The Hesitant Blogger

Back from writer's block

2010-06-30T00:48:00.000-07:00

(SEDCO sports 4x100 relay)

(Family portrait at Nexus)

(SBPS silver Jubilee)

(Tawau Juara Rakyat)

(Yesterday at Majlis Tilawah Quran Peringkat Nasional)

My finger's froze for a full minute on this keyboard wondering how to start..many great moments and thoughts to share..new discoveries..lesson learnt..sights seen..but it will come naturally..so for now..I am just simply thankful that I am still here, still smiling, well, happy, a little wiser, a little foolish and basically enjoying life.

Farm-filled New Year!!

2010-01-03T19:56:00.000-08:00

Had a fantastic family road trip to Keningau..a convoy via Tambunan Road,singgah sebentar and let the kids loose at the lake to feed the giagantic fishes and do some boat paddling. Ada yang mandi sungai lagi and run ulang-alik across the jambatan gantung. Highlight of the trip to Keningau is to visit Datuk Yap's cattle farm and we like to call it his mini zoo..and the story goes in random order..

1st stop upon arrival..this is a newborn calf birthday 31st Dec 2009.
Bersih kan and the cows are so disciplined..
Fresh milk for the calves..
The largest cattle farm in the country..so clean!
That nite after dinner we gave these birthday boy n girl a surprise cake brought all the way from KK..birthday 2nd Jan..
Our dinner was hosted by the most accommodating Datuk Yap at his home, sup gear box, sate segala macam, grilled beef, kelapa pandan, bubur yam..
The next day we went to his "backyard" see the ostriches..<
Fed his deers..<a

And checked out the kambings..

Budak-budak had a great time..

Ohana

2009-12-26T10:07:00.000-08:00

This festive holiday season, our family went for a highland gathering. I'm so thankful for a wonderful family.

Fly away...

2009-12-26T10:03:00.000-08:00

This coming new year..let all the bad, negative things be left behind..

My Indulgence

2009-12-13T01:31:00.000-08:00

Just started to read again...one of my greatest hobbies when i used to have all the time in the world..must make time for myself to escape and breathe..and reward myself with something that i love to do. Becoming a wife and a mother, it is normal to give all your time and priority to keep a good family and home. But we must also not lose ourselves, and take care of our own..be a little bit selfish and not feel guilty about it. I think, at least by doing so, it will keep us from losing our sense of humour, keceriaan and the youth we use to have/feel inside...wonder how long it will take me to finish this though..

Old fashion comfort food

2009-12-12T21:29:00.000-08:00

Cousin of hubby just got engaged last weekend but I had to stay at home and miss these traditionally home cooked kuih..my favourites!!

The experts cooking over bara api under the pokok ciku at the backyard..
Bingka ubi kentang under way...
Wrapped with banana leaf to keep its frangrance
Wajid/wajik durian ohhhhh myyyyy......
Kueh bahulu nyumm..
I'd sure want to learn this complicated art, original way of baking my favourite kuehs..

Ever after

2009-12-11T05:08:00.000-08:00

Welcome December...the month of weddings, baubles, and lots of merry making..

It is also the month where most parents will have headaches to find baby sitters and holiday plans to bring their hyper kids to the many places of interests..cuti-cuti Malaysia.

Recently went to a friends wedding at Magellan, the groom is one of KK's top sound n lights supplier. As expected his reception was a grand affair..with laser shows, smoke effects, confetti canons, multimedia show and the whole shebang..I especially like the cloth covered ceiling, Arabian tent like.

Annual Year End Ceremonies

2009-11-27T18:58:00.000-08:00

Most proud moments for parents to see their children on stage..tidak kiralah whether to receive Top Students awards or just to perform their colourful dances..

It never fails to amaze me how the teachers can keep the mass in order and follow orders..but at home these kids seems to be deaf to the word NO! Kids will always be kids...

Progress

2009-11-14T07:07:00.000-08:00

Feel like I'm stuck in a rut..perlu kemajuan..need to have better focus career wise and to indulge in my many passion thus need to make more money...make money doing things that I love.

My Joy..this one is progressing in full force

This boy punya cepat suda progress from his brand new drum set to guitar..now his new recruit on drums..

My Ariff is Two!

2009-11-11T00:32:00.000-08:00

Can't believe it's already two years since...
Day one..
Nabil also celebrating his 4th birthday with his must have Ultraman cake..
Choc Cupcakes made by my S.I.L..
Berabis di kerjakan...
Sudah lama bergendang tin biskut n tupperware he finally got his 1st drum set..and already jamming with his Granpas
Everyday before going and coming back from nursery sampai lah bedtime, we'll be sure to find him here..

Oodles of Noodles

2009-10-29T01:16:00.000-07:00

Lunching with hubs at this coffeshop near house..in much need of soup after a crazy day yesterday..throbbing head..tapi sempat lagi took these pix..
Sup ikan..

House special fish cake
I particularly adore this..nicely organized..nostalgic

Breaking ground

2009-10-29T01:00:00.000-07:00

Spent 4 days going back n forth the cowboy town to get the "ground broken" for one of our office projects..it was soooo hot n humid but we had some delights as well.
DURIANSS..
Warm hospitality..not to mention very sedap homecooked lunch at our colleague's aunt's house..
And after an exhausting day reached home at 8.00pm and all the penat just melted when my angels greeted me..Mummy did you miss me..

White & Blue Wedding

2009-10-25T08:55:00.000-07:00

Sun 25th Oct 2009, we were invited to Aziz and Vina's wedding reception. I like the colour combination of white and baby blue theme..The couple has been together for 9 years and finally tied the knot. The emcee pandai mengawal majlis and berbunga bahasa and it was a nice surprise to find out she was a friend of mine... The host have planned the party well, they had cultural and singing performances intervals, classy decor and music yang syok and paling penting the food was not late.

Ariff had good fun playing chopsticks drum and gobbling up the muruku..culture shocked dia nampak the Murut warriors..
Wedding favour
Aziz's high school chums..tu yang sebelah kanan Aziz is next! Tapi bila?
Congrats Aziz n Vina..semoga jodoh mendapat berkat dan kekal ke akhir hayat..

Ben's 1st Colouring Contest

2009-10-24T21:06:00.000-07:00

Sat 24th October, 2009...Eon Bank Jln. Gaya. Ben's class teacher wanted to enter Benjy in the bank's colouring contest for kids of 5yrs. So Ben was the last to arrive and datang koboi saja bawa colouring set saja while the rest looked so professional with their own table and chairs, glove, sapu tangan and extensive colour set. Dengan rilek si Ben sat on the floor and Nabil insisted to share the spot with him..saja menyibuk.

After time up, the bank staff organised two games to occupy the kids while the judges deliberated. Nabil yang paling kicik kemain lagi join. Poison ball..and Nabil got 1st place (last man standing heheheh)..

Bawa bola ping pong pakai sudu...awal lagi suda fail.
And the winner is....Ben got 2nd place but he insisted he got 1st coz his trophy said 1st Runner Up..mana-mana sajalah Ben..his Dad was most proud sebab betul-betul tidak sangka Ben could beat budak'budak pro yang ambil art classes..Ben's reaction: selamba..heheh

Hari Taska

2009-10-24T20:54:00.000-07:00

Fri 23rd October, 2009..Putra Ballroom Nabil's 1st concert..everyone was excited to see the shy Nabil perform his tarian Melayu..we've seen him practise many times at home so tonight will be the his big night. 20 perfromances from Taska children all over KK will perform their dances and Nabil's turn is the 15th slot.

This cute Unduk Ngadau was trying to get Nabil's attention, balik-balik limpas depan our table and jeling si Nabil. Finally I asked Nabil to take pix with her and made her day hahahah..
Lalang...si paku lalang..dia lah yang paling damit

Comfort food

2009-10-24T20:41:00.000-07:00

Warm fluffy halal chinese style pau...this was the 1st I encountered buttermilk pau. Nice. Must grab also sardine pau..these few days I'm gonna spend in Membakut I'll sure stuff myself silly with these pau.

Dulu-dulu

2009-10-18T09:31:00.000-07:00

Remember these kedai runcit favourites back when...hubs found 'em at Kg. Ketiau kedai runcit and we were like two budak sekolah in glee makan biskut cap King Kong and main pistol..tapi sayangnya the api tidak kuar..Si Nabil yang menghabiskan biskut ni.
It's nice to find these things that was so much part of our childhood...teringat masa carefree days dulu..

Rotating Lunch

2009-10-16T08:11:00.000-07:00

Oh just had a nice lunch with the girls..hosted by the lovely Ms. B. We used to work together at the 7th-windowless-floor of a well-known hotel in KK.
Chatty, loud, beketawaan mcm we own dat place..
I had this Udang Goreng Sambal..the prawn was a tad over cooked..taste was oklah..
Ms. S just had this salad..diet konon coz she's aging and had to wear a size bigger than usual heheh, tapi dia ngap juga udang si Ms. F..
Ms. F punya Penne Salad..yg di background tu is doing her sexy pout look..
My Seafood chowder..
The house signature drink..ingredients..serai, lychee, gula melaka & soda water..
Pening-pening lalat oredy..

Di Puncak Borneo

2009-10-16T06:37:00.000-07:00

Last Tuesday I went on a fam trip to one of our co's premises..a local entreprenuer has turned it into a rustic resort beautifully located at the slopes on the way to Kinabalu Park..it started full operation June this year and has since been receiving encouraging guests arrivals to its doors.

The reception lobby down there..
The walkway towards restaurant and rooms..
I'm particularly smitten by this traditional looking lanai (mcm anjung, they've made this into a recreation room)..u can sit while reading or playing board games sambil gazing out to the mountain valley..
Dorm..comfy..got heater some more..dont think u'd find it anywhere else around this neighbourhood..and it also has it's own kitchen..how thoughful..for the very budget traveller..
Superior room..cheapest after the dorms that is..it was a nice surprise to see a modern designed comfortable room when i opened the door..was expecting the typical cabin like rooms with more wooden furniture..and i like the splash of lime green duvet..so ceria..
This is the executive room if nda silap..
Koi n carp pond..the pandan is absorbing the dirt in the kolam..
with the boss of Puncak Borneo En. Abu Bakar n wife..
Another nice place to stay if anyone is heading to Kundasang or Natinal Park..

Singapore Fling pt. 2

2009-10-11T10:42:00.000-07:00

Went on the Singapore Flyer..
Sakai lagi..this is the Esplanade Mall food court, Library themed and the many many stalls offers food from all over the world..we had a superdeliscous egg & onion prata and cheese & onion prata..
Must do..river cruise..took Singapore 10 years to clean their river and truly teda sampah yg terapung and masa limpas bawah jembatan pun no graffitti or sawang yg keliatan okay..
Tadaa!! at Clarke Quay is Asia's 1st Hooters..tapi inda juga basar kan hooties dia hehehe payah2 lagi mau dipanggil berposing cheh..tetiba aku teringat the radio program Hut Hut Burung Pungguk..hahaha ada pernah dengar kawan2??
After lunch on day 2 we saw Stomp..mcm concert tapi suma pun bergendang sja..two thumbs up for STOMP! They use kotak mancis, plastik, penyapu, tong sampah, newspaper, pasir, singki, beladar, paip and hentak2 kaki all in perfect unison and rentak..
di perkarangan Esplanade tu ada mcm2 lagi gigs, mini concert Art displays..and ramai yg lepak2 santai..it's located di tepi sungai..so relaxing..and tidak boring
I had this so sedap Soft-Shell crab masak black pepper at Colours at the Bay
The Formula 1 race track..still dismantling..
Since we've missed the Great Singapore Sale so pembelian pun tak banyak...ada lah skit2 souvies for our babysitters, 2 dresses, 1 love-at-1st-whiff perfume, 1 t-shirt..kuat iman ku kali ni heheh (coverline excuse)..
A few small incidents dat made our trip more colourful:..electricity breakdown at our hotel few minutes after check in (I tot KK sja yg malar teda karren), our Hippo Tour bus driver almost got into a fight with a man who blocked the road with his lorry in Chinatown (he banged our bus woh), I forgot to pack my jeans and the only pants I had, kena spilled tea while on the plane to Singapore, it rained half way on the double decker bus jadi basah la skit..

Singapore Fling pt. 1

2009-10-11T09:19:00.001-07:00

Last Friday was the start of our weekend whirlwind honeymoon and my feet is still feeling the hangover...the 30 min reflex massage is just not sufficient. Came back Sunday. I like Singapore. It's so clean and safe, the whole country's infra and facilities are well maintained, the people are so civilised ie: they cue to wait for the toilet, they wait for the pedestrian light, they let other passengers to alight the train before rushing in (no pushing), no sampah pendek cerita aman lah perasaan ku bila berjalan2 disana.

This trip has been postponed since the start of the H1N1 outbreak, we must travel before 31st Oct or else. So initial plan to go with the kids turned into our Singapore Fling. Bagus jugalah..we need the break. The kids were having a blast at their nenek's..
The pictorial is in random order..

One of my "terpaksa visit"..BMW showroom the largest in south east asia and yes they can gloat..very changgeh la, the building itself is 6 floors high and sepanjang-panjang jalan disana was for luxury and regular car showrooms..(we only saw ONE proton on the road until we flew back)..note to hubs: I book this one ah..
Kalau di sini..within minutes babai gaman suda beskal2 ni..
My first meal upon arriving, the must try Hainanese chicken rice. This one is at Killiney's Kopitiam (no pork no lard)..nice but the herbal soup too salty and the chilli can be improved.
Ahah! This is on my MUST MAKAN list..the famous Singapore Chilli Crab (Sri Lankan crab kalu masih hidup). My good friend recommend to try the one at No Signboard but they also serve the "gajah pendek" there so frust lah I pada mulanya. Then hubs pun bawalah ke Boat Quay where all along the riverbank was seafood restaurant serving mouth-watering menu..and just look at the size of the smallest crab! Offer suda ni S$30/kg.

One of the stops for the river Cruise..Clarke Quay is at the opposite side of Boat Quay and this side pulak is lined with beautiful colourful buildins that houses many different concepts of pubs and resto..happening lahWe had Turkish Ice Cream..sot-sot pakcik jual eskrim ni suma customer dia kasi tricks..
I ate this everyday..the Old Chang Kee Curry 'O the pastry is crunchy not flaky and a surprise inside..in the middle of the typical potato and beef curry is a slice of hard boiled egg..and I also like the deep fried sotong on a stick
On our 1st night we were frustrated coz the Hard rock Cafe was closed for private function..so we went to this place Howl At The Moon just near our hotel..HAPPENING! See the two pianos?? They do Piano Duelling (mcm two pianist challenging kehebatan in the same song) and they also do stand up comic..plus I didn't smell like an ashtray when we left..definitely cool
It was really pleasant just strolling along the Orchard St..day and night..beautifully dressed people all the time and yg kami heran there were just so many people walking even at midnight..we happened to pass by this private function..I dream of organizing an event this exclusive..this was a gigantic tent set up and inside it looked like an amazing jewellery galleria with opulent chandelliers. I like!
Kesian bah kami ada jakun skit when we stumbled onto this underpass..right below the building behind me was a whole diferent world of shopping space, they call it a multi-sensory mall the ION Orchard ntah ke apa lupa suda..sampai ke sini bah idea dorang, no more darat..under-darat lagi kena explore.
Oops ehem..yes we went inside..no we didn't buy anything

1 Syawal 1430H...

2009-09-30T20:14:00.000-07:00

Back from the non-stop gastronomical fiesta..as per tradition, 1st day will be to gather at hubs Granma's at Tmn. BDC wer cucu cicit suma datang berkumpul lepas solat Aidilfitri and then off to the other Nenek's house in Tg. Aru..after that off we head to Papar, my side of the family.

Sengsara rimas my boys dengan baju cekak musang..but they were sporting enuf to endure this until the day was over. My favourite place to hang out at hubs Nenek's house in Kg. Tg. Aru.
Ini di rumah Nenek Itam punya dapur. I just know that this hole on the floor has been there since donkey years..ini favourite spot for kids to subuk ikan bawah kulung..i learned from Benjy that day that a catfish's mouth is square..hmm
Kg. Takis beauties heheheh..favourite aunt and she can cook anything under the sun and you are guaranteed to have a second or more helpings.
This is at Tok's hse at Tmn. BDC, the cousins photo session..saya pula yg sesat cousin in-law di sini..
Meet Pak Hussin and family..(Uncle Hussin to others)
Ariff is verrry attached and manja berabis to my mum..good for me and not for her heheheh i can makan puas-puas..

All in all, This year Raya is a bit subdued (if you can say that)..coz Raya eve, Ariff had fever, 2nd Raya it hit Nabil pulak and then Friday Benjy pulak kena demam and that is inclusive of chesty cough and flu..plus it rained a lot so we didn't get to go visiting as much as we'd have liked.

Salam Aidilfitri

2009-09-17T21:23:00.000-07:00

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri to all of you...semoga selamat di jalan raya, selamat di perut, selamat semuanya. Mohon Maaf Tulus Ikhlas sekiranya ada coretan2 blog ku ini menyinggung perasaan. Truly never meant to offend, just ramblings of the mind.

Okay fellas, can't wait for Raya to come. I'm sure by half of the day i'll be already rolling up my sleeves and tie my hair up in a messy bun. But I'd always say better a hot Raya day than a wet rainy Raya. today must do a last minute scramble to look for Nabil's songkok and Benjy's samping. Last year punya suda sempit rupanya heheheh..inilah adat last minit ni..kena bebel suda I. Tapi kan the chaotic frenzy makes the anticipation to celebrate Raya lagi exciting bah.

Can't wait to see all your updates soon as we're back on our deskjobs! Salam..

Tadaaaa!!!

2009-09-17T21:12:00.000-07:00

Just woke up from my hybernation..and sambungan daripada entry yang sudah basi sebentar tadi..this arrived at my desktop exactly 10 days from the day I made the payment online. Thank you Ellie of Begtangan Ladies (her link is just at the side here).

Gumbiranya hatiku! Love the clutch..Etienne Aigner clutch can also convert to sling bang and wristlet. And Ellie gave a surprise free gift of Victoria Secret So Sexy Lip Liner.

So my shoppaholic friends you can be assured that Ellie is a true and reliable shopping site.

Online Buy

2009-08-05T02:43:00.000-07:00

Just clicked the SEND button on a pembelian mengikut nafsu...product will reach me within 2 - 3 weeks from the States...cold sweat oredy..fingers crossed that it will reach me in one piece...should the blessed day arrives, will surely share with you people..sila click ke arah ini untuk meninjau what else is available to indulge in your wildest dream hahaha (wild ka tu? it's definitely wild and crazy to me coz it's so jauh u can't see or touch it and my heart rasa degup-degup sja until it reaches my hand)

Brain Freeze

2009-08-02T21:08:00.000-07:00

Weather is predictably wet most of the days now so the temp in the office is considerably lower than usual..and being in the air-cond office and trying all my might to perah all the creative juices in my brain to come up with intelligent phrases and important sounding points for the Big Bosses speech is torture!!

The pic above has nothing to do with my outburst today..was taken few months back while I was paying for my tapau kaifan..macam takut betul laupan ni berasnya kena songlap. Dia juga tukang potong ayam, dia juga jaga kaunter.

My Best Friend's Wedding

2009-07-28T00:41:00.000-07:00

I was surprised by a phone call from my long lost friend who went off to the UK two years ago...and telling me that she's getting married. I have two reasons to be elated! Finally she has met her knight in shining armour. A love true love story with a fairy tale ending..happily ever after.

He is a chef born in HK and live in UK who have been secretly admiring her, who happened to work at the same restaurant. She, who had just recovered from a broken heart didn't thought of anything but just a friendly and nice guy who didn't say much but the occasional nod to say hello. So one day when she had to go back to the land below the wind (visa expiring), he was frantic and decided to brave it out and profess his feelings to her. Their love grew stronger each day alas 2 weeks went by so fast and she had no choice but to fly home. This prince charming determined not to let go of the love of his life pursued her and made known to the whole land that it would be his honour that she become his wife..she said YES and the rest is history...congratulations my friend for finally finding happiness. Bagai pinang dibelah dua! (pics courtesy of Gilbert Wong)

H1N1 Bummer

2009-07-27T22:16:00.000-07:00

21st July we were scheduled for our family vacation to S'pore..THE GREAT SINGAPORE SALE some more!!! Everyday we were glued to the headcount of infected people..punya cepat the stat went up everyday..so we were forced to make a choice. To risk it or play safe..of course la dengan hati yang amat berat kami redha for the sake of our children's wellbeing. Better than to be quarantined, stand in long queues for screening with 3 toddlers on tow or worse kena jangkit!

Our quickie trip last year..
And now I just want to go here..boleh ka buat rumah begini di Kg. Tg. Aru..hmm mebe can convert my Granma's old house..in my dreams la kan..

Ben 10 Birthday Party

2009-07-27T21:15:00.000-07:00

12th July..Dolly's eldest son Izzhan turned five. THe birthday theme was obvious..the bday boy's mummy memang champin menghidupkan tema Ben 10..tudungnya pun colour Ben 10 juga. Two-thumbs up for the host, she had clowns & magic, good food, face painting, games and goodies for all of the kids.

Takut I mau makan cuppiesnya..won't have my tongue turn green like si Nabil ni..tapi nda juga boleh resist..and it was so yummy..the baker is Shasha cousin dorang si Dolly and Bibi. Choc chip cuppies.
Macam reunion juga lah at the party, SBPSian from berbagai batch..siok juga catching up with kengkawan lama.

Ex-colleague Bibi, verry preggy and glowing.

Hari Keluarga SVH

2009-07-27T18:34:00.000-07:00

Man..after hiatus ni susah pula mau start blogging balik..I'll start with my latest happening and this really exhausted the *tuuut* out of me. A jumble of mixed perasaan dan pengalaman from the lowest point to the highest. The event can be much much better but in the end I think the staff and family had a great time minus some glitches. I just wish that the venue could've been more cooperative and accommodating.

The main lobby
The final leg of the telematch race
The kids suda tidak tahan bila nampak swimming pool..and it was sooooo hot that day, kasi rendam saja dorang
A nice touch but not available for us to use..hmmm
Just arrive..masih fresh faced
Warm up time..lagu hawaiian yang mcm tidak ngam utk warm up..kena suruh gelek yerrrr geli pula I..tapi suma pun sporting ja
My team D Black Eagle..Black is Beautiful..Hantam saja bah..Sapu bersih!!!! whoohoo!!! nice kan our hula skirt heheheh..

Gaya Hidup Sehat

2009-06-11T02:32:00.000-07:00

Last Kaamatan was supposed to have some programmes lined up..wedding of colleague, kenduri, window shopping and some other same ol same ol..but kita hanya mampu merancang and Tuhan yang menentukan mana yang jadi. So end up we went for healthy walk walk eat air session, a first for my boys to the Likas Sports Complex lake. Berpeluh la jugak just catching up with them then after that we hunted for the hawkers "JC Burger" near the hockey field. Must do this often lah..the power walk I mean heheh..

The next day we were craving for some sotong kangkung so headed to the beach after a visit to my hubs kampung in Tg. Aru..but we ended up at The Mediterranean Bar (1st Beach Tg. Aru) and just had to order the Chantilly Choc Pudding that Shabbymom rekomen berabis..and yes I pun rekomen berabis to all yg gila chocolate..plus it is still BUY 1 FREE 1!!..sotong kangkung pun lupa mau beli.

Hmm now to plan this coming weekend's programme pulak..have a great weekend ahead y'all!!

Some say it's heaven...

2009-05-25T00:21:00.000-07:00

That's why we decided to spend our 6th anniversary here. 3rd May.

This is the latest addition to the Nexus Karambunai luxury villas..I loooooove this one, they call it the Pool Villa and there are also the Spa Suite (which has it's own steam bath and jacuzzi in each suite).

Each villa has individual private pavillion and perfect view of the beach just outside of the verandah
and private pool
Rate per night, RM3,000.00. Btw all the villas are 99% sold each costing approx RM1.5 mill.
We stayed here, our favourite room upstairs.
Ariff kesejukan and penat disiram oleh his abangs..
After 6 years, we're more understanding of each other's needs and space. No more days where both were trying to impose own rules and forcing the other to adopt it, tantrum outburst, emo statements etc..we've settled somewhat but there is always room for improvement. I have adapted to life being a working mom, partime housewife and 24 operational hours. In all of this I try not to lose myself in the crazy routine and always keep a sense of humour.

Kodak moments..

2009-05-24T20:01:00.000-07:00

Since the long blog silence, banyak saat-saat kegembiraan yang tidak sempat I pen down. These pictorial will tell you the story..
My musically inclined son, they will run around and try to play every music instrument tat thay can get their hands on whenever we visit my in-laws..actually all of them are very talented in music..maybe they'll form a band someday.

I was craving for my Chicken & Beef Fajitas and Buffalo Wings..a must have everytime I see Chilli's or HRC or TGIF.

I lost count on which weekend was it that we went to the zoo. All of us tremendously enjoyed and the boys were so excited with to see the live animals.

Up until we reach the Proboscis Monkeys when they put up an X-rated show for the visitors, had an awkward time explaining te kids. Nabil was banging on the glass panel and suddenly one of the alpha male jumped and shooked the jaringan so vigorously and violently sampai semua org terkejut and lari jauh2..
Poor Nabil was so traumatized sampai terus demam..Sampai ke akhir hayat dia akan ingat the Big Nosed Monkey.

Halal

2009-05-19T20:49:00.000-07:00

This is my side of the story - 5 days in Tawau

14th - 18th May made me lose 2 kilos. Not a healthy way to shed some kgs. My colleague Ms. J and I was on hands and foot organizing the Halal Expo. The big deal is it was to be launched by the CM and some big guns from Johor and our State.

Day one was booth set up and we have to face digruntled shop owners whose entrance was supposedly blocked by our booths. Hello people, we bring in the crowd for you. The next day was exhibitors entering and prepping their booths and like we've anticipated ada yg sampai merajuk terkena location depan this huge pillar, can't do much but gv discount skit lah. Another butik muslimah fr KK needed some models for their fashion show so I managed to get 2 pretty ladies from the adjoining Promenade Htl for her. Last minute booth additions, requests etc but we managed to sail through it with the help of our event contractor's excellent team.

This was only my 3rd visit and the longest to Tawau but I am impressed on how cooperative and accommodating the people here were. They've have made our job in an unfamiliar venue, much more easier what with some last minute details and requests..

Oh and as a norm to everyone who visits Tawau, one must make their way to the markets for their fresh and cheap seafood, keropoks, periuk belanga, kain-kain and tudung-tudung etc..peluang yg ada kami tidak tinggalkan, walaupun terpaksa selit-selit masa. So on one of the visit there this caught my eye and tickled my funnybone.Sila baca lengkap dengan slang tempatan.

This was the emcee, he was good in entertaining the crowd. Made them laugh and participated in my quizzes. See how eager they were waiting for to win the prizes..
The Eastern Plaza, venue of my expo has just opened it's doors to the public therefore I need to create some crowd pullers to create hype and get as much visitors as I can. Since this was a Halal themed event, I called upon Kompang Nur Falah, Nasyid Nurul Amal Luasong, Ag. Aziz Gambus Bongawan and Senibudaya Tawau to perform. They were a hit! Fantastic showmanship from Kompang with their formations and energetic beats. Nasyid was harmonious and modern, 4 adik beradik yg amat talented. Ag. Aziz Gambus has the most peminat, they performed some beautiful dances and get the spectators to participate on-stage, berjoget lambak tah bisdia org2 Tawau.

In between these main shows, there were some stage product demonstrations and fashion shows. So I can safely summarize that the expo was a success, the exhibitors were happy that they made some sales and future sales. My only regret was our hard effort was not witnessed by our boss and the main committee. I didn't see any videography taken nor their official photographer taking memorable shots, i sure hope I'm wrong PLUS Ms. J and I was not even offered a ride to the airport by the main comm group who have chartered a bus eventhough we were going back on the same flight..terkilan sungguh.
The Chief Minister's visit to the booths was smooth sailing despite the expo hall being a tad too sempit for comfort. Sayalah orang yg paling nervous at that time.

In one of the food category booth. I like their publicity and promotion gimmick. Clever. They had the most visitors apart from the Lintah booth.

On the flight back to KK, I sat next to this granny..cool kan? She immediately reminded me of my late Granma coz she smelled of antique wooden furniture, just like the ones my Granma used to have.
I'm exhausted, didn't sleep and eat much. We worked from 8am - 9pm. We were given room without breakfast bcoz the rate was too expensive. My meals were mainly half-eaten coz perut sudah masuk angin and too anxious to eat. My brain won't shut down when I wanted to sleep. My mind just went on overdrive and lived on adrenaline the wholetime I was in Tawau. Begitulah gayanya saya when handling an event, tak kan aman sampailah habis and successful. This is the satisfaction that I derive from events that I do that some people might not understand, at the end of the day everyone smiles and say thank you to you. Made great friends, had a "rollercoaster" of a good time. Balik rumah conked out with a smile on my face. Puas...

Tak Gol Tak Bergincu

2009-05-12T21:36:00.000-07:00

Some mother's were wined and dined, some mother's went for pampering session, but these mother's went to sweat it out at the Suria Futsal Arena whoohoo!! It was SEDCO Group sports carnival and we kicked off the event with men and women futsal tourny. I ni jadi reserve jer..tapi sempat jugalah tendang-tendang skit for half a match hahahah..itu pun cramp suda my paha. Shar..after all my busy-ness is done I will definitely join u for the afternoon sweat sessions okay! BTW our team won 2nd place...boleh tahan our players.

Oh but my mother's day tak habis cerita lagi...since that night got kenduri at cousin's place and I was bone tired, I just rested at home and ordered pizza at 7.35pm. Sempat lagi hubby balik from kenduri and tapau some food for me, my pizza haven't arrive. It finally arrived at 9.15pm! Spoilt my day. And they didn't apply the free pizza if late delivery policy..sanggup bah dorang bawa balik itu pizzas! it was supposed to take them 45 min from order time to reach the customer. My house from the nearest Pizza Hut is just 5 min drive away. Tak tensen ke dibuatnye. Nasib baiklah I sudah makan, perut pun suda kenyang and I was in a good mood.

Sensitive Skin

2009-04-19T22:04:00.000-07:00

My youngest son has really bad eczema prone skin condition since birth. And as you know it itches like crazy and you must NEVER scratch otherwise it will spread. So imagine a baby yang ber-rashes yang teramat gatal di hampir seluruh badan. They can't use the normal shower gel, shampoo, ointment etc because it will only further irritate their skin..so in response to a friend of mine who is facing the same problem and anyone who is reading this, here are the three lifesavers that I have used until now. It is a bit pricey as compared to the other normal baby products but it WORKS and it is worth it when you see your child skin is fair and clear and he can sleep soundly (and mummy can get her peace of mind as well!).

I'm currently trying this out, so far it's good, has a light baby scent and cheaper than Bud's Baby (RM18.90) available at Mothercare KK Times Square.
The Ego QV Wash is scent-free and can be used form head-to-toe. Available at most major pharmacies and supermarkets.
I love this one! Buds Baby. It has a lovely natural scent and you only squirt a small amount and it will give a rich lather. I get mine at Little Me kids store (Kompleks Karamunsing and Citimall) RM29.90 \
Oh there's another popular product for children with super sensitive skin, (my baby can't tolerate Eucalyptus Oil or any other ointment normally used to calm insect bites, small cuts etc) This came highly recommended but I haven't tried it yet. It is made of fermented papaya which has a strong remedial benefits and irritant free.

Happy trying to all the mommies out there!

Tornado weekend

2009-04-19T19:41:00.000-07:00

Hubby & mum was away last weekend so I braced myself for another tornado weekend with my boys. Saturday sent Ariff to the nursery so only two of my rascals stayed at home with me until 6pm. During the lull before the storm, I became wonderwoman. Masak, cuci & jemur kain, sweeping, mopping, cuci kasut sekolah budak, feed the boys, put them to nap, clean the bathroom, kemas rumah, masak again...come 6pm go fetch my little one. In between the day I had a little adventure of my own with the two cars sitting at my lawn heheh..won't divulge that info for fear of my "safety".

Sunday they woke up super early when I was just at the best part in dreamland and sure enough, they worked me out better than a personal trainer (vocal training included). Tiada peluang this poor mummy mau take a deep breath, baru ja lepas my scrumptious lunch, they all woke up from their nap. So I decided to let them release all their energy full blast..kasi tunggang langgang lah the house sepuas hati mereka, petang kasi release them out to the wild biar sampai habis battery. Then by 8pm they were once again my peaceful angels dozing off.

This was them playing peacefully.
I lost count on how many times I made them pick up their toys.

My energy booster lunch muahahaha..ikan masin, jeruk bambangan, ikan goreng & nasi puti panas panas!!

Zara Tiana

2009-04-17T02:26:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the world baby Zara Tiana. Proud parents Gail & Samir Labbaci.
Just hours after delivery..4.25kg..at the pink of health :-)
Peacefully asleep..
With kakak and abang..cantik kan kacukan kadazan-brunei-lebanese-swedish
* pics were grabbed frm Gail's fb

Kopi time

2009-04-13T02:13:00.000-07:00

It's been raining since mid morning. With the cool air outside plus the air conditioning inside, the only thing that keep on popping into my conscious mind (besides an extra layer of shawl to keep me warm enuf) is a hot cuppa kopi O and roti kawin..

The pic above is taken in a kopitiam and that person have left the building. This image stuck a nostalgic chord..my late grandma used to drink her cuppa kopi O just like this! Out of the saucer. Aduih terus terkenang kisah my childhood spent with her every weekend. Masih ada lagi orang minum dari cuit like this rupanya ya..

Itsy bitsy spiderman

2009-04-06T18:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday he was brave and fine. Today he changed his mind. After morning shower as I was about to put on his uniform, he took off his undies and ran upstairs and wore this instead. He thought that if he wears this then maybe..just maybe he'll get to go back to his old playschool.

Dreaming of food

2009-04-03T02:27:00.000-07:00

A little treasure that I found on my last trip to KL, this branch is located at Mid Valley 1st floor...thank God I found you!

The Pai Tee is so fresh
Oh my God this is Char Kuey Tiaw heaven
RM7.50 rojak, I don't mind paying twice the price. I just wish it could've lasted longer. Hubby & I gobbled it up in no time.
Assam Laksa...aiyoyooooooo can't talk oredy..slurp.
My Perfect Cendol! Died and gone to heaven..Have a great weekend hunting for good food y'alls..and don't forget to let me know! **slurp slurp**

Nabil's First Day

2009-04-01T02:29:00.000-07:00

And it's April Fool's Day. He's 4 years old this year and we are late in enrolling him in this chinese pre-school. Reason for the change is to prep him for his 1st kindergarten year in Tzu Yu. Medix is fine, they have lessons and classes for his age as well, but it is different in the chinese school. Jadi at least when he enters the chinese kinder year 1, tidaklah tekejut kan. Well we were offered free 1 week trial period, so nothing to lose.

He was naturally excited and was the first to wake and get ready.

His koko is acting like the big brother should. Buttttttt when we got up to leave habisssss semua dia punya cool. Poor Nabil thought that he will be with his big brother all the time there.

This is my first experience dealing with screaming and clinging at school as Benjy was fine with being independant during his 1st day. So heart-wrenching to leave Nabil reaching out for me. Oh i know he will be taken care of and get over it eventually but still...can't wait to hear his story after school.

The Return of...and quite hesitantly

2009-04-01T01:56:00.000-07:00

coz mun suda lama inda berilham dlm blog ni kan, it is so hard to write the 1st sentence. So many things to say, so many interesting moments happened but I'm at a lost for words. I'll just go with random pics that tickled my funny bone or caught my fancy during the days that I was quiet..

Nabil finally had his 1st haircut at the favourite kedai apek in Tg. Aru. I wanted to cry when they snip off his soft lovely curls. When I arah-arah the tukang gunting just snip sikiiiiit sja kasi lurus di belakang, kena marah balik pulak I chis! Tapi si budak ni steady sja and he felt like a "big boy oredy mummy".
Immediately after returning from my training in KL, saya telah dihujani dengan kerja-kerja urgent and the pace was mad! Farewell of colleagues, events to organize, QMS audit coming up yadda yadda yadda. So in the midst of it all, dapatla juga makan free during hotel inspection. I found this chicken rice so ganjil and creative. Available at The Palace Hotel restaurant. But why la the kicap mcm sembarang sja kena tuang atas that rice ball.
Dalam kesibukan to organize farewell parties of friends, we have to entertain a radio enterview of our Chairman and naturally when the media comes to your office, there will be cleaning frenzy (I won't start on our cleaner). And memandangkan our Mck cleaner can't fit in between the narrow space between the glass of our "waterfall", our beautiful receptionist dengan gagahnya masuk ke dalam to wipe the cermin, can be our live mannequine display oredy coz si Rajak yg nakal locked her inside.
During the farewell party our lawyer dropped by just as we were gobbling up the food and this charismatic guy (I say this because when he talks mcm ada built-in amplifier in his voice and his voice is sumthing like Broery Marantika's hahaha, and he looks like the famous old guy modelling for Louis Vuitton)..anyways what caught my attention instantly was the funky shoes he was wearing! Cool huh?! Forget about matching it with his outfit but I love his spirit!(or is it his sense of drama??)
And after the farewell lunch, I kawan my BFF lunching at the usual. And as always, I just can't resist these fresh out of the oven-still hot and plump buns at Louis's..simply devine.

Bad air..

2009-03-02T00:31:00.000-08:00

A lot to do with bad air. Since Friday I've had upset stomach and feverish. The chills and lethargy persist until today, Monday. Not helping is the fact that it's my time of the month again. And tomorrow I'll be leaving for a training in Mid Valley. This is another gloomy cloud causing the bad air that is surrounding me. How can he not understand that I'm trying to reduce the cost for me to go this bloody training, even after detailed breakdown and explaination / justification in writing? I didn't want to be his representative in the first place, nobody in this whole organization wants it but it has to be dumped on someone's shoulder right?

I have done my part to educate myself so that I can understand perform this position better. And a measly RM25.00 difference in the room rate cause havoc in his mind. See I'm not entitled to a room more than RM200. Because it is RM225, then it meant that I am abusing the company's fund and benefits. Why I chose this particular hotel? Because it is in the same building as the training venue. And this will eliminate the cost of taxi fare to and fro. Nowadays, taxi from Bukit Bintang (where our regular hotel is located for officers like me) hardly uses the meter and hardly wants to take passengers in the peak traffic time. So this will not only save the company some money but also will not put me in a frazzled state of mind first thing in the morning. Airfare pun I did internet booking okay...not through the regular travel agent which already saves us at least 50%. Does he have something against me? Does he always think the worst in my actions? It is really bugging me.

This is definitely not the cause of the "bad air"...only they can put the smile back on my face. Kalu ikut ayat Whimsi, gambar2 yg menyejukkan hati..

My "Ex" came looking for me the other day..

2009-02-23T00:36:00.000-08:00

It came as a big surpise..supposedly for Valentine's but he forgot the date, he was early. Unfortunately I was at the dentist and didn't pick up the phone so he thought I was still pissed off at him and refused to see him. He came with his escorts, entourage and all, to the last known address of my home only to find it was completely demolished and a park is being constructed there. He didn't take it very well so I heard he left in an ambulance because his heart cannot take it anymore. I knew he loved me but he expected me to change my lifestyle, leave my beloved family and live confined in his protective wall constantly guarded..it would feel like being in a prison! I just couldn't do it. Too bad he didn't sms or emailed that he was coming to visit otherwise I would have cancelled my dentist..

Sorry my love the answer is still NO..I'm in love with another man..but I'll accept the Red Ferrari, just leave it at my doorstep.

Blame it on the rain..

2009-02-23T00:26:00.000-08:00

I had a great weekend…because I get to nap in while it was pouring outside! Can you imagine the cool air, gloomy clouds and sound of the falling rain hitting your rooftop?? The best time to nap, ever! Everything in the house seems like in a sleepy mode. The chores can wait. Everybody napped. And we woke up, the rain has stopped and the grass are ever so green and still wet, the air was so fresh and I felt soooooo lazy hahaha not a good sign.

We began our weekend with a Wan Wan tom yam and fish soup breakfast on Saturday, then later in the evening brought the kids to 1B amusement centre to indulge them. He's a hearty eater..
He wants to play everything..

Sunday, I dragged everyone (which translates to us with our 3 boys) to the City Day Regatta at Kinabalu Yacht Club but we weren’t sure whether we were too late or too early. So the boys kicked some sand, took pics with the sail boats and then we went home. Little did I know my cousin took part and won (felt like hitting my forehead). Communication breakdown.
Ms. Tania Beverly William..this was her 1st competition and she WON! I wonder why the gloomy face?

2009-02-19T22:03:00.000-08:00

Tagged by HRH

2009-02-19T18:46:00.000-08:00

A picture of you at the most unique environmentObviously unique because this is only once in a lifetime but the most weird feeling of all was I didn't know what to do with my facial expression. The orang tua said don't smile or sengih-sengih but I wanted to smile so bad because I felt so happy..so most of my nikah pics I got a confused and consious look on my face.

A picture that means a lot to youMy engagement day in March 2002 and the only pic with my parents that I have in possession right now. The bedroom I tumpang my beloved 1st cousin the late Dg. Zuraizah and it was not long after her wedding, still in the wedding decor. I came out of the salon with my hair done 30mins before the my fiance entourage arrived. I was so nervous I couldn't draw a straight line so my good friend Tashi did my make up. Thats mad rush.

A picture of you with some toys or cute stuffWith Amir Yussof at KK Jazz Festival at 1B, the roof leaked, the floor vibrated too strong for my peace of mind and we didn't pay entrance hahahah..

A picture of you in white shirtSetting up our event..still fat wohhhhh..this was the day the gas price went up drastically and allegedly the gas stations will not accept credit card pymts and the people of KK freaked out causing imcomprehensible traffic jam everywhere and the gas stations ran out of gas.

Sharon you're IT!!

How to get pregnant fast...

2009-02-17T23:24:00.000-08:00

hahahahahaha...
"I read this testimonial and I would like to share this to anyone who is still trying to have their baby..good luck ;-)"

There's a lot more to getting pregnant than just having intercourse sometime in the middle of your cycle and hoping to see that positive pregnancy test instead of your period.

I learned this the hard way.

When I was trying to conceive, I found out that there was a lot that I didn't know. Which led me to making a lot of big mistakes which were actually preventing me from getting pregnant.

For one thing, I had the timing all wrong. I thought I ovulated 14 days after the start of my period, but later learned that this is a big mistake that many women make. For most women, ovulation does not occur 14 days after their period starts even though many women think this is true. That's because most women do not have a perfect 28 day cycle.

And would you believe I was using lubrication (KY jelly), that I later found out can kill sperm!! That certainly wasn't helping me to get pregnant, was it?

I also had my husband "save up" his sperm thinking this would make him more fertile when my ovulation day came, and it turns out this actually makes him less fertile, and reduces the chance of pregnancy. Who knew?? Avoid Common Mistakes! CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT Oh, I could go on and on about all the mistakes I was making.

Luckily, after spending months researching, I uncovered many possible mistakes which can get in the way of getting pregnant, and I made a lot of changes based on what I learned.

And guess what, I conceived my two little "bundles of joy" (not at the same time!) soon after I made some changes!

I wrote a little report to inform other women about the common mistakes I discovered which will reduce your chances of getting pregnant. I bet you'll be surprised to find that you're making at least a few yourself!!

You can get your free copy of the "7 Mistakes Report" by clicking here. Consider it my gift to you...

I sincerely hope it helps you have your own little "bundle of joy."

Baby dust to you ....

Spotted on Val's Day

2009-02-17T16:46:00.000-08:00

Not this year hahahah..hubby just got back from outstation so instead I got this rrrrrrrrred shirt. The bouquet I ordered to be delivered from my BIL for his GF.
Our Val's day was spent wondering strolling along in Wisma Merdeka, Centre Point & Warisan Square with Benjy..just a relaxed day for us. We did enjoyed watching people with bermacam-macam ragam.
Remember those days when you were sooooo in love that you just HAVE to wear matching shirts?? So in Cinta la tu..kikiikikik not me!
Found this at Popular Bookstore..quickly hollered for hubby hahahahah
What-d-hell?? New trend is it? Fashion victim betul

'MAYA ANGELOU'S' BEST POEM EVER

2009-02-15T22:59:00.000-08:00

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .
enough
money within her control to move out
and rent a place of her own,
even if she never wants to or needs to...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
something
perfect to wear if the employer,
or date of her dreams
wants to see her in an hour..

A WOMAN SHOULD
HAVE .
a youth she's content to leave behind

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
a past juicy
enough that she's looking forward to
retelling it in her
old age....

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
one friend who
always makes her laugh.. and one who lets her cry...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
a good piece
of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in her
family...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
eight
matching plates, wine glasses with stems,
and a recipe for
a meal,
that will make her guests feel honored...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .
a feeling of
control over her destiny..

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD
KNOW...
how to fall in love without losing herself..

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
how to quit
a job,
break up with a lover,
and confront a friend
without;
ruining the friendship...

EVERY WOMAN
SHOULD KNOW...
when to try harder... and WHEN TO WALK
AWAY...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
that she can't change the length of her calves,
the width of her hips, or the nature of her parents..

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
that her
childhood may not have been perfect...but it's over...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
what she
would and wouldn't do for love or more...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW....
how to live
alone... even if she doesn't like it...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW.. .
whom she can trust,
whom she can't,
and why she shouldn't take it personally...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
where to
go...
be it to her best friend's kitchen table..
or a
charming Inn in the woods...
when her soul needs
soothing...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW..
What she can and can't accomplish in a day...
a month...and a year...

Fresh Ideas

2009-02-11T00:20:00.000-08:00

Colleagues and I went for hotel inspection the better half of today..all at 1B. Saw Mercure, Novotel, 1B Grand Ballroom and Tune Hotels. What struck me the most about Mercure and Novotel is their fresh modern design and bold colours usage on the walls and carpets. I like their attention to small details in the fittings and decors. And the most obvious feature in both is the see-through screen wall / window that separates the bedroom and bathroom...bikin tambah anak ni.

Mercure KK, Deluxe Room. U should stay in their Super Deluxe OMG, but it's really meant for COUPLES ONLY and ironically if those who are there to indulge in a forbidden escapade, the view of the room will be facing the mosque hahahahahah..<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_MwFfvqV2dS8/SZKQlvXXNFI/AAAAAAAABUo/hKBiIKsSbi8/s1600-h/Mercure+Deluxe+Room.jpg">
Mercure rooftop covered swimming pool, cool eh?
At the Novotel bar, all their coffee tabletop will have these intricate whatchamacallit..and it is different on each table. So unique and eye-catching. Bravo for the designer, I like this idea. Imagine if you're seated with other people and in awkward silence, this will definitely be a good conversation starter.
And you know me, I loooove red and the 1 Borneo Grand Ballroom has RED chandelliers! The walls are in red as well and they have deep red tablecloth with organza overlay. Very dramatic. I had visions of a decadent masquerade ball organized here or someting like a bourdoir themed dinner party with plush and rich coloured decors. But my pathetic 2mgpix hp cam is not doing any justice to my impression lahh haiya..

Shabbydom...

2009-02-10T16:37:00.000-08:00

I stumbled upon this site and immediately S, M & W pop up into my head...silakan click here to see what's it all about...

Little House on the Mountain..

2009-02-10T01:04:00.000-08:00

(psst..kindly ignore the male model there ya..i dunno him..this pic I grabbed from someone's flickr)
If you haven't been updated, this is a new place to stay in Mesilau..Kiram's Village. Haven't been there personally but I definitely would recommend people to come here after seeing these pics. Check out and look forward to updates here. It is beautifully located almost halfway up the Mt. Kinabalu and lovingly decorated with the mountain garden. The cool fresh air, spectacular view, and abundance of nature will definitely cure your mind and soul. Feel like yodelling already hahahah...

Quote

2009-02-09T00:49:00.000-08:00

I watched the movie I Think I love My Wife skejap tadi, just the last few scenes..and I liked this quote
"You can lose money chasing women but you can't lose women chasing money".
So ngam right??

The Year of the Ox

2009-02-08T04:50:00.000-08:00

The beginning of the new Lunar year saw me wrapped in sweaters, socks and blanket..plus two of my offsprings. Hope it will bring better health and money as the days goes by..so tak syok la holidays kena fever..can't fully enjoy the feast cause all I tasted was bitter. But anyways, here's our family celebration to share with you all..

CNY Eve dinner was held at my aunt's house in Tg. Aru. Concept is potluck not like the traditional Chinese Eve menu. Many more foodies but all were devoured before I can click, ingat perut dulu.
Ariff excited with the oranges
Some of the clan after dinner gossips..
This is wajib, steamed chicken, you bit the flesh and wrap in the salad then dip in soya sauce mixed with ginger, garlic and chilli
Kam Hiong Mangrove Crabs, my potluck contribution
Buttermilk prawns courtesy of Mum
My boys, Nabil is feverish already but control macho, didn't want to be left out with in the raucous with his young uncles
26th Jan, 2009 (1st day of CNY) our family went to stay at Nepenthes Lodge at Mt. Kinabalu National Park. It was cold and rainy the two days we were there and I was too busy running up and down chasing after the boys so not many pictures taken lah.

This pic was shot at 6.15am 27th Jan 09. Benjy couldn't sleep well because of te cold and unfamiliar place so he and hubby woke up early and got trigger happy. Beautiful clear shot of the Mountain.
Before we headed home, we attempted to take our "historical" photo at Timpohon Gate but memang cuaca tidak mengizinkan this time, raining again (it rains everytime we go snap there lah. So snap the road sign pun jadilah)
Ini gambar tiga orang demam. Only Ben and hubby is ok. I look so pale oh kan..no mood to bermekap lagi

Headache..

2009-02-06T01:27:00.000-08:00

Why?? Because kena hujan daaa.. We went for hotel inspection this morning half of the day and it was raining. To Tuaran beach Resort. For our upcoming company's family day. The place is ok, sesuai dengan crowd yang akan hadir bersama-sama anak-anak. Price is ok as well. We were greeted and entertained by the Sales & Marketing cum HR cum Accounts Manager Mr. Sainin who is so nice to show us the place and belanja makan. Tuaran Beach Resort is ideal for families, it is not exactly 5-star or luxurious so perfect for those who has a limited budget. It has many activities for the whole family to indulge in.
Big surfs
Lemongrass Spa, cheap woh, got discount some more buttt..we didn't do it coz me and the model seen here amat penggeli tidak tahan kena urut

Didn't take pics of rooms, tak terfikir pulak. A new 5-star resort is under construction next door, so ada lagi destinasi cuti-cuti baru yang boleh dilawati soon.

Saviour

2009-02-06T00:32:00.000-08:00

Being full time working parents, one of the major headaches we have to face is to find the carer of our children when we're away at work. It is either to get a nanny or send the kids to the day care centre, both have its pros and cons. In our case, to get a nanny is not in our option for various reasons. So after scouting almost all of the popular nurseries in KK, we found the most comfortable, flexible and trustworthy that is not too far off our route.

My children starts to come here from the age of 2 months old. Yes, I know some will cringe at the idea of sending their children so early especially newborn but all my worries are comforted when I see how they take really good and meticulous care of the babies. They give attentive care for example, bacakan selawat when they arrive in the morning, give personalised care of their diet (allergies, obesity etc), if the baby has perut kembung, they will treat accordingly, give them soft toys to play with and other activities to encourage soft motor skills (pergerakan jari, sounds, recognizing objects etc)..so Medix is not just a day care centre where the cildren just play, eat and sleep but learn and develop as well.

During the years when I was in the tourism line, when my odd working hours was so frequent, I was so thankful to Medix as they were there to solve my problem. It is operational 24-hours (ngam ka ayat ni?). You can have your kids stay overnight and they will be taken care of just like at home. They have security guard at night as well. But of course all of this convenience come at a price..RM400 per child below 1 yrs old. Rate will decrease if older. Meals, stationeries, toys, toiletries are provided so you will have to bring your own formula milk and diapers. I send my kids still in their pyjamas and they will smell like blossoms when I come to fetch them home, and fed. Their meals will be from breakfast, snack time, lunch and snack time. If overtime (means if you're picking them up later at night), then dinner will be given as well. Saturdays it is open full day except for 1st Saturday which they will close. You can send your children as early as 7am and pick up at 6pm, which after that they will charge extra.

Of course, it is not perfect..as in normal cases, children in the nurseries are more likely to contract illness than stay at home children. This is the bitter pill. The parents of the sick child still send them to the nursery. What Medix will do is, if the kid is suspected or showing the early signs of sickness, they will call the parent immediately and advise them to bring them for treatment and if it's contagious will ask the parents to take them home. They will do their best to attend to the sick child but, we have to understand that they have other children to tend to as well.

All in all I am quite happy with their services (not without some "moments" though, biasalah tu)..I feel it is comfortable and safe for my children.

Dining and activities cornerArrival
Babies bath
Babies room
Pengasuh-pengasuh yang penyayang dan amat penyabar

Gazebo where sometimes the kids will be brought ourdoors for playtime

Rest in Peace

2009-02-03T01:30:00.000-08:00

Al fatihah dan takziah to our EDCAM whose beloved wife just passed away on the 1st Feb. She died because of lung cancer. What disturb me the most was when I was told that in the beginning when she was sick, they went to a specialist centre and was diagnosed and treated as tuberculosis. But after some time it still persisted and then went to QEH and was told it was not TB but paru-paru berair. So my point is, how come a specialist centre gave the wrong diagnosis?

This is not the first such case I heard. One was straight from my friend who almost went for a surgery after a series of meetings with the specialist. But before she submit herself to the surgery, went for a second opinion and was given antibiotics and advised to eat more vegetables, she got better. So what happened there?

Now can't we even trust the specialist? Hard earned money wasted and unnecessary treatment / pain to go through.

Sick

2009-02-03T01:12:00.000-08:00

My CNY holidays was a disaster. The Friday before I caught viral fever which left me totally conked out and weak for 3 days. Chills, cough, flu, headache, semput, lemas, the works. I slept separated from my baby to avoid him getting the virus but poor Ariff and Nabil caught it anyway. Our CNY eve family dinner, I was feeling a bit better after seeing the doctor that morning. Though I couldn't truly enjoy the feast, I enjoyed the company. This was the sickest condition I've been in a long time. Dibungkus from head to toe and wrapped in blanket.
CNY Day 1 the family went to the National Park for 1 night. The 4WD that we drove in made me car sick. And the 2 storey chalets made me even pening with chasing the kids up and down. Nabil was in his high fever. The two days we were there it rained. I had my heaviest menses then. Haven't exactly recovered from my fever. And the going home trip was worst as I had headache. Hubby gave me Novomin so that I can rest the whole journey and it really knocked me out cold. I was totally in la la land. I felt lethargic hours after that.
Susah semua orang if the mother gets sick, semua pun kucar kacir. And a mother can't get the day off even when she's sick. Actually I'm still feeling dizzy and nauseous until today. This is why the long silence of entries.

It's a candid me Tag

2009-02-03T01:05:00.000-08:00

This is me NOW. Long overdue tag from Shabbychic Mom. Which requires me to take a pic of myself right now without changing or primming myself. Wrinkles and lines are real. Well this is the 30 year old Hesitant Blogger who is suppose to utilise her working hourss with WORK but is updating her blog instead.

Happy Birthday

2009-01-21T01:04:00.000-08:00

A sudden flash of inspiration whilst reading a friend's blog. A normal birthday celebration is to wish that person Happy Birthday and yadda yadda yadda..give presents, sing the standard song, have a merry party with a bunch of friends or family. The birthday boy/girl on the other and will be waiting in anticipation of what his/her friends or family will do for him ie..surprise party, cakes, gifts yadda yadda yadda..BUT...

How many of us will stop and think of the mothers who have endured 9 months plus of heavy belly, morning sickness, backaches, labor pains, the excrutiating contractions, NEEDLES, confinement, years of lack of sleep and worries to bring this prescious birthday boy / girl into this world??? The birth process..before we enter the world..and who pushed us out with all her might so that we can see the light of day..who treated us bagai menatang minyak yang penuh. Sounds more like a tribute to Mother's Day pulak kan, but I think, we should not forget this most important factor especially on our birthday. Hmmmm maybe I'm getting mellower by the years, maybe I'm biased because I'm a mother myself??...hmmm Dulu kalau birthday saja ingat mau celebrate yeehaa party saja eheheheh.

So here eventhough my birthday is a long way to go..I would like to dedicate my birthday to my Mum and my Mak-in-Law...who have endured so much for me and the man I call my husband.

Pelapis Bintang Bola Sepak

2009-01-19T19:31:00.000-08:00

Entry ini ditujukan khas kepada Sembang Orang Kampung..dia kasi tunjuk dia punya pelapis MU. Nah ini team yang bakal menggegar dunia bola sepak dunia 10 tahun akan datang..sepa berani bet?

Fruits of Labour..

2009-01-19T16:55:00.000-08:00

(pic borrowed frm Dg's blog)

Last Friday our office sports club went to visit the new mum Mdm. Dg. Hanizah at her home in Papar. She's also one of the club's high committee and we were thrilled that she has gone through a safe delivery of her baby boy..Farish Hilman. So handsome. She was also the gracious host and prepared a lunch feast for the 6 of us. Immediately after we moved away from the lunch table, she served us tea, cakes and oranges. Thanx Dayang..unquestionably scrumptious dan sungguh enak. Macam inda mau mulih suda kami.
On the way back we kept on seeing many fruit stalls at the roadside. No longer can we resist the temptation, we stopped and shopped! Pleasant fragrance of the local fruits greeted us and we were spoilt for choice. Buah tarap, mangosteen, rambutan, buah mentega (what's the name in English?), cempedak, pumpkin, melons, limau manis, ubi kayu and I forgot what else. I only bought some ubi kayu..untuk direbus and makan dengan honey. Love ubi kayu.

PYT..poor young things..

2009-01-14T22:46:00.000-08:00

In this age, peer pressure is by far, on a different level as compared to 20 years ago. What I saw yesterday was disturbing and frankly scares me to think what are the challenges will my sons have to face in their time. I'm not talking about the Pretty Young Thing that is smiling so sweetly to my pitiful lens but the PYTs sitting behind with the i-don't-give-a-damn-what-everyone-says attitude. Seen still in their school sports uniform merrily brandishing the cigarette stick. I found out from a direct source who knows them, that these girls are only 14 years old. Hanging out with friends at a coffee shop is one thing and nothing bad about that but...girls whatever or whomever made you think that smoking at such an early age, acting supposedly adult-like and acting fearless is cool is so wrong. You are still a child and you do not know what the world is all about yet. So stop the act and act like your age.

Frocks & Frills..

2009-01-14T20:32:00.000-08:00

I'm so in love...love at first sight...my heart is beating fast and butterflies are fluttering in my belly...goosebumps all over...somebody please get me these!!!
Pretty silk ruffles to accentuate your every movement..would make any girl feel oh so feminine...perfect party and casual dress...aiyah wear for gong xi fa chai party oso can one.
Classic off-white with lace details...reminds me of Balinese Lace and English Tea House...
So chic don't you think..sleek and sexy..love lace. And the best thing is it comes in 2-piece so you'll get more mileage.

Oriental Chic...looks like a modern-ised cheongsam to me...clean lines with romantic lace details.

Dream Lover Tag by HRH Idzrona

2009-01-12T00:44:00.000-08:00

Need I say more..
Love the hair and the eyes..he's the ultimate Prince Charming
Smooth, suave, tall dark and damn he's so handsome
You'll drown in his eyes and smoky looks..
Broody Mr. Tough Guy..just don't smile okay..
My long time crush..no one else in this country can be so Regally Dashing as my Prince
He's so cute! I've met and taken pic with him. since I couldn't find a photo of him alone, and since I admire his wife so much..so okay lah this pic will do
Tall, dark, handsome and super gentleman
He drives fast, he looks hot, and it doens't go over his head. He made it look like just another day on the job and I'm just a regular guy. Cair siut..(ehemm mcm ada iras my laki plak hehehe ada darah pakistan ka si Lewis ni ah?)
Whimsi, Fabmom, Shabbymom, The Partime Guitarist, Plain Sharon, Hawk I'm tagging you..I know la u ol bz but it's good to layan your fantasy once in a stressful while..

Out of the Office and Into the Jungle..Outward Bound Sabah

2009-01-11T21:26:00.000-08:00

Here I go again..3rd attempted writing on the OBS Team Building Course we had recently..the two were accidentally deleted.

Left home early and all the way I was worried about leaving my children but at the same time excited..a little sense of freedom too hehehe..I felt a bit guilty of having so much fun when my kids are looking for me. Benjy didn't want me to go coz he said he will miss me. Hubby didn't want me to go coz he will be lost without me. Baby didn't want me to go coz he still needs his nenen bergerak. Nabil didn't know head nor tail heheheh..he's independant. But I think this is good for me..me time..my space.

Day 1..We were divided into 3 groups. The instructors did the dividing so no cliques, existing groupies made their own team, we all have to mingle with different people. After all this was the point. So each team was given some "gong" if we need to use it for our team performance later. The boys were so happy they got their toys.

Ni dia si Batlan..kena bully saja dia ni. He came royally and annoyingly late so the boys didn't let him get the lower bunk. Ada cerita...(byk cerita dia ni tp yg paling hot saja lah)..
He had an encounter with the "unspoken" jeng jeng jeng...typically him, he didn't participated in the camping activity and slept alone in the dorm. Earlier that evening Michael already "met" with the lady in white gliding pass his dorm, when he followed her thinking "it" was one of us she made a turn and dissappeared behind the dorm. Well he didn't waste a single second hanging around after that.
So si Batlan ni not feeling well maybe so he was sleeping and suddenly the dorm lights and fan were switched off which he dismissed as maybe the boys were fooling around. Then he heard scratches at the window and he jumped down from the top bunk and screamed angrily towards what he thought was the boys. When he waited at the doorway nothing was there but pitch black darkness..then it dawned on him. But he still stayed in the dorm. 2 of our guys saw the lady in white and I was told one Singaporean student also saw "it".

Then we went river kayaking..semua pucat nampak air. This is one commonly shared major phobia for us. Mostly do not know how to swim. So when the instructors told that we were having a compulsory capsized drill everyone's blood went cold! But after everyone managed to do it, then we proceeded to cruise the river with our double kayak..relaxing you say?? I couldn't feel my arms for a while..punya jauh they brought us upriver..Si Makcik Janisa capsized once lagi. Tapi semua puas hati because they have conquered one of their fears. See the wet and smiling faces.

This was supper..after "Nightline" we were feasted with biskut krim and self service nescafe and teh. Never had a plain biskut krim tasted so sedap. Nightline was a challenge that had us all blindfolded and walk through te jungle and bushes aided only by the sound of the instructors whistle and a rope that was tied around trees and such. No torchlight was allowed unless we were in danger or hurt. Segala semut kerengga semua merayap naik ke badan. We bumped into tree stumps, akar kayu melintang, knocked into tree branches, peluk batang pokok lah, naik turun bukit lah but at the end everyone said they had fun.

At the dining hall, no one was exempted from cleaning their own dishes, mopping the floor and wiping the tables.

Day 2..After morning drill, breakfast, dorm inspection and exercise we did the Rope Course..This is Madame Makcik Janisa our cleaning lady in the office, she's 53 yrs old. Without her silly antics and loud singing noise, it will be pretty quiet. Seen here sitting on her laurels while the rest of us were busy cleaning up the dorm to be ready for inspection. But what I respect most was that despite her age and limited strength she tried to do all the tasks / challenges. She was so happy in the river that she requested the intructors to capsize her twice! I think all the instructors were impressed and will talk about her long after we left.

Rock Climbing..this was the toughest for me. I scaled the side wall which was tougher rupanya. Begegar my arms trying to get a good grip, my palms were sweaty and I kept on slipping. It was physically hard. But we all managed. Even our Puan Hajah here made it to the top.

The Flying Fox..The first thing that came up to my mind as we were approaching this haunted looking tree was..the ladder. Punya tinggi!! When I finally reached the platform my limbs refused to move and my butt won't budge even wit my eyes shut. So the instructor had to shove me off the edge. Kecut perut syal! My heart was in my mouth.
But after the take of it was WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE............!!!! Exhilirating..now my heart will go on.....heheheh I can do this again.

The Giant Ladder..psst Fabmom, Whimsi, Shabbymom..si Batlan n Rajak made it all teh way up! This ladder has 5 giant steps. As you go higher the gap got further apart even with my arms outstretched I coulnd't reach it...(pindik la bah tu kan). I enjoyed this challenge..but fyi the whole thing is bloody wobbly.

3pm masa untuk cari kayu api for the bonfire. 4pm we collected our camping equipments and rations and set upcamp. Our rations include 1kg of frozen chicken wings, rice, salted fish, cabbage, carrots, onions, ginger, salt, cooking oil and bananas. By 5pm it rained. Most of the ladies ran helter skelter back to the dorm to save their shoes and clothes drying under the sun while I squrried to save our firewood for cooking.
We saw a snake earlier on slithering on the grass so that night the men gave up their tent for us and we moved it to the boathouse. I couldn't sleep a wink that night as I have caught a cold and the asthma that I thought was cured, hit me. It was darn cold and I shooed 3 ekor ketam that tried to creep up our tent. I remembered my late Grandma once pesan, never to sleep on a cement floor..nanti sejuknya masuk ke tulang..so true
This was our kitchen, chef was Puan Hajah. Our campsite was in the best location, next to the boat house. Ada cerita lagi..dalam kesibukan semua orang preparing dinner, one of our staff bbq-ed the ikan masin which was a jungle taboo. And almost immediately after our friend remembered this he heard a strange bird-like noise coming from the trees above him. This was about 6pm-ish. So he threw 1 piece of the salted fish into the bush and telling "it" to go away so it did he thought. Until while on his way home he heard it again near his house. And he noticed 2 bite marks on his elbow and knee which looked like fang bite already blue/purple.

Peh! We had a grand banquet that night..sayur nangka masak lemak cili api dengan ikan masin, ikan masin goreng, bbq chicken wings, fried chicken wings, tumis sayur kubis and nasi putih. Dessert we had apples & oranges that I brought from home and bananas. We used banana leaves as plates and my oh my it made the rice so fragrant and everything else extra deliscious. Lapar bah tu..semua pun jadi sedap. Nangka muda tu we found it near our campsite. Lada padi petik dari dlm hutan.
After dinner was the group performance and we didn't have the time to practise. Our group performed a short sketch and not surprisingly some forgot their lines eheheh..the other groups did group singing and after that all of us danced sumazau. si Makcik yang almost everyday melalak mengilai menyanyi dalam ofis tiba-tiba malu pulak refused to sing..until si Michael chased her around the boathouse with a kereta sorong. The Instructors were mighty amused.

Day 3...The morning after was cleaning time..the ladies were smart enough to get busy and the men had to scrub the pots spotless! hahahaha

Our last activity was called Prison Break and as the name suggest we had to carry four 4WD tyres as our "vehicle" of escape, cross over the "prison wall"
and then 6 of us had to be blinded folded while the other roll the tyres and look out for each other. I volunteered to go blind, I think it will be more interesting. Then we waded through thick stinking muddy waters towards the beach..and OMG the water was murky to the point of black. I threw my shoes and socks away after that. Then we washed ourselves in the sea, mandi manda lagi. Then the final task was to buld a raft and paddle across the river in a race. Syok juga perasaan bila dijaga oleh team mates..if in the office it felt like everyman man for himself and we don't trust each other. Here we look out for each other and the team leader was constantly shouting out caution and warnings to his team so that nobody got hurt. Whatever it was the leader yang tersadung, terlanggar, terjatuh dulu and then made sure this team mates did not go through that..so symbolic. How I wished our Bolai had the heart to be with us. Shows a lot.

PRICELESS!! Kedapatan suda ni illegal smoking..tepi longkang dekat semak dalam belukar..mana-mana pun jadi lah just for a puff of nicotine stick eheheheh..jajal kan mua si Joe but please be informed that my friend here is one of the gentlest, politest and nicest guy I ever met. Penat banget la suda si kawan ni..bukan dia sorang ja ni, ramai lagi tu di belakang sana betapuk heheheh..

We had the best fun and experience of our lives...great company (each other)...we took the challenge and test our capabilities to the limit and discovered strength that we never know we had..we grew closer and faced our fears together..the lessons each of us learned I hope will be used in our daily lives ahead and not left behind as memories at OBS Kinarut.

OH SHIT!!!

2009-01-11T19:51:00.001-08:00

UWAHHHHHH!!!!!! After 2 long post I accidentally deleted it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

End of the year..the beginning of their life..

2009-01-08T01:24:00.000-08:00

A tad too late but nevertheless I wish them good luck..

Amir Rizal Mohd. Ridzuan & Elnye Marinie Jumat (27th Dec 2008)

Rina Fauziah Abd. Rahman & Sahlan (28th Dec 2008)

My friends from school...and they had magnificent pelamin.

Welcome 2009!!

2009-01-04T20:55:00.001-08:00

1st of Jan 2009..new law says that all people seating at the back must wear seat belts..

What I hope to achieve (or at least do) this year..
1) Lead a healthier lifestyle by eating healthy.
a. Cut down on the fatty cholesterol building carcinogic sugar rising artificially enhanced food. Because more people are dropping like flies at tender ages lately and I don't plan to be one of them..Nauzubillahmizalik..
b. Exercise, exercise, exercise...

2) Tambahkan bekalan utk the afterlife...

I want to keep the list to a minimum but easily achievable for this year because frankly I keep on forgetting what was the resolution I made the previous years.

No countdown this year as we were happily in oblivion in our dreamland long before the clock strike twelve heheheh..no life you say?? Hmmm lemme see long ago at this time I would be crushed in smelly wet bodies in a badly lit room with deafening noise pounding my eardrums, overly charged drinks, smoke filled room and drunken strangers that would come and give you unwanted bear hugs..

Now I'm surrounded with the people I love the most, comfortably and peacefully who loves me unconditionally..syukur Alhamdulillah..

Customer's always right..

2008-12-30T19:25:00.000-08:00

Went to the Biggest Hypermall for the umphteenth time. Hubby's not feeling well but he had promised the boys for jalan-jalan and to the fun fair. So we had dinner at
(Both pics above are courtesy of Azlena's blog and that's her kid with the burger)..

The key word and point for this entry is "CUSTOMER SERVICE"..

1) This particular restaurant has a very good promise and potential by looking at its interior design and menu..it looks very inviting and enticing..BUTTTT
1.1 - once seated you have to crane your neck to get the waiters to notice you..

1.2 - They have set up the steak knives in advance at each table. This poses some kind of danger to families with small children dining. They should've only change the to the necessary / sharp cutleries after customers have made their orders.

1.3 - The waiters must know what to recommend and speak up clearly to the first timers who doens't know what to order from the long list of "good things to eat".

1.4 - The burger was dry

1.5 - The signature root beer float was "tawar" / tasteless and flat. I'd rather have A&W rootbeer.

1.6 - The Coney Island Dog was mediocre..

1.7 - The waitress waiting for us to fork out money to pay the bill should've waited at the table and not wander off and had a merry time cit chatting with the kitchen staff and forget about the customer who was looking at her waiting for her to come and get the money.

2. 1 Borneo has very smelly toilets / washroom, wet ponding floor and insufficient cubicles in the ladies. I do not wish to part with my 30 sen to pay for this. It will never fail to give me a stressful time to bring my boys to the loo. Imagine walking pass the washroom and be greeted with the horrible smell of urine wafting out until few feet away and to top it off, it is located right next to an eatery. I'm embarassed for the tourist who have to come here and find this.

3. Declaring itself the Largest Hypermall..but it doens't even have a baby nappy changing room. Or at least a separated corner in a clean washroom for mothers to prep their babies.

I have placed my complaints online to their website. I hope they got it and take it seriously into consideration as I believe I'm not the first one who have voiced this out.

The Green Acre..

2008-12-30T16:40:00.000-08:00

This lovely home is beautifully located on a hill facing a clear white water river and lush jungle. The air is cool and fresh, one will feel peaceful and serene. This is where our family will gather every Christmas and every other festive holidays as it is the perfect getaway from the hustle bustle of the city and provides all the comforts of home.

I always admire my aunt's (the tuan rumah) home decorating sense. She has the eye and the touch. The gift of using delightful knick knacks to turn a plain spot into a corner that is so pleasing to the eyes and soul (chewah..betul ni..i'm not exaggerating). There is no dull spot in her home. Her theme??...is definitely authentically her own.

The kumbang here is always around this bunga..all day long buzzing from blossom to blossom..

This is the middle lawn where we use to set up camp for the kids sleepover..guests will arrive from the left hallway and passby this lawn.

Green green grass of home..

The view from the verandah..after the football field is the river. You can hear the sound of the gushing river from here. I love to dip in the cool waters..huge slippery rocks though, I haven't got the nerve to bring my boys down there yet. One sweet day I will..

Cozy open concept..all the fresh air and natural light that you can get. Plus the kids have all the space to run free.

Male model of the Year..

Christmas at the Green Acre

2008-12-30T01:07:00.000-08:00

(The OBS pics will have to wait...I'll do this first.)

This year we had a Merry Jolly Christmas at the Green Acre a.k.a my aunt's hilltop home at Kiulu..all of us looking forward for this annual gathering at her beautiful home. And of course the kids waiting excitedly for their prezzies.

Can't wait to rip it all open
Part of the menu..fresh tiger prawn grilled to perfection, juicy tender moist..I love..

Orang lain still opening their prezzies, my boys awaaaaal lagi suda settle theirs...I enjoyed their happy faces lit up when they got their gifts.

Love this scene...

Many-many-many gifts for all the good boys and girls under the tree...

Bryan and Daniel..

Foozball!!!! Apalagi the kids..

After gifts from Santa the kids thought they can just get away..but nooope you all have to sing together hehehehhe itu Santa Claus is itching and sweating underneath sudah tu..

Ladies...

Ahhhh...this year ah...got pocho-pocho pulak..

OBS Teaser..

2008-12-23T20:16:00.000-08:00

I'm back from the jungle..I think I've lost some kilos and inches and a shoe..brought back some scratches and asthma attack. This particular shoe just saw daylight after 5 years in the closet heheheh. We haven't even began our 1st activity when the left sole flipped open..dang! After the icebreaker, the right sole gave way..double whammy..have to make do la until afternoon when my bro send me an extra pair..

More updates and pics coming up soon..stay tuned!

Anticipation..

2008-12-17T16:43:00.002-08:00

Couldn't sleep last night, I was too excited just thinking about our programme this coming weekend. So I packed and did some house chores till 3am. Sedang mengambil approach buang yang keruh ambil yang jernih..don't want to dwell on negativity...life is too short and there's nothing more I can do to make the situation better anyway.
Will be doing these..

Will be dining here..

Our refuge for the nights..

And finally after all the hardwork, I shall reward myself with bliss..

I just don't want to hear it anymore

2008-12-16T00:47:00.000-08:00

Sometimes work can be really frustrating, especially when I have put so much effort in organizing (higher up instructions), made sacrifices (weekend with family and expenses incurred to accommodate, arguements with the other half, hardship at many peoples' cost) just to show commitment to the company...and then the higher up decides not to go...and made allowances for the others to follow suit with lame reasons like sis-in-law's wedding, heading the rombongan meminang of a relative, Uni registration in KL (seriously?), sons' circumsition. I don't blame those who have no desire to participate because frankly, almost everyone feels the same.

In the first place it wasn't the staff who wants this but the bigger boss(es?). And then when the time comes, they bail. How can a leader be so irresponsible? Can that person be called a leader having this as an example? After almost all tactics used to try and get him to come, all that was said was "Don't cry and weep for those who doesn't want" something like that lah...So many things went through my mind at that exact moment..If the leader show his commitment and support, naturally his followers will gladly commit.

I'm deeply dissappointed. And I cannot take anymore excuses that started to come my way just to excuse themselves anymore. Because I know it is very hard for me to go to this programme (leaving my commitment at home) and I know that those who have confirmed will be making sacrifices in their own way too.

Moments I love last week..

2008-12-14T20:27:00.000-08:00

My boys turned the house upside down, made Mummy's hair add strands of white, made Daddy double his inhaler dosage but the cute stuff they did just melt all those craziness in a blink of an eye..

I love to put Ariff in this pyjama..make him look like a grown-up..pindik-pindik gumuk.
Nabil in his own world..si halus ni..kurus tapi yang paling sensitif. Lately he likes to sing "Kwinkle kwinkle little star" to his baby brother everynight before sleep.

All excited with this old life-vest..tapi perut buncit cannot fit in.

Buaian k.n Cradle / Swing (Oxford Fajar Dictionary)

2008-12-14T18:36:00.000-08:00

This is not tali gantung ya Puan-Puan..but an antique cradle used by generations. This cradle has the most prestigious location, placed at the main living room of my hubby's Grandmother's home. He himself was rocked to sleep since babyhood. It was still in use until recently because all the babies have grown out of this phase. I find it so affectionate and a warm symbol of love. A matriarch still very much in touch of the lives of all her descendants..Nenek yang masih lagi membuai lelap cucu-cucu dan cicit-cicitnya. And the family will gather around this very Buaian everytime during kenduri or family occasions. No matter how grown up or living in a modern brick house, I think, all of us will feel at home here (even I, the cucu menantu)..

I myself was rocked peacefully to slumber with this similar cradle, my Grandma would use her softest kain sarong. I remember her scent still..and the calming coolness of her sarong..She lived in a water village, and typically hot and humid especially in the afternoon when the sun is always burning at its hottest..I miss her sarong.

The Wall of Fame above shows the Grandchildren and Great-Grandchildren of Hajah Amirjan..these are not all..yang sudah pernah dibuai dalam buaian pusaka Nenek *wink wink* Masih kuat lagi ni..and my Hubby is so protective of his buaian, he won't have it taken down..ish ish ish macam mau masuk buaian balik pulak.

Min Kutta..

2008-12-11T00:28:00.001-08:00

Burppppp....Alhamdulillah..my ex-boss was so generous to invite me along for a Fish Head Curry Banana Leaf Lunch at Jothy's..kalau suda lama tidak pekena kari kepala ikan ni, memang confirm minta nasi tambah kan *wink*.

This is the Chicken 65..

Pic is self explanatory..but it was quite pricey for the size..RM50! And it was only a quarter of a head...

My Lovely Leaf..had telur ikan there, it doesn't look photogenic huh? And I just learned to eat curry with yogurt (that white stuff at the side), supposedly to mild-ify the curry..nice.

Here's the banana leaf table manners I read long ago..when you're done and happy with the food, fold it towards you like this, it means you're coming back for more. If you think it's not sedap then fold it upwards and you won't be coming back. According to Mr. Boss (who's a Chinese speaking Indian), if you fold it sideways, then they should close shop lahh..*kidding*..

Always a hearty finger lickin' lunch with you Mr. Boss..semoga murah rezeki to you..

Have a nice day to y'all :-)

The Beach, the Unfortunate Cow and two birthday cakes...

2008-12-08T16:59:00.000-08:00

3 days of weekend and public holiday. Truly enjoyed our family adventure. At the last minute hubby decided that we shall check into Nexus REsort Karambunai..yay!! And we were given a very pleasant surprise when they upgraded us to the Borneo Room. The view from our balcony was perfect.

Without wasting anymore time than necessary, we brought the kids to get wet and dirty!

The next day it rained while the kids were still in the pool so we scurried off to the Nexie Club..what a shame, we were supposed to meet up w Michele n her bunch at the Lagoon. But hujan ka tak hujan ka te boys didn't care much coz they were having a blast indoors too!

I so adore this little angel who liked to tag along my Ariff, her name is Lucy. Punya cute her golden locks, geram I..she will ring the bell in one of the "houses" and say LUNCH TIME!!! (say it in British slang)

So instead we met for lunch at 1B kopitiam and had a boisterous time with 5 kids and 6 adults squashed into a booth..kecoh! Barulah betul-betul rasa macam kedai kupi. There are 2 birthday boys in this pic..Happy Birthday William & Samir!

Monday, Aidiladha..morning we went to hubby's kampung in Tg. Aru Lama..homecooked soulfood..I dug in like no tomorrow..I wonder when will I be able to contribute dishes to the buffet??? *sigh* hopefully next year I have more free time to cook.
Si Nabil followed his dad to the surau to see the orang kampung sembelih lembu..it was blood everywhere!! Aiyerr so gory..that night he had a nightmare eheheheh kesian..traumatised I think to see the "moo moo" being cut to pieces.

His elder brother didn't bother, he was having fun with his cousins under the house.

On our way out, we bumped into these 2 boys carrying something in a cardboard box when the box gave way (bocor), imagine nokotigog my heart tengok kepala kerabau tergolek-golek. Then this one smart boy took off his baju and made a makeshift "whatcha-ma-callit" to carry the cow's head to where ever it was going..I think his mum will have a heart attack.

Then finally we were at my kampung and just in time to celebrate two beautiful ladies' birthday..yang belakang tu pura-pura lagi inda mau blow the candle (that's one big bday girl) and the sweet Alysha standing at the far right was trying hard to blow her candles.. As usual it was a gluttony fest whenever we are here..and couldn't get enuf of the good food, we tapau home some more..sedap bah..didn't even had the time to think about taking photos..next time lah.

The happiest moment for me was to see my kids enjoying themselves so much, having great fun with their cousins and kampung halaman. I don't want them to grow up into a total "city mouse", they must have some part of the "country mouse" in them as well and have a wholesome life. Much like what I had while growing up.

Timpohon Gate..

2008-12-03T00:48:00.000-08:00

Sabah is well known for it's majestic Mt. Kinabalu. Timpohon Gate is the starting point to climb the mountain.. But for me it means so much more. Subconsciuosly it was where we would go and take the same shots at various stages of our relationship..heheehe

This was when we just became a couple 1996..daytrip with Isadora and Rizman. Still very kekok and dorky heheheh..still starry eyed. It was bloody cold and it was drizzling. Was too scared to tell my mum that I pegi dating di Gunung Kinabalu, would surely be clobbered silly if she knew hehehe
This was at the same spot. Seriously it was not done intentionaly. This time we went there with our Cupid cousin Halle and her then bf. Year 2002 after we broke up for a looong time during our college years and then were reunited by si Halle ni la.. So we just went jalan-jalan drove up to the mountains and it was drizzling as well. We were both starting in our 1st job, fresh out of college. Not that dorky anymore.

And here we were again in 2003, with my friend Afiza and her family. I was 7 mth preggy with Benjy my first born. And Timpohon decided "heck what the hell, let it drizzle again since this couple is here.."

I still keep this first token of "ownership"..was given to me ceremoniously after I accepted to be his GF..1996-Tmn. Tun Fuad Stephen, by the lake..so cute the gesture but it really went a looooooonggggg way...it means I now tie you to me forever..(i hope it will be forever)

P/s: It rained on my wedding day..go figure.

Matai tesadak!!!

2008-12-02T19:03:00.000-08:00

Have you ever choked on a KFC Hot & Spicy Chicken..pray hard that you will never get to find out..it's nothing like an overdose of Wasabe wich gives you instant sinus attack..this one puts your throat in flames!!! Cili padi is nothing compared to KFC Hot & Spicy!!

The only thing that can save you is pure good old Honey..better stock lots of this at home..

Rocker's Night

2008-12-01T01:00:00.000-08:00

Friday Night..went for our Sports Club Awards Dinner..the theme was obvious ain't it heheh..and yours truly had to go for the Amy Winehouse get-up because of a botched hairdo after twice asking the hairdresser to "amend" the style..and she called herself a stylist!! Annoyed to the max..Luckily there was Amy Winehouse or otherwise I would be stuck with Marge Simpson (no thanx to my balding brother who had a good laugh when he picked me up from the hair place).

Otherwise the dinner event went ok, only 2 tables made more raucous than the rest who were not into the Rocker's mood..and that was our company's tables!! We Rock!! heheh suda tua tak sedar diri la ni..but ramai juga yang muda-muda bah..We won placings I think on 4 various events so "Yeah Yeah for SVH". Nothing to say on the food. My personal comment, the theme was really happening but it should be more adapted into all elements like the menu, decor, not just costume. And the emcee could have made the suasana more Rockin' and get the mood going. He's a good emcee, cool in the midst of catastrophe, maybe the organiser should have planned the event in more detail to make it betul-betul rasa macam Rocker's Night. And the guest pun have to be more sporting la, when you're told there's a theme at least make a small effort to follow, not like some people who came in BATIK?! heheheh.. The event was officiated by our new Chairman who told us that the word ROCK originated from the Arabic word RAKSUN (ermmmm????)

Tu nah dia checking out Ms. E's ample backside heheheh...

Rock la Kak Z..simpan tattoo lagi whoo hoo!! The Queen of Rock title should be yours lah..
Konon Glam Rock la tue..

What If Your Ex Said This To You?

2008-11-30T22:38:00.000-08:00

This is a verrrry scandalous tag yang mungkin akan mengegarkan rumahtangga from Izrona..gilak bah dia ni mau tag sia..but ala sporting la bah kan..I think the questions are supposedly asked by the Ex and I'm supposed to give the answer..so here goes nuthing..

What If Your Ex Said This To You?
1.Hi..how are you?
Why do you want to know??

2. Hey! You wanna go to the mall?!
Oh yess definitely, you're buying..

3. I LOVE U
I love you too

4. DO u want some cookies?
Double choc chip with macadamia pls

5.Can you take me a picture?
huh?? come again..

6.Help me in my work?
errm I think I hear someone at the door..

7. Here's my gift to you...
**smile**, **feigned surprise**, **oh you shouldn't have**, **thank you**, **kiss kiss**

8. Let's just be text mates
r u for real??

9. Do you want me to buy you an ipod?
Duh..is that even a question??

10.Let's sit together in the bus
Do I have an option??

12. You're still pretty...
There's a pillow and blanket for you outside

13.I still LOVE you!
What made you realise??

14.Can I visit your house?
I have a better plan..let's go to Bali..

15.Do you love me?
Sure..why do you ask?

btw fyi..my Ex-BF is now living with me and gave me 3 sons..heheehheheheh

I want the Red Beemer!!

2008-11-30T19:51:00.000-08:00

Saturday night..was at the much anticipated launching of Auto Bavaria KK. It was a 3-days affair with the 1st day being the official opening with Ministers and VVIPs, 2nd day was for Corporate and 3rd day for Test Drive.

I like the stark white-ness of the interior..done intentionally to avoid any distractions to the focus..the Cars.

The Corporate Flower..White Lilies (the exact name not sure)..

My heart skipped several beats when I saw this..I want!!

Dinner was catered by Le Meridien KK..

I loooove this..bolehlah kasi alas perut my cravings for Mexican food..

The face of Le Meridien heheheh jgn marah ye Mizz N..for those who wants to know..she's YoungSingleandAvailable.

Faces of Friends..
Grace Ajon & Tanty

Safarina Wasli

Uniq & Wilson Alex

Shahnida, Raymond, Safarina, My Hubby and Shirley

Run of the House..

2008-11-30T18:28:00.000-08:00

Since this was a busy weekend for hubby and I, we had so little time with the boys. I let them loose out on the lawn and they decorated the little pine tree they like to kill everyday..I decided to humour them this year because almost everyday when we pass by the neighbours and we can see their brightly decorated Christmas trees, Benjy and Nabil will nag me to "make" their own tree.

Green fingers? His Mum is definitely not.

Ariff's 1st walk on the lawn..he rolled and stumbled and had a good time.

Puas hati oredy..
Serious about his tree..

Irfan Ariff is One Year Old

2008-11-19T23:15:00.000-08:00

How fast time flies..I'm clinging to the baby-ness of my youngest son..don't want him to grow up so fast coz I know I will miss his softness and heavenly baby scent and how he will be the happiest when I pick him up..but grow up he must and both of us are enjoying his new discoveries..he's a fun loving adik and his abangs love him to bits..

The New Kids are back in the Block

2008-11-17T20:21:00.000-08:00

The Boy Band of all Boy Bands..the Boy Band that launched a hundred Boy bands..Yes I was one of their fanatics..who wasn't at that time..gawd..everywhere you go their songs will be blaring out of the speakers..

This album I have..the Video I have..the Step I did (wakakakakakak)

I collected the button badges, posters, files, stickers, pictures wakakakakak

Donnie, Danny, Jonathan, Jordan & Joey...OMG look at them then..seriously the hair?..Jordan looked like a transvest...I was a Joey's girl..mcm prumpuan juga dia ni kan..heheh

And this is the reunion of NKOTB..new album featuring collaborations with Pussycat Dolls, Akon and Teddy Riley..I read they still maintain their signature NKOTB sound..I cannot imagine..must go and check it out soon..hmmm can Joey and Jordan do that shrill high pitched falsetto? Will they update their Step-by-Step steps?? heheheh LOL in my heart..bidaknya tu..

Keyholders for Zai

2008-11-17T20:04:00.000-08:00

I found these for a new blogger friend who's sister is crazy about Sabah Gong Keyholders..
Zai lemme know which one you want..I happen to notice it when I was waiting for hubby after work..right at the office doorstep..how convenient eh?

Aiya terbalik la pulak..anyways this is the smaller one RM20..

The bigger one is RM25..

Yang 3 serangkai tu RM35, manakala (wah so formal) the 2 serangkai one is RMRM30

I haven't haggled with the price yet, I'll try to get a discount for you after you tell me yang mana satu you nak..ok?

What shall I say??.....

2008-11-16T18:47:00.000-08:00

Sacrificed my Saturday for work..Gerak Usahawan Exhibition at Wisma Pertanian..nothing exciting but at least I bumped into a few old friends..they made my day. To pass the time we ate and ate and ate junk food. What a boring day. Mum's away so I'll turn into the Tasmanian Devil right after this exhibition..tomorrow hubby's going out-station..uwahhhhhh!!!

After work, I let the kids spend their energy with their cousin..so hopefully they'll sleep early tonite..thisis a typical child labour eheheheh

Sempat lagi membeli sekilo Udang Kertas di Ko-Nelayan and I got a nice surprise in the package..that night the maid on duty masak Udang Goreng Berempah and Sayur Tumis je..kalu ketam ni bleh masak buttermilk kan bestt...

Then the kids amused thmselves..sejuk perut when I see them play peacefully together..

Then the morning after I woke up to this scene..the little bro picking his abang's nose, nice to wake up with a smile..

p/s: pls excuse the poor photo quality..it's taken with my 2mpx hp cam

Got fish?

2008-11-09T16:31:00.000-08:00

This was the most interesting part of last weekend...fish and shrimps on wheels! They made rounds around the housing area and honk their distinctive signature sound..at first we thougth it was the regular ice-cream car, but we were pleasantly surprised to find fresh seafood instead! For half a kilo of "udang kertas" and these "ikan temanung" hehehe i fail at fish names..it only cost us RM12. Well I think it's cheap coz I rarely (almost never have the time) go to the wet market and the kedai runcit that I normally frequent to buy my seafood is almost cutthroat...plus this is still fresh and it comes to my doorstep..what do yo think? Cheap ka?

My Solace..

2008-11-06T17:17:00.000-08:00

The Hero
The Villain
The Kiss
The Car
The Heroine
The Beginning of an Addiction (notice still no olive inside?)
My take..it's action packed but he had only 1 gadget (was a bit dissapointed, expected super cool new age gadgets), after taking a hell lot of a beating and winds knocked out of his breath..he still emerged steady and cool..only the son of Bond can do...I give them 4 stars out of 5..hey I didn't fall asleep half way through!

I'm no sore loser but HELL!! I hope he'll fuck up..big time.

2008-11-05T16:57:00.000-08:00

After months of hardwork, given hope, almost lost hope, was given hope again, all the effort was squashed by this cocky bald headed guy that I hated at first sight!

We were competing to get the contract for a lucrative and prestigious event coming up soon with agency A. I was told that it seems like the client was in favour of us and now wanting to negotiate further. It was almost 70% ours..just within our grasp until this guy came out of nowhere, in the middle of the "show" and gave dirt cheap rates which was wayy below market price..SHIT!!!..I think he's charging peanuts for horse shit...and to know that we offer superior quality of equipments and service...ARGHHHH!!!!..yeah he's a smooth talker and maybe the ladies were astounded by his charm..BLOODY HELL.

I slept at 6am this morning, all night revising rates, putting together layout plan, pictures, profiles, and baby woke up a few times so putting him back to sleep dragged my time. I was so groggy and disoriented this morning that I swear today is Friday and put on the wrong uniform on Benjy. Had to rush to the hotel to take pics of cocktail table and stool. And a few minutes after that the bomb landed..aduhhhhh frust yang tidak terkata..I was so full-hearted and desperately wanted this event..but I couldn't be in the picture..it's complicated.

One thing I take solace in this pitfall, I can watch James Bond Quantum Solace premier with my beloved hubby tonight..jgn saja tertidur half way through lah..

Oi!!!!

2008-11-02T18:56:00.000-08:00

Saw a crazy and sickening site this morning on the way back to the office from breakfast..

I was walking past a children's amusement centre (the ones that has bumper cars, carousel, video games etc) and it was adjoined to a cyber cafe. This was roughly around 9.00am. This joint was still lifeless except for a single PC wit a little boy sitting in front of it..as I was nearing to him, I looked at the PC screen and saw something like a collage of random pics. Then when I was right behind his back I was shocked to see p*##ies, spreaded legs, b@@bs, B#!ts were staring back at me!!

Astaghfirullah......this little boy looks like not more than 11 years old is surfing the X-rated porn site!!! Tebeliak biji mata I..and he just turned around and the expression on his face scared me..there was no expression at all!! Where has the innocence gone? His eyes looked dead. Not even a surprised or panic look that he was caught staring at naked women and stuff. I don't dare to even start to think about the rest of his upbringing.

The more we get together...

2008-11-02T08:27:00.000-08:00

It's been almost a whole week of silence..wasn't feeling inspired. But I enjoyed visiting my regular blogger friends..more to updating on FB and reuniting with old chums. On the other hand I experienced a roller coaster ride of emotional turbulance. It's over 11 months since I've given birth so it couldn't be post-partum depression..I don't know what to call it. Just feel like screaming on top of my lungs, drop everything and just do nothing. Whoever said life is tough must have made an understatement..but to take it on the positive side, that just makes your life a whole lot more interesting eh?? Be a stronger person??? I sure hope so. Be wiser? I'd love that. Be the bigger fool? Palis-palis.. AND I found some strength while visiting U.Lee, Whimsy and Ida. It's ironic that when I was in the blues (aisehmen) encouragement came at the oddest time and funniest place. I need to get away to a different land..recharge is crucial.

The weekend was lovely..my eldest son had his grand year end concert and being a born performer, he was naturally selected to present a sing & dance show (hence the blog title). Next year is his 1st year in kindergarten. He sure looked dashing. He's in the middle with the pointy hair looking so confident..specially requested coz he wanted to look nice.

Got backstage shots somemore lehhh...

A good friend dropped by and gave us bundles of pandan coconut, durians and brinjals..heheh i know the last item doesn't fit the picture right? But watever lahh..i think it is one of the more versatile veges around..taste deliscious however you cook it. Can't get enough of the kelapa pandan though. Reminds me of my preggy days when I must have it almost everyday at whatever the cost..it's really expensive, the cheapest I found was at Ocean Seafood Restaurant selling at RM7 each!

HELPPP

2008-10-21T20:33:00.000-07:00

I've racked through most of KK..where can I rent 10 units of standing ashtrays????!!!!!

Tahan Hujan..

2008-10-20T17:22:00.000-07:00

Last weekend saw the four of us checking out the new Toys'R'Us and Mothercare store opening.
Located at 1B. The price is a few ringgits more expensive than in the West Msia branches..even Parkson is cheaper..I'm talking about boys toys here ah..we went pass the many many pink coloured toys and aisles..end up we only bought Ribena drinks there..even that is mahal dari kedai biasa..

The Big Boyz Toyz showcase..saw Lotus, Ferrari, Aston Martin, Beamers, Benzs, ermm the others I didn't care much to notice heheh..but I expected more hoohah..more excitement and "toyz for big boyz" other than cars but nada..it's just the cars that we can't touch because it was barred with ropes and these lovely girls sitting on top..poor them..I'm sure they're hating every moment of being ogled at senseless..

This is the new Kids Avenue store..heaven for my boys..it's at KK Times Square and right next door to Mothercare..seeing all the chantique stuff made me wanna have another baby wahahahah..

Today is the belated celebration for Sabah's Malaysia Day..everything has already been set up at Padang Merdeka and look at the dark storm cloud looming..it's pregnant with heavy rain..sure downpour..but only trickled..which made me say out loud..do you think they got "someone" to "tahan hujan"?..and true enough it didn't rain until midnight I think..they even had fireworks going off..so you saw the clouds right??

I'm Deadly...don't play play

2008-10-19T20:18:00.000-07:00

Curiousity got the better of me..I've seen some of my blogger friends's "secret" Superheroine identity..so my pointer finger got itchy and clicked on it..

You Are Elektra

"You don't know how I feel. I want revenge."

What Superheroine Are You?

Sad passing...

2008-10-14T23:47:00.000-07:00

Takziah / condolonces to SEDCO PR Manager and PR executive...En. Rahim Zain whose father passed away on the eve of Syawal and Pn. Arnahal also lost her father on 12th Syawal..

Semoga Allah mencucuri rahmat ke atas roh Allahyarham...

Al-Fatihah..