Upclose & Personal With Dikny

Next Year

2011-12-30T08:33:00.002+08:00

Hubby had to go outstation on Friday. My eldest son, Danish, asked me about it and the conversation went like this:

Danish: Mama, papa outstation berapa hari?
Mama: Papa pergi today (Friday) and balik next year.
Danish: Ha? Balik next year? Lamanya papa pergi...
Mama: A'ah...lama...
Danish: Papa balik next year tu bila?
Mama: Sunday.
Danish: (Confused!!!)

Haha, Friday was 30/12/2011 and Sunday was 01/01/2012.

Catch Her!!!!!

2011-12-29T11:11:00.002+08:00

Papa's princess.

Mama's sweetheart.

Abang's darling.

Bangah's favourite.

Bangcik's little sister.

King Of Fruits

2011-12-28T17:35:00.003+08:00

Been wanting to eat the King of Fruits for so long.

The problem is, I'm the only lover of it, hubby and kids won't even smell it...:(

(pictures below are courtesy of google.com)

Yummy!!!

2011-12-21T00:09:00.002+08:00

Rania Soraya Putri binti Rozinor

2011-12-19T02:37:00.003+08:00

Interesting Encounter

2011-12-16T01:45:00.002+08:00

Hi there,

I love blog-hopping. There are a few blogs which I would always read once I've logged on to my computer.

Last night when I was busy with my blog-hopping activity, I came across a blog of someone familiar. This person was familiar because I thought I met her at a book carnival recently.

When I approached her booth, with a friendly smile, she greeted me. I was looking for this particular book actually, but realised that it was not sold there. This friendly exhibitor suggested that I should try and look at other booths for the book. She also recommended a new book to me. She said that it's worth it and I would not regret buying the book. Guess what? I actually went straight to the booth and grabbed the book that she mentioned.

Oh yes! While browsing through the shelves at the booth for interesting bargains, I saw at the corner of my eye that she took a picture of my children with their balloons and all. Hahaha...ada jugak yg berminat kat anak2 i tu ya..

And last night, I left a comment at her blog asking if she's the exhibitor who entertained my family and I. Yup! She replied my comment and said that she was looking at the photos taken during the carnival and was thinking about publishing my children's photo in her blog plus a caption. That said it all. She was the one, no doubt.

To Kak Azie, terima kasih kerana mencadangkan buku melur jelita tu, tgh tunggu free time utk baca ni...

Too Many Things, Too Little Time

2011-12-06T09:09:00.003+08:00

Gosh! It's been a long while since I last blogged.

Anyway, I just have enough time to fill this blog in with a few updates. Yes, what've been happening in the past 7 months since my last entry:-

1) Things and life are going back to normal, slowly, steadily but surely.

2) We had moved to a new place, smaller but comfy.

3) My baby daughter started to walk at 10 month and she is a true princess!

4) Some commitments had been settled.

5) There had been some misunderstandings in the family which I'm sure are going to take some time to be mended.

6) My heroes are all grown-ups now, after being circumsised.

7) 'Banyak perasaan kecil hati terjadi sepanjang 7 bulan ini, sabar je la....'

8) Spent less time reading compared to the previous months.

9) Spent less time cooking too.

10) Spent too much time daydreaming.

"Come what may, I'll face it"

And I wish for a more challenging and prosperous months ahead.

Satisfy

2011-05-30T22:13:00.002+08:00

Alright, this is going to be a short one.

This morning I had the most satisfying feeling ever.

Nothing can beat this kind of satisfaction that I felt this morning.

Not even a rise in your salary.

Nor the multiple &%$!#& that you might get during intimate events.

Yes, nothing can satisfy me better than during the time when my son appreciated me and thanked me for the food that I prepared for him.

Gats Merens

2011-05-02T17:44:00.000+08:00

It had been 13 years since we last met. Last Saturday was the day when we gathered again, well, at least, half of us met again after all these years at a reunion.

It was a blast!!!!! I had a really good time catching up on things with my good friends.

At first, I wanted to go there alone, without the boys and my baby girl. But, hubby had a last minute thing to settle and I had to bring along my baby. Hubby took the boys with him.

I went to the hotel with my best friends, Hazel and Emmi. We took about almost two hours to reach the venue due to massive traffic jam caused by the International Book Fair nearby.

It was great meeting all of my course mates. Many had changed, physically...ehem, ehem....some hardly changed at all.....however, everyone looked great.....I'd go into the details later, in the next entry perhaps...

I wished I had more time to spend with them. There were still many more stories to tell, many more news to catch up with and many more tears to share....

I love you guys!!!!!!

Penang

2011-04-01T18:12:00.003+08:00

Hi there!

I went to Penang last week for 6 days. I was there on business but I just had to bring my kids along with me since nobody was available to take care of them here in KL. Well, no problem with that because I would be in peace when they were with me all the time. So, I arranged my time accordingly so that my business meetings would be on schedule and my kids would be attended to as well.

The first two nights and three days we stayed at Hydro Hotel which was superb. The room was huge. There was one king-sized bed, a living room consisted of a white large sofa, a coffee table and two wide armchairs. There was also a working table with lamp and leather chair. It was indeed a comfortable room that I enjoyed so much. Oh yes, there were two balconies, one with two pool chairs and a round table, another balcony with two plastic chairs and a square table. My children loved the spacious room that they turned it into a football field during the day!!!

The next three nights we stayed at Hard Rock Hotel. I requested for a family room but because I was too occupied that day, we checked in a little bit late and the room was taken. But, we were given a special room instead - Lagoon Deluxe Pool View. I was told that only celebrities and famous people stayed in these rooms, CT was one of them, Yusry KRU too!!!! Wow, I chose not to complaint but enjoy the room. The room was spectacular with a balcony and you could just straight away jump into the swimming pool. Yes, open the balcony door and you could enjoy the swimming pool right away....that's how beautiful the room was, no wonder they're reserved for famous people...

During the days, I was busy with meetings and work. At night, I took my kids around and we painted Georgetown red!!!! We ate and ate until wee hours in the morning. We had Nasi Beratur, the most famous nasi kandar in Penang.....I had to admit that it was the best, the real thing and I had Nasi Beratur four nights in a row.....it started exactly at 10pm, if you were there before time, that was not Nasi Beratur, it was a different one. At the same premise, there were four different people selling nasi kandar, they took turns selling. The best one was of course the one at 10pm...

I also had the best tandoori in town. I thought the one that I always ate near my house was the best ever but this one was even better!!! The tandoori was out of this world with juicy chicken and the spices were one of a kind, it's indescribable....you've got to taste it yourself to enjoy it...

Well, there were many other foods that I wanted to try but I was in Penang not for leisure, so, I just had to make do with the Nasi Beratur and Tandoori....

Sneeze, Anybody?

2011-02-27T01:44:00.002+08:00

What's your favourite food?

Mine's definitely 'sambal tumis'.

I remember when I was about 9 years old, I had nine (9) rounds of rice with sambal tumis ikan bilis. I just loved it!

Now, if I'm out of ideas on what to cook, sambal tumis is the first dish that would come to mind. My recipe for sambal tumis is very easy, it takes less than 10 minutes to prepare and cook.

Blended dried chillies, sliced red onions, tamarind juice, anchovies, salt and sugar to taste.

Heat up some cooking oil, fry the anchovies till golden and crispy, put aside.
Using the same oil, fry the blended dried chillies till someone in the house sneezes. It shows that the chillies are well-cooked.
Put in salt and sugar.
Throw in sliced red onions.
Pour some tamarind juice.
Let it simmer.
Mix in the fried anchovies.
Stir them together and voila! Ready to be eaten with hot plain rice.

Burrppp........It's really worth the sneezing!!!

We Are Together Always

2011-02-25T10:47:00.003+08:00

Alright, so far, I've posted two entries for 2011, not bad for a start after taking an extremely long break....

Today, I decided to go to work earlier than usual. From Monday to Thursday, 9am until 1pm, I have lecture gigs to fulfill at one of our local universities. After which, I would rush to my office and would only go back home at night.

Some have asked me when is the time that I get to spend with my husband and children?
Well, the answer is all the time....
Yes, I meet my husband every day at the office because we run the business together.
Yes, I spend time with my children all the time too because I take them with me to the office.
If I have meetings, I would ask my clients to come to my office instead of having meetings outside. I always have my appointments at my office too, and so far so good, nobody has complained about such arrangements and they themselves think it is better and more comfortable conducting meetings at my office.

My children have been behaving well at the office. Alhamdulillah, I am truly grateful for that....
It is also extremely convenient for me as I am breastfeeding my daughter exclusively. That's why I have all my children with me at the office all the time that they are not in schools.

See? Doing my own business at my own premise does not mean that I am neglecting my family (satu lagi luahan rasa hatiku pada certain individuals). In fact, I think I have a more balanced quality and quantity time with them. When I look at them sleeping in my room at the office, I know that I have to work extra hard to make them happy......insyaAllah

Ku Bersujud - Afghan

2011-02-24T15:19:00.001+08:00

Ku menatap dalam kelam
Tiada yang bisa ku lihat
Selain hanya namaMu, ya Allah

Esok ataukah nanti
Ampuni semua salahku
Lindungi aku dari segala fitnah

Kau tempatku meminta
Kau beriku bahagia
Jadikan aku selamanya
HambaMu yang selalu bertakwa

Ampuniku ya Allah
Yang sering melupakanMu
Saat Kau limpahkan karuniaMu
Dalam sunyi aku bersujud

Esok ataukah nanti
Ampuni semua salahku
Lindungi aku dari segala fitnah

Kau tempatku meminta
Kau beriku bahagia
Jadikan aku selamanya
HambaMu yang selalu bertakwa

Ampuniku ya Allah
Yang sering melupakanMu
Saat Kau limpahkan karuniaMu
Dalam sunyi aku bersujud

Kau tempatku meminta
Kau beriku bahagia
Jadikan aku selamanya
HambaMu yang selalu bertakwa

Ampuniku ya Allah
Yang sering melupakanMu
Saat Kau limpahkan karuniaMu
Dalam sunyi aku bersujud
Padamu

I'm Back!!!

2011-02-24T14:32:00.002+08:00

Yes, yes, I know I've been missing from the blogging world for such a looooonnnggg time.....well, it was due to the usual typical reason - busy as a bee....

What makes me get back my blogging mojo?
Answer: people!!!!!

I have been running an academy and a management office for eight months now. I can proudly say that they are exclusively mine and I have my every blood, heart and soul in them. And not to forget, my money too!!!!! Whatever I have saved up, whatever I have in-hand and whatever I have in trusts have been invested in the business.

You are not wrong if you say I have become poor now because of the business. BUT, do you realise that because of the business too I will become one of the richest ladies in not-so-many years to come? (Aminn.....InsyaAllah) AND when that happens, don't tell me that you wouldn't be one of the many people who would come running for my help? (ok, obviously this is a personal luahan hati ku to particular individuals).

Well, it frustrates me a lot when people do not understand and would never want to try to understand what I'm doing.

"Keje la fulltime, nanti ada pencen...."

What? If buat bisnes, mmg la takder pencen but you'll have endless money coming in until you die!!! Tak abis makan sampai anak cucu cicit semua....tak payah anak-anak I susah-susahkan diri carik keje coz ada company sendiri.....insyaAllah....

Doing my own business might look bad to some people agaknya.....ye la, I still drive a 'deer' yg dah berkarat and calar-balar sana sini, but hey, I'm taking one step at a time ok? I do not want to be greedy and boastful with a luxurious car when my business is just about to flow, it's just too soon....but, don't be surprised when in few months' time I'll be driving an Audi TT and living in Gaia, Sering Ukay.....(Aminn, insyaAllah...)

Different

2010-05-14T09:10:00.002+08:00

I'm already in my 16 weeks of pregnancy.

Appetite is not so good. Can't eat rice now. I could eat anything for the past 15 weeks.

Tummy is not so bumpy. Body does not get any heavier.

Such a different experience this time around.

Delivery

2010-05-12T08:32:00.002+08:00

My first delivery was LSCS which means emergency ceasarian due to foetal distress. It was still early but Danish Muqri seemed too excited to come out and he weighed 3.9kg at that time. Imagine if it was on the exact due date itself!!! How big would he be?

My second delivery was with the help of an instrument, a vacuum delivery. Umarizz Darwisy's face was facing down which made it difficult for him to pass through the mysterious canal. With the help of the instrument, he made it at last and he was 3.56kg.

My third delivery was a totally normal vaginal delivery without any help from any medication or instrument. Muammar Daim was indeed tolerable and not much of a hassle. It was an easy one. He was 3.32kg.

My fourth one? Hmmm....yet to be discovered. I'm hoping for a normal delivery this time. To me, after experiencing all types of deliveries, I still think a normal one is very satisfying. You can feel the hardwork, the difficulties, the messy hormones, etc. that you have gone through the whole 9 months seem to sail away smoothly as the baby passes through the incredible pathway.

I consider myself lucky as I have experienced various types of deliveries. Therefore, I'm able to relate to different kinds of birth experiences that other people are going through. When people talk about ceasarian, yes, I know how it's like. When they talk about vacuum delivery, yup, I know about that also and when they talk about normal birth, I can share about that too....

Knowing for a fact (insyaAllah) that this would be my last one, I hope it is going to be a very satisfying normal delivery if everything goes well.....insyaAllah...

2010-04-27T22:55:00.001+08:00

It's All I'm Asking For

2010-04-14T16:05:00.002+08:00

I'm very sorry if it looks like I've been limiting my frequent visits.

I have a very concrete reason for not calling as frequently as before.

I'm doing this for my own peace of mind....

It's okay if nobody understands my intention.

I know what's best for me to do at the moment.

Just respect my space in this situation, that's all I'm asking for.

Everything will go back to normal asap, I promise...

Speechless again

2010-04-03T01:13:00.002+08:00

I'm expecting!

I've removed my implanon last November and thought of inserting a new one. However, my dear gynae asked me to try for a girl one last time and my hubby agreed to it.

And now, after two months, I'm pregnant. Alhamdulillah, it shows that I'm normal and healthy. I'm truly grateful with this gift and rezeki.

Actually, what I'm planning to write is about my youngest son, Daim. Below is the conversation that took place about two days ago.

He was running towards the door, wanting to follow his brothers outside to play.

Mama: Daim, where are you going?

Daim: Nak pegi main la.

Mama: Abis, sapa nak teman Mama kat dalam rumah?

Daim: Ala, baby kan ada...

Mama: (speechless)

Ketika Cinta Bertasbih

2010-02-24T16:22:00.002+08:00

I Want To.....

2010-02-05T17:11:00.003+08:00

I want to:

- read and read and read

- spend more time baking

- finish writing my long-awaited novel

- compose a song for Akim

- learn how to make cupcakes

- start my own tuition centre

- expand my business

- drive more carefully

- spend more time with my parents

- spend time reminiscing with old friends

- stay at home more

- have a store like Chef At Home

- cook like Chef At Home

- have my own cooking show

- write a cookbook

- further my studies

- have BBQ every weekend

- declutter my clothes

- be closer to the Almighty

My 2009

2010-01-24T21:35:00.002+08:00

It might sound too late to do this but I just feel like doing it. After almost one month moving into 2010, I suddenly had the images of things that I liked, enjoyed, hated, etc in 2009. The list is endless indeed but these are among the things that I wish to share with you.

Favourite English movie: Transformers - Revenge of The Fallen

Favourite Malay movie: Talentime

Favourite English song: This I Love (Guns N Roses)

Favourite Malay song: Dan Sebenarnya (Yuna)

Favourite singer: Akim (hahahaha....yeah, go ahead and laugh...)

Favourite TV drama: Nur Kasih

Favourite animation: Upin Ipin

Favourite book: Shopaholic series

Favourite magazine: Wanita - March 2009

Favourite hangout: JJ AU2

Favourite day: The first day of being a homemaker (16/02/09)

Favourite moment: Getting a huge cheque in June

Favourite event: Gerak Usahawan at PWTC

Favourite product: One Drop Perfume

Favourite gadget: MacBook Pro

Favourite quote: Money is not everything but everything needs money (my own)

Things that I didn't like in 2009:

- earthquakes

- political misconceptions

- concept of 1Malaysia

- MECD being disbanded

- bonus being ripped off (I know I've quit but it's for 2008 which I've contributed lots compared to others. To those who were involved in deciding: May you live in peace!!! - btw my dear readers, I didn't work with the G, just fyi)

- MJ's death

- stray dogs around my neighbourhood

Hmmm....that should be enough for 2009, huh?

Although I've made the best decision in my life in 2009, there are few things that remain unsettling in my mind, heart and soul. I'll just let them be for the time being.........

I pray for a great and fantastic year ahead.

My Episode Of Nasi Beriyani

2009-12-20T09:18:00.002+08:00

Last weekend I was busy preparing an order from a production team of 20 people for their breakfast and lunch meals. For breakfast, they ordered Egg-Mayo Sandwiches and for lunch they ordered Nasi Beriyani with Chicken and Papadom.

Fyi, it was my first time accepting orders for Nasi Beriyani. In fact, it's not often that I accepted offers to cater. However, lately, I gained the confidence to start accepting orders for small scales.

Since I had to cook for quite a number of people, I decided to do everything at my parents' place. My parents let me use the kitchen while they took care of my kids.

To tell the truth, it was not easy indeed to complete such task. There were many unexpected challenges that I had to endure during the process of making the Nasi Beriyani last weekend. At first, everything went well especially in the preparation stage, ie, preparing the ingredients. Mind you, it was a one-man show. Yes, I was the only one doing everything from scratch (why did I accept in the first place? hmmm...). Anyway, after making sure that everything was in place and sufficient, I started the cooking part. I fried the chicken first and while doing that, I made the beriyani paste mixture at the same time. While doing that too, I washed the rice. Then, I mixed the paste to the rice and switched on the rice cooker. Let it cook on its own. Okay, done with the rice. Now, the chicken had all been fried and it's time for its gravy. Since I was making Ayam Masak Merah, I started with the chilli paste first. While stirring it away, I noticed that it didn't simmer like it's supposed to. I took a look at the fire and there was none! Yes, there was no fire coming out from the stove! Alamak, gas dah abis!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My hubby was not around as he had to work on that day. I quickly called my dad. He came to the rescue and he told me to relax because there was a spare gas next to the cabinet. My dad took out the gas from its compartment and lifted up its head. But, it refused to budge. My dad tried twisting it left, right, up, front, backwards and in circles, but to no avail. I tried the same thing too but nothing happened. How to use the new one when the old one wouldn't give in!!!!! My dad tried calling the guy from the company, apparently, my dad changed the head to a new and modern type of head and there was a special lock for unlocking it which my dad had totally forgot the steps in doing it. Oh no!!! I started to imagine things like having to move everything back to my house and cook there, borrowing the neighbours' kitchen, using my auntie's kitchen and I also imagined going to the restaurant, buying Nasi Beriyani and pretending that I cooked it all........

While waiting for my dad to call the guy, I noticed that my rice was ready. I quickly got to the rice cooker and stirred the rice. My, I had the most horrible shocked of my life when I tasted the rice. It was not properly cooked!!!! Nasik mentah!!!!!!!! I almost cried but managed to compose myself......I hurriedly poured in some more water onto the rice and closed the lid and waited while praying that the rice would turn out to be nice and fluffy.

On the other hand, my dad managed to get hold of the guy after trying like hundreds of times. But, the guy said that he was not working on that day and he was not even in KL and there's nobody else to do it. Oh no! Now what???????? We were like wondering onto space for inspiration and the house went silent for a few minutes. The kids didn't dare to make even a tiny sound...heheheh.....

Suddenly, my dad ran back to the kitchen and he laughed out loud. I went to the kitchen and was very curious when I saw my dad lifting up a table cloth from a.......gas cooker which my mother seldom used. It had four stoves, an oven and its own gas. Why didn't any of us thought about it before? That would have saved the time tickling by and all those cursing and panicking!!!!

Without wasting much time, I quickly transferred the pan and started making the gravy for the chicken. After which, I fried the papadom and prepared myself for the rice. I was standing near the rice cooker and wishing for the rice to be fine. But, no, it's still not properly cooked!!!! Urgh!!!! I looked at the clock and realised that I only had about half an hour before delivery. I had an idea to transfer the rice to a bigger pot and to just cook it on the stove. And that's what I did exactly. I put all the rice into a normal pot, poured in some water and left it on the stove for a few minutes. In the meanwhile, I prepared the things needed for packing the rice, chicken and papadom. After a few minutes, I took a look at the rice and I was relieved that the rice turned out to be okay. I quickly got it ready to be packed and started the packing process.

Although I was a few minutes' late, everything was delivered well and I managed to smile in the end. Well, that was quite an experience for a first-time Nasi Beriyani caterer like me. Everything that had happened did not washed away my determination to do better and to be more prepared in the future and I would certainly accept orders again.......

Munajat Cinta - The Rock

2009-12-03T21:22:00.004+08:00

Malam ini ku sendiri

Tak ada yang menemani

Seperti malam-malam yang sudah-sudah

Hati ini selalu sepi

Tak ada yang menghiasi

Seperti cinta ini yang selalu pupus

Tuhan kirimkanlah aku

Kekasih yang baik hati

Yang mencintai aku

Apa adanya

Mawar ini semakin layu

Tak ada yang memiliki

Seperti aku ini

Semakin pupus

Tuhan kirimkanlah aku

Kekasih yang baik hati

Yang mencintai aku

Apa adanya

Muammar Daim bin Rozinor

2009-11-21T19:47:00.002+08:00

Muammar Daim is my youngest son. He's 3 years old and very very cheeky.

Daim likes:

1. to sing
2. football
3. to take a walk with Mama
4. to hold hands with Mama
5. kissing Mama on her cheeks
6. to eat rice with kicap
7. to drink plain water
8. to sleep late at night but he won't disturb anybody
9. to wake up late in the morning
10. talking on the phone with Atuk
11. to tell stories even though Mama tried so hard not to laugh everytime he started his story with "Once upon a time....."
12. to run and hop, he doesn't walk, he skips...hahahaha...
13. to sit in the car quietly with seat belt on
14. to watch Ultraman and wishes to become one
15. to read just like Abg Ngah and Mama
16. to wear his khaki bermuda shorts
17. to play hide and seek, he hid in the wardrobe once and fell asleep there making Mama panic for a while
18. to be the youngest in the family, whenever someone asked him if he would like to have a little sister/brother, he would quickly say 'No way!'
19. to say 'Let's go!' everytime he's ready to do something or to go somewhere
20. to imitate his eldest brother, Danish, who's like an idol to him
21. to eat Mama's chocolate cake
22. to talk
23. to talk
24. to talk
25. to talk

There're many other things about Daim that I might put here but the list would be endless. So, I just listed down the most prominent ones, the ones which I would never forget and the ones which never failed to make me smile....

Daim, you are special in your own way. You are the most active and adventurous of all. I know for a fact that you are a brave child and that would take you a long way, dear. Don't say no to challenges and you'd enjoy every little thing that might come your way. I love you very much and I'll be right by your side all the time....

Umarizz Darwisy bin Rozinor

2009-11-21T00:29:00.003+08:00

Umarizz Darwisy is my second son. He just turned 4 last Merdeka Day. Yes, he's a Merdeka baby. Although at birth he weighed 3.56 kg which was quite big for me, at 4, he's only 14 kg. He's small, thin but no doubt, quite strong. You could feel his hard bones whenever you pressed his arms or thighs.

Darwisy is an extremely active boy. He hardly sleeps and always on the moves no matter when and where. He could run fast and I often imagined Darwisy as a football player looking at his speed while running.

I've described Darwisy in this blog a few months ago about how he could cry really hard and I even said that Darwisy had crying as his hobby. Hahahahaaa.....and the statement remains until today. Yes, let me tell you how he could cry and cry and cry whenever his wishes were not granted.

There was once when he wanted me to take his bottle for him which was only at arm's length. Of course I didn't want to do it because he could take it himself. But being Darwisy, after I ignored his request, he wailed wildly and started to cry like anything. Oh my! It was really getting into my nerves but I knew if I continued ignoring him, it'd take forever for him to stop weeping. So, trying hard to be a tolerant mother, I took the bottle and shoved it to him. To my surprise, he didn't take the bottle, instead he demanded me to hold the bottle and feed him. Now, that was it. I quickly called out his Papa and Darwisy was suddenly behaving like an angel. He took the bottle gently from my hand and put it into his mouth without further ado. Just like Danish, Darwisy too is scared of Papa.

Darwisy likes to eat fruits. As long as the fruits were still visible to him, he would make sure that he consumed all of them as soon as possible. He loves rice and seafood. He knows how to eat lala and lobster very well. It's such an enjoyable sight looking at him while he's eating. He would be so focus with some frowns on his forehead and he would look as though he was working really hard trying to finish his food. There seemed to be some sort of connections between food and Darwisy.

Darwisy likes singing. His favourite songs are Situasi, Revolusi by Bunkface, Transformers songs by Linkin' Park and Aizat's songs. So far, he never went out of tune. I guessed he's musically inclined just like me...hihihihi....

Darwisy likes to read too. Whenever he saw me taking my book to read, he would do exactly the same. He would open his book and start reading although at times I couldn't make out what he was reading about. Well, his intention really made me proud of him and I hoped when he could read well, he would enjoy reading as much as I enjoyed reading too.

To Darwisy, you'll always be my hero no matter how much you love to cry. I'll be there to soothe you if you ever feel scared or uncomfortable with things around you. I know that you'll grow up well and become a good boy who would make me proud of you and your achievements. Please remember that you're always in my prayers and I love you very much!

Danish Muqri bin Rozinor

2009-11-20T16:33:00.002+08:00

Danish Muqri bin Rozinor is my eldest son. Today is his last day of school for this year. Yes, he was quite excited to go to school because he told me that he wanted to play with his friends before meeting them again early next year.

He just turned 7 last 8 November. Being the eldest and biggest, he's indeed a responsible son and brother. He could tolerate his two younger brothers well. He often gave ways to those two cheeky little ones. There was once when Danish was happily munching a piece of biscuit, one of his brothers came up to him and asked for a bite. At first, it was clear that Danish was a bit reluctant to let his brother have it. The two boys were looking at each other intensely when suddenly Danish offered the biscuit to his brother, not just one tiny bite but the whole piece! Wow, that was something, I said to myself at that time. I expected Danish to just ignore his brother and swallow the whole thing, but he tolerated and gave away his favourite biscuit happily. There were many other incidents but I was not going to tell everything here. Everything was well-kept in my head, in my memory.

To me, Danish is good-looking. Many had said the same thing about him. Some of my friends said that Danish had gotten all the best features out of us, his parents...hihihihi.....
I could still remember, when Danish was still small, sitting quietly in his stroller, whenever we were out for a stroll or shopping, people would stop by and say hi to him. Many passers-by would look at him in awe and start whispering with their companions. Must be talking about Danish, I supposed.

Danish had appeared on television a few times already. In Haiwan Teladan, Tom Tom Bak, Macam-Macam Aznil and coming soon, Geng Bas Sekolah. He's got the talent and also the interest, so, I just encouraged him to proceed with whatever he wanted to do. However, I also gave him some conditions here and there.....like, study comes first, when he's needed at a location, he's got to give the commitment, etc, etc....so far, he's been doing well, I might say. He's doing well in school and progressing enough at his age.

Danish Muqri's a big eater. He could eat non-stop if his favourites were spread out on the table in front of him. He loves rice, chicken, fish, beef, anchovies and many other things. However, he tries to avoid seafood like prawns, squids and he doesn't like vegetables. But, he loves fruits a lot. That explains the smooth texture of his skin....hahahaha...

Danish is soft-hearted, I know. He tends to cry easily. Whenever he feels bad about something, it looks like as though something is stucked at his throat. No words seem to come out of his mouth when he tries to explain. The moment a word gets blurted out, tears would also start coming down his chubby cheeks at the same time. Poor baby, even his teacher once told me that Danish would start crying whenever something goes wrong somewhere...hahaha...

Danish is also a good listener. He listens attentively when someone is talking to him. Being a passionate boy, he takes good care of his brothers and me. Whenever I'm not feeling well, he would ask me to rest and not to do anything heavy. He would offer to do it himself. When his two little brothers start to fight with each other, Danish would come to the rescue and become the 'jaksa pendamai'.

Danish is also scared of his Papa. He would try his best to behave well in front of Papa because if something goes wrong, when Papa starts to open his mouth, Danish would start crying silently.....heheh...

Whatever it is, my dearest son, I love you very much and I hope life would treat you well. I would try to live up to your expectation and you know that I'll be there for you whenever you need me. If you want anything, just ask me for it and I'll do my best to fulfill your needs. There are many more years for you to explore things and make full use of your time. So, do everything wisely and the most important thing is that you are happy with what you do and I'll be happy for you too...

Dulu Lain Sekarang Lain

2009-11-17T23:58:00.002+08:00

Back in late 90s when Astro had just started its operation, my father subscribed to it. I could still remember that it was considered a luxury thingy back then due to its installation fee which was about 1K++. I couldn't recall the monthly fee however. I knew at that time not so many people had installed Astro and we were amongst the first few subscribers. The image of the digitalized screen was quite clear and at times you could see some alien boxes on the tv screen. Seriously. I guessed technology was still a trial and error on the cable at that time.

The channels were not so many like today. The local channels (free ones) were not even on the list yet. There was only one Malay channel, Ria and the movie channels available were only HBO and Star Movies. There were also one Chinese channel, a Tamil channel and of course there were MTV and Channel V around.

The best part about Astro during those times was the attraction that it offered to its limited viewers. There were many contests around, practically every channel had their own special contests for the viewers.

I remembered clearly once I entered Channel V contest and I won second prize. My name even appeared in the monthly magazine (it was given free for all subscribers back then) as one of the winners. Oh my! I was truly excited because I was not always lucky in contests. I won Channel V merchandises like notepad, t-shirt, mug and stickers. Not bad, huh...

Then, my brothers and I entered Roda Impian (it was first started on Ria) contest and we won again. We had Roda Impian t-shirts and mugs. The Ria Channel often showed P.Ramlee's movies and again, we entered the contest. Needless to say, we won mugs, t-shirts and more mugs. For your information, all the gifts were delivered personally to our door. I could still remember seeing a van with the logo on it stopping in front of the house and two men in uniforms and caps taking out a few boxes from the van. We got excited because we knew that those boxes contained our gifts. Well, I guessed we were allowed to behave like children at that time because all of us were still too young, hihihihi.....

How did we manage to win all those contests easily? Well, the reason was obvious. There were not so many subscribers around and they had no choice but to select us as the winners because most probably we were the only human beings entering the contests....hihihihihi....jakun betul kan?

Another thing that I could remember was the number of people come flocking into the house in order to enjoy the digital channels. They were my cousins, neighbours, friends, aunties, uncles and the house was always full of people which obviously made my mother happy. She would start cooking various kinds of food and I knew she enjoyed it so much. Frankly speaking, I enjoyed those times very much too because I loved the company of people around me and getting to know them better was a good thing really.

Well, now, today, 'stesen tv berbayar itu' has many interesting channels and they come with different packages to choose from and of course with different types of fees for each. Installation is cheaper and selection of channels is easier. All you have to do is pick up the phone and start dialling the customer service.

When my father first made the subscription, the dish came with free gifts which still last until today, and when problems occurred, the technician would come running to our house in a jiffy. Hmmmm, I wonder if such thing still applies now? Would they entertain their customers the same way as when they first started? Are they still treating you as if you are their most precious customer? I'm not so sure because I'm not a subscriber like my father.....

Late and Wait

2009-11-08T07:31:00.006+08:00

Dear readers,

Being a normal human being, I'm sure all of you have been late before. Be it late for class, late for submissions, late for a movie and late for anything that you can think of.

I have been late myself. Throughout my adult life, I have been late for so many things. And all my lateness had good reasons behind them. Yes, everything happens for a reason, right?

Whenever I was late for something, I'd be rushing like mad. This is because I'm the type of person who would try the best to be on time no matter what. If not on time, it'd be earlier. Get what I mean?

If I was the one waiting, and the other person was late, well, I would always be the forgiving person. The reason is obvious....I've been late before, so, it's not wrong for another person to be late too. That person must have his/her own reasons for being late. We just have to compromise and tolerate here and there in order to make both parties happy. There's no point being angry just because someone was late. We should be understanding a little bit and the world would a better place.

Let me tell you a story. However, the story might not quite relate to what I just described above. Just a situation that I got to know from someone and I would like to share it with you. So, here goes:

X worked as a journalist at a leading newspaper agency. X was supposed to complete a task within a few months but no exact deadlines given. This meant that X had the time to do the task as perfect as possible. At the same time, X had other tasks to attend to. Being a journalist, X's schedule was hectic and X had to rush here and there for news. But that one special task never left X's mind.

During office hours, whenever X had the time, X would sit down and do it. After office hours, X would stay back at the office and concentrate on the task. X even took it back home sometimes. Because of the fact that the task was a bit difficult and needed X's expertise, there was no one else to assist X to complete it. So, days became weeks, weeks became months and it had been quite a few months already, and the task was still incomplete. Lucky for X as nobody queried about it except for X's colleague, Z.

All the while, Z had been quite a hassle because almost every other day, Z would ask the status of the task from X. Z just wouldn't understand the struggle that X had to go through in completing the task. X often had to remind Z that the task was not the only thing that X had to complete, there were so many others that X had to do as well. What was really annoying to X were the words that came out of Z's mouth, the comments that Z made and the expressions that Z displayed. Whenever Z talked about it, the words came out slashing through X's heart. Z even said that X was not suitable for the job and Z commented that Z was frustrated with X. X took it to heart. Everyday, X would try the best to avoid Z. But not much of a success because Z's work station was next to X at the office. Such situation prolonged until at last X managed to complete the task perfectly. X's boss was very pleased with the end result of the task and said to X, "If you want the very best out of something, you must be willing to wait no matter how long it takes. Believe me, the result will be worth the wait and you'd be grateful that you waited". X was extremely happy with everything and X decided to ignore Z forever.

The thing that attracted me to this was what the boss had said to X. I would be very happy myself if my boss said something like that to me everytime I had to submit my task. Hihihihi....

I couldn't agree more with X's boss. We must wait patiently if we want the very best to materialise in front of us. If you feel frustrated because the other party is late, don't press it, the other party feels even more frustrated than you because he/she is late for you. If we want something badly, we have to be willing to make sacrifices.

Life's like that, I supposed.

Sigh!!!

2009-11-02T14:31:00.002+08:00

Last Tuesday, on the way back from picking up Danish from school, the sky was threatening to rain heavily. It was very dark making it look like night time. However, luckily, the traffic was not too bad.

As I was driving, one of my sons said that he saw a car broke down. I drove past the car and saw that there was a lady in her late 30s and carrying an infant. Beside her on the right was a small girl and on the left another girl. Could be her daughters. They were standing by the roadside, behind their MPV. The emergency lights were on. The lady was just smiling, looking cool and she was trying to console the daughter on her right who looked like crying. The lady then tried to stop the cars that passed by. I slowed down my car and I was about to stop when suddenly I heard a loud honking behind me. There was a lorry honking me like mad right behind my car. I was startled and sped off. Damned the lorry. Couldn't the driver see what was happening? Even if the driver didn't want to help, at least, be patient and give me time to stop for a while. Deep down inside, I felt guilty for I didn't do anything to help the lady. I knew exactly how she must have felt. Having to carry a baby with two other daughters on tow and a car that broke down.

I wondered if there was any car stopping and helping her. I felt really bad and the feeling stayed with me up till today.

So much for being a caring citizen, huh?

Tuuuuuu.......

2009-10-27T09:22:00.003+08:00

Since I work from home, I have my own SOHO at home. My small office home office concept is just a little corner of the living room.

Let's look at the following conversation between my sons (Darwisy, 4, Daim, 3 and I):

Darwisy: Kenapa Mama pakai lipstick?
Mama: Eh, Mama nak pegi work la..
Daim: Ha? Work?
Mama: Yup, I'm going to my office to work...
Darwisy: Mama pakai lipstick nak pegi work? Kat mana?
Daim: Tuuuuuu....(pointing to my SOHO)
Mama: (speechless)

A & B

2009-10-24T13:51:00.003+08:00

A & B were best of friends. They had been friends for as long as they could remember. They shared many things together. They had seen the best and the worst of one another. They both felt their ups and downs with each other. When A was feeling terribly down, B would cheer A up. When B was having a really hard time, A was there to calm B down.

Years passed by without noticed. A & B had become quite distant from each other. It could be due to the distance between them (they lived far away from each other after both got married) or it could simply be because of 'something that had happened' somewhere along the line when they were still communicating well with each other. Something that really broke A's heart and B was heart-broken too.

A was busy with work and B was struggling in business. Both had been thinking of each other all the time all this while. Although both were not keen to make the first move to say hello again, both were wishing that things would be fine soon. Was there still hope to mend the crack in such a beautiful and cherished friendship?

What do you think happens in the end? Care to share your thoughts?

Jogger

2009-10-15T15:16:00.002+08:00

I was blog-hopping last night when I came across my ex-colleague's blog here.

In her latest entry, she wrote about her blog being reviewed by another ex-colleague, Jogger, whom she hadn't met for quite some time. When we were working at the same place, Jogger was my next-seat neighbour. At first, he was quite reserved but as I got to know him, he was not bad, quite a cool chap. He's easy to talk to and I could discuss many things with him, be it the current issues, women issues or anything that we felt like discussing. He's almost like a brother to me. In fact, he's of the same age as my own younger brother. I guess that explains how we could get along well with each other. Oh yes, he played paintball at that time and good at it. I wonder if he still plays it now.

After I left the company, we didn't keep in touch. Therefore, I didn't know his progress in life, whether he had gotten married, his whereabout and also what he's doing now.

So, when I came across his blog last night, I posted a message in his shout box asking whether he is whom I thought he was.

I was checking my entry just now when I saw his comment. And yup, he is whom I thought he was. Well, Jogger, if you were to review my blog, I'm here to say that my blog contains mainly letters being typed out. Not much of photos or widgets or whatever. Tak canggih, kata orang. But it's all about my life and my family. So, let's keep in touch and I'll support your blog from now on.

I Am A Work-From-Home Mom

2009-10-12T09:19:00.002+08:00

I've been neglecting my blog, yes, I know....

Those who know what I'm doing professionally or even personally would understand how busy I could be at times.

Well, to tell the truth, being a loving mother to three active heroes who are growing up too quickly, being an understanding wife to an extremely busy filmmaker, being an obedient daughter to wonderful parents, being this and being that....wow, just being me at this rate really takes up the full 24 hours a day to the max!!!

But, I'm not here to complain.

I'm writing diligently today to say that I'm truly blessed with a healthy body, a clear mind and a full source of energy, Alhamdulillah. Although I'm not working fulltime at the office anymore, I'm still working fulltime at home.

Yes, I'm not a housewife. I am a work-from-home mom.

On top of all the housechores that you could think of, I have my own professional work that I have to attend to at home too.

I do translations, editing and proofreading which have deadlines!!! I also do part-time lecturing at two universities. I also give piano lessons to some neighbours. I am also a producer of my hubby's production house. I am also in the online business. And the one which keeps me on my toes at the moment is that I am in the process of 'opening' something that I have been dreaming for so long...it's just a matter of a few more paperworks and a 'hardcore' willpower to make it a reality in a few months' time, InshaAllah...

I have to remind you that I'm not boasting or bragging here.

I just feel like sharing with you what I've been doing after I quit my wonderful fulltime office job five months ago. It's just that some people had been questioning and wondering how I occupy my time at home. There're also some people who had been thinking that I just shake my legs (duduk goyang kaki la tuh..hihi) at home and do nothing.

I told my mother the other day that I am ten times busier now compared to when I was a Division Manager last time. Yes, it's indeed true because at the office, I just sat down going through proposals, verifying staff leaves, claims, etc, sitting through endless meetings, thinking, brainstorming and discussing with staff, managing the division as a whole and not so much of having to rush here and there like what I'm going through right now.

My mother said that at least the things that I'm doing now are for my own family. I have more time for my children especially because I'm at home doing the work. And the most important thing is that I'm doing all these for myself and my family not for other people. That's the best thing!!!

Well, everybody has their own say about this kind of thing. I believe that we have to do what we think is worth doing and we have to know clearly what we want to achieve in life.

I've made my choice and I'm truly grateful.

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri

2009-09-17T09:27:00.002+08:00

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri to all my readers out there.

As some of you might have known, we take turns to go back for raya (Rembau & Johor Bahru). Since we'd celebrated the first few days of raya at Rembau last year, therefore, this year, obviously, we are going back to Johor Bahru.

All of us got a week break and there won't be any connection with the internet at JB's home. So, I'll be only back in-touch with the virtual world a week from now.

I wish all of you a safe journey home and enjoy the break!

14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th and 19th Days of Ramadhan

2009-09-09T20:37:00.005+08:00

14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th Days of Ramadhan updates:

14th Day of Ramadhan:
Sorry as I couldn't remember what I cooked on that day. So much for not updating obligingly.

15th Day of Ramadhan:
I cooked at my parents' place as a cousin of mine was coming over and my dear nephew was also around. My mom requested that I cooked Ayam Masak Merah, Ikan Sos Tiram, Masak Cili Api Ikan Tenggiri and Sup Sayur.

16th Day of Ramadhan:
I cooked at my parents' place again. The dishes were Masak Tempoyak Pucuk Ubi and Sambal Tumis Ikan Bilis.

17th Day of Ramadhan:
I cooked Sambal Tumis Ikan Bilis again and also Fried Fish.

18th Day of Ramadhan:
My mom was cooking because I was tired after accompanying Danish to a casting session at Luncai Emas Sdn Bhd which is owned by Sifu M.Nasir. Too bad we couldn't meet him but we managed to hear his voice loud and clear from his office.
My mom cooked a dish which she watched from a cooking show in the morning. The dish was called Ayam Kicap Ala-Ala and Sup Sayur.

19th Day of Ramadhan:
I cooked Daging Masak Kicap, Sambal Tempoyak Ikan Bilis and Fried Tempe. I also made a local delicacy called Puteri Mandi but since I put a drop of red colouring which made the dough become pinkish, I called my kuih as Puteri Mandi Pretty In Pink...heheh..

Mulanya Cinta - Dato' Siti Nurhaliza

2009-09-04T20:51:00.001+08:00

MULANYA CINTA

Tiada sesiapa dapat melupa
Perasaan cinta pertama
Akan ku ingat selama-lama
Saat pertama jatuh cinta

Kasih sayang
Senyum mesra bersama
Gurau senda pujuk rayumu
Pasti ku ingati

Apapun juga akhirnya
Aku kan tetap
Mengingatimu dengan setia
Walaupun kau akan pergi
Pasti ku ingati gelora cinta
Kali pertama

Twelfth & Thirteenth Days of Ramadhan

2009-09-04T15:34:00.003+08:00

12th Day:
I cooked Ikan Kerisi Masak Lemak Tempoyak, Ikan Kecik (I didn't know the name, actually, hihi) Goreng Cili and Fried Spinach.

13th Day:
I cooked Chicken Curry and Kacang Panjang Goreng.

Very simple dishes for break fast but nobody complained, so, I guess, it's okay....

Seventh, Eighth, Ninth, Tenth and Eleventh Days of Ramadhan

2009-09-02T14:16:00.003+08:00

I was quite occupied with things in hand for the past few days, hence no update on the rest of Ramadhan in this blog of mine. Well, I guess it's okay to list everything altogether in one single entry of the seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth and the eleventh days of Ramadhan...here goes:

Seventh Day:
I cooked Ikan Keli Berlada with Fried Cabbage and Kuih Keria for break fast. We had the same dishes for sahur as well.

Eighth Day:
I didn't cook because my mom asked us to break fast with my parents at home. When we arrived, everything had been laid out on the table...hihii....sorry, Mak, didn't help you out this time....
My mom cooked Sambal Sotong, Gulai Lemak Cili Padi Telur Itik and Tauhu Sumbat. My younger brother joined us too and he brought with him Ayam Golek and the famous Bubur Lambuk Kg Baru (not the mosque, it's at a corner somewhere behind Maybank). My hubby went to the Bazaar Ramadhan which is just a walking distance from my parents' place and bought some Sardine Curry Puffs and Murtabak.
Before heading home, I tapau'ed' everything for sahur..hihi...

Ninth Day:
I cooked Ayam Golek (whole chicken) and Moroccan Rice. My hubby made Potato Pie which was delicious...yum yum...For sahur, we had the same food.

Tenth Day:
I went to the wet market early in the morning to buy some fresh chicken, beef, fish and vegetables which would last for, hopefully, two weeks.
I cooked Asam Pedas Daging and Fried Kangkung for break fast. Very simple yet satisfying....

Eleventh Day:
Danish requested Chicken Rice for break fast. Chicken Rice is one of my favourite dishes to cook because it's very easy and saves a lot of time. So, I made Chicken Rice but this time, instead of frying the chicken, I grilled them to perfection and to tell the truth, the chicken tasted better and looked nicer. I would definitely grill again for Chicken Rice. Earlier, my mom gave me some Lepat Pisang and I had that around 10pm.
For sahur, we finished the rest of the Chicken Rice and I made hot drinks for all of us.

There you go, the quite-a-lengthy description of what I made and cooked for the past few days. I hope I managed to inspire my readers with ideas on what to cook for 'buka puasa'.

Sixth Day of Ramadhan

2009-08-27T21:03:00.003+08:00

Last night my hubby said that I had still not cooked for him Lontong ever since he mentioned about it few months ago...yes, you read that correctly....few months ago...

So, I decided to cook Lontong for the sixth day of Ramadhan.

Luckily I had all the ingredients in the fridge, therefore, I did not have to waste much time looking for things to accommodate the recipe. I started off with making Nasi Impit in the afternoon. Then, I prepared the 'rempah' for the gravy and thawed the coconut milk.

At the same time, I prepared another of my first attempts in making kuih which was Kuih Lopes, also a request from dear hubby.

After all the 'rempah' were ready, I started cooking the Lontong complete with its condiments like Sambal Tumis and Serunding Kelapa.

When Lontong was safely put aside, I made Kuih Lopes slowly and steadily because there was still so much time to spare before the time to break fast. Since I managed to make quite a few pieces of Kuih Lopes, I asked Danish to send some to our neighbours. Knowing Danish, he was ever so willingly to go out and enjoy meeting the neighbours around. Hahaha...it's indeed easy when you have someone to play despatch as the need arises...

Remember I told you about us haven't bought anything from the Bazaar so far? Well, I guess it didn't last long because when my hubby came back from work today, he had about five bags of food and drinks bought from the Bazaar. Oh my! He bought mango drinks, sardine puffs, nasi lemak and taufufah....He knew that I cooked his favourite food and kuih for buka puasa today but still he went on and bought everything that his heart desired. But it's okay because we're big eaters and we could always finish the food in no time at all!

Fifth Day of Ramadhan

2009-08-27T20:57:00.002+08:00

For the fifth day of Ramadhan I cooked Chicken Soup+potatoes+carrots and Telur Bistik. I also made Pulut Serunding as requested by my hubby. It's my first attempt making Pulut Serunding but Alhamdulillah, it was not bad at all. Easy to cook and good to eat....

So far, we hadn't bought any food from the Bazaar yet...everything was homemade till this very day. Hopefully, I would have enough energy, time and ideas on what to serve and feed the family throughout the rest of this holy month, insyaAllah.

Fourth Day of Ramadhan

2009-08-25T20:14:00.002+08:00

Today is the fourth day of Ramadhan.

For break fast, I cooked Sambal Cencaru and Goreng Kobis+Carrot+Tomato. For dessert I made Ondeh-Ondeh or also known as Kuih Buah Melaka or in my hometown, Kuih Kolopong. Danish and I made Fresh Orange Juice where we used four oranges, a spoonful of sugar and three cups of cold water, blended everything in the mixer and it's ready to be consumed by Danish...heheh

After eating, Danish had his other portion of 'Lengkong' and he finished it in just a few seconds. You really fancy such simple 'Lengkong', huh, Danish? It's ok, Mama would make more next week for you...

Third Day of Ramadhan

2009-08-25T14:41:00.003+08:00

The menu for the third day of Ramadhan was very simple.

I only cooked Ikan Bawal Sos Tiram (this is my own recipe, I created the recipe few years back) and Bayam Rebus. For dessert, I made 'Lengkong' or better known as Agar-Agar Merah which was Danish's favourite since small. For half of a packet of Agar-Agar Strip, I managed to make 10 small cups of 'Lengkong', not bad...enough for a few days' portion of dessert for Danish, Darwisy and Daim.

At around 11pm, my hubby complained that he felt a little bit hungry. So, since at that time, I was quite busy with my own work, I requested for him to make Roti Gulung Sausage. Although he looked a bit reluctant to do it, he went on cooking the simple bread and voila! the bread looked appetizing enough and he looked rather happy at the end coz his tummy had been filled up adequately..hihi...

For sahur, we had the same menu as Buka Puasa but I added Telur Dadar and I made hot drinks for each of us.

Second Day of Ramadhan

2009-08-25T14:37:00.004+08:00

Second day of Ramadhan, I went to my parents' place in the morning to help my mom cook some dishes for my sis in-law, my nephew and my niece who just got back home from Abu Dhabi.

We cooked Rendang Daging with Pucuk Ubi, Sambal Prawn, Masak Lemak Cili Api Chicken and Corn Pudding. That's quite a lot but it's been almost two years since my mom last cooked for them, I guess I had to give credits to my mom....

So, before going back to my own house, of course I packed everything and when I reached home, I would only need to cook rice...and relax...

First Day of Ramadhan

2009-08-24T17:59:00.003+08:00

The first day of Ramadhan went well for my family, Alhamdulillah. Danish was fasting too and he's determined to fast the whole month, insyaAllah.

Since it's the first day, so I decided to cook special dishes (at least special for me la...hihi). I made 'karipap sardin', masak lemak cili api chicken with potatoes, fried kangkong and keropok ikan kering Sabah goreng.

The chicken was Danish's favourite, therefore, without wasting much time, upon azan, he grabbed his drumstick and poured the gravy till 'banjir'..hihi...it's such an interesting sight watching him breaking fast wholeheartedly.

For sahur, we had the same dish plus hot drinks for each of us.

Leaking Tummy?

2009-08-20T16:04:00.003+08:00

A conversation between my youngest son, Daim, who is only 34 month-old and me just about 15 minutes after we had our dinner:

Daim: Mama, aku lapar la...(he calls himself 'aku' and sometimes 'saya').
Mama: Ha?
Daim: Mama, perut aku lapar la...(bending over to me while pressing his tummy with a frown)
Mama: We just had our dinner kan? Daim makan 3 pinggan kan?
Daim: Mama, aku lapar sikit jer....boleh la Mama...(with a very deep frown)
Mama: (speechless)

Hari Raya 2009 Biscuits For Sale

2009-08-11T01:13:00.003+08:00

Tart Nenas Mangkuk Istimewa

Tart Nenas Gulung Power

Chocolate Crunch Sedap Giler

To my dear readers out there,
I have actually started my Hari Raya biscuits business back in 2007. Ever since my first embarkment in the business, I have not looked back and it has been one of the things that I love doing.

To tell the truth, I only sell three (3) types of Hari Raya biscuits namely Chocolate Crunch which I renamed it as Chocolate Crunch Sedap Giler, Tart Nenas Gulung which I renamed as Tart Nenas Gulung Power and Tart Nenas Mangkuk which I called Tart Nenas Mangkuk Istimewa.

Chocolate Crunch Sedap Giler has been a big hit since it made its first appearance in 2007. People actually re-ordered many times after they have tasted the first bottle that they bought. I was truly glad and thankful for the great feedback not only for Chocolate Crunch Sedap Giler but from buyers of the other two biscuits as well. Indeed they were satisfied and craving for more....hihi

So, come this Hari Raya which is not too far away, just only about one and a half months' away, the three biscuits are ready to be ordered by you, you and you. Yes, with only RM25 for every 50 pieces, you can taste the most delectable and delicious Hari Raya biscuits ever.

So, come on, go ahead and email me for your orders at lizamurnilokman at gmail dot com.
For those who already have my contact numbers, don't hesitate to tinkle me for your orders....
Oh yes, you can also order through Facebook at my profile....
See you....

Camner Ek?

2009-07-19T10:31:00.002+08:00

As the readers of my humble blog would notice, I always write in English. But this time around, I would like to write in my mother tongue which is Bahasa Malaysia. Why? The reason is because I think what I'll be expressing later on would sound better in BM (just like Myra, arwah Shera's sis-in-law..hihihi).

Ok here goes...

Kalau seorang pompuan tu perut dia buncit, dia mmg kena tgh pregnant ker? Asal perut buncit jer, pregnant la tuh....ada ke camtu?

I was quite 'bengang' bila orang yang agak dah lama tak jumpa aku, mesti dia akan tanya whether aku ni pregnant ker. Aku tau la perut aku buncit, but does that mean aku pregnant memanjang? Orang tu tau tak yg kalau pompuan dah dekat nak datang bulan, perut dia akan bloated? Or orang tu tau tak kalau pompuan yang dah beranak tiga mmg perut dia akan nampak agak tak kempis lagi? Or orang tu tau tak kalau pompuan tu perut buncit ada kemungkinan dia tgh menderita ketumbuhan fibroid kat dlm rahim dia tuh?

Aku mmg sensitif betul kalau orang tanya aku cenggini...."Eh, u pregnant lagi ker?"...soalan pertama lak tu masa jumpa...hish, nak je aku bagi satu 'ppaanngggg' kat muka dia.

Tapi, benda ni terjadi bukan sekali jer...mmg selalu..and bukan sorang tu jer yg tanya, ramai jugak yg tanya. So, i guess, perut aku mmg buncit tahap tak hingat la kot...kalau tidak takkan semua orang tu tanya cenggitu ek?

Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen

2009-07-06T17:18:00.004+08:00

At last, the night that we had been waiting for had finally arrived. The night when we would be the first amongst the Malaysians to watch 'Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen'. Like I mentioned in my previous entry, hubby and I were keeping this a secret from Danish. So, when I was dropping him off at his school in the afternoon, I told him to straight away wait for me at the guardhouse after school, no stopping at the canteen or at the ice-cream man. Obviously, he was curious. I told him that we were going somewhere later.

So, as expected, I saw Danish straight away headed towards the guardhouse after the bell rang. I quickly ushered him to the car and asked him to take a shower and get dressed once we reached home. Then, at 8pm, we hurried off to the cinema in Ampang because our show was scheduled at 8.30pm. In the car, Danish kept on asking where were we heading to. I kept quiet and it's up to hubby to answer. Well, I guess, my hubby himself couldn't contain the suspense any longer and he asked Danish to take a look at the ticket. I was watching Danish closely and it was indeed a satisfying feeling looking at his beaming face. He was grinning for ear to ear and he excitedly started to fill up his two little brothers with stories of Optimus Prime. Such a wonderful sight!

When we reached the cinema, it was already packed and crowded. As we had some time to spare, we made way to the beverage counter and bought my favourite popcorn and few drinks. After that, we hurriedly moved to Hall 3 and found our seats. Just the five of us in a row. Danish wanted to have the best seat of course and we gave him the honour. After about fifteen minutes waiting, the movie started and this sequel was indeed full of action and special effects. More robots were shown and appeared as Autobots and Decepticons. When Optimus Prime made its appearance, I got excited all over (I must've gotten the vibes from my children and the other audience...hihi). There it was, looking strong and macho....

To me, the movie was quite fast paced. Not a moment that was felt dull and boring. I was so into it knowing for a fact that I watched the cartoon during my younger and schooldays and now it's also my children's favourites. Guess what? Being emotional that I was, I cried my heart out when Optimus Prime died...meleleh beb....heheheh...so funny thinking that even a robot could have such effect on me...what more a plain simple human being....heheh...

Danish enjoyed the movie so much although I felt that some scenes were not suitable for children. Anyway, what matters most was that we had a great time and my children especially Danish had a blast of time....he had been waiting for this sequel for months and now his dream had come true...I was sure he would tell his friends in school about it...

A Secret

2009-07-06T17:05:00.004+08:00

Two days after watching 'Drag Me To Hell', we went to watch 'Angels & Demons'. Quite a heavy drama but not bad at all. I've never missed Tom Hanks's movies so far. I like his cool acting and this movie proves that Tom Hanks can still act.

Well, the ending is quite unpredictable too. If you were to watch this movie, watch it with open minds because there are some sensitive dialogues (in my opinion, at least) that might offend some people, that much I can say...

How come we have so much time watching movies at times when other people are busy working at their workplace? Hahaha...that's the beauty of working on our own, self-employed, where you manage your own time and job and still become successful at the same time...InsyaAllah and Alhamdulillah...

Oh yes, I almost forgot! While buying the movie tickets, hubby noticed that there would be a sneak screening of 'Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen' a day before the daily shows....yup, hubby didn't think further, quickly grabbed four tickets (2 adults + 2 children) and we planned to keep it a secret from Danish because he is a die-hard fan of Transformers..it's going to be kind of a nice surprise for him...he's going to be amongst the first in Malaysia to watch his favourite robot...

There Goes My Popcorn

2009-07-06T16:53:00.002+08:00

Last two weeks, my hubby and I went to watch 'Drag Me To Hell'. We went to our favourite cinema in Ampang, just the two of us. We left the twins at the babysitter's and Danish was safely in school.

Hubby really wanted to watch this movie and I, for one, was not too keen in watching horror movies because I would normally have nightmares afterwards (seriously!!!). But, for the sake of 'dating', I braved it through. Well, frankly, I was indeed scared and couldn't sit still. At the same time, I was munching the creamy popcorn and closing my eyes with my hands on and off....I was practically peeping through my fingers...hihi...Once, I was so terrified that I literally jumped out of my seat with my popcorn thrown away all over the place....hahahaha....that shows, huh?

Overall, it's not a bad movie, kind of unpredictable towards the end...I like the ending..and Alhamdullillah, I didn't have nightmares that night, too old for that already, I guess?

It's Back In Town!!!

2009-07-04T09:50:00.003+08:00

Yes, I've been waiting for this for nearly over a year now. I'm sure many of you out there have tasted the goodness of this healthy rice. It is indeed healthy compared to other types of rice because I could feel the difference between them (in my humble opinion, at least...)

Before consuming Herba Ponni Taj Mahal, we had the normal Super Tempatan rice for our daily meals. Not to say that Super Tempatan rice is not good, it is good as well but Herba Ponni Taj Mahal makes you feel healthier and slimmer (heheh).

During the time when the price of rice went uphill, this special rice seemed to disappear from the market. I was told that because of its high price, the production was too expensive to endure for the time being. My family and I had been eating the rice for years by then. So, when the healthy rice was not being sold anymore, we had to go back to the Super Tempatan rice. Everytime I did my marketing, I would often look out for Herba Ponni. I also wished that it would be back into the market soon.

And now, I guess my wish has been granted. While watching my favourite show on the telly last night, I almost screamed because the advertisement showed that Herba Ponni is now back in the market! Wow! Adverts can really make my day, huh...I actually felt relieved knowing that starting from next month, I could go back to consuming my favourite rice. Healthier rice makes me a healthier mother, wife and daughter...and perhaps slimmer one too...heheh..

Let's Read

2009-06-13T10:03:00.002+08:00

Since I've been catching up with my readings lately, there are things that I've noticed happening around me.

My sons are also into reading now. For example, my eldest son, Danish, would start taking out his BEN 10 comic series (he has 6 BEN 10 series) and reading them whenever he sees me taking out and reading my own book. My second son, Darwisy, would do the same thing. He would be busy looking for his own pictorial book whenever he sees his Mama and Big Bro reading. And my youngest son, Daim, would start looking flustered because he normally puts his book at 'out-of-this-world' place. While the rest of us are starting to sit down comfortably to read, he would hassle us to help him find his book first....and once found, he would lie down flat on his tummy and read out loud (of course, in his own version...).

I always carry with me a book or two while going out. And now, all my sons would also carry their books with them in their own bags. And when I start to read in the car while waiting for my husband, all of them would also start to take out their books and read!!! Not bad, huh...

Those are among the things that I noticed happening with my own sons ever since I've made it a point to read whenever and wherever possible. I just hope that such habit would stay on in them until the end....likewise 'Good habits don't die'...

Go on, take out your book and start reading, everyone!!!

3-Ds

2009-06-12T08:17:00.002+08:00

Danish's dialogue:

Nenek: Danish, Mama masak apa hari ni?
Danish: Lamb, Nek.
Nenek: Kambing? Dapat kat mana?
Danish: Tadi pergi C4, beli kambing sekor, pastu suruh org C4 tu sembelih, pastu Mama amik la satu keping jer masak kat rumah.
Nenek: hahahahahahahahahahahahhaahaaaaa.......

Darwisy's dialogue:

Mama: Good nite, Darwisy.
Darwisy: Good nite, Mama. I love you too, Mama.
Mama: I love you, Darwisy. (feeling confused, scratching her head and asking herself: Who said 'I Love You' first? He or me?......)

Daim's dialogue:

Daim: Mama, listen.....Aku jadi Upin Ipin...(Daim calls himself 'aku'...heheh)
Mama: Ok, now sing...
Daim(in almost Upin Ipin's voice): Hi kawan, saya Upin, ini adik saya Ipin. Ini kisah kami berdua. Hi!!!!....Episod 3: BEN 10
Mama: haahahahahahhaaaaaa......(mmg hard-core BEN 10 fan anak bongsu aku ni...)

Danish in Tom Tom Bak

2009-05-29T08:09:00.002+08:00

Wow, it has been quite some time since I last wrote....sampai ada yang komplen blog ni tak update...hihihihi....

There are so many reasons as to why I haven't been updating this precious blog of mine...
One of it is that my notebook went kaput....all my documents have gone with the wind, important documents, photos and even documents which are a matter of life and death have also disappeared.....sob..sob...If I need to surf the net, facebooking or blogging, I'll have to use my hubby's notebook now and frankly, I don't get that much opportunity..heheh...so, that's one concrete reason for not updating this blog so much...

Alright, I would like to remind my readers out there to watch Tom Tom Bak on Astro Ceria every Sunday starting from this Sunday - 31 May 2009 at 12 pm.....As I have mentioned before, Danish is one of the talents for Jom Borak segment with Aznil in this programme. However, I do not know which episode would Danish be in, so we'll have to watch every Sunday...

Last few weeks Danish went for an audition of Astro Ceria 'Geng Bas Sekolah' and I think he didn't make it coz they told us that the shooting would be done during the school holidays and today is already the last day of school for the term. If he had made it, we would have known it by now, right? So, Danish was quite sad about it but I told him that there might be other offers later for him...

The other day someone from a local production called and asked if Danish could attend a casting session with them. But, we were outstation at that time and Danish missed the opportunity then...takder rezeki agaknyer....it's ok, I'm sure there'd always be a next time for him, inshaAllah...

When I mentioned outstation just now, actually, we were in JB...we had to go back to JB at the middle of the week because my brother in law's wife passed away due to cancer. It was sad looking at her five children especially her youngest who is only 3 years old. I guess, this is what we called 'modern disease'....it took her only about a year for the cancer to spread all over her being and this kind of disease definitely does not have any mercy....and we have to remind ourselves to really watch what we eat, how we lead our lives and our lifestyles in general....I pray that her children would be strong and study hard so that they could make their late mother proud of them eventhough she's no longer around...Al-Fatihah...

To my dear readers, appreciate what you have in front of you, be it your family or your loved ones because I believe that we could never tell and know until when can we stay and be together and love each other.....spend as much time as possible with them and just pray that Allah panjangkan umur kita semua, inshaAllah...

Tomok - The One In A Million

2009-05-01T23:37:00.002+08:00

I've been a follower of some reality shows on our local tv channels. To me, some of these shows are indeed entertaining and somehow they can be a real eye-opener. Watching the contestants being challenged and commented all the time makes me wonder if they could actually endure such stressful and tensed moments. Their mental power must be strong to swallow everything calmly and peacefully. But only God knows what's been playing in their mind at that time and how their hearts must have been broken upon hearing such nasty and cruel comments....oh well, that's the part and parcel of being a reality tv show participant...i guess they just have to go through everything until the end...they have no choice, haven't they?

Just now, I watched One In A Million Season 3. I've been a follower not from the beginning but since I watched Tomok sang 'Ingin Bersamamu' a few weeks ago. He really swept me off my seat watching him rendering the song smoothly in his own unique style. Indeed, he's not the same Tomok as before. For your information, Tomok is the lead singer for a well-known boy band 'New Boyz'. With shorter hair, leaner body and outstanding groove, Tomok is no doubt listed in my list of favourite singers.

Since that night, I've never missed watching the show and I noticed that Tomok was getting better each week. His choice of songs and style were really amazing.

Just now, in the Grand Finals, he did it again. You know what, I've been hoping that he would be the winner but when he came out as the contestant who has the least vote, I was a bit surprised. However, he got to act in the finals because the voters apparently wanted him to be in the finals....

So, the real competition began. I'm sure many of you out there who watched the show thought that the other contestants were not up to their best performances except for Tomok. He has always been all-out, that boy....

Therefore, when Tomok was announced as the winner, he automatically became a new millionaire in Malaysia. My son said that Tomok won because of me!!! Heheh....Why? Shhhh.....I voted for him many times!!!!! hihihihi....

Alright, I've told you that I like watching reality shows.....therefore, I actually voted whoever I thought deserve my votes. Before this, I've voted for Jaclyn Victor in Malaysian Idol, Zahid in AF2, Mawi in AF3 and now, Tomok in OIAM3.....to me, if they deserved a vote, I'd be happy to vote for them.....

Tomok is the one in a million for this season....He deserves it and I'm sure he'll make it big in no time....all the best to you, Tomok....(and I have big plans for you and New Boyz......shhhhhhh....my lips are sealed...)

My Best Kept Secret

2009-04-11T13:44:00.006+08:00

It's been almost one month since I last blogged. Indeed I was busy like anything, so many things to do and so many missions to be accomplished....

There are many things and issues that I would like to blog about. Well, let's see...hmmm....why don't I start with my reading issue?

Okay, if you have been following my blog, you'd know that I have an issue with reading. Reading is my hobby since young.....but with three heroes around, I found it extremely difficult to make the time to read anything at all.....

However, now, I am proud to say that for the past two and a half months (I started on 26th January 2009), I have managed to read five novels and I am currently reading my sixth!!!! Is that an achievement or what? I, myself, was shocked to discover that I have read five books within three months....How did I manage to do that? Actually, it took my whole willpower to start on a book and somehow I couldn't stop since then. I could still remember clearly what Arwah Shera (my late good friend) once told me. She carried quite a big handbag with her and she put a book inside where she would make it a point to read whenever she had the opportunity. She would read while waiting for the green traffic light, she would read while waiting for her daughter at school and she would also read while waiting for the soup to simmer. I took the courage to follow exactly what she advised me to do. And look at what I have accomplished so far? Five books in a row!!!!

The books that I have read were as follows (in chronological order):
PS I Love You - Cecelia Ahern
Biarkan Aku Menangis - Norhayati Ibrahim
Labels - Harold Carlton
Confessions of A Shopaholic - Sophie Kinsella (yes, Boja, at last, I managed to start reading the series)
Shopaholic Takes Manhattan - Sophie Kinsella
Shopaholic Ties The Knot - Sophie Kinsella (currently reading and about to finish it)

I would read while waiting for Danish at school. I would read while waiting for my husband at the bank. I would read while waiting for my favourite TV shows. I would read before going to bed. I would read while waiting for my students. I would read while waiting for my clients at meetings.

I guess, that's how I managed to catch up on my reading......I felt obliged to tell you that it had been five years since I last read, yes, you read that correctly....five solid years!!!! I had been busy with my family, my fulltime job and other things that I didn't have the time to read at all for the past five years...hahahahhahaaaa......

Now that I have a little bit of my precious time to spare, I make it a point to catch up on things that I might have missed all the while....one of which is reading.

I am so glad that I'm able to read more nowadays......
and pssstt..I have a secret to tell you...
I've already bought all the Shopaholic series and that's one of the main reasons for my achievement. I can't just let them sit there on the shelf, can I? I've just got to read them because I've bought them and it would be such a waste of my better half's money if I just leave them alone...I don't have a job anymore, do I?...hihihihi....

My Big Boy

2009-03-15T09:08:00.002+08:00

It's school holidays and it's also shooting days for Haiwan Teladan Season 2. The readers of my blog would surely understand what Haiwan Teladan was all about. Yes, my eldest, Danish, was one of the actors in this particular kids' show of TV3.

After the success of Season 1, Danish was chosen again to act in Haiwan Teladan Season 2. When I first got the schedule, I was a little bit taken aback because the shooting would take place the whole week of school holidays including the weekends. And the time would be from 9 in the morning until around 7 in the evening. Wow, such a tight schedule for Danish but I was sure he could cope.

Come rehearsal day which was yesterday, we went to the location as early as 8 as we were told to be on time. When the rehearsal started, I noticed that Danish was not as noisy and active as he used to be in the previous season. Even the producer and the compere noticed this. They came and asked me about Danish's 'unusual' behaviour. Well, what was I to say, I myself didn't know what happened to Danish. I had to admit that he looked bored and tired. Furthermore, he had no friends since the other kids were younger and smaller than him except for one girl who also appeared in the first season. Both of them were together most of the time, could be due to the fact that they were of the same age and they had known each other during the previous season.

After the rehearsal, Danish confessed to me that he was no longer interested in acting for the show. Mind you, I did not ask him about what happened at all. He came out with the confession himself. As I had told you before, he was the expressive type, he would pour out his feelings and his thoughts without anyone having to push him for information. Danish told me that he was bored to death and the show was only for small children and not for school boys like him. He even said that it's school holidays and he was supposed to enjoy his holidays, not confined to a studio the whole day! Yes, that's my son talking....

Well, I guess I had no choice but to respect his decision. I could not force him, could I? If that's how he felt, then, that's how it should be. There was no use forcing him when in actual fact, he's not enjoying every second of it. Of course, it would not do him any good too when he's not happy with it.

So, this morning, I called up the producer and told her nothing but the truth. I was not surprised when the producer suddenly sounded sad because I knew that the whole production team loved Danish. I also knew that everyone would miss Danish so much....

To fans of Haiwan Teladan,
Sorry that Danish would not be around this coming Ramadhan but you could still catch him over TV3 every Friday at 7pm now for previous season reruns. You could also watch him online on catch-up shows.

To my dear Danish Muqri,
I'm happy for whatever decisions that you have made thus far. You know that I'm right by your side and as long as you are happy, nothing could beat that. I now fully realised that you are such a big boy already...

8 Years Already...

2009-03-09T10:09:00.002+08:00

Yup, it's our 8th anniversary. So glad that we've made it this far....there have been ups and downs no doubt. Last year was the most challenging and yet, we've braved through it successfully, Alhamdulillah...

Everything that happened had happened for a reason, I was sure of that. I've become more tolerant and more understanding now. I wish to be tougher and stronger in facing the many more years to come with my better half, there would definitely be more challenging encounters in the months and years ahead. But, heck, I'm going to face it all no matter what, InsyaAllah.

To my hubby,
Congratulations darling, we've come a long way and I love you.

To my little heroes,
Papa and Mama would always be together for you and be there whenever you need us. Love you all.

'My Best Friend's Wedding'

2009-03-02T18:56:00.004+08:00

I know of a friend who got married to her very own best friend. During her wedding reception, on the dining table at the hotel, there was a lovely card entitled 'My Best Friend's Wedding'. Yup, it's her best friend's wedding who is also extremely lucky to be her beloved husband. It was quite a long poem creatively written by her and it was about how they met, became the best of friends and got married to one another after few years. How sweet!

That is why I'm dedicating this very song here in my loyal blog to my dear good friend, Fira.

LUCKY - JASON MRAZ

Do you hear me,
I’m talking to you
Across the water across the deep blue ocean
Under the open sky, oh my, baby I’m trying

Boy I hear you in my dreams
I feel your whisper across the sea
I keep you with me in my heart
You make it easier when life gets hard

I’m lucky I’m in love with my best friend
Lucky to have been where I have been
Lucky to be coming home again
Ooohh, ooooh, oooh, oooh,
Oooh ooh ooh ooh

They don’t know how long it takes
Waiting for a love like this
Every time we say goodbye
I wish we had one more kiss
I’ll wait for you I promise you, I will

I’m lucky I’m in love with my best friend
Lucky to have been where I have been
Lucky to be coming home again
Lucky we’re in love every way
Lucky to have stayed where we have stayed
Lucky to be coming home someday

And so I’m sailing through the sea
To an island where we’ll meet
You’ll hear the music fill the air
I’ll put a flower in your hair

Though the breezes through trees
Move so pretty you’re all I see
As the world keeps spinning round
You hold me right here right now

I’m lucky I’m in love with my best friend
Lucky to have been where I have been
Lucky to be coming home again
I’m lucky we’re in love every way
Lucky to have stayed where we have stayed
Lucky to be coming home someday

I Appreciate Her

2009-03-02T08:52:00.003+08:00

After I left the company, a good friend of mine left the company too but for a very different reason. It was too personal to blog about but I needed to tell you readers out there about this amazing friend of mine.

She's my age with two adorable kids and a loving husband. I got to know her a few months after I joined the company. It was kinda late getting to know her because she was stationed at a different floor at that time. But we exchanged hellos and smiles every now and then. When she was transferred to the same floor with me, we somehow got to know each other better. There were not many colleagues of our age at the office, only 6 of us and we were not that young anyway, the office was full of younger generation, those who had just graduated and fresh. This made me feel closer to her compared to the other colleagues.

To tell the truth, she seemed to understand myself better than the others. Age could be the most logical reason. Also, it was because she's the type of person who would listen to you whenever you needed her and she's the type of person who would recommend alternatives to problems which seemed impossible to you. Yes, that's how she had made me feel all the while at the office. She's a great lady and I respect her so much for just being her one and only true self.

Professionally, she's a diligent worker, a smart one I might add. She graduated from overseas and this somehow made her perceive things a little bit differently from others, could be because of her exposures being abroad for a few years. That's why I really liked talking and discussing things with her. During office hours, she worked like nobody's business. She would try hard to complete any tasks given to her on time and as far as I know, she's a successful executive being known as someone who had managed to bring in millions to the company since she started work at the same place 10 years back. Yup, she's one of the most loyal employees because she could endure being at the same place for 10 years. She should be appreciated more by the company looking at what she had done and contributed to the success of the organization.

Well, sadly to say, today, she would no longer need to rush during the early hours of the morning to hurriedly get to the office. She would not have to be at her wit's end trying to get some business in for the organization anymore. Today onwards, she's free from all the office politics and ridiculous regulations. Indeed, she's no longer working in the same company which she had poured in her energy, brilliant ideas and endless support regardless of what the company had labeled her. She's one patient and strong woman, I might say...

To my dear ex-colleague and friend,
You are like a sister to me and I wish you all the best....I'm sure there are many more opportunities out there for you, you'd just have to choose which one is the most suitable for you and which one should treat you better because you deserved to be appreciated well and whenever you need me, I'm just a facebook, ym or blog away.....
Good luck!

I Was Tagged!!!

2009-02-22T17:30:00.004+08:00

As I was reading a blog of a good friend of mine, Jellyna, I noticed that I was tagged by her!!! So, to take the challenge, here goes....

Rules:
It's harder than it looks! Copy to your own note, erase my answers, enter yours, and tag twenty people.
Use the first letter of your name to answer each of the following questions.
They have to be real; nothing made up!
If the person before you had the same first initial, you must use different answers.
You cannot use any word twice and you can't use your name for the boy/girl name question.

Have Fun!! Don't Forget to post it...!!

1. What is your name : Lizamurni
2. four Letter Word : Love
3. A boy's Name : Lutfi
4. A girl's Name : Laila
5. An occupation : Lecturer
6. A color : Lilac
7. Something you'll wear : Loafers
8. A food : Lasagna
9. Something found in the bathroom : Listerine
10. A place : London
11. A reason for being late : Lazy
12. Something you'd shout : Liar!!!
13. A movie title : Layar Lara
14. Something you drink : Lemon tea
15. A musical group : Linkin Park
16. An animal : Leopard
17. A street name : Ledang Street (my in-law's house)
18. A type of car : Lamborghini
19. The title of a song : Lambada

That's it...at last, I'm done with the list. Took me a while to complete it all.

Now, I need to tag 20 people, hmmm, tricky, tricky...
1. Boja
2. Hazel
3. Mummy Ryan
4. Nita
5. Seniman Jalanan
6. Jellyna (ha! kena buat list lagi)
7. Puteq
8. Ila
9. Hafizi
10. Shahrul
11. Shukor
12. Sandora
13. Dr Izety
14. Dalila
15. Ainnur
16. Shida
17. Lubna
18. Shahid
19. MrManager
20. Siti Amirah

To the names that I've tagged, do take up the challenge ok...

I Hope...

2009-02-17T14:00:00.003+08:00

It's only my second day of being a homemaker and yet I already have my hands full. Yup, there are clothes to be folded, three rooms to clean plus a room to overhaul (haha!), a sink to polish, two business proposals to complete and a book to read...wow!!! I'm going to face an extremely hectic week ahead.....

BUT, hey, hey, hey, I'm not complaining.....those are all my job now and I'm getting paid for executing them...heheh....

Well, I miss my staff and my friends at the office so much.....and I'm sure I'm going to miss them a lot now....but as I've told them before, they can always find me everywhere on the net - Facebook, Yahoo Messenger, Blog...they can even give me a tinkle anytime if they want to....gosh, I hope they miss me too...

I'm A Homemaker

2009-02-16T08:52:00.003+08:00

Dear readers,

Today is my first official day of being a homemaker. Something which I have looked forward to for years and finally, here I am, ready to play the role of a fulltime wife, mother and daughter. Not that I didn't do any of those things before but now I'm doing all these on fulltime basis without having to share my time with office people, clients, etc, etc.....

Am I happy? Of course, in fact, I feel so relieved. Why? Those who are close to me know that I have been in the corporate world for 11 solid years. Some people wouldn't believe the way I worked because I really put all effort in whatever I was doing. I didn't mix personal with professional...personal is personal and professional is professional. I was thankful that I managed to separate these two all this while.....

Whenever was given a task, I would definitely put my full thoughts, energy and passion in it until it became a success. There were failures and hiccups along the way, no doubt, but I would quickly recover and make everything back to normal again and strive hard to become better in the next project. To tell the truth, it was not easy, certainly not easy but I braved through it all. I didn't really care so much about what other people in the workplace thought about me. I knew what I wanted and I often got what I've worked hard for.

I started with being a school teacher after graduating with a bachelor degree. After few years, I became adventurous and ventured into the corporate world at one of the leading organisations in the capital city. Then, I got even more adventurous and accepted an offer to lead one big team for a mega project at a different company. Well, I guess after a while I felt I needed a break. So, I took a break for almost a year and after which I accepted a job again as a team leader at a multimedia company. Then, I decided to further my studies and took a break for a while. After that, I got an offer to become an editor at a local university and I didn't know what good I could have done that I was offered to become a manager of a department at the same workplace. Of course, knowing me, I took the challenge and the experience really opened my eyes to opportunities. It had indeed somehow turned me into a better person and I slowly became more humble in life as I realised that being a boss, well, I prefer to be called a leader, was extremely challenging because I faced and dealt with many different people with different attitudes everyday. Someone of my position in that particular seat must be strong in all aspects - mental, emotional, physical, etc. I was glad that I went through it all in a breeze, being a patient and responsible person in nature, I managed to take the department to a different level altogether and people began to appreciate the staff more.

Now, looking back, I've done a great job in the corporate world even just for only 11 years. But I have got what I wanted and now, I'm dedicating myself to something more challenging - my own family -, it's all up to me, together with my better half of course, to mould and nurture our children so that they would grow up healthy and wealthy (this is another issue to be blogged later, hihi) and make us proud with whatever they might be achieving in the years to come. InsyaAllah.

Come what may, I'll face it, oohh, la la.....

Today Is My Last Day

2009-02-13T14:35:00.002+08:00

Today is my last day at the office. Frankly, up till now, I still haven't finished packing yet....not that there're many things to bring back home, it's just that somehow I feel a bit lazy to start packing. Luckily, I have a diligent staff who's been helping out since morning. Now that it's lunchtime, still there're many things left untouched....gotta wait till after lunch....

I'll update later....

You've Got To Check This Out

2009-02-11T23:46:00.001+08:00

While driving during one lovely morning, my inner thoughts were interrupted by a phone call. It was my hubby calling and he sounded excited which was quite unusual of him especially at such hours of the day. Well, being a good and loyal wife, I attentively listened to him. He told me that he had found a new rock ballad from Guns & Roses (GnR)...our favourite.....well, well, now he got my full attention....

It's been quite a while since GnR produced rock ballads after November Rain, Patience and Don't Cry. I've been waiting for more rock ballads from them and now that my hubby found it, I got all goosebumps over me...heheh...

Once I reached the office, I practically almost ran to my room and tried to look for the song. But, being a thoughtful hubby, my hubby had already posted the song for me. I turned on the speaker and enjoyed the melodious song especially the piano part. I would definitely play it on my piano...

And I'm sure my hubby's quietly dedicating it to me....he worked hard high and low searching for the guitar chords and memorising the lyrics...for me!!!!...hihihi

To all GnR fans out there...enjoy!!!!!

P.S For your information, I've posted this song together with the lyrics previously. Check it out!!!

Freedom....I Won't Let You Down

2009-02-11T12:10:00.004+08:00

I spent my days recently reading other people's blogs. People whom I know and also those whom I do not know at all. That's the beauty of it - blogging makes you explore what other people all around the world think and feel. Many people have their own blogs nowadays. They called it the 'in' thing.

I started blogging since 2004. At that time, blog was not too widely-known. I got to know about blog accidentally when I was busy reading an interesting thread in a local forum community. I began exploring and I signed up after being extremely curious about it. I noticed that people treated blogs as their journals or diaries at that time. So, I did the same. My blog was used to pour out my feelings and my opinion on things that I encountered during the day. I blogged everyday back then without fail but as usual, after a while, I began to ignore my blog and only posted entries whenever I felt like it.

Now, blogging has become a lifestyle. If you do not blog, you are not updating yourself, so they say.

Yesterday, I came across a blog written by someone who mentioned that he/she had already posted 100 entries and she only started blogging a year ago. What??? I started blogging 5 years ago and I only had 76 entries? That shows how much blogging has become a part of someone's life.

My good friend, Ja, posted her 100th entry last year (she's not the person that I mentioned earlier). I am a fan of her blog and I read her blog everyday. The first thing that I do everytime when I turn on my laptop, I would automatically click on her blog. I enjoy reading about her daughters, her cookings and her holidays. But she too started blogging after me....well, I guess again, time has overshadowed everything....

However, I'll be up and about blogging again because soon I'll be a fulltime homemaker. Yes, this is the decision that I've been wanting to make long since.

I hope now that I'm not going to work fulltime, I'll be able to make it up to my children for the times that I have missed spending with them. I'm going to allocate more time for my children and family. I'll be right by their sides whenever they need me. They do not have to wait up for me every day anymore, waiting for me to come home from work. They do not have to suffer from sickness for too long anymore whenever they are not feeling well because I'll be available to take them to see the doctor anytime now. They do not have to keep to themselves whatever it is that they want to share with me because I'll be around for them most of the time now....and I can't wait to look at Danish's expression when he sees that I'll be the one who's waiting for him at the school gate after school every day now and not his Grandpa anymore.....

Yes, no doubt I'll be happier now since this is what I've been looking for all this while....having the freedom to do my own things, the freedom of time, the freedom of making decisions and changing them whenever I wish to, the freedom to go anywhere anytime of the day and gosh! the list is endless...

So, Dikny, all the best to you!!!!!

This I Love - GnR

2009-01-29T15:01:00.002+08:00

And now I don’t know why
She wouldn’t say goodbye
But then it seems that I
Had seen it in her eyes
And it might not be wise
I’d still have to try
With all the love I have inside
I can’t deny

I just can’t let it die
Cause her heart’s just like mine
And she holds her pain inside
So if you ask me why
She wouldn’t say goodbye
I know somewhere inside
There is a special light
Still shining bright
And even on the darkest night
She can’t deny

So if she’s somewhere near me
I hope to God she hears me
There’s no one else could ever make me feel
I’m so alive
I hoped she’d never leave me
Please God you must believe me
I’ve searched the universe and found myself
Within her eyes

No matter how I try
They say it’s all a lie
So what’s the use of my
Confessions to a crime
Of passions that won’t die
In my heart

So if she’s somewhere near me
I hope to God she hears me
There’s no one else could ever make me feel
I’m so alive
I hoped she’d never leave me
Please God you must believe me
I’ve searched the universe and found myself
Within’ her eyes

So if she’s somewhere near me
I hope to God she hears me
There’s no one else could ever make me feel
I’m so alive
I hoped she’d never leave me
Please God you must believe me
I’ve searched the universe and found myself
Within’ her eyes

And now I don’t know why
She wouldn’t say goodbye
It just might be that I
Had seen it in her eyes
And now it seems that I
Gave up my ghost of pride
I’ll never say goodbye

In A Hurry...

2009-01-23T10:08:00.002+08:00

Dear readers,

Sorry for the long silence. Been up and down with so many things in hand and head...
I guess this entry would not be long either since I've got to run in a few minutes' time.

I know it might be too late to wish everyone Happy Awal Muharram and also Happy New Year 2009 but I want to go ahead with the wishes.

I could sense that 2009 would be more challenging and happier. I've made a big decision for the sake of my children and family and I know I've made the right choice ever. I'll blog about this issue soon, I promise.

In the meantime, Danish has enrolled in Primary 1 at SK Taman Melawati 2. After the streaming process, he managed to be in the first class out of eight. He is now in Primary 1 Murni. Being an active boy that he is, he often attracts the attention of people around him and after being in school for only 2 weeks, you can only imagine the things that he has created...hahaha....and I'll blog about this soon, too....

Ok, so many things to share and so little time to spend, I'll be back asap...till then....

Sunday Encounters

2008-12-23T11:33:00.003+08:00

Ever since Jom Heboh TV3 made its debut a few years ago, I didn't bother to go and have a visit at what the event had to offer. However, last Sunday, I made my first ever appearance at Jom Heboh TV3 at Bukit Jalil.

At first, I planned to go with my eldest in the morning but at the very last minute, my other half wanted to tag along. But we decided that it's best if we could drop by my parents' and 'tumpang' my other two little heroes there. Luckily, my parents were available and off we went.

The junction to Bukit Jalil National Stadium was jam-packed by the time we arrived. Anyhow, we managed to park the car at the parking lot nearby. The weather was not bad and it's not too hot. There were many canopies around with many goods on sale. I went to Lady's Choice canopy and bought a bag of goodies which consists of a big bottle of peanut butter, original mayonnaise, cubes of tomyam paste, cubes of chicken stocks and a piece of tupperware. Everything in with only RM10. Wow, that's cheap...

Then, we headed on to Mister Potato's canopy. I bought a bag of junk food and it's only RM10. By this time, it's getting hotter and the sun was fully out. We spent the rest of the next hour walking from one booth to another. We left at around 3pm as hubby needed to be at the Central Market at 4pm for a film screening.

The traffic was quite heavy and we managed to get to CM just a few minutes before 4pm. Hubby requested me to accompany him to the Annexe, CM for a while and I happily obliged. While waiting for the film screening, I wandered about the area and found out that there's an 'art-for-grabs' event going on. I was attracted to a booth which was selling baskets, bags and stuffs made of mazagine papers. These things are hand-made by single mothers all over Malaysia and to support them, I bought a small basket which cost me RM12. It's a nice pink basket cum bowl which was multifunctional. I really liked it.

Then it was time for the film screening. My hubby wanted me to join in but I declined since I had better things to do in mind. It's rare opportunity for me to be at CM and I wanted to make full use of it. Danish and I made our way to CM and we did some window shopping. Danish was busy chattering away and we had fun together. While looking at a batik shop, I saw a shop called 'Cute Fish Spa'. I've been wanting to try this thing ever since a good friend of mine, Ja, had one a few months ago. So, I checked it out and the place was too nice to be left alone. I quickly headed towards the counter and the cashier made me pay RM5 for 10 minutes. I chose a nice, cozy corner to sit and I took off my red Scholl shoes. The seat was made of plywood (I think) and it's so comfortable just sitting on it.

At first, I just looked at the water and the fish running about aimlessly. There were small stones inside and the deco was nice. It took me quite a while to put my feet into the water since some of the visitors were shrieking and 'jerit2 kegelian'. Slowly, I braved myself and dipped my feet into the cold water. I clearly saw many, many fishes hurriedly made their way to my feet. Danish was screaming like anything just looking at how the fish attacked my feet...Hahaha, true enough...it's very, very ticklish....but it's only for a while. It got better and so relaxing after a minute...

I noticed that there were many fishes around the ankle of my both feet and also at the corner of my left toes....I guessed that's where the cracked skins were and I was pretty sure that those fishes had a feast on my feet..hahaha...

When the ten minutes' up, the assistant gave me a small towel to wipe off the excess of water from my feet and I got to bring back the towel. I asked Danish whether he wanted to try it out and he gave out a scream....alright, it's a 'no' then....

After that, we decided to go back and I called hubby telling him that we wanted to go home and suggested that he took the lrt once he's done. He agreed. And off we went straight ahead to my parents' place and spent the rest of the day with my other two little ones while waiting for hubby to call us to pick him up at the lrt station. It's already a quarter past nine.

My feet were smoother now after the cute fish spa encounter. I would definitely do it again this weekend but for a longer time limit of course....

Danish Muqri Made It!!!!

2008-12-11T10:54:00.003+08:00

As I have mentioned earlier, Danish went for an audition of Tom Tom Bak few weeks ago. Yesterday afternoon, I received a phone call from Astro congratulating me because Danish had passed the audition. I was happy, of course, knowing for a fact that Danish would certainly grin from ear to ear when I passed down this piece of good news to him.
I straight away called home and too bad Danish was sleeping. So, I told my father instead about the news and he promised that he would tell Danish once he woke up.

When I got home later in the evening, I quickly told Danish about it and as usual (I should have expected it!!!), his expression was expressionless!!!! He nodded as if the news didn't matter much to him...well, that's my boy, ladies and gentlemen...Danish with his 'as-if-nothing-happens' attitude...hihi..

The details of the next step are:

16 December 2008 at 2:00pm, fitting baju at Astro
27 December 2008 at 2:00pm, shooting at Wisma Ali Bawal, PJ

The staff told me that Aznil would be back from hajj by then....such a hardworking man...

Alright Danish, gear up coz you'll be on tv again soon...

Oh, by the way, have I told you that he'll be auditioned for 'Haiwan Teladan' again early next year? He'll sure have a hectic schedule ahead of him in 2009 on top of getting into Primary One...

All the best to you, my darling, I'll be right here beside you whatever happens...

Cyst

2008-12-05T12:18:00.002+08:00

For the past three days I was suffering from a bad pain somewhere in between my cervix and bikini line. Whenever I walked, the pain throbbed and at times, I had to topple while walking.

At the office yesterday morning, the pain was getting worse, and I decided to go and see my gynae. I took the time off from office and I thought since the doctor was an extremely busy gynae, it's better if I gave the clinic a call first.

When I called, the nurse mentioned that there were way too many patients waiting and she couldn't slot me in. Alright then, I guess I'd have to make do with another doctor who was not a specialist at a different clinic. My hubby waited for me and we went to the clinic together.

I described my pain to her and she asked me to lie down for an ultrasound scanning. She kept on pressing the device on my over-bloated tummy (after 3 kids, what do you expect? hihi) trying to locate if there's anything weird inside...

She was trying hard to see and I was trying hard to sustain the pain...gosh...it's painful....and suddenly she found something weird in my cervix and I could also notice it over the small ultrasound monitor...

It's a cyst!!!! of about 4.6cm long and it's growing. According to the doctor, there's nothing much to do because it's too small to be taken out. There'd been cases where the cyst would go away on its own. Ok, I supposed I'd have to wait then. The doctor told me to come back and see her in six months' time. But, I was not going to do that, of course.....I'd have to set an appointment as soon as possible with my gynae whom I trust so much when it comes to such matters.

The pain seemed less now once I consumed the painkiller provided by the doctor. But I was not going to depend much on painkillers and hopefully the cyst and the pain would disappear as fast as they appeared.

As for now, there's nothing much to do until my appointment with my gynae. There's no point being sad or panic...anyway, it's not my first time having such problem. I had a fybroid four years ago after my second miscarriage but it disappeared within three months. My gynae was the one who gave me the treatment for it. And I just hope that this time, it'd be the same simple case...

I Didn't Ask......

2008-12-04T09:38:00.004+08:00

The moment I got into my car this morning, my mind drifted away back to the times when everything was colourful and cheerful. Various images played in front of me...happy moments, unforgettable gestures, loving gazes, etc appeared as if playing a movie in my eyes.....

My heart was beating fast and I knew I was not concentrating on my driving because I just couldn't focus. My chest felt tight and heavy and tears threatened to fall down. Crying was my best friend nowadays, that's the only source of escape which I knew would make me feel better for a while.

Upon reaching the office, I had to literally drag my feet and body to climb up the stairs and unlock my room. I had nice big glass window panels in my room and the view was quite breathtaking, I could see greens and people rushing to get to work on time. I just stood there looking outside silently and wishing that things would be back to normal soon. It has got to be just like how it was before. I tried my best to put aside my ego and hard-headed being so that the most important thing in my life would be back to normal if not better.....

I prayed so hard that my heart burst and my eyes swell. I was determined to do whatever I could to be happy again and put on that famous smile of mine back to where it belongs...

I didn't ask for too much..and I didn't even ask for an understanding....
I didn't ask for a change..and I didn't even ask for a quit from whatever that has been going....
All I asked for was a little bit of time.....

Perfect? I Wish.....

2008-12-03T10:11:00.005+08:00

Ayat-Ayat Cinta : Rossa

Desir pasir di padang tandus

Segersang pemikiran hati

Terkisah ku di antara cinta yang rumit

Bila keyakinan ku datang

Kasih bukan sekadar cinta

Pengorbanan cinta yang agung

Ku pertaruhkan

Maafkan bila ku tak sempurna

Cinta ini tak mungkin ku cegah

Ayat-ayat cinta bercerita

Cinta ku pada mu

Bila bahagia mulai menyentuh

Seakan ku bisa hidup lebih lama

Namun harus ku tinggalkan cinta

Ketika ku bersujud

We’ve been married for seven years now. There have been countless ups and downs that we have braved through. As some friends had said, we were the perfect couple.

However, lately, things had not been too good. Everything was arguable and there’d been times when our voices could compete with the lightning and thunder high up in the sky. Frankly, this year was the most challenging so far in the seven years we’ve been together. And this year has seen many drastic changes in the life cycle of our marriage.

Life has been so much different. Promises made were broken easily and there’s no more time to spare with each other what more with the children. Argument and silent treatment always occur and it looked like nothing seemed right anymore. I didn’t know if it was me or him or both? But lately, we didn’t see each other that much even though we’re still staying in the same house. We seldom talked or smiled to one another or even exchanged a few words. Lately, he always came back at the wee hours of the morning and by then, I must have fallen asleep. As for me, I usually rushed home on the dot after office to pick up my children from the babysitter and tend to their needs at home. When I woke up in the morning and getting ready for work, he’s still sleeping. The weekends which used to be spent with the family were not there anymore as he’s always got things to do outside and I was left all alone with the kids at home all the time during weekends nowadays. If it happened only once in a while, I could just let it pass by but if it happened so many times now, I guess I’d have to let it out in the open....

With my own busy schedule at work, I realised that I had to do something in order to take really good care of my little ones. I didn’t want them to be left unattended to and in my mind, if my other half couldn’t do it, I’d have to do it then...Therefore, I’ve made a really big decision that is to resign from my career. My career is great, nothing could beat that but I just had to make this sacrifice for the sake of the family. All these while, it was me who took care of everything for the family from a-z, so, it shouldn’t be a problem now to take care of everything on my small shoulder. Hubby seemed happy with what he was doing at the moment and I wouldn’t interfere with whatever he had committed himself into. Let it just be me alone absorbing it all be it good or bad....I’d do anything to make my children happy although I might not be happy inside...

Yes, I’ve had a good career and I have a family....and I’m going to sacrifice my career for the sake of my family. I can’t be sacrificing my family for my career...that’s extremely out of the question.

And I’m really sorry if I’m not perfect enough and not up to expectation but I know that I’ve done my best....

Good Luck, Danish Muqri!!

2008-11-24T10:50:00.003+08:00

Last Saturday I took Danish to Astro for an audition. He's been asking me to take him there because he said that there was an audition for kids' programme called 'Tom Tom Bak'. Personally, I don't quite favour some of the segments in the show except for one where kids were asked to talk about any topics with the compere - Aznil Hj Nawawi.

When Danish mentioned about this audition, deep down inside, I wished that he would just leave it as it is. But he kept on boasting to everyone that he's meeting Uncle Aznil on Saturday. Gosh!!!! Yup, being a good mother, I had no choice but to oblige....

So, there we were, at the entrance of Astro....wow, there were many people and kids around. I wondered if Danish ever got a chance to register. Well, we herded through the crowd and managed to get to the registration counter. I quickly filled up the form and the staff gave Danish number 216. I found out that there were about 25 kids ahead of us and we had to wait for the crew to call out our number. We waited for about one hour and I observed that parents were the ones who got excited over this audition thingy. I could see that some of the parents were actually telling their children about what to say, what to do, etc...

As for myself, I was there merely because Danish has got the experience appearing, talking and acting in front of the camera. He played the lead role in 'Haiwan Teladan' on TV3 the whole of Ramadhan this year. And I know he's got the talent and he's interested in it. But I was not going to push his limit because I gave him the freedom to choose what he wanted and if he felt that he didn't want to proceed, then, I would not press further....

Since he was the one who's been asking me to take him to the audition, I guess I'd just have to fulfil his wish....

Ok, back to the audition....when the crew called out Danish's number 216, Danish hurriedly rushed to him and I followed suit. But, unfortunately, I was not allowed to enter the audition room. There goes my chance to meet Aznil face-to-face....hahaha....

So, I left Danish at the entrance and waited patiently for him outside. Within few minutes, other kids started to come out of the room but there was no sign of Danish. Well, he might be having a good time with Uncle Aznil and so I thought. After about half an hour, my eldest son emerged from the door and walked towards me with 'as-if-nothing-had-happened' expression. When I asked what did Uncle Aznil asked him, he answered, "The usual thing, Mama". Hmmm....the usual thing? Must be about what he wanted to be when he grows up and stuff like that....
When I asked if Uncle Aznil was a good looking man, Danish simply answered, "Muka Uncle Aznil macam tu la, Mama"....hmmmm, ok, I would not ask him anymore questions.....

Well, I am now waiting anxiously for Astro to give me a call if Danish makes it through....it doesn't matter much to me because it's totally up to Danish. It's his call to decide if he passes the audition with flying colours......

Good luck and all the best to you, Danish Muqri!!!!!!

'Gelora Di Hati Sarah'

2008-11-21T11:07:00.003+08:00

Last night was the first episode of a Malay drama entitled 'Gelora Di Hati Sarah' on RTM1. The main casts were Fauziah Latiff, Rosyam Nor, Datuk Rahim Razali, Aida Rahim and Liza Othman. I came across a write-up on this drama in one of the local newspapers the day before and what caught my interest to watch it was of course Fauziah Latiff...

Fauziah Latiff is a singer and although I might not be her biggest fan but I kinda grew up listening to her songs since I was in primary school. Her songs are mostly pop ballads and amongst my favourites are Teratai Layu Di Tasik Madu, Setia Ku Korbankan, Enggan and many others. Those were the times when I was in melancholic mood and these songs became my comfort...

I also watched her in theatre - Rubiah - few years back where she acted as the lead role in the play. Not bad at all and I could still remember vividly the act where she had to recite the Quran and her voice was so soft and sweet.

Ok, Fauziah Latiff might not known as a star in acting but recently, she has started to appear acting in local dramas especially with Rosyam Nor's production house. It has been quite some time since I last saw Fauziah Latiff in action either singing or acting. So, when I read that the drama would make its debut, there I was, sitting in front of the colourful box (tv la...).

The drama started with a scene in KLIA Arrival Hall where Rosyam Nor (Azrul) and Fauziah Latiff (Sarah) were pushing the luggage trolley towards the exit door. Azrul was walking in front of Sarah. Both of them looked solemn and they were not talking to each other at all as if they were total strangers even though the audience could sense that they knew each other. Then, outside the hall, they stopped and waited for something but they often looked at each other. They were restless, the audience could tell this by watching their body language at this point. And then, a 4-wheel drive arrived and Datuk Rahim Razali (I forgot his name in this drama but he's a Datuk too) and Aida Rahim who happened to be Azrul's mom and dad. They were really happy to see one another after 12 years because Azrul studied abroad and that explained his thick leather jacket.....

At this time, Azrul kept on looking at Sarah and his mother seemed to notice his behaviour and asked him what was he looking at. He simply ignored his mother's query and quickly jumped into the car. And Sarah followed Azrul with sad looking eyes.

The same night, Azrul's parents held a party for him and apparently, Azrul was nowhere to be seen. The maid quickly went to look for him and knocked on his bedroom door. She found that Azrul was on the phone talking to someone. She asked him to end his conversation and told him that his parents were waiting for him downstairs.

When he came down, there were two honourable guests talking to his parents. Apparently, the uncle was a Tengku and he brought along his daughter who was obviously trying to get Azrul's attention. But Azrul acted normal and he tried to get away from the Tengku girl. But he was asked to send her back home after the party.

In the car, the Tengku girl (I forgot her name in the drama too) asked Azrul to open the door for her, "Mesti awak tak pernah bukakan pintu kereta untuk girlfriend awak kan?" And Azrul brilliantly answered, "Girlfriend saya seorang yang berdikari. Dia tak mintak orang bukakan pintu untuk dia". And with long face, the Tengku girl opened the door herself and Azrul just smiled away.

Azrul then arrived at a double-storey house and knocked on the door. When the door opened, there stood Sarah smiling happily looking at Azrul. Azrul apologised for being late. Suddenly, Sarah's mother (Liza Othman) appeared from the stairs and she looked annoyed. Now, the truth was, Azrul and Sarah got married overseas and Azrul didn't want his family to know about his marriage because his mother was suffering from a severe heart problem. What an excuse!!!

Sarah's mother was angry because she didn't like what Azrul was doing to Sarah (keeping their marriage a secret) and she wanted Azrul to face the fact and tell his family that he already married Sarah. But Azrul said that there were a lot of things to consider and he promised that everything would be out in the open when the perfect time comes. Only God knows when....

In their bedroom, Sarah asked Azrul to stay overnight but Azrul refused to because he knew that his mother must be looking for him. But Sarah urged him to just stay for a while, "Ini malam pertama kita kat sini, tidur sini ya, sekejap jer..."

The next morning, Azrul quickly woke up and realised that he had overslept and he walked out of the bedroom quietly and left. Sarah's mother was watching him from the balcony and she was totally annoyed.

In the meantime, Azrul's mother was talking to her husband asking where could Azrul be because it's already morning. She suspected that Azrul might have spent the whole night catching up stories with the Tengku girl. But his father quickly brushed off the thought by saying that Azrul might have spent the whole with his friends because he had many friends around. Then, her mother was saying that she couldn't wait for Azrul to get married with the Tengku girl. But his father said that Azrul might not like the Tengku girl because during the party, Azrul didn't seem to show any interest on her. And his mother, being a normal mother, insisted on having the Tengku girl as her future daughter in law.

And the story was to be continued next Tuesday.

Frankly, I am not a fan of Malay dramas but this one must be a special case since there is an urge in me that keeps on pestering me to switch on to RTM1 that night.....and I can sense that I'm going to be a loyal follower of 'Gelora Di Hati Sarah'.......

To my darling heroes at home,
Please have some mercy on me and allow me to watch this drama peacefully every Tuesday till Thursday at 10.30pm, ok.....as a trade, I'll cook all your favourite food sedap-sedap....

Hey you! Leave my people alone la...

2008-11-20T11:59:00.002+08:00

Have you ever encountered such people who are just so narrow-minded that you feel like wiping them off in a blink? I have to face such people all the time (only during office hours).....
Why must they crack their heads thinking of something to say to me just to make me change my mind or decision? Could they be thinking that I would follow and do whatever they want or could they be doing it just because they are jealous of me?

I know that I have all the attention here at the office since I chaired lots and lots of meetings and committees (compared to others)....Maybe they want to take over my place...go ahead, sit there and you'll vomit in a sec....

To tell the truth, sitting here at my position in this department is definitely not easy. It's tough and it drains you to the bone......only those who are strong mentally, physically and emotionally could handle and manage the department well. I'm not boasting here, I'm telling the truth!!

I have and had tough, difficult and way too challenging situations in my hands all the time. They come and attack from every possible angle and I have got to have my shields ready without fail. Sounds scary, huh? Well, it's the reality and I have to face it no matter what.

The most recent encounter happened this morning when I received a phone call from one of 'them'. This person actually questioned my gesture to appreciate the committees of an event which ended two weeks ago. Hey, look here, my committee members worked hard and they were really committed in executing all the tasks given to them. It's only fair that I appreciate their contribution by taking them to a place where they can give their best pose to the camera. Just because this person was not in the list, the whole committee got into trouble. No way, Jose....I was not going to let such thing happen to the people who were sincere enough to spend their time and energy to make the event a successful one.

To make matters worse, this person actually said that all of us were not allowed to go out of the office and nobody should disobey the order. What's wrong with this person? C'mon, leave my people alone, go mind your own business....

And knowing me, I told my people to just go ahead and ignore all the remarks made by all the jealous freaks.

We went out just as we planned and we had fun posing in front of the camera. I'll paste the pictures here once they're ready...then you'd understand what I meant...

Danish Muqri's Birthday Cupcakes

2008-11-19T15:35:00.003+08:00

Last 8 November was Danish's 6th Birthday. We organised a small party at his classroom in school. When I entered the classroom with two boxes of cakes, Danish had all smiles....I even brought party packs for his classmates to enjoy....I specifically ordered cupcakes from my good friend with Transformers as the pictures on each cupcake. Danish loves Transformers so much, so, I thought, well, why not? And my friend was so kind enough to design the special cupcakes. Danish, of course, was smiling from ear to ear and his friends went ooohhh, aaahhhh and wowww all the way...hihihi...

My Graduate Son

2008-11-14T14:41:00.003+08:00

Dear Readers,
Sorry for the long silence.....too many things to look after and manage, well...it just happened, I guess. There are so many stories and issues that I want to share here in my precious blog and I'll update one by one when the time permits.

Well, my eldest son, Danish Muqri graduated from Q-Dees on 1st November 2008. All of us (including his grandparents) went to the concert cum graduation ceremony of his kindy. His performance was a traditional zapin dance - Cindai, a song by Dato' Siti Nurhaliza. He's been practising for about two months or so at school plus at home too. I was his unofficial choreographer at home and he was a fast learner I might say.

On the day of the concert, we sent him to school and there were 3 buses waiting for the kids. We left him there and headed on to the hall. The auditorium was about 20 minutes away. When we arrived there, I saw my parents sitting at a corner waiting anxiously for their grandchildren. About half an hour later, the concert began. The children were amazing and definitely talented. I just love school concerts especially this one, well, for the very obvious reason, hihihi...

According to the programme book, Danish's performance would be the second last. So, we watched attentively to the other performances. As his performance was getting closer, I felt a sudden jolt in my chest and tears started to form in my eyes, threatening to pour down my chubby cheek. I quickly brushed off the feeling and made myself busy by chitchatting with my mom.

Then, finally, it's Danish's turn. When the emcee mentioned his class name, I was nervous like anything and my eyes were trying to search for my little boy. Ha, there he was, standing at the middle line but at far end. He looked happy and confidently gracing away with his steps.....not bad at all. Without realising it, tears poured down my cheeks and it was really difficult to describe my feelings at that time. My chest felt heavy.....could it be because I felt proud of him or just simply that I happened to realise that he's grown up already? The feelings were indeed indescribable.

I experienced the same kind of feeling during his first day mengaji (Quranic classes), his first day at kindy and now this one. Would I have to go through the same feeling throughout all Danish's first encounters in the future? If that's the case, I'd better be prepared since he's going to enrol into primary one in less than two months.....

To Danish Muqri, Mama is so proud of you.....I promise that I'll spend more time with you and your little brothers so that all of you would make me proud all the time. No money or anything for that matter could replace my love for you and I'll make my whole being - physically, emotionally, mentally - available for you whenever you need me......

My Graduate Son

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri

2008-10-10T11:27:00.001+08:00

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri to all...

I'll be back blogging a.s.a.p....so much to blog about....

Viva TESL 5!!!

2008-09-18T12:48:00.003+08:00

When I logged-in Facebook this morning, I noticed that I've been tagged in a few photos by my good friend, Ina. With a spirit of curiosity, I quickly clicked on her profile and browsed through her photo album. There were about 30 pictures altogether and those were the pictures taken during our college years wayyy back in early 90s. Gosh! Everyone looked so innocent and fresh. Some of them in the pictures were still in touch with me but some seemed to have lost contact totally. But...my, didn't we look young and vibrant all those years with nothing much to worry about except perhaps for assignments and exams!!!

Looking at the photos I realised that time really flies and I really missed them so much.....We used to laugh together, gossiped with each other, argued with one another and even acted silly in front of others....We were together for 6 solid years,the first 2 years of TESL matriculation and the next 4 years of B.Ed.TESL (Hons)....Our batch (Batch 5) was not that big, only 94 of us....that's the reason of us being so close to one another. We knew almost everything that everyone did everyday....that's how close we were. Of course, there were cliques around but on the whole, we were one big clique that cared for each other, until today....

When I had the time and opportunity, I would tinkle one of them and catch-up on things and find out how everyone else's doing. Most of us are married with kids and some are still single but what the heck, it doesn't matter as long as we still have each other.

Facebook has played its role well by gathering all of us together and we could catch-up on things with each other easier now. We still have our yahoo group though but I guess Facebook works better with photos and other relevant features. I hope everyone would keep on updating their profiles so that we won't miss anything that's happening around us....

Dear Tesl 5,
I missed you guys and I cherished every moment that we had shared together. Sorry for not being able to tell every bits and pieces of the special moments here in my blog. But I know that everything is securedly tucked inside your memory....I've kept mine, safe and sound...

Trip to Langkawi Island

2008-09-09T13:50:00.009+08:00

Last two weekends, we went to Langkawi Island for my company family day. We were there for 3 days and 2 nights, it was fully sponsored by the company and we travelled by air. The children were excited, apparently, Danish was the one who responded well to the idea of spending a weekend far away from home. I guessed the other two just couldn't be bothered coz they're still small and they just tagged along...

The trip started on Friday where we gathered at the office waiting for the airport shuttle to pick us up and drop us at LCCT. The journey to Sepang took approximately an hour and it was not bad. I have to tell you that I don't ride a bus often and to tell the truth, the last time I boarded a bus was five years ago.....hihi...

When we arrived at LCCT, I was quite shocked to see the huge crowd and quickly ushered my children to stay close to me and my husband. Well, it's my first time entering LCCT and I could tell you that there were close to one million people around. Gosh! I didn't even let my eyes wander too far away from my excited sons. Checking in was arranged by the agent and we waited at the entrance to the departure hall. Once everything was settled, we went into the gate allocated for us and waited for the airplane. I could see a long queue near the door and I was wondering what was happening. My colleague told me that we had to join in the queue if we wanted to be seated together in the airplane. Apparently there was no seat number and seating was free. Without wasting much time, we queued and I noticed that we had to walk to the airplane. I was lucky that my sons could walk on their own but as usual, Darwisy wanted me to carry him and when I refused, he started crying (didn't I tell you that he has crying as a hobby?). Being a good mother, I carried him all the way to the airplane which was about nearly 200 metres' walk. Hopefully, I could get rid of some calories and fats by now. Haha...

In the airplane, my dear colleague booked seats for us and thank God, we got to sit together!!! The journey to Langkawi Island took about 50 minutes and it was a bumpy ride all the way. The landing was a roller-coaster one and I was actually grateful that the airplane made it onto the ground safely. It was my worst landing experience ever and I would rather not elaborate on that now....

It was raining in Langkawi Island and the ground was wet. I noticed that it's hard to predict the weather in Malaysia nowadays as compared to years back where we knew that rainy season was only during the end of the year. But now it seemed that it could be rainy season any time of the year. Ok, two buses were already waiting for us (there were 60 of us) outside the arrival hall and I was amazed that Darwisy was fond of buses. He got really excited at the sight of the bus and begging to be seated as soon as possible. Wow, that was new!!!

Danish at the arrival hall

Darwisy at the arrival hall

Daim

Once we reached the hotel, we were quite exhausted and we decided to relax for a while. A few programmes had been arranged for everyone and the first one was Treasure Hunt after dinner.

I'll just let the following pictures speak for themselves for now....enjoy!!!

To be continued.

Happy Ramadhan

2008-09-03T13:58:00.002+08:00

It's already the third day of Ramadhan and Muslims all over the world are fasting and praying that Ramadhan this year will be a blessed one.

The first day of Ramadhan this year marked a very important day for my eldest son, Danish. It's his first time fasting ever and also his first appearance on TV3.

Let me tell you about his first fasting experience....He's 6 years old and it's high time that we trained him to fast full day. During sahur, I woke him up gently and to my surprise he sat up without any sound and walked slowly to the dining table. He requested for telur goreng with chilli sauce and plain rice. I had them ready on the table beforehand. He ate silently and didn't even bother to look at me and my husband. After finishing his meal, he quietly switched on the tv and sat down on the sofa. But I guess he was too sleepy to talk or to smile and he dozed off just a few minutes later. However, I managed to remind him to wake up early in the morning to watch his debut appearance on tv. He merely nodded and fell asleep.

At approximately 8:45 in the morning, I woke him up and told him that he'd be on tv that day. He rushed to the living room and switched on the tv. By now, everyone's awake and sat down excitedly in front of the tv. At about 9:05, the show started and I was nervous, yes, I was too excited and all of us were glued to the screen. The show was called Haiwan Teladan and it's showing over TV3 every weekday the whole of Ramadhan. In between laughter and awe, I could see Danish smiling awkwardly whenever the camera had a close-up of him. Perhaps, he was shy seeing his own being on tv or perhaps he was just feeling proud of himself. Well, no matter how you felt, my dear, I'm so proud of you.....Danish is indeed a natural on tv and I recommend all you readers out there, if you have the opportunity, do catch him on air...

Danish is such a high-spirited boy. He didn't look tired or hungry the whole day and it's only his first day fasting. Now, that's something that my family should be proud of. His grandfather promised to give him RM1 for each day that he fasts. Mama and Papa promised the same thing too and just now his Uncle Shon promised him RM1 also. Wow, what a motivation.....I didn't really expect him to fast the whole 30 days of Ramadhan, if he feels like breaking fast in the middle of the day, I would let him....he's only 6 anyway but I highly hope that he would be strong enough to complete the whole month and get his RM120 gift.

Ok, enough with Danish. I'm going to tell you about what we had for break fast as well as sahur.

First day sahur, we had leftover kampung chicken rendang from the night before (my mom cooked this dish and it's so yummy!!!), gulai lemak cili padi daging and chilli prawn. For break fast, I cooked ikan keli goreng cili and spinach soup with mango drink. There were also roti john and curry puff which my husband bought from UK Perdana bazaar Ramadhan.

Second day, for sahur we had the same dish as break fast plus fried anchovies. For break fast, I cooked prawn stir fried with long beans and carrot, fucuk soup and telur asin.

For sahur just now, we had the same dish as the night before plus hot tea.

Sorry no photos of the food....I'll try and snap some.....

Office starts a bit earlier than usual at 8 in the morning and I go back at 4:30 pm just in time to cook and prepare for break fast.

Well, I'd have to juggle everything at one go but I'm not complaining, I just feel blessed with what I have been given and for what I have become today.....

Happy Ramadhan and don't forget to catch Danish on tv3......

Happy 3rd Birthday, Umarizz Darwisy!!! Happy 51st Independence Day, Malaysia!!!

2008-09-02T11:05:00.005+08:00

31 August is such a memorable date. It is Malaysia's Independence Day and also my second son's birthday.......

Merdeka baby

Well, he's 3 now and such a sweetheart to many....He is indeed Atuk's darling, Nenek's sweetpie, Papa's inspiration and Mama's handsome boy......He talks much, extremely energetic and cries a lot too.......At times, he can be a challenge to me....being a middle child (middle child syndrome???), he is no doubt full of tricks and treats....hahaha...I need to handle him carefully because he is very sensitive (emotional-wise) and just a little bit of scold can make him cry for hours......yes, believe me, this son of mine has crying as a hobby.....

His Papa often loses temper and patience over his tantrums. I noticed that whenever Darwisy started to whine, Papa would hurry away into his study......hmmmm...

There are things which Darwisy often does that certainly melt my heart...such as, before going to sleep at night, he would wish me..."Good Night, Mama, I Love You, Mama".....and also whenever he asks for my permission, he would end his question with, ".....can I, Mama?"....oooooooooo, he's so adorable...

As for me, being an incredibly patient Mama, I would entertain his tantrums and whines no matter what......I sometimes wonder where do I get all those patience from coz as far as I know, I can be impatient when things are not to my likes.....well, I guess now that I'm a mother of 3 boys, I've learnt to appreciate life more, appreciate my children more actually.....like my good friend, Ja, once commented, "enjoy your boys while you can because boys will be boys.....".

It is true what Ja said......I'm beginning to think that once my boys have all growned-up, they would do their own things, would go their own ways and they might not even ask me for my opinions anymore or they might not want to bother me at all coz boys will be boys...they are meant to be that way.....I'll just follow what Ja recommended.....I'm going to enjoy being with my boys no matter how naughty they are and how challenging they can be.....losing patience is just one of those things that any mothers would have to endure......I'll bear with mine for now......

Umarizz Darwisy, Mama loves you very much and you are a star of my heart.....Happy Birthday!!!

Bye Bye, My Dear Friend

2008-08-04T15:08:00.009+08:00

22 July 2008, Kuala Lumpur

The weather was friendly. Traffic in the morning was hectic as usual. Everyone was rushing to get to their destination on time. Parents sending their children to school, employees hurrying to their workplace, employers getting to their office premise as quickly as they could, etc....the list is endless....

At the office I was busy as always, managing the department and making sure that deadlines for the day would be met wisely. In between meetings and heaps of papers, I managed to be at an important meeting on time, well, maybe slightly off time, but still considered on time since the meeting had not started yet. The meeting was about getting the organization to be aired on television and at the same time trying to 'sell' the brand name. All in all, the meeting went well and hopefully we'll be on air before the end of the year. By noon, I was feeling a bit tired. I went out for lunch with a colleague and had a light meal because I already had quite a heavy breakfast earlier.

The rest of the afternoon was okay and nothing major had happened which I had to solve or look through. Apparently, all my staff were cooperative and diligent on this day. I had to entertain a few phone calls at around 4 in the afternoon and the discussion went on smoothly. I was glad because it looked like a mega project would be on its way soon.

Time really flew without hesitating. Time didn't not wait for anything at this moment. Without realising it, it was already time to go back and the time to shut the computer down. At the point when I was about to shut down my laptop, an email came in and the subject of it caught my attention - Innalillah....I was wondering about whose parents had passed away now......I quickly clicked on the email and it was from a dear friend of mine, Ila. I read the email in a glance and I had a shock of my life. Oh God! I was shocked!!! I couldn't believe my eyes and brain at that time. Suddenly I felt the earth shaking and I was trembling like hell......I wanted to run away but I couldn't seem to move my legs and my body went numb all over.....My dear friend Shera had passed away in a tragic car accident!!!!!! Oh no!!! This couldn't be true.....Ila must be joking....yup, I immediately replied the email and told her (no, I yelled at her actually) that she must be joking because I just read a comment by Shera in my blog a few moments ago.

I tried to give Ila a call but to no avail. And I tried to call everyone else but everybody seemed busy and no one answered my calls.....I was desperate by now and my hands were shaking like anything. Finally, I could get hold of Ila and she told me that Shera's brother called her and informed about Shera. I was indeed in huge shock. I couldn't believe my ears....all of a sudden, everything around me turned grey and flashes of Shera when we were studying together appeared in front of me and as though playing movies in my mind...My head spinned, my ears numbed and my body trembled. One by one, my friends called me and we conveyed the terrible news to each other. We cried our hearts out, yes, for losing a good friend is never easy.

I wanted to go to her parents' house that night but apparently, the funeral would only be held the next day. Early in the morning, I asked my husband to accompany me to the funeral and I called office to inform that I needed the whole day off. On the way to the funeral, my heart was beating so hard I was sure my husband could hear it. When I called Lynn, she said that they have brought the body to a surau nearby and Lynn asked me to go straight to the surau. We made our way to the surau and I guessed I was a little bit late because everybody was already on their way to the graveyard. We decided to follow the convoy and slowly moved towards the graveyard at Sec. 21, Shah Alam.

There, I saw a few friends with swollen eyes.....they had been crying and their expressions were extremely solemn. We hugged each other as we watched the body being lowered onto the ground. Again, flashes of our time together, things that we did together played rapidly in front of my eyes and in my mind. When the body was finally buried, we cried again together knowing that Shera was no longer with us and we would never see her anymore. Looking at her husband, I knew that he was deeply frustrated with the tragedy and he cried so hard that he had to hold on to someone. Her daughters aged 5 and 2 seemed to understand that their mother had gone to sleep forever but yet, they were too young to compute the whole situation. Be strong and be brave, my dears, your mother is safe now with the Almighty.

And as for me, I knew it would be some time until I finally would be able to let go. It is my first ever experience losing a good friend and I would never thought it would hurt me this way. I felt so hurt inside knowing that now, I wouldn't be able to laugh at Shera's comments in my blogs, her motivating words, her cheerfulness and her determination in my blogs......Everytime I posted entries in my blog, I just knew that Shera would definitely be amongst the first put her cheeky yet inspiring comments in my entries no matter what. And I just loved reading her comments as they undoubtedly made my days and lifted up my spirit whenever I felt down and frustrated. Shera seemed to have all the right words to console a friend and she had always been that way since the first time I met her.

The times that we had together would always be treasured and remain in my heart and goodbye, I'm going to have one last cry for you now.....

Rest in peace, my dear friend, I know you are safe now with Allah swt.
Al-Fatihah.

Catch Danish on TV3

2008-07-21T08:45:00.005+08:00

My weekends are fully occupied nowadays. No more waking up late and no more lazying around...
It's definitely because of my eldest son, Danish Muqri.

Last three Thursdays, one of my staff asked me if I would be interested to have Danish auditioned for a new kid show on TV3. His wife was the compere of the show and the producer seemed to be desperate for talent. So, late Saturday morning that same week, we went to Studio C, TV3 and there were about 5 kids at the set and I thought we were late. Then, the assistant producer came over and asked Danish to sit near the compere. My dear son was a bit reluctant at first and once the audition began, I could see that he was enjoying himself. That was the group audition. Now, came the individual interview. The compere asked Danish about himself, his favourite pet (the title of the show - "Haiwan Teladan"), etc. Danish mentioned that his favourite animal was snake. The compere then asked questions related to snake and when she asked what was snake's favourite drink....innocently, Danish answered "Teh-O Ais" and the whole studio roared with laughter. That was basically how Danish was chosen as one of the talents in "Haiwan Teladan".

It has been two weekends in a row (Saturdays & Sundays) now that Danish goes for shooting. He seems to enjoy every moment of it. Please note that it's a full Saturdays and Sundays (9 am - 7 pm) and I wonder where does he get all the energy to actually always look and feel jovial the whole day. To tell you the truth, I was really exhausted waiting for him at the studio the whole day but he could still be up and about as if nothing happened. Kudos to you, my darling!!!!!

Danish will be on TV3 every day starting from first Ramadhan, 9 am onwards. So, if you have the opportunity, do catch him on tv....you'll have a good time watching him, I'm sure....

Happy Birthday!!!

2008-07-16T14:15:00.002+08:00

It's hubby's birthday today - 16 July.

Last week I planned to take today off and spend it with my other half. But I supposed my work overshadowed the thought that until yesterday I still hadn't filled in the leave form. I guess it's too late now but hey, it's the thought that counts....

I have to tell you that I never failed to take leaves on my hubby's birthdays. I'm beginning to feel bad about this since this is the first time in years that I do not take the day off. How should I make it up to him? Perhaps, I'll take half-day off tomorrow and spend time with him by going to the movies..he's been hinting about the latest Batman movie - The Dark Knight -.....yup, that's the best option so far....I just hope that he's okay with the idea, well, he's been okay all these years, there shouldn't be any reasons why this time he should say that it's not okay...haha...

Before I sign off, I would like to wish him Happy Birthday and I highly appreciate his patience and understanding all these years that we're together and likewise, a year older is a year wiser.....

My Other Half's Appearance on Kosmo!

2008-07-15T09:33:00.002+08:00

Last Sunday, the local newspaper, Kosmo! published an article of my hubby's. It's written by my hubby and there were about 10 pictures printed which he took during his visit to San Francisco recently. Basically, the article mentioned about the interesting places that he visited and a little bit of the history of each place.

Just to tell you that the type of camera mentioned in the article was not the one which my hubby used to take all the pictures, in fact, he doesn't own the said camera. But the one mentioned in the biodata was the correct one.

Well, I would like to congratulate him on this exclusive article. I know that it has always been his intention to share with the rest of the world all the beautiful pictures that he has taken.

My 3-Ds

2008-07-14T11:25:00.008+08:00

Danish

Darwisy

Daim

Reading issue....again

2008-07-10T09:58:00.000+08:00

My good friends Ja and Shera are catching up well with their readings.....
Knowing the fact that they made it a point to read whenever possible makes me wonder if I could do the same......
I'm still searching high and low for the luxury to sit back and read peacefully....I tried and I tried so hard....but the moment I started to sit down on the sofa and opened the book, my dear heroes would come and start knocking on the cover of the book and asking too many questions on what I was doing, what I was reading, why I was reading, etc, etc. I realised that I spent more time in answering their questions than reading the book!!!
At last, I ended up putting the book away and joined them instead.....there I went, the book was left untouched again......
Gosh!!! I was thinking for possibilities of going away for a few days to just catch up on reading but that would be a bit cruel and unfair to my little ones......sigh...
I guess I just have to be a bit more patient until my children understand the value of reading and instead of bugging me, they would join me later....perhaps...

I'm Just An Ordinary Woman

2008-06-27T15:20:00.000+08:00

My work demands myself to have all sorts of soft skills available. These include good communication skill, well-balanced emotion, strong mental power and adventurous. I deal with all sorts of people almost everyday. People whom I never met before and also people whom I'm familiar with. Being in this department, I have to communicate with people from all over the world (at least, the major parts of the world, if not all....). The way I communicate with these people also plays a big part. If I say the wrong words, I might lose the possibility of engaging a good deal or contract for the organisation.....That's the most vital and critical part of being me and sitting in my position.

Yesterday, delegates from Nepal visited the organisation. They had been dealing and communicating with me for almost a month before the visit. So, when they came over yesterday, my staff and I were ready to welcome them (this happens all the time whenever visitors came over for a visit). They were taken to the meeting room and were served with light refreshments while waiting for the other heads of departments to arrive. Later, we had some presentations and some Q&As. Now, come the interesting part...the tour...yes, we had a tour of the facilities available at the centre. It seemed that our workplace was much better than theirs (well, beauty is in the eye of the beholder...). The visit lasted for about 3 hours and hopefully, something fruitful and promising would be the outcome of it.

Discussion In The Meeting Room

One of the Nepalese asked me about the breadwinner of the family here in Malaysia. He was wondering whether women are the heads of families......because from his observation, the moment he stepped onto Kuala Lumpur (KLIA to be exact), he could see working women everywhere. And when he came to my organisation, again he witnessed working women all over the workplace and with different positions, from support staff to the top management level.

To answer his question, I told him that men are still the heads of families but nowadays, both husbands and wives need to work in order to make ends meet especially those in big cities like Kuala Lumpur. I even told him that in universities, majority of the students are female and here in Malaysia we actually encourage women to be independent and they have the freedom to venture into anything that their hearts desire.

The Tour

Lunch With The Delegates

The Delegates and Yours Truly

He then asked me how long have I been working and how was my education background like....when I told him the answers, he was amazed (this could be clearly seen in his facial expression)....when he got to know that at the same time, I'm also a wife and a mother of three, he got even more fascinated. I guess such scenario does not happen in his country (maybe....I'll have to do some research on this...)......and by this time, the rest of the group had been listening and they actually asked me about how I go about dealing and managing everything at one go...

Well, my answer is simple....when there's a will, there's a way...and my philosophy in life is....come what may, I'll face it......

MPSD 19

2008-06-18T11:30:00.000+08:00

Last Saturday, 14 June 2008, was the day that tested my ability and capability of managing the biggest event for my organisation. It was the 19th Certificate and Executive Diploma Presentation Ceremony (Majlis Penyampaian Sijil dan Diploma Eksekutif UMCCed kali ke-19).

Let me brief you on the background of this entry.

Last year I was promoted as the manager of International Training & Event Management Department (ITEM). From the name of the department, it shows the scope of areas that I have to manage. Frankly speaking, never in my life had I managed or organised any event for that matter. This year I was given the sole responsibility to manage the biggest event for the organisation.

Preparation started 6 months before the actual date of the event. There were many things to consider. There were also things used to be done before but which I wanted to be different this time around. There were many people whom I had to liase with, many different departments and suppliers that I had to communicate with. All in all, there were huge responsibilities that I had to shoulder and be aware of.

In between, I also had other programmes and projects that I had to see through. I had to make sure everything went on smoothly, all happening simultaneously. This was where I noticed that time management and stress management were vital. Everyone seemed to be putting all the pressures on me but I didn't allow that to happen. Instead, I was the one who put pressure on them. They should be doing the work and my main task was to make sure they execute the work.

Two weeks before the actual event, I began to have nightmares which ranged from dreams about the hall, the people and the staff to the robe, the flowers and the programme books. Haah!!! I couldn't sleep well neither could I eat well........this was really an experience which I had not experienced before. Butterflies were always flying in my tummy and making all sorts of somersaults which at times made me feel like vomitting. I thought that was it......I didn't think that I could go through such tortures anymore. To make things worse, there were people who seemed to get very envious and they always interfered with whatever I was doing. They should be assisting me and perhaps, advising me on what to do because they had been doing the same event for 18 times before. Like one of my staff said, people who had been in the same position or the same task for so long, they thought that they were the best and nobody could ever overshadow or take over their authority.

Frankly speaking, I changed a lot of things....for the better, of course. I guess these people couldn't accept the changes and they refused to cooperate with me. They even tried to make my work go haywire. But what the heck, knowing me, I couldn't care less....to me, they were brainless and selfish. This event was for the organisation and not for myself......so, everybody should lend a helping hand and display good team spirit. Anyway, I didn't surrender to such hypocracy and bureaucracy......All I wanted to do was complete the task and make the event a success.

Come the actual day, everything went on smoothly. There were no complaints or comments from anybody. The only thing that I received and heard was everyone congratulating me for making the event more successful and merrier than before. Alhamdulillah, I've made it!!!!!!! It was not bad at all for someone like myself to finally manage to organise such a big event successfully.

Those people who were envy at me, they could only watch my team celebrating and I know that they wished they were sitting at my position so that they could gain the same credits!!!!!

I'd have to congratulate my staff for being so committed and diligent without a single sigh. They were the backbones for the success of the event and I was proud to have them with me in the department. ITEM rocks!!!!!!!

Full Tank, Anybody?

2008-06-05T12:18:00.000+08:00

Something caused a roar to the nation late yesterday afternoon. PM announced that fuel price has risen up to 78 sen more which means the price now is RM2.70 per litre. What? Another increase within only one year? What is happening to the country? What could be worse than the problem of food shortage and now, fuel price on the rise?

Day by day the cost of living keeps on increasing... and we seem like helpless and hopeless trying to make it through this ever challenging and expensive lifestyle in the metropolitan city. I'm sure every bread winner of the family feels the burden and the budget tightening up their throats.....the Government must do something to compensate whatever that they have done to the people out there.....

Trust me, I don't think anybody is happy with the situation.....if someone is, then, he/she must be crazy or just plain ignorant, someone without feelings......does that someone exist? I wonder......

It's Reading Time

2008-06-02T12:37:00.000+08:00

A good friend of mine recommended the Shopaholics series to me. To tell the truth, it's been like years since I actually indulged myself in reading a good book. Light reading seems more applicable and practical nowadays. I always feel that if I were to start reading, then, I'll neglect and abandon my family...hahahha....so shallow....

But, today, I'm going to get the books, the whole lot, and force myself to start reading and enjoying every part of it.....

You know what, there are 2 Harry Potter books (Half-Blood Prince which I bought in 2005 and Deathly Hollow which I bought last year) waiting for me at home plus a brand new book by Judith McNaught (my favourite author, I have the whole collection) which I bought before I boarded the flight to LA two months ago and still untouched....

Have to catch up on my readings no matter what.....

Kaulah Segalanya - You Are Everything To Me

2008-05-28T08:17:00.000+08:00

When I was still single, unmarried and without family commitment, I always told those around me that if I did get married, I would just like to have only one kid, not more than one. It's because I was not into the idea of having a big family. To me, an ideal family would only consist of a father, a mother and a child. Such thinking could be due to the fact that I was not born into a big family environment myself. So, I always thought that if there's only a child, then the family is complete.

When I got married, still I planned to only have one child. So, when I delivered my son, I thought, well, that's it, my family is complete now. But, as he grew older, only two years older, I began to feel that something was missing, somehow, something was lacking in the family.....I kept on searching and thinking what could it be.....and one fine day, while putting my son to sleep, that 'something' crossed my mind! Aha! I knew it now, I've been wanting another child all this while! Oh no! Was that really it? Was that what I really wanted?

It took about another year for me to come to my senses that indeed a child was not enough for me to make my family complete, and yes, when my first son turned 3, I gave birth to my second son. To tell the truth, I felt a lot happier and more contented than ever.

And to my surprise, my third son came along just about one year and one month after my second. And indeed, I felt a total happiness in me, now, I felt that this was what being complete was all about.

I am really grateful for being blessed with three healthy, jovial, loving and good-looking sons. Although at times or shall I say all the time, having you guys around are challenging, but, hey, it's all worth it......I know that I always yell and nag at you guys, but, that's what being a loving mother of three sons is all about.....Well, deep down inside I know, you do appreciate and love me in your own ways.....

Although I might not spend that much time with you guys everyday, but I need you to know that I love you very, very much and nothing can come between us....not my job, not my studies, not my laptop, not my handbags, not my shoes, not my friends, not my snores, not my clumsiness, not my anger and definitely not your papa...hahahaha....the list is endless, my dears, you just name it, I know whatever it is, you guys will always be my top priority.....

You are everything to me.....Kaulah segalanya....

The Duos PART 2

2008-05-15T12:40:00.000+08:00

The Duos

2008-05-15T12:37:00.000+08:00

Muammar Daim bin Rozinor

2008-05-15T12:27:00.001+08:00

Umarizz Darwisy bin Rozinor PART 4

2008-05-15T12:04:00.000+08:00

Umarizz Darwisy bin Rozinor PART 3

2008-05-15T11:59:00.000+08:00