Closing of January 2010

How time really flies! Before I knew it, January has come to its 30th day.

Let’s recap my first month of January.
Pathetic, am I not?
It’s my blog anyway so here goes…

Things I wish hadn’t happened but they happened anyway

1. My first outburst 2009. Read here. Things are back to normal. I hope there won’t be any second or third or fourth.
2. My morning tantrum when dealing with Iman refusing-going-to-school morning ritual. It’s hard to stay cool when you’re rushing to keep ahead of the traffic with a crying, clinging not-so-baby-anymore preschool at home.
3. My lawak bodoh in office. I’ll keep this one to myself tho.
4. My sharing of joy and worries with the wrong person. I told a particular someone, of something and next thing I know, other person whom I hardly spoken to, asked me about that something. And that something, is quite personal. I’ll keep my big mouth shut and be more careful with whom I should and should not share my thoughts with. Note to this person (as if that person reads my blog ha ha) - I have offered you a friendship, a close one but after all these, I think you deserve not.. sorry.


Things I wish happen but they apparently had not

1. My Y.E.S fund has not a single cent in it yet. Gaji lambat tak ada kaitan okay. Obviously I had spent more than I should in previous months (note the plural) and I am nursing a bleeding wallet. I was on allowance from Tebby so I can’t expect my fund getting any bigger now, can I?
2. Cook more for the family. This one was hard to come by. When I got home the kids had already eaten. Tebby doesn’t eat dinner after 8 so we opted for dinner outside before going back home.
3. Spend more time with Adam, when he’s awake that is. Quite a number of time, he has already slept when we got home. Lucky thing he still can tell whom the mother is. He knows who his ummik is and clings to me like there’s no tomorrow when I’m home.


What I think I deserve a-pat-on-the-back for

1. I read. I concluded my 5th book of 2009 today. And I am on the right track where buying books is concerned. Have spent like almost RM200 for the month, for books.
2. I did not do major (or even minor ones) shopping at all in January. Everytime I came across something I like, I always managed to make reasons why I should not buy those. Unlike those time when I reasoned out why I should buy things I don’t really need. Maybe it was because of my bleeding wallet anyway ha ha.
3. I started helping my friend out by selling cheese tart (with commission, so it's not really 'helping' here, kan). I may not be getting enough to buy meself a big chunk of bling-bling but it can fare for my meal for a day or two.

Those are mine in January. What's yours?

Cemburu Dengan Pembantu?

Bibik Ros bercuti. Berangkatnya tadi lepas Zohor dengan bibik rumah belakang, Mbak Ton. Dihantar Tebby ke stesyen komuter Serdang. Esok balik belah petang, dijemput majikan belakang, Fadli.

Anak-anak nak ikut, kecuali Iman. Kakak dah nak kemas beg. Adam resah. Ini peringatan buat Ummi. Apa anak-anak sudah jatuh cinta dengan Bibik Ros? Tapi, kalau diberi dua situasi iaitu yang pertama seperti yang saya alami ini. Keduanya, anak-anak menangis ditinggalkan nak ke pejabat. Dah tentu saya mahu anak-anak riang sahaja. InsyaAllah di rumah diberikan perhatian yang sewajarnya. Kalau saban pagi asyik menangis, tak betah dibuatnya waktu di ofis kan.

Cabarannya, striking the balance between the two. Mahu anak-anak selesa dengan Bibik Ros tapi takmau sayangnya melebih-lebih pula. Idea? Saranan? Yang membina saja ya. Kalau mau mengkritik, terus terang, saya tak ada mood untuk itu.

Apapun, saya harap Bibik Ros bergembira di hari liburan begini. Harapnya lagi, jangan esok tak kembali semula!!

Had I?

Semalam kan saya hangin..

1. Over insiden yang berlaku kat ofis. Thanks guys yang bagi komen. Enlighten me up.

2. Over gajian yang tak masuk-masuk sampai lewat petang. Or was it belah malam?

3. Then we went back late sebab somiku ada meeting late yesterday and we were supposed to go and beli uniform Kakak (she starts ke ko-k today). Meant lagi lewat le sampai rumah.

And yet..

1. When the person I was so angry with came and see me. We talked as usual, like nothing happened.
2. When the gaji finally credited, I was no as excited as I expected I'd be. Even Tebby was perplexed when I did not withdraw there and then. I'll settle my debts first, I heard me said.

3. When Tebby fetched me up, I smiled. We bought uniform for Kakak and had relaxing dinner. I even offered him the saba from my bento box. Peace.

I wonder..

1. Had I lost my ability to really get upset and angry and even run an amok?

2. Had my age taken toll on me and I finally realised those are really not worth being upset, angry and amok for?

If I had, alhamdulillah.
Doa saya sudah dimakbulkan..

Benci!

Acik hangin okay.

Pandai-pandai nak tuduh haku suka suki ubah fakta. Check your facts first okay. Sapa suruh tak ikuti perkembangan semasa. Pastu kata plak I gave 2 different figures at 2 different time and place. Kalo betul, mana buktinya? Mintak plak kita prove kan kita dah present same figures consistently. Dengan suara nada2 ala-bagus. Pissed off okay.

Dulu dok question how I calculated things. Hello, the formula was there even when I was not. But you were. Time tu reti plak tak mengomplen. Why? Personally picking on me?

Kalo ikutkan I'd go shopping venting out unnecessarily. Tapi sebab gaji takdok, ni acik tengah berasap lagi ni. Grrrrr!!!

Hampa

Today is supposed to be my pay day but... where is my pay? Tengah kekecohan. Semua orang pelik gaji takdok..

Meh kita menjiwang lagu Ungu, Hampa over gajian yang belum masuk..

Pernahkah kau merasa

Hatimu hampa

Pernahkah kau merasa

Hatimu kosong

ps - Kalau tak suka lagu-lagu dari seberang, boleh juga nyanyi lagu Hampa dendangan artis tempatan kita, Tok'i okay.

You see, we've been getting early pay since sebelum raya puasa, then followed by few other event, sampailah December. The company I work for will give early pay should any major event falls between 15th-26th. Just imagine the gap between 15th December 2009 and 26th January 2010, with holiday-ing and back-to-scholl-ing events in between. Pokai okay.

And yet today, dengan harapan menggunung, check kat bank, no money babe.. pernahkah kau merasa, hatimu hampa... la.. la.. la..

The Concubine's Daughter - Book 5 2010

Can't believe I'm already on my 5th book! Bagi seseorang whose reading history memang tak impressive langsung, this, is something. And by now, I am already halfway through. I was ding-dong-ing between Cinta Sang Ratu (I need to read Bagaikan Puteri first), Inspector Singh: Bali Conspiracy Most Foul (nope, too much.. Singh overdose kang), Three Cups of Tea (tak sabar but I decided not to, yet) and alas, The Concubine's Daughter.

The book comes in two parts i.e. The Children of The Moon and The Red Lotus. Nak baca part 2, kena graduate baca Part 1 okey. This book is Chinese equivalent to Japanese's Memoirs of A Geisha.

Part 1 is about the life of Li-Xia, before she was even born until the day she took her life away. Like her mother, she was free spirited, full of will which translated into stubborness and percepted as wild child. She was born in the time where lotus feet (which were hardly 3 inches long, can you imagine how a 6-sizer like me have to endure in order for the bone to snap and flex into 3 inches.. not to mention the process of binding and soaking in hot solution.. ouchh!!) were much sought after. Not forgetting to mention that lotus feet were associated as being sexure allure as well as, 1 death in every 10 as a result of infection.

I think we have enough of that lotus feet already, now haven't we?

Back to Li-Xia, her life started bad even when she first saw the world, by being a female. Her mother, who thought Li-Xia was burried alive seconds after birth, took her life away. Li-Xia, who was thought as having fox-fairy as guardian, cheated death twice as an infant. She, then was sold to a silk factory where she found happiness despite constant hardwork. When she was of suitable age, she was sent to the silk factory master to serve him as concubine but she fled, which later caused her death sentence. She then escaped another death when an european saved her. Despite all odds, they got married and got isolated since mix-marriage were not approved amongst the society, regardless the class. Long story cut short (hey, sila baca sendiri okay), she took her life moments after her child is born.

I'm not done with my part 2 yet so I can't say much yet. It revolves around Red Lotus, Li-Xia's daughter who was separated from her parents at birth. She was taught martial arts and was on the journey of finding her father.

This book conveys the plots well. The descriptions, more often than not, are always vivid. The kind that makes you shiver upon reading bathing in cold clear stream or makes you hunger for steaming hot congee with salted egg, dished out with a bit of scallion!

I'll tell more once I'm done with it. Maybe in a day or two.

More info on Lotus Feet here. Gruesome, I'd say.

Kakak asked, what is this? (referring to the book's tittle) Cucumber's daughter? Nope, read carefully, it's concubine. What is concubine? Err....

Ahad Nan Indah

Saturday was spent at home only. Usually we go for family outing tapi sebab Kakak ada sekolah gantian (untuk cuti Tahun Baru China nanti), we stayed home. Sebagai gantiannya (sekolah ada ganti, outing pon kena ganti jugekk) hari Ahad, ajak anak-anak ke Lake Valley. Lake Valley ni recreational area di Bandar Tun Hussein Onn. Baru jugak lah lagi. Ada jogging track and ada playground for the kids.

Went out a bit later than usual. Matahari tengah naik..

tengah kasi ikan makan. gambar gelap, ngadap matahari.

Adam's first time on the swing. muka konfius.

Kakak dengan Iman. Kakak was complaining Iman too light so tak belen. sudahnya Iman takmo main kat sini dannn.....

Abah le ganti Iman hu hu

Kakak on the swing

While they were enjoying themselves, Tebby and me went jogging. Actually I did brisk walk, janji berpeluh. After a round, Iman spotted me, terus nak ikut. Okay fine, boleh gak dia exercise but halfway through, he got really tired and refused to budge from where he was. Nak dukung okay. Adoiyaiii... bayangkan mendukung kanak-kanak yang umurnya nak masuk 6 tahun dengan berat lebih dari 20kg. Yep, I did that. Sampai kat tempat parking, tak larat wehhh so I let him down. Dia punya menangis sampai menjerit-jerit. After the ordeal, bawak dia pi breakfast where he suddenly vomitted after 1/2 keping roti telur. Right after that, dia boleh bangun dan dengan cergasnya habiskan another 1/2 of it.

Itulah kisah Ahad lepas. Iman le yang paling teruk exercise he he.

Inspectior Singh Investigates: A Most Peculiar Malaysian Murder - Book 3 2010

Pat me on the back. Am pretty good at keeping my Resolution 2010 No 2. Am done with Inspector Singh Investigates: A Most Perculiar Malaysian Murder, written by Shamini Flint.

Written in simple english, bearing simple plot. Easy to digest. I considerer this one is a relaxing read but it lacks the urge for you to read more and more and more of it. Unlike when I read Hijab Sang Pencinta the other day.

The story is about a murder of a businessman, in which the ex wife was the prime suspect. They were in custody battle over their children following a bitter divorce. But as we go along, everybody had motive to kill that man, his brothers, his ex-wife's lover and even his son! This book also provides you mockery of what the real life is in Malaysia. The laidback of authorities, how people convert to moslem to win custody of underage children from their non-moslem ex-es, how bad Malaysian drivers are (me not!)

Singh, a Singaporean came about in this book because the suspect was a Singaporean. Together he teamed up with Malaysian police to crack the murder. Although he is the main character, it was not him who solved the case!

Albeit the urge to flip further, I still look forward to reading the sequel to this, Inspector Singh Investigates: A Bali Conspiracy Most Foul. Image taken from http://www.amazon.co.uk/

Diary Of A Wimpy Kid - Book 4 2010

Am done reading this book, this morning. Light and relaxing. Seswai di baca after long day while unwinding. Ala-ala bedtime story la lebih kurang. Just that it doesn't make you sleepy.

It's about Greg, a middle-schooler, who, as his school implies, is in between a child and an adult. A difficult age (as I remembered mine) where he thinks he's old enough to do adult's things but his parents think otherwise and keep on treating him like a child. But, on certain occasion, he himself proves that he is a far cry from being an adult, by acting childish!

Greg is in the age where, what his peers think of him matters a lot. He wants so much to hang around and be cool. Just imagine how he feels when his mom makes him join a school play entittles The Wizard of Oz!

Now that I'm done with this book, am looking forward to its three, yes, read me right, not one, but three sequels. Afterall, this 1st book was launched in 2007, it's only me that just realized its existence recently ha ha.

So, here goes my book wish-list..

1. Rodrick Rules - Rodrick is Greg's brother btw. Greg has a younger brother, Manny. I guess Manny will make his debut in other book in this series. I hope by then, I am still in the age that read this kind of book.

2. The Last Straw - Do you know what it means by last straw? In my understanding, it is one last cause that make you let go an outburst or something like that. Kind of situation where you've been accepting and keeping and keep on being patient, until that one last thing happen and, you mengamuk. Not so good example but that's the best my brain could think about now. One last straw that broke the horse back. Something like that.

Why la this image terkecik la pulak?
Anyway, all these 3 sequels are available in MPH Online (click here and search for Diary of A Wimpy Kid) as well as Borders. It's just that Borders takde online store here in Malaysia.

For further info about these books, boleh layari http://www.wimpykid.com/.

Credits:-

1. http://www.amazon.com/

2. http://www.powel.com/

3. http://www.indiebound.com/

4. http://www.booksamillion.com/

Stress-ed!

Acik S.T.R.E.S.S-ed okay. Work related. Sampai terbawak-bawak balik rumah. Kesian Kakak kena marah time buat homework. Bad mommy huh.

Now is not the time to make your superior un-impressed about you since it's appraisal time hu hu! The compliment I'm getting so far is my success of spending and buying things for the office sampai belen tinggal cuma sikit aje. Part yang bestnya, the more I spend buying things for the office, the more I spend my own money buying things-imaginable for meself ha ha.

Maybe I should go shopping to U.N.S.T.R.E.S.S.-ed meself, don't you think?

Of Books & Resolution

2nd purchase of books in 2010

This week is going to be a long one. Sebelum S.T.R.E.S.S bermula, let's see my latest catch last weekend @Borders Berjaya Times Square.

I bought 4 books for meself.

1. Raising My Voice by Malalai Joya

2. Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson & David Oliver Relin

3. Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

4. 1 Dough, 100 Cookies by Linda Doesser

Diary of a Wimpy Kid reminds me of Dilbert, somehow. If Dilbert is on office thingy, this Wimpy Kid focuses on kids-at-school thingy and the pain of growing up, in humorous manner. I maybe too old for this, frankly but I enjoyed myself after flipping a few pages.

1 Dough, 100 Cookies is a cook book, obviously. It suggests one basic dough and introduces 100 variation to it. Pretty simple for a beginner like me. You see, Kakak has been pestering me into baking cookies these days. Layannn je la.

Anyway, I am still on Mr Singh Investigates, only half way through. I am still sticking to my 2010 resolution (read my 2010 resolution here)where reading is concerned. Cooking-wise, I am a bit off the track already. Monetary? Let's just say, I am living on an allowance from Tebby until my pay day!

Insight on my first book 2010, Hijab Sang Pencinta here.

Insight on my second book 2010, The Adoration of Jenna Fox here.

2 recipes which I have tried and tested in 2010 (and think it's worth sharing) is BBQ Prawns on Skewers (recipe here) and Beef Kebab (recipe here).

Of Exercising & Re-Fuelling (with Nasi Minyak some more ha!)

Masih bersemangat. Woke Tebby up for Subuh and at 7.00am we started stretching, warming up and had a round of brisk walk until we sweat a bit. This time is was just around our housing area. Then we started running and only after like 5 or 10 minutes, I decided my legs could not cope with running so I walked. Fast. Tebby continued on running. I made like 3 rounds of fast walking and by the time I reached my gate, I was sweating like mad. It turned out that Tebby was looking for me so I just continued on playing with the kids, who were minding our little garden at that time.

After light brekkie (so light that Iman refused to eat anything, dia dah biasa heavy breakfast), terus started preparing Nasi Minyak. Semalam pegi pasar, we bought tulang rusuk with lots of meat still attached untuk lauk Nasi Minyak. You see, in the family which Tebby grew up in, Nasi Minyak can be dished out on any day of the year. Tak perlu tunggu raya or ada kenduri kawin. If they feel like it, it is then. This, flowed over to our nucleous family pulak. Funny thing is, since I started preparing early, we had our lunch at barely 11.30am! By 3.00pm, we were scrambling for something to eat! Dah lapor babe. Iman, telah makan Nasi Minyak itu, 1+3 uolss! 3 kali tambah, which is almost equivalent to 2 adult servings. Tak sia-sia Ummi masak. Of course under close supervision of En Tebby ha ha ha. Anyway, sorry peeps, no photos. Acik sebok makan. Sedor-sedor nasi dah habis :P

And know what, after 2 days of running (well err... walking), I think I am demam already... Tebby did mentioned tadi that next week we're going running again. Urghhh...

Kasut Baru... Yeayyy..

Yezza.. Those are my Reebok Trail Burst and his Fuego. Our brand new running shoes. Tebby has always been exercising i.e. running and this pair is his I-lost-count-already-th running shoes. Mine is to replace the one I bought when I was still in my uni days. Lama giler kan. In fact, I have stopped exercising altogether since aeons ago. The last time maybe when Kakak was under 2. Since then, I have made numerous attempt to start again, in groups. Being young (masa tu lah), we then got pregnant after one another, sudahnya tak start jugaklah our gym thingy.

Now that I huff and puff during my naik-bukit-nak-ke-opis or merely while walking back after lunch, my waistline consistently between 28-29 and I often feel like my heart is bursting during brisk walks, I bought these. Well, err... actually I asked Tebby to pay up. He is always been supportive about me getting some exercise, he paid up (he lost a bet in our silly mathematical games.. but I think it was more like he let me won kot) and even helped me in choosing and deciding which to buy. For once, I felt like a school-going girl whose school shoes are chosen and decided for. Only in my case, I had some power to skew his desicion into something of my liking.

Tanpa perlu merengek dan hentak-hentak kaki okay.

Anyway.

Having paid for these, kenalah Kak Mon proof to him I-am-not-merely-buying these kan. So tadi, at 7.00am we went out to Lake Valley and had brisk walk and later running and then back to walk again. In my case, there was so much walks in between the running! Kasi can lah. This is my first run after what, 7 years? The weather was good. The sun was not high yet and it was breezy. We spent an hour there and by the end of it, I was soaking in sweat. Penat wei!! And Tebby, as always, commented on how I should run and how my hands should be positioned and moved. That's what happened when your husband is a superior. Althought his territory is elsewhere, I can't help feeling like a subodinate at times ha ha.

After that, we headed to Pasar Sungei Besi for some provision and had a bowl-full of kuetiaw sup special. Tebby ordered one without togeh and pedal. Mine was taruk semua ha ha ha.

Merepek di Pagi Jumaat

It's almost half past midnight and I am still mengadap kerja-kerja ofis yang tak siap ni ha. Kursus acik kan baru je tamat petang Jumaat, cukup seminggu menempel kat T*T* nun. Dah seminggu out-of-office, alamat esok masuk ofis, mau menangis nak sudahkan kerja semer. Jadi nak kurangkan tangisan besok, terpaksalah acik menangis dulu siap-siap malam ni.

Anyway, masa drive pagi tadi, eh pagi semalam, jem giler dari sebelum exit ke Jalan Kuching lagi. Acik ikut Mahameru sebab.. sebab... itu aje jalan yang acik expert sikit ho ho ho. Kat radio plak cerita pasal stress (Saya Tak Rasa Emosi Saya Stabil) dan cara-cara menghilangkan stress. Macam-macam le disarankan tapi to me, terpulang kepada diri sendiri.

Contohnya acik pagi tadi, eh, pagi semalam, stress jalan jem pastu stress sebab ada teguran 'eh.. kalau awak pakai baju kurung tak nampak tapi bila pakai shirt camni, nampak pulak perut tu'. Pastu on the way balik rumah tu, acik singgah kat kedai jamu pasal Bibik Ros kirim super-tetra. Terus aje mataku nampak kotak-kotak dan botol-botol dengan perkataan susut, kempis dan yang sewaktu dengannya. Ku nak beli kunyit asam, budak kedai tu cakap eh, akak tak payah makan tu, yang itu boleh kurus. Akak dah okay dah. Pastu mata dia nengok acik atas bawah. Dia sambung, kalau akak nak kempiskan perut, ambik yang ni, ni tengah promosi ni (yo la tu dek non), bla... bla... bla....

Tapi acik beli jugaklah :P

Apa orang kata... retail therapy?? *alasan*

Lepas mandi petang tadi, apalagi la kan.. mulakanlah projek. Botol ku letak dalam bilik. Tebby balik, dia nampak botol tu, tersengih-sengih member. Acik rasa dia nak tergelak sebenarnya.

Takpe Yang, gelaklah kat I. Esok-esok perut I kempis, mesti you kagum giler nanti.

apa yang long, apa yang hot :D ??? gambar tu tak tahan betul acik nengoknya ... pasrah giler muka pompuan tu. Belasah je la... mana tau kot-kot kempis kan... la.. la.. la..

Hajat Di Hati..

Hajat di hati nak masuk meminang, apakan daya duit hantaran belum cukup.

Tapi...

Kalau tabung ayam dah penuh dan si dia belum berpunya, cincin tanda bakal dihantar jua!

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*kak mon verangans u olss!!*

Semuanya Ummi Sayang. Sama Saja.

Kakak said Macamana kalau Iman dah tahun satu tapi tak boleh cakap elok-elok lagi? Nanti Kakak malu dengan kawan-kawan.

Delicate matter. Especially when you have to explain to a not-so-9 years old girl.

If you ask, at times I am stressed out but never ashamed. Never did, never will be. Anak-anak amanah Allah, Iman included, that I am entrusted to provide the basic necessities, love included. With Iman, I have explored unconditional love. Tiada sempadannya.

Kepada anak-anak Ummi; Kakak, Iman dan Adam.

Each one of you has your own special spot in dalam hati Ummi. Satu bahagian yang takkan terisikan dek orang lain. To Iman, walaupun ada perkara yang ketinggalan, tidak bermakna sayang Ummi terkurang dari adik-beradik Iman yang lain. To Kakak dan Adam, walaupun Ummi terpaksa melebihkan masa untuk Iman, itu tidak bermakna sayang Ummi kepada Iman terlebih dari Kakak dan Adam. Semuanya sama saja.

Saya suarakan kerisauan to Tebby. Iman masih belum boleh membaca, mengira dan menulis. Tebby kata slow-slow lah. Iman pun baru pandai bercakap. I can wait, but the system cannot. Iya, saya masih risau. Bak kata orang, you can't control the wind but you can adjust the sail. Mungkin perjalanan saya nak adjust sail itu bakal mencabar saya.

Apapun, doakan kami ya..

Atok Eksiden!

Balik kampung.

Melawat Atok (ayahnda tercinta). Minggu lepas ada kemalangan. Tangan kirinya terkena mesin rumput. Cedera jari tengah dengan jari manis. Jari tengah kena 10 jahitan. Jari manis 6 jahitan. Lucky thing, cuma flesh wound, tak kena tulang. Kalau dengar ceritanya, ngeri jugak. Flesh dangling and my mom had to put it back where it shoud, while waiting for my brother to bring them to hospital. He's recovering. Tho at times katanya rasa macam nak demam. My dad is gonna be 70 October this year. Pretty of good health he is, except the smoking that he is addicted to. Dia still boleh ke kebun, jolok kelapa, tebas rumput. In fact kalau tak buat apa-apa, dia akan jadi tak sihat.

The kids had good time balik kampung. Ample space to run about, abundant of activities to try out. Iman and Adam never tire of main air tempayan depan tangga. Kakak outgrew that already. Tetengah Iman bersiram, dia kata air ni bau taik ayam. True. Rupanya ada ayam dah berak dalam tu sebelum tu. Yikes! I, in the process of telling them to stop mandi air tu, terpijak taik ayam as well ha ha ha. Next day, Iman sekali lagi terpijak taik ayam. To investigate, he touched it and smelled it he he. Kakak, somehow, terpijak jugak taik ayam. I guess all the ayams were laughing at us sebab sebelum ni memang depa teruk kena lenjan dek Iman!

Anyway, I'm back in KL. Ayahnda sms-ed saying how sunyi it is when we've gone back to KL. I didn't know what to reply. But I did anyway. Nanti ada masa InsyaAllah kami balik lagi. After that I sort of regret the word 'ada masa'. I should not wait until there's time, I need to make time, don't you think?

Kakak, yang suka menyendiri

cik mat-cik mat saya yang riang main air tempayan

Iman, menyerang diri sendiri

kendian, serang Adam pulak..

Adam, lepas lenjun kena siram dek Iman

bet you do!

The Adoration Of Jenna Fox - Buku 2 2010

Done reading this.

I am not good at writing book reviews but I'll try to part with some points. Jenna Fox, is a product of modern bio-tech. She actually did not survived a car accident but what her parents 'created' another Jenna, from 10% that was left of her.

This story is about her self discovery and how she was devastated to find out who, or rather what she was. And how she tried to fit in and lived normally. She lived for 260 years, 60 years more than what her parents expected. By then, she and people like her, were normal. In fact, they have something called 'The Jenna's standard'.

Me being a melodramatic-self, this book is rather straight. Not really my cuppa but I survived reading it from the beginning till end!

Calming Dinner For Two

I had a relatively calm week. Tebby did not. Balik tadi singgah Bangsar South for a lil bit of provision and dinner. We always spare sometime on Friday, after work for dating! Dating, should not stop once you're married, kan.

We had comfort food. I had Baised Beef Claypot while Tebby had 3 Treasures. Both were soupy, not forgetting yummy as well.

Hope next week's gonna be good ones for both of us.

dinner 4 2 @ Little Taiwan

Special Red Plum aka Air Asam Masin. Sedap!

Mine

His

Ladies Please!

Bersiaran dari T*T*, Jalan Semarak KL. Attending two courses in a row. One was just a-day-course, which took place yesterday. Today, is another one, which ends next week's Thursday, 14th January. Combined both, I have fulfilled my training KPI for the whole year la la la.

T*T* has always has a special spot in my life. This is the place where I first met En Tebby. I shall not dwell on that in this entry anyway.

T*T*, when I first knew it, it was TT* Jalan Semarak. Then it was named MM*. And later on, T*T* until today. The place is old. I can't imagine how I could pave through living here for one solid month during my induction, wayyyy back in 1997. Latest change that's taking place is the renovation of ladies and gents. Good move, but do you have to it for so many, at one time? On Thursday, my training took place near Blok A, which only took about 1-2 minutes walking to get to the ladies. And today, my training took place at one of the blocks that is situated end-most. It takes like 5 minutes to go to the ladies and another 5 to come back. Not to mention another 5 for waiting (and swearing.. apa le lama sangat dalam toilet.. urghhh!!). For a person who drinks a minumum of 1.5L during the 8-office-hours, this, is so not encouraging. Tolongggg!!!

Life's Like That

My fren (perempuan), is married to a guy who earns like RM40k a month and the pay is being counter-offered with like ... er... RM60k, a month.

A conversation took plakce between me and Tebby this morning..

Keje kat mana?
O&G (Oil & Gas, bukan Obgyn yerr)
Kat pelantar ke?
Ofis plus pelantar. Safety, shipping, things like that.
Sure busy?
Of course, nothing comes free.
Funny thing is, he gets the money but not the time to spend it.
Well, he has a wife!
Ha ha ha.

Anyway, money is not everything tho it does add 'wonders' in your life atas muka bumi ni. Yang penting keberkatan that may or maynot come with it. But, if given like RM40k and keberkatan with it, sapa nak tolak kan?

In my own life, I've learnt that the more my husband earns, the lesser I see him.. hmmm.. Well, we can't have all, can we?

Back To Work

Back to work! Me, that is. After berleisure sakan kat rumah, I finally clocked in on my first day in 2010. I took leave since 23rd December sampaikan Bibik pon naik rimas nengok acik kat rumah he he.

I want to work hard this year. Who knows, this probably my last year working?

Back To School

She's back to school today. Dah Tahun 3 anak Ummi ni. The day kicked-off with me sending her off to SR Agama Al Waani. Tahun ni, 3 Amal. Kelasnya kat tingkat atas. Waktu sampai kat kelas, baru ada 3 murid so dia dapat tempat duduk depan sekali. Balik tu pesan suruh dia naik van Makcik. Jam 11.00 acik dah resah gelisah, pacing back and forth sebab Kakak belum balik. Few minutes after 11.00 dia sampai. Lega acik. Iya, acik ni memang ibu yang paranoid.

Petangnya pulak, jam 12.30 acik hantar dia ke SK BTHO(2). Tahun ni 3 Marikh. Kelasnya atassssss sekali. Sepertimana tahun lepas, tahun ni jugak sesi petang. Sesi petang ni untuk Tahun 1, 2 dan 3. So I saw the havoc amongst Year 1 Students (as well as the parents). Jam 1.00 perhimpunan bermula. Nasib baik panas so they shorthen the assembly, immediately afterwhich acik berperang dengan height phobia ke tingkat 4 untuk bayar yuran sekolah Kakak. Sebab acik begitu tangkas memanjat tangga, when I arrived there, nobody was there, yet he he. Then Kakak and her new classmates sampai. Dia dapat duduk barisan depan sekali, belah hujung nun. Guru Kelasnya tahun ni, perempuan jugak. Sepertimana masa dia Tahun 1, Guru Kelas kali ni pon pregnant jugak. Selesai bayar yuran, acik balik. Janji dengan Kakak jumpa kat kantin jam 6.30ptg nanti.

Suasana kira-kira jam 12.45 pm

Kakak yang enggan bergambar

view from the top. baru abis assembly.

Kelas Kakak. Sesi pagi budak Tahun 6 guna.

me too!

Sebenarnya Tebby dah plan nak balik so we send her off together. Tapi Tebby sampai kat Cheras, acik dah balik rumah. So kami meronda kat Jusco, lunch, cari botol air baru untuk Kakak dan berdating. Know what I bought? Cinta Sang Ratu! I'm so loving it. Masa nak beli tu, SA kat situ suggest that I buy Hijab Sang Pencinta jugak (which I already read). Malangnya Bagaikan Puteri sold out. Tak sabar nak baca nih...

My first books for the year.

Hijab Sang Pencinta - Buku 1 2010

Suka!

Ini karya novelis Ramlee Awang Murshid (bacakan sedikit biodata dari wiki di sini, untuk sinopsis dan karya-karya yang lain di sini) yang pertama-tama saya baca. Tidak menghampakan saya langsung. I was hooked from the beginning sampai habis. Saya suka cara kisah-kisah kecil dimulakan dalam novel ini, seterusnya bagaimana kisah-kisah ini bertembung dan bergabung.

Ini kisah perjuangan kebaikan melawan kejahatan. Disulam kisah cinta yang dipisahkan berkurun-kurun lamanya. Dendam itu bara, marah itu api, katanya. Itu sahaja dan mencuit hati saya untuk membacanya.

Sebetulnya ini adalah novel terakhir dalam trilogi karya Ramlee Awang Mursyid. Jadinya, saya harus mencari dua prequel novel ini iaitu Bagaikan Puteri dan Cinta Sang Ratu.

Tebby, bukanlah pencinta novel melayu. Bacaan beberapa bab pertama, bagus, komennya.

Nota - Buku ini saya pesan online dari www.ujanailmu.com.my

Nah, kan Resolution No 2 saya take-off sudah!

Beef Kebab

After BBQ dinner, followed by Nasi Lemak breakfast, Japanese lunch, decided to make Kebab for the family.

Recipe here.

BBQ Party

Finally, a BBQ party. Albeit very-very low key, had fun doing it. As planned it was done semalam, 1st day of 2010. The preparation, however started the day before sebab nak kasi bahan-bahan marinate well.

Nope it was not to usher in new year but just untuk menggembirakan isirumah kami especially anak-anak. Kakak prepared party invites (despite tak menjemput sapa-sapa pun) and party hats, Iman pulak jadi ketua chef. Tebby, despite being an engineer by profession, he was the accountant and financier for the event. While me, tukang kipas arang sampai berbara. Penat tangan makcik weii. Adam, tukang makan dan tukang sibuk. Di mana-mana ada dia hu hu.

Okie dokie, jom tengok gambar. Ni gambar2 masa prepare makanan for the event.

Alat bantu..

Beef, lamb, prawns and chicken.

The herbs and spices.

Lomor, jangan tak lomor

Ni untuk marinate udang.

Ni pulak aktiviti memasang BBQ pit. BBQ pit ni beli kat ACE for RM156. Arang pon beli kat ACE. We bought fire starter yang jenis berketul tu.

Tebby, dengan pembantu yang tak berapa membantu pon sebenarnya. Tapi, layannn je lah.

The top and bottom.


Adam dah start memasak.

Finally, event menghidupkan api sampai berbara dan meng-grilll!!!

Beverage counter

Deco by Kakak

Chef Iman yang sangat sibuk sekali malam tu

Ambik ko... menyala-nyala.

grilled prawn yang sedap *perasan*

anak-anak

Seronok jugak rupanya buat BBQ nih..