Last Day of the Year

In less than eight hours, we'll be ushering in year 2009. Most people will be out celebrating with friends and family in some noisy crowded smoky places but not me. I am never a fan of such places. I hate having to shout just to get my points across to someone. Lepas tu suffer sakit tekak. Just ask my posse of girlfriends when asked where to dine. My default answer would always be any place where I don't have to shout to talk.

Anyway, most people would also set out a long list of resolutions that they intend to keep for the coming year but never me. I used too but I was never good in keeping them. So why have one when I don't intend of keeping them? Just so you know, one of my default resolution since errr forever, would be to lose weight. Have I achieved them? As a matter of fact, I did. Twice. When I gave birth to Zareef and Zara but I gained them back real quick after I quit breastfeeding.

Just to keep right on track, I have these small stepping goals. I am a dreamer and a procrastinator. So it's a safer bet for me to have small achievable goals rather than huge long term ones which I KNOW I won't realize. What are they? Hmm... lemme think. Nope. None right now.

HOWEVER, there are several things that happened to me in 2008 that I am very grateful to Allah for;

1. Good health. Nothing major sickness or virus or overnights in the hospital this year. Just the occasional flu, fever and oh yeah I forgot. I had this nasty food poisoning which left me weak like a pulp with constant puking and purging. It got so bad that I slept on the bathroom floor coz I was too weak to walk out of it.

2. A wonderful husband. B has been the most tolerant person I know, bearing with my antics, hangat2 tahi ayam plans, my dreams, my quirkiness, my moodiness, my spending streaks and my craziness of doing all things ad hoc. Thank you darling from the bottom of my heart. I promise to be more understanding whenever you have to pull an all-nighter especially after slaving myself in the kitchen cooking up a storm only to find out that you'll be late and you've eaten at a mamak stall. I'll try not to pull a long face :p

3. My two loving kids. Nothing beats being a mom. The unconditional love that I get from them is priceless! Even after getting a round of scolding, yelling and a pinch or two (yes, I have to admit that I'm a momzilla most of the time), they still come looking for me to give bear hugs and smoldering kisses eventhough I've been rotten to them. So my goal for 2009 is to be more patient with my children.

4. Prosperous rezeki. Designer bags, holidays, eating out, jewelleries, no credit card debts, a car. You name it, I had it. Alhamdulillah...

5. Amazing friends. They accept me with all my faults and put up with me. I treasure them with all my heart. Thank you korang!!

6. My parents. Alhamdulillah, they are in good health. Their health checks came out clear. Despite them being 71 and 68, they can still go everywhere on their own. My dad can still drive from Klang to Batu Pahat alone. This year, he found a new passion in snorkeling. He would swim and swim without stopping. That's how strong he still is. And my mom? She can still walk on forever without complaining of short breath et. al. So yes, I'm very very grateful that my parents are ageing gracefully.

7. My large family. I simply love it when we get together. There would be total chaos and mayhem but that's what you'd expect from family gatherings. We went to several holidays together and they were awesome. Not forgetting my super best sister-in-laws. They make up for the sisters I never had.

I pray and hope that 2009 would turn out to be just as good or even better. Here's wishing all of you a blessed 2009.

All I Can Say Is...

Thank God I'm not stuck in Bangkok. And Thank God too that a friend I know came back safe and sound with her son a week earlier.

Imagine this scene where someone is stuck there but no one is supposed to know that someone is there... hehhehhee.... How does someone get help? Tak ke panic takut rahsia bocor?

I am in the midst of getting use to a change that I've done to myself. So far so good. Even got raving reviews from B but it comes with a big dent in my purse or shall I say B's wallet. Takpe lah. It's for something good so he doesn't mind... that much.

I am a very forgetful person! Today, I left my cheque book at Putrajaya's Tabung Haji!! I went there with Zareef and Zara in the morning. While I was at the counter of Pejabat Tanah Sepang in the evening, some guy from TH called me and asked me whether I was there sometime in the morning. At first, I thought it was a prank call whose purpose is to con me out of my money, (idiot me didn't think to go through my bag at that time) but upon further explanation from the guy, I was stricken with panic attack (lepas dah tonggang terbalikkan beg aku kat tengah2 jalan tang tu jugak). Never in my life have I drove so fast from Bandar Baru Salak Tinggi to Putrajaya... all in 15 minutes flat! I must have pressed the accelerator down to the floor board.

I can't wait for next month when we'll be going for a cuti-cuti Malaysia with my family. Land beneath the wind, here we come! So... please people, no orders from 16th-22nd December ya.

I'm hoping and hoping for... apa? Tak payah la tahu...

The Day My Daughter Turned Two

Zara turned two on the 9th November 2008 at 4 pm. Since it coincided with the kenduri aqiqah that we've planned for so long, we decided to throw in a birthday bash as well.




My darling Zara,

Your journey into the world was a short one compared to your brother's. It took me seven hours to push you through and Alhamdulillah, after all the hard labor with the help of epidural, you finally came.

MasyaAllah! I never could imagine that Allah could have bestowed upon us any greater gift other than you and Zareef. Looking at your full pink lips, dainty fingers and rosy pink complexion, Mommy was totally blown away.


Alhamdulillah, looking after you during your baby days was pretty smooth sailing.

Through breastfeeding, you quickly became a true Michelin baby, all cute and chubby with irresistible cheeks that tend to be pinched by unsolicited fingers.

Your physical developments were always spot on and sometimes even well ahead of the milestones that I religiously followed on BabyCenter.com


You started teething when you were just three months old. By the time you were a year old, you had your full set of teeth.


You rolled over when you were just three, crawled at five, stood up and cruised at seven and by the time you were 10, you were already walking steadily. You really blew me away with your amazing achievements.


I remembered how excited your Daddy and I were when we knew we were having a girl. Syukur Alhamdulillah. When I related the happy news to your Atok and Nenek, they didn't believe it especially Atok. Siap suruh pegi scan lagi sekali.



We did, numerous times till my gynae exasperatedly ask me "Why don't you believe me?". All I can say is, it's just too good to be true.


But now that we have you, you have brought us so much joy and happiness. I feel that our nuclear family is finally complete and I wouldn't trade it for the world or designer bags even.


It took us awhile to choose your name. Daddy and I wanted you to have similar initials as your brother. So, armed with books and an Arabic dictionary (you're lucky your Daddy reads Arabic), we finally decided on Zahra Ilana which means 'Kecantikan yang nyata' or as I would prefer to put it 'Outstanding Beauty', InsyaAllah.


You are my baby and always be. Your magical laughter has never failed to ease my stresses away. In fact, they are music to my ears. I am at my happiest when I hear you gurgling with your twinkling eyes and laughing even to the slightest peek-a-boo


One area that remain a mystery is your hair or the lack of it. When other babies were going for haircuts and shaves at six, you made do without either and survived for the whole two years. It gives me pain whenever people complimented what a cute baby boy you were despite being dressed from head to toe in pinks and purples complete with frills and the likes. Buta ke apa??!!


However, thanks to olive oil which the carers at your daycare perseveringly rubbed on your head every time you went for a visit, your hair finally grew. From short wispy fine ones to shoulder length curls and bangs.

Now that your vocabulary has grown, it's very had to stop you from talking non-stop. But why dear child, do you clam up in the presence of others, may I ask?


I love you with all my heart darling. I would move heaven and earth if it meant protecting you from all things evil and bad. Like I've repeatedly said in your brother's birthday post, I'll say it again here. I would even beg, borrow and steal for you. That's how much I love you.


Happy 2nd birthday my darling. May all your wishes come true. I pray that you'll be the doting daughter that I hope you'll be and grow up to be a beautiful, wonderful and solehah lady. Amin...

Love you till the power of infinity,

Mommy.

When I Can't Think Of A Title To This Post

I read with horror the news of carnage in Mumbai, India on NST's front page. I pray that no Malaysians where hurt what more killed in the despicable shooting. Tell me, where lies the logic of shooting aimlessly hundreds of civilians when their anger were aimed at the government? What further pissess me is that they (the militants) were doing it all in the name of Islam.

What the fish??!!

Islam did not teach us to kill innocent bystanders. So now, again, Muslims as a whole have been tagged as monsters, killers and terrorists. Yang buatnya berapa orang je. Yang dapat nama semua.

Marah betul aku!

I've just came across a blog that criticizes other blogs to the EXTREME! When I say extreme, it is cringing-cannot believe my eyes-harsh-bad after taste worthy. Yes, I know some people do brag about themselves, their kids, their lifestyle, they wealth, their spouses but does that give you the right to lash and attack them front, back, left, right and center? You choose to read their writings and then you trash them back in your own space. What amazes me is that this blog has HUGE following! People who support and enjoys reading this kind of horrible and hurtful writing.

My first thought was WHY? Has people become so jaded and heartless that they feel it's their right to comment every single thing that's being written in a totally twisted, condemning and freakish manner?

And those who support these hurtful writings, don't you guys have a heart? What if it was your piece that's being torn into pieces? What if it is someone that you love dearly and close to your heart? Tak sakit hati ke?

Come on people. Have a heart. A kind one at it.

My Ass Is Itching

Or if you'd prefer to translate it into BM "Bontot aku gatal" :)

Why is it itchy? Or what am I itching for?

I'm itching to get away. I'm itching for cold weather, bleak grey skies, short daytimes and sub-zero temperatures.

In short, I'm missing Lboro A LOT!

And it does not help that I've been going through my old posts a few years back and reminiscing every single event that happened while I was there.

Truth be told, I'm wishing we are there instead of here.

Ye, aku jenis orang yang prefer hujan emas di negeri orang. Camno?

What The Fish??

I've been trying to upload Zareef's and Zara's aqiqah and birthday pictures to Facebook as well as here but all have been in vain. It gets so frustrating especially when I've uploaded 60 pictures but after waiting for 20 minutes, the message that I got was "Upload Failed". Huahhh!!! Menangis okay!!!

Not once, not twice but numerous times till I've lost count. Tiba2 baru teringat, the photographer used a DSLR which has a 10 MP. Alahhh.. kena resize la pulak. Malas betul aku!

Anyway, I'll save a post on that joyful event for another day. Right now, I'm not in the mood to do the tedious job of resizing all 382 pictures.

On another note, I don't know whether to put it as 'Cuti-Cuti Malaysia' or 'Penat Ikut Suami Bekerja'. I think I'll put it as both.

We just got back from Melaka after a 3D2N stay at Bayview Hotel. So while B worked, I spent time at the pool with Zareef and Zara when it wasn't raining. And no, I didn't get to stuff my face with delicious seafood at Serkam. Tak sempat. However, we did manage to go up the Menara Taming Sari and get a bird's eye view of Bandar Melaka, drive through Jonker Street like seven or eight times (sesat punya pasal plus the town has a one-way system) which was more than I bargained for and ate asam pedas yang sedap menjilat jari hehhehe!

I've just finished washing and hanging our clothes that we brought back, managed to cook baked meatball pasta and pack another set of clothes, toiletries, food and swimming apparatus for our trip to PD tomorrow. It'll be another 3D2N stay but I'm looking forward to this work-getaway because I love beaches and we'll be staying here. So the place itself is something to be excited about. I hope it won't rain as much so that the kids and I will get to spend most of our time at the beach while B whiles his time in some boring meetings.

So, my dear friends who have been enquiring, this explains my long absence from the barrage of emails that has been going back and forth in my inbox and also from posting anything interesting here.

By the by, we just got THE official letter from PPD Petaling Utara regarding Zareef's school for next year. Syukur Alhamdulillah, he'll be going to PU2 instead of Pulau Meranti. Lega hati Mummy! Waduuhhhsss... ini baru nak masuk Tahun 1 dah kena buat surat rayuan bagai. Belum nak masuk good schools for Form 1 then Pre-U then Uni. By that time, Mummy here will be going bald from all the worrying and sleepless nights with regard to her children's education.

But for now, let me enjoy my weekend at this place before I have to worry about things that need worrying about.

Please Be Punctual

I've been dabbling myself in the cake business for the past three Rayas now. Amazing, right? I know, even I have to shake my head in disbelief.

Now, I can finally say that I have gotten my feet in the business. Okay la, sometimes a foot especially when things get out of control and all that is left is to cry my eyes out in my kitchen in the wee hours of the morning.

I digress. What I'm trying to say politely is, can people who plan to pick up their cakes from my home, to PLEASE come at the time that they say they're coming? If you say that you're coming at 10 am, so PLEASE come at 10 and not at 11.30. I have better things to do than to be your lady in waiting.

There have been SO MANY TIMES that I have to postpone my prior arrangement due to some people who totally disregard their promise to come at the times that they themselves have specified. I don't mind waiting for 15 minutes or 30 even but one and a half hours and sometimes two is simply too much. And please, do have the courtesy to call if you plan to come late so that I can readjust my schedule especially if it's late at night.

I know I'm a SAHM who bakes but I do have chores to do, places to go, business other than my cake to attend to and children to look after. A simple 'Sorry' would certainly put me back into my cheery mood.

I sincerely hope that punctuality improves after this else I'll have to have a demerit system put specially for tardy customers. Boleh ke?

So there! I've ranted.

The Chicken Kurma Phase

Zareef has a great love for Chicken Kurma and this love has been going for a year now. B and I call it the "Chicken Kurma Phase". Kalau boleh, tiap-tiap hari nak makan chicken kurma and oh boy, he certainly can lick em' plates squeaky clean every time.

When the phase started, I was all for it cooking chicken kurma for him every other day. But after a month of doing so, we, as in B and I got so bored and boleh muntah darah kalau makan another serving of chicken kurma.

So, after a while (a long while may I say so), I have resorted to buying them from a shop which I have come to become a regular customer, so much so, they'll be asking me where have I been should I not show my face there for more than three days. Hahaha... nampak sangat aku tak masak kan. Well I do, it's just that I find that cooking two pieces of chicken kurma everyday just for Zareef is SO not time economical especially since I have dabbled in the cake business.

I'm not sure when this "Chicken Kurma Phase" will end. Just like when we first got back from Loughborough, Zareef was in his "Kari Daging Phase" for months. Poor mom had to run out to the shops to buy them since she too got sick of cooking kari daging everyday. That phase lasts for a year.

On another note, I have decided to write short snippets everyday instead of writing long ones once in a while. The pieces may range from a sentence or two to several paragraphs. Whatever suits my mood. It seems that my loyal readers are ready to chop my head off if I were to ever go off for months without writing. So, today's snippet is about Zareef's obsession with chicken kurma.

Dah... aku dah tulis. Jangan bising2 nak saman aku ok!

The Day My Son Turned Six

Gosh... How time flies! Zareef turned six on Monday, 13 October 2008. After 4 years of celebrating his birthday in the month of Ramadan, Zareef got to celebrate his birthday in a big way (sort of..) with his friends from school.

I baked him an American Chocolate Cake with a Spiderman picture on it, totally deviating from his request which was a cheesecake with a Ben 10 Omnitrix on it. Reason for deviation? Mummy was too swamped and too tired to wait for a cheesecake and drawing an Omnitrix in the wee hours of the morning is certainly not a good idea especially when I found myself nodding off while the kitchenaid was whizzing away.


A small celebration was held at his kindy during break time. Zareef looked so happy surrounded by his friends, all wishing him well on his birthday.


For the first time, I am lost at words. I have this huge lump in my throat that no ehemmm can clear it away. Zareef is growing up so fast that sometimes I have to sit down and just stare into space to recall his growing days.

Happy 6th Birthday my dear son! I pray to Allah that you'll forever be blessed with good fortune, excellent health, joy and happiness this year and many years to come. For the six years that I have come to know you, you have brought only happiness, unconditional love and genuine heartwarming care to Mummy and Daddy and now to Zara.

It is my every intention to keep you under my wings for as long as I can but I know that is impossible because inasmuch as I want you to be safe and secure under my care, I also want you to be adventurous and explore every nook and cranny, every corner of the earth and gain as much worldly experience as you can.

You are our pride and joy. You are my light at my bleakest hour. You are my everything such that I would beg, borrow and even steal if I have to to ensure that you'll get the best that life has to offer.

All that I can hope is that you'll be a beriman, bertaqwa and beramal soleh son that Mummy and Daddy pray for.

I love you son, with all my heart, to infinity and beyond! Happy Birthday!!

Swatches For Sale

*This is a sticky post. Please scroll down for current posts.*

Dear All,

In my bid to clear up things that I'm currently hoarding, I'm selling off my Swatches (yes, I'm guilty of having a Swatch fetish). Please feel free to browse through the Swatches. I guarantee you, that all of them are 100% brand new in their respective boxes as shown below.

If you're interested in purchasing any of the Swatches, do email me at noresh_anshar@yahoo.com or call me (if you have my number). Oh... did I forget to say that shipping is FREE?? Yes, shipping is FREE.

First come first serve ya all! So, happy purchasing!!

The Swatches.

Swatch 05 - Scuba. Water resistant 200m. RM 130


Swatch 07 - Scuba. Water resistant 200m. RM 130


Swatch 08 - Scuba. Water resistant 200m. RM 130


Swatch 09 - Scuba. Water resistant 200m. RM 130


Swatch 12 - RM 100


Swatch 14 - RM 100

Stories to Tell

I've abandoned writing my thoughts for quite some time. My bad. I give credits to my laziness, writer's block, endless cake orders and the craziness of running a household.

At the moment, I've just recovered from a very bad case of fever and sore throat. Temperature reached 39 and my tonsil was swollen and covered with pus. Euuuwww... I know. Body is still aching and weak. I had to turn down several cake orders. My apologies!

In random order...

1. My family went to Redang during the August school holidays. Four families went so the chaos and havoc that came with it was unavoidable. We stayed at a beach-front, sea-facing chalet in Mozana. Zareef, Zara and their cousins had a whale of a time playing with sand, swimming in the sea and snorkeling during our 3D2N stay there. In fact, they practically lived in their swimsuits during the day from sunrise till sunset. The end result? All of us got a nice tan from the trip and everyone was hooked to snorkeling especially my Dad, so much so that we've already planned our next trip to Sabah this December with a trip to Pulau Manukan in mind.

2. In my effort to further beautify the house, we've decided to splash our boring old, crummy cream walls with vibrant colors. Steering clear from kindy colors, we've opted for reds, olives, pewter grays, espresso, plum pink, sunbaked orange and brewster blue. Banyak tuh! I went running around getting price quotations from painters and we finally settled for one affordable contractor that came highly recommended by my good friend and her mom. Since I'm down and out from the fever, so painting the house will have to take a backseat and resume after Raya.

3. Related to item no. 2, I've designed an under staircase storage with a display cabinet attached to it. Also ran around Puchong trying to get the best deal. I asked for four quotations and one came up to my expectation with a reasonable price. They're coming next week to do the installation. How does it look? You'll just have to come to my house and see it for yourself.

4. BIL just had his newborn last Saturday. I haven't had the chance to see my new niece (since I was sick and all and didn't want to pass the virus to a newborn) but from what Zareef told me, she's cute as a button. Her name? Nusaibah Irdina. Nice!!

5. So far, I've only cooked four times during Ramadan. All four times were food to be brought to houses that we were lucky enough to be invited for iftar. B gave me a mandate. He told me not to cook during this whole month of Ramadan. Just go out and buy from the sellers at the Pasar Ramadan to help generate their economy. At least, that'll give them some spending money for Raya. Yeahhhhhayy... I couldn't help but jump up and down with glee. Despite several friends of mine who are also my neighbors saying that the Pasar Ramadan in our vicinity sucks big time, I'll have to beg to differ. NOT ALL suck. Some stalls are actually quite good. Yes, I've had my fair share of bad food but I've managed to get some good ones as well. Zareef's favorite would be nasi lemak with ayam goreng berempah takde sambal from this one lady. My favorite laksam would be from another lady who is selling it for RM 1.50. Small portion but sedapp I tell you. B would go for nasi kerabu and Zara? She'll have a little bit of everything that we have.

6. At long last, Zareef got his ultimate wish of owning a GameBoy. It all started with his finger getting all swollen and infected and started to have pus in it. It got really bad on the eve of our departure to Redang. Fearing that he won't enjoy himself with a swollen finger while on holiday, B decided to take him to SunMed A&E to have a doctor to look at it. Doc said that he'll have to prick Zareef's finger and squeeze the pus out. Zareef being the scaredy-cat, howled and bawled and almost kicked the Doc out. To ease the torture, B promised him a Ben 10 figurine if Zareef would allow the Doc to prick his finger. You know what he said? "Zareef tak nak Ben 10. Zareef nak GameBoy" Hahaha.... dalam tengah sakit2 and nangis2, my little boy boleh blackmail his Daddy to buy him a GB. Maka, terpaksa la Daddy succumbed to his boy's whinny need. After all the drama, I told B, I could have done it at home with a sterilized needle, free of charge. Tak payah beli GB. So, the next day, we went to Subang Parade to buy his GB. It costs me RM 550 for the console and the game. The hospital bill was only RM 83. Go figure!

7. I have lost faith in our government. What were they thinking using ISA on a journalist who was merely doing her job on reporting a news of a suspended politician??!! I salute Zaid Ibrahim for standing by his principles saying that ISA should ONLY be for terrorists who are a threat to the country and resigning for it. I read the local politic news with much amusement because they are so obsessed with teenie weenie bit of political agenda when there are so much more other news worthy to report off.

More ramblings, rantings and ravings to come. I shall stop for now. Medicine time!

Tightening My Purse Strings

We were in JB when the PM announced the petrol price hike but we knew about it the day before thanks to a very reliable source.

The next day, TNB made an announce that they'll increase the electricity tariff.

Now, there's a cooking oil scare and everyone is making a beeline to the shops to stock up on them.

Zara's nursery fees has just increased by RM 5 overnight hopefully Zareef's school fees will remain the same although I highly doubt so. I am just waiting for his teacher to pop the news.

Everything is going up and up and up.

I can't wait for this month's water bill to come. Lets see if the Selangor MB is true to his words of giving free water for the first 20 cubic meters. Hopefully, my water bill now won't be more than RM 10 (wishful thinking here, I know..).

Lucky for you, I will not increase my cake prices. As long as I can weather the price surge phenomenon, I'll stay put with the existing prices. HOWEVER, I'll have to regretfully increase my delivery charges, sighhhh. I know, but it's inevitable. I'm guilty of driving a gas guzzling SUV but I love it! For safety reasons, B insists that I take the XTrail whenever I do my deliveries with the kids.

So, from now on, I'm taking these measures to cope with the price hike of almost everything:

1. Cook more, eat out less.

2. Do all my chores in one trip and at the same place.

3. Reduce air-cond usage at night.

4. Switch to cheaper brands for my toiletries (but I refuse to do the same for my makeups. A BIG NO!).

5. Find cheaper alternative for the kids' source of entertainment.

6. For holidays, wait till B has to go outstation for free accommodation and paid mileage.

7. Cut down on little luxuries such as Baskin Robbins, Big Apple or JCo, Starbucks and glossy international magazines.

8. Do a garage sale. This I'll most certainly try especially when I have an abundance of Zareef's unplayed toys, outgrown clothes and shoes and my unused bags. I just hope that I have the strength and time to organize all the stuff.

I'm sticking my guns to all of the above. But wait... my birthday is this Saturday and B's is next Sunday. How now brown cow?? Argghhh!! Oh well... looks like I'll be having a low-key affair then.

52

That's what he is now. Just got to know about it yesterday. Congratulations Darling!!! You totally deserve it!

Updates

Please visit BakingWithPassion to view some cakes that I've done. Orders are most welcomed!

A Hubby and Wifey's Rambling

We were watching a rerun of House sambil melingkar atas sofa. Zara was fast asleep in the bedroom and Zareef was busy playing his Transformers game online. Hehehe... time for a little bit of romance. Tiba-tiba

"Aling... my right palm nih asyik gatal je la dari siang tadi. Nak dapat banyak cake orders kot Kachinggg.."
"Ye ke.. tangan kiri I ni dah kebas-kebas dah asyik keluar duit. Bila la agaknye nak stop.."
"Alahhh... you nih!!..."

NB: nampak sangat la aku ni kaki shopping.

Finally!

I am being extra rajin right now. I've finally uploaded 1/4 of pictures of Tokyo on Facebook (tu je yg boleh upload cepat and banyak).

So, please go to

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=37320&l=f1545&id=596389514

to view them.

Lagi 3/4, tunggu ye. I'm off to bake cakes for tonight's delivery.

p/s: Gossip Girl is premiering tonight on 8tv at 10 pm. I am sooo not missing it.

Six Days

After working for six days, I quit. As easy as that. I threw in the towel with a 24-hours notice and didn't get paid a single sen. I was fuming mad but the thought of my trip quickly cheered me up.

Why quit, you ask? I was given a job that I didn't enjoy. I wasn't clicking with the job and after six days, there wasn't any chemistry between me and the job.

Why didn't I try harder, you say? Well, there were a lot of things riding on my swift decision to quit. I was subtly reprimanded for taking 2 weeks off when others who were on probation like me were given none. It will reflect badly on my performance, I was told. Like I care shit. Nope, threats like that don't ruffle my feathers at all.

I'm being choosy and fussy, you think? Choosy and fussy I am, because Alhamdulillah, as B puts it, I have the luxury to choose. Yes, I do feel a little bit guilty for just pushing away a job that promises a paycheck every month when lots of other people out there are still struggling to get a job. Ada orang kata tolak rezeki. In a way, I think I am and I hope God forgives me for that but I have my reasons.

My top reason would be the kids. For the six days that I worked, I would come back at 6.30 and pick them up. Zareef's face would be that of a sad and faraway look. Like he detests me working and once when I picked him up late, he was crying. Then he asked me "Mummy, bila Zareef nak stop staying at school sampai petang?". Oh my God! That really tore me up inside. I know other moms do it and other kids stay back at their schools all the time but I just cannot bear to see my son looking so sad and hearing him say that... that really got to me. I just can't. That's me.

I am so used of taking care of my own kids that I become paranoid when other people takes care of them. Yes, they provide my kids with food, help to wash them up, teach them a thing or two but they do it because they are paid to do them. There's no love or care that goes into the act. I know it's a little bit too much to expect those sort of things or maybe none at all given that some of these carers are just school leavers and don't have children of their own but there isn't much nurturing going on on their part.

Hygiene part tu, toksah cakap la. I'm forever paranoid. I never leave Zara's bottles at the daycare. I always bring them back and wash them thoroughly till I'm satisfied that they're clean and fit for my princess. I would always go to their kitchen and toilet to inspect the state of cleanliness and tell the carers off when it's not up to my level.

The other part would be that I want to do something that I'm passionate about. In my case, it would be baking. For the six days that I worked, I didn't even have time to cook, let alone bake. I missed baking. I feel incomplete. I had to decline quite a number of cake orders because I just don't have the energy nor the time to commit myself to fulfill the orders.

Now that I'm back to being a work-at-home-mom, I'm going full steam ahead in the baking department. So people, bring on the orders ya!

One other petty reason but I deem significant is that I foresee lots of traveling will happen this coming year and next be it local or abroad. Yes, I'm too selfish to go to work to let go of my traveling opportunities.

I hold strongly to my mother's advise that is "Rezeki tu ada di mana-mana. Kita kena berusaha baru la Allah kurniakan rezeki pada kita. Biar dapat sikit asalkan halal and berkat". I couldn't agree more.

Dah... jangan tanya lagi pasal keje ye. Penat la nak explain.

Sayonara Tokyo

I'm at Narita Airport right now waiting to board our plane which has been delayed TWICE!! So sape kata orang Jepun ni punctual sangat. Ok la, cannot blame them entirely for it. We saw several people fixing the wing part of the aeroplane.

So, from 1.30 pm delayed to 2 and now till 5 pm. I had to call Zareef and tell him not to wait up for us. But him being him, repeatedly assured me that he'll not sleep until Mummy and Daddy gets home.

I'm really hoping that we'll get to board the plane at 5. I'm tired and sleepy and can't wait to go home and see my kids! I miss them terribly!!

Sayonara Tokyo! You've been really good and wonderful to me. I have enjoyed tremendously exploring every nook and cranny of you. Your natural beauty is simply astounding. Your hospitality is very commendable. Your unique culture is fascinating. Your food is exotic, fresh and lip-smacking. Your cleanliness is amazing. I have nothing but good things and praises for you.

Will I come back? Definitely!

Konnichiwa from Tokyo

It's day 1 in Tokyo and already we've had a full day of walking. Landed at Narita International Airport at 7.08 am and I've been greeted with cool, crisp weather which I've missed so much. Took the airport limo (just a bus but over here, they call everything from the airport, a limo) and it took us 1.5 hours to reach our hotel.

Welcome to Japan! Taken right after passing through the immigration with flying colors, hehe.

So far I've picked up on Arigato go zai mas (Thank you very much), Wa-kari-masen (I don't understand), Hait (yes), sumi-masen (excuse me) which are enough to get me by. Thank God most signboards have English Language on them so walking about is not so challenging.

B trying to rent mobile phones because both of ours couldn't work in Japan. Takde 3G. So people, if you plan to come here, make sure that your phones are 3G enabled even though you're okay for roaming. Sucks man! It costs us 210 yen/day to rent a mobile and we're staying here for eight! Memang sah lepas ni aku beli N82.

I've had my dose of uber fresh sashimis and delectable sushis and perfectly battered tempuras. All I can say is YUMMY!! I don't mind at all that all these will be my staple food for the next 7 days.

Us waiting for our airport limo. Departure time stated on the ticket was at 8.45 am and guess what! Exactly at 8.45 am it went, not waiting for anyone. Talk about Japanese punctuality!

I'm staying at Hotel Villa Fontaine located at Shiodome. I was very, very impressed with the hotel upon arriving. Will share photos later. Right now I'm off to bed. Tomorrow nak jalan-jalan kat Shinjuku sorang2 while B and his colleagues will be away for a site visit somewhere 2 hours away by train. I'm arming myself with the trusted Tokyo Metro Guide and several useful pictures in my digicam (like gambar oink-oink, toilet, and the hotel).

B checking us in at the hotel. The hotel boasts of cool minimalist decor tinged heavily with zen-like concept. I love it!

The very spacious hotel lobby that greeted us. Cone-lighted lamps made of straw are placed on each table. The effect these lamps bring during the night are breathtaking with their warm soft glow. Very romantic indeed!


p/s: Yatie, I wish you were here with us. I know we would have painted the town red while our husbands are away doing their business. Oh well, we'll plan for another one, shall we?

Sevenmoon - Part II

As promised, pictures from our honeymoon. We didn't go very far from home. I wasn't in the mood to take a long drive nor go on a flight or even a boat. Since I did all the planning, I called the shots.

I booked a room at Impiana KLCC, me being the city girl et. al, I just can't get enough of the city. The hotel is magnificently located between two of my favorite malls, making it easier for us to just stroll from one mall to another without having to bother about traffic jams and paying for exorbitant parking rates.

The day kicked off with a pleasant surprise bouquet from B. Seeing that this is the first bouquet after how many years, I screamed and jumped with joy. Yes, I am that jakun!


After dropping off the kids at my parents' place, we headed to the hotel. I was telling B to step on it as I have booked us for a 6 pm couple's spa at the hotel.


Luckily we made it in time. We were greeted with soothing Balinese music, invigorating yet stimulating smell and a very relax ambience. I LIKE!! The spa is called Swasana Spa and they based their treatments on spices.

Our VIP room which I must say looks very, very inviting and romantic what with the soothing almost haunting music and delicious-that-makes-me-want-to sleep smell. We were treated to a jacuzzi dip before the prodding, kneading and massaging session began. Heavenly, I tell you!

Instead of reflexology, the spa offers foot massage service. We wanted to book a session but all slots were fully booked. Oh well, some other time then.

The nicely decorated pathway in the spa. They put up rows and rows of large jars filled with every spice imaginable. A unique concept, I must say.

The greeting area before going into our VIP room. Tastefully decorated! We were going ooh and ahh over everything.

Treatment over. My body has never been prodded, massaged and thumped so much compared to the last 1.5 hours I had at the spa. At first it was damn painful because the masseuse attacked all my sore points sampai terkentut-kentut dibuatnya hahahha... I was embarrassed and so must the masseuse but she did well not to show it. After a while, all the knots in my muscle were slowly loosen and it started to feel good.

Our deluxe room with a king bed. Huhuhu... with just the two of us, there were plenty of space to roll about. Good thing the kids weren't here or they would have hogged the bed all to themselves.

Very tasteful decor. I especially loved the warm wooded floor. I made a mental note that I shall replace my floor at home to this when it rains moolah. Bilalah tu kan?

Our honeymoon was actually a city escapade. We ate a lot, walked a lot, talked a lot but not shop a lot and get to the things that we loved to do before having kids. I was controlling myself and saving all my money for the next big trip so that explains the lack of carrier bags everytime we went back to the hotel. Nonetheless, we really splurged on food since both of us LOVE to eat. We ate at Spice of India, Pavilion (Good but still can't beat Al-Diafah for their lamb briyani and mendi), Yo Sushi (The seafood was fresh and tasty, portions are big and pricey nothing really to shout about), Pelita at Jalan Ampang for our supper (their tandoori chicken was super tender and delicious!), Al-Marjan at KLCC (Very disappointing tastewise. The two meals that we ordered were really salty so much so, I had to gulp down ice water with every single bite that I took) plus the endless munching here, there, everywhere.

I couldn't resist trying the Fish Spa at Kenko (located on the same floor as GSC at Pavilion). First time putting my foot in the pond and I yelled so loud that I almost fell over. The fishes came sucking at my feet like piranhas and it felt SO TICKLISH and weird. It took me a good 10 minutes before I got used to the bizarre sensation. I was laughing all the way and so were all the other patrons. B? He didn't even dare look. He got all squirmy and chickened out at the last minute. Wuss!

We tried the newly launched U-hu-hu cheesecakes. They were going at a promotional price of RM 25 for 6 pieces. The after promotion price would be RM 30 for 6 pieces. My verdict, mine and Liza's cheesecakes taste better. I didn't say it. B did the moment he popped a bite, spontaneously. People were queuing to buy these cheese-cups okay. B cakap, maybe sebab derang tak reti nak buat so to them, these are the next best thing. Oh well, each to its own, I say.

Romance rekindled, bond strengthened, sleep caught-up, feet sore from so much walking (we didn't mind one bit because we were used to walking miles and miles when we travelled in the States, UK and Europe) and we have never been so in love compared to now. We talked and talked about the kids, our plans, our ambitions, our concerns - everything laid out on the table. I just love it and InsyaAllah, we'll do it again next year and try to make it an annual event.