Monday, November 30, 2009

Life without you...

At 9:30p.m last night, I sent this SMS -

"Asslmkum. Ini Ibu Shana. Mau bertanya samada Dar sudah selamat sampai ke rumah? Pesawatnya tiba di Yogyakarta pukul 8:30 pagi tadi. Terima kasih"

2 minutes after that, came the reply -

"Wlaikmsalam. Alhamdulillah. Sudah selamat sampai. Maaf baru bagi kabar"

And I sent a reply -

"Syukur alhamdulillah. Sampaikan salam kepada keluarga di kampung. Hilman minta beritau Dar dia baru beli 2 ekor anak kura-kura!"

Those SMSs were sent to Bibik Dar's husband.

YES - Dar has gone back home for a 2-month break. And I really hope she IS coming back to Malaysia and work with us again. We've heard of stories of maids who were supposed to come back after their holidays who never came back, and this was after their majikan had paid for all the charges/fees for permit renewal and all.

So, to play safe, when she asked us to transfer all her gaji home 2 weeks ago, we told her that we would keep the amount already spent for her permit renewal, and she could send it home AFTER she comes back in January nanti. And she was okay with that.

So, we take that to mean that she IS coming back.

But, at the same time, we're not keeping our hopes too high because the cash my MIL and my Mom gave her, and all the stuff we bought for her and her daughters to bring home with her could easily be about the same amount we're keeping, if not more. So, she MIGHT feel that she could just forego her gaji that we're still keeping.

When I asked Ayah if he thought Dar was coming back or not, he said "50-50", especially when we checked her room, and saw that she had brought ALL her things with her, save for the clothes she wore the night before and the towel she used yesterday morning.

But, for now we want to bersangka baik... and insya Allah she will come back especially when we have promised her a significant increase in her pay for the next two years.

She told me that she would come back once the work to repair her house (especially the roof) is done, and that should only take about a month. And even though she is supposed to go home for 2 months, she said she would come back by Mid-January. I can only make do'a that she will come back, no matter when exactly, insya Allah.

And YES, we've bought two terrapins last night, and the kids (or rather the girls) have decided to name them Jasper and Seth. Apparently they're a couple of characters from the "Twilight" saga (?!). My 14-year old Hanna seems to think that "Seth" is such a sexy name (??!!). That worries me - giving a sexy name to a terrapin?! Hehehe... And she also said that when she gets married and have kids nanti, all her sons will have "Seth" as their first names. Hmmmmm...Sexy names for her sons...and it started with naming her terrapin "Seth", too?! Aiyoooo, Hanna...

So, the terrapins are additions to our existing pets. We already have a couple of Syrian hamsters at home - Benji and Button, and I just hope the kids will be responsible pet-owners and take really good care of them. Dar had been the one who cleaned their cage, bathed them and changed their water and food all this while, and for the next couple of months, the kids will have to be responsible for them. At least the pets will keep them occupied over the school holiday, I hope.

(A good sign this morning when Hilman woke up, and the first thing he asked me was, "Mommy, when do I feed the terrapins, Mommy?" :))

I made sure that they sit and see and help Dar to clean the hamsters' cage on Saturday night so that they know how to do it and not expect ME to clean it for them every time. I have so many other things to do without adding "cleaning hamsters' cage" to my already long list of things to do over the next couple of months.

And, oh ya - I've already cooked 6 chicken/beef/fish dishes yesterday and have frozen them in small containers for convenience. So now we have frozen Assam Pedas Tenggiri, Lemak Chili Padi Tenggiri, Daging Kicap, Daging Masak Merah, Sweet and Sour Chicken and Ayam Masak Lemak Putih in our freezer. Not forgetting the big pot of Sup Tulang/Daging Qorban on the stove :) If we were to eat at home on alternate days, those should last us for about 2 weeks, insya Allah. I only need to teach Hanna how to cook the rice now. (Yup! She never masak nasi before this - all throughout her 14-years of life...)

As for the laundry, I've made enquiries at the nearest Laundrette, and nampak gayanya I'll be a regular there. They charge 2kg per kilo, and for ironing, it's RM1.20 per piece. I would probably wash and dry everything at home, and just send the necessary clothes for ironing. But, then again - what with it raining everyday, I would probably dump everything there every 2-3 days or so and let them take care of everything. I've also bought a small pail and detergent for each kid to put in their bathrooms for them to wash whatever necessary themselves.

Hanna is now in-charge of sweeping the floor every day so that it'll be easier for me to do the mopping later on. We're so used to Dar mopping the house every day, and we have to make sure that we stick to that. Failing which, maybe we would just do it every other day (or maybe once in 3 days...or once a week ke...? See la how it goes :))

Dar had also blended all the onions, garlic, ginger, dried chillies and had put them in their usual containers in the fridge, just in case I need to use them. That should last me for about a week, that is - IF I were to cook everyday, but, I'm not, am I?;)) Anyway, IF I run out of them, I need not worry as Pasar Taman Tun has this gerai which provides all things under the sun blended. They also have pre-mix pastes for rendang, asam pedas, Nyonya/Kapitan curry, and the lot. I loike :) I've also bought some Maggi pre-mix paste last week. Just in case. Anyway, Pizza Hut, Dominoes and McDonalds are just a phonecall away, kan? :)

Anyway, it's Day 2 without Dar, and so far, so good. The kids helped me clear the kitchen and wash the dishes last night (but this morning I had to re-wash a few of them!) Hopefully they'll get better in time, insya Allah.

All we need now is luck. Loads and loads of luck.

35 comments:

bella said...

Salam and Selamat Hari Aidildha Kak,
No worries la Kak, InsyaAllah the 2 months will go smoothly for u n family.and for foodstuff, kat Pasar Taman Tun, semua dah dijual berblend kak, serai/halia/kunyit hidup/all bwg2..and harga is worth the price, taklah mahal mana...considering that it's done for u kan...all the best Kak...and for Hanna, all the best in learning the basic cooking skills dear!Growing up, that was something that I always remember until today, the times when Mak taught me my first dish and other things...(which I made berulang kali, sampai satu rumah naik muak...hehehe)so...don't worry...it's just another milestone for her...

Anonymous said...

Like reding this. All of you going to be OK. From experience, any bibik as a person will want to come back again..but once ada org lain 'cucuk" the benefits of not coming back, then the bibik akan terfikir tak nak balik. Sometimes their spouse, sometimes ex-bibik somewhere that she meets masa kat kampung. Anyway insya allah she will be back.

MA said...

Salam Shana,


Reading your post terasa macam reminiscing of my past life without Bibik. I was without Bibik for TWO years! During which my Brood learnt how to masak nasi (and I had to replace 3-4 rice cookers after it konked out). Not to mention they learn how to do the laundry and gave me a *new* pink blouse (which was formerly white).

Oh plenty of hit and misses but it will be lots of fun!

Good luck!

Kak Ezza@makcik Blogger said...

Dear Shana...
Akak ingat lagi cerita adik ipar akak bila maid dia lari dulu n semua kerja rumah terpaksa di bantu oleh anak anak dara dia...menangis nangis bila mak dia suruh mop lantai...cuci pinggan dan kemas rumah...mereka cakap mereka tak ubah macam Cinderella...geli hati bila dengar cerita budak2 ni...
Tak pa Shana...
kadang2 bila maid tak da ni..kita akan dapat lihat pasukan anak anak kita membantu kita pulak...bila sampai masa nya nanti rasa nya mereka pun tak perlu kan maid lagi....
Hanna...masak nasi tu jangan mentah pulak...mama pun kena ajak anak anak sekali masak..kesian mama tu....tuan doktor pun boleh mop rumah ...kan!...kalau semua mama kena buat...alahai...sakit pinggang nanti...hehhehehe

Desert Rose said...

Dear kak shana, sila tabah dan sabar, hopefully after this u can open an agony clinic where i can go to when my time come okay... and do expect me frequently *tetiba sakit dadaku pikirin kalo bibik mau pulang, aku ini harus gimana *pingsannnn

MrsNordin said...

One thing good about not having a maid, you can pull in everybody to help you do the house work. Kids will help and that will teach them some sort of reponsibilities. But kena jerit dulu lah in the beginning, not easy... but you'll have a peace of mind at the end of the day.

You'll do just fine, insyaallah. Take care!

D.N.A.S said...

Kak Shana,
as for the laundry blues, beli hanger banyak2. Kalau hujan, hang the clothes in one of the rooms and turn on the fan. They will dry over night.
No need to fold the clothes, hang saja dalam wardrobe. Save some ironing time too.

Idah Balquis said...

You'll be alright Shana. It just needs some getting used to.

I've been without a live-in helper for about 10 years now. Ada yang datang seminggu sekali pun bukannya boleh harap sangat. So, I get the kids to help out with the dishes, the vacuuming, angkat baju, sidai baju, masak nasi, seterika baju sendiri, etc. We only mop once a week (or as & when needed!!! ). Now that the kids have grown sikit, kalau diaorang lapar, masak sendiri lah nasi goreng, or anything that's in the freezer.

Gambate!!!! :-)

WARISAN SRIKANDI SERVICES & CONSULTANCY said...

Dear Shana, hang in there girl..too bad that no temp maid is available now..kalau ada insyallah..you'll be the first in line....

leha

wanshana said...

Salams Bella, and Selamat Hari Raya to you, too :)

Thanks :) I hope the 2 months will just fly, too, but with the school holidays and all, I have to think of where to deposit the kids while I go to work. Pening nak fikir everyday. Either they'll have to wake up early, or I go to work late sementara nak send to their Wan's.

Yes, that Liza's spices gerai tu memang life-saver, kan? :) I just bought some blended chili padi, rendang paste, and spices for frying chicken and fish the other day. Just add meat. My kinda cooking during desperate times :)

As for Hanna...Hmmm, let's just leave it at cooking rice saja for now. I don't think she can go to the next level that soon. Hehehe!

ms hart said...

Alamak...everything here sounds sooo familiar and sooo 'near to home'!(*grin) InsyaAllah, it'll be plain sailing for everyone in your family! Good luck and HAVE FUN!;-)

wanshana said...

Kak Ezza,

Tu lah tu...Insya Allah anak-anak boleh belajar buat kerja rumah masa Dar tak de ni. Bebudak ni memang satu benda pun tak tau nak buat sendiri coz' Dar tu super efficient and buatkan semua for them! Ni nanti kalau kena kerah, mesti complain mengalahkan Cinderella rasanya...

Hmmmm...nak tunggu tuan doktor mop lantai??!! I rasa kebarangkalian I menang loteri lagi tinggi kot?! Hehehe...

wanshana said...

Salam MA :)

Thanks! I know your saga of being without a maid for 2 years! But, I think you and your brood have done a very good job indeed. Kalau I, mau masuk hospital kot?!

I know that in the next 2 months ni my blood will 'go upstairs' easily, and I'll be nagging non-stop nak menyuruh bebudak ni do their respective chores. Tambah pulak semua dok mengadap Facebook Farmville segala...

Sigh.

wanshana said...

Dear Anonymous @ 10:38a.m.,

Thanks :)

Yes, normally bila kat kampung tu memang ramai yang pandai bagi nasihat separa-profesional. I just hope she won't be subject to that, and even if she is, I hope she'll keep a level head and will come back.

She did tell me that the gaji that she has been sending home and bawak balik ni memang almost all has been/will be used for her house-repair, and none for herself or family use. That's why she wants to sambung kerja so that the next 2 years ni dia nak kumpul for her family and for her savings. I hope she means it. Insya Allah.

wanshana said...

Dear Desert Rose,

Ya, saya sedang tabah dan sabar. Sebab itu for dinner tonight I, Hasya and Hilman gi McDonalds jer :)

Ayah will be working very late tonight and Hanna's at a Kem Lasak for her school football team. So, malas nak beradun just for the three of us to eat. The frozen food in the freezer will only be de-frosted bila cukup quorum nak makan. Hehehe...

Tapi, betullah kata you - kita ni kalau tak de bibik, memang boleh pengsaaaannn... No matter how long and how well we prepare ourselves for our bibik-less status, still we will be lost without them, kan?

wanshana said...

Hi BJ,

Thanks :) I hope so, too!

Kalau anak-anak dah besar sket maybe boleh lah jugak harap to help out at home. Si yang 10 tahun and 9 tahun tu yang berat sikit. Memula memang berkobar-kobar nak tolong, last-last tengok rumah lagi semak dari sebelum they all mengemas. Lepas tu, halfway kerja dah lesap entah ke mana.

wanshana said...

Hi Idah. Thanks :)

Yes, I will try to get the kids to help out around the house, insya Allah, but I can only identify a chore that they'll be able to do well - vacuuming. That's about it.

And I don't think the younger two can sustain till they finish the chores. Sure halfway dah give up. Most of the chores, I'd probably have to finish them off or to RE-DO everything kot?

Terfikir jugak nak ambik cleaner once a week tu, but, tengoklah dulu. See how we cope first.

wanshana said...

d.n.a.s,

Thanks for the idea/tips.

Part hang baju banyak-banyak inside a room on hangers and pasang fan tu, memang boleh buat, insya Allah.

As of this morning, I dah asingkan baju-baju yang dah siap dibasuh into 3 heaps - (1) MUST be ironed, (2) NO NEED to iron, and (3)IRON only if have time :) And all 3 heaps macam have come alive la pulak...Semakin membukit :(

wanshana said...

Dear Leha,

Thanks. Kalau dapat for one month ajer pun dah kira okay, insya Allah :)

I especially need somebody to be at home with the kids and tengokkan their makan minum during cuti sekolah ni.

wanshana said...

Ms Hart,

Hi there, dear. Lama tak dengar khabar you. How's everything? Hope ok :)

Thanks! Yes, I'll have fun screaming at the kids, I think. Hehehe!

Anonymous said...

good practice for the kids. I remembered when I was 14, I had to cook not only rice but all the lauk2 for my family before going to school (afternoon school).. & I know a blogger whose daughter can bake cake at 14! so it's ok to let ur daughter learns a few things..it'll be good for her!

wanshana said...

Dear Anonymous @ 1:14a.m.,

Wow, at 14 you were already cooking for the family? Respect! I was not allowed in the kitchen at that time coz' I have 2 older sisters who would be helping my Mom in the kitchen which was not big enough for everyone to be in there. So, my Mom would just ask me to stay in my room and study/do my homework - much to my sisters' chagrin! Hehehe!

The only cooking lessons I had was when we had SRT in school - itupun once every two weeks, and very basic stuff :) Nasib baik lah reti jugak masak sekarang ni :)

Hmmm, I will probably teach the kids to prepare some simple dishes this weekend, insya Allah - including Hilman! There might not be a better time, kan? ;)

Thanks!

wanshana said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
MamaEta said...

Waduhhh...Shana..banyak nhe kerjeeee...JKalu sya pun rasa cam marathon esp bab masak pelbagai lauk untuk di 'freeze' kan!..shows...how multitasker u r..

Bertahan dear...(walupun sebenarnya bak kata pepatah berat mata membaca blog....berat lagi bahu yang menulis blog..!)hehe..

Doa moga ur ms Dar akan kembali kepangkuan..tata!

wanshana said...

Eta,

Hehehe...Thanks! Pakai redah ajer lah...No choice meehhh. Nak tak nak, kena jugak do all the chores.

I dah masuk Gear 5 dah on Sunday hari tu dengan plan nak masak lauk-pauk segala tu, tetiba gas habis (dua-dua tong pulak tu!!) My Gas supplier tu buat his rounds on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays ajer pulak tu. So, habis satu Sri Dsara I round cari kedai yang jual tong gas. Nasib baik jumpa... Kalau tak, memang potong betul!

Ni baru habis menggosok and melipat kain-baju. Nasib baik malam ni makan luar. Kureng sket fenin :)

I've decided to send all Haizal's baju and seluar kerja to the laundrette to be washed and ironed every Friday, and collect on Sunday. My baju and the kids', I can manage insya Allah. (I paling tension nak menggosok shirts kerja! Ya ampun!!!)

Mopping - I've resigned to the fact that I can probably manage to do it once a week ajer kot. Tak per lah...asalkan bermop jugak, kan? Tutup sebelah mata ajer lah...

tireless mom said...

Eeeeee... deja vu. Lama dah I have not experienced maidless in Kinrara. Be strong dear, I know you can go through this. Luck luck and luck ... go to Shana.

Anonymous said...

when I read this blog http://rozaroslan.blogspot.com/, I cried becoz I had almost similar experience as hers.. of how she took care of her smaller siblings.. but look what happen to her now... a very admirable lady.. I'm sure part of it becoz of her upbringing.. btw she is the wife of Prof Mohd Kamil of UiTM Segamat. I very much recommend U to read this blog :)

Amy said...

Mop everyday Kak Shana? *pengsan* I yg kiasu nak mop every 3 days di rumah setingkat tu pun rasa nak pengsan, ni plak ur huge house..errk.

Madam Tai Tai Again said...

Shana, I thought it is a posting about you missing Ayah or someone very dear. Rupa-rupanya Bibik Dar..

Really hope your sangkaan baik will come true and Bibik Dar will return in 2 months. Keeping my fingers crossed for you.

IBU said...

Should we expect a slimmer you 2 months down the road? kehkehkeh...

wanshana said...

Kak Yatt @ Tireless Mom,

Thanks, dearie :)

We have been too dependant on Bibiks, kan? The last 2 years had been quite smooth for me on the home-front because of Dar. Tu yang tetiba rasa haru-biru bila di balik cuti ni. She's one very efficient bibik :)

wanshana said...

Anonymous @ 12:58a.m,

Thank you for the link :) I've hopped by her blog. Very interesting blog indeed. The way she writes shows that she is a very calm and collected lady, kan?

Thanks again!

wanshana said...

Amy dear,

Yes, Bibik Dar mops the house every day. Normally after she prepares breakfast for Ayah and masukkan kain baju yang nak dibasuh in the washing machine, she would do the mopping terus - but not the whole house lah - all areas apart from the bedrooms. Tak terikut I! Mau I slipped disc kot?!!

wanshana said...

Gina @ MTT,

Thanks, dear :)

Hehehe...In a way, Bibik Dar is someone dear to us - especially to the kids (especially to Hilman who's quite attached to her) :)

Yes, we really hope and pray that she'll come back next month, insya Allah.

wanshana said...

Ibu,

Don't hold your breath...

Knowing my luck - More grey hair - most probably.

Slimmer? No chance :(