My hijab style

If you hear the word 'hijabista' or 'a hijabster', the first thing that comes to your mind would be the vision of a Malaysian Muslim lady who covers her hair in stylish head gear (the hijab), known as shawls or scarves. So popular is the word among Muslim women in Malaysia now that there is even a magazine named after the word. And of course, true to its name, the magazine features beautiful, stylish women who model dresses or attires that cover the entire body and shawls or scarves that cover the hair in different shades and style. This 'hijabista' trend has caught on among teenagers and young adults as well as those in their early to mid-thirties. Now, being 40 but definitely feeling 30, I still have the desire to look beautiful and stylish like the many 'hijabsters' that I stalk follow on instagram or fashion blogs. But who am I kidding eh? I don't think that I even come close to becoming a hijabster. I realize now that I don't really have a good fashion sense. But I do try painstakingly to be creative in donning the hijab. Like in these photos below, you would notice that I wear my hijab in different styles from time to time.

The photo above was taken this afternoon as I was enjoying my coffee drink at espressolab. It was good coffee by the way. Now, the head-gear or hijab I am wearing was bought yesterday from Ariani store, a very popular chain of stores selling shawls and scarves. Even though the head-gears are rather expensive (some costs a whopping RM1000, mind you!), I like the various styles that the store carries. The one I am wearing in the photo used to sell at RM300 but I got it on a 50% discount. And the lavender colored inner layer costs RM50. So, in total, I wasted spent RM200 for this particular head-gear. But Sarah (my bestfriend daughter) told me cheekily that wearing this hijab makes me look like a mom or in other word, 'old' (oh noooo)!! What do you think? 

Ok, in the next photo, you can see me donning the large cotton shawl. The cotton shawl is my favorite as the material is soft and easy to shape. You can also see me wearing a black inner layer. The cotton shawl is pretty cheap as it only cost me RM30 to get it from a kiosk at the Empire Shopping Gallery in Subang Jaya.

Below is me in another popular hijab brand called Fareeda. I used to go crazy over the Fareeda scarves and to date I have about 30 of them in my closet. The thing I like most about Fareeda scarves is the clever color combinations used for the different layers.

The next photo is me in the Cosry glitter shawl. Yeah, glitters are in trend at the moment. The material for this one is also easy to shape but it is quite thick and your head would be sweating profusely in the hot and humid Malaysian weather. Besides, the thick material prevents you from clearly hearing what other people are saying, especially if you are wearing the inner scarf too. So, it is not a good idea to wear this shawl to class when you are a lecturer like me. Hahahaha....I was like "eh?" "aaaa?" "what did you say?" "come again?" "pardon?" the whole time when I first wore this kind of shawl to class. I was pretty sure that my students thought that I was handicapped. 

Next, you can see me wearing the hijab style called the hoodie. Bought it from AlHumaira which is a popular online store. Wearing this so called hoodie requires oneself to wear an inner scarf that covers the person's neck so as not to expose it. As you can see, the inner I was wearing is the crossed style one. I think I look better in such inner compared to the normal round ones.

The last photo is me in a red crossed style inner with a long black shawl tied around it. I kind of like the way I look in this hijab style.

So, that's it.....a little explanation about the different hijab styles of a Malaysian Muslim hijabster lady! Hope you have enjoyed reading this post!

Can't think of an interesting title

Hey peeps!

Been ignoring my blog for a long while now. Simply too bored to write. Work has taken a toll on me and my enthusiasm. I dare say that I am not this carefree person anymore. Life was a lot more interesting then. Now I see myself as a boring person. Come'on....I can't even think of what fun things to do anymore on a Saturday like this. Before deciding to take a peek into my blog, I was sitting on my bed (am still), staring at the ceiling, not knowing what I should do. I was supposed to take Fahim out for his swimming lesson but he did not want to go...tired he said. So, here I am....still not knowing what to do that I finally decided to write in my blog.

Oh by the way, I am writing on my iPad. Yes....dear hubby bought it for me right before we went to Australia for the December hols. Loveeeeee the fun time we had in Gold Coast. Wouldn't mind going there again. Took lots of photos but they're in the other laptop or else I would have been able to upload them for you to see.

#%@^&*$#%!!*&*$%^@

ARGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

I am tired of all this CRAP at work!!!
A case of the Monday blues??
Nope, just tired of the freaking stupid system
Why can't my fellow colleagues be more responsible with what they have been entrusted with??
Why should I have to make excuses for their inefficiencies?
Why am I too nice?
Why am I too soft?
I am NOT a leader, damn it!
It was a mistake to give me this freakin' silly post
It was a mistake that I agree to take it up

Oh, and by the way, I DONT FREAKIN' CARE WHAT ANYONE THINKS ANYMORE!

3 weeks and counting

Oh yeah....I am super excited! Like about 3 weeks from today, I will be flying to the USA!!!! Yeehaaaa...I left the country in 1995 and never returned since....so, it has been, what?.. 17 years! And this time around I will be going there to present a paper at a conference. Back then I was there for four years (1991-1995) as a student in University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. The trip this time would be with my dear hubby (if his visa application is approved) and my friend from work who will be presenting a paper at the conference too. So, we will be boarding the flight from KLIA to New York en route to Dallas. We haven't bought the ticket yet but we have somehow searched online for the cheapest airfare. We'd most likely fly on MAS flight to London and from there take a connecting flight to New York. This would be where the fun begins. We'll spend three days in New York sightseeing before flying to Dallas. Then, I intend to shop shop and shop at the factory outlet in Texas....oh, I forgot that I have to present the paper on the 26th....hahahaha......aha! you can tell that my main priority on this trip is definitely not the conference!

Gosh!!! It's been ages!

This has been my longest absence ever from blogging. I am still alive and well, though. Just lost my writing mojo. Been too caught up with work. Found some time to write in my blog today just because I do not have to go to SSP anymore during the weekends during these 2-week school holidays....yeah, the kids are home for the hols and I can finally sit back and relax on my saturdays and sundays. Read the previous post about my trip to the Maldives. Yeah...really had some fun there. Promised to upload photos, didn't I? Well, enjoy these below.

Isn't the place just heavenly? I could simply sit and look at this scenery for hours.

Posing amidst the swaying coconut trees....could I pass for an exotic island chic? hehehe

Of course I had my 'beach boy' with me, to keep me company :)

And what's a holiday without a feast....

and a snorkeling expedition to complete the truly wonderful island getaway

A Maldivian Escapade

Well, here I am.....in a place called Velassaru, Maldives...or should i call it 'Heaven on Earth'??. It is a well deserved break, i must say for both hubby n me, since we hv been too preoccupied with work n the kids n being apart from each other due to work commitments.

So, arrived safe n sound here last night....n only caught a glimpse of the beautiful lagoon/ocean in front of our deluxe bungalow this morning....n no words could describe how I felt about what I saw!....

After breakfast (a huge one....no diet2 at this place!!)...we went snorkeling at the beach right in front of our bungalow. Swam in the sun & sea, amidst colorful fishes, baby sharks, barracudas, stingrays...feasting my eyes on the beautiful coral reefs...what can i say?? Utter bliss! Then we lounged on the sun loungers on the beach, looking out to sea as the minutes go by, as if there's no care or worries in the world....it was just the two of us, at one with nature!!

Wish i could post photos right now, but i dont know just how, using an iphone. So, just enjoy reading this entry...once i get back home, i'll surely upload the photos i took. So, now i'm gonna get back to reading my novel n lazing around all day long!

Greatest mystery of all time

Hmmm.....you know what? I have been blog walking during my free time....hahahaha.....I know, I know.....there are other more important things for me to do ey?!!! (like...doing some reading for my research...hehe...so not in the mood for that at the moment). Anyway, during my 'walks' thru people's blogs....it suddenly dawned on me that I do not have any followers for my blog, unlike the blogs that I read.....they have so many followers!! Isn't that sad? I am pathetic!!......How can I make my blog more interesting eh? I am not like those whose blogs I've been reading....they are good cooks, good photographers too who put up photos and recipes of their food on their blogs that make my mouth water everytime, just looking at the scrumptious delicacies they prepared .... and....I am not one of those people who always have fun things to do and get to tell people about it!! ......

Sad, right? It is the greatest mystery to me.....hahahaha....but then again, here's an evidence of me and my poor cooking skills, which may explain why I do not have blog followers....he he he

Excuse my finger there....now, what say you? Do these look like pizzas to you? Baked them tonight....actually, only the sauce was made from scratch....sausages were boiled first, then cut up into tiny pieces and scattered onto the pizza sauce. The pizza base? Bought ready made from Jusco. Then I sprinkled mozarella cheese on the pizzas like there's no tomorrow....(my kids are such cheese lovers!). Put them in the oven for 20 minutes....and then lo and behold, they were .... burnt!!!!.....However, just the outer layer of the cheese was.....inside, it was still runny gooey...and the taste was ok...The crust? (more like a biscuit to me....ha ha ha), although they were hardened due to the temperature....inside, they were still bread-like. Verdict? Fail!!!!.....Must try again next time until it is perfect.

Anyway, the motive for writing this entry is just to express my wonder why I don't have any blog followers, that's all.....for those who are reading (albeit, silently...) my blog....if there is any out there.....you're more than welcomed to follow me :)

Ouch! Threading is painful!

On a whim, I decided to give threading a go. This crazy spur of the moment thing happened yesterday when I was at the Empire Shopping Gallery with my kids. We went there to buy some toys for Fahim using up the money he saved from his school allowance. He had RM80 in all. So, after buying the toy from Toys r us, we headed to Popular Book Store just because Sarah wanted to buy a workbook for her History class in school. Now.....that was when the crazy idea hit me....you see, right next to the book store is this beauty salon...it has a nice inviting decor and there were no customers at that time.

So, I thought of just asking about their threading services that was advertised at the door. And when this nice indian lady told me that yeah...she could thread my eyebrows, to remove the bushy unruly bits at the end of each eye brow, costing only RM12....I immediately agreed to give it a try. Then i also asked her if she could remove the facial hair above my lips (which has always made me look like I have a moustache.....euwww!!!) and she smiled and said she could remove ALL facial hair at RM50. Now, I didnt wanna spend that much, so she said, she can just remove the hair from my brows and upper lips at the cost of RM20. So, apalagi.....I nodded and asked her to do her MAGIC....he he he.....

And.....tadaaaaaa.......my brows look super "tidy" now like this.....

and I no more look like a man woman.....hahahaha.......

What do yo think? Ha ha ha ha

Anyway, as a first-timer to threading......my God, it was quite painful.....should I give it another go next time? Hmmm....maybe, ONLY after taking a pain killer before.... hahaha

Farhan will be in Pekan

Happy yet sad.

Reason?

Happy - Farhan got to go to a boarding school .... It has been his dream to go to one, although the school that he was offered is not the one he aimed for...But, it is also a good school, nonetheless

Sad - Mama would have to part with her dear darling son....huhuhuhuhu....and Pekan is not near, you know!

I googled on google maps for the map and directions to MRSM Bandar Tun Abdul Razak, Pekan Pahang....and the distance is shocking!! And the travelling time is even more shocking...4 hrs and 53 minutes!!! Take a look below, if you don't believe me!

Shah Alam in Selangor, is on the West Coast of Malaysia and Pekan which is located in the state of Pahang, is wayyyy on the East Coast....coast to coast, man! Oh dear.......what would I do if I miss him terribly....driving there every weekend is not an option! 5 hours one way....return trip would take me 10 hours....and if my hubby is not around, then I would be the only one driving and that would really be taxing on me.

But, I have to let him go......My dear son, I know it's your wish to be in a good school...this is for your future....It is the best center for the MRSM IGCSE (cambridge) program, and mama hope that you'd be the best! And if you do well in your Cambridge exams 4 years from now, you will be sent to the UK to further your studies in either Cambridge or Oxford......and I would really be proud of you....heck! Even now Mama is already so proud of you son!

**Huwaaaaa.....already crying**

A brand new day in a brand new year

Assalamualaikum,

Helloooooooooo 2012!!!! Yes...this is my first entry on a brand new day in a brand new year. Just felt jumping onto the bandwagon after seeing everyone with blogs penning something to herald the new year. Any new year's resolutions for me? Nope....nada!!! To me, you do not need to wait for the new year to have any resolutions, betul tak? Once you decide to do something good for a change, regardless of what time of the year it is, JUST DO IT! Tak payah nak tunggu the new year baru nak change for the better.

But this new day reminds me of the song 2012 by Jay Sean. It is one of my favourite songs, I can tell ya. Love the melody, so take a listen!

"....The end of the world,like it's 2012?..." No, I do not think that the world is gonna end in 2012. As a Muslim, I believe that the big impending signs of the apocalypse have not fully appeared yet. Yeah..., we still got time, but the time we have should be spent wisely to better oneself for the benefit of others.....ultimately, to get Allah's blessings in life and hereafter. Amin!

Meatloaf anyone?

Oh yes.......terasa rajin today bersempena dengan cuti extra Krisma......I cooked meatloaf you!!! Haaa....very the unsangkarable!! Tak percaya???? Tengok ni....hasil kerastangan...eh...airtangan I....

What say you? Haha.....cooked in two loaf pans...see, one was almost gone and we were still eating then. Fahim took the last piece of the first meatloaf....his fourth pieace, you know! And we attacked on the second loaf. Right now bibik is still eating .... probably only half left for dinner! I am sooooo proud of myself. It is a very very rare occassion for me to cook something different for a change....sometimes I am just lazy to think of what new to cook, so, I always end up cooking (ehm ehm....now, bibik lah yang masak mostly) the usual standard malay fare .... nasi, kari, masak lemak, sambal tumis, sayur rebus.

Besides, my oven cooker yang had been broken for the past few months had been restored. So, today was a kinda trial ... to test if the cooker is functioning without any glitches, as guaranteed by the repairman.

I also mashed some potatoes (from scratch, mind you!....not from the box ye....) and boiled some baby carrots, grean beans and asparagus to go with the meatloaf. And for the gravy (also from scratch), I prepared some mushroom gravy which was a bit salty to my liking. Next time, I will remember to use the chicken stock cube more sparingly. So, the result:

Simply marvellous!

Here's the recipe, for those of you who wanna try this dish:

Meatloaf:

1 kg of minced beef

minced onion

cream of mushroom mixture (2 packets)

some salt

2 medium eggs

2/3 cup of fresh milk

1 tblspoon yellow mustard

3 tblspoon brown sugar

3 tblspoon tomato ketchup

Method - mix minced beef, onion, mushroom mix, salt, eggs and milk together in a large bowl. In another bowl, mix mustard, sugar and tomato ketchup together. Then pack the beef mixture tightly into two loaf pans for baking. Before you put the pans in the oven, spread the top of the meatloaf with the mixture of sugar, tomato and mustard. Set the oven temperature to 180 celsius and bake for approximately 1 hour. When ready, cool the meatloaf for 10 minutes before serving.

Mushroom gravy:

2 packets of mushroom soup mix

1 chicken stock cube

1 tblspoon of butter

some minced onions

Method - melt the butter in a saucepan. Add in the onions and cook til soft and brown. In a separate bowl, mix the mushroom soup mix and chicken stock together with boiled water. When the onions are browned, pour in the mushroom mixture and cook til you get your desired consistency.

Mashed potatoes:

2 kg of Idaho potatoes

2 cups of heavy cream

3 tablespoons butter

salt

pepper

Method - peel potatoes. Cut the potatoes into quarters and boil in a pot. Add some salt into the boiling water. Once tender, drain the potatoes. Mash the potatoes. On the stove, cook the butter, add in the heavy cream and stir until everything is melted. Add in pepper. While you are mashing the potatoes, pour the melted cream mixture into the potatoes and hand whip them up til fluffy.

Sarah and her string of As

Hey hey hey.....another happy update from me! Yes.....Alhamdulillah, Sarah aced her PMR!!! 8As!! Congratulations dear gegirl! Mama and Papa are so proud of you.

As always, mamanya was very nervous on the day of the results announcement. We went to Putrajaya first because I had to get my hubby's UPENN scroll and translation endorsed by Wisma Putra (Ministry of Foreign Affairs). The results would be out after 10 am, Sarah found out. So, after the endorsement was obtained, we headed to Pappa Rich in Cyberjaya to have our breakfast (again....hehehehe.....had eaten at home before leaving the house but everyone was hungry again as we had little food in our rush to go to Wisma Putra). By then Sarah found out that the results would only be released after 11 in her school....so, we took our own sweet time 'lepaking' in Pappa Rich until almost 11 before we headed to SSP.

When we got there, we saw nervous looking people (girls and parents alike) waiting anxiously in the hall for the announcement to be made. When finally the Principle and Assistant Principle took to the stage, the hall turned absolutely quiet that you could even hear the sound of a pin drop on the floor, I tell ya.

The Assistant Principle, En. Aziz was given the honor (I suppose) to deliver the results.....he announced the overall achievement.....and where SSP stood in the country's/state's/ all SBP ranks. Everyone was jubilant upon hearing that SSP has beaten SAS (their arch enemy!!!) this time around. Then it was time to announce the individual results.....starting from the top class 3P. En. Aziz told all students from 3P to walk up the stage when the names of those who got straight As are called. Well....you could just hear the cries of joy, whoops and hoorays when each name was called out. Apparently ALL 3P girls got 8As. And then, the moment of truth....3U....the second best class....my daughter's class. You could hear my heart beating fast and me and Sarah were squeezing each other's hand so tight, that time!! My mom who followed too was also looking so anxious! Farhan looked like he was hoping Kakak to get all As like he did in his UPSR. But my boy Fahim....hahahahaha.....looked so like "tak tau" what all this was about.

Anyway, luckily En. Aziz, to ease our suspense, began telling us for 3U....ALL STUDENTS GOT 8As.......And my anxiety dissipated in a flash.....I hugged and kissed Sarah many times and saw my mom's tears of joy swelling in her eyes.....Farhan flashed the biggest smile ever and tapped kakak on her back...and Fahim...hehehe...still look 'lost'...."apa mama? apa mama?" And Sarah.....no words can describe how happy she looked!!!! And then En. Aziz started to call out each girl's names.....what a relief!!! Sarah's name begins with an S....and if En. Aziz had not made the announcement that all got 8As....I would have been in a suspense a whole lot longer...nak sampai ke letter S tu.

Look at Sarah (center in grey baju kurung and tudung) and whose names have been called on stage. She looked so happy!

A group photo of those who got 8As (145 out of 166 students). I could not locate Sarah but later she told me that she was at the back...so, since my daughter is "vertically challenged" like me...he he he....tak nampak lah dia in the photo tu. But if you know who Datuk Seri Rizal Merican is....a 'somebody' in UMNO (sorry la, tak tau exactly what portfolio he holds in UMNO....I don't give a s**t about politics, you know..), then he is the only man you see in the photo....FYI, his daughter Aulia is a third former in SSP and she also got 8As!! So, since Dato's Seri ni is a somebody, people from the media came to the school too....TV3 and NST!! And of course they interviewed his daughter and him. I was kinda hoping that they would interview my daughter too (biasalah.....mama yang over....wishing that the daughter would be in the limelight.......hahahaha) and I asked Sarah to hang around close to the media crew but she refused and left with her good friend Rahmah to go to their classroom. She specifically told me "Mama....I am thankful enough for the 8As.....I don't need to announce to the whole country what I got!!" Hmmmmm....1 Sarah, 0 Mama. Hahahahaha.

So...... 2011 has definitely been good to me....both my kids got straight As in their major exams. And I am truly grateful to Allah for that. Just wished that my hubby was there to share the moment with me both times!

A proud mama

Hi readers!

It's officially my first entry for December. Too much has been happening lately that I just could not find the time to write in my blog! Hahaha....but I would always make the time to read other people's blog!! My method to unwind after a hard day's work! Anyway, just wanna share with you guys the good news that my son Farhan had scored 5As in his UPSR exam. Alhamdulillah.....all the hard work (mama's hahaha.....as always, I take the credit for any of my child's success...hihi) sending him to his many tuition classes etc had paid off.

Yeah....that's him on your far right. Look at him ........ one proud and satisfied looking boy, showing off his results slip! Hmmm.........all these while, before the exam I was always scolding him for not studying....I was not confident that he would get 5As because he would only study when told and itupun....would focus on his work for 15 minutes before leaving the table to take a rest.....and the rest took longer than 15 minutes! Manalah mama tak naik berang!!!! This was always the source of contention between me and him! But I guess he had the last laugh.....and proved me wrong! Sorry dear boy for not 100% believing in you.....I was wrong, i admit it! I guess it was just your way of studying which was different than mine and I should not expect everyone to study the way I did dulu dulu. Huhuhu.

Anyway, his papa, my dear hubby was also proud of him. Asked him what he wanted as a present. And so, hubby bought him this

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His very own laptop!! It's called ALIENWARE by Dell! Cost papa more than RM4K, i tell ya! Huih.....kids nowadays.....they always expect us to buy them all these fancy, techno gizmos that are not cheap, mind you! I remember when I got 5As dulu, my dad only took me and the whole family out to eat KFC je!!

Nasib baik laaaa papa awak kerja kat Arab Saudi nak oiiiii.....

After 21 years

21 years after that tearful day at TKC, we met again. Yes, I am talking about last Sunday, 13/11/11, where me and 9 other former 5Sians from TKC met .... sort of a 'jejak-kasih' moment there, you guys. Thanks to Shelly, who invited us to attend her wedding ceremony at Hotel Singgahsana in PJ, we managed to make it a more memorable night with a reunion of sorts for us.

Shelly had assigned us TKCians and respective husbands to sit at two tables, arranged side by side....and we (more precisely, my other friends) persuaded the husbands to sit at one table while us ladies sat at the other table......so as to make it easier for us to talk and catch up after all these years. As usual, the questions asked around the table would be.....

1. Berapa orang anak you dah?

2. Kerja kat mana?

3. Duduk kat mana?

4. Eldest child dah besar mana?

And of course....comments or remarks such as...

1. Eh.....pasai apa dah besar?

2. .....wow! still maintain....macam anak dara.....(HAHAHAHA...this one was directed at me....hehehe...a vain moment there for me)

3. Jeles kat u sebab anak2 u dah besar (haha....also directed at me)

4. Should we call u DOCTOR? (again, at me!!!)

And of course we also reminisced all the fun things that we did back then.

Then, came the camwhoring session........(the very reason I bought a new outfit and dinner bag...heheh).....Enjoy the photos below ya!

This is me and my best friend Shina back in those days. Dulu we were both nerds. We had big spectacles and Shina was chubbier than now. Of course we were the 'short' ones too. Now, it seems I have grown taller than her........not really, i wore kasut tinggi lah!! She is now an Accounts Manager at Toyota, Shah Alam. Anak 3. Also got married early like me....so, her eldest is already 14.

And we each brought a son to the wedding ceremony, to replace our husbands who couldnt be at our sides. My Fahim is the one on the right, while hers (Shakir) is the other.....guess who is older? Mine....Fahim is 9 while Shakir is 11, kecil comel....but very bright and hilarious too. They enjoyed each other's company. And both of them became our cameraman for the night...hahahaha!!!

Hahaha...finally, presenting the bride and groom....Shelly and Hanif. Shelly our ex-class mate is now a somebody at the Ministry of Education......very lucky for me coz ada lah cable besar to ask for favors masukkan anak into boarding school??? Naahhh....she's actually in charge of sekolah harian....too bad! Did not have a chance to borak with her as she was very2 busy.....yelah, Raja Sehari lah katakan...so, am still wondering what her husband does......especially that I have seen her husband in an advertisement of Open University on the billboards around Klang Valley.....hmmm.....very curious as to what his profession is...a model? a lecturer?

We finally had the opportunity to steal the happy couple away from the other guests!! Look at me....what a coincidence that my outfit colour is the same as theirs hahaha...great minds think alike??

Found this photo to be kinda funny....especially Lin (in black jubah and tudung...she's pregnant by the way, with her 5th child.....salute oooo)...and Dahl too....I suppose something to their left must have caught their attention...And there's Fizzie with her son Wais on her lap.....she was the one who introduced me to her maid agent and thanks to her, I got my current maid after a week.

Yeah...that's us (9 of us, minus Shelly who was busy meeting the guests in the hall). From left to right, front row...introducing.....Ila, Eny, Dahl, yours truly, Shina, and Dina (with her adorable daughter Iman). Back row.....Elid, Fizzie and Lin. There were actually 25 of us in 5S...now only 24 remaining as one of us (Hifzana) has gone back to the Creator, many2 years ago after a fatal car accident in the US during her university days.....alfatihah buat arwah. The others did not turn up due to prior commitments and there are still many of us whose whereabouts could not be traced......but thank Allah for Facebook....the 10 of us managed to get back in touch after all these years.

21 years seems so long ago, but at the wedding on Sunday, it sure felt like it was just yesterday that we were there sitting in the classroom, enjoying life to the max, with no cares or worries in the world. Sigh.....I sure long for those days again!!!

Kambing korban

First and foremost, I'd like to wish everyone "selamat hari raya aidil-adha"!!! Hahaha....it's already a day after eid, but better late than never wish at all, huh?! Nothing much to tell, really. The raya celebration this time was a quiet and a small scale affair as I was the only one among all my siblings to have gone home to Ipoh to celebrate with the parents. Me and the kids stayed there for only one night though, as Sarah had to go back to her boarding school on Monday. So, we headed back to Shah Alam on the evening of first day Raya (Sunday) .... a good thing too as the traffic on the road was very smooth, unlike on Saturday. I guess everyone else was still in their respective hometowns and would only head back to the city on Monday.

Mom and Dad were super-duper busy. Mom woke up at 4 am Sunday morning to prepare the dish she planned to bring to the surau, to serve those who were tasked to perform the korban. Dad told me that the surau this time would slaughter 3 cows, and Dad took one share of the korban, this year. So, while the men were busy performing the korban, the women were busy in their homes, preparing dishes to bring to the surau at 11 am for the potluck cum raya celebration for the Taman Golf muslim community. Luckily I have a maid now and my mom got her to help instead of me. Hehehehe....and so, I got my beauty sleep lah.

Bangun-bangun je, I saw all the food prepared by mom was ready. Salute lah my mom....you know, she cooked rendang ayam (to be eaten with lemang that my dad bought the previous night), masak tempoyak, dalca daging, and ayam goreng. So, you see....all I had to do that morning was just eat and eat and eat. But I did help her lah. I was assigned to transport all the dishes to the surau in my old faithful NazaRia. And mind you....the food was cooked in bigperiuks you know. I really felt like I was operating a food catering business pulak!

Anyway, my hubby all the way in Jubail called me up this morning to tell me that he has taken up two shares of the korban in Jubail. Since cows are not common in Saudi Arabia (seriously, I never did see cows roaming in the plains there.... only camels, goats, and sheep...I did not see any cow meat in sight pun during my trips to the wet market), the korban was made in the form of goats. So, my hubby bought two goats to be sacrificed...one for Fahim, and another for Farhan. And he e-mailed this photos to me just now........well, enjoy the photos below....but let me warn you, they are not for the faint-hearted ya!.....

Yeah....enjoying the gruesome, bloody scene everyone? Urgghhhh....I am so glad I was not there to see that.

Another one?

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And another one below showing the goat was being skinned

Hmmm....quite a big goat I must say. Perfect for the BBQ! Oohhhh....I am salivating already! Aisey, makes me wanna eat lamb kabsah lah pulak esok!

What? kursus? again?

This entry is typed real-time as I am travelling by bus from Melaka back to Shah Alam. Feeling sooooo sleepy and tired but could not sleep however hard I tried. I am just too excited to get back home as I have had a mind-cracking workshop session on the review of ISO procedures for the faculty. I spent 3 days and 2 nights there, making Hotel Seri Malaysia, Ayer Keroh, my home away from home these few days. So, tinggallah my children in the guardianship of their atuk and opah. And from the phone conversations I had with Farhan and Fahim, they appeared to be having the time of their lives without mama breathing down on their necks and nagging at them every second. Huh! I am a tiger mom, if you must know!

Anyway, the workshop was very2 tiring. There were 30 procedures to be presented, with emphasis on the changes and additions made to the existing procedures. I was supposed to present 1 procedure, O (01) Promosi Program ,as I am currently the Coordinator of Corporate Communications for the faculty. However, since the Deputy Registrar could not come due to prior commitments, the other team members had to present the relevant procedures under his portfolio…and there were 5 under his belt, mind you. So, in addition to mine, I had to present two more. You know, if I had not gotten my phd, I would have chickened out and bolted straight out the door on the thought of having to speak in public…..I do not have any worries about speaking in front of my students as I know that I have the upper hand on the subject matter but on other matters and in front of work colleagues and my superiors, I would normally feel nervous as I admit that I have terribly low confidence and am afraid of being ridiculed by others. But Alhamdulillah, since getting my phd, I am quite used to speaking in public and especially now that I am in charge of corporate communications, insyaAllah, no more butterflies in the tummy. Unfortunately, I forgot to ask someone to snap a photo of me during my presentation sessions….so, just enjoy these photos snapped in the discussion room , ok!

Ha.....evidence, people, evidence.....pergi kursus okey! Not holidaying! Even we got a surprise visit .... more like a "SPOT CHECK"...hehehe... by who else? none other than our Dato' VC...Dato' Prof Dr Sahol!!!

Hahaha...tengok our Dean, Prof Mala, tersipu-sipu di sebelah, clad in orange shirt and black pants tu. Actually, Dato' happened to have a function at UiTM Alor Gajah on Friday and his entourage stopped by Hotel Seri Malaysia for a quick breakfast first before heading to wherever it was they were supposed to go. And, of course he knew we were having a workshop here (since he had to give his approval for any activities held outside Shah Alam) and so, he paid us a surprise visit....ngeh ngeh ngeh.

This photo was taken last night I think as one of the participants was presenting the review she did on one of the procedures...too small here, can't recall who it was there. The sessions lasted late into the night. For two nights in a row, we left the discussion room at 11.30 pm. And the afternoon sessions were held straight to 6.30 pm. I stayed til 7 in the evening so that I could use the laptop and printer to print out the completed procedures. So, you can imagine how exhausting the workshop was. This morning when I woke up, my shoulder blades and the back of my neck were aching (they still are)…….signs of too much time spent sitting down in front of the laptop lah tu. Will try to go for a massage once I reach Shah Alam.

As for the hotel, boleh lah….the ambience was comfortable enough during my stay there. The food was good….quite a large spread for the buffets, morning, lunch and dinner. And there’s a swimming pool too. Even though the room was a bit small, I was satisfied. Here are some of the pictures taken of the hotel.

I roomed up with Dr Hadijah, the Coordinator of Quality, and of course the chairman of the workshop. A very nice lady, she’s two years older than me and she obtained her phd one year earlier than me. So, you can consider that she’s seangkatan as me lah…..the seniors say that we are the barisan pelapis for the faculty as many of them are in their late 40s and early 50s. So, time for retiring is on the horizon! I don’t know, it is scary to think that one day we the ‘young ones’ would one day be relied upon to head the faculty’s managmement…..I seriously think I am not cut out for it, but Dr Hadijah certainly is capable. I was awed by her speeches…her Malay is superb…..she has skills in arranging words that boost our spirit, that lady! And her English is good too….only her Japanese is a bit berhabuk (according to her)….oh yes, she did her degree, masters and phd in Japan. Muka pun dah macam Jepun, you! Kekekekeh.

So, after the closing ceremony and lunch, we waited for the bus to come and take us home……*I am coming home….coming home….tell the world, I am coming home*…cewahhh…..lagu P Diddy feat Skylar Grey, playing in my head….but alas, Kak Nani, one of the admin staff who followed, told us she received a call from the bus driver telling us BAS ROSAK!!!! Huhuhuhuhuhuhu……the bus company (company Rengit) was sending another bus to pick us up….and you know what bus??? BAS SEKOLAH…….hahahaha…..pensyarah2 naik bas sekolah,kelakau je (baru balik dari Melaka, so, cakap pun tukar slang Melaka sat)….dah la tu bila sampai, besau pulak tu…hihihihi! There were just 8 of us (the rest went home on their own, semua hubby datang fetch…huhuhu)……in a huge yellow bus. Nasib baik the bus driver is pleasant (unlike the one who took us to Melaka the other day) and offered to stop at R&R Ayer Keroh for us to shop for some tit bits to bring home.

So, apa lagi……Azlina, pantang dengar the word 'shop'…..borong sakan!!! Look at the things I bought in this photo

kerepek, keropok, biskut kelapa....

and of course, nobody would ever fail to purchase 'belacan' while in Melaka

Hehehe, pompuan!!….I am sure my hubby geleng kepala if he were to see the things I bought ni…but sayang, if you’re reading this, they’re just food….something that will not go to waste.

Hmmm, where am I now, I wonder??……looks like the bus is nearing the Nilai interchange. I am feeling nauseated already, certainly not a good idea to write in a moving bus. I’d better sign off now before I barf!!! Adios!

Convo Fever

It is the time of the year again, where UiTM graduates would get their scrolls ... which also means that us lecturers would be sitting on stage to witness the ceremony for a FULL FOUR HOUR 'mengeraskan vontot' session!!! Haih! My turn to do so would be this coming Tuesday afternoon from 1 til 5. Gosh! I should go for an urut session before and after the event don't I?? Hehehe. Anyway, while other lecturers are mostly lucky to have been assigned for only 1 session, I was quite unlucky as to have been requested by the Office of International Affairs (OIA) to be part of their liason for embassy committee!!! Huhuhuhuhu...this means that I had to be at the convocation opening ceremony previous Wednesday to greet, usher and basically chaperone the ambassadors who are attending the ceremony......or in other words, be a balaci laaaaa!!!

So, there I was last Wednesday, waiting to greet the Afghanistan ambassador (others involved were assigned to other ambassadors or reps from countries like Pakistan, Ireland, Maldives, Nigeria, Yemen, Senegal, Russia, Morocco, to name a few). I was dressed in a three piece pant suit as directed by the OIA and that was a mistake I tell you as it was quite a hot day. I was perspiring like mad while waiting for the ambassador's arrival outside. Other lecturers, Dr Arnis and Dr Rozana, from Applied Science faculty were smart as they refused to wear the suit but wore their baju kurungs instead (..hmmm...I ni kan lurus bendul). Anyway, the ambassadors were mostly late and we were already having butterflies in our tummies coz we would not know what to do if their arrivals coincided with his Majesty the King's arrival!! Tak ke haru if that were to happen. Nak bawa masuk ke kiri ke or ke kanan as the King would definitely walk on the red carpet at the center...and we were afraid if we did not follow the protocol...haiyooo...

Alas, my ambassador did not come.....jenuh I waited! After many attempts to call the ambassador's driver, he finally answered the phone telling me that his excellency would not be coming after all. Wasted a lot of my sweat je lah! So, I thought I could go run scot-free back to my office but of course Dr Hayati (director of OIA) asked me to help the others out....takda chance nak escape punye!!! So, there I was stuck in Dewan Agong Tunku Canselor (DATC) for avontot cramming 4 hour session! Huhuhu...Nasib baik Dr Noryati was also one of the liasons so it was not so boring as I had her to chat with!

Hmmmm....what good thing came out of this experience???..other than getting a 'buns of steel'...yeah...literally....my vontot felt keras like a steel, after that, I tell ya!......The good thing was I got to feast my eyes on the Agong whom I must say is one of the most dashing royalty in the country's history...ngeh ngeh ngeh....and his consort (who is my age, by the way) is so beautiful....his majesty is so lucky to have her as his wife. I tried to take some photos of them, though, but all I could manage to snap were just glimpses of them as they were entering the hall and one of His Majesty on the stage (yelah....guna I-phone camera je kan). So, layan these pictures below.....

Ha ha ha...kan I dah kata....you can just catch a glimpse of the royalties....in this photo, the Queen....yang bertudung cream tu...

And now for His Majesty the King of Malaysia....

Pun nampak just the head (donning the songkok), if you can see in this photo above.....And some of the foreign delegates (closest to you in this photo)

Ok...ok...I have a slightly clearer vision of the King in the next photo where he was on stage.

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of course....yours truly, posing outside the hall, waiting for the ambassadors' arrivals...On the left is Dr Arnis (sweet kan? and rich too coz I saw her driving a BMW-5 series) and in the center is Dr Rozana (who is the Timbalan Dekan Akademik of Applied Science faculty who also happens to be Dr Hayati Dahan's younger sister). Notice something in the picture???? How short I am.. as compared to the both of them....Huwaaa...itulah, kecik-kecik taknak minum susu and makan makanan banyak protein!!!

Oh, and one more pose for the camera in the hall

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Oh yeah....hahaha...dengan bangganya....tayang pas....Evidence, people, evidence!!

Hip Hip Hoorayyyyyyyyyyyy

I am sooooooooooo happyyyyyyy, I can sing and dance and do whatever I want......

Why???? MY MAID IS HERE!!!!!! Oh yeah.........

Now I can do this

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( SPA TIME!!!!)

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chill after work...

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(STARBUCKS, HERE I COME!!!)

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JUST HOPE I DON'T TURN INTO THIS LAH...MUAHAHAHAHAHA

Alhamdulillah, Allah has answered my prayers!!!

Cranky me

I have never been as cranky as I was today. What else, I was angry at the kids lah. It all began in the morning when I noticed that Fahim was not studying but was watching tv. I was busy sweeping and mopping the floor (yes....you guessed it right, tak nampak bayangan batang hidung maid ku lagiiii) and i expected Fahim to know what he was supposed to do as his exam is just around the corner. And so began my membebel episode! To make matters worse, as I was still mopping the floor, it started to rain....no warning, no nothing, it just poured down...and there went my mop flying to the ground as I scrambled for my door key to bring the clothes in. I had just hung them out to dry like an hour before!! And being the clumsy me, some of the clothes fell onto the porch floor and got filthy again....Haih!!!

When it was time for me to dress up to go visit Sarah, I realized that the scarf that I had already ironed did not cover my shoulder and chest 100%....and I was already late! So, I just grabbed another tudung and wore it, ironed or not!! On the way to Cyberjaya, I dropped by at JM Bariani to pack some lunch for Sarah, the boys and I. I asked Farhan to order the food while I waited in the car...I gave him specific instructions before he went into the restaurant. Not long after, he came back in and asked me what he was supposed to do as he wasn't sure who to place the order with. At that time the car I was blocking was backing out and in my panic (oh yes....I am so kalut!!) I shouted at Farhan and told him to close the door and to not bother ordering any more.....pfffffttttt! Marah betul I coz he could'nt even do simple things as to order food!! And he is TWELVE years old, mind you!

And so, in the pouring rain, thunder and lightning, we sped off to Cyberjaya especially since we were very2 late! I did promise Sarah to be there by 1 pm but it was already 15 past 1 when we were at JM Bariani area, in seksyen 7, Shah Alam. So, hujan tak hujan, I sped like crazy......fuming mad because I haven't even got the food I was supposed to bring. And in my frustration with Farhan, some harsh words slipped off my tongue...and it made Farhan cry. And now, I wish I hadn't said those things to him.

In the end, I stopped by Saba Restaurant in Cyberjaya to buy kabsah instead.....the place was as usual, teeming with people. Luckily the wait this time was bearable. It was already past 2 pm when we pulled into SSP and Sarah looked so pissed off with me. And that got me going angry again. So, I admonished her, telling her "It is OK for me to be late as I am late for valid reasons...but it is not OK for you to be late coming down to see me because your reason for being late has always been because you either overslept or some other silly reasons!!! Wipe that angry look off your face or else I am leaving this instant!" Haaaaa.....garang nya I kan? So, you see....all my 3 children dah kena marah today!!!

I finally stopped being such a tiger mom malam tadi....so, mood bergambar pun datang lagi. Snapped this photo of us enjoying dinner at HOMST Chinese Muslim Restaurant in Section 13, Shah Alam. Had dinner there soon after the kids finished their swimming lesson at Kelab Shah Alam. Our table was located next to the mirrored wall and I was tickled when I saw Fahim was looking at his reflection in the mirror while eating. Alahai anak mama pun vain juga!! keh keh keh.

I wish I had not been so harsh today....But I know the real reason for my crankiness....Huwaaaaa....semua sebab I have no maid yet!! Ya Allah, please please let my new maid arrive soon!!! I am now officially allergic to the word "delay" and "passport". And I can't stand being this cranky anymore. It is taking a toll on my children, and also, the quality of my work has greatly been affected. I don't do much reading nowadays. I hardly even have the time to read the newspaper that is delivered to my house everyday. Farhan even said, " Mama....I bet the news for tomorrow are already being printed and you are only starting to read the newspaper"...Yes...I manage to glance the headlines only when I was about to go to bed and that is usually past midnite!! (Kesian I...baca cerita basi!)

Anyway, kids, if you're reading this....Mama is terribly terribly sorry for being such a terrible mother lately.....Please forgive me, I'll try to get a grip of myself and be more patient, insyaAllah. And let us pray that by next week our much awaited maid would finally arrive as promised. Amin!