Hasya is upset that she's not in the same 4x100m Team that won 1st place in last year's SSP's Sports Day. She said the team has been split into two now. So, there'll be two teams representing Green House this year, and she said she she's very sure that neither team would win the top three placings!
I asked her the reasons why the Green House teacher had split the team knowing that they would have a very strong chance to win 1st place again this year? And she said, "EXACTLY! That's why!! I don't know!!!"
And she was quite visibly upset about the whole thing.
Well, what do you expect from choleric Hasya, kan? She always wants to win!
And I was upset for her, too, knowing her capabilities. And knowing that she and her original team would win, given the chance, insya Allah.
But, on the other hand, I had this bit of conversation with Hilman.
Hilman : Mommy, I'll be running in the 200m event for the Sports Day!
Me : Wow! Congratulations! Well done! Have you practised for it? Do you think you can win?
(Frankly speaking, I was a bit surprised because Hilman is more of the Lontar Peluru and Tarik Tali type of athlete. You know what I mean? Hehehe!:)
Hilman : I don't know. I fell down while practising, and got second last.
Me : It's okay. Nanti masa Sports Day, you have to run REALLY fast and be careful not to fall, okay?
Hilman : Okay. But, I always got second last bila practise la, Mommy. Even before Puan Anuradha chose me. I don't know why she chose me la?
And at this point, Hasya butted in and said -
Hasya : Teacher said she wants to give everybody a chance to participate masa Sports Day!
Hilman : I guess so. But, Mommy, how can I make sure I run fast and win the race, Mommy?
Me : Hilman, just run to the finishing line. Run as fast as you can, okay?
Hilman : Okay, but, I think I'm going to get No. 7 or No. 8 again.
Me : It's okay, Hilman. Just run. Who knows? On that day you can win with me cheering you on?
And Hilman just laughed away at that thought! :)
Hilman : It's okay lah, Mommy. But, if I don't win, tak per, right?
Me : It's okay, Hilman. As long as you try your best, okay?
Well, Hilman is a phlegmatic boy, and very laid back about everything anyway :)
And I'm happy for him, because I know he would try his level best, and he would enjoy the experience of running for his Green House, insya Allah :)
I feel bad for Hasya, but, I feel happy for Hilman.
In other words, I am bit confused really - on how I should feel between the decisions made by the Green House teachers on the 4x100m event AND the 200m event because BOTH involved my kids, but both with probably different implications on and outcomes for them...
Anyway, let's just wait for Saturday next week, shall we? That's when their Sports Day will be held ;)
All the best Chimin and Chiman!! :)
And just remember to have fun, okay?
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Been there, but...
It's 5:37pm, on a Wednesday.
I've just finished going through the final drafts of two of my students' dissertations, and have sat down with them and discussed the required corrections and amendments to be made.
I'm halfway done with another one, after which I have to go through another draft, and I hope to sit down with the respective students by tomorrow afternoon.
One student has decided to submit her dissertation before going through her final drafts with me. I had gone through her first and second drafts and had given my feedback to her last week and I hope she had done whatever it was that needed to be done as per my last instructions to her.
However, another student has never submitted any proper drafts. The only thing I got from her were bits and pieces of unfinished works. Heck! I have not even seen her full dissertation proposal. They are supposed to submit their bound copies this week, and this student decided to submit her FIRST draft of her First and Second Chapters on Friday last week. Mind you, even those drafts were NOT complete.
I REFUSED to accept her drafts, and I have decided to put a disclaimer on her work. I have nothing to do with whatever it is that she plans to submit. Good Luck to her.
Their dissertations are supposed to be their final works to be submitted before they sit for their exams later this month, and graduate in August. It's a partial requirement before they get their B.A. (Strategic and Defence Studies). Their first Degree. If they don't submit, they will fail. If they submit a mediocre or a bad piece of work, they will get really bad grades for it. Or they will fail. Either or, it'll affect their CGPAs. If they have to resit the paper, they'll lose out on one year of working life.
I have six students under my supervision, and all of them, except for the last girl, had managed to produce at least up to their second drafts, while a couple had even managed to work up until their fourth drafts. So, I just don't understand why this last student of mine couldn't even submit her PROPOSAL.
Believe me. I understand just how difficult it is to do research and even more difficult to write an academic work, as I had gone through hell (and I'm still not sure if I'm back!) doing it.
I had gone through very challenging rollercoaster rides working on a certain research of mine, many a times I was met with dead-ends. Many a times - frustrated. Many a times too depressed to even talk about it with anyone. Not even with Ayah. And many a times, I would just shut everything down, wishing that I didn't have to pursue it anymore.
Many a times, everything else had to be sidelined, even things which were more important to me than my research. And many a times I would ask myself if it was all worthed it, whether it was really what I wanted.
At the end of the day, weighing everything that needed to be weighed before deciding on whether to continue or not with it, I finally made my decision. It was a difficult decision to make initially, considering the substantial amount of work I had put in it, and the considerable long time I had spent on it. And of course, because whatever decision I made, it would have major implications on me. Implications that I have to face.
But, frankly, it was an easier decision to make in letting it go, than to pursue with it.
And I finally made my decision because I knew that I was READY to face the implications, come what may. But, more importantly, I made my decision because I knew that it was not really what I had wanted to do all along.
I had come to realize that I am at a stage in my life whereby any pursuits to further enhance my career is not really a necessity, but rather, a frill.
I had come to a stage in my life whereby whatever that comes my way after this is a bonus.
I am contented as I feel that I had achieved whatever it was that I needed to achieve. Well, at least according to my own, personal wish and target. Syukur alhamdulillah. Nothing else matters. Nothing others might think of me, matters.
And I know that I have made the right decision.
Maybe this student of mine has been or is going through the same things. And having gone through similar experience of doing research, albeit at a different level, and probably facing similar obstacles and challenges as she is/has, I can empathise with her, and I can understand some of the issues which might have made it difficult for her to persevere.
But, empathising will not change the fact that she still has a long way to go in life.
There's only so much I can do to help her, and even that will not amount to anything if she doesn't want to help herself.
She probably had made the same decision I had made in not pursuing or not persevering...but it does not necessarily mean that she would come out of this the same as I did.
I hope this student of mine has also thought of the implications of her actions, or rather - inactions.
I hope she will not have any regrets...
Because, just for the record, I don't.
I've just finished going through the final drafts of two of my students' dissertations, and have sat down with them and discussed the required corrections and amendments to be made.
I'm halfway done with another one, after which I have to go through another draft, and I hope to sit down with the respective students by tomorrow afternoon.
One student has decided to submit her dissertation before going through her final drafts with me. I had gone through her first and second drafts and had given my feedback to her last week and I hope she had done whatever it was that needed to be done as per my last instructions to her.
However, another student has never submitted any proper drafts. The only thing I got from her were bits and pieces of unfinished works. Heck! I have not even seen her full dissertation proposal. They are supposed to submit their bound copies this week, and this student decided to submit her FIRST draft of her First and Second Chapters on Friday last week. Mind you, even those drafts were NOT complete.
I REFUSED to accept her drafts, and I have decided to put a disclaimer on her work. I have nothing to do with whatever it is that she plans to submit. Good Luck to her.
Their dissertations are supposed to be their final works to be submitted before they sit for their exams later this month, and graduate in August. It's a partial requirement before they get their B.A. (Strategic and Defence Studies). Their first Degree. If they don't submit, they will fail. If they submit a mediocre or a bad piece of work, they will get really bad grades for it. Or they will fail. Either or, it'll affect their CGPAs. If they have to resit the paper, they'll lose out on one year of working life.
I have six students under my supervision, and all of them, except for the last girl, had managed to produce at least up to their second drafts, while a couple had even managed to work up until their fourth drafts. So, I just don't understand why this last student of mine couldn't even submit her PROPOSAL.
Believe me. I understand just how difficult it is to do research and even more difficult to write an academic work, as I had gone through hell (and I'm still not sure if I'm back!) doing it.
I had gone through very challenging rollercoaster rides working on a certain research of mine, many a times I was met with dead-ends. Many a times - frustrated. Many a times too depressed to even talk about it with anyone. Not even with Ayah. And many a times, I would just shut everything down, wishing that I didn't have to pursue it anymore.
Many a times, everything else had to be sidelined, even things which were more important to me than my research. And many a times I would ask myself if it was all worthed it, whether it was really what I wanted.
At the end of the day, weighing everything that needed to be weighed before deciding on whether to continue or not with it, I finally made my decision. It was a difficult decision to make initially, considering the substantial amount of work I had put in it, and the considerable long time I had spent on it. And of course, because whatever decision I made, it would have major implications on me. Implications that I have to face.
But, frankly, it was an easier decision to make in letting it go, than to pursue with it.
And I finally made my decision because I knew that I was READY to face the implications, come what may. But, more importantly, I made my decision because I knew that it was not really what I had wanted to do all along.
I had come to realize that I am at a stage in my life whereby any pursuits to further enhance my career is not really a necessity, but rather, a frill.
I had come to a stage in my life whereby whatever that comes my way after this is a bonus.
I am contented as I feel that I had achieved whatever it was that I needed to achieve. Well, at least according to my own, personal wish and target. Syukur alhamdulillah. Nothing else matters. Nothing others might think of me, matters.
And I know that I have made the right decision.
Maybe this student of mine has been or is going through the same things. And having gone through similar experience of doing research, albeit at a different level, and probably facing similar obstacles and challenges as she is/has, I can empathise with her, and I can understand some of the issues which might have made it difficult for her to persevere.
But, empathising will not change the fact that she still has a long way to go in life.
There's only so much I can do to help her, and even that will not amount to anything if she doesn't want to help herself.
She probably had made the same decision I had made in not pursuing or not persevering...but it does not necessarily mean that she would come out of this the same as I did.
I hope this student of mine has also thought of the implications of her actions, or rather - inactions.
I hope she will not have any regrets...
Because, just for the record, I don't.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Cupcakes 101... :)
Salams and Hi, y'all :)
Guess what? Our cupcakes project? Well, we actually went ahead with it last Sunday. Sungguh tidak percaya! :)
Thank God I didn't have to go out and get myself a new oven, or a new mixer because I found out that my 6-year-old Microwave could actually be used to bake cupcakes, cakes and the likes, too. This, I found out after 6 years of just using its re-heating and de-frosting functions, and also using the normal microwave function to cook my Honeyed Chicken Casserole and Bread and Butter Pudding. Should have known that if I could cook those stuff in it, baking should not be a problem, kan? Well, that's just me. Kalau dah tak minat, no point to probe further into things which have no relevance to my life. Hehehe!
And neither did I have to get a new mixer, as I suddenly remembered that I had an electric Mixer set which we bought 14 years ago to blend/mash up Hanna's food when she started on solids! The mixer was then boxed up and stashed away on top of my kitchen cabinet 10 years ago and I totally forgot about it!
Anyway, with the microwave checked, and the mixer checked, I still didn't have a proper Mixing Bowl. So, last Saturday, the kids and I made a trip to IKEA and bought a bowl, together with other baking utensils which we thought might come in handy. The kids basically had a field day choosing what to buy, etc.
I was also looking for a kitchen scale - the simple one, but, they only had the digital scale which costs RM99/=. I NEARLY bought that thing when it dawned on me that it would be such a waste if my interests in baking were to dwindle even before I started with the first project!
So, armed with a recipe book (which I also didn't know I had!) the kids and I chose a simple recipe (which didn't really use complicated measurement), and the results can be seen here :)
We had fun - that's the most important thing!
And we didn't burn the kitchen down ;)
Guess what? Our cupcakes project? Well, we actually went ahead with it last Sunday. Sungguh tidak percaya! :)
Thank God I didn't have to go out and get myself a new oven, or a new mixer because I found out that my 6-year-old Microwave could actually be used to bake cupcakes, cakes and the likes, too. This, I found out after 6 years of just using its re-heating and de-frosting functions, and also using the normal microwave function to cook my Honeyed Chicken Casserole and Bread and Butter Pudding. Should have known that if I could cook those stuff in it, baking should not be a problem, kan? Well, that's just me. Kalau dah tak minat, no point to probe further into things which have no relevance to my life. Hehehe!
And neither did I have to get a new mixer, as I suddenly remembered that I had an electric Mixer set which we bought 14 years ago to blend/mash up Hanna's food when she started on solids! The mixer was then boxed up and stashed away on top of my kitchen cabinet 10 years ago and I totally forgot about it!
Anyway, with the microwave checked, and the mixer checked, I still didn't have a proper Mixing Bowl. So, last Saturday, the kids and I made a trip to IKEA and bought a bowl, together with other baking utensils which we thought might come in handy. The kids basically had a field day choosing what to buy, etc.
I was also looking for a kitchen scale - the simple one, but, they only had the digital scale which costs RM99/=. I NEARLY bought that thing when it dawned on me that it would be such a waste if my interests in baking were to dwindle even before I started with the first project!
So, armed with a recipe book (which I also didn't know I had!) the kids and I chose a simple recipe (which didn't really use complicated measurement), and the results can be seen here :)
We had fun - that's the most important thing!
And we didn't burn the kitchen down ;)
Friday, March 26, 2010
Ajaran songsang...so to speak :)
I've never made cupcakes ever in my whole life. Never. Ever.
Errr, MAYBE once during SRT lesson during my secondary school lah, kot? But, I seriously can't recall making them. So, maybe memang never ever, kot? (Hmmmm...It's so damn obvious that I was never paying attention during SRT classes, huh? Hehehe...)
And I had never ever had the urge, or even any intention of making cupcakes. Baking and me - we just don't gel that well. So, I never knew what actually goes in a cupcake mix. But, I do love looking at those lovely pics of cuppies, cakes, and the likes - posted in blogs and also on FB by all my kitchen diva friends. It is just amazing to see how creative and how patient they are to have been able to come up with all those works of art! And looking at their masterpieces, lagilah rasa macam tak payahlah I even try making them. You know what I mean?
But, today - the IMPULSIVE me did another impulsive thing.
I had planned to just make some Spaghetti Bolognaise for dinner tonight. I was just going through my kitchen larder to see if I had everything that I might need for the dish when I realized that we had run out of canned button mushrooms (I normally put these AND also some aubergines in the sauce to make a wholesome campak-campak all-in-one meal for the family).
Anyway, as I had already mentioned to Hilman this morning that I was making Spaghetti Bolognaise for tonight, I decided to ask Zaidi to divert to Grand Union - the local mini (or more like 'midi') market before heading back home after work. And it was JUST to get the canned button mushroom. And I promised the kids, "Yes, I only have ONE item to buy, while you guys can go and choose one DVD each upstairs".
But like all women out there who get rambang mata when they shop, my mata also got rambang....(Pretty bad, huh? Kat mini/midi markat also can tak hengat dunia...)
Just as I was reaching out to get the canned mushrooms, my eyes lingered alsewhere and kapaaawww!!! There they were - all the baking ingredients arranged so neatly and nicely on the opposite shelves.
And I just didn't know what got over me, and suddenly I had this brilliant (NOT! More like "CRAZY"!) idea of making cupcakes with the kids this weekend! And I started taking some of the items which I THINK I MIGHT need to make cuppies, off the shelves.
And my shopping basket which started off with just a can of button mushrooms, ended up with -
2 packets of Anchor Butter
1 box of Blue Key Superfine-Superwhite Flour
1 packet of Tepung Gandum Cap Wau (I also bought this, just in case that THAT was the only flour I need and not that fancy Blue Key stuff)
1 box of Van Houten Pure Soluble Cocoa (you can never go wrong with Van Houten, right? I grew up WATCHING my Mom used it in most of her baking anyway!)
1 box of Silver Bird Chocolate Chips
1 box of Bunga Raya brand White Chocolate Chips
1 bar of Van Houten Baking Chocolate
1 small can of Royal Baking Powder
1 small container of that colourful thingies you just sprinkle on biscuits and cuppies tu? (God... I don't even know what people call it!)Oh...I just went down to check. They're called "colour strands" :)
2 packets of castor sugar
1 packet of icing sugar
1 packet of soft brown sugar
1 dozen eggs
1 packet of those paper cupcake mould
1 cupcake aluminium tray
I think the kids got pretty excited jugak with the idea. But, I could see it clearly on Hanna's face when I told her my weekend plan. Her face just screamed out "Biar betul mak aku ni..." HAHAHAHA!
Anyway, with all the stuff kept in the boot, and as Zaidi started driving us home, it suddenly dawned on me that I didn't have a mixer at home! I mean, I THINK I might still have the hand mixer which I used 14 years ago to mash up the potatoes and carrots to feed Hanna when she first started on solids. But, for the life of me, I really didn't have any idea where exactly I've stored that damn thing.
And it also dawned on me there and then that I also didn't have a proper oven at home to BAKE the cuppies. Crazy tak? I mean I do have my Microwave Oven which I normally use to defrost and reheat stuff, and also to cook my Honeyed Chicken Casserole, but, I'm not sure if the microwave actually has a specific mode/function for baking cookies! (Or do I just use the Convection Oven + Grill function to bake the cuppies? And before anyone asks - Nope, I don't know where the manual for the Microwave is. Someone, please help!!!)
And it also dawned on me that I didn't even know how to START making the cuppies. Aiyaiyai!!!
Ajaran songsang betul.
Normal people would normally find the recipes first, and then would make sure they have the oven AND the mixer at home first before getting the ingredients and attempting to bake, right? NOT the other way round?
I guess I'm NOT normal then.
Anyway, small matter. So, the first thing that I did when we reached home was to google up "Cupcakes Recipes" and of course, the one that caught my eyes were "EASY Cupcakes" - which, after reading the recipes, didn't seem "EASY" to make at all! Well, at least for my standard lah, kan?
And God!!! I learnt something new today, too. I didn't know that "Baking Powder" was NOT the same as "Baking Soda"! Did you guys know this?!
And for crying out loud, what exactly IS "Shortening", people???!!
I was just reading the recipes, and had not even started baking any cuppies, and I was already having palpitations. So, after 10 minutes, I started googling up recipes for Brownies instead.
Brownies seem easier and simpler to make. But, then again - with me doing the baking, anything can happen...(OR CAN'T happen).
Anyway, one thing for sure - IF I actually go ahead with this baking plan of mine this weekend, please do not expect any pictures of our experiment, okay?
I takut nanti ada yang put off langsung from eating cupcakes untuk selama-lamanya ;)
Wish me luck, y'all!! ;)
AN UPDATE - After reading a comment from my friend Azlina on Facebook advising me to follow the recipe to a 'T' and use the exact measurements given, AND that even if I didn't have a mixer, I could still do it using my hand, I've since, come to realize that I also don't have any measuring cups, spoons or kitchen scales at home. OR a proper mixing bowl for that matter...Hahaha!
Errr, MAYBE once during SRT lesson during my secondary school lah, kot? But, I seriously can't recall making them. So, maybe memang never ever, kot? (Hmmmm...It's so damn obvious that I was never paying attention during SRT classes, huh? Hehehe...)
And I had never ever had the urge, or even any intention of making cupcakes. Baking and me - we just don't gel that well. So, I never knew what actually goes in a cupcake mix. But, I do love looking at those lovely pics of cuppies, cakes, and the likes - posted in blogs and also on FB by all my kitchen diva friends. It is just amazing to see how creative and how patient they are to have been able to come up with all those works of art! And looking at their masterpieces, lagilah rasa macam tak payahlah I even try making them. You know what I mean?
But, today - the IMPULSIVE me did another impulsive thing.
I had planned to just make some Spaghetti Bolognaise for dinner tonight. I was just going through my kitchen larder to see if I had everything that I might need for the dish when I realized that we had run out of canned button mushrooms (I normally put these AND also some aubergines in the sauce to make a wholesome campak-campak all-in-one meal for the family).
Anyway, as I had already mentioned to Hilman this morning that I was making Spaghetti Bolognaise for tonight, I decided to ask Zaidi to divert to Grand Union - the local mini (or more like 'midi') market before heading back home after work. And it was JUST to get the canned button mushroom. And I promised the kids, "Yes, I only have ONE item to buy, while you guys can go and choose one DVD each upstairs".
But like all women out there who get rambang mata when they shop, my mata also got rambang....(Pretty bad, huh? Kat mini/midi markat also can tak hengat dunia...)
Just as I was reaching out to get the canned mushrooms, my eyes lingered alsewhere and kapaaawww!!! There they were - all the baking ingredients arranged so neatly and nicely on the opposite shelves.
And I just didn't know what got over me, and suddenly I had this brilliant (NOT! More like "CRAZY"!) idea of making cupcakes with the kids this weekend! And I started taking some of the items which I THINK I MIGHT need to make cuppies, off the shelves.
And my shopping basket which started off with just a can of button mushrooms, ended up with -
2 packets of Anchor Butter
1 box of Blue Key Superfine-Superwhite Flour
1 packet of Tepung Gandum Cap Wau (I also bought this, just in case that THAT was the only flour I need and not that fancy Blue Key stuff)
1 box of Van Houten Pure Soluble Cocoa (you can never go wrong with Van Houten, right? I grew up WATCHING my Mom used it in most of her baking anyway!)
1 box of Silver Bird Chocolate Chips
1 box of Bunga Raya brand White Chocolate Chips
1 bar of Van Houten Baking Chocolate
1 small can of Royal Baking Powder
1 small container of that colourful thingies you just sprinkle on biscuits and cuppies tu? (God... I don't even know what people call it!)
2 packets of castor sugar
1 packet of icing sugar
1 packet of soft brown sugar
1 dozen eggs
1 packet of those paper cupcake mould
1 cupcake aluminium tray
I think the kids got pretty excited jugak with the idea. But, I could see it clearly on Hanna's face when I told her my weekend plan. Her face just screamed out "Biar betul mak aku ni..." HAHAHAHA!
Anyway, with all the stuff kept in the boot, and as Zaidi started driving us home, it suddenly dawned on me that I didn't have a mixer at home! I mean, I THINK I might still have the hand mixer which I used 14 years ago to mash up the potatoes and carrots to feed Hanna when she first started on solids. But, for the life of me, I really didn't have any idea where exactly I've stored that damn thing.
And it also dawned on me there and then that I also didn't have a proper oven at home to BAKE the cuppies. Crazy tak? I mean I do have my Microwave Oven which I normally use to defrost and reheat stuff, and also to cook my Honeyed Chicken Casserole, but, I'm not sure if the microwave actually has a specific mode/function for baking cookies! (Or do I just use the Convection Oven + Grill function to bake the cuppies? And before anyone asks - Nope, I don't know where the manual for the Microwave is. Someone, please help!!!)
And it also dawned on me that I didn't even know how to START making the cuppies. Aiyaiyai!!!
Ajaran songsang betul.
Normal people would normally find the recipes first, and then would make sure they have the oven AND the mixer at home first before getting the ingredients and attempting to bake, right? NOT the other way round?
I guess I'm NOT normal then.
Anyway, small matter. So, the first thing that I did when we reached home was to google up "Cupcakes Recipes" and of course, the one that caught my eyes were "EASY Cupcakes" - which, after reading the recipes, didn't seem "EASY" to make at all! Well, at least for my standard lah, kan?
And God!!! I learnt something new today, too. I didn't know that "Baking Powder" was NOT the same as "Baking Soda"! Did you guys know this?!
And for crying out loud, what exactly IS "Shortening", people???!!
I was just reading the recipes, and had not even started baking any cuppies, and I was already having palpitations. So, after 10 minutes, I started googling up recipes for Brownies instead.
Brownies seem easier and simpler to make. But, then again - with me doing the baking, anything can happen...(OR CAN'T happen).
Anyway, one thing for sure - IF I actually go ahead with this baking plan of mine this weekend, please do not expect any pictures of our experiment, okay?
I takut nanti ada yang put off langsung from eating cupcakes untuk selama-lamanya ;)
Wish me luck, y'all!! ;)
AN UPDATE - After reading a comment from my friend Azlina on Facebook advising me to follow the recipe to a 'T' and use the exact measurements given, AND that even if I didn't have a mixer, I could still do it using my hand, I've since, come to realize that I also don't have any measuring cups, spoons or kitchen scales at home. OR a proper mixing bowl for that matter...Hahaha!
Friday, March 12, 2010
Of sleeping (or lack of it) and cooking (breakfast, that is)...
Salams and Hi! :)
I'm just taking a break from going through my students' dissertations. My head is starting to pound, and the fact that I'm finding it more and more difficult to read small prints nowadays is not really helping. Must make a point to get bifocal glasses soon. THAT, and the fact that I get so sleepy easily, too! Signs of old age.
But, I guess that, i.e. being sleepy, is not really caused by old age (I'm in denial. I know. So, shoot me). I know for a fact that THAT is definitely due to lack of sleep. I've been getting only between 5-6 hours of sleep for most nights for the last 3 months or so. This may be quite normal for some. However, for my standard, that's way too short a time for my beauty sleep.
I used to get between 7-8 hours of sleep (when I had a maid once upon a time) simply because I didn't have to do the ironing and tidying and clearing up the kitchen after dinner (and sometimes supper). And I only woke up around 6:45a.m every morning when Ayah and the kids would leave for work/school because Bibik Dar would take care of breakfast and their bekal, etc. Heck, sometimes I would be sleeping throughout and didn't even get to say my "Bye-byes" and "Muah-muahs" to them before they left. I know...Bad Wifey...Bad Mommy... :(
I don't really mind sleeping late. It's the waking up early which I have issues with. Well, at least I HAD issues with it initially. I've gotten used to it, and I've realized that it's not too bad once your body andhalf-awake brain get used to it.
The thing is, I would set my alarm at 5:45a.m every morning. BUT, somehow or rather, I would wake up even before the alarm goes off, and normally when I open my eyes in the morning, it would be 5:30a.m or earlier. How annoying is that?!
And I also have another issue. Every morning, I would be screaming to myself (in my heart, that is)- "What are you cooking for breakfast, woman?!!" And it doesn't help when the FIRST thing Hilman asks when he comes down every morning is, "Mommy what are you cooking for today's breakfast?"
You see, Hilman never fails to take his breakfast. He would just eat whatever it is that I serve on the table. No questions asked. No complaints. As long as there's food. He's a happy camper :)
Hanna and Hasya, on the other hand, rarely take their breakfast. They will only do so if the food I prepare berkenan di hati, and depending on their moods. Normally, their usual excuse would be, "Still kenyang from last night's dinner la, Mommy..." (??!!)
As for Ayah, he never fails to take his breakfast, too, but, he doesn't really take much sometimes because, every morning he would have a B&B session(*) with his friend, Dr. So*ha*dy at TMC.
But, when I prepare breakfast, I would prepare for everyone, including for Zaidi - the driver. So, you can imagine the amount of food I have to finish when the girls decide that they don't want to eat. (But, sometimes I would get them to bring the food as bekal).
Anyway, here are some of the items on the breakfast menu that I normally prepare - depending on how rajin or how malas I am in the morning. And you guys will definitely know which ones fall under which category for sure by looking at the list.
Nasi Goreng
Mee Hoon Goreng
Kuey Teow Goreng
Maggi Goreng
Cereals with Cold Milk
Half-boiled Eggs with Bread/Toasts
Dim Sums and/or Pau (instant punyer, okay? Just steam them up ;))
French Toasts
Campbell/Heinz Soups with Bread
Tuna Kepit :)
Egg Kepit :)
Omellette
Nuggets with Sunny Side Up
Boiled Sausages with Scrambled Eggs
Burgers
Hotdogs
And oh ya, this morning, for the first time, I made Kuey Teow Soup :)
Usually, I would finish cooking/preparing breakfast by 6:15a.m, and Hilman would be the first one to come down to eat, and by 6:45a.m everybody would have finished eating (if they eat, that is!) and left for shool/work.
And of course, how much work is involved for me in washing the dishes and cleaning up the kitchen after that very much depends on what I cook for breakfast lah, kan? Sometimes, I have to wash a few periuk belanga and kuali segala and kitchen utensils, on top of the pinggan-mangkuk, etc. Letih weh...
Truth be told, I've run out of ideas as to what else I can prepare in the morning. Please, please, please... I need more ideas for my breakfast menu, please. The easier it is to make, the better. The less utensils used EVEN BETTER! Hehehe! :)
What do YOU guys prepare/have for breakfast at home normally, ya? All suggestions are welcome, and very much appreciated ;)
Thanks, y'all ;)
And I only wished that I was one who could take afternoon naps easily, so that I could make up for all those hours of sleep lost, especially on long Friday afternoon lunch-breaks like today. But, alas, when it comes to this, my body and my brain don't seem to be able to work out a new routine which includes afternoon naps for me to follow and get used to :(
Sigh. Nasib badan...(dan otak...) :(
I'm just taking a break from going through my students' dissertations. My head is starting to pound, and the fact that I'm finding it more and more difficult to read small prints nowadays is not really helping. Must make a point to get bifocal glasses soon. THAT, and the fact that I get so sleepy easily, too! Signs of old age.
But, I guess that, i.e. being sleepy, is not really caused by old age (I'm in denial. I know. So, shoot me). I know for a fact that THAT is definitely due to lack of sleep. I've been getting only between 5-6 hours of sleep for most nights for the last 3 months or so. This may be quite normal for some. However, for my standard, that's way too short a time for my beauty sleep.
I used to get between 7-8 hours of sleep (when I had a maid once upon a time) simply because I didn't have to do the ironing and tidying and clearing up the kitchen after dinner (and sometimes supper). And I only woke up around 6:45a.m every morning when Ayah and the kids would leave for work/school because Bibik Dar would take care of breakfast and their bekal, etc. Heck, sometimes I would be sleeping throughout and didn't even get to say my "Bye-byes" and "Muah-muahs" to them before they left. I know...Bad Wifey...Bad Mommy... :(
I don't really mind sleeping late. It's the waking up early which I have issues with. Well, at least I HAD issues with it initially. I've gotten used to it, and I've realized that it's not too bad once your body and
The thing is, I would set my alarm at 5:45a.m every morning. BUT, somehow or rather, I would wake up even before the alarm goes off, and normally when I open my eyes in the morning, it would be 5:30a.m or earlier. How annoying is that?!
And I also have another issue. Every morning, I would be screaming to myself (in my heart, that is)- "What are you cooking for breakfast, woman?!!" And it doesn't help when the FIRST thing Hilman asks when he comes down every morning is, "Mommy what are you cooking for today's breakfast?"
You see, Hilman never fails to take his breakfast. He would just eat whatever it is that I serve on the table. No questions asked. No complaints. As long as there's food. He's a happy camper :)
Hanna and Hasya, on the other hand, rarely take their breakfast. They will only do so if the food I prepare berkenan di hati, and depending on their moods. Normally, their usual excuse would be, "Still kenyang from last night's dinner la, Mommy..." (??!!)
As for Ayah, he never fails to take his breakfast, too, but, he doesn't really take much sometimes because, every morning he would have a B&B session(*) with his friend, Dr. So*ha*dy at TMC.
But, when I prepare breakfast, I would prepare for everyone, including for Zaidi - the driver. So, you can imagine the amount of food I have to finish when the girls decide that they don't want to eat. (But, sometimes I would get them to bring the food as bekal).
Anyway, here are some of the items on the breakfast menu that I normally prepare - depending on how rajin or how malas I am in the morning. And you guys will definitely know which ones fall under which category for sure by looking at the list.
Nasi Goreng
Mee Hoon Goreng
Kuey Teow Goreng
Maggi Goreng
Cereals with Cold Milk
Half-boiled Eggs with Bread/Toasts
Dim Sums and/or Pau (instant punyer, okay? Just steam them up ;))
French Toasts
Campbell/Heinz Soups with Bread
Tuna Kepit :)
Egg Kepit :)
Omellette
Nuggets with Sunny Side Up
Boiled Sausages with Scrambled Eggs
Burgers
Hotdogs
And oh ya, this morning, for the first time, I made Kuey Teow Soup :)
Usually, I would finish cooking/preparing breakfast by 6:15a.m, and Hilman would be the first one to come down to eat, and by 6:45a.m everybody would have finished eating (if they eat, that is!) and left for shool/work.
And of course, how much work is involved for me in washing the dishes and cleaning up the kitchen after that very much depends on what I cook for breakfast lah, kan? Sometimes, I have to wash a few periuk belanga and kuali segala and kitchen utensils, on top of the pinggan-mangkuk, etc. Letih weh...
Truth be told, I've run out of ideas as to what else I can prepare in the morning. Please, please, please... I need more ideas for my breakfast menu, please. The easier it is to make, the better. The less utensils used EVEN BETTER! Hehehe! :)
What do YOU guys prepare/have for breakfast at home normally, ya? All suggestions are welcome, and very much appreciated ;)
Thanks, y'all ;)
And I only wished that I was one who could take afternoon naps easily, so that I could make up for all those hours of sleep lost, especially on long Friday afternoon lunch-breaks like today. But, alas, when it comes to this, my body and my brain don't seem to be able to work out a new routine which includes afternoon naps for me to follow and get used to :(
Sigh. Nasib badan...(dan otak...) :(
Monday, March 8, 2010
One month summary :)
Phew. ONE posting for last month. ONE. That's a record for me who used to blog quite prolifically :)
Blame it on the age. Blame it on my maidless status. Blame it on the weather. Blame it on my angin malas. Blame it on writer's block. And, oh yes - you can blame it on Facebook, too, as I find it lighter and easier to layan than my Blog :)
But, no - I'm not abandoning my Blog. It's too precious and too special to just be set aside. So many of my memories are in here, and of course - I've made so many wonderful friends through this blog of mine. So, have no fear. This blog is here to stay :)
This is for you, Amy ;)
Anyway, so many things have happened since my last posting.
I've made a major decision with regard to something which I had been working on in the last 6 years. I have not been happy, in fact - so many times I had been so depressed working on it. And I have not made good progress in the last 2 years due to so many things happening in my life. Ayah has been a gem and has supported me on my decision to just move on with life, and move on with so many things which I was not able to do in the last 6 years. Never did he ask me if I was sure of my decision. All he said was, "I want you to be happy... The kids and I need you to be happy...". And YES, I am so much happier now. Feels like a 2-tonne rock which I have been carrying with me in the last couple of years has been lifted off my shoulders. I am so blessed to have Ayah and the kids beside me. Nothing else matters. Syukur alhamdulillah.
I'm settling well with being maidless. It has been more than 3 months now. I've worked on a workable routine - if I'm able to do it, I'll work on it. If not, I'll pejam mata and work on it when I'm next able to do it :) Laundry kat dalam bilik belakang tu, toksah cakap lah... :) Selalu sangat pejam mata. Hahaha!
And, oh ya - we've got a new driver by the name of Zaidi. So far so good. He was working with my BIL before this sebenarnya, but my BIL felt that he no longer needed a driver. He prefers his wife to ferry their kids around, and he doesn't trust anybody to drive their cars. Senang cakap - he just doesn't trust ANYBODY with his kids and his cars. He was given the driver by my MIL's company, and I guess he felt obliged to take Zaidi in the first place. In the end, Zaidi was doing all sorts of filing work at his office.
So, when my MIL realized that he was not really using the driver as he should, my MIL suggested for Zaidi to be transferred to us. And the rest - is history :)
Zaidi ni pun, first impression working with us was not really good. But, we gave him the benefit of the doubt. He was supposed to report for work on 22 February, but that morning he called to inform that his motor rosak, and petang baru okay. Kalau ikutkan hati, mau jer suruh dia naik cab datang kerja, kan? But, sabar ajer lah... At least he called.
And last Saturday, he was supposed to come at 8:30a.m, and we got an SMS from him at 7:15a.m, saying that he could not come to work because he had to send his mother to the hospital. So, again - sabar ajer lah... At least he called. We gave him the benefit of the doubt. Again.
Hmmmm...I don't know how far and how long I can appease myself with this reason... Because I'm sure one of these days, I akan hilang sabar jugak, EVEN if he calls! But, for now - we beggars can't be choosers... But, overall - he's a much better employee than Sabarudin.
Oh ya... We finally traded in our old faithful Naza 2 weeks ago. The kids, especially Hilman, were sad to let it go. Kalau boleh, they want us to keep all our cars. Hilman said that when he grows up and have enough money, he will buy our Naza back :) And I thought that was so sweet of him. Anyway, we've got ourselves a Toyota Alphard in place of the Naza. And we're also thinking of trading in my ole Kembara as well, and membuatkan Hilman lagi sedih! He said, "Why Mommy?! We have so many memories in your Kembara..."( And yes, he wants to buy back the Kembara, too, when he has the money :))
At the school-front, the kids are doing well. They're having their March tests this week. And with all first tests of the year before this, Ayah and I have not really pushed them and/or sat down with them to go through their subjects. We normally just want to gauge their natural raw academic capabilities for every new academic year. Once the first results of the year are out, then only we strategize for each kid.
If their results are so-so, at least we can always tell them to look back at the results and set a target for them to always improve on the marks by studying. The problem is when they get really good results and they become complacent because tak study pun boleh score maaa! Anyway, we'll just have to wait and see.
Hanna's sitting for her PMR this year, and she's attending tuitions at two different tuition centres. One for her Maths, Science and Sejarah, and another for her BM. I hope they'll help her. She has always been a good student, but, I hope attending the tuitions and getting a better understanding of the subjects concerned will boost her self-confidence in her own capabilities more. She received the Sijil Kecemerlangan for her Form 2 academic performance early this year. The Sijil is given to all students who obtained more than 14 A's for their Mid-Year and Final Year Exams put together.
Hanna's also doing well in her co-curriculae activities. She's representing her school in Merentas Desa at the MSSD. She's also in the school Football and Handball Teams, and also on stand-by for their Netball Team (she played last year when the Form 3 players were busy preparing for their PMR).
She's also in the school Taekwon-do Team. She has been a Red-Black belter since she was 11, and had always been told that she could only sit for her Black-Belt exam when she turns 15 (which is in November this year). But she has just been informed by her coach who had assessed her during training, etc., that she can go straight to Black Belt without going through her grading exercise. Syukur Alhamdulillah :)
She's now busy practising for her Sports Day - she'll be representing Blue House in Shot-putt, Long Jump and also 1500m.
As with their Kak Long, Hasya and Hilman are also representing Green House in their Sports Day. Hasya's in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m, Long Jump, and Shot-putt. While Hilman's in the Long Jump (I know, right?! I pun terkejut when he said he's in Long Jump!! My chubby baby! Hehehe!). He's also in the Shot-putt and Tarik Tali events. But according to him, during Latihan Rumah Sukan, when the boys practise tarik tali against the girls of Green House, the boys tak pernah menang. Hehehe! His excuse - there are more girls in Green House, compared to boys :) Me? I say - "Girl Power!!!" ;)
All three kids have been practising really hard now, and all three kids are now quite sun-burnt. And Hilman has lost his title of being "The fairest of them all" to ME! So, ME being the fairest now - you can imagine just how tanned the kids are! :)
Okay, I've over-extended my lunch break. Got to go now. Have to get back to work. Hope this posting has covered all that I've missed writing on in the last one month :)
Take care, y'all.
* And Dilla - I'll work on the tag SOON, okay? ;)
Blame it on the age. Blame it on my maidless status. Blame it on the weather. Blame it on my angin malas. Blame it on writer's block. And, oh yes - you can blame it on Facebook, too, as I find it lighter and easier to layan than my Blog :)
But, no - I'm not abandoning my Blog. It's too precious and too special to just be set aside. So many of my memories are in here, and of course - I've made so many wonderful friends through this blog of mine. So, have no fear. This blog is here to stay :)
This is for you, Amy ;)
Anyway, so many things have happened since my last posting.
I've made a major decision with regard to something which I had been working on in the last 6 years. I have not been happy, in fact - so many times I had been so depressed working on it. And I have not made good progress in the last 2 years due to so many things happening in my life. Ayah has been a gem and has supported me on my decision to just move on with life, and move on with so many things which I was not able to do in the last 6 years. Never did he ask me if I was sure of my decision. All he said was, "I want you to be happy... The kids and I need you to be happy...". And YES, I am so much happier now. Feels like a 2-tonne rock which I have been carrying with me in the last couple of years has been lifted off my shoulders. I am so blessed to have Ayah and the kids beside me. Nothing else matters. Syukur alhamdulillah.
I'm settling well with being maidless. It has been more than 3 months now. I've worked on a workable routine - if I'm able to do it, I'll work on it. If not, I'll pejam mata and work on it when I'm next able to do it :) Laundry kat dalam bilik belakang tu, toksah cakap lah... :) Selalu sangat pejam mata. Hahaha!
And, oh ya - we've got a new driver by the name of Zaidi. So far so good. He was working with my BIL before this sebenarnya, but my BIL felt that he no longer needed a driver. He prefers his wife to ferry their kids around, and he doesn't trust anybody to drive their cars. Senang cakap - he just doesn't trust ANYBODY with his kids and his cars. He was given the driver by my MIL's company, and I guess he felt obliged to take Zaidi in the first place. In the end, Zaidi was doing all sorts of filing work at his office.
So, when my MIL realized that he was not really using the driver as he should, my MIL suggested for Zaidi to be transferred to us. And the rest - is history :)
Zaidi ni pun, first impression working with us was not really good. But, we gave him the benefit of the doubt. He was supposed to report for work on 22 February, but that morning he called to inform that his motor rosak, and petang baru okay. Kalau ikutkan hati, mau jer suruh dia naik cab datang kerja, kan? But, sabar ajer lah... At least he called.
And last Saturday, he was supposed to come at 8:30a.m, and we got an SMS from him at 7:15a.m, saying that he could not come to work because he had to send his mother to the hospital. So, again - sabar ajer lah... At least he called. We gave him the benefit of the doubt. Again.
Hmmmm...I don't know how far and how long I can appease myself with this reason... Because I'm sure one of these days, I akan hilang sabar jugak, EVEN if he calls! But, for now - we beggars can't be choosers... But, overall - he's a much better employee than Sabarudin.
Oh ya... We finally traded in our old faithful Naza 2 weeks ago. The kids, especially Hilman, were sad to let it go. Kalau boleh, they want us to keep all our cars. Hilman said that when he grows up and have enough money, he will buy our Naza back :) And I thought that was so sweet of him. Anyway, we've got ourselves a Toyota Alphard in place of the Naza. And we're also thinking of trading in my ole Kembara as well, and membuatkan Hilman lagi sedih! He said, "Why Mommy?! We have so many memories in your Kembara..."( And yes, he wants to buy back the Kembara, too, when he has the money :))
At the school-front, the kids are doing well. They're having their March tests this week. And with all first tests of the year before this, Ayah and I have not really pushed them and/or sat down with them to go through their subjects. We normally just want to gauge their natural raw academic capabilities for every new academic year. Once the first results of the year are out, then only we strategize for each kid.
If their results are so-so, at least we can always tell them to look back at the results and set a target for them to always improve on the marks by studying. The problem is when they get really good results and they become complacent because tak study pun boleh score maaa! Anyway, we'll just have to wait and see.
Hanna's sitting for her PMR this year, and she's attending tuitions at two different tuition centres. One for her Maths, Science and Sejarah, and another for her BM. I hope they'll help her. She has always been a good student, but, I hope attending the tuitions and getting a better understanding of the subjects concerned will boost her self-confidence in her own capabilities more. She received the Sijil Kecemerlangan for her Form 2 academic performance early this year. The Sijil is given to all students who obtained more than 14 A's for their Mid-Year and Final Year Exams put together.
Hanna's also doing well in her co-curriculae activities. She's representing her school in Merentas Desa at the MSSD. She's also in the school Football and Handball Teams, and also on stand-by for their Netball Team (she played last year when the Form 3 players were busy preparing for their PMR).
She's also in the school Taekwon-do Team. She has been a Red-Black belter since she was 11, and had always been told that she could only sit for her Black-Belt exam when she turns 15 (which is in November this year). But she has just been informed by her coach who had assessed her during training, etc., that she can go straight to Black Belt without going through her grading exercise. Syukur Alhamdulillah :)
She's now busy practising for her Sports Day - she'll be representing Blue House in Shot-putt, Long Jump and also 1500m.
As with their Kak Long, Hasya and Hilman are also representing Green House in their Sports Day. Hasya's in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m, Long Jump, and Shot-putt. While Hilman's in the Long Jump (I know, right?! I pun terkejut when he said he's in Long Jump!! My chubby baby! Hehehe!). He's also in the Shot-putt and Tarik Tali events. But according to him, during Latihan Rumah Sukan, when the boys practise tarik tali against the girls of Green House, the boys tak pernah menang. Hehehe! His excuse - there are more girls in Green House, compared to boys :) Me? I say - "Girl Power!!!" ;)
All three kids have been practising really hard now, and all three kids are now quite sun-burnt. And Hilman has lost his title of being "The fairest of them all" to ME! So, ME being the fairest now - you can imagine just how tanned the kids are! :)
Okay, I've over-extended my lunch break. Got to go now. Have to get back to work. Hope this posting has covered all that I've missed writing on in the last one month :)
Take care, y'all.
* And Dilla - I'll work on the tag SOON, okay? ;)
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Back to square one...
Remember Sabarudin Tukang Bawak Kereta which I wrote about here?
Well, it's Sabarudin no more.
To cut a long story short -
He worked for us for 20 days during which we observed the following -
(1) His driving was okay. Well, if you consider him nearly hitting a car coming out of the junction near our house as okay, and also if you consider him making a dent on Ayah's car by knocking on my MIL's automatic gate as okay, then he must be okay lah kan? You got my drift?
Apart from those two incidents, he would either be driving too slowly, or too fast at times. I find myself pressing on the invisible accelerator and brake pads every now and then, and that was stressing me out a bit, I tell you.
And he rarely used the indicator lights when he was changing lanes or when he was making turns despite being reminded by us many, many times. And that was also stressing me out
(2) He has to be reminded EVERY TIME to wash and clean the cars. We specifically told him during the interview that we expect him to take care of the cars and he should wash them as and when necessary (read "dirty") and we expected him to clean both inside AND out.
But, what happened was, everytime any of the the cars needed washing, WE had to ask him to wash them (bukannya suruh wash all 3 cars serentak pun!) He could have washed them ikut turn every other day, etc. And sometimes if he washed the outside of the cars, he would forget to clean the inside. You got my drift?
Berat tulanglah sikit. No initiatives at all. Padahal while waiting for the times to ferry Ayah and the kids tu, punya lah banyak masa terluang and he would just sit and read his newspapers (tak tau lah khatam berapa kali sehari!) or he would just doze off on the chair.
(3) He had problems answering our calls and replying our SMSs. One time, he was supposed to fetch Hasya and Hilman from school at 1:00p.m. but, by 1:30p.m he was still not there. Hasya called us to ask where the driver was, and neither Ayah nor I knew his whereabouts then. It was on the Saturday when the kids had replacement school and there were not many kids around at the waiting area that time. I must have tried calling him more than 20 times, while Ayah tried calling him more than that. I was at One Utama and didn't have my car then (as Din had dropped me there at 12:30p.m before going to the school to fetch the kids). If not, I would have just gone and fetched them myself.
By 1:45p.m when Hasya called and said the driver was still not there, Ayah who was still at the hospital then, decided to go and fetch the kids himself. Just then Din called saying that he was stuck in a jam earlier and that he only arrived at the school at 1:45p.m! He didn't answer our calls because he didn't realize we were calling him as his phone was on silent mode (?!). So, Ayah gave him a piece of his mind - why couldn't he just SMS or call us to say that he was going to be late fetching the kids? What if the kids were the only two pupils waiting at the school, and what if anything happened to them?! Nauzubillah... He could have at least informed us his whereabouts, especially when he was 45 minutes late fetching the kids, right? What's the point of giving him his monthly telephone allowance if we can't contact him, and vise versa?
(4) He was just not a responsible employee. And that was the last straw for us. It was Thursday last week, and Ayah decided that I should use the driver instead as Ayah would be at his TMC clinic and he was not going anywhere that day. As I was to have a class a 10:00a.m. that morning, I SMSd Din at 6:45a.m. asking him to come at 9:00a.m. instead of his usual 11:00a.m. clock-in time. And he did not reply my SMS.
I waited until 7:30a.m and tried calling him just to confirm if he had received my earlier SMS, and he didn't answer the phone. I tried calling again a few times after that. Still no answer. So, when he didn't turn up at 9:00a.m. I decided that I should just drive to work myself. Ayah then asked me to just wait until 9:30a.m. And waited I did. But, I couldn't wait any longer as I had a class to go to at 10:00a.m.
I left the house at 9:35a.m and reached the Tutorial Room just before 10:00a.m. (Thank God!) And at 11:00a.m, in between classes I checked my phone to see if Din had replied. Still nothing from him. No SMSes or missed calls from him. Nada. Zilch.
It was only when I checked my phone again after class at 12:00p.m that I got an SMS from him, sent at 11:35a.m, stating that he couldn't SMS or call earlier as he had to send his 2 kids to the hospital that morning as they had food poisoning, and he was taking emergency leave.
I say, come on lah... From 6:45a.m until 11:35a.m - that's nearly FIVE hours, don't tell me he couldn't just call either Ayah or myself to inform that he couldn't come to work, right? It wouldn't have taken more than 2 minutes for him to dial the phone and speak to us.
Ayah was really mad and called Din and gave him a piece of his mind (or make it - A FEW PIECES of his mind kot...because after that Din just stopped coming to work...)
And that was it. He didn't even SMS or call to say that he was quitting.
Even when I SMSd him that night to ask about his kids - whether they were okay or not, he didn't reply my SMS.
So, back to square one for us.
No Bibik. No Driver.
And my typical routine for the day now would be -
5:45a.m : Wake up and prepare breakfast for Ayah and the kids.
6:40a.m : Ayah and the kids would leave the house and go to school/work, and I would dump the laundry into the washing machine. Solat.
7:00a.m : Tidy up the kitchen, sweep the floor, and if larat, I would mop the floor, too.
8:00a.m : Get ready for work.
8:30a.m : Leave the house for office, and on the way, I would drop the washed laundry at my MIL's place to be dried.
9:00a.m or 9:30a.m : I'll be at the office already.
1:00p.m : If I don't have any classes, I would fetch Hasya and Hilman and send them to my MIL's place. If I have tutorials or lectures, then my MIL's driver would have to fetch them instead,
Between 1:00p.m to 6:30p.m, as the kids' schedules are different everyday, I would either fetch Hanna from school, send her back to my MIL's, or to the tuition centre, or send the kids to piano, or something along that line.
I would then collect the dried clean and crisp laundry from my MIL's place, after which I would drive everybody back to Sri Damansara, reaching home the earliest at 7:00p.m, latest at 8:30p.m. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, when Hasya and Hilman have mengaji class at my MIL's place, we would go back to SD after 9:30p.m. But, if Ayah can fetch them and bring them home, I would go back to SD with Hanna first and normally the two of us would just have dinner outside on the way home.
If I feel like cooking dinner, I would cook.
If I don't feel like it, we would just eat out or order takeaway.
Ayah would normally finish work after 9:30p.m, and he would join us for dinner (at home or outside), or he would just grab something at the hospital.
After dinner, of course - I'd be doing the dishes and also clearing and tidying up the kitchen. If I yell at the kids, then they would be helping me out with this. If not, then I would be slogging in the kitchen alone.
After that (normally dah nearly 11:00p.m.), kalau rajin, I would do the ironing. Kalau tak rajin, then I would do some Facebook-ing :)
I only iron baju rumah and casuals now. All school uniforms and Ayah's work shirts are sent to the Laundrette on Friday evening to be washed and ironed, and collected on Sunday afternoon. That alone easily takes away nearly 3 hours of ironing time off my workload :) Of course this would mean that we would have to spend a bit more on the laundry bills. But, as it is, that would be part of the money which we were supposed to pay gaji Bibik, right? So, we're cool with that.
And THAT, my friends, are the reasons why this blog has been pretty quiet nowadays.
Many times I had opened my Blogspot account with plans to update this blog of mine, and many times I would just fall asleep in front of the lappie...until the alarm went off again at 5:45a.m the next morning for me to wake up and get breakfast ready. And the cycle continues everyday.
That's just how my life is at the moment. Back to square one, but, I'm more settled and organized now, syukur alhamdulillah.
Tired and spent - yes. But still hanging in there :)
Well, it's Sabarudin no more.
To cut a long story short -
He worked for us for 20 days during which we observed the following -
(1) His driving was okay. Well, if you consider him nearly hitting a car coming out of the junction near our house as okay, and also if you consider him making a dent on Ayah's car by knocking on my MIL's automatic gate as okay, then he must be okay lah kan? You got my drift?
Apart from those two incidents, he would either be driving too slowly, or too fast at times. I find myself pressing on the invisible accelerator and brake pads every now and then, and that was stressing me out a bit, I tell you.
And he rarely used the indicator lights when he was changing lanes or when he was making turns despite being reminded by us many, many times. And that was also stressing me out
(2) He has to be reminded EVERY TIME to wash and clean the cars. We specifically told him during the interview that we expect him to take care of the cars and he should wash them as and when necessary (read "dirty") and we expected him to clean both inside AND out.
But, what happened was, everytime any of the the cars needed washing, WE had to ask him to wash them (bukannya suruh wash all 3 cars serentak pun!) He could have washed them ikut turn every other day, etc. And sometimes if he washed the outside of the cars, he would forget to clean the inside. You got my drift?
Berat tulanglah sikit. No initiatives at all. Padahal while waiting for the times to ferry Ayah and the kids tu, punya lah banyak masa terluang and he would just sit and read his newspapers (tak tau lah khatam berapa kali sehari!) or he would just doze off on the chair.
(3) He had problems answering our calls and replying our SMSs. One time, he was supposed to fetch Hasya and Hilman from school at 1:00p.m. but, by 1:30p.m he was still not there. Hasya called us to ask where the driver was, and neither Ayah nor I knew his whereabouts then. It was on the Saturday when the kids had replacement school and there were not many kids around at the waiting area that time. I must have tried calling him more than 20 times, while Ayah tried calling him more than that. I was at One Utama and didn't have my car then (as Din had dropped me there at 12:30p.m before going to the school to fetch the kids). If not, I would have just gone and fetched them myself.
By 1:45p.m when Hasya called and said the driver was still not there, Ayah who was still at the hospital then, decided to go and fetch the kids himself. Just then Din called saying that he was stuck in a jam earlier and that he only arrived at the school at 1:45p.m! He didn't answer our calls because he didn't realize we were calling him as his phone was on silent mode (?!). So, Ayah gave him a piece of his mind - why couldn't he just SMS or call us to say that he was going to be late fetching the kids? What if the kids were the only two pupils waiting at the school, and what if anything happened to them?! Nauzubillah... He could have at least informed us his whereabouts, especially when he was 45 minutes late fetching the kids, right? What's the point of giving him his monthly telephone allowance if we can't contact him, and vise versa?
(4) He was just not a responsible employee. And that was the last straw for us. It was Thursday last week, and Ayah decided that I should use the driver instead as Ayah would be at his TMC clinic and he was not going anywhere that day. As I was to have a class a 10:00a.m. that morning, I SMSd Din at 6:45a.m. asking him to come at 9:00a.m. instead of his usual 11:00a.m. clock-in time. And he did not reply my SMS.
I waited until 7:30a.m and tried calling him just to confirm if he had received my earlier SMS, and he didn't answer the phone. I tried calling again a few times after that. Still no answer. So, when he didn't turn up at 9:00a.m. I decided that I should just drive to work myself. Ayah then asked me to just wait until 9:30a.m. And waited I did. But, I couldn't wait any longer as I had a class to go to at 10:00a.m.
I left the house at 9:35a.m and reached the Tutorial Room just before 10:00a.m. (Thank God!) And at 11:00a.m, in between classes I checked my phone to see if Din had replied. Still nothing from him. No SMSes or missed calls from him. Nada. Zilch.
It was only when I checked my phone again after class at 12:00p.m that I got an SMS from him, sent at 11:35a.m, stating that he couldn't SMS or call earlier as he had to send his 2 kids to the hospital that morning as they had food poisoning, and he was taking emergency leave.
I say, come on lah... From 6:45a.m until 11:35a.m - that's nearly FIVE hours, don't tell me he couldn't just call either Ayah or myself to inform that he couldn't come to work, right? It wouldn't have taken more than 2 minutes for him to dial the phone and speak to us.
Ayah was really mad and called Din and gave him a piece of his mind (or make it - A FEW PIECES of his mind kot...because after that Din just stopped coming to work...)
And that was it. He didn't even SMS or call to say that he was quitting.
Even when I SMSd him that night to ask about his kids - whether they were okay or not, he didn't reply my SMS.
So, back to square one for us.
No Bibik. No Driver.
And my typical routine for the day now would be -
5:45a.m : Wake up and prepare breakfast for Ayah and the kids.
6:40a.m : Ayah and the kids would leave the house and go to school/work, and I would dump the laundry into the washing machine. Solat.
7:00a.m : Tidy up the kitchen, sweep the floor, and if larat, I would mop the floor, too.
8:00a.m : Get ready for work.
8:30a.m : Leave the house for office, and on the way, I would drop the washed laundry at my MIL's place to be dried.
9:00a.m or 9:30a.m : I'll be at the office already.
1:00p.m : If I don't have any classes, I would fetch Hasya and Hilman and send them to my MIL's place. If I have tutorials or lectures, then my MIL's driver would have to fetch them instead,
Between 1:00p.m to 6:30p.m, as the kids' schedules are different everyday, I would either fetch Hanna from school, send her back to my MIL's, or to the tuition centre, or send the kids to piano, or something along that line.
I would then collect the dried clean and crisp laundry from my MIL's place, after which I would drive everybody back to Sri Damansara, reaching home the earliest at 7:00p.m, latest at 8:30p.m. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, when Hasya and Hilman have mengaji class at my MIL's place, we would go back to SD after 9:30p.m. But, if Ayah can fetch them and bring them home, I would go back to SD with Hanna first and normally the two of us would just have dinner outside on the way home.
If I feel like cooking dinner, I would cook.
If I don't feel like it, we would just eat out or order takeaway.
Ayah would normally finish work after 9:30p.m, and he would join us for dinner (at home or outside), or he would just grab something at the hospital.
After dinner, of course - I'd be doing the dishes and also clearing and tidying up the kitchen. If I yell at the kids, then they would be helping me out with this. If not, then I would be slogging in the kitchen alone.
After that (normally dah nearly 11:00p.m.), kalau rajin, I would do the ironing. Kalau tak rajin, then I would do some Facebook-ing :)
I only iron baju rumah and casuals now. All school uniforms and Ayah's work shirts are sent to the Laundrette on Friday evening to be washed and ironed, and collected on Sunday afternoon. That alone easily takes away nearly 3 hours of ironing time off my workload :) Of course this would mean that we would have to spend a bit more on the laundry bills. But, as it is, that would be part of the money which we were supposed to pay gaji Bibik, right? So, we're cool with that.
And THAT, my friends, are the reasons why this blog has been pretty quiet nowadays.
Many times I had opened my Blogspot account with plans to update this blog of mine, and many times I would just fall asleep in front of the lappie...until the alarm went off again at 5:45a.m the next morning for me to wake up and get breakfast ready. And the cycle continues everyday.
That's just how my life is at the moment. Back to square one, but, I'm more settled and organized now, syukur alhamdulillah.
Tired and spent - yes. But still hanging in there :)
Monday, January 18, 2010
BENGANG...
BIG TIME.
I am in no mood to write about what I'm about to write, but, I feel that I need to write about it.
I had vented out my frustration and anger on my FB, and I had comments, advice and support from friends which had made me feel somewhat better. Thank you so much, guys!
To all who are yet in the know, it's confirmed - Bibik Dar is NOT coming back.
And she didn't even have the courtesy to call or SMS herself to tell me.
I was the one who SMSd to her husband last night to ask her flight date back to Malaysia, and he got back to me saying that Dar could not come back because she didn't have any money left to buy her flight ticket. All her money had been used up to repair the house.
I then SMSd again saying that that should not be a problem as I could send her the money.
He came back and said that that was not the only reason. Dar has decided not to come back because she said there was too much work to be done at our house and she never got any rests in the last 2 years!
That really pissed me off!
Why the hell did she ask us to renew her permit and endorse her passport for the fiscal exemption thingy in the first place if she was not happy working with us in the first place?! To think that Ayah had to run around to get everything done a few days before she went back that day. Grrrrr....
She could have told us this before she went back so that we could have arranged for her replacement two months ago and not have to be maidless in the last 1 1/2 months while waiting for her to come back!
Luckily, when she wanted to kirim her salary back to Indonesia 2 weeks before her flight back, Ayah had asked me to keep the RM950 which we had used to renew her permit just in case she decided to do just this. I told her that she could send that amount back when she comes back nanti.
I called the agent this morning and he said that he suspects that Dar MAY have come back using the permit and all, and now might be working with someone else. Apparently he ada dengar-dengar from his other maids that there have been some of her friends who had ajar and ajak her to do this. NOW he tells me?!
I don't understand what exactly it is that she wants from us.
We treated her well. We bought her stuffs and things (shoes, clothes, handbags, you name it, etc.) We even bought stuffs for her kids! We tanggung everything - makan, minum, toiletries - even facial creams and cleansers, etc, and all other necessities. Heck, her shampoo was more expensive than mine! We brought her along with us when we went out for movies and when we ate out. She ate what we ate - at home and outside. In fact, I did most of the cooking and all at home. So basically I cooked for her! We let her watch her Astro Indon Channel as and when she pleased. We gave her RM20 IDD card everytime as and when she wanted to call home. We bought her baju raya, and gave her duit raya every time. We paid her extras whenever we had functions at home which required her to work extra hours. Every night she would sleep earlier than we did. We let her cuti at the agent's place whenever she requested to go there.
What? She wants us to send her for a 4D3N holiday at Pangkor Laut every month?!
I SMSd her husband to tell him that we would be cancelling her permit and lodged a police report as this is considered as Kes Pembantu Lari, and the implication of this would be that Dar would not be able to enter Malaysia again after this (assuming that she may still be in Indon now. If she's already here - I guess there's nothing much we could do). At least they would be aware of the implications, and should thank me for informing them.
But NO. He came back with an SMS saying that if this makes me 'PUAS' then I can go ahead with it, and he had the cheek to ask me not to 'ganggu' them again and not SMS them again, and that THAT would be their last SMS to me (?!) Apakah?!!!
I just had to reply saying that it was not a question of 'PUAS' or not. I am cancelling her permit and lodging a police report and all for the simple reason that if I didn't do that, I wouldn't be able to apply for a new maid la, BAGHAL... Just because their hati busuk, they think that hati we all pun busuk like theirs?!
I AM REALLY PISSED OFF...
I feel so betrayed. I REALLY thought that Dar would be different from the other helpers. My bad.
Hanna who saw how upset I was last night had this to say -
"Mommy, it's okay... We had coped well in the last couple of months without her. It's okay, insya Allah we'll be fine..."
Thank you, darling. That had tenangkan hati Mommy somewhat...
I am now seriously considering just getting a part-time weekend helper to help with cleaning the house and the ironing. An FB friend asked me to hold on to this - "Kalau larat, buat. Kalau tak larat, pejam ajer mata. After all it's our house..." And I think I'm going to do just that.
But, Ayah is not keen on the idea and wants us to apply for a new maid.
See la how it goes...
Frankly speaking, I've had just about enough of them ungrateful, tak mengenang untung lot....
I am in no mood to write about what I'm about to write, but, I feel that I need to write about it.
I had vented out my frustration and anger on my FB, and I had comments, advice and support from friends which had made me feel somewhat better. Thank you so much, guys!
To all who are yet in the know, it's confirmed - Bibik Dar is NOT coming back.
And she didn't even have the courtesy to call or SMS herself to tell me.
I was the one who SMSd to her husband last night to ask her flight date back to Malaysia, and he got back to me saying that Dar could not come back because she didn't have any money left to buy her flight ticket. All her money had been used up to repair the house.
I then SMSd again saying that that should not be a problem as I could send her the money.
He came back and said that that was not the only reason. Dar has decided not to come back because she said there was too much work to be done at our house and she never got any rests in the last 2 years!
That really pissed me off!
Why the hell did she ask us to renew her permit and endorse her passport for the fiscal exemption thingy in the first place if she was not happy working with us in the first place?! To think that Ayah had to run around to get everything done a few days before she went back that day. Grrrrr....
She could have told us this before she went back so that we could have arranged for her replacement two months ago and not have to be maidless in the last 1 1/2 months while waiting for her to come back!
Luckily, when she wanted to kirim her salary back to Indonesia 2 weeks before her flight back, Ayah had asked me to keep the RM950 which we had used to renew her permit just in case she decided to do just this. I told her that she could send that amount back when she comes back nanti.
I called the agent this morning and he said that he suspects that Dar MAY have come back using the permit and all, and now might be working with someone else. Apparently he ada dengar-dengar from his other maids that there have been some of her friends who had ajar and ajak her to do this. NOW he tells me?!
I don't understand what exactly it is that she wants from us.
We treated her well. We bought her stuffs and things (shoes, clothes, handbags, you name it, etc.) We even bought stuffs for her kids! We tanggung everything - makan, minum, toiletries - even facial creams and cleansers, etc, and all other necessities. Heck, her shampoo was more expensive than mine! We brought her along with us when we went out for movies and when we ate out. She ate what we ate - at home and outside. In fact, I did most of the cooking and all at home. So basically I cooked for her! We let her watch her Astro Indon Channel as and when she pleased. We gave her RM20 IDD card everytime as and when she wanted to call home. We bought her baju raya, and gave her duit raya every time. We paid her extras whenever we had functions at home which required her to work extra hours. Every night she would sleep earlier than we did. We let her cuti at the agent's place whenever she requested to go there.
What? She wants us to send her for a 4D3N holiday at Pangkor Laut every month?!
I SMSd her husband to tell him that we would be cancelling her permit and lodged a police report as this is considered as Kes Pembantu Lari, and the implication of this would be that Dar would not be able to enter Malaysia again after this (assuming that she may still be in Indon now. If she's already here - I guess there's nothing much we could do). At least they would be aware of the implications, and should thank me for informing them.
But NO. He came back with an SMS saying that if this makes me 'PUAS' then I can go ahead with it, and he had the cheek to ask me not to 'ganggu' them again and not SMS them again, and that THAT would be their last SMS to me (?!) Apakah?!!!
I just had to reply saying that it was not a question of 'PUAS' or not. I am cancelling her permit and lodging a police report and all for the simple reason that if I didn't do that, I wouldn't be able to apply for a new maid la, BAGHAL... Just because their hati busuk, they think that hati we all pun busuk like theirs?!
I AM REALLY PISSED OFF...
I feel so betrayed. I REALLY thought that Dar would be different from the other helpers. My bad.
Hanna who saw how upset I was last night had this to say -
"Mommy, it's okay... We had coped well in the last couple of months without her. It's okay, insya Allah we'll be fine..."
Thank you, darling. That had tenangkan hati Mommy somewhat...
I am now seriously considering just getting a part-time weekend helper to help with cleaning the house and the ironing. An FB friend asked me to hold on to this - "Kalau larat, buat. Kalau tak larat, pejam ajer mata. After all it's our house..." And I think I'm going to do just that.
But, Ayah is not keen on the idea and wants us to apply for a new maid.
See la how it goes...
Frankly speaking, I've had just about enough of them ungrateful, tak mengenang untung lot....
Sunday, January 17, 2010
It takes some getting used to...
It's 10:08a.m now.
Ayah had just left for the hospital 15 minutes ago and should be back by 10:45a.m to send the kids to their dance class.
Breakfast was simple - leftover Nasi Goreng from yesterday, and for Hilman, leftover pizza from Nachos Nachos which we tapau-ed last night. He didn't quite like it, so I had to add new toppings of sausages and more cheese to it. And the pinggan is licin already :) And Hilman said 'Thank you' to me three times for making the pizza taste better :)
It'll be a Sunday at home for us today, but not a relaxing one, I'm afraid. Ayah has to finish his article for MM by 6:00p.m today, and as for me, I plan to clear the porch of some boxes which had been there for the last one year and REALLY make time to send them to the intended recipients either later today or tomorrow morning. Apart from that, of course - the clothes need ironing, too. Anyway, I'm just going to iron Ayah's work shirts enough for 2 weeks, and of course the kids' school uniforms - all 15 pairs of them...again. First thing to do - to find them shirts and uniforms in that pile in Dar's room :(
And I forgot to remind the kids to wash their school shoes yesterday, so they're doing it now. Hope the sun shines the whole day today so that the shoes will be dry in time for school tomorrow...(Hmmmm...macam lyrics lagu lah pulak ;))
Sabarudin reported for duty on Friday, and I took the day off to show him the routes to the kids' schools/centres, and also to Ayah's hospital, etc. Also got him to bring Hilman and myself to Tesco that afternoon. It did make a huge difference not having to go round and round finding a parking space myself. It saved so much time, and of course energy because I had him to push the trolley to the car at the end of it ;) I didn't have him following me around while I was doing my grocery shopping, of course. That would be really awkward for me (and for him, too, I guess?). So, I just asked him to wait for me at the entrance near Pizza Hut.
So, Friday was his day with me and the kids.
Yesterday, on the other hand, was his day with Ayah and the kids.
He arrived at 7:15a.m as Ayah needed to be in Co*um*ia As*a by 8:00a.m. Hanna also had to be in school by 8:00a.m as she had Handball practice until 10:00a.m. Hanna was sent first, then Ayah. At 10:00a.m he fetched Hanna, sent her to my MIL's house so that she could get ready for her guitar class. At 10:45a.m, they left my MIL's house to fetch Ayah, sent Ayah to TMC, and then sent Hanna to OU for her 12:00p.m guitar class. As for me, I only had to send Hasya and Hilman to their Chess Class in Taman Tun at 11:30a.m and then came home straight. Hanna was fetched by Sabarudin at 1:00p.m, thereafter he fetched Hasya and Hilman and then off he went to TMC to fetch Ayah. They all arrived home together at 2:15p.m.
When I asked Ayah what did he think of Sabarudin, he told me that the whole time they were together in the car, Ayah had to keep on reminding him to use the indicator lights when changing lanes or making a turn. And according to him, they nearly hit a car as they were going out at the junction near our house! Hmmmmm...risau jugak, kan? But, I hope in time he'll know what we expect out of him. He needs to get used to our style of driving if he's driving us around, right?
Anyway, he's on a 3-month probation. If we feel he's careless and bukan pemandu berhemah, I guess we'll have to find another driver then.
I felt so much more relaxed, and I found that there were so much more things done at home with this arrangement. One of the things is that, now, I don't have to bring the semi-dry washing in everytime I want to go out sending/fetching the kids (fearing that it might rain while I'm out) and the laundry gets done earlier and easier. And the kitchen sink is clear and empty all the time because now I DO have time to wash the dishes straight away after our meals, and not have to wait until I'm done with the ferrying around job.
But, I think Ayah feels a bit awkward having a driver because he's so used to driving himself everywhere as and when he pleases whenever he's called to any of the hospitals, and now he has to wait for Sabarudin everytime he needs to go somewhere. Ayah may feel that it's so much easier and so much faster if he drives himself all the time. But, I guess it takes some getting used to.
As for me, I told Ayah that the driver is primarily for him. If Sabarudin can send and fetch the kids in between, it'll a bonus. If he can't, I can always ferry the kids. After all, their schools/centres, my office and my MIL's house are all quite near to each other. The only days which I may not be able to do so would be on Tuesdays and Thursdays when I have full teaching schedules.
And the difference between Ayah and I is that I tak sampai hati nak bagi Sabarudin kerja more than his hours, while Ayah said I should not feel like that because we're paying him for his OT. Furthermore, he had been out of work for the last 2 months, and he probably doesn't mind working over-time anyway. And Ayah said, he should expect to work over-time as that is what's expected of a personal driver anyway. I guess Ayah has a point there. I guess on this issue, it's me who has to get used to the idea of asking Sabarudin to kerja lebih masa.
I guess we see things differently - we men and women. To me, I think he would want to spend more time with his family. But, to Ayah, he thinks he probably wants to earn more money to support his family. It's kind of reflecting how both of us view our own careers and lives, I guess. But, I'm still in a dilemma when it comes to ask Sabarudin to do OT. How la like this?
I guess in time I will know what Sabarudin wants from his job, and insya Allah we then can somewhat balance that with what we want him to do for us to make our lives easier.
And our lives will be even easier if Dar is around nanti. Talking of whom - she has yet to call... :(
Ayah had just left for the hospital 15 minutes ago and should be back by 10:45a.m to send the kids to their dance class.
Breakfast was simple - leftover Nasi Goreng from yesterday, and for Hilman, leftover pizza from Nachos Nachos which we tapau-ed last night. He didn't quite like it, so I had to add new toppings of sausages and more cheese to it. And the pinggan is licin already :) And Hilman said 'Thank you' to me three times for making the pizza taste better :)
It'll be a Sunday at home for us today, but not a relaxing one, I'm afraid. Ayah has to finish his article for MM by 6:00p.m today, and as for me, I plan to clear the porch of some boxes which had been there for the last one year and REALLY make time to send them to the intended recipients either later today or tomorrow morning. Apart from that, of course - the clothes need ironing, too. Anyway, I'm just going to iron Ayah's work shirts enough for 2 weeks, and of course the kids' school uniforms - all 15 pairs of them...again. First thing to do - to find them shirts and uniforms in that pile in Dar's room :(
And I forgot to remind the kids to wash their school shoes yesterday, so they're doing it now. Hope the sun shines the whole day today so that the shoes will be dry in time for school tomorrow...(Hmmmm...macam lyrics lagu lah pulak ;))
Sabarudin reported for duty on Friday, and I took the day off to show him the routes to the kids' schools/centres, and also to Ayah's hospital, etc. Also got him to bring Hilman and myself to Tesco that afternoon. It did make a huge difference not having to go round and round finding a parking space myself. It saved so much time, and of course energy because I had him to push the trolley to the car at the end of it ;) I didn't have him following me around while I was doing my grocery shopping, of course. That would be really awkward for me (and for him, too, I guess?). So, I just asked him to wait for me at the entrance near Pizza Hut.
So, Friday was his day with me and the kids.
Yesterday, on the other hand, was his day with Ayah and the kids.
He arrived at 7:15a.m as Ayah needed to be in Co*um*ia As*a by 8:00a.m. Hanna also had to be in school by 8:00a.m as she had Handball practice until 10:00a.m. Hanna was sent first, then Ayah. At 10:00a.m he fetched Hanna, sent her to my MIL's house so that she could get ready for her guitar class. At 10:45a.m, they left my MIL's house to fetch Ayah, sent Ayah to TMC, and then sent Hanna to OU for her 12:00p.m guitar class. As for me, I only had to send Hasya and Hilman to their Chess Class in Taman Tun at 11:30a.m and then came home straight. Hanna was fetched by Sabarudin at 1:00p.m, thereafter he fetched Hasya and Hilman and then off he went to TMC to fetch Ayah. They all arrived home together at 2:15p.m.
When I asked Ayah what did he think of Sabarudin, he told me that the whole time they were together in the car, Ayah had to keep on reminding him to use the indicator lights when changing lanes or making a turn. And according to him, they nearly hit a car as they were going out at the junction near our house! Hmmmmm...risau jugak, kan? But, I hope in time he'll know what we expect out of him. He needs to get used to our style of driving if he's driving us around, right?
Anyway, he's on a 3-month probation. If we feel he's careless and bukan pemandu berhemah, I guess we'll have to find another driver then.
I felt so much more relaxed, and I found that there were so much more things done at home with this arrangement. One of the things is that, now, I don't have to bring the semi-dry washing in everytime I want to go out sending/fetching the kids (fearing that it might rain while I'm out) and the laundry gets done earlier and easier. And the kitchen sink is clear and empty all the time because now I DO have time to wash the dishes straight away after our meals, and not have to wait until I'm done with the ferrying around job.
But, I think Ayah feels a bit awkward having a driver because he's so used to driving himself everywhere as and when he pleases whenever he's called to any of the hospitals, and now he has to wait for Sabarudin everytime he needs to go somewhere. Ayah may feel that it's so much easier and so much faster if he drives himself all the time. But, I guess it takes some getting used to.
As for me, I told Ayah that the driver is primarily for him. If Sabarudin can send and fetch the kids in between, it'll a bonus. If he can't, I can always ferry the kids. After all, their schools/centres, my office and my MIL's house are all quite near to each other. The only days which I may not be able to do so would be on Tuesdays and Thursdays when I have full teaching schedules.
And the difference between Ayah and I is that I tak sampai hati nak bagi Sabarudin kerja more than his hours, while Ayah said I should not feel like that because we're paying him for his OT. Furthermore, he had been out of work for the last 2 months, and he probably doesn't mind working over-time anyway. And Ayah said, he should expect to work over-time as that is what's expected of a personal driver anyway. I guess Ayah has a point there. I guess on this issue, it's me who has to get used to the idea of asking Sabarudin to kerja lebih masa.
I guess we see things differently - we men and women. To me, I think he would want to spend more time with his family. But, to Ayah, he thinks he probably wants to earn more money to support his family. It's kind of reflecting how both of us view our own careers and lives, I guess. But, I'm still in a dilemma when it comes to ask Sabarudin to do OT. How la like this?
I guess in time I will know what Sabarudin wants from his job, and insya Allah we then can somewhat balance that with what we want him to do for us to make our lives easier.
And our lives will be even easier if Dar is around nanti. Talking of whom - she has yet to call... :(
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Chicken Soup for the Young Love's Soul... :)
I went back to my MIL's for a short while over lunch yesterday as I had the kids' stuffs (which they had asked me to drop at their Wan's on the way to work) in the car. I totally forgot about it until about 1:50p.m.
As the bags contained their change of clothes and also their stuff for their piano class later in the evening (read as "unfinished piano homework"), I had no choice but to send them then. Hasya and Hilman finished school at 1:00p.m, while Hanna at 2:00p.m.
Upon reaching my MIL's at around 2:10p.m, I saw that Hasya and Hilman had just finished having their lunch, but I didn't see any lauk-pauk served on the dining table. So I asked them what exactly they had to eat, and they told me that they had asked my SIL's maid to make them Campbell's Chicken Soup which they had with some bread.
Hilman who was excited to see me home started telling me about school, etc,. When he's excited, sometimes he can't construct his sentences properly and it could be quite difficult trying to understand what he's trying to say. And it doesn't help when I myself do not make myself clear. And yesterday was one of those days -
Me : How was school today, Hilman? What did you do for Hari Maju Diri? Did you have fun? Hilman dah makan?
(My fault for asking him too many questions at one go!)
Hilman : Dah makan. I had Chicken soup with bread and I put a lot of pepper in it. School was good! We had to be in groups and we had to write about what we like. And Mommy, I wrote letters about the girl I like and then I put the letters 'HS' on it, too!
(Excuse him, please. That's his English when he's excited ;) Hehehe!)
Me : (And I was like...???!) You did?! What did you write in the letter?!
(I was quite surprised to know that he was bold enough to share with his friends about the girl he likes in school because at home his sisters would be teasing him about it 24/7 and he would vehemently deny liking the girl! So, I thought - "Waaaahhhh! My son so bold already, and so confident about this girl!"
Hilman : Huh?! What letter?
Me : You said you wrote a letter to ****** ****? Did she know it was from you?
(And I thought that was so cute and sweet!)
Hilman : Nooooo!!! I didn't write a letter to ****** ****!
Me : Then, what letter were you talking about, Hilman?
Hilman : NO! I didn't write her a letter. I used the pepper to write the letters of her name and my name (he meant their initials!) on my Chicken Soup la, Mommy!!! I didn't write any letter to her!!!
Me : Ooooooo...okay ;)
And I thought THAT was even cuter and sweeter! :)
That's my Hilman...Hehehe!
(And I must say that he has excellent tastes in girls. That ****** **** is damn cute, I tell you!)
;)
As the bags contained their change of clothes and also their stuff for their piano class later in the evening (read as "unfinished piano homework"), I had no choice but to send them then. Hasya and Hilman finished school at 1:00p.m, while Hanna at 2:00p.m.
Upon reaching my MIL's at around 2:10p.m, I saw that Hasya and Hilman had just finished having their lunch, but I didn't see any lauk-pauk served on the dining table. So I asked them what exactly they had to eat, and they told me that they had asked my SIL's maid to make them Campbell's Chicken Soup which they had with some bread.
Hilman who was excited to see me home started telling me about school, etc,. When he's excited, sometimes he can't construct his sentences properly and it could be quite difficult trying to understand what he's trying to say. And it doesn't help when I myself do not make myself clear. And yesterday was one of those days -
Me : How was school today, Hilman? What did you do for Hari Maju Diri? Did you have fun? Hilman dah makan?
(My fault for asking him too many questions at one go!)
Hilman : Dah makan. I had Chicken soup with bread and I put a lot of pepper in it. School was good! We had to be in groups and we had to write about what we like. And Mommy, I wrote letters about the girl I like and then I put the letters 'HS' on it, too!
(Excuse him, please. That's his English when he's excited ;) Hehehe!)
Me : (And I was like...???!) You did?! What did you write in the letter?!
(I was quite surprised to know that he was bold enough to share with his friends about the girl he likes in school because at home his sisters would be teasing him about it 24/7 and he would vehemently deny liking the girl! So, I thought - "Waaaahhhh! My son so bold already, and so confident about this girl!"
Hilman : Huh?! What letter?
Me : You said you wrote a letter to ****** ****? Did she know it was from you?
(And I thought that was so cute and sweet!)
Hilman : Nooooo!!! I didn't write a letter to ****** ****!
Me : Then, what letter were you talking about, Hilman?
Hilman : NO! I didn't write her a letter. I used the pepper to write the letters of her name and my name (he meant their initials!) on my Chicken Soup la, Mommy!!! I didn't write any letter to her!!!
Me : Ooooooo...okay ;)
And I thought THAT was even cuter and sweeter! :)
That's my Hilman...Hehehe!
(And I must say that he has excellent tastes in girls. That ****** **** is damn cute, I tell you!)
;)
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