Hutang tag boleh dibayar...

Dear Naz, Dilla and Amy,

No, no, no... I have not forgotten :)

I know I owe you guys a tag. It has been long overdue - in fact since before my Bali Trip in June. So, today is hari membayar hutang...Better late than never, they say. So, this is my late payment. Hopefully you guys won't charge any interests. Hehehe! :)

But, of course, before I start, please do accept my sincere apologies for being so tardy in responding to the tags. I have no valid reasons, nor am I going to come up with excuses. So, let's just call this, a statement - Wa manyak sibuk maaaa... :) But, janji tetap janji...and I did promise that I would get down to doing it. And finally, today is the time to get down to doing it.

The tag actually comes with an Award - the Uber Amazing Blog Award. Thank you so much for thinking of me as one of the recipients, dearies. Terharu I...





The award comes with a set of rules:

First, I would have to state 5 interesting facts about the person who gave me this award:

So, I'll start with Naz :)

Those who follow her blog would agree with me if I say that -

1. Naz is one very cool mom to her gorgeous and lovely brood of three :)

2. And I think Fact #1 has a lot to do with her having a lovely Mom. I just love the way she writes about her Mom...and her writings also tell us that she's one super daughter, too :)

3. She writes from her heart, and what she writes never fail to bring laughter or smiles or tears, and sometimes all three of the above in one sitting to her readers.

4. She's VERY eloquent, and very witty, too :)

5. Even though we've never met, I know that she's a very warm person.


Dillazag's turn now :)

1. I knew Dilla through her blog, and we've met a couple of times (I think? :)) at our Srikandi functions. Yes - a fellow STFian, but, she's much, much, much younger than me. I think I already had Hanna when she just sat for her SPM kot? ;) (Aduh...terasa tua saya! Hehehe!)

2. She's one super mom! And this is especially evident when her poor darlings fall sick. She's like on the Super Bunny Energizer batteries 24/7 :) And Dilla, I read about Khaleeq. I hope it's nothing serious, and my do'a that he'll be up and about, being his normal healthy self soon, insya Allah. Amin.

3. Dilla's one stylo-lady. I love looking at her photos when she dresses up for functions, etc. Ada kelesssss ;)

4. And she's one workaholic, and a go-getter, too! (and please take this in a positive way, okay? ;)

5. I can see from her writings and comments that she's a very bubbly person :)


Amy pulak :) -

1. I also knew Amy from her blog on which she writes about her daily happenings and her loved ones. She comes across as a bubbly person, and at the same time, very soft-hearted.

2. She's a loving wife to Zul, a.k.a as her "B", and I have to tabik spring to both of them as the nature of Zul's work means that some nights he has to be away from home, and sometimes they barely get to see each other. But, I think that is one of the reasons why they are such a loving couple :) She's very manja with her "B", and I think that is so sweet :)

3. And Amy also has an amazing relationship with her parents. I smiled when I read about how her Mama and Abah were there, helping her with her new house and all. And I felt for her when she felt so sad to finally move out of her parents' to live in her new home. To Amy, it's okay, dear... They're just a tinkle away :)

4. I see Amy as a very baik-hati girl, and even though we've never met, I feel that she's someone who'll do anything for her friends.

5. And I think Amy ni suka ketawa. And I like that in a person :) And another thing, somehow I rasa Amy ni has a very good singing voice. Betul tak, Amy?

So, that was the first rule.

The second rule - each blogger must mention 10 facts about themselves or their hobbies before choosing the next recipients:

1. I've always been mistaken for a Kelantanese. I guess because my name starts with "Wan". However, the fact is - my arwah grandma from my Abah's side was an Anak Mami Tanjung, while my arwah grandfather asal Taiping (Larut/Bukit Gantang to be exact) and hailed from Acheh. I never got to meet them as both passed away when my Abah was just 12. While on my Mom's side, my arwah grandfather was a Mendailing, while my arwah grandma was from the Arab lineage. And just my luck, my siblings all have noses from the Tanjung and Arab lineages, while yours truly got the Mendailing and Acheh nose...Hehehe!

2. I had my first uban at the age of 11. And it wasn't just 1 or 2 strands, okay? They came in hundreds! And now, my boy Hilman is having his first hundreds of uban at the age of 9.

3. I had my first pimple at the age of 19, and I thought my world would end that day. Hehehe! And I bought my first facial regime set right after the first zit showed, and I've been loyal to that brand until now :)

4. I love buying shoes. And I love buying handbags to go with the shoes :)

5. I'm not into jewelleries. I mean, I don't really go out to choose and buy jewelleries for myself. The only jewelleries I have are my wedding hantaran, and the three cincins (merisik, bertunang and kahwin). I was given a bracelet by my MIL for my 31st birthday, and Ayah gave me a pendant for Hari Raya 5 years ago. Few times Ayah had wanted to get jewelleries for me, but, everytime I would say, "Thank you, but, it's okay. No." (Sungguh beruntung suamiku ini... Mana nak dapat bini yang akan tolak bling-bling, kan?! Hahaha!)

6. I never cooked until I was 18 (not including my cooking lessons in SRT that is). I was never allowed to go into the kitchen every time I went back home for the school holidays. Reason being, I have two older sisters and the kitchen was just not big enough for the three of us (four if we were to include our Mom). Hehehe... However, thrown at the deep end when I did my A-Levels in Cardiff, and sharing a house with my 2 seniors, we had to take turns to cook dinner. So, that meant we had to cook every 3 days. Pandai pun sebenarnya... Hehehe!

7. I rarely wear Baju Kurung to work. The only time I do would be when there's a function at the Faculty or at the Uni level. My normal choice would be pants/long-skirts with matching tops and tudung (and of course - shoes and handbags ;)) The only times I wear Baju Kurung would be during Hari Raya, and of course during khenduri khendara. (So, Naz...I'm not a Wanita Melayu Terakhir material, okay? ;))

8. Being in an all-girls boarding school back in 1981-85, whenever there were dance and drama competitions, I would always be dancing/acting the parts meant for boys/guys. (So, again Naz - WMT I'm not...Hahaha!)

9. My favourite food would be everything Masakan Kampung. Unfortunately, I don't get to cook them at home as Ayah and the kids are so not into it! So, I'll make sure that my lunch at work would be a feast of just that - Masakan Kampung. Amongst my favourites include Sembilang Balado, Kemahang Masak Pindang, Gulai Nangka, Chili Padi Rebung, Patin Masak Tempoyak, Masak Lemak Chili Padi Pucuk Ubi, Sambal Tempoyak, Ulam Tempoyak, Kerabu Taugeh+Kerang. Need I say more?!

10. And Wanita Melayu Terakhir I'm not again, Naz, because I'm quite a rocker at heart. I just so love Bon Jovi and Def Leppard, and I'm now into Green Day, My Chemical Romance and All American Rejects. And Black Eyed Peas. Shoot me.


So there... 10 facts about me. Done :)

For the third rule, I was supposed to choose 10 recipients and describe them. But, memandangkan this Award and tag has been around for quite some time, and almost everybody has deservedly received it from other fellow bloggers, I guess this Award stops here lah ya? So sorry...

For the fourth rule - I have to inform those whom I have given the award to, but in this case - tak ada. So, I'm going to inform Naz, Dilla and Amy that I've done the tag coz' I'm sure they have probably forgotten about it! This I will do after this.

And finally, for the fifth rule - I'm supposed to paste the Award to my sidebar. Hmmmmm...Nanti when I have figured it out how to do it, you'll get to see lah the award kat tepi tu, okay? ;) If the Award is not there, itu maknanya I still tengah terkial-kial nak figure out how to do it lah tu...

Cheers, you all.

Have a good week ahead! :)

All about Ayah...

Well, almost :)

I've been tagged by MrsNordin on facts about my husband. I was supposed to do it last week, but sibuk memanjang. Sorry, BJ :)

Today is the perfect time to do it because I'm missing Ayah terribly. He's in Beijing and is only coming home tomorrow afternoon. No better way to nurse this 'pang' than writing about him, kan? ;)

So, here goes -


1) He’s sitting in front of the TV, what is on the screen?

EPL - when Liverpool and/or Newcastle is playing. He only watches Man U matches hoping to see them lose :)

Rugby Union (6 Nations mainly)

Badminton (only if Malaysian players are in action)

Tennis


2) You’re out to eat; what kind of dressing does he get on his salad?

Thousand Island, and Chili Sauce (Lingham preferably!) Boleh?!


3) What’s one food he doesn’t like?

Petai :)


4) You go out to eat and have a drink. What does he order?

Food ~ depending on the restaurant, it could be one of these : T-Bone Steak, Nasi Goreng USA, Nasi Ayam, Nasi Goreng Kambing, Roti Telur :)

Drinks ~ Apple Juice, Air Kelapa, Ice Lemon Tea, RO Water. He NEVER orders hot drinks.


5) Where did he go to high school?

MCKK - Kesian kat dia, kan?


6) What size shoes does he wear?

7 or 8 - depending on the cutting.


7) If he was to collect anything, what would it be?

Football jerseys (except Man U's!)


8) What is his favorite type of sandwich?

Anything with chicken in it.


9) What would this person eat every day if he could?

Nasi Goreng USA :)


10) What is his favorite cereal?

Frosties :)


11) What would he never wear?

Man U's Jersey :)


12) What is his favorite sports team?

Football - whoever playing against Man U and beating them! Hehehe! He supports Liverpool and Newcastle United :) (So, he's not really a happy man this season) :(

Rugby - England!!! Yeay!!!


13) Who did he vote for?

BN


14) Who is his best friend?

Me :)


15. What is something you do that he wishes you wouldn’t do?

Procrastinate :)


16. What is his heritage?

Oghang Nogoghi. Ghombau to be exact, on his Mom's side :)

Oghang Peghak. Teluk Intan, on his Arwah Father's side :)


17. What is his favourite colour?

Anything that I choose for him :)


18. What is his habit?

Shaking his feet before he sleeps. Once they stop shaking, I know that he's asleep :)


19. What is he proud of?

His children and his parents :)


20. Lastly, do you think he will read this?

Definitely :) He's my #1 fan...Hehehe!


So, Ayah...Markah penuh?! ;)


And I hereby tag -

Ibu (Woiii!!! Buku 555 you dah melimpah-limpah woiii!!!)

MrsA

Amy

Kak Puteri

Kak Teh

Azian

Anom

Kat

(Dan semua yang mengenali diri saya...Chewaaahhh!! Hahaha!)

Thank you, you all :)

More prestigious than the Oscars...

BJ a.k.a MrsNordin and Kak Yati Samad, somehow or rather had thought of me as one of those who deserve the The Mom of the Year Award. I'm touched and thrilled of course, but, I know so many mothers out there who deserve this more than I do. But, kecil tapak tangan, nyiru saya tadahkan. Hehehe! Thank you, thank you :)

The recipients of this award would have to come up with an acceptance speech/posting (chewaaahhh!) which must include the following -

1. Admit one thing you feel awful about (involving being a mom)

I feel awful for not being a fulltime Mom to my kids. How I wished I could just drop everything when they need me, especially when they're sick, when they need me to drive them around and chaperone them for anything, anytime, anywhere. I just feel I don't spend enough time with them now - in their "growing pains" years.


2. List 7 things you love about your kids, you love doing with your kids, or that your kids love about you.

I say...7 things only kaaaa?! Hmmmm...manyak susah ini macam. But here goes (in no particular order)

(i) I love spending time with my kids, and chit-chatting with them, especially in the car when I send or fetch them to or from their schools/1001 lessons :)and I love to go shopping with them (when we would normally argue on our choices of clothes and stuff to buy, but almost always end up with them getting their way anyway...Hehehe!)

(ii) I love that they never fail to amaze and amuse me with their totally different personalities and characters :)

(iii) I love it when they say their "pleases" and "thank yous", and when they would call me at work just to ask my permission first if they can eat the chocolates/tidbits/sweets/crisps/Maggi/snacks and the likes in the fridge/pantry at home.

(iv) I love it when they compliment my cooking and say that it's better than the food we have when we eat out :)

(v) I love it when they take turns to give me foot and body massage (no need to go to the spa maaaa...)

(vi) I love organizing parties and outings and sleep-overs for my kids and their friends (when I have time on my side, that is)

(vii) I love cooking for them. Unfortunately I don't bake. I think I will get a decent oven for the new house so that I can learn how to bake cookies and cupcakes, especially, and can spend time messing up the kitchen with them (as long as I have a maid to clear and clean everything after that, that is. Hehehe!)

3. Send this to 5 other moms of the year that deserve a reminder that they too are the best moms that they can be.

There are so many mothers out there who deserve this award, but for now, I'm bestowing it to these five wonderful ladies -

Ibu
Ja (Dalam Dakapan Ibu)
Jabishah
Myheartbleeds
Azian

They are truly wonderful moms, because they have truly wonderful kids :)

Cheers, y'all :)

Thanks!

16 random facts about wanshana...

I've been tagged by Hanna. Has been since Sunday. And she has been pestering me to get on with it. Since Sunday.

So, here I am doing the tag. On Wednesday. Sorry, dear. Mommy have been pretty tied up with stuff.

Directions: Once you’ve been tagged, you have to write a blog/Facebook note with 16 random things, facts, habits or goals about you. At the end choose 16 people to be tagged, listing their names and why you chose them. Don’t forget to leave them a comment or tag them in your note to read this.


Here goes -

1. I am a hoarder. I just spent the last one week clearing the top-floor room and threw away/gave away/hoard again some of the stuff which I had been hoarding in our top-floor bedroom (which has been serving as a store-room all these years). I swear everything amounted to nearly 10 tonnes (8 tonnes of which, I decided to hoard again. Just in case.)

2. I'm a furniture-shifter. Yup. That kind. The kind who arranges and re-arranges the furniture in the house (and the office) every 2 months or so (like I have all the time in the world, kan?) But, being a pro at shifting stuff, I only need 1-2 hours to get everything re-done. Sometimes, after everything had been shifted, I realized that it was back to square one. Hampehh...

3. I had my first grey hair/uban at the age of 11. Some say it was because I have such a long name and diri tak larat nak bawak the name. Strange, because all my siblings and cousins on my Abah's side have very long names, too. Some even longer than mine. Hitam berkilat ajer their hair, even until now (or maybe they started dyeing their hair since they were 10 without me knowing it? Hmmmm...?) Anyway, another explanation for the white hair - simple (and more logical) - I'm a genius.

4. I've NEVER done facials all my life. Not even once. Okay, maybe once - a week before my akad nikah way back in 1994. Itupun sebab it came with the Mak Andam package from Su*er* Ji*gg*.

5. I've been using this particular brand of facial and skin care since I was 19. And I'm now 40. Very loyal I tell you. Must ask for "LOyalty" payment (if I cannot get "ROyalty" payment) from them.

6. I only weigh myself when I have my contact lenses on, fearing that the weight of my Bu*be*ry glasses would add on the unwelcomed grammes to the reading. I know. Pathetic.

7. I cook mean Lamb Chops, Chicken Rice, Szechuan Chicken (or my kids call it "Ayam Hotel"), Briayani, Ayam Halia, Mee Rebus, Laksa Asam and Char Kuey Teow (according to my kids and Ayah lah kan? Coz' they have no choice but to eat my cooking!) That brings us to the next -

8. I only allow Dar (our helper) to prepare/cook breakfast (coz' I malas nak bangun too early in the morning!). The rest of the meals for the family, I cook myself.

9. I can only drive wearing Cl*rks slippers/springers. Only lately, I started to also drive wearing my Hu*h Pu*pi*s. Wearing other shoes makes me feel like I'm still holding the "L" licence. Don't ask me why.

10. I love listening to the songs my kids listen to when I'm driving. I have no choice really. Those songs are the only songs I have the chance to listen to in the car because the kids will be with me MOST of the times when I'm driving.

11. And when I DO have the time alone in the car, I would be listening to all the Indonesian bands - Ungu, Dewa, Letto, Nidji, Samson, etc. Malaysian singers - errrr, ada ke Malaysian singers worth listening to? If ada, please let me know, and I'll try to start listening to them, too. Thank you.

12. I think Daniel Craig is HOT (but, errr...then again, I think Ayah is hot, too! So how? ;))

13. I don't know how to swim. And I don't think I'll ever learn how to. Hydro-phobic giler...A few times when we went snorkelling on family holidays, I was holding to the boat the WHOLE time, okay? Baik tak payah ikut gi snorkelling, kan?!

14. I love going to Karaoke with my MT and their spouses. But, I don't sing. I mime. I don't feel guilty for not making a fool of myself croaking at Re* Bo*. I leave that to my MT friends... HAHAHAHA! But, seriously, my MT friends are all really good singers. That's the only thing we don't have in common :). Anyway, my lacking in the singing department is overly compensated by Ayah's excellent singing "prowesses". When he belts out all the Bee Gees numbers, aiiyyyoooooo! cannot tahaaaannnn...

15. When I'm angry, I keep VERY quiet. When I'm VERY angry, then you'll start hearing all the bangings of the drawers, cupboard doors and pintu-pintu yang sewaktu dengannya. I'm quite a quiet person. Must live up to the reputation. So, I just let all the pintus do the talking :)

16. I've been described as a very 'sopan-santun' person...(HAHAHAHA!!! And I tergelak besar whenever I hear this!) Hmmmmm....must start living up to people's expectation macam ni. Tomorrow I'm enrolling myself into Kelas Perempuan Melayu Terakhir.

So, there - 16 random facts about Wanshana.

I now tag all the lovely Makcik Bloggers who attended the Sure Heboh High-Tea at Concorde that day because hari tu tak sempat betul-betul get to know each other.

My 16 taggees are as follows -

1. MrsNordin
2. Madam Tai Tai
3. Kak Ezza
4. Zaitgha
5. MsHart
6. Superwomanwannabe
7. Ummi365
8. The Principal
9. Kay
10. Tireless Mom
11. Busybody
12. Bella
13. and of course - IBU! :)

I cannot just stop at 13 or even 16, so, I'm also tagging those who were not able to be there with us that day but were on our minds throughout the gathering -

14. Waterlily
15. Myheartbleeds
16. Jabishah
17. Ja
18. Kak Teh
19. Mak Andeh


Can aaaarrrr??! Hope you guys will oblige, please, please, pretty please?

And this is a good enough reason for Busybody and Bella to start their own blogs, non?!

Cheers! And thank you :)

I'm in a "Tagged" Mode...

Hmmmm....Whaddaya know? I've been tagged by the self-confessed tag-whore himself (Hahaha!). Thank you (?!), Kerp... (sarcasm...sarcasm...Hehehe!)

It looked quite simple and straightforward at first glance. That was until you really want to sit down and come up with the whole list. My problem was - either there were too many to choose from OR I couldn't think of anything at all to put in some of the lists. Not even one! So, what I did was - spent about 45 minutes in the car last night to scribble down everything while waiting for Hanna to finish her tuition class.

So, here goes -

8 things I'm passionate about -

1. Family - nothing beats this.
2. My kids' studies - not sure if "passionate" is the right word here. Maybe "kiasu"?!
3. Cooking - strictly main dishes or savoury side dishes. NO BAKING. I'm totally hopeless when it comes to baking.
4. Helping those who need help - in whatever way termampu.
5. Shopping - need I say more?
6. Managing the family's account/budget - I do this religiously. I come up with the budget on the day our salaries are in; mid-month to check if we're on track; and a day before our next pay comes in, so that whatever is left will be transferred to our savings accounts.
7. Small SUVs/4WDs - don't ask me why :)
8. Clarks, Scholl and Hush Puppies shoes - I don't go for all the Ferragamos, Jimmy Choos, and the likes. I go for comfort and practicality (plus I can't afford the latter...Hahaha!)


8 Things I want to do before I die -

1. Perform the Hajj with Ayah and the kids, insya Allah.
2. Travel the world with the family, insya Allah.
3. See all my kids get married, insya Allah.
4. Timang cucu. At least one cucu from each kid. Insya Allah.
6. Own a Jag. Insya Allah. (Ayah, hope you're taking note of this. Hehehe!)
7. Author a few books - academic and non-academic. Insya Allah.
8. Own a weekend retreat somewhere with a small stream running through the grounds. Either that or a house by the beach. Insya Allah.

(Waduuhhhh...high maintenance jugak I ni, eh?!)


8 things I say often -

1. I love you.
2. I miss/missed/will miss you.
3. Thank you.
4. Please.
5. It's okay.
6. What are our plans for today?
7. Now, which part of XYZ didn't you understand?!! (Ni beli marah anak-anak la ni...)
8. BANGANG!!! (EXCLUSIVELY uttered when I'm driving. Specially dedicated to those who do not indicate when they want to change lanes or make a turn and suddenly just swerve in in front of me like jalan datuk dia AND to those who do not give way when I have already flashed the indicator lights to change lanes or make a turn! Memang bangang!!!)


8 books I’ve recently read -

Hmmmm...this is a bit tricky. I've started parallel reading a few, and have not finished some. And some books that I read are work-related and I have to be selective in reading only the parts that I need. Do they count? Well, this is my blog. I can list whatever I want I guess. Hehehe.

1. GuiT - by Awang Goneng
2. The 5 Love Languages of Children - Gary Chapman and Ross Campbell
3. Environmental and Natural Resources Economics - Tom Tietenberg (I know - BORING...)
4. Energy Future - Robert Stobaugh and Daniel Yergin (Say what?!!!)
5. The Political Economy of International Relations - Robert Gilpin (Gila ke aper Minah ni?!!!)
6. Human Rights Horizons - Richard Falk (dipaksa-rela to read...)
7. Regulatory Barriers and the Principles of Non-Discrimination in World Trade - Thomas Cottier and Petros Mavroidis (A really good book actually)
8. Weakness of Faith - Muhammad Salih Al-Munajjad


8 songs I could listen to over and over again -

Now, this is even trickier. Do you mean songs that are forced down my ears because I didn't have any choice but to listen to them because my kids rule when it comes to selecting the radio frequencies and the CDs we listen to in the car? OR songs which will not run their expiry dates for me? I've listed those who fall under both categories here because some of them memang lagu anak-anak yang Mommy dioghang pun crazy about, tapi malu nak mengaku sebenarnya. Hehehe!

1. Faithfully - Journey
2. Tears in Heaven - Eric Clapton
3. A Better Man - Robbie Williams
4. With or Without You - U2
5. I Don't Love You - My Chemical Romance
6. When September Ends - Green Day
7. Keep Your Hands Off My Girl - Good Charlotte
8. Forever Young - Alphaville

No Britney or Miss Hilton, please!!!


8 things that attract me to my best friends -

1. Same wavelength
2. Trustworthy secret-keepers.
3. Great sense of humour
4. Can engage themselves in a nonsensical-out-of-this-world topic one minute, and in a serious discussion the next. Precious.
5. Don't bad-mouth others.
6. They make me feel comfortable being with them even if I was in my worn, tattered jammies?!
7. Common passion for letting off steam with croaking...
8. Generous and tidak berkira - not on me in particular, okay? But, generally a generous person.

So, there you go. And I'm now tagging -

IBU - Weiii...high time to hapdet!
MURNI - I know you're a sport, dear.
ETAMY - Hey, you need something to take your mind off your daughters at boarding school.
MRSNORDIN - This is fun, maaaa!!!

AND hey...I feel like tagging AYAH, too - you can use my blog, my dear.

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...

Tagged - WSR Version 5.0...

I've been tagged by Mamamia (and I only knew about it two days ago because I had not had the chance to open my blog for the last 10 days or so before that! Sorry, Mamamia...) I had been pretty busy with stuff. Insya Allah, if time permits I will post an entry on the happenings.



5 things in my handbag/bag - hmmmm...that's a tricky one - to pick five out of 1001 stuff in there! I guess I'll just put in the 5 things I can never leave home without :


My purse
My handphone
My basic make up of loose powder and lipstick
My cheque books
My Equal sweetener



5 things in my purse :

Cash
Credit card
Mykad
Driving license
Membership cards segala macam



5 favourite things in my favourite room - which is our living room in SD :


TV/ASTRO
Air Cond
OSIM I-Squeeze
Family photos
My 3-seater sofa


5 things I would like/love to do :

Perform Haj with the whole family (just like Mamamia!)
Round the world with the whole family (also just like Mamamia!)
Retire at the age of 46, and become a full-time Mommy
Renovate, decorate and furnish our new house by February 2008
To move into our new house by March 2008 (before Ayah's birthday!)


5 things I'm currently doing :


Praying that Hanna will get 5As for her UPSR ... insya Allah
Writing up my thesis
Writing this entry
Working on renovation plan for our new house
Organizing Hilman's birthday party (have to make it slightly grand this year because he will not be having birthday parties for the next 2-3 years as his birthdays will fall in the month of Ramadhan until 2010! By the time he's 11, he might not want to have birthday parties anymore!)

So, that's done - WSR Version 5.0!

Hmmmm.... I think I will now tag -


Ibu

Nuraina Samad

Minah Celoteh

Dad of Four

DNAS



Wassalam...

Tagged - for a worthy cause...

I first got tagged for this worthy meme about two weeks ago by Mamamia , and again yesterday by Nuraina Samad (K.Ena) - and I said to myself, "Hmmmm....I'd better work on it soon before somebody else tags me to do the same tag! It IS a tag with a very noble cause, and it would look bad (on me!) if I don't do it soon! (In case you guys didn't know, my middle name is "Procrastinate", by the way). Hehehe... Thank you Mamamia and K.Ena for including me as one of the taggees in this wonderful tag.



This tag was initiated by Idham who has pledged RM127 for every blogger tagged up until August 26 - his birthday, and he was aiming to get at least 100 taggees by then. The money would be given to the Darul Izzah Orphanage in Bangi. The date has however been brought forward to the end of July 2007 (as the planned visit to the Orphanage has been rescheduled to 11th August 2007 on the request of the trustees to the beneficiary), and I visited Idham's blog today and by the look of things, the number of taggees has way exceeded the original target! Syabas Saudara Idham. Semoga usaha mulia saudara diberkati Allah swt, insya Allah. Aamin.

So, the rules of the tag are as follows -

All taggees have to do is to complete at least 17 of the 27 sentences below and then tag as many people as you wish by leaving a comment in their blogs about the tag, and also tell Idham about it.

So here goes - the ins and outs of me, myself and I. These are what I think, feel and hope - for everybody to read. Feels like I'm being stripped bare here, but it IS for charity...

1. A person is only as good as ...his conscience.

2. Friendship is always ... about feeling comfortable even if you are in your tattered pyjamas.

3. To love is to ... make the one(s) you love happier than you are.

4. Money makes me ... think of those who are less privileged, and thank Allah swt for His rizq.

5. I miss ... being a Size 10!

6. My way of saying I care is by ... being there with my loved ones.

7. I try to spread love and happiness by... loving and being happy with my life.

8. Pick the flowers when ... you need colours to brighten up someone's life.

9. To love someone is to ... accept him unconditionally as he is.

10. Beauty is ... what is in your heart.

11. When I was thirteen, what I remember the most was ... starting life at a boarding school.

12. When I was twenty one, I remember...being very much in love.

13. I am most happy when ... I don't have anything to distract me away from my family.

14. Nothing makes me happier than ... seeing my kids happy.

15. If I can change one thing, I will change ... the way wealth is distributed around the world.

16. If smiles were ...money...then...all the smiley and happy people (and those whom they smile to!) will be filthy rich!

17. Wouldn't it be nice if we could ... make everybody happy with his/her life.

18. If you want to ....lose weight... then you have to ....do it yourself, for yourself!

19. Money is not everything but ... it sure goes a long way to ease a lot of worries.

20. The most touching moment I have experienced was ... the moment Ayah lafaz the akad nikah and I became his lawfully wedded wife.

21. I smile when ... I think of all the cute and frank remarks made by my kids.

22. When I am happy, I ... laugh a lot!

23. If only I don't have to ....work.. then...I can spend more time with my kids.

24. The best thing I did yesterday was ... successfully performed the last day of my 7-day Puasa Nazar. Syukur alhamdulillah...

25. If I ever write a book, I will give it this title ..."The Life That Was, Is and Will Be", or "Very Married, with Kids".

26. One thing I must do before I die is ... see all my kids get married and have their own family. (Errrr...that's more than "one" thing!)

27. Doing this meme, I feel like ... I'm liberated!

THERE!

And now, I tag DNAS and Spain. Tag away guys!

Tagged! My three "HS"s...

This is LOOOOOONNNGGG overdue!

I was tagged by Minah Celoteh earlier this month and had not been able to really sit down and come up with a proper and decent clear head to work on it until today. Sorry Minah! Wa manyak sibuk...

So, today - after more than three weeks, here goes ...

Details of the TAG are as follows -

PROPOSITION : What is the meaning of your kid'(s) name(s)?

REQUIREMENTS : Write about what or how or why you gave the name(s) to your kid(s).

QUANTITY: 5 people

TAG MODE: Firstly you leave their blog and post link and add to the list below;
and secondly you let the blogger you want to tag know that he/she has been tagged by commenting in his/her blog or etc.

The line of bloggers tagged :

msau the meaning of SQ and Kiki

shopping mum the meaning of Justin and Isabelle

Judy Chow Terry

Shannon Rachel

Samm Gordon and Malcolm

Sasha lil J

Mott 2 Monkeys

Fatty Poh's Fatty Boy

Kd NAMI & MIMI

D Abg Z Abg H Princess & Litle D

DadofFour Siti Khadijah, Muhammad Yusof, Siti Kauthar, Muhammad Ibraheem and Muhammad Umar

Minah Celoteh Big Q & small q

And yours truly - Wanshana : Hanna Suhaila, Hasya Sofea and Hilman Syauqi

How did we come up with the names for our kids? Well, both Ayah and I came to an agreement that our kids should have two names. The first name should start with the letter "H" (following Ayah's name) and they should have a second name starting with the letter "S" (following my name) - fair and square, what??! That was the easy part. The hardest part was going through hundreds of names beginning with "H" and "S" everytime I got pregnant, and reaching an agreement with Ayah on the final names! (But, I seem to remember having the final say in it..Hehehe...)

Anyway, EVERYTIME I was pregnant, we had TWO names on standby. One for a boy, and one for a girl.

When I was pregnant with our first baby, we decided that if it was a girl, we would name her "Hanna Suhaila" (Happiness/Keriangan and Softness/Kelembutan), and if it was a boy, it would be "Hilman Syauqi" (Courteous/Kesopanan and Kerinduan). Hanna Suhaila came into the world on 17 November 1995.

My third pregnancy (I lost my second baby through a miscarriage in 1997) - we still kept the name "Hilman Syauqi" if it was a boy, and we decided on "Hasya Sofea" (Perfection/Kesempurnaan and Pure/Suci) if it was a girl. Hasya Sofea was born on 8 April 1999.

The last pregnancy (so far!), we also had two names on standby (the girl's name would not be revealed here - in case I may need it in the near future! Hehehe!), and after nearly 5 years keeping the boy's name, we had the chance to finally use it when Hilman Syauqi was born on 10 September 2000!

And I think, in many ways - our kids' names do reflect their personalities!

So, I hereby tag Ibu, Murni, Yeop, Mamamia and Dillazag.

Tag away guys!

Wassalam...