Simple Life Of Us

3's a crowd

2007-04-30T15:52:00.000+08:00

Am I not in the right state of mind? I currently have 3 blogs! And it's not as if I'm a blog addict anymore. Though it's strange that I still have the mood to blog despite having been at it since 2002 :D

Thinking of shutting this blog down since I'm updating the other 2 more often. But maybe this time I won't delete this blog. Too many memories. After all, this blog was originally set up to detail our wedding preps, and has loads of stuff on the holidays we've taken, of course, loads of crap too lah.

So maybe it'll stay, for the sake of memories.

I'm at multiply & wordpress these days. Till then!

Besok tak payah masak

2007-04-29T01:09:00.000+08:00

There was a family gathering over at AH's side just now.

We brought back a pack of food....berkat, they call it.

Alhamdulillah. Besok, tak payah masak! :D

2007-04-21T10:02:00.000+08:00

I felt rather dazed when I woke up for work this morning.

Then I saw people sweeping the roadsides, bus drivers on their job, pump attendants waiting for customers & I realised, hey I'm not the only one who has to work on a saturday!

I suppose I'm lucky, at least I get to sit in an air-con room, with access to internet some more!

Now, when's lunchtime? :D

No fun

2007-04-10T21:18:00.000+08:00

I know that this should probably be the least of my concerns, but I think Mac's fillet was more fun to eat when wrapped in thin blue papers, rather than a blue box.

And more environmentally friendly too, no?

I knew it!!!!

2007-03-28T15:52:00.000+08:00

Those who read my other blog would know my 1 1/2 yr old specs went missing about 3 weeks ago.

Since then I've been wearing my old specs, which I made about 6 yrs ago. I can't even see that well in it. It's at least 50 to 70 degrees lower than mine which went missing. The frame is in a sorry state already too. Very tak glam.

I finally decided to make a new pair of specs since it wasn't doing me any good squinting around. I had a feeling I'd find my missing pair *the moment* I returned from the optician.

Well, the missing pair appeared not a day, but 2 days after I've swiped the card for a new pair of specs!

Aiyo! Boleh pegi shopping for a new handbag with that money you know!

Come to think of it, since I expected to find it the moment I made a new pair, I shouldn't be so upset, huh? But stilll.... so much from VS could've been bought with that $$.

Sighs... nasib...nasib.

No monday blues

2007-03-26T22:07:00.000+08:00

Did anyone read Sumiko/Tan's column in ST yesterday? It was such an entertaining read. I totally could relate to it!

But I'm luckier than her, coz, while she probably braved another bluey monday, I didn't have to go through one. (OK, maybe just briefly around lunchtime just now, coz I made a work-related call to a client). Yes, it *was* my off day today! *WAS*

I think the weekend should include Mondays as well, so no one would have to suffer from Monday blues. But would that mean Tuesday blues would spring up then?

Anyway, DesperateHousewives is starting soon. I'm rather annoyed that there's a 30 min local show slotted at 10 pm. That pushes my bedtime to 11.30 pm! As a sign of protest, I decided not to watch that show. Hmph.

Well, I'm quite determined to make this a happy week for myself insya-Allah. I hope things go as planned!

Something for myself

2007-03-24T23:59:00.000+08:00

Lately our small little shopping trips have been baby-related. All the items are still left unpacked in the shopping carriers. Lined up, it looks as if we've gone on a crazy shopping spree. Basic necessities, trust me! (Unless you count the lavender scented wardrobe liner).

So today, I thought, it'd be nice for me to shop for me instead! I bought small little luxuries, like a box of rocher chocolates for AH & myself, many bags of famous/amos cookies for myself (AH gets a piece, or two) & a pair of birkies. The last buy is *totally* necessary, because my older pair of birkies has suddenly become..believe it or not, mouldy. AH offered to get rid of the mould for me, but I'm convinced it wouldn't be totally clean & the mould might seep into my sweaty pores, urgh.

I almost bought a pair of scented hangers from Crabtree&evelyn but I managed to counsel myself out of it. Phew~

Little pleasures, that eventually added up to quite a lot! But it's been so long since I got stuff for myself, so it's alright to pamper my pregnant, swollen feet, I'm sure! :D

Maybe another few mindless shopping sprees this month since I've still got the energy. I'd probably get another chance tomorrow, since we're going out with my family.

What shall I buy this time? A nice little chic handbag? Or how about another long wallet?

A diaper bag!

Wait, that's again, for the baby! Oh well, if I need it, I guess, I'll need it.

Come to think of it, tomorrow's too long to wait, I think I'll start right now, right here, online :D

On the loose

2007-03-22T20:45:00.000+08:00

I've never had as many bad experiences as taxi drivers in my whole life as I've had now, during my pregnancy! And it's clear that there are still many errant cabbies on the loose.

Travelling towards the west today, I sat in one of the most horrifying taxi rides ever. Lagi terok drp kat BKK or M'sia. This cabby, no matter what, refused to give way to a van, who was trying to inch (literally) his way into our lane to avoid an accident in the middle lane!

I wanted to tell the cabby that he's ferrying a 30-week pregnant lady but I was afraid he might go berserk & start a riot in his own cab.

So I prayed & held on tight to my tummy. I think the baby could feel I was tensing up; he twirled around slightly.

Ordeal wasn't over coz a while later, that van caught up with the cab & swooped (swerve is not strong enough to describe it) right in!!! This time, it was the van which didn't want to give way & went into the cab's lane each time the cab changed lanes.

Rabak. I felt very religious suddenly, uttering whatever prayers i could. I was more worried about my baby, rather than my own safety. A thought flashed my mind, "Are my maternal instincts at work already?"

I eventually reached my destination safely, alhamdulillah. The uncle said a "Thank You" to me, God knows whatever for. Thank you for being in his cab, if not the ordeal would've been worse?!

I have his vehicle number & when I got off, I was seriously considering to lodge a report. I'm usually nice to cabbies, the obvious reason being my own dad is one, but this experience, I really wouldn't want anyone to go through.

So should I write a quick email to the cab company?

Ignorance is bliss

2007-03-14T21:09:00.000+08:00

I was on a cab this afternoon, with a colleague. About 12 minutes later, the cabby made a turn into the wrong exit so I simply told him he turned too early.

But my colleague, who wasn't sitting directly behind the cabby, told me that he had seen the cabby nodding off. I gathered he was ready to scold the cabby if he nodded off again. He also said, he saw that I wasn't wearing a seat belt.

If I had seen the cabby nodding off instead, I don't suppose I'd have been as calm as I was just now.

So upon alighting, I told the cabby, "Che', kalau Che' ngantuk, baik balik rumah tido kejap."

He replied, "Kalau saya balik nanti saya malas nak keluar lagi!"

I was rather horrified, but surprised myself by telling him that it'd be more dangerous if he didn't sleep at all (coz he'd risk knocking someone down!).

I hope he took my advice. Tsk tsk tsk. That was exactly the sound AH made when I narrated the incident. I bet he was more concerned about the safety of his junior than me though. You were, weren't ya? :D

A simple lie

2007-03-10T14:49:00.000+08:00

I picked up the ringing phone, and upon hearing the person on the other end mention the word "survey", my mind was almost made up to say "Not interested". But she beat me to it! She spoke really fast, & promised she'd be quick too. So I agreed to entertain her. Actually, I felt pity for her, having to work on a Friday night. I could always hang up if the survey got ridiculous.

Turned out that she was doing a survey on women, marriage & babies, or something to that effect. Quite interesting. Not one of those silly surveys where you are promised a large plasma tv or something at the end of it.

How many hours do you spend at work a day?

How many hours do you spend with your spouse in a day?

How many hours do you spend with yr child in a day?

How many minutes do you spend doing housework in a day?

Is it important to give your child a sibling?

Well, I was very honest in all those, but I did tell a little fib. Right at the beginning of the survey. When she asked about my age. I told her I was 25. When I'm not.

Hey, I thought it was a silly survey at first ok? How was I supposed to know it was a meaningful survey?

Anyway I realised that lying has more disadvantages than advantages. For a start, you need more brain power to draft a story. Later on, I was also asked on what age I got married at. I got married at 25, about 2 yrs ago, but hey, I couldn't possibly tell her that right? She also asked at what age I thought was a good time to start a family. I told her 27. Which insya-Allah will be the age I'll be when we start a family.

Oh well I suppose 2 yrs wouldn't really make much of a difference in that survey ey? Unless, another thousand women they interviewed did the same thing too.

Whoops!

2007-03-08T12:51:00.000+08:00

This will come in handy later on. Some of the recipes look good enough for even mommies to eat! I wonder if babies can eat yoghurt? I just had some Yami Yoghurt, and gosh, doesn't it just taste so good? I almost had another cup but I stopped myself.

And maybe this is a good way for me to start reading some things aloud for little friend in tum tum.

Thanks Herda & Aini for the gifts :)

Just the 2 of us

2007-03-04T18:04:00.000+08:00

I think this is the laziest Sunday I've ever had this yr. We only got up when the sun was right up on our heads. And after lunch we spent the day on the couch, channel surfing...amongst other things-you-can-do-on-a-couch...like reading...

13 more weeks to go if all goes well, then, it won't be just the 2 of us anymore. There'll be another little person. Wonder if lazy Sundays like this will still be in our life vocabulary when the time comes?

Worth a watch

2007-03-01T23:10:00.000+08:00

In the womb

This came on when we were getting ready to have a peek of what's going on in *my* own womb!

The next time it'll be aired, I'll probably be at work.

I'm really fascinated by all these 3D scanning books/programmes. Now, when'll cable run it again? Bila tak mo tengok, berkali2 repeat, bila nak tengok, repeat at the most inconvenient times!

That's life.

Remember the pink?

2007-03-01T22:46:00.000+08:00

Remember this?

Clue: It came from 1 1/2 yrs ago & was painstakingly hand sewn by myself & my mom.

Another clue: It was used only for a day, once!

And today, I sold it off! I didn't make much lah, but at least I sold it off. That makes it a total of 3 wedding baskets I've sold so far.

Now, I shall wait for another yr, or two before someone comes along to buy the remaining 1 basket & 3 trays, all in the same colour & pattern scheme.

Ties that bind

2007-02-24T22:47:00.000+08:00

My family came over this evening, their first visit since we moved in more than a month ago.

Frankly I was surprised they came to hang out. My family is not the sort which spends too much time at any other place other than their own home. Maybe because Tok's attention span is rather short, or maybe it's because Bapak just tak "kerasan" kat rumah orang. But today, they spent quite some time, leaving only after the Man U & Fulham match.

Nana as usual is so jakun, going in & out of the rooms. Wan is thrilled by the availability of cabletv. Mak made some avocado drink & I made myself busy by serving them drinks, etc. Tok & Bapak just lounged at the sofa, & enjoyed the mango icecream AH served them.

I was impressed by AH too, who made the guests feel very at home. Boleh tahan jugak AH ni. Cuma I was quite nervous lah tengok dia jalan sana, jalan sini. I was hoping really hard his legs wouldn't give him a relapse.

It was nice having them over. I guess it's because it's *our* place their visiting, Tok's own granchild, Mak & Bapak's own daughter, Wan & Nana's sister, so rules/boundaries are relaxed a bit & everyone was able to make some time to hang out together.

Sunny side up

2007-02-23T11:02:00.000+08:00

The past few days have been quite "exciting" for us.

AH is still recuperating and though I'm looking forward to him getting back on his feet (literally), going on our daily errands & outings on weekends, I'm glad I've been given the opportunity to appreciate the good this whole experience has brought for us.

For one, it has trained both of us to be patient with one another (borrrriinnggg...).

I've been going to work on my own too (Hehe, baru 3 hari) & this has made me appreciate AH's efforts in sending me to work daily.

The good thing about going to work on my own also, is that I've been able to catch up on reading in the trains.

And I get to singgah here & there after work too (to buy mandatory household items, la).

Then I get back home & see AH looking much better & then it's all quite worth it.

Rest well, dear

2007-02-21T13:30:00.000+08:00

I hope AH is recuperating OK at home. I suppose it's tough - your leg injury is there perenially, dormant until you get the craving to kick on that soccer ball. Then we face the consequences. The thing that bothers me is that I can't do anything to help ease the pain. I can't even begin to imagine it, but from how it looks, I'm sure it's verrrry painful. I hope my doas for his pain to subside will be granted.

Anyway I've just had lunch. One of the stall makciks has been smiling, grinning at me for the past few weeks. My only guess is that she's happy to serve a pregnant lady. And the cashier makcik asked, "Yang besar dah brapa tahun?" Before I could answer she quickly said, "Oh, ni yang pertama yerrr? Ramai sangat orang pregnant lah sampai lupa!" Keh keh...nasib baik I didn't take offence. I just told her to doakan for us lah...to which she replied "Insya-Allah."

Biasa lah eh, lepas long weekend, satu2 macam slow-mo mode gitu. Me included. I'm just lookin forward to be back home & see how AH is doing. I miss him a lot but I'm glad he's just resting at home.

Over the past week

2007-02-17T13:12:00.000+08:00

The much awaited long weekend is finally here - I've been smelling it since mid this week.

The week wasn't that uneventful though.AH's turning 3X was a happy occasion & I pray for more healthy years to come.

We lost Tok's younger brother to cancer too. Something that probably developed due to old age. He was 80. It's still quite surreal that he's gone; we'd just seen him on Sunday & though he was resting, he was fit enough to sit up & talk, very clearly & coherently. I didn't know I'd actually feel it when he's gone. It was all so fast. Such a dear old man, may his good deeds for the rest of his journey.

Life goes on, we still have to meet up with people, the postman still delivers mail, and we'll still have to go to work. But for now, let the next few days be a good break for us. I've got stuff stocked up to occupy my lazy days ahead - magazines I picked up from a colleague who has dumped them into the bins (Jan 07 & Feb 07 punyer mags dia pegi buang dalam tong sampah?! What the!) & a book by Danbrown. Of course, there's the TV too, and later we're meeting up with some friends for pizza. And I plan to get some cleaning started too... sorting out of the pile of baby clothes I received from MIL 2 months ago.

Sounds like I've got quite a lot on my plate already. Enjoy yr weekend everyone :)

3-X hot

2007-02-14T22:17:00.000+08:00

Mana aku punyer birthday treat ni?

I took the hubster to 2Hotcafe on his birthday. I know he initially thought, "Betul ke si wifey ni, ajak aku gi sini? Earl Swensens kan lagi best?!" Maybe he was just trying to make me feel good about the whole thing coz at the end of it all he said he liked the meal! But then again, husbands are supposed to make wives feel good all the time, so lie if they must :D

Never too old for kroks!

And no, I didn't get him kroks for a present. I got him something boring, predictable, but it was something he needed. The last time I bought him a casual watch was 6 yrs ago during his birthday. The shoes were something he treated himself to. And yes, I managed to control myself from impulse-buying, no kroks for me!

Mamam!

2007-02-11T09:07:00.000+08:00

To save us the hassle of cooking & the aftermath of scrubbing pots, pans, scoops etc, we dug out the steamboat appliance MIL handed down to us early this yr.

Apart from the thermostat (probably) kicking in for safety reasons after about 45 mins of cooking, I think we had fun cooking & I think the friends we had over enjoyed that too.

Come to think of it, we pay so much per head at steamboat restaurants when we can have the same food at less than $8 per head at home! Maybe plus drinks, electricity, it's about $10 max. Very worth it. No service charge & of course, good service guaranteed in the comfort of your own home.

Ada cake lagi! For the birthday guy. Hehe! I'll keep the wishes for tomorrow, but you know I always wish for nothing but the best for AH.

Bungled surprise

2007-02-08T22:33:00.000+08:00

AH's hatch day is around the corner, and today some friends & I communicated via email ; posts & posts...with me having a little surprise gathering for AH in mind. Obviously, AH's email address was excluded from the mailing list.

Then suddenly, one of them, included his email address! Sighs, when AH was checking his email, my heart beat rather faster, hoping he'd delete them before scrolling down. But no...he read the whole thing. And had a good laugh at me, for trying to keep it a secret.

Oh man!

OK, AH you win this time.

Work, surprisingly, has been more manageable so far. Since my 3-day intermittent MC last week. My backlog is slowly piling up, but I dare say I was more productive for the past 3 days, then say, a month ago...whooops!

I dread tomorrow though. I'll finish late. And I'm on duty on Sat afternoon too! Oh well, at least I have a job.

Taxi tales

2007-02-06T22:10:00.000+08:00

AH can skip reading this post. I think he has had an overdose of taxi tales from me for the day.

Today, as usual, I embarked on one of the usual home visits I've got to make as part of my job. I hopped on a cab & requested the cabby to take me to Blk XYZ, Jln Bukit ***. Uncle cabby made small talk with me, asking about what Barang-Barang meant, when the B2 lorry drove past us. And so on, and so forth.

We finally got to the area of Jln Bt *** & started hunting for Blk XYZ. We couldn't find it after 2 rounds, all we saw was Blk XYZ, but it was a 1-storey block - which was obviously not the one I was headed for.

When I realised we were going in circles, I suggested he looked into the st directory, only to have him shove it at me and asking me to look for the location. Fine. So that was what I did. But we still ended up at the same place despite coming in from a different street entrance.

I usually have a high threshold of patience for taxi drivers, but today I felt rather annoyed. I didn't shout at him, I just well erm, ignored his suggestions that I gave him the wrong address, I overlooked the exact location of the street. He even went on to suggest whether my "friend" could meet us somewhere convenient. Finally I told him that where I was going was part of work.

In the end, I told him to let me alight at the main road, so I can hop on another cab to help in this amazing race of mine. He complied & I detected relief in his voice. When I asked for a receipt, even the machine bungled on him. To which he loudly said, "Aiyah, even the machine bully me!" He apologised again. I accepted it, after all it wasn't his fault he couldn't find the place.

I hailed another cab, after at least 45 minutes of "joyride" in the previous one. Again, the cabby took me to the same place! I finally thought, maybe I am at the right place after all, and I should walk to find it.

So I walked, and walked, for a good 15 to 20 minutes around the blocks, out onto the road, over the traffic light, etc when I decided, that's it. I can't be walking around in circles like this. I hailed a cab & headed back to office.

Argh!!

I'll be returning there tomorrow. With Bapak this time. After much ploughing through the street directory, I hope I can get there easily tomorrow. Turns out that there are more than 1 Blk XYZs in that area! Gee, how in the world could this happen??!

That was today's tale.

Yesterday, with my boss in the same cab as me, I chalked up more than $25 on taxi claims! Reason being, when I left the 1st destination to continue with the 2nd destination, we realised I had accidentally deposited some documents I needed at the 1st destination. So cabby turned around, in the busy area with plentiful ERP gantries, back to Destination 1, then off to Destination 2. Two taxi tales on consecutive days? There must be a reason behind these.

Let's see what tomorrow brings. Pleasant tales, please!

Sweet treats

2007-02-02T12:29:00.000+08:00

I brought home 14 pieces of yummy, fudgy, chocolatey, walnutty, pecanny brownies on Wednesday! I've eaten 2 already, or was it 3... 3 1/2? Forgot :D

Free goodies!

I want the choc fudge one...erm, make it the pecan nut one...

I was already feeling impending signs of a sore throat but ate some anyway coz I really couldn't resist chocolates. Chomp chomp...

But worry not, I've made up for that sinful treat.

Healthy treats for me & AH

Our fridge is well-stocked up now, alhamdulillah! Thanks to Mak's contribution, our own shopping & yesterday, a bag of fruits & chocolates from a kind neighbour.

Well like what AH said, now, it's starting to look like a fridge.

On a windy Tuesday

2007-01-30T11:28:00.000+08:00

I'm now at my parents'. We slept over last night coz I was supposed to be at work early this morning. Turns out that I'm on 1-day MC today. To rest. I love resting :D

I now have on me a pair of sandals AH purchased from Chatuchak. I feel like a woman on confinement already. No choice lah, the wind is just so so chilly!

Maybe we'll do some grocery shopping, pick up my pants which I sent for shortening, buy a frying pan, before we head home later.

Have a peek...

2007-01-29T10:08:00.000+08:00

at the place we've stayed in for about a week already now.

Where we spend lazy times together

Where the morning sun comes in daily

For all the work AH has done for the place, I must say, I'm rather impressed by his sense of deco. Really good, for a guy! Lucky me, coz all I have to do is sit aside & offer two cents' worth of opinion every now & then.

The weather's really lovely today. It's just too bad I'm down with mild flu. Sniffs~

Nutri-breakie

2007-01-26T08:08:00.000+08:00

Chomping on this brought back fond memories of days as a student down under. When I first ate this, I was like...ek eh..takde benda lagi tawar ke?! How can these people eat this for breakfast? But over time we sorta got used to this though I still can't get used to eating weet-bix. That's simply too dry for my asian tastebud.

Yesterday was the day AH & I purchased the most expensive thing in our lives ever. We signed on the dotted line & insya-Allah will have a place we call our own in 4 yrs' time. AH's research, our relatively early queue number, and lots of doa paid off; we got to choose a unit high up in the skies. Well, almost~ :D

Indulge!

2007-01-23T20:26:00.000+08:00

What do you do when you get off work early, and find yourself along the way to a yummy confectionary? The best part is, it's Muslim-owned & totally halal (duh..)!

You ask your wife if she wants to stop by & if she's undecided, you simply make a U-turn & drop your wife at the doorstep of Indulge, anyway!

Yummy danish to reward yr tastebuds

Savoury ones for the non-sweet tooth

The best part is, if you pop by after 6 pm & you're lucky, you get the pastries at 30% off. Even better, if the ones you like are still available. It's quite a steal actually. You sink your teeth into really great tasting stuff. Worth every cent!

I'm waiting for my mood for treats to come in a while so I can savour them with much pleasure.

But first, I gotta eat Mak's fish & chips, which she has delicately packed with much love this evening. Yup, we popped by Mak's place (my own Mak, not that eatery at Kembangan) to pick up dinner, so lazy heavy me wouldn't have to cook at home tonight. So pampered right?

Did I just say home?

1st day awake at the far east

2007-01-21T11:12:00.000+08:00

I agree with AH. I feel like I'm at a chalet this morning when I woke up.

For starters, no morning papers to get my daily dosage of environmental scan.

No market for me to visit on sunday morning to grab yummy breakfast.

The nearest breakfast outlet is about 5-10 minutes drive away.

This is going to be new, for someone so used to having the mrt a 7 minute walk away, the market across the street & lots of other conveniences within a stone's throw.

Guess it'll take some time for me to get adjusted to this whole thing. Maybe it's time I brush up my driving skills.

Hello from the far east

2007-01-20T17:06:00.000+08:00

Many rounds of household-items-shopping, varnishing, cleaning, fixing, carrying, arranging, bill-clearing exercises later, we've finally moved into our little temporary nest.

Leaving my parents' place, where I've lived for the past 22 yrs just now, was less dramatic than I actually thought it would be. No tears, just well-wishes, kisses & gentle well-meaning reminders from Mak.

Jangan balik lambat-lambat was one of them.

I'll miss my parents' place & the people there of course. Now it's just me & AH in this cozy little place. But I suppose I shouldn't get too drama lah. After all, we'll be sleeping over there at least once weekly. To eat Mak's cooking, and of course, catch up on what we've missed for the week.

Gosh, I'm now a grown up woman. With a family of my own. It's all getting very real now!

Back to the place we're in now, things are pretty much completed. AH has been satiated with his dose of cable TV, which was absent at my parents'. Tonight is the nite he has been waiting for. With the remote all to himself, he'll get to savour the ~~eye candy~~ skilful manouvers on the field. Soccer fever is back.

What'll I be doing tonight? The same ol' things I used to do at my parents' place I suppose. Surf the net, lurk at blogs and curl up with a book in bed, before I fall asleep.

Welcome home, irris.

Cikgu suka main bola...

2007-01-17T21:07:00.000+08:00

I've not seen AH excited for a long time! He's got free tickets to the soccer match this evening, so off he went with my dad & uncle. Sempat MMS this photo - perhaps as proof he is at the soccer match indeed? :D

Well, may the better team wins. And hope he is enjoying himself right now.

My course is over. I'm rather sad actually because now I have to go back to the cube. Terok eh, motivational level still not quite up there despite a much higher level of competency (or so I hope to believe!).

This evening, was one of the rare times I got to finish work when the sun was still up. I popped by the supermart & spent quite a bit on comfort food - fruit & nut chocolate, muesli bars, snacks, chocolate milk... I realise most of the chocolates now are made in m'sia, no longer in aust or nz. Somehow I think those made in m'sia don't quite cut it, so I bought the ones made in aust. Hehe, perasan jugak aku ni eh?

We are what we eat

2007-01-16T07:31:00.000+08:00

We had training yesterday, so we lunched at this coffeeshop just across the street. My colleague, a slim babe, ate sinful oily carrot cake. I read previously that carrot cake is a food that's not meant to be eaten alone - the calories are enough to bust 2 person's meal fat quota. But I thought aloud that she, a slim babe, would be permitted to eat it, well, simply because she could afford it (i.e. the calories).

Another colleague's reply :

For all you know she may be slim but her arteries may be clogged!

Hmmm, betul jugak.

This morning when I rested my head on AH's chest (in another of those episodes of getting up for subuh), I heard his heart beat, loud & strong against my ears. I pray it remains that way for a long time. Mine too, actually. Seriously, it may not worth it to have our arteries clogged from repeated moments of fatty binge meals & repeated thoughts of, I'll eat healthier tomorrow. For our own sake, loved ones, and future loved ones.

We've got m@il!

2007-01-13T13:28:00.000+08:00

Mr Postman has been dropping all kinds of goodies in our letterbox recently (well, if you don't count the bills that are also making a beeline to enter it).

2 days ago, it was a lovely door deco item from Kak Yati. It's red & woody-like & will look just nice on at our new place. Thanks again, sis :)

And today, we got the package we've been waiting for! Alhamdulillah we're one of the lucky ones who'll be choosing a flat for the BTO @ Sri Geylang. Olskool & not glam name lah, but who cares since we'll be near my parents & the good ol' Geylang neighbourhood.

AH asked what our plans were for today this morning & I answered that I didn't like plans on a rainy Saturday afternoon. Well, 'xcept for a plan that can be done right in bed - looking through the package for the new place.

I'm so very excited! Alhamdulillah :)

Bedbuys

2007-01-07T11:17:00.000+08:00

I went shopping for bedsheets yesterday, thanks to AH's cashtreat!

Initially I thought I'd be able to grab some good buys at aussino, but the designs didn't really fascinate me. The danger in having discount cards is that you feel like you *really* have to buy from *that* shop when in actual fact, you don't really have to. So, I grabbed a good 310 TC buy from Seiyu instead. It's lovely & I can't wait to put it on the new bed :)

While waiting for AH to fetch me yesterday, I chose to wait in Swensen's again. Needless to say, I chomped on another ice-cream treat. A coit tower this time round. Whoops!

My favourite day

2007-01-06T09:19:00.000+08:00

My favourite day is here....Saturday!

It's the day I most look forward to, because, you don't even have to go to work the next day. Out of 4 Saturdays in a month, I don't really like the last one though - coz that's the one I have to spend at work. Anyway, let's talk about happy things today, okie!

And when you feel like having a hearty sinful breakfast, but are too lazy to hop to the nearest outlet, the most natural thing to do is, to call for it. Well actually I'd have asked AH to buy some for me, but since he's still in bed, I thought I'd engage the delivery service for a change. I hope he wakes up soon. Definitely not nice eating cold big breakfast.

It's only 9.30 am. I'm quite thrilled. I love waking up early on Saturdays because you get so much time to do whatever you want. I've already done 2 loads of laundry, and later, maybe I'll go shopping at Joo Chiat & Geylang area (my favourite!) for some household stuff.

Btw, we've bought a bed! Quite excited lah...coz now we can sleep over at the new place already. This morning, Mak said we're still welcome to sleep over here when we want. Right, will keep that in mind :)

Off to enjoy the rest of my weekend. You girls enjoy too!

Between 2006 & 2007

2007-01-02T20:18:00.000+08:00

Feeding time, yum yum

Look who was here, right next to where we live just last Saturday? Truthfully, I never really felt Aidiladha, until last year, when Mak went to Hajj. I found out more about the historical events leading to it & also related the concept of korban on our lives.

Btw, did anyone notice the lovely, fine weather on Aidiladha? It was amazing!

On new year's day, we both felt really lazy & spent most of the time doing nothing in our room. But we managed to get ourselves ready for some light snacks & creamy icecream at swensen's. Thinking about yesterday's butterscotch & sticky chewy chocolate makes me feel like having some like...erm, right now! Terrible lah, my love for icecream these days.

Chomp chomp

I *really* need one of these now!

Today, thanks to AH who gave us a ride to Expo, I managed to leave the house after a short late morning nap (pemalas betol, asik tido aje!).

Bedtime stories

My wish for the year? To have a blessed year ahead, for myself & loved ones. And erm, to have more energy & a renewed zest at work. Insya-Allah, Amin!

To everyone, happy new year :)

Home improvement

2006-12-28T20:49:00.000+08:00

Moving into a new place means having lots of things to fix and hang, which is why, a toolbox, a drill & an electric screwdriver (??!) seem to look like necessities. I'm sure AH had a ball shopping for those items, more so when he actually used the tools. I saw him beaming with excitement when his electric screwdriver did its job in sealing the final bits of the screw into the wall.

Big boys & toys.. tsk!

So far, the machines have come in handy in fixing our dishrack, blinds & erm..what else eh? Oh, some remaining frames due on the wall soon.

What have I been doing while AH is doing all the hard work?

Well...I've been scenting the bathrooms with aromatherapy? I helped to clear the study table & also did my fair share of shopping for kitchen items like the microwave, toaster & apa2 groceries lah! Very auntie right? But I like!

Next to arrive will be our sofa set, I can't wait for that next week.

And of course, the bed. We've yet to get one coz we need the space for the family gathering this Hari Raya Haji. After that, if Allah permits, we'll get the bed, then, pick a nice time to move in there, for a good 2 - 3 yrs.

Hoarding on

2006-12-25T22:13:00.000+08:00

Keta sapa ni?

For a moment, our faithful car turned into a karanguni-look-alike vehicle this evening, as their car owner engaged in some hoarding activities.

Look what AH managed to miraculously stuff into the boot - a trolley, a stroller, some karanguni bags, a drink tumbler & many boxes hidden from view. Plus, a beige doctor's bag too - that's not a karanguni item okay; that belongs to me! Some glass lamps found their way to the space where I put my feet in the front seat, so my bag goes to the boot.

And so the items travelled with us to the north, rested there for a few hours as we lepaked at SIL's place before they finally get transported to where they belong in the far east. Where insya-Allah we'll move to in a few weeks' time.

And yesterday, we went here, to catch an Islamic heritage exhibition.

It was alright, though we'd expected to see more ornaments. Lots of interesting information, which I couldn't really absorb during our short trip there.

Now, I'm just looking forward to the next long weekend!

A weekend to remember

2006-12-18T15:07:00.000+08:00

I can see both of us sleeping away our next few hours. AH is already in dreamland, right after waking up from the night sleep at 1 pm! This is what happens when you spend many hours driving early morning & late at night keep AH company in case he catches a wink or two with no chattering once on Malaysian highways. I didn't drive, but I didn't sleep too as I needed to in a while. I guess that means I deserve some naps later on too.

I enjoyed the trip. Many things were cheap & converting whatever price you saw into 2 just makes you feel like you can afford almost everything. There's plenty of space (in & out of the malls) & parking is ridiculously cheap, at only RM$1 even for the biggest malls. And of course, halal food at every corner.

Memorable moments?

Stopping by a road-side stall set up in front of a house & chomping down on pisang goreng & keropok lekor. It was prolly the most sedap & murah keropok lekor I've ever tasted. If the ones in S'pore are thin & expensive (4 pieces for $1, not expensive enough?!), we bought a bag of fat, juicy keropok lekors for only RM$1 - all piping hot, straight from the wok! I brushed off the guilt of having zits, for the momentary pleasure of biting into a keropok lekor.

Kedai kropok lekor sedap :D

The hotel we stayed in, that's another "memorable" event. Let's just say, there are some things money can't buy. But for everything else, like comfort & clean sheets in a hotel, there's mastercard :D

Well at the end of the trip, alhamdulillah everyone's happy & safe. AH is happy coz he got to know how petrol-efficient his SUV is. I'm happy coz I survived a road trip with his family.

For now, it's back to everything mahal & segala benda pun kena keluar $ place - this place we call home. And of course, back to work also laaaa....

Friday ramblings

2006-12-15T08:10:00.000+08:00

I'm so relieved that it's finally friday. My energy was at its peak on Wednesday then somehow it just went downhill on Thursday. I've not scheduled any appointments today so I'm quite glad I can clear my work in peace.

Both of us slept really early yesterday - right after Isyak. I even missed Prison Break! Hmph~!
I felt really tired yesterday & fell asleep sooner than I thought after plonking the self into bed.

I'm glad I'm not working on Monday too. Maybe it'll be a good time to trot over to the new place, just to hang out there, when we've recovered from the weekend fatigue.

Till then!

Crabby post

2006-12-09T09:10:00.000+08:00

I've only gone crabbing once - at Mandurah, Western Australia, during our 1st yr @currie hall. There were about 20 of us on that hostel floor & I think only 2 or 3 crabs were actually caught!! Heh, at the end of the day, we eventually had crabs to feast on - crabs which had been pre-empted as being necessary in case no one caught any, and so were purchased & cooked. So we all took photos with red, cooked crabs.

I've been thinking about cooking crabs for the past few days so when I woke up this morning, I thought it was a good time. Off I trotted to the market across the lane & got about 2 kg of crabs.

I'm finally done with the cleaning. It's amazing (alhamdulillah!) that I wasn't turned off my the smell at all! But of course, it being the first time I cleaned the crabs on my own, some of them are now shell-less. And now when I look at the crabs, I wonder if they are enough for the family to eat for both lunch & dinner. Think by lunch dah bis (cheh, macam sedap..hehe).

But I remembered a story where Rasullullah S.A.W received an invitation from someone to come to his house, as he had a piece of meat to cook. Rasulullah S.A.W accepted his invitation, but also asked for the whole Madinah to come to his house to eat the food too. That person panicked as there wouldn't be enough for the whole Madinah to eat! But his wife said that since that was what Rasulullah suggested, they'd do just that.

So his wife cooked, and when Rasulullah came, he read some prayers & stirred the pot. The whole Madinah came, and surprise surprise! There was enough food for everyone!

The moral of the story is, the importance lies in the barakah that Allah has bestowed upon us. If there is barakah, there will be enough for everyone.

Hopefully what I'll be cooking later will be blessed with barakah too, so insya-Allah there'll be enough crabs to go around.

Tapi jangan lah cuma beli 2 pieces of crabs aje, lepas tu kacau periuk & baca2 nak mintak berkat. Tu kedekut namanya...hee~

OK, enough of story telling. It's time to cook~ bismillah!

New read available

2006-12-07T13:56:00.000+08:00

Do let me know if you're interested to be a part of my journey into a new beginning, insya-Allah.

Clue: It involves a new, alternative blog address :)
(but this blog address remains!)

Email me at naqia@hotmail.com

See ya there!

A very chronological post

2006-12-04T21:36:00.000+08:00

Today's one of the best days in my life! We had fun, together, for the whole of today.

We started out early, at 7 am for breakfast at BK@airport, not because we were crazy to travel half the island for that. Since we were sending some folks off to Myanmar, we thought, a BK breakfast would make a good reward. I'm just wondering though, why are the portions sold at BK breakfast getting bigger, and of course, more expensive?! Are they trying to upsize every single thing we eat??

Half the day was spent waiting for our turn at a clinic. Lucky there were plenty of magazines for me to feast my eyes on. That sorta killed time, though poor AH was falling asleep on my shoulders. Good, patient AH.

After lunch we finally got around to Ikea. The place was crowded, though I bet it couldn't have been as crowded as the opening weekend. We needed to get lots of stuff from there to kick start our new home so we hoarded back quite a few bags, not inclusive of those to be delivered next Monday. Guess who's going to be a friend of Ikea soon? :D

Then I was craving for hot dogs, but of course, we couldn't chomp down those sold at Ikea, so I requested AH to drive us to Tampmall where we could get some fat, juicy hotdogs in buns. *slurps* And I got them! Yeay!

From east to the west - off to NUH to visit Tok's brother who's down with really bad cough which led to pneumonia. The old man was still as jovial as ever. Hope he gets well soon.

Following this, angan2 nak pegi Barang2, tapi my legs dah tak leh carry (literally) & we both agreed it was time to call it a night.

So here we are, about to sleep soon!

It has been a lovely day. I love every minute of it :)

Long kiss goodnight

2006-11-29T23:31:00.000+08:00

I wonder if AH is asleep already, or is he thinking about me?

Chey...padahal baru 1 night dia stay in-camp.

But still! I miss him so much! I feel like those times when he was back in Perth, and I was stuck in S'pore & we spoke on the phone for hours sometimes, on cheap long-distance cards. Ahhh~ those cards were our best friends - at $0.05 per minute, it was cheaper to call Perth than to call another local mobile number!

Hmmm... I have to get to work early tomorrow, but I'm still not asleep. I'm still not sleepy although the body's a little worn out. But I think I'll hit the sack anyway, for the sake of being in bed, and having some whiffs of what he left behind when he slept on the pillow yesternight.

Hehe, so drama.

Stepping down

2006-11-28T20:58:00.000+08:00

Last week I walked into someone's office & told him that I wanted to let go of a role I've been holding for the past 2 years. I told him that he had no choice but to agree to my request. This is to ensure the safety of everyone in the office - about 80 of us in total.

That wasn't a threat. It was a fact! I meant it!

Seeing he didn't have a choice, he conceded. So now....I am now no longer the fire warden for the floor. Phew~!

Anyway I have a very valid reason for giving up that duty (apart from the fact that won't increase my chances of a promotion or pay rise). It's a reason my male assistant fire warden will never get to use, coz it's just biologically impossible!

At the risk of sounding sexist (against my own sex), I think a male would make a better fire warden. Not just due to the physical abilities. It's just, ermmm, more gentlemanly kan? How do you expect a woman to be the last to rescue herself in a fire?! And what if the woman warden was wearing a pair of high heels on that day?

I've happily given away my 2 helmets - 1 yellow & 1 orange, to the new warden. Helmets I've never worn in my whole 2 yrs as a fire warden. Tak rela nak pakai benda tu, awww~

Come to think of it, what have I learnt as a fire warden eh? I don't even know how to use the fire extinguisher!! *lol* Syukur no real fire when I was holding that post. If not, parah seh! OK wait, maybe I learnt some organisational skills & at the very least, some procedures in case of a fire (except how to use a fire extinguisher, which is probably the most important thing to know, lol!)

Oh well, whatever it is, I hold nothing but fun memories of being a fire warden :D

Duty calls

2006-11-26T19:20:00.000+08:00

AH is going away on reservist tomorrow - for a whole week!

The last time he had to report for reservist, I had braced myself for sleepless nights without him & even mentally rehearsed not crying when he walked out of that door looking all macho in his green uniform. I didn't cry, and there were no sleepless nights too, coz AH returned that very evening! (Yipppeee~!)

But I'm not too sure if history would repeat itself this time round. Seems like AH is down for some seriouussss training. His boots are ready, his barang2 are safely stored in his bag...he's out having tea with his mates...coz tomorrow, he'll be, serving the nation for the whole of next week.

I'm hoping the same thing he's hoping - that he won't have to stay in. Nothing beats sinking yr head onto your own pillow, your own bed, with yr own (and wifey's smells). At least that's what I want to believe.

Well AH, I'll wake up early to see you off at the flat gate tomorrow okay? Whatever it is, I sure look forward to having you back, right beside me :)

Up early today

2006-11-23T07:46:00.000+08:00

It feels great being up early. I have more time to catch up on things - to do laundry, help Mak a bit in the kitchen & surf the net for some online window shopping.

There are sure so many things you can buy online - groceries, undies, clothes, bags, and the list goes on & on.

But I've yet to find what I'm searching for.

Think I shall hit Raffles/Market/place soon, hopefully that store has what I need to get.

Yes, it's a need, not a want! A reason to go shopping!

Today I shall, eat less!

2006-11-19T11:04:00.000+08:00

I don't think I've eaten as much as I had yesterday, in my ENTIRE life!

I got up feeling hungry & had 2 pieces of bread, got to work & ate a few pieces of pastry & had mushroom-sauced pasta, which I've been wanting to have for several weeks already for lunch. Call that my first lunch of the day.

When I got to AH's friend's place, I had a few more spoonfuls of mee & then when we went over to my friend's kenduri kesyukuran for her baby, I had a few more spoonfuls of mee hoon & a piece of chicken.

That wasn't all. At 6.30 pm, we met AH's family for my MIL's birthday treat & needless to say, I was stuffed. Gee, I feel so greedy.

I almost couldn't sleep last night because I was feeling so full & warm! And now I'm feeling a bit guilty because I ate 3 oysters - I have to exercise more self-discipline when it comes to food this days.

I still felt full when I woke up this morning, but I ate half a pack of nasi rawon for breakfast.

That's not all.

We've got 2 weddings to attend in a while, and Mak has cooked some really yummy dishes coz my Nyaii & Bapak's siblings will be coming over for an overdue raya visit. Nanti kat wedding I'll just eat the dishes (sans rice) & desserts lah. I better do that, before I burst.

Or maybe I should get someone to feed me small portions, just like what AH was happily doing to his lil' niece yesterday. Tengok tu, rambut sumer berdiri, heh heh... :D

A baby is worth all the pain...

2006-11-15T21:40:00.000+08:00

Another cutie pie, a new human being!

Ariz Iman, bundle of joy for Mona & Lias. Congrats, alhamdulillah!

It's rather surreal. About 9 yrs ago, mother & I were still in college; 6 yrs ago, we were just starting uni & now, she's reached another stage in her life! Best kan?

The only thing that scares me, is listening to many stories of caesarian births these days. First it was a colleague, then it was my good ol' friend of 20 years, then a friend I met at the marriage guidance course, and now, Mona! All within the past 2 months!

God, please make it easy when it comes to my turn, insya-Allah!

Though someone once said to me, "Nan, trust me. When you see your baby, it's really worth all the pain."

*nervous smile*

Inner issues

2006-11-14T08:45:00.000+08:00

I'm supposed to be at work at 9, but look, it's close to 8.40 am & I'm still here, very much at home. I think it's alright though, given I stayed till quite late yesterday, erm..actually only till 8 pm... :D Plus, I did some work-related reading this morning. Simply excuses? Tee hee~!

Remember the time our luggages went missing in Austria? Well, something good came out of that. We were able to go shopping & even got about SGD$150 reimbursed for necessities like undergarments, toiletries, pyjamas & clothing. At the risk of sounding greedy, I wish I bought more undies. Nevermind if I had to pay for them; they are truly the most comfortable, wonderful undies I've ever owned! Pretty? OK, not sure about that, but can lah!

Now I'm surfing here but again, I'm faced with german language. But from the looks of it, I don't think online shopping is possible. Sighs, anyone going to Europe soon? Within the next month? Can I kirim lots & lots of such undergarments? The ones in S'pore are just too small. Tak value for money langsung.

OK, too much info revealed already. But I figured, not many people come by here anyway, so no harm talking about inner issues.. heheh. Till then, let me know, especially mahd, if you know if H&M sells what I want to buy from its online site. No rewards, but lots of gratitude from me await :)

Krrrringg, who's there?

2006-11-08T16:07:00.000+08:00

A familiar voice filled my ears when I answered the phone with the normal greeting I usually use. At the other end, he asked, Ms Irris, kenal tak saya siapa? Ni *********, lah.

Of course I remember him, an ex-client of mine. Chey, macam business client gitu eh? My little heart asked why he was calling. Was it because he has gotten himself involved in another round of mess? So I asked how he was & why he was calling. His answer gave me a pleasant surprise, as well as allowed me to let out a silent sigh of relief.

Telepon aje, tanya khabar. Ms Irris apa khabar?

Khabar baik, alhamdulillah. Awak, apa khabar? Bila masuk NS? Baby baik?

And yada yada yada for a good 3 to 4 minutes. We parted with me thanking him for calling me to ask how I was. It was a pleasant surprise, truly. I felt rather appreciated that he remembered me enough to actually dial my number!

Come to think of it, my number is not such a dreaded one to call after all. You can call me not only when you face trouble; you can call me to tell me good news too, or simply to ask how I am! I won't bite or snarl at you. I'm quite nice if you don't give me trouble, actually, hehe :D

So there, a simple story that has made my day & carved a little smile on my lips. Nov 06 has been a pleasant month so far, and I sure look forward to the rest of it.

No more songs from 80s please...

2006-11-04T12:25:00.000+08:00

Being at work today is quite a torture, because, the radio station we tune to at work is playing 80s' hits!! Argh! No offence to those whose zaman kegemilangan took place in the 80s', but the sense of music and fashion from the 80s is just something I can't grow to like till now. Especially songs like those placed in the wedding singer.

But torture will end soon because I'm leaving at 1 pm today. I'll take a short nap & hope the nose clears up when I get up. Then probably off to meet some friends & relatives for another round of raya visiting.

2006-10-31T07:57:00.000+08:00

There won't be any raya pics here coz, I haven't been bringing my camera around. AH is the family's official cameraman, and he has been lugging around his huge, useful digital SLR camera, taking shots here & there. The photos are like 2MB in size, definitely a tad too big for this blog!

For a start, you can start to imagine how we'd look in photos. That'll beat the real thing :D

I notice I've been sleeping less these days. Previously I'd sleep again after subuh, but now I just get out of bed. I think too much sleep makes the body feel tired and I hate to feel tired.

And breakfast. That's a must these days. I've had a cup of milk just now. I'll have some fried rice later. And somehow, the thought of having a fast food lunch really sounds yummy right now.

Post raya blues...

2006-10-27T07:58:00.000+08:00

I've got the blues not because I don't like the Eid. I've got the blues because, I have to cancel my leave & get back to work to finish up whatever I have to finish up! Datelines, deadlines, whatever! :(

Maybe I deserve it for having slacked during Ramadhan. But hey, I was tired okay? (OK, so was everyone else, I know)

My only consolation is, I get to claim my leave back on another day :D
Now, I think next Saturday sounds like a very good replacement date. Who works on weekends on raya, man? Only people who don't have a choice! (Like me!) But that's going to change soon, coz I'll find a choice to make, somehow.

I'm so excited now, coz we're going to pop by the prata shop, for some good ol' prata! Hehe, finally, some non-raya food.

Jom anyam ketupat!

2006-10-23T10:52:00.000+08:00

He's been with the household for only about a year and a half, yet he has mastered an art no youngster (erm, by that I mean anyone younger than Tok; below 80 yrs old) has ever mastered over the past few years!

AH has passed the ketupat-making test! Congrats! For that you can have an extra piece of ketupat pulut tomorrow :)

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri semua, Maaf Zahir & Batin.

Teka siapa MC lagi?

2006-10-18T13:08:00.000+08:00

It began with the sore throat last Friday. It developed into a cough, which turned quite bad yesterday night. So I went to the doc, since the cough med she gave a month ago was running out. Thank goodness she gave me 2 days to rest. 2 days away from the maddening cube, away from the contaminated freezer we work in. I feel a bit better after taking the cough syrup. That makes it 2 days to payback this time round. I thought there was hope of getting a whole month, but of course we can't expect things to go our way all the time.

It's Zuhur already. I'll take a nap soon. Then if I feel well enough, maybe I could bake another type of cookie.

Nyonya baju left me 4 missed calls but I really have no mood to call her back. Actually I have no mood to talk given my cough. Anyway, I hope my bajus are ready. Worry not, people, it's just a cough. I can still walk around on my own :)

I feel like...

2006-10-17T17:00:00.000+08:00

OK OK, this may not sound very religious of me, but I am so looking forward to hari raya :D

I suddenly have a craving for hari raya food; u noe, sambal goreng, ayam goreng, all the goreng2 stuff, heeee~

And the free flow of soft drinks. Slurps.

To think I'm not even a fan of soft drinks on other days.

Well, people change & so do I! :D

You can't go wrong with chocolate

2006-10-13T21:20:00.000+08:00

Another chocolate cookie! It doesn't taste like how it used to taste the previous years; it's much more chocolatey today.

Again, quantity is pretty limited & bad DIL me won't even be giving any to MIL. But I've ordered some cookies & I suppose those will make better gifts than my own home made ones.

I actually took 1/2 day leave today because I was feeling a bit under the weather, with a sore throat along. Maybe literally under the weather, ey? With the haze & stuff.

I'm so glad the weekend's here again. Supposed to work tomorrow but I don't think I can take another 1/2 saturday at work, so I managed to squeeze myself out of that one. Sorry, but I think this is how I'm going to be for the next few months. I can feel it.

Cookie kind of world

2006-10-09T21:43:00.000+08:00

I was still feeling rather under the weather after my short nap at noon just now. I told myself to snap out of this and got out of bed immediately. Sometimes the more you follow yr body cues, the more energy is drained out of you.

Mak kindly got the ingredients for me. That very afternoon, Nana & I came jointly came up with about 100 pieces of sarang semut. I think this is a very fun kuih to make; you get to grate & put those cute little stuff into mini papercups. Nana has devoured about 7 pieces already at buka. I've sealed it, so that hopefully there'll be enough to serve come Eid.

My next hope of making kuih might come around next saturday. See how lah. Come to think of it, people don't eat much kuih these days. Nak buat banyak2 pun, in the end, tuan rumah yang end up with all the saturated fats. So I won't succumb to the back-breaking ordeal of making hundreds & hundreds of cookies of the same kind. Just a few of each will do this time round.

Monday's good so far

2006-10-09T11:00:00.000+08:00

I don't have to be at work today, so of course Monday has been good so far.

I plan to start baking, but the problem is, I've yet to buy the ingredients, so obviously the plan won't inch much forward.

If I have some extra energy today, I'll walk around geylang. No other opportunities to do so on a weekday if I don't do it today!

Haze daze

2006-10-07T23:03:00.000+08:00

Times like this, I wished we had aircon in our room.

So we won't have to sleep amidst haze /smoke coming through the windows and wake up wondering why our view has become slightly blurred.

But then again, an aircon unit is not environmental friendly at all & I suppose having one that won't really help the ozone layer. I realised this because, I went near to the aircon unit installed out of the room & found it super super hot! There you may be enjoying the cool feeling, when outside, it's generating heat! Something like that has gotta be not so good, right?

But being humans, we don't really consider all that, do we? We slash & burn, drive when we can walk, instal aircon, & the worst I've read in the papers a few yrs ago; this person used an electric blanket as his aircon was too cold! I mean, WHAT THE?!

Apart from being environmentalists (for now :D), looking at our poor little budget means aircon is out of reach right now. Pakai aje lah fan yang berputar kat atas katil tu. The best we can do is, we'll clean it tomorrow. Say yes to cleaner & more direct breeze soon!

Funny business

2006-10-03T22:07:00.000+08:00

I sat through 3 local comedies just now. And actually laughed, exceeding my expectations! I thought Living With Lydia was the funniest! Actually Lydia isn't S'porean right? Maybe that's why she's funny :p

I think trying to make people laugh, is the hardest thing, ever. We've all seen comediens & bad script that make us cringe & channel surf. The poor comedians doing their thang, trying their best to get people to at least let out a little laugh, but eventually, only canned laughter can save the day.

One of my bosses told me that I should be a standup comedian...twice already till date. I didn't laugh at that comment though I felt a little flattered. I'm Funny?! Really? But all I did was frown & brush her off.

Me? A comedian?! A stand up one at that? I'll look like a fool! But she insisted that I say the funniest things with a straight face & also said that I provided comic relief. Another ex-boss of mine also told me that I was funny, albeit in a strange way - she called it self-depricating humour. Seriously? I think almost every sane person who has worked in that cube, would typically develop that symptom for survival purposes.

OK OK I do admit that I can say the darndest & most ridiculous things, but to be a standup comedian? Naaah... I know I don't have the natural talent alright?

Because...

I think to be funny, first of all you have to look funny (and I don't!). Either round (being politically correct here) or overly skinny (ok, abigail is a bit too skinny but she's funny anyway). You also have to sound funny, have a cute hairdo, spot naturally funny expressions, and make normal lines sound hilarious. People like Sudin, or Ajis, or Allahyarham P Ramlee, or Lydia Sum, or Alias Kadir, or Allahyarham Ahmad Nisbu, they do it well! My favourite comedians, they are the most natural ones I've ever seen on TV! I think if you look even half like Alias Kadir, I think even the unfunniest things can tickle viewers' funny bone to the core!

One of these days maybe I should watch a feel good comedy. Not one with jenniferaniston please. I still can't fathom why she's starring in so many romantic comedies. Maybe something black & white. Those are the best. Meanwhile I shall give Must-See-Tuesdays another chance. Who knows, I might even surprise myself! Again!

I think I'm depressed

2006-10-02T09:49:00.000+08:00

Though I may not fit all the criteria stated on DSM-IV, I am inclined to believe that I'm on the brink of becoming depressed. Actually I feel that I am already depressed.

For a start, work doesn't entice me anymore. In fact, I HATE WORK! Going to work has become a real drag these days. I don't look forward to seeing people I'm supposed to see anymore. Writing has become really mundane. I've turned into a skeptic and I say as minimum as possible when I step into office. I get sleepy way before lunchtime. I hate talking on the telephone. I hate the coldness in this office. I can't take it anymore. I'm sad.

Byebyemoto...

2006-09-29T21:57:00.000+08:00

My 1 1/2 month old V3X's camera's spoilt so it has been sent in for overnight repair. If I do feel anything at all, I feel at peace. No surprise phonecalls from unwanted parties to disrupt my weekends.

With all this tech-talk these days, I often hear people saying they can't live without their mobile phones. Is that really true? Is it true that they can't live without the incessant ringing of mobile phones? Why is it important for us to communicate with someone almost every second we're on the train? Can't we just stare into empty space? Why is it that we feel so uncomfortable about doing nothing, that the most natural thing we need to do in this world is to reach for our mobile phones & fiddle with them till we find something more important to do?

Actually I think the problem with us is, we want to do something in every minute of our lives. Such that we feel weird when we have nothing to do!

I'm not that innocent, but I think one of these days I'll try to stop myself from digging into my bag for my mobile phone the moment I have nothing to do. Let's go back to the times where mobile phones were a thing of the future. Let's go back to basics. And let's see if we can survive.

Kain lining

2006-09-28T13:27:00.000+08:00

If not because of my failure to send in my kain lining to the Nyonya Baju last week, I think my bajus might have been ready by now. Hmph!

She called this morning, telling me 2 of my bajus are ready, and so are Mama's. I so look forward to collecting 2 out of the 4 I've sent for tailoring! Hopefully orait!

Time flies eh, sekejapan dah masuk 5th day of fasting. So far so good....alhamdulillah :)

Hello, world!

2006-09-26T20:29:00.000+08:00

This adorable, handsome Ramadhan baby, all 3.58 kilos of him, defies the typical theory that newborns are nothing but shrivelled little prunes!

Welcome to the world, little Rudy Alfian. Lovely name for a lovely baby boy. The photos don't do justice at all, OK! Because he's just so much cuter in real life. I bet your mom forgot all about her labour pains the moment she set her eyes on you.

It was worth walking in the hot sun during lunchtime for a glimpse of mother and baby. Doesn't looking at babies make you want to have one of your own?

Pumped up

2006-09-22T21:50:00.000+08:00

My heart was pounding so hard, I swore if there was someone beside me, she'd be able to hear it. My chest was close to a microphone, and I wondered momentarily whether the sounds of my heartbeat could be amplified and heard in the room.

It has been sometime since I experienced that! It was no easy feat, but alhamdulillah I did it! Now I feel more confident. I think I managed to maintain a calm composure. But wait, did I sit with the right posture just now? Or was I slumped on the chair like a lazy, couldn't care less professional (the irony). Next time, maybe I should lean on the chair. But what if the high chair topples down? That'll be humiliating, wouldn't it?

Now, on to the next similar challenge coming up early next week.

And Esra, no....that wasn't me waiting for the results of a pregnancy test, *lol*! That was me...in another episode of All in a Day's Work. Really! I never bluff one!

Ramadhan's round the corner again

2006-09-21T23:41:00.000+08:00

AH has gone out to meet Dan, our friend who lives in KL. Dan's here for a short business trip.

I would have gone along if not for the fact I need the rest in case the fever comes back on tomorrow. Yes, I'm hitting the cube tomorrow (groans...).

I suppose AH will only return earliest at 1 am... so that implies I probably have to shelf my idea of having breakfast with him at that yummy lontong stall in Geylang tomorrow.

I still have Saturday. Sunday kan dah puasa. Apa hal pulak kita gi breakfast on Sunday? Heeee!

I think Geylang sure packed this weekend. Tadi siang aje, dah macam bunyik horn ada. It's that time of the year again. And the lights are up! Macam dah nak raya pulak. This Ramadhan, I hope, shall be a meaningful one for us. Hope I won't get too distracted with worldly things. I'm no longer young, I think it's time for me to upgrade myself spiritually.

Salams & Ramadhan Mubarak everyone :)

Rest & relax

2006-09-21T13:43:00.000+08:00

I'm enjoying my 2-day rest tremendously!

I feel better now, alhamdulillah. I've gotten around to washing Tok's super dusty curtains, caught up with some friends & equally bored colleagues on MC via sms, plus I did some some cooking too. Actually the cooking part, I didn't realise I'd enjoy it as much. I was kinda reluctant when Mak instructed me to cook this morning. She obviously wasn't convinced I was sick enough to deserve medical leave!

I even spent a brief moment flipping through ST at our balcony. Yeah, our dusty balcony that needs maintainence pronto. Gee, everything at where I live in seems to be dusty. Anyway I was glad I've managed to catch up doing things I want to do at home. I feel less stressed right now. And I think I should be ready for work tomorrow. Yes!

Tinkering with my blog earlier this morning, I decided to give comments@blogger a shot. Tell me how you feel, people! Is it a hassle to sign in to leave comments & stuff? Should I return to haloscan?

Later this afternoon I'll decide on whether I should nap to get rid the last bits of my semi-blocked nose, or whether I should finish up my book, or whether I should finish Sep 06's Herworld, or browse through the new Malay Mag Mak just bought. Or should I rummage through AH's dvd collection & watch a chic flick, or perhaps an action packed show?

These are decisions I so love to make!

Rest, I shall

2006-09-20T17:59:00.000+08:00

Let's see how far I can go without taking medication. I'm not that ill, just down with very slight sore throat, fever that comes & goes in the evening, and now, possibly a minor blocked nose.
I see some honey on the table. Maybe that, and vicks can help to ease away whatever discomfort I may feel.

Feelings-wise, I am very happy now, relieved, glad, excited!

....

Actually I'm on medical leave. It feels good just lazing around, resting at home. My favourite activity, doing nothing. But then again, even laundry sounds good, as long as I don't have to be in the cube.

I am about to finish the third book, Plain Truth. They've hit the courtroom part, and though I don't really follow the medical jargon in this book, this is the part I'd been looking forward to. But now, I feel like having some twisties.

Pass me the eyeliner, please!

2006-09-18T20:20:00.000+08:00

Watching Anne Hathaway in TDWP makes me wanna wear lots & lots of eyeliner (on my eyes, where else?!). Such huge, nice eyes, so nice!

I decided that I had enough of work for the day (And it's ONLY monday...groans) that I left about 2 hrs early. Before we knew it, we were headed towards Shaw, with us playing the "you decide" game before I finally chose well...TDWP. A bit outdated, but I don't care. I was more worried & full of pity that AH would doze off in the show.

Well he didn't and I enjoyed it! There you have it, our date that costs $24~ drinks & carpark charges inclusive.

Tomorrow? Actually I'd planned for a little time off tomorrow, but obviously i couldn't wait & decided to go off early today (too!). Let's see, if the schedule permits, I'll leave again. Sorry boss, I'm tired & this is the only way to keep myself sane.

Talk again soon!

Late again!

2006-09-17T11:25:00.000+08:00

Once again, serves me right for being the last minute queen I've always been. It's time to scramble for a tailor who can make it in time for hari raya.

Surprisingly, gathering my kains wasn't that difficult after all (if u look at the jungle of my wardrobe, you'll figure out why I said that). Dah bertahun seh kumpul. Most of them AH & his mom bought for me time kita masih engaged. 1, a gift from his aunt time when we went around visiting after the wedding, and my mostest favouritest one, is the light purple/lilac one, which AH bought for me from Suan Lum Night Bazaar mid this year.

Best ah banyak kain. Cuma erm..the tailor has not been tried-and-tested, so I hope the results won't be too shocking for the heart. I've actually offered Mama (AH's mom) to come along with her kains too...so this is a risk I'm taking. Nanti kalau apa2 jadi kat kain tu, habis reputation aku sebagai anak menantu (yang baik)... tee hee!

I'm back at my parents' for only a short while to take the kain. I'll go clear my wardrobe now, hopefully I can remove a significant amount of clothes from it, not for the sake of making way for new clothes, but simple to make room for my remaining clothes!

What a difference a day makes

2006-09-15T21:35:00.000+08:00

My dreams to knock off at 6 pm today were shattered. I left close to 9 pm instead. There I was, glued to the laptop, toggling through my report & surfing blogs. I just couldn't concentrate and there was no place else I'd love to be other than home, but my bum was just too heavy to get up & head for the door. Coz AH was not going to fetch me today as he's at a night class.

This week has been a drag for me. Ironic, given I only had 4 weekdays of work. But they're filled with dread, at the thought of having to work for 3 consecutive saturdays. And the people I'm handling these days, I wonder if they've been sent to serve as a test to my patience. Endless challenges, though I know I probably might look back someday, as early as next month, saying to myself, Been there, Done that. As I always do.

I miss having weekends I can embrace wholly, not those that make me feel like I'm living on borrowed time. Then again, everything in life is borrowed, isn't it? I suppose there's no point in complaining. My weekend is here, I'll make the most of it, then pause for some hours of work tomorrow, then it's all mine again! Think positive, I will.

Have a good weekend, everyone, blog friends of mine, and lurkers alike.

Sheer romance

2006-09-14T22:13:00.000+08:00

I've got a colleague who gets a surprise gift from her hubster every now and then. Sometimes, it's a basket of flowers, sometimes it's a box of chocolates. Once, it was a huge cow-balloon with some lovey-dovey words on it, and most recently, it was a pretty little white basket with something fluffy in it.

Awww~ so sweet kan?

(erm, AH, these are not hints. I'm telling you to quickly get down to sending me one of those sweet little things n.o.w! heh...kidding :p I'd rather you do something else)

Those stuff, my colleague gets on ordinary days. I wonder what will come through the door on her wedding anniversary. Tapi this husband of hers memang romantic giler lah. Those gifts have already been flooding her desk before they got hitched; it just got better & more frequent these days.

One of the more senior colleagues told me that her husband was afraid of losing her to someone else; hence the gifts. But I disagree. If he's afraid of that, I doubt the gifts would work. He'd need to work hard multiply by 10, or more.

Even who-else gets flowers sometimes. And once I accidentally read the message that came with the card, and I got goose bumps all over. (in fact, I just re-lived the feeling as I'm typing this). I was like... Urgh...

Anyway...

I think I'll be embarrased if AH sends those stuff to me. We've never been openly romantic to each other; but I love him all the same. I've never received a single bouquet from him before. I buy my own flowers. Actually the only bouquets I've ever received were on my wedding; one, a bunch of white lilies from ily, the other, a basket of roses from an aunt. And boy I really treasured those.

But worry not, AH won't need to go to fareastflora online after reading this or anything. I think the most romantic thing you've done is, to erm... write out our names using a twig on the sandy beach of maldives? hehe.. seriously, it surprised me you were capable of doing that, haha!

Night has fallen, it's time for bed. And perhaps, some sheer romance?

Next stop, wonderland?

2006-09-12T21:01:00.000+08:00

The photos on anne's blog are amazingly gorgeous. Fooh, makes one wanna go to Italy. At the risk of sounding like an ingrate, I do think it's time for me to go for another holiday. Like Mak said, I need another holiday to recover from a holiday, tee hee!

But looking at my bank account now, we'd be lucky if we can head to a chalet at ecp for our next holiday destination (shakes head in despair).

Mak was asking if I had enough leave to go back to our indo kampong in Jogjakarta, to visit Allahyarhamha Nen's sister & relatives in Dec 06. Sadly that's not to be because I've not "choped" to go on leave in Dec 06, and as already mentioned, my bank account is in a sad stage of its lifecycle right now.

Wouldn't that be wonderful? To go back to Jogja, meet relatives I've not met for more than a decade, soak in the fresh air, feast on the paddy fields & greenery, buy sweet kacang rebus at only 100 rupiah at petrol kiosks, eat street food priced super cheaply, buy batik wrapping papers at 10 rupiah per piece, oogle at handsome indo-mats (oops, out of bounds now given I'm now a Mrs)...the possibilities are endless!

Sighs sighs sighs! (Hey we Muslims aren't supposed to sigh too much, kan?)

I wish to return there some day. The kind of life my relatives lead there is totally different to how we live here. For starters, I'm fat; heck we are fat! The first same-aged relative I find in Jogja is probably 15 kgs lighter than I am. Apa kan tidak, they probably still eat chicken once a year during lebaran, while we gorge on chicken almost every other day. (Looks downwards at tum tum & shudders)

I still remember when I was 11, we went to Jogja when my late Nen was still around. She hadn't met her sister for 50 years!! Can you beat that?! Such strong women they are, having gone through so much in their lives.

We brought bags of toycars & chocolates for the children. And the village kids were thrilled! My brother, only 5 then, went around a small part of the village gathering little boys to come play with him, as they stared at my brother like a foreign person. We were of the same race & we looked alike save for the clothes we were wearing. But the difference in our languages are as apparent as the the difference in the lives we lead.

I remember we lost our way when we were driving on the bare road in the village. We stopped by an old farmer who was walking home, and gave him 1000 rupiah ($1 then) as a gesture of thanks for showing us the right way. He cried tears of joy & recited a supplication for us. Aww~ sedih tak leh carry seh!

For the enlightened ones, poverty can bring them close to God. For those who have yet to attain in, or those who are rich & basking in comfort like us, yet continue to be ingrates (God Forbid!), may we see the light soon.

Now I really feel like going there. Next holiday destination? Are you game for it, AH? Or are you tired of having me tag along during yr holidays already? :p

Heee, this time, I'll do more research, can?

Not again

2006-09-09T12:52:00.000+08:00

While many out there are just about to get out of bed, or spoon a mouthful of lunch, here I am, sipping my instant mushroom soup & attempting to type part of a report.

Yes, it's my working saturday again.

This is going to be a busy weekend, a wedding to go to after a whole day of work, followed by a bbq at a really pretty bungalow chalet at Pasir Ris. Lots of food, which explains why I'm only having a cup of mushroom soup (+ 5 pieces of wholemeal biscuits I found stashed away in an office corner).

If there is something about blogging I regret, it's deleting my previous 2 blogs. It'd be nice to re-read the archives back to when I was just fresh out of uni, track the times I was job hunting, preparing for the engagement, blah blah blah...basically how I was like when I was 22.

I wish for that. But I have no clue where in the cyberworld those entries have diminished to. Oh crap, just found out that a family will be homeless in a few hours' time. And here I am blogging about my lost entries? I better quit being such a loser.

Ciao for now.

It doesn't pay to be blur!!

2006-09-06T21:38:00.000+08:00

And I learnt it the hard way just this evening.

I rushed all the way to AXS to clear my CC bill just now. I couldn't remember how much the bill amount was, so I punched in a 3-digit number.

Then I went home, got online & found out that I actually only owe a 2-digit number!!!

Argh!!

And this has just gotta happen when I'm sooo sooooooo close...really on the brink of going b.r.o.k.e! :(

Imagine what I could have done with the money I was only supposed to pay next month.
But since I have to pay the bills anyway, I'll comfort myself thinking of just that.

Now, when are my transport claims coming in?? So what if it was a mere $80+ ? It's still money & I need all the $$ I can get right now.

For sure, it sucks being broke :(

What a girl wants

2006-09-05T22:07:00.000+08:00

It's fun being a girl.

As a young girl, you get to wear pretty dresses, get to smear your mom's lipstick secretly on your already pink lips, get to beautify your hair with all kinds of clips & hairbands and the list goes on..

And when you grow up, you get to shop & fill your wardrobe with all the nice, sweet things. You get to lather yourself in sweet smelling soap, and squirt fragrance all over your body. You also get to swipe a card no man would ever get to use.

I love being a woman (when I don't think of my acne scars & weight, and when I am not faced with drop-dead gorgeous women).

So naturally I found it a bit sad, and disturbing when I meet people who would do anything to snap out of being a woman. Why?? WHY???

Is it their genes? Is it their surroundings? Or maybe a part of them feels that they would be better-looking as a man?

I am not judging them, nor do I have negative thoughts on them. They just baffle me, that's all. Oh well, as long as they are happy & know what's best for themselves, everyone has a right to be left alone, regardless of how they look like.

Sometimes what a girl wants, isn't necessarily what another girl would want, ey?

The devil nak makan prata

2006-09-04T22:45:00.000+08:00

Rasa macam nak makan prata pulak one of these days. Padahal, dah lama jugak tak makan prata, sebab teringatkan minyak & proses membuat prata yang sungguh menggemukkan.

Tapi kenapa ye rasa macam nak makan prata tiba2? Either I'm pregnant (which is quite unlikely, though I hope to be) or, pasal banyak sangat tengok advertisement pasal devil pakai baju perada.

I've finished another book - Salem Falls. It's a good read, not as heavy as the first one I read. I'm taking a break before I start on my next read. But the next weekend will be a busy one, so I probably have to shelve my read aside for a few more days.

And I finally used the birthday offer on the t-shirt material fitted sheet I've been wanting. I chose an odd colour though. Now, let's see if that'll make or break the look of our room

Another weekend ends

2006-09-03T18:40:00.000+08:00

Sunday is once again, coming to an end.

For some people, me included, the blues don't come on Monday; they start hitting you on Sunday night.

...

We've just viewed a flat nearby my parents'. Location is excellent, but the layout of the house is not a favourite; and the "aesthetic" view that greets would-be visitors when the lift opens is almost unbelievable. So let's wave that one goodbye for now.

I'm still holding on to the so-called aussino 40% storewide birthday gift. I told AH to tear it away so i won't even have a chance of going, but he hasn't done that. This means I still have 3 more days of opportunity to head to one of the stores. I've got my mind on the t-shirt material bedsheet.... :p Sighs, but this month is really terok, I'm almost dry, and it's more than a week before payday (bawlssss...)!

Meanwhile, AH splurged on a really mean (read: EXPEN$IVE!) big boys' toy at Comet (kehrhkrehkre... well at least that was how it was spelt on the signs leading us to the large IT expo hall). He had been raving about that for months already, and I thought I'd not nag so much this time round & let him have his way. I couldn't help but wish though that we'd purchased that before our eurotrip. But then, if we had, then we'd probably have to spend our nights in some sleazy backpackers' hostel.

Any guesses on AH's latest purchase? No prizes, just for fun :)

And the story goes...

2006-08-29T22:17:00.000+08:00

The last book I read was Desert Royal by Jean Sasson, and strangely enough, what followed was a book-drought.

Well, the drought has certainly come to an end, because I'm on the roll for some really good reads. One of which, I've been devouring almost daily each time I found some free time at home (other household chores can wait as long as I still have clean laundry to wear) at night. I've finally completed reading it just about an hour ago.

The good news is, I've got 2 more books to devour over the next few days..weeks...whatever time permits...both by her.

She spins really good suspense, and the twists that await are almost unimaginable to someone with a simple mind like me. I'm glad I found the books, thanks to someone who introduced the author to me.

I've just finished PerfectMatch, and I thought the storyline was intriguing, and though I didn't really put in much effort going through the questions posted on this site (gosh, I can't believe there are people who actually spend time trawling the net for these), I can't help but relate to the book. What if, something I handle daily in the course of work happen to someone close to me (God Forbid). Will I be able to treat it as a job, or would it be a different ball game altogether?

Though there are some bits in the book I don't agree with. Like how the 5-yr old seemed to say the smartest things a typical 5-yr old might not say.

Bored these days? Need some challenging, intriguing questions to fill your free time? Go on, try any of the books, and let me know if you like them :)

Meanwhile, I'm going to find the perfect time to start the next read, with a perfect accompanying drink too. And maybe the smell of tumtum lingering around me as well.

Left...

2006-08-26T08:31:00.000+08:00

I accidentally left Perfect Match in the office in my rush to get out of there yesterday! It's not as if I have much time to read it this weekend, anyway, but it's just the comforting thought of having a read closeby. Nehmind, Tumtum has agreed to stop by office later for Chinchin to retrieve her read. Now all Chinchin has to do is find time to read it!

The past week has been a really busy one for everyone in AH's family (me included). AH's grandma left us last Sunday, and since then the family has been having daily tahlil for her. It was a sad moment for AH, I'm sure for I saw him shed tears for someone who was his caregiver when he was young. For me, though I wasn't close to her, I felt rather strange thinking that she's no longer around. It was like, she was just there yesterday, and the day before yesterday, and the day before that.... appreciating the little meals we bought for her every Saturday when we slept over at BB.

I know it's easier said than felt, but I think AH's grandma has lived to a ripe old age, and all she has left behind is nothing but warm, heart-tugging memories. May Allah bless her soul. Amin.

I'm just glad Saturday is here. I'm going to spend a quick moment typing up the last bits of the bloo*y reports (urgggggghhhh....!) and then I shall go on & enjoy the rest of my Saturday morning.

To everyone else, enjoy your weekend. Aren't we glad it's here?

2006-08-24T17:42:00.000+08:00

I think I have to agree with Triomommy that my posts have been serious...

To the point of being boring too I think.

Oh no...having a boring blog is the last thing I want to have :(

I hope to be back with happier, more colourful entries soon!

For my own mental health too!

Butterflies in my stomach

2006-08-24T16:55:00.000+08:00

The last time I felt this way was the day I was due to fly to Europe. That day, I had so much work to clear before I could actually leave the office at about 8 pm, barely 4 hours before our flight. The discomfort I felt in my tummy was so bad... when I told Mak, she said it was feelings of nervousness. So much to do, so little time.

I am feeling it again right now. With a headache thrown in this time round too. And finding out that someone under my charge has broken a toilet system and jammed the whole thing definitely isn't helping.

The cause of the butterflies is...again, the same thing. Deadlines. Datelines. Gosh, which is it, actually? If I may choose, I'd prefer to call it a dateline for obvious reasons.

I bought 3 books over the weekend. I can't wait to find time to actually read it. I need some me time soon. I really should've saved all the retail therapy I did last week for next week.

I need some spiritual time out soon too. It has been too long..

1, 2, 3.... 28

2006-08-22T13:56:00.000+08:00

I'll be lying if I didn't say I was a bit this disappointed. It's time to start counting properly already.

It turned out to be both...

2006-08-18T07:29:00.000+08:00

There were more kids at the place I visited yesterday night. 3, to be exact, and 1 baby in the buai.

The good news is, I was both amazed & amused! The kids, though living in poverty, came up automatically to me to salam unlike many other kids in that situation, who probably would've starede & gawked at a strange person coming to their house late at night.

Good kids. I hope that was genuine, and I really hope I won't see you in some place bad a few years down the road. Poverty can seep through the generations, while its sufferers lay helpless. We'll try whatever we can, and though I was initially quite irritated at the thought of having to make the visit at night, I was glad I went. It sorta renewed the spark that I lose once in a while.

It's Friday & I'm in high spirits! I know I have to work tomorrow but that's one of the duties I'll call crapwork. But it's in a place I like though, so after that, maybe can go shopping! OK, maybe just lots of window shopping & very little real shopping.

Amazed & amused

2006-08-16T22:06:00.000+08:00

For the past 2 days, I've been out on home visits in the evenings. Nothing beats seeing your cases in their natural setting. You'll be amazed, or amused, depending on what you see.

Yesterday I was very amazed at a 9 yr old's ability to serve me a cup of grape soft drink in a pretty glass without having received instructions from her mom. Then, I became amused when her 5 yr old brother, stretched himself across the length of the coffeetable, to slurp my drink! And the mom didn't say anything about that too. Being polite, I gulped the soda down without breathing. But not before I asked the boy repeatedly if he wanted the drink, coz if he did, I'd gladly let him have it.

Today, I was very amused at the antics of a 4 yr old cute girl, who stirred her drink repeatedly before slurping it using her spoon. Plain water, drunk from a metal tablespoon. These are things only a kid can do, and getaway with. Imagine an adult doing that. Oi, takde keje lain ke nak buat?! Tu file bertimbun, pergi clear dulu!

See, besides seeing what your clients do, you get to see what their siblings do too & get to fulfil your many tasks! You kill many many birds with one stone. That's what I like about home visits.

Except when they take place late at night, and at ulu places even cab drivers don't dare to venture. Like the one coming right up tomorrow evening. Malam Jumaat lagi. Let's see if this one makes me amazed or amused.

1 love

2006-08-14T22:58:00.000+08:00

We turn 1 today! Alhamdulillah! We caught The Lakehouse (as you can tell), foc. Some shopping too...tsk tsk. I told AH I've exhausted my shopping quota for the month. Strangely, I was just into scents today. And V3X mode too, barely hours upon claiming the $$$ for necessities purchased when our baggages went missing.

1 year. What have we learnt so far? Personally I've learnt not to be too bossy (does that mean I am still bossy, albeit not as bossy?) & I've learnt the meaning of sacrifice. AH has learnt quite a bit too, like, I'm an incorrigible, last minute person. How about the good bits? Being with me has made you a much much more tolerant person? How about that? :P

Time for bed now. Fairytale's over. Back to work tomorrow.

Give it up, or keep it?

2006-08-11T23:07:00.000+08:00

I watched GhostWhisperer for the first time and I felt something stir inside me.

OK I know it's just a show, but that gave me a new perspective in issues I face once in a while. When I meet girls who are pregnant out of wedlock, I am all for giving the babies up for adoption. I wonder why they are adamant about keeping the babies. I mean, don't they realise how bleak their babies' future could turn out to be in their care and how unfair that is to these innocent children?

But who am I to judge? I was never pregnant out of wedlock, never was I an unwed mother. By default, I have never been estranged by parents who might have come close to me upon finding out about my pregnancy. Nothing has happened to my body out of my own free will (except the getting fat naturally part) and I never had to deal with a shotgun marriage within weeks after finding out I'm expecting.

More importantly, I have never dealt with the sickening thoughts of having to give my child to someone else, and to accept that I will never have to see him or her ever again.

So what the he*l do I know? Next to nothing actually.

I'm not sure whether these girls have made the right decisions. Of course, I hope they have, and pray they will. My duty is to guide them, through knowledge & experience. I may lack true life experience, but I'll try my best for them, I promise.

The past few weeks, we've been bombarded with issues of premarital sex, loosening of values, out of wedlock pregnancies, STDs amongst our teens.

The chance has come for me to make a difference. And I'm determined to make it good this time. May Allah bless me with much hope & banish all my lazy bones away. If not now, when else?

Long time ago...

2006-08-11T08:22:00.000+08:00

NLB will be having its annual sale at Expo this Saturday. As I flipped through the Life! pages just now, I reminisced the times when I was a little girl...

About 18 years ago, book sales were rare. They only came about once a year & will be held at the old, non-airconditioned WTC at the now Harbourfront. Bapak used to take me there (before the 2 siblings came along) when the book sales coincided with his off days. I would think about the books, days before I actually got to the sale. And then I'd go row by row, browsing, checking out the book covers, before I decide on which 2-3 books to buy. Those books would be my precious reads for the next few days.

I'd get so excited with the new purchases & write my name on it. They'd accompany me during mealtimes, bored times & near bedtimes. Such childlike pleasure! I miss those times.

Now, book sales are aplenty. Oh heck, all sales are aplenty. Kino has a perpetual 20% sale, MPH is having a mega sale now too. Of course, periodic book sales organised by companies all year round.

Kids nowadays get whatever they want. Books are thrown all over the place, unappreciated. It's true, when things are easy to get, you don't really appreciate them.

I refrain from buying books these days, mainly because I'm running out of space to keep them in. And perhaps being a scrooge is another reason. I'd rather just borrow them, or get them through yahoo, or borrow from Mak's library. Mak's an avid reader and the titles she purchases can be interesting.

But of course, when I feel the desire to get a new, crisp book, I'll trot down to one of those bookstores & get a nice new read. There have been occasions too, where I'd impulse buy on one or two books.

No matter what, childhood memories of buying books at the one and only annual book sale, will always remain sweet.

Mummy...it's overrrr

2006-08-10T22:30:00.000+08:00

Today felt so much like Monday...that when I got home, I got a bit depressed when I realised that there won't be any Desperate Housewives on TV.

I felt like crying out loud, like that little green imp that appears everytime "Just For Laughs" ends.

I will miss that show. One of my favourites. My only hope. My salvation after a usually excruciatingly painful, motionless Monday. Perhaps slightly exaggerated, but the only Mondays I like are when they are my off days.

DH is not the only which is over for now too. So is irrisdiary! I've decided to move, actually mainly because I don't want my little sister to find me! Hehe, jahat eh kakak. I mean, kids can't handle information well, certainly not Nana.

Actually I do feel that I've been unfair. She refuses to let me know her blog address too, but I managed to find it this evening. Her blog's really funny - as funny as a 13yr old can get.

I have to work this Saturday but that's alright. I think I'll be able to get through it in one piece, coz I am so looking forward to my Monday off, which nicely falls on 14.8.06.

At this moment I am feasting my eyes & virtual senses on very nice, blissful scents. Why do they have to be so expensive?

On a happier note, alhamdulillah I'm eligible for my allowance this week after all!

On national day...

2006-08-09T16:03:00.000+08:00

Just when I told myself not to eat another dot of chocolate, Bapak returned from KL with more! With a twist of asian flavour, some more!

Sighs...no choice but to eat more chocolates now.

But that's OK, coz... I've been hopping on this twice so far! I'll get on it again when I have the mood. Perhaps during the display bits of the NDParade...hehehe...

It's Bapak's birthday today too and Mak cooked a delish meal of briyani for him (and us). More reasons to hop on the treadmill later this evening now.

My thoughts this national day? I'm just glad the weather's cooler than most places in S'pore. Such blessings. We probably have done something right to deserve this, haven't we?

A few more days before we turn 1, insya-Allah. What do we have in common eh? We've thought of about 2 things we have in common. Any other additions from you?

Crowded house

2006-08-07T00:54:00.000+08:00

I went downstairs to take a bottle of icecold water...yes, at almost 40 minutes after midnight.

I saw Wan's room empty. I figured he must be sleeping in the living room. Asked him to move into his room but he didn't want to.

My poor brother...sleeping in the living room, on the sofa, probably because it's much cooler there than his make-shift room in front of the kitchen.

All because of me? :(

This house is getting crowded. It's time... it's time...

Photo frenzy

2006-08-05T15:30:00.000+08:00

I am getting a little tired from printing the photos, and placing them onto our Prints album. Obviously I am not in the mood for it. Really got to wait for a moment of inspiration before I get it all done. I just hope not too much damage has been done to the album though...

Having a little headache now. Must be from staring too much on photos, and painstakingly placing the triangular photo edges onto the every corner of the photos.

It's a lovely day today. I can't wait to get out! Nevermind by the time I probably go out, the sun would have gone down. It's Saturday! Whether it rains or shines, I'm determined to make it a good one.

Let's see if this works. One of my mostest favouritest songs.

Sinful indulgence

2006-08-02T22:39:00.000+08:00

Now that more red (but not angry, yet) zits have popped on my face, I have no one else to blame but myself.

Because those are the results of me gobbling down a ridiculously large amount of chocolate & cocoa by-products from the stock in the photo below.

It has only been 3 days back at work but the amount of chocolates I've gobbled *is indeed* proportionate to the amount of stress I am facing. Chocolate is good comfort food and it gives a feeling of satisfaction & tranquility when I munch on some (especially the those with the sinful-no-no-to-zits hazelnuts I feasted on yesterday) when the going gets tough.

Of course, with a high price to pay - at the cost of beauty (heh!)!!

But I foresee this crazy chocolate indulgence won't last long. Stocks are depleting rather quickly, thanks to Mak, Wan & Nana. Lots have been given away to family & colleagues too. I predict by the end of next week, there'll be none left for me to eat.

Only then will I stand a chance of having less zits & slimmer thighs.

Taste of the forbidden fruit

2006-07-31T23:57:00.000+08:00

Why does the forbidden fruit always taste so good?

Maybe it's because you can't have it, and whatever you can't have always is more enticing than what you already have.

Having missed 2 Desperate Housewives episodes, I desperately wanted to be in the know. I think the show is getting scarier, and it's sad how their lives have turned out to be nearing the end of the season.

I surfed to get a gist of the previous episodes I missed...and went on to surf to the final episode's summary. So now I know what will happen to Gabrielle...it's sad & it's so heartwrenching... I mean, OK maybe I was getting a bit emotional there & imagining I was her (attractiveness bit included) but ouch, that'd hurt any woman , alright.

Before I went on to find out if Zack really killed his grandfather, I stopped myself from scrolling downwards. I'll make this a fair game. Mak & my brother, who watch DH every week, don't know the ending, so I shall wait patiently till we watch it together. Though of course, it'll be fun to find out the 'secrets' before the they do. Exactly how a forbidden fruit would taste like.

....

Congrats to Ainynn, alhamdulillah you're wedded now! New beginnings are always wonderful.

Even new beginnings after a long leave can be wonderful. Though you start a bit slow mo in the morning :p

Blue sky holiday

2006-07-28T21:40:00.000+08:00

Very blue indeed, to the point of being cloudless!

But I enjoyed every minute of the 17 days (except erm, the initial blisters I got from walking too much in Salzburg, the sweltering heat in Paris & walking around looking like a mountain tortoise with the huge haversack on our backs) and the surprises we got along the way. And of course, being with AH almost all the time. AH gets a pat on his back for being the most tolerant husband in Europe for the month of July 06. Kudos!

Salzburg, Austria (6 days till 18th Jul)

Lovely city which is also the birthplace for WA Mozart, and where the film Sound of Music was shot. Everywhere you turn, you see something touristy to do with those 2. Austria's lakes & mountains are really lovely & I was fascinated by the fortresses & character buildings. Churches were everywhere and till now I can't fathom why the church bells near our hotel kept ringing at odd times (2.57 am, 3.16 am, 4.38 pm etc) I entered several churches, went into Mozart's house & marvelled at their intricate architecture.

View of Salzburg city from Hohensalzburg fortress

One of many scenic views in our cheesy Sound of Music tour

Frankfurt & Rothenburg, Germany (19th till 21st Jul)

Vibrant Frankfurt where we found the best tasting kebab! 1 cool thing about our Muslim brothers in these countries is that, when asked if the food was halal, or if he/she was Muslim, the reply would be Alhamdulillah, in contrast to typical us who would respond with a 'Yup'!

I didn't buy much in the Zeil (equivalent of our Orchard Road) except for a pair of simple pink birkies at 25 euros (only $50!). We bought 3 more pairs of birkies too (not for me...sighs) for my MIL & SIL. Contrary to expectations though, there was limited variety & only big sizes were left at the sales. We ploughed thru the boxes to find a nice design & right fit.

The next day, we set off bright and early to Rothenburg, situated along the Romantic Road. This is a long stretch of scenic road, leading to Munich. The buildings there are medieval & pride themselves with rich history which I am obviously ignorant about.

Rothenburg, Germany

For lunch, we had lots of icecream & instant bekal of those little adabi lontongs & instant rendang/curry from Yeo's. When one is hungry, anything tastes heavenly. I especially liked the part we could save the $$$ too, which would be better off spent on shopping :p

We left our hotel early at 2 am to catch the superspeed ICE train to Switzerland. And the impossible happened! Our train was delayed til 3.45 am so we just sat waiting at the train station. I read a book while AH killed time by talking to some Germans who were also bothered by the train delay.

And to our horror too, we discovered that we had reserved the train on the wrong date; for the previous day! Thank goodness no one was crazy enough to travel during such ongodly hours, so we didn't have to compete for seats at all. Phew~

Zurich, Lucern & Bernese Oberland, Switzerland (21st to 23rd Jul)
The most unforgettable part of our trip. Gorgeous landscapes, totally breathtaking.

Zurich is a beautiful city but we didn't get to tour (read: shop) much as we focused more on touring the more picturesque outskirts. Feast on Switzerland shots on my multiply site.

Lovely Zurich

At Heidiland. We visited Heidi's house, right next to where we snapped this!

Top of Europe, Jungfrojoch (pronounced Yung-fghro-yorkh)

Paris, France (24th Jul)
Crazy couple us decided to spend a whirlwhind day in Paris. The queue at the entrance of Eiffel tower was snaking, and we had gotten there at 9.30 am! Tourists! We didn't have to wait long in the sweltering heat though. The view from the top at 320 metres was good. We marvelled at the sturdiness of the structure. Coincidentally, we caught a documentary on the making of the Eiffel Tower while we were in Amsterdam. It felt good being able to understand a bit more about that Paris icon.

No prizes for guessing where we are!

We walked like character Waiyaki in the Walkabout till our feet blistered & we couldn't take it anymore. Paris is small, but not that small. The Louvre museum was good too but we were stunned that it was such a noisy place - macam pasar malam! Blame it on the summer hols, which made everywhere in Europe packed with tourists. We saw some exhibits at the Islamic wing museum, then off we went to conquer the rest of the sights. Paris was hard work but thank goodness the hotel was airconditioned. We could have gotten heat stroke at 38 degrees!

Amsterdam, Holland/ the Netherlands (25th Jul to 26th Jul)

AH booked a bed & breakfast accomodation at a typical Dutch house in Amsterdam. The stairs leading up the rooms, were really a test of endurance. There were at least 30 steep steps up!

Another fun fact: Due to high taxes long ago, houses in Amsterdam are really narrow, such that furniture can't even fit thru the doors & spaces! So the Dutch actually hoisted the furniture up through windows using hooks!

Amsterdam - Just arrived

At Dam Square

Amsterdam was beautiful too, though the roads are not as squeaky clean as the previous cities we went to. The windmills were pretty, but the photos are not quite ready yet.

We left Amsterdam for Germany, to catch our flight out to Singapore on Thursday afternoon. We reached here safely this morning, alhamdulillah.

So there you have it, 17 days of summer vacation, all in 1 post. Now, it's time for us to check our piggy banks. This is the part we erm...not so adore! But alhamdulillah for the break. It was most wonderful :)

Click here for photos but you have to sign in first though.

Days 9, 10 & 11...

2006-07-24T02:39:00.000+08:00

We are about to say goodbye to the beautiful city of Zurich. Train for Paris departs at 2306 hrs tonight.

The past 3 days in Switzerland have been really amazing. Never have I seen such picturesque scenery that never fails to make us appreciate the greatness of Allah.

We left Frankfurt, Germany, on early Thursday morning, around 4 am. With minimal sleep, we headed straight for the Heidiland..where the heartwarming Heidi film was shot many years ago. We thought that was fascinating...but never did we imagine the more vivid and wonderful views that awaited us for the next 2 days.

Day 2 was spent at Mt Titlis. Fantastic view, and the cool weather up in the mountains was definitely a great welcome from the hot summer in the city!

Right now, it has been about an hour since our return from the exceptionally beautiful Bernese Oberland, where (part of?) the Swiss Alps reside. The journey to Interlaken, a beautiful small town, was a 2-hr bus ride. We then took 2 train rides, one of which was on a cog-wheel train, of an hour each, up to the mountains. This place is also known as The Top of Europe. The view that met us was really mesmerising.... words cant describe it. I am sure tea would agree with me ya? ;) Insya-Allah, hope to share what we saw when we get back home..which is pretty soon actually.

Before bride-to-be Mahd throws a fit due to my lack of mention on her favourite country Germany, the reason is because we only spent 2 days there. Frankfurt city fascinated me a lot, I think it is really a melting pot where people from all over the places come and add a piece to the city's vibrant feel.

And of course Frankfurt did not come without any adventure. Amidst the really hot summer (Goodness, the heat in Frankfurt was almost unbearable!), we found ourselves checked into an unair-conditioned room! It was almost unbelievable that non-airconed rooms still existed in this world. We depended on 2 fans which emitted warm air & opened the windows wide open to let a whiff of fresh air in. With all the excitement we have gone through in Austria (losing our luggage), alhamdulillah we just added this non-aircon incident to our adventure list :p

Rothenburg was really pretty too but I believe we would have enjoyed it better if the weather was not as warm. The little concert in the park we stayed for provided lots of shade though, so we were glad for that. The next early morning, at about 4 am, we set off on Eurail to Switzerland.

Next on the list? The Eiffel tower insya-Allah. AH has been most patient & superb at navigating through the great, foreign cities we have been to. Cant thank him enough for that.

Till we meet again.

Auf Wiedersen (think this means Goodbye in German).
No more German speaking cities after this!

Warm salams from Zurich, Switzerland.

It went well...

2006-07-19T00:08:00.000+08:00

Allo!

AH can start his holiday right NOW! Because alhamdulillah he has done well in presenting 2 of his studies. Good on ya, mate! Now, how does one say that in German?

We are going for a farewell dinner tonight. Groans...this is one reason why I can never be an academic. I hate to socialise & make small talk. And since we are checking out at 5.30 am tomorrow, I really wish we can stay in to sleep instead. Oh well I guess I shouldnt be complaining, coz this conference is the very reason why I am here right now.

Not sure when I'll get a chance to update again coz I am not sure if I'll be crazy enuff to paz 10 Euros for a 24-hr internet connection. I've bought a travel journal (as in, a real touch-able journal) so I can update when I feel like it along the way. That will hopefully let me jot down notes so I wont forget this experience too soon.

Gotta go now, ciao! Till we meet again!

Salams

Day 6

2006-07-18T16:10:00.000+08:00

So today is the day!

AH will be presenting his study at the uni, and I'll be starting my slow 20 minute hike there at 11 am. That'll hopefully give me sufficient time to find my way to the right theatre.

I am looking forward to Frankfurt tomorrow, especially the shopping bit. Not so much for me, actually, but more for Mama & Kakak. Hope stuff there are more reasonably priced.

But believe it or not, I have forgotten the name of the hotel we will be staying at! AH has the details and I have no idea where he has stashed them away.

So I rely on the net for some simple shopping facts in Germany.

And this is another place I am so looking forward to go to.

OK, time to set off for my journey to the uni to give moral support to AH! I pray all goes well for him & for nervous jitters to go away!

Weird tagged by Fiz

2006-07-18T16:00:00.000+08:00

6 weird stuff about irris :

I get sleepy when I wear contact lens for too long (which means more than 5 hours)
I have several handwritings. Most of the time now, I stick to my untidy ones
I can live amidst mess
I don't put in much effort in cooking and always gets a scolding from Mak for that
I seldom buy things upon seeing them for the first time; most of the time it takes several trips before I actually but 'it' or 'them'

I probably have more...but am not about to reveal them here :P
Tagging stops here since almost everyone has been tagged, and most people won't respond to this either.