Books And More Books

I buy books. I don't necessarily, immediately and promptly read them tho. Justifications? Books don't expire over time but your tax relief does. Plus, instilling good habits in your children, must first start with youself.

Previous years, I made it a monthly routine to buy books worth at least RM100 so at the end of the year, I have at least RM1,000 worth of books bought. It was not hard to do, I tell you. With books at the average of RM30++ each, you can just get 3 or 4 without stretching your budget. I have 3 kids, 2 of which demanded books for themselves as well. The rest self-explains I guess.

Anyway.

This year I was a bit slow doing this. My sister's wedding, my 4th pregnancy, followed by heartwrenching miscarriage, adjustment to Tebby's continuous domestic and overseas trips etc. To cut things short, in October, my books purchases were hardly 1/3 of the target so I am pushing the budget, so to speak. Hence the spree on books lately.

My recent purchase includes Her Fearful Symmetry, The Concubine's Daugther, The Adoration of Jenna Fox (Tebby suggested), 2 books from the Inspectors Singh's series, 2 vintage books by Jane Austen i.e. Sense & Sensibility (I know, I know, macam budak sekolah) and Pride & Perjudice (again?) and Seven Years In Tibet.

I've just finished reading The Time Traveller's Wife. Before that it was Tunggu Teduh Dulu by Fehsal Tehrani. I think I'm gonna read Hijab Sang Pencinta next. I'm not good at book review. In a nutshell, The Time Traveller's Wife, is a must read. There's a movie based on the novel too. Tunggu Teduh Dulu satistified my crave for good malay books.

Tebby suggested this. Thanks Yang.
Love it big time.

I also bought quite an impressive collection of cook and recipe books. I, however, shyly admit, I just tried like 3 or 4 recipes so far. Maybe one each week as 2010 resolution? Haven't I, every year, anyway? We'll see if I can stick to it next year, shall we?

Note the 'EASY' series. That explains what level of a cook I am :P

I also have a complete collection of Indonesia's writer Andrea Hirata. It began with the lad's Laskar Pelangi. I was (still am) hooked that I followed the 3 sequels later. These are my most loved books.. Laskar Pelangi, Sang Pemimpi, Edensor and Maryamah Karpov. He makes you cry, he makes you laugh, he makes you wonder, he makes you inspire. Go read those, worth the time.

The four books are mostly based on his own personal life experience.
I wonder if he'll be as good writing fiction solely based on imagination

'not yet read' collections

Provision For Healthy Appetite

We replenish our provision for grocery on weekly basis expect for certain items that are highly perishable.

• We do not buy that regular size loaf of bread anymore, it's jumbo nowadays. And it's at least 2 a week.
• We do not buy eggs that come in 10's. It's 30 these days and it doesn't last a week.
• We buy at least 5 cartons of low-fat milk. At times, I skip a day or two from putting another after the last one is finished.
• We buy condensed milk in jumbo can.
• We buy Milo in its biggest can.
• We need drummet, nugget and giant sausage stock up in the fridge every week.
• We buy 5kg of rice each week.

Healthy appetite, aren't we?

This is really a low key version of shopping.
Kalau yang major, full to the brim.
Ironhide is Iman's. He has endless appetite for Transformers.

Trick or treaaattt!!

Quiet, Am I Not?

yes, it's been quiet here for quite a while.
was and am not necessarily busy.
something bothers me.
lots of things actually.
sleepless night on some days or another.
maybe i should be back blogging.

Ummi Yang Marah

Pagi-pagi lagi saya dah naik hot. Iya,.. hot that I sweat in morning cold. I've just finished mandi-manda, keluar-keluar bilik air, Iman tengah melalak kat tangga. Melalak ni bersamaan makna dengan menangis sekuat-kuat hati. Sebab? Sebab dia bangkit-bangkit je, si Kakak dah siap mandi. Dia pulak nak mandi saing dengan Kakak. Dahh si Kakak kena tunggu kat pintu bilik air sampai dia siap mandi.

Pastu, I was about to solat Subuh. I told him to go downstairs and pakai baju dengan Bibik. He refused and I wasn't planning to budge either. I did my solat and he was there, still, all wrapped up dalam towel, obviously waiting for me. My mood for the day had slowly diminished by then. Okaylah, I'm a good mom so pakai lah dia baju sekolah dia.

Went down untuk ke ofis. Bekal dia dah siap, which was roti bakar 4 keping. He saw another 2 on the table and insisted hak itu jugak masuk bekal dia. Oh well. Masuk bekal. Adam can have another sbb semalam baru beli roti satu bantal besar.

I was in the car already when he started searching for devastator (sila gugel transformer ye..). I handed him the plastic bag yang ada devastator dalamnya. That thing is dam* big and heavy. Pastu dia taknak pulak and said something 'patah'. Last-last after interogation dengan mata maknya dah bulat dan hampir nak menyala-nyala marah, tak bawaklah devastator tu.

And all the while Iman buat perangai pagi tadi, Adam pulak kept on following me high and low. Adoilah anak-anak sekelian, kalau abah ada, elok je behave. The father is somewhere not in Malaysia, btw.

I was driving in foul mood. I reached Menara safely nevertheless. I was thinking. Had I failed him (Iman). He obviously loves me more above anyone else. That is why he insisted everything must be me, maybe.

Balik ni kena singgah beli cekelat sugus yang dia pesan malam semalam (Among others la.. antaranya another set of Optimus Prime and a cat. Yes people, dia order seekor kucing)

Kain Batik oh Kain Batik

Scene 1 - suatu hari pada minggu lepas
Saya hadir rumah terbuka P*S Malaysia di Concorde.
Diberi kain batik as favors.
Terima kasih.
Balik jamuan, bos bertanya.
Kain batik dipakaikah?
Gelak. Gelak.
Pakai masa dalam pantang je bos.
Pakailah... cantik.
Manis aje.
Saya suka isteri saya pakai kain batik.
Quotenya: Abang suka sayang pakai kain batik. Manis isteri abang.
(aooooowwwwww.... suwitnya kan)
Kain batik saya letak atas meja, buat hiasan.
Cantik bergulung. Siap bereben.

Scene 2 - lantas semalam...
Yang, bos I kan.. *ulang cerita di atas*
You?
Suka. Sambil senyum.

Hari ni
Bawak kain batik token balik rumah!

Berdandan Diri

Ada orang tegur kulit muka ku sudah firm.

Yessss!!!

Weighty Issue

Being a small, thin, petite me, I looked forward to weigh-gains.
And yet when I could not fit in my old kebaya, it was not exciting at all.
I realised it's not weight that is my issue, but shape.
I haven't told that yang tak muat tu di pinggang saja kan?