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.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Saturday, November 21, 2009
This and that, and everything in between...
"Hmmmmm....I can't remember when was the last weekend I was NOT busy..."
Ayah suddenly said to me last night while organizing his notebook before he started working on his presentation. He has to prepare 3 powerpoint presentations for a couple of seminars today it seems. Truth be told, I've lost track of how many talks he has to give nowadays.
I went quiet. Or rather, I let out a small "Hmmmm..." before I made my way to the kitchen. In my heart, I was saying, "I hope you also realized that that means it has been that many weekends that we had not had a real family time..."
For the last 4-5 weekends, Ayah had been pretty busy with stuff. If it was not this, it would be that. Vise versa. You know what I mean? He had been busy preparing for talks held nearly every weekend at different venues and function/seminars. At the same time, he had been bogged down with deadlines to meet for his weekly article with MM. And he also had to go to Kuching for a few days last week to attend a Course, after which, when he came back, he was tied down with his Primary School Alumni Dinner on Sunday. All that ON TOP of his usual clinical/hospital routines which always see him coming home way after 10:00p.m every night.
He has been working/attending seminars/giving talks/attending courses over the last few Saturdays AND Sundays, and so, I had been attending to the kids' weekend routines/schedule. At least I had the kids with me almost all the time. That's a good thing, I guess. But, sometimes I do need him at home with me, just to talk. One to one. Without any distractions. Definitely NOT while he's busy working on his notebook. Sometimes I feel that he always could MAKE time for other stuff, but not for us... (Don't mind me. Tengah melayan perasaan...)
Anyway, just thought I'd get THAT out of my system.
Now, on to other things, shall we? :)
We went to Hilman and Hasya's Hari Anugerah Kecemerlangan last Tuesday. I stayed on until the end, while Ayah had to leave right after both kids had received their awards. Hasya received an award for getting No. 2 in her class, while Hilman received two awards - one for getting No. 3 in class, and another one for getting 5A's :) Syukur alhamdulillah.
Their school starts streaming the pupils when they are in Standard 4, and insya Allah both of them will be placed in one of the top classes. That means fiercer competition for Hilman, while Hasya will probably have to face another set of children of kiasu parents... Hehehe! Oh ya, Hasya has been selected to become a prefect next year. More responsibilities for her, and I hope that will mean she'll learn how to manage her time better.
On Tuesday night, we had a small birthday do for Hanna's 14th Birthday. Her Aunty Adek cooked Roast Chicken a la Jamie Oliver, Some Yummy Baked Potatoes, and Tagliatelle with Meatballs and Cream Sauce. It was just among Ayah's side of the family. I can't believe my Hanna is already 14...And next year she'll be sitting for her PMR! Yikes!
That Tuesday, too, Hilman started to develop some rash on his hands, feet/legs, and ulcers in his mouth. The first thing that came to my mind was Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease. But a visit to the doctor told us that it was not. He is not within the usual age group to get HFM, and the rashes on his hands and feet were not on his palms or soles, but rather, around his wrists, elbows and ankles, and on his groins and bu*t, and a few here and there on his body - which are atypical of HFM. He didn't have any fever, and the rashes were more like chicken-pox blisters. We were told that it was from the same family - chicken-pox, cold sores and shingles, and as contagious. We suspect that he may have contracted it at a birthday party he attended at Ki*s Zo*e on Sunday.
So, Hilman had to be quarantined. Poor baby :( He has been in his room for the last 3 days - well equipped with his PS2 and DVD Player. But, I think he misses his ASTRO. Ayah said he could only be de-quarantined tomorrow. Until then, he's only allowed to leave his room when he needs to go to the loo and take his shower. I have been applying Zovirax cream on his blisters over the last few days, and they look like they're healing. Thank God. I was quite worried that they would leave scars because Hilman is so puteh melepak!
I had bought him De*to* anti-bacterial shower gel, and De*to* anti-bacterial spray for him to spray all surfaces he touches in the bathroom/toilet. And I've also asked Dar to soak all his clothes and towels in De*to* solution before washing them in the washing machine. Of course - separately from the rest of the washing. Tomorrow will be his beddings pulak. You can never be too sure, kan? Hehehe! (Teruknya Mommy dia ni...Anyway, I have to make sure his kakaks don't get it, too, right?)
I think Hasya misses his brother. Every now and then she would pass his room and shout out, "HI, HILMAN!!!" before going up to her room or downstairs to the Study or Living Room. To which Hilman would reply back, "HI, KAK NGAH!!" from behind the door. Sedih lah pulak I tengok :( Tak per...soon he'll be okay to play with his Kak Ngah, insya Allah.
The thing about the rashes - Hilman had to miss his Class Party on Thursday, and I knew he was quite sad because he was really looking forward to it. Siap dah suruh and ingatkan his Makcik Dar to goreng Ayamas Hot & Spicy Chicken for the party since last week! Kesian dia... He also had to withdraw from a swimming competition which he was supposed to enter today. He had registered for the 25m freestyle event. I had to withdraw Hasya from the competition, too, when it just so happened that it's that time when she cannot go into the pool. She was supposed to race in the 25m freestyle and breast-stroke events. It is a pity because it would have been their first experience competing in a race. It's just not meant to be. Tak per lah...insya Allah next year.
And yes, of course - the school holidays are finally here...and I'm not sure how I feel about it.
For one, Bibik Dar will be going back to Indonesia for a 2-month holiday and her flight is on 29th November - next Sunday, and I have yet to find a temporary maid. I have stocked up my pantry with all sorts of instant meals/mixtures, just in case I would not have the time to prepare all the nitty gritty ingredients to cook a proper meal. Thank God for Maggi mixtures for Kicap Berempah, Tandoori, Ayam Madu, Asam Pedas and the likes. Having said that, I have also bought all the bawangs, halia, and chilli kering for Dar to blend and keep in the fridge for my convenience during her absence. Should all of the above finish mid-way through Dar's holiday, I will have to resort to the Nyonya in Pasar Taman Tun who prepares all blended stuffs under the sun, including all ready-made pastes. Just add Ayam/Daging/Ikan saja (and santan if necessary :)).
Either that, or Nasi Kandar Se*ap will be very rich at the end of the two months...
The pantry is also full to the brim with all kinds of snacks and light food for the kids, and all sorts of 3-in-1 stuffs. You'll find canned and packet (powdered) soups, all sorts of canned tuna, pre-mix pasta sauces, UHT Milk, Cordials, crisps, etc. You just name it, you'll probaly find it in our pantry :) The fridge is also packed with all kinds of sausages, nuggets, drummets, and ice creams. Not forgetting the full list of protein sources. Cuti sekolah ni memang grocery bill and utility bills melambung tinggi... Kids asyik bukak fridge, and search for food. And they would switch on the airconds and laptops 24/7. Same old same old...
I'm thinking of having my Mommy to stay with us and be with the kids while I'm at work over the holidays - not to take care of them, but, just to be with them. Hanna is old enough to be given the task of re-heating the meals and setting/clearing the tables and washing the dishes with Hasya (but, I will have to brace myself for a few reports of broken glasses and dishes here and there, I guess). And I might just send the kids to my Sis Lala for a few sleepovers here and there over the holidays.
We have not planned to go anywhere this time as Ayah will not be able to get away from work, and me myself will be cracking my head with a few deadlines. Anyway, we already had that Bali trip in June. That should fulfill our overseas holiday ration for the year :) We might just follow Ayah who's attending a conference some time in December for a few days, insya Allah. Just to get away from KL sekejap. Cuti-cuti Malaysia :)
I just hope Ayah will not be that busy over the next few weekends during the school holidays ni. Kesian the kids...and their Mommy, too, for that matter :(
Will update you guys on that :)
In the meantime, to all mothers out there - GOOD LUCK FOR THE SCHOOL HOLIDAYS, Y'ALL :)
* Click below for some photos from last week :)
Facebook | Your Photos - Last Week Before School Holidays 2009
Ayah suddenly said to me last night while organizing his notebook before he started working on his presentation. He has to prepare 3 powerpoint presentations for a couple of seminars today it seems. Truth be told, I've lost track of how many talks he has to give nowadays.
I went quiet. Or rather, I let out a small "Hmmmm..." before I made my way to the kitchen. In my heart, I was saying, "I hope you also realized that that means it has been that many weekends that we had not had a real family time..."
For the last 4-5 weekends, Ayah had been pretty busy with stuff. If it was not this, it would be that. Vise versa. You know what I mean? He had been busy preparing for talks held nearly every weekend at different venues and function/seminars. At the same time, he had been bogged down with deadlines to meet for his weekly article with MM. And he also had to go to Kuching for a few days last week to attend a Course, after which, when he came back, he was tied down with his Primary School Alumni Dinner on Sunday. All that ON TOP of his usual clinical/hospital routines which always see him coming home way after 10:00p.m every night.
He has been working/attending seminars/giving talks/attending courses over the last few Saturdays AND Sundays, and so, I had been attending to the kids' weekend routines/schedule. At least I had the kids with me almost all the time. That's a good thing, I guess. But, sometimes I do need him at home with me, just to talk. One to one. Without any distractions. Definitely NOT while he's busy working on his notebook. Sometimes I feel that he always could MAKE time for other stuff, but not for us... (Don't mind me. Tengah melayan perasaan...)
Anyway, just thought I'd get THAT out of my system.
Now, on to other things, shall we? :)
We went to Hilman and Hasya's Hari Anugerah Kecemerlangan last Tuesday. I stayed on until the end, while Ayah had to leave right after both kids had received their awards. Hasya received an award for getting No. 2 in her class, while Hilman received two awards - one for getting No. 3 in class, and another one for getting 5A's :) Syukur alhamdulillah.
Their school starts streaming the pupils when they are in Standard 4, and insya Allah both of them will be placed in one of the top classes. That means fiercer competition for Hilman, while Hasya will probably have to face another set of children of kiasu parents... Hehehe! Oh ya, Hasya has been selected to become a prefect next year. More responsibilities for her, and I hope that will mean she'll learn how to manage her time better.
On Tuesday night, we had a small birthday do for Hanna's 14th Birthday. Her Aunty Adek cooked Roast Chicken a la Jamie Oliver, Some Yummy Baked Potatoes, and Tagliatelle with Meatballs and Cream Sauce. It was just among Ayah's side of the family. I can't believe my Hanna is already 14...And next year she'll be sitting for her PMR! Yikes!
That Tuesday, too, Hilman started to develop some rash on his hands, feet/legs, and ulcers in his mouth. The first thing that came to my mind was Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease. But a visit to the doctor told us that it was not. He is not within the usual age group to get HFM, and the rashes on his hands and feet were not on his palms or soles, but rather, around his wrists, elbows and ankles, and on his groins and bu*t, and a few here and there on his body - which are atypical of HFM. He didn't have any fever, and the rashes were more like chicken-pox blisters. We were told that it was from the same family - chicken-pox, cold sores and shingles, and as contagious. We suspect that he may have contracted it at a birthday party he attended at Ki*s Zo*e on Sunday.
So, Hilman had to be quarantined. Poor baby :( He has been in his room for the last 3 days - well equipped with his PS2 and DVD Player. But, I think he misses his ASTRO. Ayah said he could only be de-quarantined tomorrow. Until then, he's only allowed to leave his room when he needs to go to the loo and take his shower. I have been applying Zovirax cream on his blisters over the last few days, and they look like they're healing. Thank God. I was quite worried that they would leave scars because Hilman is so puteh melepak!
I had bought him De*to* anti-bacterial shower gel, and De*to* anti-bacterial spray for him to spray all surfaces he touches in the bathroom/toilet. And I've also asked Dar to soak all his clothes and towels in De*to* solution before washing them in the washing machine. Of course - separately from the rest of the washing. Tomorrow will be his beddings pulak. You can never be too sure, kan? Hehehe! (Teruknya Mommy dia ni...Anyway, I have to make sure his kakaks don't get it, too, right?)
I think Hasya misses his brother. Every now and then she would pass his room and shout out, "HI, HILMAN!!!" before going up to her room or downstairs to the Study or Living Room. To which Hilman would reply back, "HI, KAK NGAH!!" from behind the door. Sedih lah pulak I tengok :( Tak per...soon he'll be okay to play with his Kak Ngah, insya Allah.
The thing about the rashes - Hilman had to miss his Class Party on Thursday, and I knew he was quite sad because he was really looking forward to it. Siap dah suruh and ingatkan his Makcik Dar to goreng Ayamas Hot & Spicy Chicken for the party since last week! Kesian dia... He also had to withdraw from a swimming competition which he was supposed to enter today. He had registered for the 25m freestyle event. I had to withdraw Hasya from the competition, too, when it just so happened that it's that time when she cannot go into the pool. She was supposed to race in the 25m freestyle and breast-stroke events. It is a pity because it would have been their first experience competing in a race. It's just not meant to be. Tak per lah...insya Allah next year.
And yes, of course - the school holidays are finally here...and I'm not sure how I feel about it.
For one, Bibik Dar will be going back to Indonesia for a 2-month holiday and her flight is on 29th November - next Sunday, and I have yet to find a temporary maid. I have stocked up my pantry with all sorts of instant meals/mixtures, just in case I would not have the time to prepare all the nitty gritty ingredients to cook a proper meal. Thank God for Maggi mixtures for Kicap Berempah, Tandoori, Ayam Madu, Asam Pedas and the likes. Having said that, I have also bought all the bawangs, halia, and chilli kering for Dar to blend and keep in the fridge for my convenience during her absence. Should all of the above finish mid-way through Dar's holiday, I will have to resort to the Nyonya in Pasar Taman Tun who prepares all blended stuffs under the sun, including all ready-made pastes. Just add Ayam/Daging/Ikan saja (and santan if necessary :)).
Either that, or Nasi Kandar Se*ap will be very rich at the end of the two months...
The pantry is also full to the brim with all kinds of snacks and light food for the kids, and all sorts of 3-in-1 stuffs. You'll find canned and packet (powdered) soups, all sorts of canned tuna, pre-mix pasta sauces, UHT Milk, Cordials, crisps, etc. You just name it, you'll probaly find it in our pantry :) The fridge is also packed with all kinds of sausages, nuggets, drummets, and ice creams. Not forgetting the full list of protein sources. Cuti sekolah ni memang grocery bill and utility bills melambung tinggi... Kids asyik bukak fridge, and search for food. And they would switch on the airconds and laptops 24/7. Same old same old...
I'm thinking of having my Mommy to stay with us and be with the kids while I'm at work over the holidays - not to take care of them, but, just to be with them. Hanna is old enough to be given the task of re-heating the meals and setting/clearing the tables and washing the dishes with Hasya (but, I will have to brace myself for a few reports of broken glasses and dishes here and there, I guess). And I might just send the kids to my Sis Lala for a few sleepovers here and there over the holidays.
We have not planned to go anywhere this time as Ayah will not be able to get away from work, and me myself will be cracking my head with a few deadlines. Anyway, we already had that Bali trip in June. That should fulfill our overseas holiday ration for the year :) We might just follow Ayah who's attending a conference some time in December for a few days, insya Allah. Just to get away from KL sekejap. Cuti-cuti Malaysia :)
I just hope Ayah will not be that busy over the next few weekends during the school holidays ni. Kesian the kids...and their Mommy, too, for that matter :(
Will update you guys on that :)
In the meantime, to all mothers out there - GOOD LUCK FOR THE SCHOOL HOLIDAYS, Y'ALL :)
* Click below for some photos from last week :)
Facebook | Your Photos - Last Week Before School Holidays 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Happy 14th Birthday, Kak Long Hanna :)
14 years ago today, we welcomed our firstborn - Hanna Suhaila binti Haizal, into this world...
I remember that day very clearly even until today. We had the first snow in Newcastle upon Tyne for that year in that early hours of 17th November 1995, and the grounds were already covered with snow by the time I had my first contractions at 4:15a.m in the morning that day.
Being extra-cautious and extra-anxious first-time parents-to-be, Ayah and I had prepared ourselves for that moment and had rehearsed the drill over and over again (in our heads, that is) on what to do and how to do them, especially should the contractions start during ungodly hours (as it was in fact fated to be!). But of course, nothing could have prepared us for the real thing. For one, we didn't expect it to snow (and quite heavily, too!) on the day I went into labour!
It must have been just before 4:00a.m when I had to go to the loo to ease myself when I noticed a show and I immediately woke Ayah up. The EDD was 19th November 1995, and we were hoping and praying that the baby would stick to the EDD (Hehehe...wishful thinking, right? But no - she decided to come out 2 days early!) Barely 15 minutes after that, the contractions started.
I immediately asked Ayah to get the hospital bag and call the hospital to expect us within the next 15 minutes. But as fate had it, the icy and snowy weather which started a few hours earlier had led to the windscreen of our car to be covered with ice, and the roads with snow that morning.
While anxiously monitoring the intervals between the contractions, I tried very hard not to panic while watching and waiting for Ayah who had to spend nearly 15 minutes scraping the hardened frost off the windshield of the car. Ayah being Ayah, he was pretty calm throughout the time, and I have to admit that THAT in a way had helped me to remain calm as well.
Once the ice came off, we started our drive to the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI). The journey to the hospital from our place in Forest Hall which normally would have taken us only 10 minutes, had taken us about 40 minutes due to the snow-covered roads. Syukur alhamdulillah, the baby was quite comfortable and quite contented to stay put in my tummy throughout the journey which seemed to be like the longest journey of my life ever.
We reached the hospital just after 5:00a.m and I was immediately wheeled to the Labour Room where I was given a change of clothes in the form of a hospital robe, and the nurses started to take some readings and monitor my progress, and I was prepared for the actual delivery.
I remember so vividly when the waterbag broke while I was sitting on the sofa. I've read about it, and I've heard about it from others. But experiencing it myself was another thing. I was drenched from the waist down and my whole body suddenly felt very light. The nurses took this cue to give me a change of robe, and immediately after that sent me straight to the Delivery Room.
The contractions became more regular and more painful within the next hour, and as it was happening too fast, they were not able to give me the epidural fearing that it would take full effect at the wrong time and might cause complications during delivery. And throughout the whole time, I was only relying on Enthonox to relieve the pain.
As the intervals between the contractions became shorter and shorter, the labour room became more crowded with nurses and doctors as the medical team realized that the baby's heartbeat was going down to abnormal level everytime I was having the contractions. At one time, there were 5 doctors attending to me and the baby in my tummy, and in my enthonox-induced dazed situation I was praying hard in my heart for everything to be okay.
Concerned with the possibility of complications while delivering the baby, the doctors had asked our consent to extract some blood from the baby's crown for some tests to determine the actual cause of distress, and to eliminate other possible factors so as to prepare them for any unexpected labour room crisis. Ayah gave them the green-light and they did whatever needed to be done. I couldn't quite comprehend what really happened within the next 1 hour or so after that, but, what I remembered was when I was told that there was nothing really wrong with the baby. It was just that she was too lazy to work her way out of her mommy's tummy, it seems :)
Ayah was beside me throughout the whole time, and everytime the contractions became unbearable, I would squeeze his hands like there was no tomorrow... In retrospect, he probably was in more pain than I was then, I think. Poor thing...
And at 7:10a.m on 17th November 1995, I safely delivered Hanna Suhaila, weighing at 3.54kg. She came out with thick, black spiky hair, and lips like rubies. And the wail that she gave out when the world welcomed her was the sweetest music to my ears...
I remember holding her immediately after that, and putting her on my chest and she suddenly stopped crying, and I looked at Ayah. He was smiling at me and squeezing my hands. And while kissing my forehead, he whispered to me -
"Our baby..."
And my eyes just welled up and I started crying - out of the undescribable joy and love I felt at that moment.
And Hanna, no matter what happens, no matter how old you are, and no matter where you are, you will always be our baby, my dearest...
And please know it in your heart that Ayah and I love you so very much, and we will do anything for you.
Mommy do'akan your life be filled with love and happiness and people who truly care about you. You have brought so much joy not just to Mommy and Ayah, but also to so many people - friends and family, with your special ways, and your kind heart. Semoga Hanna menjadi anak yang solehah, berbudi pekerti dan mempunyai akhlak yang mulia, dan berjaya dalam kehidupan, insya Allah...
Again, please remember that you'll always be our baby, and if you ever need us, we'll be there...
Happy 14th Birthday, sayang...
I remember that day very clearly even until today. We had the first snow in Newcastle upon Tyne for that year in that early hours of 17th November 1995, and the grounds were already covered with snow by the time I had my first contractions at 4:15a.m in the morning that day.
Being extra-cautious and extra-anxious first-time parents-to-be, Ayah and I had prepared ourselves for that moment and had rehearsed the drill over and over again (in our heads, that is) on what to do and how to do them, especially should the contractions start during ungodly hours (as it was in fact fated to be!). But of course, nothing could have prepared us for the real thing. For one, we didn't expect it to snow (and quite heavily, too!) on the day I went into labour!
It must have been just before 4:00a.m when I had to go to the loo to ease myself when I noticed a show and I immediately woke Ayah up. The EDD was 19th November 1995, and we were hoping and praying that the baby would stick to the EDD (Hehehe...wishful thinking, right? But no - she decided to come out 2 days early!) Barely 15 minutes after that, the contractions started.
I immediately asked Ayah to get the hospital bag and call the hospital to expect us within the next 15 minutes. But as fate had it, the icy and snowy weather which started a few hours earlier had led to the windscreen of our car to be covered with ice, and the roads with snow that morning.
While anxiously monitoring the intervals between the contractions, I tried very hard not to panic while watching and waiting for Ayah who had to spend nearly 15 minutes scraping the hardened frost off the windshield of the car. Ayah being Ayah, he was pretty calm throughout the time, and I have to admit that THAT in a way had helped me to remain calm as well.
Once the ice came off, we started our drive to the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI). The journey to the hospital from our place in Forest Hall which normally would have taken us only 10 minutes, had taken us about 40 minutes due to the snow-covered roads. Syukur alhamdulillah, the baby was quite comfortable and quite contented to stay put in my tummy throughout the journey which seemed to be like the longest journey of my life ever.
We reached the hospital just after 5:00a.m and I was immediately wheeled to the Labour Room where I was given a change of clothes in the form of a hospital robe, and the nurses started to take some readings and monitor my progress, and I was prepared for the actual delivery.
I remember so vividly when the waterbag broke while I was sitting on the sofa. I've read about it, and I've heard about it from others. But experiencing it myself was another thing. I was drenched from the waist down and my whole body suddenly felt very light. The nurses took this cue to give me a change of robe, and immediately after that sent me straight to the Delivery Room.
The contractions became more regular and more painful within the next hour, and as it was happening too fast, they were not able to give me the epidural fearing that it would take full effect at the wrong time and might cause complications during delivery. And throughout the whole time, I was only relying on Enthonox to relieve the pain.
As the intervals between the contractions became shorter and shorter, the labour room became more crowded with nurses and doctors as the medical team realized that the baby's heartbeat was going down to abnormal level everytime I was having the contractions. At one time, there were 5 doctors attending to me and the baby in my tummy, and in my enthonox-induced dazed situation I was praying hard in my heart for everything to be okay.
Concerned with the possibility of complications while delivering the baby, the doctors had asked our consent to extract some blood from the baby's crown for some tests to determine the actual cause of distress, and to eliminate other possible factors so as to prepare them for any unexpected labour room crisis. Ayah gave them the green-light and they did whatever needed to be done. I couldn't quite comprehend what really happened within the next 1 hour or so after that, but, what I remembered was when I was told that there was nothing really wrong with the baby. It was just that she was too lazy to work her way out of her mommy's tummy, it seems :)
Ayah was beside me throughout the whole time, and everytime the contractions became unbearable, I would squeeze his hands like there was no tomorrow... In retrospect, he probably was in more pain than I was then, I think. Poor thing...
And at 7:10a.m on 17th November 1995, I safely delivered Hanna Suhaila, weighing at 3.54kg. She came out with thick, black spiky hair, and lips like rubies. And the wail that she gave out when the world welcomed her was the sweetest music to my ears...
I remember holding her immediately after that, and putting her on my chest and she suddenly stopped crying, and I looked at Ayah. He was smiling at me and squeezing my hands. And while kissing my forehead, he whispered to me -
"Our baby..."
And my eyes just welled up and I started crying - out of the undescribable joy and love I felt at that moment.
And Hanna, no matter what happens, no matter how old you are, and no matter where you are, you will always be our baby, my dearest...
And please know it in your heart that Ayah and I love you so very much, and we will do anything for you.
Mommy do'akan your life be filled with love and happiness and people who truly care about you. You have brought so much joy not just to Mommy and Ayah, but also to so many people - friends and family, with your special ways, and your kind heart. Semoga Hanna menjadi anak yang solehah, berbudi pekerti dan mempunyai akhlak yang mulia, dan berjaya dalam kehidupan, insya Allah...
Again, please remember that you'll always be our baby, and if you ever need us, we'll be there...
Happy 14th Birthday, sayang...
Thursday, November 12, 2009
And the results are in!!!
It’s that time of the year again – exam results time.
Ayah and I already knew Hasya’s and Hilman’s results last week, but, we only knew Hanna’s today when I attended Sr* Am*n’s Open Day this morning to collect her report. Ayah couldn’t make it as he is now in Kuching and will only be back on Saturday night. But, I have been giving him ‘Live Feed’ of the results and everything else religiously :)
The Verdicts –
Hanna has improved (depending on how you look at her results).
Hasya has also improved (also depending on how you look at her results).
Hilman pulak, merosot (whatever way you look at his results).
Hanna :
For her Form 1 Mid-Year exam last year, she got #17 in her class and #40 in the whole Form, and for her Finals, she got #3 in her class and #7 in the whole Form. There was a vast improvement in her performance last year. Last year’s results were, by the way, based on the traditional percentage-based ranking.
However, Sr* Am*n has changed their policy this year and now rank their students based on their CGPAs. Meaning, even if you score 8 very high A’s and you get 1 high B, you still will be placed lower than your friends who get 9 straight A’s, even though their overall total marks and percentage may be less than you. The more A's you get, the higher your CGPAs, the higher your ranking will be.
So, based on the new CGPA system, for her Mid-Year this year , Hanna got #17 in her class, and #36 in the whole Form 2 (with 6As and 3Bs) and for her Finals (which I just got to know today), Hanna got #10 in class and #18 the whole Form (with 8As and 1B). I guess for a school like Sr* Am*n, that’s not bad a position to get at all :)
Apparently, according to Hanna, if the ranking were to be based on total percentage, she could have gotten a better position. Well, Hanna. It is NOT. So you’d better make sure you aim for all A’s next time, okay? You will just have to work harder for Sejarah, and at the same time maintain your A’s for all the other subjects.
So, if we were to look at her position in Class and Form now, and compare them with her last year’s FINAL exam – she dah merosot. But, if we were to compare between her Mid-Year and Finals this year, she has improved. A lot. :)
Her current CGPA is 3.79, which will be brought forward to next year. There is still room for improvement, and I make do’a that she’ll do better every time, insya Allah.
It’s your PMR year next year, girl... You’d better work hard(er) and smart(er), okay? (Goshhhh!! Baru macam semalam I blogged about her UPSR results! How time flies...)
Hasya :
Here’s the tricky one. If we were to look at Hasya’s Mid-Year and Final Exam rankings since she was in Standard 1, they were #1 and #1 (Std 1), #2 and #1 (Std 2), and #1 and #2 (Std 3). However, for her Mid-Year this year, she slipped to #5! Anyway, syukur Alhamdulillah, for her Finals this year, Hasya got #2.
Yes, she has improved when it comes to her position in class this year, i.e. naik 3 mata anak tangga, BUT, she didn’t get all As for her subjects. For the main UPSR subjects, Hasya got 4As and 1B (No prize for guessing what subject she got B in...YUP! Pemahaman... :( But, she has improved in terms of her total percentage. So, I’m okay about it (but, I’m not sure about her Ayah, though!).
Hasya has been banned by her Ayah from using her laptop and/or going on the internet since we got to know that she got a ‘B’ for her Pemahaman. And that means, she has not been FB-ing for the last 2 weeks. And I think all her plants and animals in Farmville have wilted away, died and gone to heaven. And all the food in her Restaurant City dah basi and berkulat and dah jadi tapai kot?! :)
She kept on asking when the ban will be lifted without telling me in so many words that it’s her Farmville and Restaurant City which she’s so worried about. But, I’m her mother. I know. :)
I just want to prolong her agony at least until Tuesday next week, coz’ that will be the school’s Hari Anugerah Kecemerlangan when she’ll get to go on stage and receive her prize. Unlike the previous years when Hasya would also get prizes for getting highest for 1 or 2 subjects (normally English), this year, she’s only going on stage for getting #2 in her class.
Hilman :
Now, Hilman ni pun tricky jugak ni.
If we were to look at his performance since Standard 1 – his positions in class had been #12 and #5 (Std 1) – meaning he improved a lot that year! He maintained and got #1 and #1 (Std 2), and for his Mid-Year this year, he got #1, too. However, for his Finals this year, he has slipped dua mata anak tangga to #3! And for that, his Ayah has banned him from playing his PS2 and PSP indefinitely. His total percentage has also gone down :(
And unlike the previous years when he would also receive prizes for getting highest for Science, this year he’s only going on stage to receive his prize for getting #3 in class. Just like Hasya, there will be no prize for best in subjects this year...
But, but, but...To make up for it, he will be getting another prize called the “Hadiah Kecemerlangan” which has just been introduced by the school, for getting all As for his exam! Yeay!!! :) But, then again, he got all As for his last exam anyway, so, no "improvement" as such in that department lah this time, kan? Only 5 pupils from his Class got all As apparently. I’m not sure about the rest of the Standard 3 classes. So, insya Allah, Hilman will be placed in the best class next year.
Anyway, I have to admit - this time punyer exam, both Ayah and I were pretty tied up with work and stuff, and neither of us had the time and the chance to come up with our normal mock papers for Hilman and Hasya. In fact, for Hasya we basically left it to her tuition teachers to go over her subjects. And as for Hilman, I only had time to go through his workbooks the nights before his papers :( (Maybe...JUST maybe, the mock papers could have made the difference?!)
Anyway, Mommy just want to say that I am so proud of all three of you!!! Keep up the good work, and Mommy hope to see a lot more improvement for next year, okay? MMMUUUAAAHHHSSS AND (((((HUGS)))))!!!
So, next Tuesday will see both Ayah and I attending SK Sr* Pe*al*in*’s Hari Anugerah Kecemerlangan to cheer Hasya and Hilman on when they walk up the stage to receive their prize(s). That is - IF Ayah tak mogok and doesn’t want to go because his kids didn’t get #1... Hehehe!
If that’s the case, I’ll be there... still :)
And a big shoutout to Hanna's friends who read my blog:
HELLO KARYNA, NADIAH, SERI SARAH, AQILA, ANGELA AND PIK LENG! :)
Ayah and I already knew Hasya’s and Hilman’s results last week, but, we only knew Hanna’s today when I attended Sr* Am*n’s Open Day this morning to collect her report. Ayah couldn’t make it as he is now in Kuching and will only be back on Saturday night. But, I have been giving him ‘Live Feed’ of the results and everything else religiously :)
The Verdicts –
Hanna has improved (depending on how you look at her results).
Hasya has also improved (also depending on how you look at her results).
Hilman pulak, merosot (whatever way you look at his results).
Hanna :
For her Form 1 Mid-Year exam last year, she got #17 in her class and #40 in the whole Form, and for her Finals, she got #3 in her class and #7 in the whole Form. There was a vast improvement in her performance last year. Last year’s results were, by the way, based on the traditional percentage-based ranking.
However, Sr* Am*n has changed their policy this year and now rank their students based on their CGPAs. Meaning, even if you score 8 very high A’s and you get 1 high B, you still will be placed lower than your friends who get 9 straight A’s, even though their overall total marks and percentage may be less than you. The more A's you get, the higher your CGPAs, the higher your ranking will be.
So, based on the new CGPA system, for her Mid-Year this year , Hanna got #17 in her class, and #36 in the whole Form 2 (with 6As and 3Bs) and for her Finals (which I just got to know today), Hanna got #10 in class and #18 the whole Form (with 8As and 1B). I guess for a school like Sr* Am*n, that’s not bad a position to get at all :)
Apparently, according to Hanna, if the ranking were to be based on total percentage, she could have gotten a better position. Well, Hanna. It is NOT. So you’d better make sure you aim for all A’s next time, okay? You will just have to work harder for Sejarah, and at the same time maintain your A’s for all the other subjects.
So, if we were to look at her position in Class and Form now, and compare them with her last year’s FINAL exam – she dah merosot. But, if we were to compare between her Mid-Year and Finals this year, she has improved. A lot. :)
Her current CGPA is 3.79, which will be brought forward to next year. There is still room for improvement, and I make do’a that she’ll do better every time, insya Allah.
It’s your PMR year next year, girl... You’d better work hard(er) and smart(er), okay? (Goshhhh!! Baru macam semalam I blogged about her UPSR results! How time flies...)
Hasya :
Here’s the tricky one. If we were to look at Hasya’s Mid-Year and Final Exam rankings since she was in Standard 1, they were #1 and #1 (Std 1), #2 and #1 (Std 2), and #1 and #2 (Std 3). However, for her Mid-Year this year, she slipped to #5! Anyway, syukur Alhamdulillah, for her Finals this year, Hasya got #2.
Yes, she has improved when it comes to her position in class this year, i.e. naik 3 mata anak tangga, BUT, she didn’t get all As for her subjects. For the main UPSR subjects, Hasya got 4As and 1B (No prize for guessing what subject she got B in...YUP! Pemahaman... :( But, she has improved in terms of her total percentage. So, I’m okay about it (but, I’m not sure about her Ayah, though!).
Hasya has been banned by her Ayah from using her laptop and/or going on the internet since we got to know that she got a ‘B’ for her Pemahaman. And that means, she has not been FB-ing for the last 2 weeks. And I think all her plants and animals in Farmville have wilted away, died and gone to heaven. And all the food in her Restaurant City dah basi and berkulat and dah jadi tapai kot?! :)
She kept on asking when the ban will be lifted without telling me in so many words that it’s her Farmville and Restaurant City which she’s so worried about. But, I’m her mother. I know. :)
I just want to prolong her agony at least until Tuesday next week, coz’ that will be the school’s Hari Anugerah Kecemerlangan when she’ll get to go on stage and receive her prize. Unlike the previous years when Hasya would also get prizes for getting highest for 1 or 2 subjects (normally English), this year, she’s only going on stage for getting #2 in her class.
Hilman :
Now, Hilman ni pun tricky jugak ni.
If we were to look at his performance since Standard 1 – his positions in class had been #12 and #5 (Std 1) – meaning he improved a lot that year! He maintained and got #1 and #1 (Std 2), and for his Mid-Year this year, he got #1, too. However, for his Finals this year, he has slipped dua mata anak tangga to #3! And for that, his Ayah has banned him from playing his PS2 and PSP indefinitely. His total percentage has also gone down :(
And unlike the previous years when he would also receive prizes for getting highest for Science, this year he’s only going on stage to receive his prize for getting #3 in class. Just like Hasya, there will be no prize for best in subjects this year...
But, but, but...To make up for it, he will be getting another prize called the “Hadiah Kecemerlangan” which has just been introduced by the school, for getting all As for his exam! Yeay!!! :) But, then again, he got all As for his last exam anyway, so, no "improvement" as such in that department lah this time, kan? Only 5 pupils from his Class got all As apparently. I’m not sure about the rest of the Standard 3 classes. So, insya Allah, Hilman will be placed in the best class next year.
Anyway, I have to admit - this time punyer exam, both Ayah and I were pretty tied up with work and stuff, and neither of us had the time and the chance to come up with our normal mock papers for Hilman and Hasya. In fact, for Hasya we basically left it to her tuition teachers to go over her subjects. And as for Hilman, I only had time to go through his workbooks the nights before his papers :( (Maybe...JUST maybe, the mock papers could have made the difference?!)
Anyway, Mommy just want to say that I am so proud of all three of you!!! Keep up the good work, and Mommy hope to see a lot more improvement for next year, okay? MMMUUUAAAHHHSSS AND (((((HUGS)))))!!!
So, next Tuesday will see both Ayah and I attending SK Sr* Pe*al*in*’s Hari Anugerah Kecemerlangan to cheer Hasya and Hilman on when they walk up the stage to receive their prize(s). That is - IF Ayah tak mogok and doesn’t want to go because his kids didn’t get #1... Hehehe!
If that’s the case, I’ll be there... still :)
And a big shoutout to Hanna's friends who read my blog:
HELLO KARYNA, NADIAH, SERI SARAH, AQILA, ANGELA AND PIK LENG! :)
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Nice car. Shame about the driver :)
We were on our way to an open house last Saturday, and were driving along the LDP when I saw a yellow Lotus cruising from behind us, and for about 15 seconds we were side by side, moving through the traffic.
I turned to look at the driver, and jokingly said out loud -
"Hmmmmm...Nice car. Shame about the driver".
All eyes automatically turned to look at the driver, and Hilman had this to say -
"Mommy, rich people are usually fat, right, Mommy?"
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Okay, mana orang-orang kaya kat luar sana nak tolong jawab??!! Silakan :D
I turned to look at the driver, and jokingly said out loud -
"Hmmmmm...Nice car. Shame about the driver".
All eyes automatically turned to look at the driver, and Hilman had this to say -
"Mommy, rich people are usually fat, right, Mommy?"
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Okay, mana orang-orang kaya kat luar sana nak tolong jawab??!! Silakan :D
Monday, October 19, 2009
The (mad-rush) weekend that was...
Last weekend could not be more representative of my life as a doctor's wife , and the kids' lives as a doctor's kids.
It started on Friday night when Ayah had to work late to meet the dateline to submit his MM article to the editor. Ayah knew that he would be very late, but he wasn't sure as to when exactly he would be coming home that night. So, the kids and I decided to have our dinner at One-U, and then tapau some for Ayah and join him at the hospital like we would sometimes do on Friday nights.
Our first stop was MPH as we had to get some workbooks for the kids to practice in preparation for their Final Exam this Friday. But, seperti biasa we ended buying books which were not in our original list lah kan... Anyway, after MPH we decided to have dinner at TCRS, after which we left One-U to join Ayah at the hospital, with some tapau-ed chicken rice for him. Mind you, it was already 10:15p.m, and he had not had his dinner yet, and his lunch was taken after solat Jumaat earlier that day.
We reached Ayah's office at about 10:30p.m, and he was still working on the article. Every now and then his focus would be disrupted when he would be called to the ward and/or ICU to attend to his patients. The kids and I decided to just do our own things as we did not want to disturb Ayah.
We would normally go home separately in our own cars after our Friday visits to Ayah's office, when the kids would choose who they would want to follow in the 15 minutes journey back to SD, and we thought that night would be the same, too.
However, by 12:00a.m, Ayah was still with his patients, and his article was not even halfway done yet! I thought of just driving back home with the kids first, but, Ayah was not keen on the idea of me driving alone with the kids at that hour. So, we decided to just take a short nap while waiting for Ayah to finish his article. He was not keen to bring his work back as he knew that if once he was home, he would be tempted to sleep, and he could not afford that to happen!
Anyway, our short nap in Ayah's office turned out to be an overnight stay when I woke up the next morning at 6:00a.m! I saw Ayah still working on his article, and the kids were occupying different parts of his room - sound asleep. Hilman was sleeping on the patient's bed, and Hanna and Hasya were sleeping on the L-shaped sofa where I was also sleeping on earlier.
Ayah finally finished writing his article at about 8:00a.m, after which he had to do his ward-round, while I struggled to wake the kids up! Syok sangat tido kat Ayah's office, kot? :) Anyway, the kids and I just washed our faces, and luckily Ayah had some Listerine stocked in his office. We brushed our hair - trying our best to look fresh - like we already had our shower, etc, but of course, our wrinkled clothes actually gave everything away... Hehehe!
Ayah has his own toiletries, towels and some change of clothes in his office for days like this, and he managed to shower before we decided to have that rare breakfast together at the Cafeteria, before he had to go see his patients at another hospital in Puchong. Thank God, it was a public holiday on Saturday and there were not many people at the Cafeteria :)We finished our breakfast at 10:00a.m, after which we went our separate ways, with the kids and I going back to SD.
The plan for Saturday was "Open Houses Marathon" from 12:00p.m until late at night. We had 4 open houses and 1 wedding to go to, and we had to strategize so that we could go to each in good time.
We knew that it was going to be a mad rush as we were planning to go to Section 14 (PJ) - Damansara Heights - Kajang - Shah Alam - Rawang within 8 hours, with the hope of reaching our last destination by 10:00p.m. So, we had packed some spare clothes, especially for the kids, just in case we needed to change mid-way through the marathon.
Ayah came back from Puchong at 11:50a.m, and we left the house at 12:20p.m, reaching the first house in PJ at 12:45p.m. We left at about 1:50p.m and made our way to the second house in Damansara Heights for a Deepavali do. And just as we were leaving for our third house at 2:50p.m, Ayah received a call from the hospital, and he had to rush back. And of course, seperti biasa di dalam kes-kes sebegini, WE also had to rush and tag along with him.
The kids and I waited in Ayah's office while he attended to his patient. A half hour wait ended being a 2 hour wait, and we only left for our third open House in Kajang at 5:00p.m! We reached Kajang at 5:25p.m, and spent quite some time chatting with the hosts who were back from the UK for a short break. The original plan was to stay from 3:30p.m until 5:30p.m, but the fact that we only reached the place at 5:25p.m, all our plans had gone haywire lah kan? (Mu*ni, if you're reading this, nanti kita catch up later this week, okay?)
Ayah and I had a wedding to go to in Shah Alam that night, and we knew that we had to leave Kajang by 6:30p.m the latest to go back to SD and get ready for the wedding. And of course, there was that final open house/birthday do at Ibu's place in Rawang which we would be going to after that. Logistically, memang sakit badan lah we all, if we were to go back to SD after the wedding to fetch the kids to go to Ibu's. And the kids would miss out on most of the birthday party.
So, tukar strategy. Nasib baik Sh*dy and On*ir (Mr and Mrs Engineer) were also at the Kajang Open House, and as they were also going to Rawang that night, we decided to deposit our kids so that they could follow their Uncle Sh*dy and Aunty On*ir to the birthday do first, while Mommy and Ayah gi makan khenduri. Luckily we had all their spare clothes with us in the car, maka bermulalah sesi mengeluarkan beg-beg baju from our car to be brought by Hanna to their car :)
Ayah and I left Kajang at about 6:40p.m and reached home just after 7:00p.m. We got ready for the wedding, solat Maghrib, etc, and only left the house at 7:55p.m (and the wedding was supposed to start at 8:00p.m!). Satu hal lah pulak coz' we were not sure where Kelab Golf SAAS was, and with a bit of sesat larat, we only reached the place at 8:30p.m! Pengantin dah dok bersanding kat pelamin!
Luckily, it was a free and easy buffet style wedding, and our tardiness was unnoticed as people were going in and out of the hall going to the buffet stations. We stayed on until 9:40p.m, after which we had to leave as Ayah was again called to the hospital. We reached TMC just after 10:00p.m and Ayah had to review his patients at the ICU, and we only left for Rawang at about 10:40p.m.
Sampai ajer Rawang, Ayah just had to catch up on his sleep. Remember? He had not slept at all since the time he woke up on Friday morning because he was working on his article,on top of his usual hospital routine, right? Meaning at that point in time, he had not slept for over 40 hours! He went up to the room (which is one of the rooms at Ibu's reserved for MT members for out late nights in Rawang. Hehehe!), while the kids continued with the party funs, and the Mommies engaged in meaningful activities - basically borak-borak and kraoke-ing :)
By 2:30a.m, everybody decided to call it the night, and one by one of Ibu's guests started to bid good night. And we thought that we should also make our way home. I went to wake Ayah's up, and I had a tough time to make him open his eyes!! He was really catching up with the last 2 nights sleep which he didn't get. So, finally, we decided to just stay the night at Ibu's... (Errrr, macam tak biasa, kan?! Hahaha!) Again, nasib baik ada spare clothes for everybody in the car. And as always, Ibu being such an efficient host was always ready with all the spare toothbrushes and items yang sewaktu dengannya. Hehehe!
The next day, we left Rawang just before noon - but not before being fed with some Yummylicious Nasi Lemak cooked by Ibu's Bibik - siap dengan Sambal Kerang and Sambal Udang, Ayam Goreng, Ikan Kering Bulu Ayam, etc! (Mana lah nak kurus, kan?!)
Thank you so much for having us over, and being such lovely hosts, Ibu and Mr. Ibu... ;)
We reached home at 12:30p.m, and Ayah had to again go to the hospital at about 2:00p.m. We were planning to go to a khenduri do'a selamat-cum-Raya open house at Bukit Jelutong which was supposed to be from 1:30p.m until 5:00p.m, after which we had planned to go to our BJ house to do some cleaning and mopping and have our shower, and then go out for dinner around there like we normally would do.
However, by 4:30p.m, when Ayah was still not back, I SMSd to the host to apologize and tell her that we would not be able to go to her do. I asked the kids to change (from their Baju Kurung, etc, to some casuals) and help themselves to the Macaroni Goreng I fried earlier. She immediatly called and said that we could still go, even later as they were still receiving guests at that time. Even then, I still tak berani nak janji coz' I wasn't sure when exactly Ayah would be home.
Ayah FINALLY came back at 5:05p.m, and the kids were asked to change back to their Baju Kurung, etc, after which they were bundled into the car, and we headed to BJ. We reached our friend's place at 5:25p.m and met some other friends there and caught up with them over some delicious Briayani spread.
We left our friend's place at 6:30p.m and headed to our BJ house and Bibik Dar and I started to sweep and mop the floors, while Ayah and the kids took their shower, etc. We were done by about 8:30p.m, but instead of going out for dinner, we decided to go to my brother's new place (also in BJ - at Tr*pi*a), and ended up staying there until about 10:50p.m.
We reached home at 11:15p.m and by then, everybody was like kain buruk already...
And I was gone to the world as soon as my head hit the pillow, and only woke up at 6:00a.m this morning...
And it's already Monday...
Sigh.
:(
It started on Friday night when Ayah had to work late to meet the dateline to submit his MM article to the editor. Ayah knew that he would be very late, but he wasn't sure as to when exactly he would be coming home that night. So, the kids and I decided to have our dinner at One-U, and then tapau some for Ayah and join him at the hospital like we would sometimes do on Friday nights.
Our first stop was MPH as we had to get some workbooks for the kids to practice in preparation for their Final Exam this Friday. But, seperti biasa we ended buying books which were not in our original list lah kan... Anyway, after MPH we decided to have dinner at TCRS, after which we left One-U to join Ayah at the hospital, with some tapau-ed chicken rice for him. Mind you, it was already 10:15p.m, and he had not had his dinner yet, and his lunch was taken after solat Jumaat earlier that day.
We reached Ayah's office at about 10:30p.m, and he was still working on the article. Every now and then his focus would be disrupted when he would be called to the ward and/or ICU to attend to his patients. The kids and I decided to just do our own things as we did not want to disturb Ayah.
We would normally go home separately in our own cars after our Friday visits to Ayah's office, when the kids would choose who they would want to follow in the 15 minutes journey back to SD, and we thought that night would be the same, too.
However, by 12:00a.m, Ayah was still with his patients, and his article was not even halfway done yet! I thought of just driving back home with the kids first, but, Ayah was not keen on the idea of me driving alone with the kids at that hour. So, we decided to just take a short nap while waiting for Ayah to finish his article. He was not keen to bring his work back as he knew that if once he was home, he would be tempted to sleep, and he could not afford that to happen!
Anyway, our short nap in Ayah's office turned out to be an overnight stay when I woke up the next morning at 6:00a.m! I saw Ayah still working on his article, and the kids were occupying different parts of his room - sound asleep. Hilman was sleeping on the patient's bed, and Hanna and Hasya were sleeping on the L-shaped sofa where I was also sleeping on earlier.
Ayah finally finished writing his article at about 8:00a.m, after which he had to do his ward-round, while I struggled to wake the kids up! Syok sangat tido kat Ayah's office, kot? :) Anyway, the kids and I just washed our faces, and luckily Ayah had some Listerine stocked in his office. We brushed our hair - trying our best to look fresh - like we already had our shower, etc, but of course, our wrinkled clothes actually gave everything away... Hehehe!
Ayah has his own toiletries, towels and some change of clothes in his office for days like this, and he managed to shower before we decided to have that rare breakfast together at the Cafeteria, before he had to go see his patients at another hospital in Puchong. Thank God, it was a public holiday on Saturday and there were not many people at the Cafeteria :)We finished our breakfast at 10:00a.m, after which we went our separate ways, with the kids and I going back to SD.
The plan for Saturday was "Open Houses Marathon" from 12:00p.m until late at night. We had 4 open houses and 1 wedding to go to, and we had to strategize so that we could go to each in good time.
We knew that it was going to be a mad rush as we were planning to go to Section 14 (PJ) - Damansara Heights - Kajang - Shah Alam - Rawang within 8 hours, with the hope of reaching our last destination by 10:00p.m. So, we had packed some spare clothes, especially for the kids, just in case we needed to change mid-way through the marathon.
Ayah came back from Puchong at 11:50a.m, and we left the house at 12:20p.m, reaching the first house in PJ at 12:45p.m. We left at about 1:50p.m and made our way to the second house in Damansara Heights for a Deepavali do. And just as we were leaving for our third house at 2:50p.m, Ayah received a call from the hospital, and he had to rush back. And of course, seperti biasa di dalam kes-kes sebegini, WE also had to rush and tag along with him.
The kids and I waited in Ayah's office while he attended to his patient. A half hour wait ended being a 2 hour wait, and we only left for our third open House in Kajang at 5:00p.m! We reached Kajang at 5:25p.m, and spent quite some time chatting with the hosts who were back from the UK for a short break. The original plan was to stay from 3:30p.m until 5:30p.m, but the fact that we only reached the place at 5:25p.m, all our plans had gone haywire lah kan? (Mu*ni, if you're reading this, nanti kita catch up later this week, okay?)
Ayah and I had a wedding to go to in Shah Alam that night, and we knew that we had to leave Kajang by 6:30p.m the latest to go back to SD and get ready for the wedding. And of course, there was that final open house/birthday do at Ibu's place in Rawang which we would be going to after that. Logistically, memang sakit badan lah we all, if we were to go back to SD after the wedding to fetch the kids to go to Ibu's. And the kids would miss out on most of the birthday party.
So, tukar strategy. Nasib baik Sh*dy and On*ir (Mr and Mrs Engineer) were also at the Kajang Open House, and as they were also going to Rawang that night, we decided to deposit our kids so that they could follow their Uncle Sh*dy and Aunty On*ir to the birthday do first, while Mommy and Ayah gi makan khenduri. Luckily we had all their spare clothes with us in the car, maka bermulalah sesi mengeluarkan beg-beg baju from our car to be brought by Hanna to their car :)
Ayah and I left Kajang at about 6:40p.m and reached home just after 7:00p.m. We got ready for the wedding, solat Maghrib, etc, and only left the house at 7:55p.m (and the wedding was supposed to start at 8:00p.m!). Satu hal lah pulak coz' we were not sure where Kelab Golf SAAS was, and with a bit of sesat larat, we only reached the place at 8:30p.m! Pengantin dah dok bersanding kat pelamin!
Luckily, it was a free and easy buffet style wedding, and our tardiness was unnoticed as people were going in and out of the hall going to the buffet stations. We stayed on until 9:40p.m, after which we had to leave as Ayah was again called to the hospital. We reached TMC just after 10:00p.m and Ayah had to review his patients at the ICU, and we only left for Rawang at about 10:40p.m.
Sampai ajer Rawang, Ayah just had to catch up on his sleep. Remember? He had not slept at all since the time he woke up on Friday morning because he was working on his article,on top of his usual hospital routine, right? Meaning at that point in time, he had not slept for over 40 hours! He went up to the room (which is one of the rooms at Ibu's reserved for MT members for out late nights in Rawang. Hehehe!), while the kids continued with the party funs, and the Mommies engaged in meaningful activities - basically borak-borak and kraoke-ing :)
By 2:30a.m, everybody decided to call it the night, and one by one of Ibu's guests started to bid good night. And we thought that we should also make our way home. I went to wake Ayah's up, and I had a tough time to make him open his eyes!! He was really catching up with the last 2 nights sleep which he didn't get. So, finally, we decided to just stay the night at Ibu's... (Errrr, macam tak biasa, kan?! Hahaha!) Again, nasib baik ada spare clothes for everybody in the car. And as always, Ibu being such an efficient host was always ready with all the spare toothbrushes and items yang sewaktu dengannya. Hehehe!
The next day, we left Rawang just before noon - but not before being fed with some Yummylicious Nasi Lemak cooked by Ibu's Bibik - siap dengan Sambal Kerang and Sambal Udang, Ayam Goreng, Ikan Kering Bulu Ayam, etc! (Mana lah nak kurus, kan?!)
Thank you so much for having us over, and being such lovely hosts, Ibu and Mr. Ibu... ;)
We reached home at 12:30p.m, and Ayah had to again go to the hospital at about 2:00p.m. We were planning to go to a khenduri do'a selamat-cum-Raya open house at Bukit Jelutong which was supposed to be from 1:30p.m until 5:00p.m, after which we had planned to go to our BJ house to do some cleaning and mopping and have our shower, and then go out for dinner around there like we normally would do.
However, by 4:30p.m, when Ayah was still not back, I SMSd to the host to apologize and tell her that we would not be able to go to her do. I asked the kids to change (from their Baju Kurung, etc, to some casuals) and help themselves to the Macaroni Goreng I fried earlier. She immediatly called and said that we could still go, even later as they were still receiving guests at that time. Even then, I still tak berani nak janji coz' I wasn't sure when exactly Ayah would be home.
Ayah FINALLY came back at 5:05p.m, and the kids were asked to change back to their Baju Kurung, etc, after which they were bundled into the car, and we headed to BJ. We reached our friend's place at 5:25p.m and met some other friends there and caught up with them over some delicious Briayani spread.
We left our friend's place at 6:30p.m and headed to our BJ house and Bibik Dar and I started to sweep and mop the floors, while Ayah and the kids took their shower, etc. We were done by about 8:30p.m, but instead of going out for dinner, we decided to go to my brother's new place (also in BJ - at Tr*pi*a), and ended up staying there until about 10:50p.m.
We reached home at 11:15p.m and by then, everybody was like kain buruk already...
And I was gone to the world as soon as my head hit the pillow, and only woke up at 6:00a.m this morning...
And it's already Monday...
Sigh.
:(
Friday, October 16, 2009
No visuals! No audio! Please!!!
Please, I hope nobody will be offended by me writing this. Just to share :)
Ayah and I are quite open when it comes to showing our affections to each other in front of the kids. But, of course within limits lah, kan? Hehehe...And of course, when we're at home lah kan? :)
Just the normal hugs, a peck on the cheeks, a brushing kiss on the lips, etc. You know, the usual normal things which you would do naturally, without having to think about it to do it. On reflex.
The kids are so used to these as we've been doing this sejak azali lagi. And I guess they see it as a normal thing for their Ayah and Mommy to do this, and also for other married couples to do the same.
Some may not agree with me, but, I do believe that it is okay for kids to see their Moms and Dads show their love openly, as this exudes warmth, love, respect and happiness in the family which I think is very important for their growth and development. Happy thoughts in children really can do wonders, especially to their psychological development which will determine how well these kids will do in life later.
But, we don't really see this as a norm in our society. Which is a shame.
Anyway, yesterday was just like any other day, except that Ayah came back earlier than usual. Hasya was in the living room with me then. I greeted Ayah at the door when he came in. We hugged, and we kissed lightly before walking to the sofa.
Hasya, who all those time was sitting on the sofa and observing us, suddenly said -
"Ohhh, Mommy!! Ayah!! Please...NO VISUALS, please!! NO VISUALS! And NO AUDIO, too, please!!!"
Ayah and I just looked at each other, trying to figure out what it was that she was talking about, and realizing that she was referring to the light kiss we had earlier, both Ayah and I just had to gelak besar after that!
What?! No visuals?!! No audio??!! What??!
Why the sudden change in her reaction to all the "openness" thingy, ya? (Have to ask her about this nanti!)
And of course, Ayah responded by hugging (or rather - squeezing her) and giving her a big kiss on her cheeks - with AUDIO set at full volume!
"MMMMUUUAAAAAAHHHSSS!!!"
Much to Hasya's annoyance, of course!
LOL!!!
:)
Ayah and I are quite open when it comes to showing our affections to each other in front of the kids. But, of course within limits lah, kan? Hehehe...And of course, when we're at home lah kan? :)
Just the normal hugs, a peck on the cheeks, a brushing kiss on the lips, etc. You know, the usual normal things which you would do naturally, without having to think about it to do it. On reflex.
The kids are so used to these as we've been doing this sejak azali lagi. And I guess they see it as a normal thing for their Ayah and Mommy to do this, and also for other married couples to do the same.
Some may not agree with me, but, I do believe that it is okay for kids to see their Moms and Dads show their love openly, as this exudes warmth, love, respect and happiness in the family which I think is very important for their growth and development. Happy thoughts in children really can do wonders, especially to their psychological development which will determine how well these kids will do in life later.
But, we don't really see this as a norm in our society. Which is a shame.
Anyway, yesterday was just like any other day, except that Ayah came back earlier than usual. Hasya was in the living room with me then. I greeted Ayah at the door when he came in. We hugged, and we kissed lightly before walking to the sofa.
Hasya, who all those time was sitting on the sofa and observing us, suddenly said -
"Ohhh, Mommy!! Ayah!! Please...NO VISUALS, please!! NO VISUALS! And NO AUDIO, too, please!!!"
Ayah and I just looked at each other, trying to figure out what it was that she was talking about, and realizing that she was referring to the light kiss we had earlier, both Ayah and I just had to gelak besar after that!
What?! No visuals?!! No audio??!! What??!
Why the sudden change in her reaction to all the "openness" thingy, ya? (Have to ask her about this nanti!)
And of course, Ayah responded by hugging (or rather - squeezing her) and giving her a big kiss on her cheeks - with AUDIO set at full volume!
"MMMMUUUAAAAAAHHHSSS!!!"
Much to Hasya's annoyance, of course!
LOL!!!
:)
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Thank You, ALLAH, for the dawns and the dusks...
It's 1:54a.m, and I'm finding it hard to sleep.
Even the cool air of the aircond is not helping.
I have a full day today. I have classes from 9:00a.m until 12:00pm, 2:00pm until 3:00p.m and 4:00p.m until 5:00p.m. I desperately need to sleep, unless I don't mind my students seeing me sleeping in class today!
And as always, when I can't sleep, the deafening silence of the night would make me reflect and remember the things I've done or said, and the things others have done and said which have been there at the back of my mind, waiting for a night like this to knock on my head again.
And tonight, I remembered a conversation I had with Hilman last week.
We were on our way home to SD and I was driving along the normal route we would take from the school, and as we were approaching the flyover besides the Bukit Kiara Cemetary, Hilman asked me,
Hilman : Mommy, when is dusk and dawn? What's the difference?
(Can't blame him - I think I got confused between those two, too, when I was his age :))
Me : Dawn is when the sun rises, and dusk is when the sun sets. Solat subuh masa dawn, and solat Maghrib masa dusk.
Hilman : Ohhhh, okay? What is your favourite time of the day, Mommy?
Me : Hmmmm, I don't know. I don't have any favourite times. They're all the same kot? But, I love it when it rains, and then it stops, and the sun comes out again - especially in the late afternoon. It feels so fresh and nice. Why do you ask?
Hilman : Errrrr, nothing.
He was silent for about 10 seconds, and then he said -
Hilman : My favourite time is dusk, Mommy - because that's when you can see all the beautiful clouds in the sky...
I looked at him and I saw him staring at the vermillion sky in front of us - his eyes fixed on the clouds above the skyline.
And just then, it dawned on me just how long it had been since the last time I sat down, and appreciated, and I mean REALLY APPRECIATED the fact that I had woken up at the dawn of a new day, and had been given the chance to live through that day to see the sun sets at dusk, EVERYDAY for every single day of my life until now. And not just appreciating the colours they bring with them. But,even more so, to have been given the chance to share those days with those who matter most in my life.
Thank You, ALLAH, for giving life to me, and to my loved ones...
Thank you, ALLAH, for still giving us our dawns and our dusks...to live another new day, every day...
Even the cool air of the aircond is not helping.
I have a full day today. I have classes from 9:00a.m until 12:00pm, 2:00pm until 3:00p.m and 4:00p.m until 5:00p.m. I desperately need to sleep, unless I don't mind my students seeing me sleeping in class today!
And as always, when I can't sleep, the deafening silence of the night would make me reflect and remember the things I've done or said, and the things others have done and said which have been there at the back of my mind, waiting for a night like this to knock on my head again.
And tonight, I remembered a conversation I had with Hilman last week.
We were on our way home to SD and I was driving along the normal route we would take from the school, and as we were approaching the flyover besides the Bukit Kiara Cemetary, Hilman asked me,
Hilman : Mommy, when is dusk and dawn? What's the difference?
(Can't blame him - I think I got confused between those two, too, when I was his age :))
Me : Dawn is when the sun rises, and dusk is when the sun sets. Solat subuh masa dawn, and solat Maghrib masa dusk.
Hilman : Ohhhh, okay? What is your favourite time of the day, Mommy?
Me : Hmmmm, I don't know. I don't have any favourite times. They're all the same kot? But, I love it when it rains, and then it stops, and the sun comes out again - especially in the late afternoon. It feels so fresh and nice. Why do you ask?
Hilman : Errrrr, nothing.
He was silent for about 10 seconds, and then he said -
Hilman : My favourite time is dusk, Mommy - because that's when you can see all the beautiful clouds in the sky...
I looked at him and I saw him staring at the vermillion sky in front of us - his eyes fixed on the clouds above the skyline.
And just then, it dawned on me just how long it had been since the last time I sat down, and appreciated, and I mean REALLY APPRECIATED the fact that I had woken up at the dawn of a new day, and had been given the chance to live through that day to see the sun sets at dusk, EVERYDAY for every single day of my life until now. And not just appreciating the colours they bring with them. But,even more so, to have been given the chance to share those days with those who matter most in my life.
Thank You, ALLAH, for giving life to me, and to my loved ones...
Thank you, ALLAH, for still giving us our dawns and our dusks...to live another new day, every day...
Monday, October 12, 2009
Ada satu cerita kelakar...
Tapi, I tak tau nak gelak ker...or nak nangis...
Ayah and I had a wedding invitation yesterday. It was a reception for the son of my colleague at the Faculty - Prof Fa*zi, and his wife Dr. Fa*i*ah. It was to be held at Gr*nd Bl*e Wa*e, Shah Alam.
I went to get the wedding present on Saturday while waiting for Hanna to finish her guitar lesson at One-U. Jenuh jugak lah nak memilih the present because nearly all of the items which I berkenan semua dah out of stock. They should have tagged on the display items that only the display items were left lah kan? I think I asked for about 8 items, before they finally had one in stock. Wasting my time only!
Anyway, I had chosen our Bajus to wear for the wedding - sedondon, etc. Had asked Dar to iron them nicely, together with a matching samping for Ayah and tudung for me. I later had to go through my accessories collection to find a matching clutch handbag, and later asked the girls to find a matching pair of shoes to go with it. Finally, I took out some bling-bling to be worn to the wedding. By 3p.m all the bajus had been ironed, and Ayah's songkok had also been brushed.
I decided to cook Honeyed Chicken Casserole for the kids' dinner. Ye lah kan? Ayah and Mommy nak makan khenduri, takkan anak-anak mak makan Maggi ajer kat rumah, kan? Dinner was ready by 5:30p.m.
Ayah came back from the hospital just before 7:00p.m, and we left for the wedding at 7:40p.m. We reached GBW at 8:05p.m and was amazed when we actually found a parking slot in no time at all. Ayah and I joked - hmmmmm, maybe we were the only guests at the wedding because everybody else was busy waiting for the by-election results in Teluk Kemang. Hehehe!
We went up the lift to the 2nd Floor where the Grand Ballroom is, with the wedding present in our hands, and as we walked out of the lift, it suddenly dawned to us if we had got the date of the wedding wrong. It was eerily very quiet. Too quiet for a wedding. We walked towards the Grand Ballroom, and saw a group of workers clearing up the tables and stuff there.
I stopped in my stride, while Ayah continued to walk straight to one of the staff there and asked if there was any wedding reception in another Hall at the hotel, and the staff said 'Nope'. She then asked Ayah the name of the hosts and when Ayah gave the name, this was what she said -
"OOooohhh... Dr Fa*i*ah punya function buat petang tadi. Dia buat Hi-Tea from 2:30 sampai 6 petang tadi!"
And at that point in time how I wished the floor under me would just open up and swallow me - all of me, together with my matching handbag and shoes, tudung, and bling-blings!
It was just SO EMBARASSING, okay?!
We got the date right. We got the venue right. But, we got the time wrong!!
But, Ayah being Ayah, dia selamba ajer tanya -
"Oh, ye ke? Hmmmm, You tau tak, if there's any wedding tonight which we can go to? Alang-alang dah pakai Baju Melayu ni. Boleh jugak we all bagi hadiah ni kat they all..."
And I was like ???!!!
We walked back to the lift, went down to the basement parking, and Ayah called Prof Fa*zi to explain and apologize to him for not going to the wedding that afternoon. After which, we got into the car, and we started laughing!!!
Only Haizal and Shana are capable of doing these things, you all!!
Anyway, on the way back we started to come out with names of eating places to go to for our dinner, and we decided that it had to be a place which serves dishes similar to Nasi Khenduri as we, or rather I, had already set our minds to makan Nasi Khenduri that night.
And we settled for d'Ta*do*r in Damansara Utama.
But before we went out of the car, we obviously had to dress down lah kan? Giler apa nak masuk d'Ta*do*r with what we were wearing, kan?
So, Ayah took out his songkok and samping, unbutton a few of his butang Baju Melayu, sengseng lengan baju (biar nampak macho lah kan?),and changed to his chapal which fortunately were in his car.
As for me - I couldn't do much dressing down, except to take off my bling-blings. And I just couldn't bring myself to carry my clutch bag yang glamour giler to d'Ta*do*r. So, I kept my jewelleries in it, put it under the car seat, and berdo'a that nobody would take them, and lenggang masuk the restaurant.
We ordered Pilau Race and Garlic Naan, Chicken Jalfrezi, Mutton Roghan Josh and some Brinjal dish and some Mango Lassi. The Poppadums were complimentary. Kira okay lah tu...Lebih kurang macam Nasi Khenduri lah tu! HAHAHAHAHA!
We finished our dinner at 9:45p.m and headed back to Sri Damansara and reached home at 10:00p.m.
The kids were still up.
And barely a minute after we went in, Hilman asked -
"Ayah, you have not given the present yet?! Why?"
Hmmmm...That's what you get when you have a very observant child in the house.
And we ended up having to tell the kids our embarassing story...
The moral of the story, you guys -
(i) When you get an invitation, make sure you read it properly, and don't just assume that just because it is a Malay Wedding held at a hotel somewhere, it would be a sitting down dinner reception.
(ii) Make sure BOTH you and hubby read the invitation from A to Z, and put a reminder in BOTH your phone Calendar/Schedule. And of course, make sure that ALL the details are CORRECT.
(iii) Do not misplace the invitation card (like we did!). It'll do you good to CHECK it again a day BEFORE the function/event.
(iv) Make sure you have spare casual shoes/attires in your car, or you might end up having dinner at Kayu dressed macam nak gi meminang anak raja...
Ayah and I had a wedding invitation yesterday. It was a reception for the son of my colleague at the Faculty - Prof Fa*zi, and his wife Dr. Fa*i*ah. It was to be held at Gr*nd Bl*e Wa*e, Shah Alam.
I went to get the wedding present on Saturday while waiting for Hanna to finish her guitar lesson at One-U. Jenuh jugak lah nak memilih the present because nearly all of the items which I berkenan semua dah out of stock. They should have tagged on the display items that only the display items were left lah kan? I think I asked for about 8 items, before they finally had one in stock. Wasting my time only!
Anyway, I had chosen our Bajus to wear for the wedding - sedondon, etc. Had asked Dar to iron them nicely, together with a matching samping for Ayah and tudung for me. I later had to go through my accessories collection to find a matching clutch handbag, and later asked the girls to find a matching pair of shoes to go with it. Finally, I took out some bling-bling to be worn to the wedding. By 3p.m all the bajus had been ironed, and Ayah's songkok had also been brushed.
I decided to cook Honeyed Chicken Casserole for the kids' dinner. Ye lah kan? Ayah and Mommy nak makan khenduri, takkan anak-anak mak makan Maggi ajer kat rumah, kan? Dinner was ready by 5:30p.m.
Ayah came back from the hospital just before 7:00p.m, and we left for the wedding at 7:40p.m. We reached GBW at 8:05p.m and was amazed when we actually found a parking slot in no time at all. Ayah and I joked - hmmmmm, maybe we were the only guests at the wedding because everybody else was busy waiting for the by-election results in Teluk Kemang. Hehehe!
We went up the lift to the 2nd Floor where the Grand Ballroom is, with the wedding present in our hands, and as we walked out of the lift, it suddenly dawned to us if we had got the date of the wedding wrong. It was eerily very quiet. Too quiet for a wedding. We walked towards the Grand Ballroom, and saw a group of workers clearing up the tables and stuff there.
I stopped in my stride, while Ayah continued to walk straight to one of the staff there and asked if there was any wedding reception in another Hall at the hotel, and the staff said 'Nope'. She then asked Ayah the name of the hosts and when Ayah gave the name, this was what she said -
"OOooohhh... Dr Fa*i*ah punya function buat petang tadi. Dia buat Hi-Tea from 2:30 sampai 6 petang tadi!"
And at that point in time how I wished the floor under me would just open up and swallow me - all of me, together with my matching handbag and shoes, tudung, and bling-blings!
It was just SO EMBARASSING, okay?!
We got the date right. We got the venue right. But, we got the time wrong!!
But, Ayah being Ayah, dia selamba ajer tanya -
"Oh, ye ke? Hmmmm, You tau tak, if there's any wedding tonight which we can go to? Alang-alang dah pakai Baju Melayu ni. Boleh jugak we all bagi hadiah ni kat they all..."
And I was like ???!!!
We walked back to the lift, went down to the basement parking, and Ayah called Prof Fa*zi to explain and apologize to him for not going to the wedding that afternoon. After which, we got into the car, and we started laughing!!!
Only Haizal and Shana are capable of doing these things, you all!!
Anyway, on the way back we started to come out with names of eating places to go to for our dinner, and we decided that it had to be a place which serves dishes similar to Nasi Khenduri as we, or rather I, had already set our minds to makan Nasi Khenduri that night.
And we settled for d'Ta*do*r in Damansara Utama.
But before we went out of the car, we obviously had to dress down lah kan? Giler apa nak masuk d'Ta*do*r with what we were wearing, kan?
So, Ayah took out his songkok and samping, unbutton a few of his butang Baju Melayu, sengseng lengan baju (biar nampak macho lah kan?),and changed to his chapal which fortunately were in his car.
As for me - I couldn't do much dressing down, except to take off my bling-blings. And I just couldn't bring myself to carry my clutch bag yang glamour giler to d'Ta*do*r. So, I kept my jewelleries in it, put it under the car seat, and berdo'a that nobody would take them, and lenggang masuk the restaurant.
We ordered Pilau Race and Garlic Naan, Chicken Jalfrezi, Mutton Roghan Josh and some Brinjal dish and some Mango Lassi. The Poppadums were complimentary. Kira okay lah tu...Lebih kurang macam Nasi Khenduri lah tu! HAHAHAHAHA!
We finished our dinner at 9:45p.m and headed back to Sri Damansara and reached home at 10:00p.m.
The kids were still up.
And barely a minute after we went in, Hilman asked -
"Ayah, you have not given the present yet?! Why?"
Hmmmm...That's what you get when you have a very observant child in the house.
And we ended up having to tell the kids our embarassing story...
The moral of the story, you guys -
(i) When you get an invitation, make sure you read it properly, and don't just assume that just because it is a Malay Wedding held at a hotel somewhere, it would be a sitting down dinner reception.
(ii) Make sure BOTH you and hubby read the invitation from A to Z, and put a reminder in BOTH your phone Calendar/Schedule. And of course, make sure that ALL the details are CORRECT.
(iii) Do not misplace the invitation card (like we did!). It'll do you good to CHECK it again a day BEFORE the function/event.
(iv) Make sure you have spare casual shoes/attires in your car, or you might end up having dinner at Kayu dressed macam nak gi meminang anak raja...
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Surat Tunjuk Sebab :)
Hmmmm, we're into our third week of Syawal, and I had not posted anything on our Raya celebration this year. So not me!
Well, life pre, during and post-Raya had been pretty hectic for all of us, me included, and on top of that I have been spending more time on Facebooking than blogging (which I think quite a number of bloggers are guilty of, too!) But, I hope to be able to balance between the two soon, insya Allah.
A summary of what had happened in the last couple of weeks -
The first day of raya, my MIL cooked Lontong and Macaroni Goreng, on top of the usual Lemang, Rendang, Nasi Impit, Satay, etc. While my Mom cooked Mee Rebus, on top of the usuals. And I also cooked some Asam Laksa for both. Malam Raya was spent at my parents' for our last berbuka, after which we went to spend the night at my MIL's. Pagi Raya was spent at my MIL's and we only left for my parents' around 4:00p.m and stayed till late. Everybody was there except for my second brother, Jame who spent his Raya in Taiping as he had to work.
Oh ya, the theme for First Day Raya was Turquoise Blue :) The following days - semua carca marba :)
I lost 2.5kgs during Ramadhan, and gained 1.5kg back in the first week of Syawal. Sedey tau ! :( I'm still trying to make sure that it stays at that, or hopefully go down from now on. I'm on my third day of Puasa qadha' (some say, can also be considered as part of Puasa 6). Thinking of doing a proper Puasa 6 after that. That is IF there's enough time to do that. Syawal dah half-way dah ni...
The whole family is fasting now. Just as how it was last year, I'm very heartened when the kids, especially Hilman and Hasya decided to join us to puasa. Nobody pressured them or anything. They decided to do it on their own accord. And so far, so good. Imaan masih kuat di sekolah even though the temptations must have been great when they see their friends eating and drinking during recess.
We have also been dining out a lot after raya, AND buying food for our meals - the reason being, my MIL's and my SIL's maids (both staying at my MIL's) ran away on first raya! My MIL left the house at 6:15p.m to beraya at her sister's place in Keramat, and by 7:00p.m., when the guard came for duty, he could not get in as there was nobody to open the gate for him! Within 45 minutes - the maids lesap. That was after we gave them 2-3 pasang Baju Raya each and duit raya! Big mistake - with the cash in hand, panjang lah lagi kaki they all :(
Anyway, so, now my Bibik Dar kena kerja lebih sikit coz' kena cover 2 houses. But, my MIL is paying her extra for the extra chores/responsibilities. And everybody in the house chips in to wash the dishes, iron the clothes, sweep and mop the floors, etc. I would help with the cooking if I finish work early. If not, my MIL would just buy lauk dah siap, or we would eat out.
My MIL had a temporary maid last week on Thursday, but decided to send her back to the agent on Monday morning. So many things yang memeningkan kepala and menaikkan darah my MIL. That maid refused to eat leftover rice, and would cook fresh rice for HERSELF every day, and would also serve the DRIVER the fresh rice. BUT she would serve leftover rice to my MIL! Ada kah patut?!
On top of that, she spent more than half of her time eating whatever she could find in the kitchen, in the fridge, in the freezer, etc. She even finished the food meant for the toddler at home, Qadri! And she actually cooked one whole packet of Meehun and ate the whole thing herself for breakfast on Sunday! The whole KUALI of Meehun... Can you beat that? She refused to do other things EXCEPT cook. Even then, she would cook ikut selera dia even though my MIL had taught her how to cook the way the family likes it.
She didn't know how to iron properly, she didn't know how to use the mesin parut kelapa (even though dah diajar a few times), and she refused to cook the fish/chicken/meat which had been in the fridge for more than 4 days. According to her - dah tak sedap! Lawan tokey betul...The majikan tak kisah, pembantu rumah lah pulak yang memilih!!! Tak sakit jiwer kitorang?! Anyway, good riddance - my MIL asked her to pack her bag and sent her to the agent on Monday morning.
Another thing yang memeningkan my kepala, Bibik Dar wants to go back for a 2-month holiday in November, but, I'm trying to persuade her to go back in January 2010 instead. So many things to settle at work year end, and having her around while the kids are on their school holiday would really help ease a lot of things. She's keen to come back and work for another 2 years after that, but, she said she has to ask her husband first...I REALLY hope she'll get the geenlight from her hubby. She has been the best maid we've had so far, and the kids are close to her. We're giving her a substantial raise if she comes back, and we hope that will convince the hubby to let her come back and work with us. Pray for us, please. Thanks! :)
Okay, I guess that's all for now - Surat Tunjuk Sebab why this blog has been idle for a while :)
But, before that, you can click here and here for some of our Raya pics :)
:)
Well, life pre, during and post-Raya had been pretty hectic for all of us, me included, and on top of that I have been spending more time on Facebooking than blogging (which I think quite a number of bloggers are guilty of, too!) But, I hope to be able to balance between the two soon, insya Allah.
A summary of what had happened in the last couple of weeks -
The first day of raya, my MIL cooked Lontong and Macaroni Goreng, on top of the usual Lemang, Rendang, Nasi Impit, Satay, etc. While my Mom cooked Mee Rebus, on top of the usuals. And I also cooked some Asam Laksa for both. Malam Raya was spent at my parents' for our last berbuka, after which we went to spend the night at my MIL's. Pagi Raya was spent at my MIL's and we only left for my parents' around 4:00p.m and stayed till late. Everybody was there except for my second brother, Jame who spent his Raya in Taiping as he had to work.
Oh ya, the theme for First Day Raya was Turquoise Blue :) The following days - semua carca marba :)
I lost 2.5kgs during Ramadhan, and gained 1.5kg back in the first week of Syawal. Sedey tau ! :( I'm still trying to make sure that it stays at that, or hopefully go down from now on. I'm on my third day of Puasa qadha' (some say, can also be considered as part of Puasa 6). Thinking of doing a proper Puasa 6 after that. That is IF there's enough time to do that. Syawal dah half-way dah ni...
The whole family is fasting now. Just as how it was last year, I'm very heartened when the kids, especially Hilman and Hasya decided to join us to puasa. Nobody pressured them or anything. They decided to do it on their own accord. And so far, so good. Imaan masih kuat di sekolah even though the temptations must have been great when they see their friends eating and drinking during recess.
We have also been dining out a lot after raya, AND buying food for our meals - the reason being, my MIL's and my SIL's maids (both staying at my MIL's) ran away on first raya! My MIL left the house at 6:15p.m to beraya at her sister's place in Keramat, and by 7:00p.m., when the guard came for duty, he could not get in as there was nobody to open the gate for him! Within 45 minutes - the maids lesap. That was after we gave them 2-3 pasang Baju Raya each and duit raya! Big mistake - with the cash in hand, panjang lah lagi kaki they all :(
Anyway, so, now my Bibik Dar kena kerja lebih sikit coz' kena cover 2 houses. But, my MIL is paying her extra for the extra chores/responsibilities. And everybody in the house chips in to wash the dishes, iron the clothes, sweep and mop the floors, etc. I would help with the cooking if I finish work early. If not, my MIL would just buy lauk dah siap, or we would eat out.
My MIL had a temporary maid last week on Thursday, but decided to send her back to the agent on Monday morning. So many things yang memeningkan kepala and menaikkan darah my MIL. That maid refused to eat leftover rice, and would cook fresh rice for HERSELF every day, and would also serve the DRIVER the fresh rice. BUT she would serve leftover rice to my MIL! Ada kah patut?!
On top of that, she spent more than half of her time eating whatever she could find in the kitchen, in the fridge, in the freezer, etc. She even finished the food meant for the toddler at home, Qadri! And she actually cooked one whole packet of Meehun and ate the whole thing herself for breakfast on Sunday! The whole KUALI of Meehun... Can you beat that? She refused to do other things EXCEPT cook. Even then, she would cook ikut selera dia even though my MIL had taught her how to cook the way the family likes it.
She didn't know how to iron properly, she didn't know how to use the mesin parut kelapa (even though dah diajar a few times), and she refused to cook the fish/chicken/meat which had been in the fridge for more than 4 days. According to her - dah tak sedap! Lawan tokey betul...The majikan tak kisah, pembantu rumah lah pulak yang memilih!!! Tak sakit jiwer kitorang?! Anyway, good riddance - my MIL asked her to pack her bag and sent her to the agent on Monday morning.
Another thing yang memeningkan my kepala, Bibik Dar wants to go back for a 2-month holiday in November, but, I'm trying to persuade her to go back in January 2010 instead. So many things to settle at work year end, and having her around while the kids are on their school holiday would really help ease a lot of things. She's keen to come back and work for another 2 years after that, but, she said she has to ask her husband first...I REALLY hope she'll get the geenlight from her hubby. She has been the best maid we've had so far, and the kids are close to her. We're giving her a substantial raise if she comes back, and we hope that will convince the hubby to let her come back and work with us. Pray for us, please. Thanks! :)
Okay, I guess that's all for now - Surat Tunjuk Sebab why this blog has been idle for a while :)
But, before that, you can click here and here for some of our Raya pics :)
:)
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