Me, Weird??

The rule of this tagging game is this:

People who are tagged should write a blog post of six weird things about them as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose six people to be tagged and list their names. Don't forget to leave a comment that says 'you are tagged' in their comments and tell them to read your blog.

I have been tagged by Ibah about 6 weird things about me. It seems that almost all the blogs that I've visited has this. So... here goes...

Weird # 1:

When I want to lull myself to sleep at night, I would take the corner of my blankie and twist up a small part of it and stick it into my ears. I then, would gently stroke my ears until I fall asleep. B was literally rolling on the floor laughing out loud when he got to know about it 6 years ago when we got married. I've been doing it since forever and I can't seem to break away from it. It's my ultimate comfort zone, therefore I do it secretly not wanting to share it with anyone. But now, it's out in the open.

Weird # 2:

I have this habit of counting everything that I do. I don't count aloud. I just do it in my heart. Like when I go up and down the stairs at home or any other stairs, I would unconciously start to count 1, 2, 3... When I whisk my eggs, I'll count the number of rounds that I've done. At night, I'll start to count the lamp posts one by one, that is provided B is driving. When I pick up the clothes from the laundry line, I'll count the number of hangers and clothes peg as I remove them from the hangers and unpeg them.

Weird # 3:

I can't stop myself from buying shoes and bags. Shoes, I can control but not bags. Noooooo... not bags. I have bags that I've never knew that I bought, some I haven't paraded around and some even have their original tissue stuffings in them! Sheesshh!! I discovered all of them when I moved to my new house and started to unpack my stuffs. Most of them were bought when I was studying in Purdue. The many, many shopping sprees to the factory outlets have resulted in me being a bag and shoe hoarder. I'm thinking of selling them (the bags and shoes) for el-cheapo prices. They range from Esprit, Nine West, DKNY, Guess to BCBG and YSL. Any buyers? It's more of an obsession rather than weird, don't you think so?

Weird # 4:

I eat nasi lemak and nasi goreng using a spoon but I eat the normal rice using my fingers. I don't feel right eating the first two with fingers. Can't really explain it.

Weird # 5:

I have this odd but irritating habit of correcting other people's grammar and pronounciation as they speak. The most usual suspect would of course be B. I used to tease him whenever he said paper. He'd pronounce it like pepper. Occasionally, I would ask him "Aling... how do you pronounce paper?" and he'd oblige and go like this "Paaayyyyper" sambil jeling2 kat kita. I also get easily irritated whenever I read anything that's grammatically wrong. Aduhhhsss... sakit mata ku memandang. Not to say that I have perfect grammar and my writing is flawless but pleaseeee make an effort of trying to write grammatically correct. I was such a stickler for good grammar, that I became B's proof reader when he wrote his phd thesis. I read through page by page all of his 200-something pages of draft before he handed it in to his supervisor. I'm proud to say that his supervisor was very pleased and even surprised with his level of competency and almost flawless writing.

Weird # 6:

I always, always blurt out whatever that is in my mind at that particular moment. Sometimes, people find it funny but most of the time, I find it to be shameful on my part. I mean, what I blurted out can be hurtful to others. So now, I try to control myself and try to think before I speak. That's my bad on my part.

Since I have to tag 6 more people, I'm tagging Zoowra, Dilla, Zied, Nong, Along (if you're up for it) and Llah (because she has not updated her blog for a very long time).

Bake Sale

"Ada ke orang nak beli?" That was the first thing I asked a friend when she suggested that I start selling my cakes. Her answer was 1) To roll her eyes till they could roll no more 2) "They'd be insane not to buy!"

Well... Cik Z... I'm heeding your advise and here goes...

Introducing my first bake sale, ever... What started out as a hobby to fill up my past time and Zareef's constant demand for cakes has turned out to be a passion so strong that it caught me by surprise and now to take it to the next level. To make it into a money-churning business.

Yes... I'm ashamed to admit that I need to sell my cakes to sustain my insatiable appetite for shopping plus I need MY OWN money! Penat la nak justify to B why I need this, why I need that. Wives... you know what I mean, right?! Anyway...

The above is a Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese topping. Very rich, moist and I would dare say that one slice is never enough. It comes in two sizes; small weighing in at 900g and large weighing in at 1.6 kg. The price? Small (as above) is RM 35 while a large one is RM 65 (I really do encourage volume purchases not that I mind baking the small ones, I do. It's just that it's more energy-saving).

Next, is my pride and joy. Actually, both are but of late, this has been getting more demands and popular with customers and they've been singing praises for my Chocolate Fudge Brownies. I'm selling a small piece weighing in at 600g for RM 25 while a large piece (as shown above) weighing in at 1.3 kg for RM 45. Again, I encourage volume rather than size. But if you have a small family consisting of just two or three people, it doesn't make sense to order a large one and have it stashed in your refrigerator for days, does it? But in my humble opinion, that will never happen!

I do make Cheesecakes with oreo base topped with either blueberry or strawberry. They only come in one large size and it's priced at RM 75. Sorry, no pictures yet because they get eaten before I could snap a decent picture of it. Next time ya!

The other one would be the Prune Cake. It's the same size as the Brownies and it costs RM 25 for a small one and RM 45 for a large one.

I do make deliveries but as always, there will be a delivery charge. Sorry, I have to because my house is conveniently located between the LDP and KESAS, so I have to pay toll charges everytime I get in or out of the house. I charge RM 10 per delivery for Puchong, Shah Alam, Subang Jaya, Putrajaya, Cyberjaya, PJ, Damansara, Kelana Jaya, Bangsar while it's RM 15 for Klang, downtown KL, Cheras, Ampang and Keramat. Order la banyak mana pun cakes, I still charge RM 10 for the former and RM 15 for the latter per delivery per address. Cukup la nak bayar for my fuel and toll charges.

For further information and pictures of said cakes, please go to http://bakingwithpassion.blogspot.com. Please email me with your order details at noresh_anshar@yahoo.com or just leave your details in the comment section.

Looking forward to doing business with you! Thank you.

Unwind

Two Tuesdays ago, we went to Guoman for a one night stay. B had work to do and asked if I wanted to tag along. I said, yeah why not. Sun, sea, sand and sex... sape tak nak kan... hehehe...

It was Zara's first mini holiday and I wasn't too sure how she would react to it. I packed our stuffs and by noon we were off to PD. When we checked into our room, Zareef made a thorough tour of the room and gave his seal of approval, the two thumbs up (Zareef really, really loves staying at hotels) although I wasn't that satisfied with the room. The room decor was mighty ancient, there were no tub to chill in, air-cond wasn't working well (we were all sweating in the room that night. nasib baik ada kipas), channel selection wasn't impressive at all and the house-keeping service let me down (I requested for a shower gel TWICE but it never turned up!). However, the view from our floor managed to compensate for all the shortcomings that I had to endure.








Zareef was itching to jump into the pool and hit the beach. B was already gone for his workshop thingy. I was left alone to take care of the two kids. Hmmm... So I told Zareef not to wander too far from me. Just stick to playing the sand and the water's edge while I stayed with Zara who was firmly strapped to her Maclaren. Zareef was fine with that and so he ventured out on his own under my watchful eagle eyes.


I managed to snap the sunset. It took a lot of fiddling on my new cybershot but it was well worth it. Zareef, Zara and I just sat there and waited for the sun to set. Lovely, lovely sight. I just wished someone was there to capture a picture of the three of us with that beautiful view as a background. There wasn't a single soul to be found. We had the beach all to ourselves. Pretty wonderful and peaceful, I could just have stayed there forever.


The next morning, we woke up early (I really didn't get much sleep actually) so that B could spend some time with us especially since his son who was begging him to go swimming with him. Luckily enough, Zara managed to doze off. Maybe it was the cool sea breeze that did it but I was thankful because that means I could jump into the pool to take a dip.


It felt great to be able to swim again. I managed a few laps that was until Zareef decided to tail me and play a game of tag with me in the pool.


After what must have been ages, we finally went up to our room. I washed Zareef and Zara up, packed our things, ate sandwiches, fed Zara and Zareef and finally I could hit the shower. I reminded Zareef profusely to come and get me if Zara cried. This was what greeted me when I got out...


My two angels sleeping together. This is what I call, heaven on earth. It doesn't matter where I am, if my angels are with me, that is as close as heaven that I can get.

By the by, if anyone is interested in staying at Guoman and you're paying, then it'll set you back at RM440 per night. But I would say, it's not worth it with the kind of room that they have. However, if someone else is paying, then by all means, go. The pool and the beach made up for what the room lacked, as in our case that is.

Zara's Story

This is the story of Zara's birth. If it bores your eyes out, blame it on Along. She made a request for it.

3 days before Zara was borned, I had already felt wave of contractions come and go but they were so unpredictable that I said to myself, maybe it's just the braxton hicks making themself more prominent than ever.

Come the third day i.e. Thursday, Nov 9th, I couldn't stand it anymore. I woke B up and told him lets just go to the hospital because a) I'm worried that baby is not moving and b) contractions are getting to be unbearable albeit irregular. After solat and breakfast, I kissed Zareef goodbye (he was sleeping soundly and looking very angel-like), memorizing his face so that if anything happens to me, I'll be able to carry his memory with me. Yeah, very dramatic. I blame it on the hormones. In the car, while B was driving, I even minta maaf and minta halal makan minum. Pastu, ada ke B gelakkan. Cehhh... he assured me that everything was going to be fine and he'll be with me all the way.

We reached UKM's O&G emergency at 9 am. The attending doctor did a check on my progress and said that I was dilated at 3 cm but waterbag is still intact. So, to excite things, she went ahead and burst my waterbag. Oh my... the feeling of warm water gushing between my thighs was oh so uncomfortable. That was when the real pain began.

I was given a gown to change into. I couldn't walk so I had to be wheeled to the delivery room. A midwife shoved a pill literally up my ass so that I could do the no. 2. Lo and behold, 3 seconds later I was practically running to the loo. That pill certainly did a good job and I would very well recommend it to anyone who's constipated out there.

Back in the delivery room, the same midwife strapped my bulging belly with the baby's monitor. Terus boleh dengar heartbeat Zara. Very loud and clear. I was so relieved that baby was okay.

Half-an-hour later, the anaesthetist walked in and asked me "Nak epidural ke?" and I went "Nakkkkk....". Yeah... I'm a junky when it comes to combating pain. I have a near-zero tolerance for pain especially when it comes to giving birth. I had epidural with Zareef and I wouldn't miss it for the world with Zara. Another half-an-hour and I still felt the pain. What the heck?? Consultant ni bagi aku placebo ke? I cried and asked B to go hunt for the drug doc. He came "Still rasa sakit ke?" I could only reply with a nod. "Selalunya org lain dah okay with this dose. Looks like I have to top up your dose". And so he did. But still nothing magical happened. I was beginning to bawl (I know.. I'm such a baby). B went chasing after the drug doc again. He came in "You boleh rasa sakit lagi ke? (Dia buat muka disbelief). I think I'll have to change you to a stronger epi". After doing so, baru la rasa comfortable. Now, I can smile. See... I told you my pain tolerance is very low.

At 11 am, my gynae walked in. The first thing that she said was "Eh... dah on epi ke?". I replied "Nak buat camna... I'm a drug junky". She checked on me and said I was still at 3cm. After much deliberation, she decided to induce me as not to prolong my labor due to my history with Zareef which was 30 hours. Both B and I immediately agreed with her. Again, more drugs cruised in my bloodstream. Thank God for the epi!! I was told not to eat but after everyone went out, naughty B snucked in a bar of chocolate and a choc drink. I ate and drank because I was famished. Tapi bila midwife masuk je, B cepat2 sembunyikan the forbidden stuffs. Hehehhe... we were like two naughty kids.

At 3.58 pm, I was ready to push. I felt the greatest sensation to poo. The midwife went running to find my gynae who was with another patient which happened to be giving birth at the same time. My gynae had to run between the two of us, weaving in and out of the delivery rooms.

7 hours later, at 4.01 pm, after a very big push, my little princess emerged, all pink and covered with goo. It took her a few seconds to cry. I cried and cried too. My emotions were running amok but if felt good.

After 4 years, it was an experience of a lifetime. I thought I would have forgotten how it felt, how to breathe and how to push but everything came to me naturally and fell into the right places at the right time. I had doubts about looking after Zara after a long hiatus with Zareef but they were all unfounded. I seemed to remember how to do everything. Even B was a natural. So, no worries in that department.

Zara is 3 months old now. She's getting chubbier, bubblier and quite talkative with each passing day. She has even rolled over now but for the life of her, can't roll back. Zareef has taken the role of a dutiful brother to see to it that his sister doesn't suffocate herself by rolling her so that she can lie on her back. He has become the responsible and loving brother. No sibling rivalry whatsoever.

I'm so thankful that B was with me throughout the whole journey. I wouldn't know what to do if B wasn't at my side. He was my pillar of strength, my sea of calm and my source of food... hehehhe.. But seriously, I don't think I can do it without B's help. For the life of me, I simply cannot imagine women out there who give birth everyday without their husband by their side. I salute them for their inner strength, courage and bravery.

I know I've said it but I can't say it enough. Thank you darling... thank you, thank you, thank you.

Stupid is as Stupid does

I'm such a klutz!! I was trying to add some codes to my site and now everything has gone haywire! ARggghhhhh!!! All at a click of a button.

I've lost all my favorite links instead of saving it!

I'm lucky that all my previous posts are still there.

So people, bear with me as I try to fix this blog of mine. I can assure you, it'll be a very long work in progress... sheeesssshhhh!!

First Post of the Year 2007

I would like to introduce the latest addition to our small family...

Zahra Ilana binti Mohd. Fadlee

borned on 9th November 2006 at 1601 hrs
UKMSC, Kuala Lumpur
weighing in at 3.31 kg

The happy brother

The proud daddy

Zara and Zareef

Zara and cousin Umar who was borned 1.5 months earlier

Friday the 13th

Uhhhh... spooooky.... NOT!!

My darling son Zareef,

Today marks the day you turn 4. Another milestone in life which Mummy and Daddy feel very fortunate to be a part of.

You started the week with falling really ill when your temperature spiked up to 39c at 3 am thanks to Daddy's virus which unfortunately caught up on you complete with cough, flu and you even complained of headaches. Alhamdulillah, the worst is now over with just an occasional cough and snort looming over. What a way to start celebrating your birthday.

Through it all, you've been very strong and cheerful about it which simply amazes me. But you have been that way from the day you were borned when you were left with no fluid at all in Mummy's tummy for 4 whole days and managed to survive, when you fell down from the trike and distorted your nose when you were 1, when you had your chicken pox at the age of 2 and most recently when you were lost from my side for a whole of 25 minutes at Mid Valley at the late age of 3. I'm proud to say that you have survived through it all.

Your constant inquisitiveness has made Mummy and Daddy to be constantly on our feet hence sometimes driving me up the wall when all that you ask for are answers to your innocent yet thought provoking questions to quench your thirst for knowledge. You have turned to be quite the chatterbox too but only with people that you know especially Atok, Nenek, Wan, Pak Ngah and Pak Chu. Sometimes I wonder whether you've aged beyond your years because when I listen to you talking to Atok, it seems that you've gone light years ahead.

You have learned to help around the house like locking up the doors, fetching things for Mummy when she's too lazy or too heavy to get up and get it herself, started to learn to clear the table and wash the dishes (only the plastic ones though. Hands off on Mummy's Wedgies, Porties, Nories and Royals), water Daddy's prized Philippine grass and plants, wipe the counter top and ohhh.... not forgetting your favorite, helping Mummy when she's baking. You would stand on the stool for hours on end trying to help me with baking from start to finish. I know you meant well but sometimes, it can become quite exasperating.

You are really looking forward to the arrival of baby adik. From the way you've separated your toys ("This is for baby adik. Nanti Zareef can show baby adik how to play with it".) to helping us set out the cot and changing table to volunteering to getting her nappies and other stuffs and saying that "Nanti Zareef jaga baby adik for Mummy". Your eyes shine whenever you looked at baby adik's ultrasound on the monitor. And that, my son, I know that you will be the responsible brother that we hope you would be.

Like I've written down in last year's post, I'll say it again and I will not stop saying it. I will move heaven and earth for you to make everything go smoothly your way. I will beg, borrow and even steal for your wellbeing. Anything for my son.

You have complete Mummy's and Daddy's lifes and now with the impending arrival of baby adik next month, that will be an added bonus. I simply cannot imagine my life without you. Not a single day, not a single minute. And because of that, I have decided to give up pursuing my career and instead stay at home to be with you so that you can get the best possible care that I can give you. I must say, it has been worth it. You have bloomed right in front of me, surprising me everyday with your antics, your wit, your concern and your thoughts. Not once have I ever regret giving up my job to raise you myself.

My son Zareef,
On this joyful and wonderful day, Mummy and Daddy vow to make it the happiest day of your life. But it won't stop today, it will go on for as long as both of us live. You're our angel, our love, our life. You're just the perfect son that we've always wanted (but can you please cut down on your merajukness and hard-headedness? That would really help, thank you!). We love you very much son. May Allah bless you with all the good things that life has to offer. Amin!

Ramadhan

The holy month of Ramadhan is here again. Alhamdulillah... This will be our first Ramadhan after experiencing the past 4 in Loughborough. I'm pretty sure it'll be a shock to both of us because I know it'll be scorching hot compared to fasting in the cold winter, the long hours compared to only fasting for only 8 hours and last but not least, I'm pregnant now which will make a lot of difference. I just pray that I'll be able to make it for the entire month without facing any problems whatsoever.

Preparations wise, I'm done with Zareef's baju raya. A pair of red baju melayu (he chose it himself at Alamanda) and loads of shirts, t-shirts and pants which I've bought during last summer sale and shoes pun melambak hasil hobby mummy yang suka bershopping kat carboot.

B pulak, hmmm... he says he doesn't need anything new except for a pair of khakis due to his ehem ehem expanding waistline. However, I do plan to get him a new pair of baju melayu because the one that he has is almost 3 years old now.

As for me... no baju kurung would fit me now and I don't see the point to make new ones considering my present condition. So, I'm just gonna wear my maternity clothes which I think would just suit me fine.

Cookies and cakes... I'm planning of baking our favorites which are choc chip cookies, honey coated cornflakes and pineapple tarts. I've been getting orders for my carrot cake for people to bring home to their hometown for Raya. Other than that, I'm thinking of baking blueberry cheesecake, prune cake and choc fudge brownies. Tu pun kalau larat la.

Other than that, I'm trying my best to prepare our house to be more homely. We've yet to buy a dining table and chairs. Boxes need to be unpacked and stuffs put in its proper places. Zareef's toys... oh dear.. what shall I do with his toys. We need to buy lots and lots of storage bins so that his toy room can at least look like one. For now, it looks more like a dumping ground for toys.

Oh not forgetting the impending arrival of baby adik (as Zareef has been calling her). I have got to dig out all the baby's feeding accessories, clothes, travel system, swing, bedding etc. from the boxes. I have to remember to prepare the hospital bag and put it in the car in case she decides to make an early appearance which I hope won't be for another 3 weeks (that's when I'll be at my 36th week). Kalau boleh nak la beraya dulu... hehehe...

But most importantly in this holy month of Ramadhan is to do as much as amal ibadat as I possibly can and pray that all my deeds will be accepted by Allah Al-Mighty.

So to all my muslim readers out there, I wish all of you Ramadhan al-Mubarak!

My Worst Nightmare, EVER!!

My worst nightmare ever is to lose Zareef in a public place. So, just imagined how I felt when it became true last week at MidValley.

Both of us (I'm notoriously well knowned to drag Zareef for my shopping rendezvous when everyone else is slogging away at the office), went to MidValley after finishing my chores at the office. My plan was to grab lunch, do the groceries and get home before everyone else shoots off from the workplace to avoid traffic jams.

We had lunch then it was off to Carrefour for groceries. Nak buat cerita, Zareef fell in love with a bicycle there and he simply had to have it. Given that Zareef has been having 2nd hand toys for the longest time ever, I didn't have the heart to say no to his pleas for a new black shiny bike. I told him, just this once I'll succumb to him. Otherwise, it's a definitely no-no.

Since we've just moved to our new home, my trolley was filled to the brim with all kinds of stuffs from pots to storage bins to perishable items. All this while, Zareef was happily cycling around Carrefour on his new bike while happily ringing the bell around corners signaling that he was coming through.

After paying for everything, we slowly made our way to the lift near Manhattan Fish Market, me pushing the trolley and Zareef cycling his bike. We got into the lift heading down to P2. When the door opened, I got out first because I wanted to hold the door for Zareef to get out. Unfortunately, I wasn't fast enough and the door closed on Zareef! I was horrified!! I pressed the button repeatedly but the door won't open. Instead, it started to make its way up. Ya Allah... nak gugur jantung dibuatnya. I prayed and prayed that Zareef would stay put in the lift. The lift made its way up to the 5th floor and down. That was the longest wait that I had to endure.

When the lift arrived and opened its door at P2, it was empty! Oh my God! Now, I'm a total wreck. I started crying cry my eyes out. I didn't know what to do at first. I was rendered helpless. I went in the lift and decided to stop floor by floor to search for my boy but it was hopeless. He was nowhere to be seen. I went back to LG and got out. There were a couple of MFM's staff there and I asked whether they've seen a boy on his bike get out of the lift.

"Ada kak. Dia keluar lift naik basikal. Dia carik akak kot"

I was devastated. How was I supposed to find Zareef in a mall as huge as MidValley? I cried and cried. People looked but I didn't care a hoot. A lovely kind lady approached me and asked what's wrong. I told her I just lost my 4 year old son.

"Oh my goodness. This is bad. Never mind, I'll helf you find him"

I looked at her and could only manage a gratitude smile for I was so caught up in crying for my lost son.

"Why don't we go to the information counter and ask the people there to make a page about your son?"

Wonderful idea I thought! Apasal la aku tak pikir pasal benda nih?! I called B and told him I lost Zareef feeling all wretched and useless for losing my son.

"You kat mana?"

"I kat MidValley"

"Ok. I'm going there now"

While I was on the escalator heading upwards towards center court, I heard a page.

"Perhatian kepada semua ibubapa. Kepada mana2 ibubapa yang kehilangan anak lelaki berbangsa Melayu, berumur sekitar 3 hingga 4 tahun, memakai baju biru dan seluar cokelat, sila datang ke kaunter informasi sekarang juga"

I felt a relief washed over me like I have never felt before. I thanked God that nothing bad had happened to Zareef. From far I could see my boy at the information counter crying his eyes out. I rushed over and swept him in my arms hugging him tightly, all the while crying myself thanking God that he was safe and sound.

"I'm so sorry I lost you. I'm so sorry I was careless. I'm so sorry that you had to endure a traumatic moment", I whispered in his ears. It was a tearful and emotional reunion for the both of us.

The undercover security guard told me that a couple found him in the lift all alone going up and down. Concerned for his safety, they contacted a security guard and told her of a lost boy in the lift. She coerced him to come out of the lift but he wouldn't budge. She asked him, "ayah mana?" He replied, work. She asked him, "mama mana?" He pointed his fingers downwards. Blessed him, my boy for knowing exactly where I was. Then she asked him, "baru beli basikal ke?" and he nodded. Seeing that Zareef would not get out of the lift, she told him that she will help him to find his mummy. Only when hearing this, did Zareef agree to follow her and she brought him to the information counter.

I was eternally and still am grateful to the security guard. May God bless her kind soul! The security guard then accompanied us to our car seeing that both of us weren't in the right frame of mind. He praised Zareef for being a smart boy and being wary of strangers and for trying his hardest to find me.

We went home immediately both of us quiet having just endured a harrowing experience. I was so relief to reach our sanctuary. I carried a sleeping Zareef in and we cuddled on the sofa waiting for B to reach home.

I simply cannot put to words the feelings that I went through when I lost Zareef for a good 25 minutes. It may be short to you but to me it was the longest 25 minutes of my life. Horrible images passed through my mind but I am so thankful that nothing of that kind happened to him or else, I can never forgive myself.

That night, I held him and hugged him to sleep, never ever wanting to let him go. He's my life, my soul and my love. I could not imagine even for a second losing him but I had. God gave me a second chance to prove that I can once again be a better mom. And I thank Allah for that.

A Fairy Tale Wedding

It was a sweet yet grand wedding. One of the best that I've ever attended. Mostly because they are the two good friends that I've known since my Boiler days plus the fact that Roslee made a special performance for his bride, Sal by playing the saxophone, serenading her with Now and Forever and Getaran Jiwa. We were astounded to find out that Roslee has a hidden talent. Not that I've heard him play while we were at Purdue.

Anyway, the wedding was held at Sheraton Imperial last night. I had to attend it alone since B was at home recuperating from an appendix surgery (that will be featured in another post). A magnificent ice sculpture greeted us at the entrance to the ballroom.
I sat at table 13 with Emi, Fred, Iwan, Lin and Cobou. The other four were Sal's friend whom we didn't know.












Here, Emi is seen writing in an autograph book that Sal had specifically placed on every table especially for her guests to jot down a few words as remembrance. But, Emi being Emi, was busy writing away as if the autograph book belongs to her... heheheh... Don't blame her though. We all wrote quite lengthy stuffs in there. All of us even had to squeeze writing in available spaces after watching Roslee play the sax.





After the wedding, it was picture-whoring time. Can you believe it that none of us brought cameras!! All of us had to rely on our phones which explains the rather grainy pictures. Tak pe la, Sal had a group of photographers roaming around taking pictures. So at least, some of our pictures were professionally taken. Sal's' wedding had a garden concept which I must say is simply beautiful!





Standing L-R: Lin, Aida, Lina
Sitting L-R: Cobou, Me, Emi, Fred












Cobou was in a rebellious mood. He neither wore a lounge suit nor a traditional costume.












The end of a glorious wedding. Sal looked absolutely resplendent and gorgeous in her white gown. I would like to wish them all the happiness in the world and may Allah bless their lives as husband and wife forever. Two of my good friends, united at last!

l-r: Iwan, Roslee, Sal, Emi, Fred, me, Lin

A Different Story

First of all, let us say a prayer for all those who lost their life in the massacre in Lebanon. May their soul rest in peace and blessed by Allah. Al-Fatihah!

I have never written anything politically-inclined in this blog of mine. But the unjust and inhumane happenings in Lebanon is just unthinkable that I'm sure some of you if not all, share the same sentiments as I do. I just wish I have the superpowers to get rid of Bush, Blair and Israel so that world peace can be restored and all these genocides can be stopped. You know, like possessing powers like Magneto so that I can crush all their ammos and fighter jets. Or the mind of Jean so that I can control the surroundings to be in my favor. Or even, the powers of Storm so that I can cause turbulence in Israel hence letting them taste a dose of their own medicine.

Since I have none of the above, I shall opt for another way. If I can't fight them in a battle, then I can very well do my bid in not supporting their economy. So far, I've stopped going to Tesco, McDonalds (even though Zareef has been wailing to go), Starbucks, KFC and anything remotely American. Yes people, I'm boycotting all American and Jew related products. You see, from the way I see it, every sen spent in their store is like buying them bullets that will kill the Lebanese and Palestinians.

It's quite hard though because some of my favorite brands are to the likes of Gap, Osh Kosh, Victoria Secret, Esprit, DKNY, Nike, Timberland and the list goes on. And I do have tonnes of these stuffs bought during my student heydays in the States. But I can't do anything about the past, can I when all money was spent shopping like crazy during Thanksgiving Sale and at the Factory Outlets. However, I can make a change now.

I'm trying very, very hard not to go into these stores especially now that the Mega Sale is on. Even shopping for groceries takes me twice longer because I have to select which products go into my basket and which goes back to the shelves. I'm crazy for Vanilla Coke but now I have to resort to Kickapoo. I love Mars bars but now I think I'll have to buy Kandos. Instead of eating KFC or Kenny Rogers, we now go to Nandos eventhough the smell of KFC can make my legs turn to jell-o.

I try where I can. It's just something that I fell I'm compelled to do because I can't bear to see the heartbreaking news showing pictures of children going about in their ruined city that has been torn to bits and pieces. They have no food, shelter nor clothes and some to the extent of being recently orphaned. Sumer sebab Yahudi punya pasal. I try to imagine, what if it was Zareef and my soon-to-be-borned baby. What if it were to happen to them? No... I can't let that happen to them.

So there, I've said my peace. What's yours??

Back to Normal

After a month long of football overdose (that's B. I only joined in the fun during the quarter-finals onwards), it's back to normal sleeping hours for him and me. Why me? Because usually after watching football, B would come into bed and start to kacau me.

Then, there was Wimbledon. I was flipping back and forth between channel 82 and 83. It's a wonder the remote didn't konked out on me. I'm so happy that Mauresmo and Federer won. But what was Federer thinking wearing that white jacket when entering the center court? Argghhh... someone should shoot his stylist! Such an overkill!!

Now, we can start concentrating on more pressing matters like... doing up our home. Work is currently in progress. The grilles are in, the electrician is rewiring the whole house, the plumber will be in to connect our pipes to the main supply so that water pressure on the upper floor will be stronger and install the hot showers, then the electrician will be in again to install all fans, aircond and lights and finally... the people from the kitchen shop will install the kitchen cabinets and built-in wardrobe. Lepas tu barula upacara membasuh rumah. Then can we only move in. Phewwww... sounds tiring.

All our money that we've saved up has been used. We've been sucked high and dry. Did I mention furnitures? You're right... I didn't because there will be none, save for a two-seater that we bought before we went to UK, our bed which I bought when we were getting married andddd... that's it! Oh my... that's it people. Our home will be a Japanese-Zen like style. The living and dining area will be bare until further dough comes rolling in. Come to think of it, what the hell did I bring back in that 20-footer container of mine? Hmmm... toys, toys and more toys! Goodness!! Why the hell didn't I buy 2nd hand furnitures over there?! Waittt... I know why. Our house then was so tiny, we couldn't possibly fit in anymore extra furnitures unlike some of our friends who went furniture-hunting like mad on ebay and bought truck loads of them and were lucky enough to have garages for them to hoard their finds.

Hmmpphhh... maybe I should sell a set or two of my chinas so that I can buy myself a decent set of sofa for the living area and a dining set. If I do, any takers?? Or... I could hold a garage sale and sell off half of the stuffs that we brought home. Hey... that's an idea! Or... you people out there can start buying from me medical cards and education insurance for your family and children. You know... these two things; hospitalization and education are not getting any cheaper. We know that hospitalization and surgeries cost a bomb nowadays and I know for a fact that scholarships and education loans will be scarce by the time Zareef is ready to head to college. So... give me a call people and I'll try my best to sort out your woes and misery.

A Month of Celebration

The month of June will always be a long month of celebration for us. It is the month where both B and I celebrate our birthdays, the month where B gets to enjoy his day as a dad and the month which marks our anniversary as a couple.

The celebration kicked off with us going to Penang. B had it all nicely arranged to coincide his one day work with my birthday on the 14th while taking a few days off. Thank you sooo much darling! We first stayed at Hydro Majestic Hotel (formerly known as Ferringhi Beach Hotel) but moved out to Paradise Sandy Beach Hotel. Reason: the former was a crap! Don't stay there. It's not even a beach front hotel and yet they claim to be a 4 star hotel. The latter turned out to be unsatisfactory too (not worth the price that we paid for) but having the sandy beach literally at our doorstep made up for the lack of everything else. The three of us had a whale of a time on the beach building sandcastles, Zareef rolling down the sandy slopes like the Wiggles, the three of us just soaking in the sun, inhaling the refreshing salty air and having a wonderful quality family time together.

A trip to Penang would not be complete without the gastronomical affair. B and I (or maybe it was just me who couldn't help myself) gorged down on pasembor, mee rebus, popiah basah, Line Clear's Nasi Kandar and ntah hapa2 lagi. Unfortunately, time was too short for us to savor other food. Takpe... next time we'll come back with a vengeance.

Then it was Father's Day. Truthfully, I totally forgot about Father's Day because I was so knocked out from attending SSP's reunion the day before. One whole day at the school meeting old friends and teachers and cheering like a mad fat cow on the sidelines literally zapped out my energy. Now that I'm writing this, for the love of God... I just can't remember what we did on Father's Day. Sorry ye B.

Then, on the 22nd was B's day. He took the day off and we went to Aquaria. Am I alone on this or does anyone else thinks that the entrance fee for children is a bit steep. I mean, I don't mind paying RM 28 for us adults but RM 22 for kids... shesshhh... that's a bit too much. They should make it half the price of adults since they are half the size of us. Anyway, I was quite impressed with the displays. Even though Aquaria is quite small compared to other aquariums that I've visited around the globe (and believe you me, I've paid some astronomical entrance fees for it), I must say, the people at Aquaria did a great job especially in the deep sea department. Zareef got a real close-up view of the huge sharks as they passed by (B carried him to be close to the glass display) . B and I were amazed to see the gigantic arapaimas in the Amazon section. Goodness! If ever I were to catch that fish, it would last me for a whole year.

After ooohhhing and aaahhhing at Aquaria, came my favorite pastime. Shopping! Heheheh... Well, we didn't actually shop. Window shopped to be exact. Luckily Zareef chose that time to have a nap in his stroller so we had a peaceful time weaving in and out from one store to another. Since it was B's birthday and I haven't gotten him any birthday gift yet (teruk kan!), I told him that he could have anything that he wants. The sky is the limit. My sky that is! We were so tempted with Aigner's sale. 50% everywhere! B was looking for a belt to go with his khakis but none pleased his eye. On the other hand, I was so in love with one their begs and it was 40% off! B made a face and said "You know it's cheaper in the States. Tunggu I ada conference kat sana then you can shop all you want". Yeah.. yeah... I do know tapi bila la tu??!!! If it wasn't for the Burberry watch that I got for my birthday gift, I would have kept on begging. But... beggars can't be choosers, can I?! And Burberry was having 50% sale as well. I immediately went in to check the price of my watch. B breathed a sigh of relief coz my watch wasn't there.

Hmmphhh... I've got a good mind to wire some money to Zoow so that she can go to Bicester Village and get me a Burberry bag that will match my watch. Gosh... just rereading the last sentence that I've just typed made me realized what a prat I am. But... but... they are cheaper there!!! Boleh ke Zoow?

Then we went into Laura Ashley. Now, this is a place where both of us have mutual taste. We were contemplating on which chandelier would suit our new home. It's either getting an 8-light or two 5-lights Lavenham. Hmmpphhh... decisions, decisions, decisions. Zareef saved the day by choosing that moment to wake up and insists that he wanted to go to the toy shop.

In the end, we didn't buy anything. But now I know what to get for B. Hihihi... would you believe it that it's been a week and I still have not gotten him anything! Talk about being a bad wifey. Not that I didn't want to, I do! I've pestered him on what he wants. He wants an Ipaq but he said not to bother to buy it for him because he can get if for free. So... can't say that I didn't try.

Today, 29th June marks the 12th year that we've been together as a couple! Wow... it has been ages! Do I get bored of my man? Nahhh... B has his quirky ways and unexpected small things that makes our relationship spicy and flavorsome. Plus... I'm his Wonder Woman now nyehnyehnyeh... Thanks to La Senza and Victoria's Secret.

Yes... life has been good for us this year. Syukur Alhamdulillah! Like B put it... we've got a wonderful new house, a stunning new car, a gorgeous son and a bouncing baby due in November. What more can I ask for? I just pray to Allah that He will continue to bless our family with bountiful of rezeki, good life, good health and good wealth. Aminnnn...

I Feel Soooo Ancient

I'll be 30 in next month but already I'm feeling quite old and battered. I need to rejuvenate myself. Something that'll refresh and energize me. I need to revive my senses. Goshhh... I think I need to be pampered. Hmmm... a spa should do it. Alinggg... *hint hint!*

Pregnancy wise, it's progressing along fine albeit still feeling queasy and nauseous 24-7. This is my 15th week into the pregnancy and I still feel the strong raging hormones wreaking havoc in my body. I can't wait for all these to end.

I'll be heading for Sukma's wedding this Sunday which coincidentally coincides with my mom's 66th birthday. Hmm... what can I get for mom? Maybe I'll take her shoe-shopping. She said she badly needs a nice pair of shoes for formal occasions. Yeah... that's it. Metrojaya is having a sale. So I think I'll take her there.

By the way, any Boilers out there who are going to Sukma's wedding? Want to convoy? Call me ya!

My alma mater will be having a high tea reunion at the new SSP in Cyberjaya on the 17th of next month. I've signed in. Actually, I'm feeling quite psyched to meet old buddies and at the same time, I'm quite curious to sneak a peek at the new establishment. I've passed through it a few times but have never had the opportunity to see the insides. From pictures that I saw, there is even a rock-climbing wall. If I weren't pregnant, I would definitely have given it a try. So my dear SSpians out there who happens to read this, do come by the new school on 17th June from 8.30-4 pm. Ohh by the way, it's for batch SPM 91 onwards only. Don't ask me why. I'm not the one organizing it.

AIA's fixed home loan rate of 5.99% will end on the 31st of May. After that, it will rise to how much, I have no idea given that BLR is now 6.75%. So, anyone interested in refinancing or purchasing new homes, please email me at noresh_anshar@yahoo.com for more details. I assure you that you'll save at least a few hundreds each month by refinancing to a lower FIXED interest rate.

It's Been A While...

since I last updated my blog. Lots of reasons why which are totally unavoidable.

1. Streamyx at my parents' area is driving me mad, mad crazy!! The dsl line kept on blinking non stop and sometimes, it just goes off completely. I've been complaining non stop and at least 3 technicians have been trying to fix the problem but everytime, they blame it on the old copper lines at my area. So, one day, a lady from streamyx called to say that they've downgraded my subscription from 1Mbps to 512 Kbps. But I told her the problem still exists. So she said, "Kalau camtu, Pn. Noraisyah kena terminate je la streamyx puan". Cehhhh... ada pulak camtu. You guys should be the one to look into the root of the problem and solve it. Not opting to take the easy way out. Boy... was I pissed!!

2. Freak thunderstorm and lightning which have been happening almost everyday for the past few weeks have wrecked havoc to my parents' phone line. The phone line died on us for a week before someone from TM could come out here to check on it. Two technicians came. The first one was an idiot. He climbed the house's roof and declared that the line was fine. It's the flooding and rubbish on the rooftop that's causing the line to be faulty and he had the cheek to ask my 69-year old dad to clear it up. I told my dad not to do anything about it. Instead, I called again TM and complained (I know... I'm such a whiner but hey... I'm paying the bills and I expect a service or else it's like I'm paying for nothing!). A second technician came and he declared that the phone cable is fried due to being strike by lightning. He said he can't do it. A contractor has to come to fix it. The contractor came yesterday and now, Alhamdulillah... I get to type this post.

3. Little baby has been causing havoc to my body system. I puke all the time. My nose has become extra sensitive picking up almost all unappetizing odor that causes me to gag and throw up. I shiver and shake everytime I drive the car. Occasionally, when it gets too much, I have to stop by the roadside to vomit. Very ugly sight I must say. I just pray that this phase will pass quickly so that I can enjoy the rest of my pregnancy.

4. I've only been with AIA for 3 months now and already I've gotten a dose of kiasuness from one of the cha-ya-nun-aliff agent who is a manager to boot! Goodness!! She has the nerve to call up another manager to ask that manager to call me and to warn me not to go to a certain developer because she (the kiasu agent) has an exclusivity there. Exclusive my ass!! That kiasu agent has not been servicing the developer for quite some time now and when I stepped in through proper procedures, she went berserk. Oiii... tell it to my face la!! Penakut punya manusia! And she even told me not to come to the developer's soft launching of a new housing project. I was fuming angry and fucking mad! I tell you, there are nothing straight about these kind of people except for their hair!

5. I've just got an insider information that BLR will be increasing again either next week or the week after. Yupp people... this time it's going up to 6.7 or even a crazy 7!! So... sape2 yg nak refinance their house, quick call me or email me (noresh_anshar@yahoo.com). The 5.89% fixed rate won't last any longer.

6. It'll be a 3-day weekend and we're going off to Janda Baik again. It's back to peaceful and serene kampung life. I've a good mind to let Zareef to play with the goats and the ducks and just roam about with his cousins finding their own adventure. It'll be a good escape. Not forgetting taking a dip in the clear cool stream. Such bliss!! And... it'll be a test for our new car.. nyeh nyeh nyeh. I suppose, I can't call it a car anymore since it has 4WD and more. At last, our wait is over. We even got the registration number that we wanted. Goody!!

Alright people... have good long weekend! Take care!!!

This Time Around, It's Worst Than The Last

It's the pregnancy that I'm talking about. I know that each pregnancy is always different and unique from the last, but I can't help but compare. When I was pregnant with Zareef, it wasn't this bad.

Now, I get nauseaness all the time. No more morning sickness. It's 24-7 sickness. I can't keep my food down. I throw up whenever I smell something frying. I get dizzy after driving. I'm exhausted all the time. My face is full of teenage zits. Big ones I might add. My ankles and feet swelled worst than a balloon. I can no longer traipse up and down shopping malls all day long because the last time I did, spotting occurred.

Ya Allah... please give me the strength to carry this child until the day he/she is supposed to be borned. Amin...

ps: I so crave for a good yummylicious plate of char kuew tiaw. Suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!!

My Wish List

Dear B,

Seeing that our 5th anniversary is this Saturday, I'd like to list down a few of the things that has been swirling in my head since forever. I assure you that it's alright if you can't get it for me now, but sooner or later ya. Actually, sooner would be very much preferable, thank you very much! Here goes...

1. A spa treatment. A whole body massage, body scrub, body mask, the works.

2. A business bag that can fit in all my paperwork, laptop and other knick knacks. The one that I have in mind is the Coach Soho Signature Business Tote going at USD $398. Okay kan the price...

3. A chunky elegant dinner watch. I'd love to have the Fendi that I showed you. You remember kan. It's the one with the pink leather strap and a chrono one to boot.

4. Our BJB 676. Tender pun... tender la. I've been seeing signs of nombor apit (as you call it) everywhere. Maybe it's meant to be??

5. A laptop which you've kindly bought for me. I thank you from the bottom of my heart, dear! But... that's work related. This is for me to enjoy. Me and only me. You get what I mean? It's like you getting your RC car, your Timberland Chrono watch and your Subaru shirt. Yeahhh... that's what I mean.

I think that's about it for this year. Take a pick darling then surprise me, hehehhehe... The list can always be brought forward. If all fail, then I'd really love it if we can spend dinner alone gorging down on Jap food... hehehhehe...

I've been tagged...

by Along. She tagged me a month ago. Sorry ya. Who says I have plenty of time in my hands? WRONGGGG... By the way, this is my 100th post. Heheheh... thought I'd never reach this mark. So here goes...

Four Jobs I've Had:

1. Housekeeper - This was at Purdue's Union Hotel. My duties were to keep the rooms looking spick and span. Didn't like it at all! Quit after a couple of months.
2. Stripe Shop - My duties were to make pizzas, breadsticks, be the cashier and clean up the joint. Fun job despite burning myself several times. The plus side: I get to eat lots and lots of pizza and breadsticks dipped in cheese or tomato sauce. Yummmm!!
3. Prime Lab - This one was a bit on the heavy duty side. I had to sit by the computer for 8 hours and observe the ongoings of a HUGE machine whose job is to carbon date materials situated 4 levels underground. I had to climb, fix, change and do others things to the machine that runs on thousands of volts and had rays that could kill your body cells in an instant. (Betul ke Bogo?) The plus side: I got extra studying done, used the photocopying machine for free and downloaded songs at T1 speed...hhehehe...
4. Grader - Hah... easy peasy! All I had to do was grade student's homework while lying on the bed once a week. And for that, I get paid $6/hour for 10 hours. Absolutely love this job!

All the above were my undergrad odd jobs. After graduating, I was stuck at an IT company as a Systems Engineer. This was fun. I get to go up and down the KL Sentral office suites before anyone else. After that, it was downhill all the way. In the UK, I was a domestic engineer full time while in the mornings, I worked as an office assistant. The pay was enough for me to travel, shop and sent some home.

Four Movies I Can Watch Over and Over:

1. Anything that has Reese Witherspoon in it. I absolutely adore her!
2. The Fast and The Furious and its sequel. Fast cars simply does it for me.
3. All of Harry Potter's. Yupp... this I can watch with Zareef. My boy can even memorize some of the lines.
4. Dead Poet's Society. This is a classic one. B could never understand why but I love it!

Four Places I Have Lived:

1. Klang, Selangor. Born and bred here for the past 30 years.
2. West Lafayette, Indiana. This is were Purdue was. Simply priceless!!
3. Seksyen 16, PJ. Just behind Taman Jaya and Amcorp Mall within walking distance, MidValley at the next exit, only 10 minutes to Bangsar and 20 minutes to UPM. Best giler dok sini.
4. Loughborough, Leicestershire. Zareef's birthplace. We built our lives here. Broke my heart when I had to leave it.

Four Television Shows I Love to Watch:
Seriously... I watch way too much tv shows. In fact, I'm absofcukinglutely crazy about tv shows. But the top four would be

1. The O.C
2. SATC
3. Desperate Housewives
4. One Tree Hill

Four Places I Have Been on Vacation:

Goodness... this is hard. I've traveled a lot thanks to my degree days and B's postdoc days. I managed to cover almost all of Northern America, Canada included and 5 countries of the EU when we made a road trip in 2003. The best places were...

1. New York. Yes, the Big Apple. I could totally live here. I loved everything about it. I even went here twice!
2. Switzerland - Interlaken, Lucerne, Geneva, Zurich . Rolling snow-capped mountains, bluest sky you'll ever see in a lifetime, fresh crisp air, big fat cows rumbling on well-kept grass, huge lakes that seem endless plus the best milk and cheese that I have ever tasted, bar none!
3. Italy. We travelled all over Italy for a week covering Venice, Rome, Lake Garda, Florence and Pisa. Best pasta and gelato I have ever had!! Can you believe it that a cone of gelato was only 1 Euro! I whalloped a minimum of 3 each day. They tasted like heaven, every time. Yes... every time.
4. West Coast, US. B and I went for a 3 week holiday. Felt like a movie star when we walked the Hollywood Boulevard, visited the infamous Alcatraz in San Francisco, got wet through at SeaWorld in San Diego, window shopping at Rodeo Drive and Beverly Hills. Best! Best! Best!

Four of My Favorite Dishes:

I'm not a fussy eater and an adventurous one too!
1. Japanese food. Yupp... I'm a nutter over anything Japanese
2. Any kind of noodles. I'd always pick noodles over rice, anytime!
3. Iqbal's Briyani. This small shop located in Leicester is a gem! They serve excellent, fluffy briyani rice with equally delicious, succulent, moist lamb. Simply the best!
4. Seafood. My all time favorite would be the stalls at Kuala Kedah. 4 thumbs up and al cheapo too!!

Four Websites I Visit Daily:
1. I'm vain so I visit mine daily. Just to see who has read my blog. Hahahah...
2. Yahoo Mail
3. Maybank2U
4. Blogs listed in my Favorite

Four Places I Would Rather Be Right Now:
1. At home with Zareef, which I am
2. A spa. God knows how much I desperately yearn for a good massage and someone to just spoil me rotten.
3. By the sea in a Mediterranean country which is doable coz B is having a conference in Cyprus sometime in May. Gotta check my account balance and see if I can spare a few thousands. Sighhh... baru check. Nope. Not gonna happen. Hmm... but Redang will do.
4. Shopping either at the many, many factory outlets in the States or Bicester Village.

Four Bloggers I Am Tagging:
Anyone who hasn't done this who's reading this right now. Yes you, you and you. hehehheh...

Boilermakers

I know this post is long overdue. Many things happened that has rendered me temporary blogging disability. Firstly my ever loyal Toshiba laptop conked out on me after it was struck by a lightning. Plus, I don't know what the hell is going on with the Streamyx. I have not been able to go online for several days which has totally irritated me. I got so pissed, that I called the hotline to complain. Ye lah, dah bayar mahal2 every month kan, dapat connection seciput je. Camni baik pakai dial-up. Yes Along, it has been a nightmare using the Streamyx for the past two weeks. Baru yesterday boleh log on. I seriously pity the guy who had to listen to my complains. His ears must be bleeding.

Anyway, we had a dimsum buffet to bid farewell to Yaya who is going to embark on a life journey. She'll be heading to Calgary to join her husband who has been transferred there. Yeahh... dah ada port kat sana. I'll be sure to ask B to find a conference there so that I can join him and we can bunk at your place. You did say yes. Hehehhehe... So good luck living there ya!

I could only manage to snap a couple of pictures before my Ixus ran out of juice. So enjoy....

Meeting Shu, Bobbi and Mac

Yesterday, I had the chance to meet my girlfriends at MV without Zareef tagging along. Where was he?? He tagged his dad to see his Wan (B's mom) at Subang. How did I feel? FREEDOM!!! Yeah... that's what I felt.

Don't get me wrong. I truly love my son BUT when I've been with him from day one uptill now (he's four this year, by the way) every single minute every single hour every day, a few hours alone did wonderful things to my soul.

I enjoyed walking and yakking with my close buds without Zareef trailing and whining. I enjoyed eating my huge bowl of curry laksa while yakking (again!) with my friends without worrying about feeding Zareef. I enjoyed immensely going in and out from out store to another with my crazy girls while yakking (goshh... we women do yak a lot, don't we!) without having to keep a watchful eye over Zareef, worried that he'll go wandering and get kidnapped by crazy people.

Eventhough it was only for a mere 3 hours, I came back feeling refreshed, filled with renewed love and passion for my boy an husband, appreciating them more than ever. Tu baru 3 hours, imagine if I were gone for the whole day or even a week for that matter.

Anyway, we went to Shu Uemura to try on some makeups. Not one of the sales rep approached us to ask us if we needed any help. Instead, one did but from our behind while religiously following us or eyeing us with her watchful eye in case we popped an eye shadow or two in our bags. They were rather unfriendly and didn't even bother to make an attempt to be nice.

Then, we made a beeline to Bobbi Brown. Surprisingly, we were greeted with a warm smile from one of the sales rep. Since she did make an effort to make an eye contact, I started asking her about some of the products and told he that I particularly love their lipgloss range. Then she showed me a blusher cum lipgloss and she even applied it on me! Along and Liza looked on and oohhhhed and aahhhhed at me. Both of them said that it looked really natural on me. Hehehhe... free makeover for me. I even told the sales rep that she is way friendlier and nicer than the people at shu uemura. She glowed and thanked me. That should make her day. But seriously, this isn't the first time that I got a great treatment from the people behind Bobbi. The first time was at Subang Parade's Parkson Grand. They were really nice to me too even after I've tried some of their stuffs and walked away with nothing.

We moved on to MAC. Equally friendly and helpful but they didn't offer to try on the products that we queried on us. So, minus one point there. However, I do love the feel of their eye makeup. Talk about good quality stuff!

That's it. I'm going to save up and buy Bobbi's stuff after this. Not just because of their quality makeup but also due to their helpful and friendly staff that made a world of difference. I truly felt appreciated. That certainly made me a very satisfied customer.