too many things have taken place within a blink of an eye. yes, i know my number-one-bil will make a big deal when he sees this blog finally updated.sigh.
there was my japan trip that i drafted some time ago and never finished. sigh.
and then there were bits and pieces of Raya preparation and celebration which i decided would be best uploaded in Facebook since i know i am such a bummer when it comes to blogging. sigh.
and then there was this trip to Thailand which involved a lot of eating and hair colouring which i just could not find the time to write. sigh.
and a hundred other beautiful things i left untold because as i am writing this i am feeling very tired and sleepy.
but i am determined to post this one up. by today.not that there is much to share, but it is important that i accomplish this.no, not for anyone else but myself.funny how we struggle day in and day out to complete our tasks at work but do very little about the things that mattered most to us.
of course, one of the major things that took place in 2008 was news of me renewing my pregger membership. the good news took on a different note two months down the lane -that is, apart from the pregger membership i also renewed my morning-sickness license. the traumatic experience lasted for almost a month and a half- resulting in unpaid leave, hospitalization and in-room lock up, eventually. since everything around me smelled nasty, avoidance was the best remedy to all that.
yes, i am still thrilled about being pregnant but i can't help feeling useless and down at the same time.
oh, and did i mention, apart from learning that there are other preggers in the family like Baby & Shasha, i also have a partner in crime at work! My lunch buddy Puteri is also expecting -4th child and FINAL pregnancy according to her la. Let's see :)
as for me, thank God, things got better as the new year unfolds.
i was back at work on the 2nd day of new year. a lot of things to catch up with. also a bunch of emails that needed to be replied.
but i must say i am quite excited to be back at work but by 5pm i start to feel extreme exhaustion. sigh
not to mention the weird dreams accompanying my sleepless nights. the scariest was when i dreamt my gigi all tercabut and patah. based on personal experience, it has been proven true that this will follow suit with news on someone's death soon.
few days later i received news my grandma is very ill-so this must be it.... but one perculiar element in the dream kept bothering me. dhiana and shariman were present in the gigi patah dream. nothing much can be done but to pray for their safetiness and the same time balik kampung to visit nenek. her condition was very unstable.one minute she is ok, and the other minute she is not.
finally at 3 in the morning Mak received a call from London. Aunty Mahani passed away.... it may be a coincidence but no wonder there were elements of ....in the dream. sigh. may her soul rest in peace.
ok, back to 2009. things were getting pretty well until i received news of my beloved professor who has delevoped a critical illness. for someone who leads a healthy lifestyle, it just doesn't make sense. i finally got to speak to her yesterday and listening to the sound of her voice gave me the assurance that she will come through it all just fine, InsyaAllah. and i believe there is a silver lining somewhere, who knows. sigh.
so yes, if you ask me i am currently with mixed emotions. despite being happy, i do feel sad.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
A way delayed entry : London Trip May 2008
ye lah i know i am very lembab at this. well, people like me don't have the luxury of updating their entire life's chronicles every other hour, every other day like ebi.
so, anyways, due to constant pressure from close friends and family members, here it is. a lil' short story on our recent trip to London.
BEFORE DEPARTURE
memang lawak. when mak first told me we were leaving on 14 May, little did she realise the ticket said 12.00 midnight on 14 May. So, it meant getting there at the airport 2 hrs before departure which is 13 May at 10:00pm. With the intinerary in her hand, she said "Hang make sure hang sampai Penang by noon on the 14th coz we are leaving malam tu"...so, without further delay saya pun cepat2 la beli one-way ticket on Air Asia leaving on 14 May, in the morning.
Thanks to Makcik Jah who stumbled upon the itinerary on 12th May and immediately called me to clarify if what she thought it meant is true. apa lagi, kelam kabut la start packing. so u can imagine how kelam kabut everything was on 13th May. As if that wasn't enough, Mak only realised Shafique's passport has expired at about 4p.m. on that day they were spose to board for KL, to catch the connecting flight to London.At this point of course I too, didnt bother to catch another flight to Penang and told them I would meet them at KLIA to check-in from there instead.So Mak did her PR thingy in a wham and Shafique's passport was produced in time before the immigration closed.
p.s.this episode clearly brings back memories to the time when Shariman's wedding caterer put up the wedding a day earlier thinking it was on 18 instead of 19 January. but that was fun. it was like having a pre-wedding feast that night.
KUL-DUBAI-LONDON
At Dubai Airport we had 6 hours to kill so what else is there to do other than eat, eat and eat. we had one of the best ice creams and briyani and green curry...
at Heathrow, I met Puteri and hubby who were on their way to return their rented car as they were leaving for Msia the next day. Puteri handed over her Oyster cards for me to start with.
We too, rented a 7 seater Sharan MPV that just could not take all our luggages in. 3 times of reloading and uploading with Shafique squashed into nothing larger than a 7 year old finally got us heading to Sheffield. After several arguments in the car on who is reading the map right, we finally arrived about 4 hours later.
At Sheffield, Uncle Alan and Aunty Mahani's hospitality is beyond what one can imagine. Her house is warm and cosy. Food is abundance. Her garage is as good as Amapang's Cash Converters. Macam2 ada...
here are some of the pictures taken at her place during our two day visit.
in london, you have to be of a certain age to drive an MPV.
Shariman didn't comply, so I was the only backup.But Ba did most of the long-distance driving of course. I only drove around town..hehehe
FROM SHEFFIELD TO HERTOFRDSHIRE
Our intention to drive up to Scotland din't materialise as we had too little time and also because the main thing is to get Shariman and Dhiana settled down in Hertfordshire. but i can't seem to find where are pictures of us in hertfordshire.so i'm moving on to our story in Wolverhampton
IN WOLVES
Still can't believe we had so much fun with E.T. in Wolverhampton. And not to forget the warm hospitality from Sanya and family. and the good food, of course.
missing ET
the best tandoori and chicken curry ever in history
at the park with the girls. and all-girl outing at drayton manor!
shaz made some histerically superb kebabs
and we had lovely scones to go with it
and cans of coke of course
we came accross these two lovebirds at the mini-animal park. so cute.
with darling areena
FROM WOLVES TO LONDON
Sempat singgah sekejap di London before heading to Kent. Shopped at Camden Town. Nice until we received a call from Mak asking us to head to KENT before it gets dark. :(
baker street, obviously hehehe
camden town
IN KENT
we made a quick stop at Aunt Ah Im's house in Kent. The last time we were here was in 1985/86 so I don't quite remember anything. But it was a lovely reunion for Mak & Ba.
Mak & Aunty Ah Im, reunited. She got us an extremely good fish & chips for dinner from this shop.
with her boys. it's amazing how the GPS managed to get us right at the doorstep without guidance. they were sooo surprised to us there.
they didn't quite trust the GPS to take us to Cloth Hall though, so they drove us there, in total darkness! memang ada rasa mcm nak patah balik...
Cloth Hall during the day
the view from my room.
our room. shariman & dhiana had their own. tapi penakut so ET accompanied them.
As if staying at Cloth Hall for one night was not scary enough, we extended our stay for 3 nights in total! but it was all worth it, especially when we got to shop in Ashford!
with shafique at the vinyard
with ba at the small cute pond in front of the cottage
we had plenty of fresh raspberries and blueberries!
this is one of the pictures i liked very much!
other than that..we cooked up a storm as the cottage had fully equipped kitchen facilities. kari ikan cod, lasagne, roast chicken, u name it, we had it all.
BACK IN LONDON
the trip was a good one. only that alfy and eiman weren't around :(
perhaps next year i should revisit.
so, anyways, due to constant pressure from close friends and family members, here it is. a lil' short story on our recent trip to London.
BEFORE DEPARTURE
memang lawak. when mak first told me we were leaving on 14 May, little did she realise the ticket said 12.00 midnight on 14 May. So, it meant getting there at the airport 2 hrs before departure which is 13 May at 10:00pm. With the intinerary in her hand, she said "Hang make sure hang sampai Penang by noon on the 14th coz we are leaving malam tu"...so, without further delay saya pun cepat2 la beli one-way ticket on Air Asia leaving on 14 May, in the morning.
Thanks to Makcik Jah who stumbled upon the itinerary on 12th May and immediately called me to clarify if what she thought it meant is true. apa lagi, kelam kabut la start packing. so u can imagine how kelam kabut everything was on 13th May. As if that wasn't enough, Mak only realised Shafique's passport has expired at about 4p.m. on that day they were spose to board for KL, to catch the connecting flight to London.At this point of course I too, didnt bother to catch another flight to Penang and told them I would meet them at KLIA to check-in from there instead.So Mak did her PR thingy in a wham and Shafique's passport was produced in time before the immigration closed.
p.s.this episode clearly brings back memories to the time when Shariman's wedding caterer put up the wedding a day earlier thinking it was on 18 instead of 19 January. but that was fun. it was like having a pre-wedding feast that night.
KUL-DUBAI-LONDON
At Dubai Airport we had 6 hours to kill so what else is there to do other than eat, eat and eat. we had one of the best ice creams and briyani and green curry...
at Heathrow, I met Puteri and hubby who were on their way to return their rented car as they were leaving for Msia the next day. Puteri handed over her Oyster cards for me to start with.
We too, rented a 7 seater Sharan MPV that just could not take all our luggages in. 3 times of reloading and uploading with Shafique squashed into nothing larger than a 7 year old finally got us heading to Sheffield. After several arguments in the car on who is reading the map right, we finally arrived about 4 hours later.
At Sheffield, Uncle Alan and Aunty Mahani's hospitality is beyond what one can imagine. Her house is warm and cosy. Food is abundance. Her garage is as good as Amapang's Cash Converters. Macam2 ada...
here are some of the pictures taken at her place during our two day visit.
in london, you have to be of a certain age to drive an MPV.
Shariman didn't comply, so I was the only backup.But Ba did most of the long-distance driving of course. I only drove around town..hehehe
FROM SHEFFIELD TO HERTOFRDSHIRE
Our intention to drive up to Scotland din't materialise as we had too little time and also because the main thing is to get Shariman and Dhiana settled down in Hertfordshire. but i can't seem to find where are pictures of us in hertfordshire.so i'm moving on to our story in Wolverhampton
IN WOLVES
Still can't believe we had so much fun with E.T. in Wolverhampton. And not to forget the warm hospitality from Sanya and family. and the good food, of course.
missing ET
the best tandoori and chicken curry ever in history
at the park with the girls. and all-girl outing at drayton manor!
shaz made some histerically superb kebabs
and we had lovely scones to go with it
and cans of coke of course
we came accross these two lovebirds at the mini-animal park. so cute.
with darling areena
FROM WOLVES TO LONDON
Sempat singgah sekejap di London before heading to Kent. Shopped at Camden Town. Nice until we received a call from Mak asking us to head to KENT before it gets dark. :(
baker street, obviously hehehe
camden town
IN KENT
we made a quick stop at Aunt Ah Im's house in Kent. The last time we were here was in 1985/86 so I don't quite remember anything. But it was a lovely reunion for Mak & Ba.
Mak & Aunty Ah Im, reunited. She got us an extremely good fish & chips for dinner from this shop.
with her boys. it's amazing how the GPS managed to get us right at the doorstep without guidance. they were sooo surprised to us there.
they didn't quite trust the GPS to take us to Cloth Hall though, so they drove us there, in total darkness! memang ada rasa mcm nak patah balik...
Cloth Hall during the day
the view from my room.
our room. shariman & dhiana had their own. tapi penakut so ET accompanied them.
As if staying at Cloth Hall for one night was not scary enough, we extended our stay for 3 nights in total! but it was all worth it, especially when we got to shop in Ashford!
with shafique at the vinyard
with ba at the small cute pond in front of the cottage
we had plenty of fresh raspberries and blueberries!
this is one of the pictures i liked very much!
other than that..we cooked up a storm as the cottage had fully equipped kitchen facilities. kari ikan cod, lasagne, roast chicken, u name it, we had it all.
BACK IN LONDON
the trip was a good one. only that alfy and eiman weren't around :(
perhaps next year i should revisit.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
w-hat the ?
1. a 33 year old clerk was stabbed in a robbery attack at Jalan Maktab yesterday
2. sharlinie is still missing
3. nurin's murderer has yet to be found
4. tremendous hike in price of wheatbased items
5. potential hike in oil price
6. increasing number of unemployed graduates in the country
7. the alarming rate of 'reported' denggi cases in klang valley
8. unwanted publicity like altantuya's case which now has caught a worldwide interest.
9. deliver permanent homes for Tsunami victims at Tanjung Bungah as promised
10.influx of illegal immigrants
the above is a fraction of what should be given serious attention to.
i dont know about the rest of you, but i certainly could not care less at this point about what Karpal had said or what the ruling party intend to do with him or the mufti Perak or Raja Muda so on and so forth.
nor am i interested to view the live telecast of so-called 'wakil' rakyat bickering at one another in parliament.
so do you really think our children will be in safe hands in the future?
being Malaysian, i seriously hope this little faith i have left for the country would not diminish and disappear after 28 years of instilling it.
2. sharlinie is still missing
3. nurin's murderer has yet to be found
4. tremendous hike in price of wheatbased items
5. potential hike in oil price
6. increasing number of unemployed graduates in the country
7. the alarming rate of 'reported' denggi cases in klang valley
8. unwanted publicity like altantuya's case which now has caught a worldwide interest.
9. deliver permanent homes for Tsunami victims at Tanjung Bungah as promised
10.influx of illegal immigrants
the above is a fraction of what should be given serious attention to.
i dont know about the rest of you, but i certainly could not care less at this point about what Karpal had said or what the ruling party intend to do with him or the mufti Perak or Raja Muda so on and so forth.
nor am i interested to view the live telecast of so-called 'wakil' rakyat bickering at one another in parliament.
so do you really think our children will be in safe hands in the future?
being Malaysian, i seriously hope this little faith i have left for the country would not diminish and disappear after 28 years of instilling it.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
living with my husband & m.i.l. under the same roof
i have pondered quite some time ago on writing about the above. today somehow seemed not too bad at the office (despite having just completed a fire drill that had me walking 8 floors down the stairs!!)
anyways, back to the topic, i still remember it was rather challenging when i first got married, to know that i was to live with my husband and mother-in-law. not that they were mean or anything, just a little inconvenient to have discussions or rather arguments with your partner in the presence of an elderly person. in other words, tak boleh bertengkar lebih2 la. well, which can sometimes be seen as an advantage, but on the other hand it is also unhealthy to always be sweeping everything under the carpet.
it is also sometimes annoying when you can't have things your way/your say especially when it comes to the kids. often, you will end up looking like the bad guy in the eyes of your child.
while several topics have been heatedly debated off late, there doesn't seem to be any conclusion.
this week though, as i have more space and time to think to myself, i just cannot believe the findings/results of my analysis.
1. It has only been two days without alfy. He left for Penang on Monday for some event job & would most probably be there for a week. And I miss him already.hehehe.....why la? why? and i also wonder how he survives the loneliness when i'm usually gone for almost a week.
2. I cannot comprehend how single parents do it, and GOD, I pray that you will always give us the strength to survive any obstacles in our marriage.
3. I am so very lucky I do not have any s.i.l or b.i.l to talk behind my back.
4. I thought I could never live without my son. Now I realise, I also cannot live without my mother-in-law. She cooks, clean, wash & iron and babysit, day in-day out. 5. I am maid-free and stress-free these days.
6. I lead a healthier live coz I get to eat home-cooked food all the time.
7. I get to party with friends whenever I like without worrying about what's going on at home.
8. Most of all, I must thank her for her commitment and sacrifices that enabled me to concentrate on work at the office and be where I am today.
Having said all of that, I have also realised how much simpler life can be for you when you look at things differently.
It's true when my mother said "You must treat your m.i.l like you would treat me, and if you hurt her in any way, it's as good as hurting me, remember that"...ok, so maybe that explains why i am sometimes rebellious to my m.i.l. hahaha
my boss often tells me how lucky i should be to have a m.i.l who hardly complains and is supportive of whatever i do. mind you, i still do stupid stuff like singing, eating & traveling at every given opportunity.
but really, like my cousin once said, "Life only gives you so many chances, so take it, keep it, hold it, love it & be grateful of what you have"
ok. let me be honest about all this emotional write-up. yesterday went i reached home after work, my m.i.l. made my all time favourite beef ball soup and sweet sour fish. for a person like her who doesn't eat much, plus alfy is out of town, who'd u think the food was prepared for?
peace you all. love yourself. save the earth. hate the government. HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!
anyways, back to the topic, i still remember it was rather challenging when i first got married, to know that i was to live with my husband and mother-in-law. not that they were mean or anything, just a little inconvenient to have discussions or rather arguments with your partner in the presence of an elderly person. in other words, tak boleh bertengkar lebih2 la. well, which can sometimes be seen as an advantage, but on the other hand it is also unhealthy to always be sweeping everything under the carpet.
it is also sometimes annoying when you can't have things your way/your say especially when it comes to the kids. often, you will end up looking like the bad guy in the eyes of your child.
while several topics have been heatedly debated off late, there doesn't seem to be any conclusion.
this week though, as i have more space and time to think to myself, i just cannot believe the findings/results of my analysis.
1. It has only been two days without alfy. He left for Penang on Monday for some event job & would most probably be there for a week. And I miss him already.hehehe.....why la? why? and i also wonder how he survives the loneliness when i'm usually gone for almost a week.
2. I cannot comprehend how single parents do it, and GOD, I pray that you will always give us the strength to survive any obstacles in our marriage.
3. I am so very lucky I do not have any s.i.l or b.i.l to talk behind my back.
4. I thought I could never live without my son. Now I realise, I also cannot live without my mother-in-law. She cooks, clean, wash & iron and babysit, day in-day out. 5. I am maid-free and stress-free these days.
6. I lead a healthier live coz I get to eat home-cooked food all the time.
7. I get to party with friends whenever I like without worrying about what's going on at home.
8. Most of all, I must thank her for her commitment and sacrifices that enabled me to concentrate on work at the office and be where I am today.
Having said all of that, I have also realised how much simpler life can be for you when you look at things differently.
It's true when my mother said "You must treat your m.i.l like you would treat me, and if you hurt her in any way, it's as good as hurting me, remember that"...ok, so maybe that explains why i am sometimes rebellious to my m.i.l. hahaha
my boss often tells me how lucky i should be to have a m.i.l who hardly complains and is supportive of whatever i do. mind you, i still do stupid stuff like singing, eating & traveling at every given opportunity.
but really, like my cousin once said, "Life only gives you so many chances, so take it, keep it, hold it, love it & be grateful of what you have"
ok. let me be honest about all this emotional write-up. yesterday went i reached home after work, my m.i.l. made my all time favourite beef ball soup and sweet sour fish. for a person like her who doesn't eat much, plus alfy is out of town, who'd u think the food was prepared for?
peace you all. love yourself. save the earth. hate the government. HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!
Monday, April 28, 2008
what drives you
why is it that everytime before you clock into bed, you'd want to believe you've had it with work and you just don't feel like going to the office anymore and start imagining how interesting life would have been if you were filthy rich and need not work. all this creative thinking stays there a bit until you fall asleep and walaa..next thing you know you are up at 6:00a.m. woken up by the annoying sound of the alarm clock.
and as if on autopilot mode, you head to the showers and dress in your typical-perhaps-worn-twice-this-month-attire, grab some leftovers in the fridge, stash all makeup in a small bag and head out the front door like a bullet train knowing you are going to be late for work. and yet this happens everyday (if you are as lucky as i am, i get to do my makeup in the car while alfy drives me to work).
as soon as you step into your office, you know just where to start. thoughts of yesterday are simply non-existent right now. you go through the day begging for more time so that you can finish all your work,work,work.
despite the mundane routine of having to reply emails, compose new emails, prepare reports & presentation, etc....what else is in store for you that is some sort of a challenge for you?
during one of the media interview earlier this year, a reporter asked me "what is seen as the biggest challenge in performing your work?" not giving it much thought, i said well, to constantly suit the needs of a diversed group of people we have here at the hotel.
i now think that statement is a bit overrated. i now realise what is it that drives me to the wall, and yet once accomplished/tackled, it's like i have won 1st place in a marathon (hmm..not that i actually know how that feels either, coz i'm not a sporty person you see).
and as if on autopilot mode, you head to the showers and dress in your typical-perhaps-worn-twice-this-month-attire, grab some leftovers in the fridge, stash all makeup in a small bag and head out the front door like a bullet train knowing you are going to be late for work. and yet this happens everyday (if you are as lucky as i am, i get to do my makeup in the car while alfy drives me to work).
as soon as you step into your office, you know just where to start. thoughts of yesterday are simply non-existent right now. you go through the day begging for more time so that you can finish all your work,work,work.
despite the mundane routine of having to reply emails, compose new emails, prepare reports & presentation, etc....what else is in store for you that is some sort of a challenge for you?
during one of the media interview earlier this year, a reporter asked me "what is seen as the biggest challenge in performing your work?" not giving it much thought, i said well, to constantly suit the needs of a diversed group of people we have here at the hotel.
i now think that statement is a bit overrated. i now realise what is it that drives me to the wall, and yet once accomplished/tackled, it's like i have won 1st place in a marathon (hmm..not that i actually know how that feels either, coz i'm not a sporty person you see).
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Sheila Majid & A.C. and Mawi in tha house!!
there's just too much to write in here. after months of planning, the much-awaited Secretaries Week event finally took place at Dewan Perdana Felda on April 8th & 15th 2008.
Kudos to Sheila, AC & Mawi for putting together a fantastic performance ala Vegas. From the press conference, exclusive interviews right to the event day, let these pictures do the talking.
it's actually her!
kekwat group photo
another kekwat group photo
lunch buddies
down-to-earth diva, she really is.
Kudos to Sheila, AC & Mawi for putting together a fantastic performance ala Vegas. From the press conference, exclusive interviews right to the event day, let these pictures do the talking.
it's actually her!
kekwat group photo
another kekwat group photo
lunch buddies
down-to-earth diva, she really is.
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