 5:00p.m! We were supposed to be there only from 12:00 p.m until 3:00 p.m, and the girls were still dilly-dallying behind us. We hurried everybody back to the car, and drove them to Hanna's friend's house in Section 11, PJ. We dropped everybody there - EXCEPT Hanna. We decided that because the outing was not properly planned, and because she had taken both Ayah and I for granted the whole time, she would not be joining her friends for dinner at Section 11.
Hanna, everything said and done, we did all these because we love you VERY much, and we want you to learn a valuable lesson in respecting us, and also to be more responsible. Mommy knows that it may not be your fault totally that the outing was poorly planned, BUT, Mommy and Ayah care about you, and we want YOU to appreciate that, okay?
Anyway, we went back to Mak's house in PJ, and Ayah went straight to the hospital after Solat A'sar. Mak had invited a few friends and relatives for a Raya Dinner at her place, and as yesterday was our final day for Puasa Enam, we decided to celebrate it with a feast in PJ (having said that, Ayah only managed to join us at 8:15p.m as his clinic only ended at 8:00p.m last night!).
And what a feast it was - Mak had ordered Nasi Dagang with Gulai Ikan Tongkol, Ayam Percik and Jelatah, Sambal Tumis Udang, Daging Dendeng, Egg Salad, and what do you call that Jawa dish - with veges, tofu, tempe, soohoon tu? She also ordered the famous Sate Sa**ri Kajang (from Uptown, by the way...), and of course, complete with Mak's bibik's yummylicious Sambal Belacan and Ulam Timun... Yummy! Yummy! Yummy... (All weight lost in Ramadhan, gained again last night! Whatever....Hahaha!)
We reached SD just before midnight. Eventhough Hanna had apologised to both Ayah and I earlier, we decided that there will not be anymore outings with friends for her - until further notice. She knew she was at fault and she accepted the punishment willingly.
The moral of the story - just be with your kids ALL the time.
The moral of the story- kids will be kids, and you cannot trust them to be responsible and take responsibilities.
The moral of the story - kids will be kids, and they will always take us for granted - intentionally or unintentionally.
The moral of the story - you must be understanding enough to forgive them...but, you must also be strict enough to punish them...(because you can't be punishing other kids, can you?!) ;)
(And finally - if you want to have a really good feast, go eat at your parents' or in-laws' house...)
Wassalam.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
The raya that was...
1st Syawal came and went...Somehow this year it was like a non-event (at least for me that is!)
We had our last berbuka puasa and spent malam raya at Mommy and Abah's in KD. However, after Isya', Ayah had to go back to PJ with Hasya and Hilman to play host as the surau people would be going to Mak's place for Takbir. Hanna and I stayed on in KD to help Mommy and Abah around the house.
Mommy does not have any maids, and what with her health condition nowadays, we do not let her do anything around the house. But, Mommy being Mommy, if nobody's around or if nobody's looking, she would be doing whatever chores she could think of just to make sure the house is spick and span for Raya! So, I stayed on to make sure that she didn't lift a finger that night. To be able to have done that, that meant I had to lift all of my ten fingers and ten toes tidying up the house with my Sis Y. Adoiiii....it didn't help that I, myself didn't/don't have a bibik!! Alhamdulillah, by 10:00pm, the house was as how Mommy wanted it - ready for Raya.
This year, my Brother E went back to Kelantan to my sis-in-law's kampong for raya, while my Brother J only arrived from Taiping on Raya Eve after Isya'. Both he and his wife, N, went straight to the kitchen as soon as they arrived and started cooking the rendang for Mommy. It is understood - the rendang for raya is always under their wardship :). My Sis L who was in KD with her whole clan in the afternoon had to go back to her MIL's in Keramat for berbuka. Our eldest Brother I - sigh .... long story....
It rained cats and dogs that night and Ayah was reluctant to let me drive back to PJ alone with Hanna. So, we stayed on until he came to fetch us around 12:00 a.m. By that time, I was already like a "kain buruk"... It has been a practice that we would sleep at Mak's house in PJ on malam raya. Thank God I had ironed all the baju raya a few days earlier. If not, I would be spending the whole night burning all the bajus in between all my "senggok sessions"!
Pagi raya - the usual hustle and bustle, getting everybody ready, bersalam-salaman session with Ayah's side of the family. And of course - the mandatory photography sessions! As our camera was jammed (hmmmmm...I wonder whose fault it was?!), we had to rely on Mak's camera. And as (bad) luck has it, when my SIL went beraya with her friends the next day, an Einstein of a friend of hers accidentally deleted ALL the photos!! Aaaarrrgggghhhh!!! That explains why I have not posted any pics this time. Will have to ask my other SIL to download the pics from her camera one of these days.
Anyway, the plan was to go to back to KD around 12:30 p.m, but all the cousins and aunties and uncles from the "Kachar" clan came swarming Mak's house non-stop until about 4:00 p.m! My kids were getting restless and impatient as they were worried their cousins on my side would have left their Jaddi and Jaddati's house by the time we were to reach KD. So, right after the last cousin left Mak's house, we went straight to KD. Much to the kids' delight, everybody was there (safe for my Brother E and family who were in Kelantan, and my Brother I and family - who were there earlier and had left).
Mak came to beraya at KD later that night and later together we went to visit Ayah's Mak Long in Dato' Keramat. It was nearly mid night when we left Mak Long's house. Went back to SD and have been here since - melingkar, doing nothing (apart from mopping the house and doing the laundry, and ironing, okay?! The story of my life...)
Ayah and I decided to Puasa Enam straight from Sunday until this Friday, and insya Allah can beraya sakan this weekend going to all the open houses! It's our fourth day of Puasa Enam today, and as yours truly is too lazy to cook, we will go back to Mak's house for berbuka... Hehehehe! Smart, eh?
But before that, Ayah will have to send me back to KD to get my car which has been left there since malam raya. The kids have their piano lesson from 6:15 p.m until 7:30 p.m, and yours truly will have to send and fetch them as Ayah who has his clinic to go to from 5:00 p.m until 9:00 p.m (hopefully earlier!) will not be able to be the 'supir' tonight.
And that's another thing! Ayah who is supposed to be on leave until this weekend, has been going to the hospital for 2-7 hours (depending) everyday without fail (even on 1st Syawal, okay?!) to check on his patients. Hmmmmm...serupa tak cuti! Well, that's what you get for marrying a doctor who is (annoyingly? Hehehe....no laaah) too dedicated and too committed sometimes - but, I still love you to bits, okay, Ayah... :)
And oh yes, did I tell you guys that my office room is flooded? Yup! Apparently the downpour on 1st Syawal led to a major leakage on the ceiling of the Seminar Room opposite my office, and the water somehow managed to find its way to my room, and my carpet is now drenched. There are still puddles of water in my room. I just couldn't be bothered to go and check. Ayah had been going to my office to see if it has gotten worse over the last couple of days - what with continuous afternoon downpours we have been having and all. Apparently, according to Ayah, my office stinks big time... Well, nothing much I can do this week. Most of UM's "Pejabat Harta Benda" people are on leave until Sunday anyway. Hmmm...could this be a good excuse for me not to go back to work next week? Hehehe...
So, that was basically it - our raya this year.
Anyway, I look forward to completing my Puasa Enam this Friday, and celebrating another round of Raya this weekend, insya Allah.
That, and, oh yes - RUGBY WORLD CUP 2007 FINAL!
GO ENGLAND!!!!!!!!
We had our last berbuka puasa and spent malam raya at Mommy and Abah's in KD. However, after Isya', Ayah had to go back to PJ with Hasya and Hilman to play host as the surau people would be going to Mak's place for Takbir. Hanna and I stayed on in KD to help Mommy and Abah around the house.
Mommy does not have any maids, and what with her health condition nowadays, we do not let her do anything around the house. But, Mommy being Mommy, if nobody's around or if nobody's looking, she would be doing whatever chores she could think of just to make sure the house is spick and span for Raya! So, I stayed on to make sure that she didn't lift a finger that night. To be able to have done that, that meant I had to lift all of my ten fingers and ten toes tidying up the house with my Sis Y. Adoiiii....it didn't help that I, myself didn't/don't have a bibik!! Alhamdulillah, by 10:00pm, the house was as how Mommy wanted it - ready for Raya.
This year, my Brother E went back to Kelantan to my sis-in-law's kampong for raya, while my Brother J only arrived from Taiping on Raya Eve after Isya'. Both he and his wife, N, went straight to the kitchen as soon as they arrived and started cooking the rendang for Mommy. It is understood - the rendang for raya is always under their wardship :). My Sis L who was in KD with her whole clan in the afternoon had to go back to her MIL's in Keramat for berbuka. Our eldest Brother I - sigh .... long story....
It rained cats and dogs that night and Ayah was reluctant to let me drive back to PJ alone with Hanna. So, we stayed on until he came to fetch us around 12:00 a.m. By that time, I was already like a "kain buruk"... It has been a practice that we would sleep at Mak's house in PJ on malam raya. Thank God I had ironed all the baju raya a few days earlier. If not, I would be spending the whole night burning all the bajus in between all my "senggok sessions"!
Pagi raya - the usual hustle and bustle, getting everybody ready, bersalam-salaman session with Ayah's side of the family. And of course - the mandatory photography sessions! As our camera was jammed (hmmmmm...I wonder whose fault it was?!), we had to rely on Mak's camera. And as (bad) luck has it, when my SIL went beraya with her friends the next day, an Einstein of a friend of hers accidentally deleted ALL the photos!! Aaaarrrgggghhhh!!! That explains why I have not posted any pics this time. Will have to ask my other SIL to download the pics from her camera one of these days.
Anyway, the plan was to go to back to KD around 12:30 p.m, but all the cousins and aunties and uncles from the "Kachar" clan came swarming Mak's house non-stop until about 4:00 p.m! My kids were getting restless and impatient as they were worried their cousins on my side would have left their Jaddi and Jaddati's house by the time we were to reach KD. So, right after the last cousin left Mak's house, we went straight to KD. Much to the kids' delight, everybody was there (safe for my Brother E and family who were in Kelantan, and my Brother I and family - who were there earlier and had left).
Mak came to beraya at KD later that night and later together we went to visit Ayah's Mak Long in Dato' Keramat. It was nearly mid night when we left Mak Long's house. Went back to SD and have been here since - melingkar, doing nothing (apart from mopping the house and doing the laundry, and ironing, okay?! The story of my life...)
Ayah and I decided to Puasa Enam straight from Sunday until this Friday, and insya Allah can beraya sakan this weekend going to all the open houses! It's our fourth day of Puasa Enam today, and as yours truly is too lazy to cook, we will go back to Mak's house for berbuka... Hehehehe! Smart, eh?
But before that, Ayah will have to send me back to KD to get my car which has been left there since malam raya. The kids have their piano lesson from 6:15 p.m until 7:30 p.m, and yours truly will have to send and fetch them as Ayah who has his clinic to go to from 5:00 p.m until 9:00 p.m (hopefully earlier!) will not be able to be the 'supir' tonight.
And that's another thing! Ayah who is supposed to be on leave until this weekend, has been going to the hospital for 2-7 hours (depending) everyday without fail (even on 1st Syawal, okay?!) to check on his patients. Hmmmmm...serupa tak cuti! Well, that's what you get for marrying a doctor who is (annoyingly? Hehehe....no laaah) too dedicated and too committed sometimes - but, I still love you to bits, okay, Ayah... :)
And oh yes, did I tell you guys that my office room is flooded? Yup! Apparently the downpour on 1st Syawal led to a major leakage on the ceiling of the Seminar Room opposite my office, and the water somehow managed to find its way to my room, and my carpet is now drenched. There are still puddles of water in my room. I just couldn't be bothered to go and check. Ayah had been going to my office to see if it has gotten worse over the last couple of days - what with continuous afternoon downpours we have been having and all. Apparently, according to Ayah, my office stinks big time... Well, nothing much I can do this week. Most of UM's "Pejabat Harta Benda" people are on leave until Sunday anyway. Hmmm...could this be a good excuse for me not to go back to work next week? Hehehe...
So, that was basically it - our raya this year.
Anyway, I look forward to completing my Puasa Enam this Friday, and celebrating another round of Raya this weekend, insya Allah.
That, and, oh yes - RUGBY WORLD CUP 2007 FINAL!
GO ENGLAND!!!!!!!!
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Syawal empty nests...
I was reading Brother Id's latest entry in his blog just now, and suddenly I felt a lump in my throat. Planning for their Raya Open House, Brother Id and his lovely wife, K.LiL thought of three of their children who would not be celebrating Raya with him and his family in Dubai this year. I really feel for them. And it struck me there and then - how would I cope later in life when it would be my turn to not have all of my children with me under one roof to celebrate Raya?
One day Hanna, Hasya and Hilman will be leaving the nest. One day they will have their very own nests with their own little chickadees. One day they will also have their in-laws' nests to go back to. And one day there will come a time, when ALL three of them might not be able to be home with Ayah and I to celebrate Raya...
But, I guess - wherever they may be, as long as they feel and ALWAYS know that they have our home to come back to anytime they feel like it - no matter what hour of the day or night it is, all year round, no matter if it is Raya or not, it's okay.
As long as they love and respect their spouses and their families like they love and respect me and Ayah, and are willing to spend time away from our family to be with the spouses' family - just as we would wish for their spouses to ALWAYS love and respect us the same way, and willing to do the same, it's okay.
As long as being away from us would mean that they would have a healthy, tolerant and happy relationship with their spouses, it's okay.
As long as they ALWAYS be Mommy and Ayah's Chinchin, Chimin and Chiman - even when they are way over 40 (Yikes!!!), it's okay.
And more importantly - as long as their thoughts, their hearts, and their doas are ALWAYS with me and Ayah all year round, Raya or not, it's okay.
I pray to Allah swt to give my children the strength and wisdom to do and accept what is right when the time comes.
And I pray to Allah swt to give me the strength and wisdom to do and accept what is right when the time comes.
And to all parents out there who are pining for your children this Syawal, wherever you are, wherever your children may be, I pray for your strength and wisdom to be happy....just be happy. Syukur Alhamdulillah for the wonderful and beautiful family that you have, even if you're not physically together...
Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri. Maaf Zahir Batin. God Bless.
Wassalam.
One day Hanna, Hasya and Hilman will be leaving the nest. One day they will have their very own nests with their own little chickadees. One day they will also have their in-laws' nests to go back to. And one day there will come a time, when ALL three of them might not be able to be home with Ayah and I to celebrate Raya...
But, I guess - wherever they may be, as long as they feel and ALWAYS know that they have our home to come back to anytime they feel like it - no matter what hour of the day or night it is, all year round, no matter if it is Raya or not, it's okay.
As long as they love and respect their spouses and their families like they love and respect me and Ayah, and are willing to spend time away from our family to be with the spouses' family - just as we would wish for their spouses to ALWAYS love and respect us the same way, and willing to do the same, it's okay.
As long as being away from us would mean that they would have a healthy, tolerant and happy relationship with their spouses, it's okay.
As long as they ALWAYS be Mommy and Ayah's Chinchin, Chimin and Chiman - even when they are way over 40 (Yikes!!!), it's okay.
And more importantly - as long as their thoughts, their hearts, and their doas are ALWAYS with me and Ayah all year round, Raya or not, it's okay.
I pray to Allah swt to give my children the strength and wisdom to do and accept what is right when the time comes.
And I pray to Allah swt to give me the strength and wisdom to do and accept what is right when the time comes.
And to all parents out there who are pining for your children this Syawal, wherever you are, wherever your children may be, I pray for your strength and wisdom to be happy....just be happy. Syukur Alhamdulillah for the wonderful and beautiful family that you have, even if you're not physically together...
Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri. Maaf Zahir Batin. God Bless.
Wassalam.
* Picture taken on 1st Syawal last year - Mak's place in Section 17, PJ *
From left - Ayah, Hasya Chimin, Hilman Chiman, Hanna Chinchin, and Mommy
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Catch 22...
I was driving Hasya and Hilman to school just now, when Hilman asked me -
"Mommy, coconut is a seed, right?"
"Yes, Hilman - it's a seed. Coconut trees grow from coconuts."
He just had his Science exam yesterday, and I guess he was still thinking about what he had been revising before that - all about plants and living things, etc.
"What other seeds are there, Mommy?", he asked.
"Depends on what trees - if durian trees, we have durian seeds. If rambutan trees, we have rambutan seeds", I explained.
"Oooo....Okay", he said, and asked, "How do we make seeds, Mommy?"
"We don't MAKE seeds, dear...", I said.
Before I could continue with my explanation, Hasya who had been listening all these while, said to Hilman, "What la you! You don't know anything!! Seeds come from fruits laaa!"
Hasya being Hasya, she just didn't have any patience with her lil' brother, especially when he starts asking questions which to HER should be a no-brainer!
"Okay", Hilman replied. "But, how do we make fruits? Where do fruits come from?"
"From seeds la!!!" Hasya was really losing her patience with her brother.
"I know...I know! BUT, where do seeds come from, K.Ngah?!!" Now HILMAN was losing his patience with his sister (which is VERY rare indeed!)
By this time, I had started to laugh uncontrollably, and both of them looked at me, and both yelled, "Why Mommy?!!!"
Hilman then looked at Hasya, "K.Ngah, I want to know!!! Where do seeds come from?!"
"From fruits laaaa!!!" Hasya replied and she started laughing with me, realizing at that point, that she for once could not give an answer to her little brother's queries!
By that time, Hilman was also laughing at the backseat of my car!
And in between laughters, I told both of them -
"Allah swt made the first seeds for ALL living things, Hilman...Hasya..."
"Oooo...okay," came a short reply from Hilman.
"You're right, Mommy - ALL things are created by Allah, right?" Hasya looked at me.
"Yes, from the first seed, we got the tree, the fruit, and some more seeds, and it goes on and on..." I explained to both of them.
"Okay...thank you, Mommy!" Hilman thanked me for making him understand (I think!)
By that time, we had already reached the Balai Menunggu in front of the school. I dropped them off, the two of them kissed and salam my hand, and I kissed their heads.
I said to Hilman, "Tonight you will have to revise for your Bahasa Arab exam, okay?"
To which he said, "Okay, Mommy....but, Mommy, who made (created) Bahasa Arab?"
Oh no...here we go again....
"Mommy, coconut is a seed, right?"
"Yes, Hilman - it's a seed. Coconut trees grow from coconuts."
He just had his Science exam yesterday, and I guess he was still thinking about what he had been revising before that - all about plants and living things, etc.
"What other seeds are there, Mommy?", he asked.
"Depends on what trees - if durian trees, we have durian seeds. If rambutan trees, we have rambutan seeds", I explained.
"Oooo....Okay", he said, and asked, "How do we make seeds, Mommy?"
"We don't MAKE seeds, dear...", I said.
Before I could continue with my explanation, Hasya who had been listening all these while, said to Hilman, "What la you! You don't know anything!! Seeds come from fruits laaa!"
Hasya being Hasya, she just didn't have any patience with her lil' brother, especially when he starts asking questions which to HER should be a no-brainer!
"Okay", Hilman replied. "But, how do we make fruits? Where do fruits come from?"
"From seeds la!!!" Hasya was really losing her patience with her brother.
"I know...I know! BUT, where do seeds come from, K.Ngah?!!" Now HILMAN was losing his patience with his sister (which is VERY rare indeed!)
By this time, I had started to laugh uncontrollably, and both of them looked at me, and both yelled, "Why Mommy?!!!"
Hilman then looked at Hasya, "K.Ngah, I want to know!!! Where do seeds come from?!"
"From fruits laaaa!!!" Hasya replied and she started laughing with me, realizing at that point, that she for once could not give an answer to her little brother's queries!
By that time, Hilman was also laughing at the backseat of my car!
And in between laughters, I told both of them -
"Allah swt made the first seeds for ALL living things, Hilman...Hasya..."
"Oooo...okay," came a short reply from Hilman.
"You're right, Mommy - ALL things are created by Allah, right?" Hasya looked at me.
"Yes, from the first seed, we got the tree, the fruit, and some more seeds, and it goes on and on..." I explained to both of them.
"Okay...thank you, Mommy!" Hilman thanked me for making him understand (I think!)
By that time, we had already reached the Balai Menunggu in front of the school. I dropped them off, the two of them kissed and salam my hand, and I kissed their heads.
I said to Hilman, "Tonight you will have to revise for your Bahasa Arab exam, okay?"
To which he said, "Okay, Mommy....but, Mommy, who made (created) Bahasa Arab?"
Oh no...here we go again....
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Food...oh, glorious food!
I've been tagged by Spena - and I must say, it's not an easy one on the will-power. But, on the other hand it's somewhat easy in the sense that I don't really have to think hard because all the answers are already right there on my mind :D (tsk...tsk...tsk...nipis pahala puasa! Hehehe!)
Anyway, here goes -
Name 5 favourite food that you feel like having now -
(1) Johnnys' Steamboat
(2) Victoria Station's or Jake's Spare Ribs
(3) Little Penang Cafe's Assam Laksa
(4) Laksa Shack's Sarawak Laksa
(5) My regular Cantonese Kuey Teow (from Beragas Tom Yam in SD)
(My tummy is starting to rumble and growl now....)
Name 5 food you would like to have for breakfast if you could -
Hmmm...I'm not really a heavy breakfast person because I can't afford to gobble all those calories and cholesterol so early in the morning, but kalau ikutkan hati -
(1) Nasi Lemak with Sambal Sotong
(2) My mom's Roti Air Panas with Fish Curry
(3) My MIL's Lontong
(4) Teow Chew Rice Porridge/Congee with all the condiments!
(5) Assorted Dim Sum
(Spena...Spena...why do you want to torture me, dek oiii?!!!)
Name 5 food you would most likely buy for berbuka today -
Hmmm... my visit to Bazar Ramadhan would normally be to buy Ayah's and the kids' favourites.
So, today will not be any different, I guess?
(1) Roti John - for Hasya and Hilman
(2) Char Kuey Teow Pulau Utara (Bazar Ramadhan Section 17 PJ - Fuyoooo!!!) - for Hanna
(3) Kueh-mueh for Ayah (Popiah basah, apam balik, putu piring, putu bambu, murtabak, badak berendam - NOT all at the same time, eh? I would buy different ones on alternate days la... okay?! Have not decided on which one for today, though...
(4) Assortments of drinks (air kelapa, air tebu, air soya, etc)
(5) Maybe some kind of noodles with soup or just soup for me? (sup tulang, sup kambing, sup perut?)
Aduhhhh.... chobaaaaannn....
Hmmm... who shall I tag/torture now? I think my victims this time will be -
Ibu
Murni
Minah Celoteh
Mamamia
Mahariz
and, I would like to add another person for me to torture (hehehe...)
Kea
Sorry, guys...Hehehe... ;) and thanks!
Selamat Berbuka...(Errrr...make sure AFTER Azan Maghrib, okay?)
Wassalam...
Anyway, here goes -
Name 5 favourite food that you feel like having now -
(1) Johnnys' Steamboat
(2) Victoria Station's or Jake's Spare Ribs
(3) Little Penang Cafe's Assam Laksa
(4) Laksa Shack's Sarawak Laksa
(5) My regular Cantonese Kuey Teow (from Beragas Tom Yam in SD)
(My tummy is starting to rumble and growl now....)
Name 5 food you would like to have for breakfast if you could -
Hmmm...I'm not really a heavy breakfast person because I can't afford to gobble all those calories and cholesterol so early in the morning, but kalau ikutkan hati -
(1) Nasi Lemak with Sambal Sotong
(2) My mom's Roti Air Panas with Fish Curry
(3) My MIL's Lontong
(4) Teow Chew Rice Porridge/Congee with all the condiments!
(5) Assorted Dim Sum
(Spena...Spena...why do you want to torture me, dek oiii?!!!)
Name 5 food you would most likely buy for berbuka today -
Hmmm... my visit to Bazar Ramadhan would normally be to buy Ayah's and the kids' favourites.
So, today will not be any different, I guess?
(1) Roti John - for Hasya and Hilman
(2) Char Kuey Teow Pulau Utara (Bazar Ramadhan Section 17 PJ - Fuyoooo!!!) - for Hanna
(3) Kueh-mueh for Ayah (Popiah basah, apam balik, putu piring, putu bambu, murtabak, badak berendam - NOT all at the same time, eh? I would buy different ones on alternate days la... okay?! Have not decided on which one for today, though...
(4) Assortments of drinks (air kelapa, air tebu, air soya, etc)
(5) Maybe some kind of noodles with soup or just soup for me? (sup tulang, sup kambing, sup perut?)
Aduhhhh.... chobaaaaannn....
Hmmm... who shall I tag/torture now? I think my victims this time will be -
Ibu
Murni
Minah Celoteh
Mamamia
Mahariz
and, I would like to add another person for me to torture (hehehe...)
Kea
Sorry, guys...Hehehe... ;) and thanks!
Selamat Berbuka...(Errrr...make sure AFTER Azan Maghrib, okay?)
Wassalam...
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