Apples Of The Eyes

Me before I was born....

2008-10-06T11:55:00.007+08:00

How would I look like in the years before I was born? I tried out and I couldn't stop laughing looking at the outcome. Check the 'gorgeous' me out! :)

The poodle skirt era-1950. I don't think I'd complain much though for this pic, well, I don't like the hair, but that's about it!

1954- cat eye glasses! I am sure this fashion is back on the 'trend calender' now.

1958- the hairdo is so hideous! But well, I bet the ladies who were born in the 50s know how to look sexy though. :) I have seen my mom's pics when she was young and oh boy, mini skirts, tight skirts- name it- she has worn them all! LOL

The little black dress year-1960. Classy!

1964- girls are incomplete without their mini skirts. Gosh, I wonder how I would look like in a miniskirt (do people still call them micro skirts today?) I kinda love my look here, looks sophisticated / Kate Winslet in Titanic look alike. LOL. Or is it Audrey Hepburn??

1966- my favourite! I think, the hair is so cute. Maybe the look is more groovy here and it suits me!

1970- hmmm the curl at the ends of the hair- so back in fashion now! Is this the year of the hippies and bellbottoms?? I remember my father had some of the bell bottoms pants when I was very little. Now, we call them boot cut! LOL

Lastly 1978. About the year I was born (I was born in 1977). Look at the afro look- gosh! LOL I think, I don't need to elaborate more on this look, the picture says it all. I don't like the look. I feel there might be a bee hiding in my big hair, and I am sure I'd need 3 times more shampoo than what I am using now. I'd rather go bald than keeping my hair this big.

Now, why not you check out how you look like before you were born? It's fun and the link is HERE! Just wondering....which look of mine do you like most?

Here's the link to others who have done it.

Tina
Syari

Aidilfitri 2008

2008-10-04T11:34:00.005+08:00

Eid/ Hari Raya this year was great and fun, but of course tiring. The day started perfect- no rain but not too hot too. After Eid prayers, everyone had the traditional 'raya breakfast' and this normally isn't perfect without ketupat, lemang, kuah kacang, rendang, nasi impit and serunding .

However this year, I didn't make my 'signature rendang' **wink wink** as we had catered food for lunch and that was plenty already (tomato rice, chicken, beef, dalcha and vegetables). I thought making rendang would be too much, but actually, my father said 'raya without rendang is no raya!' Ouch! I will surely keep that in mind next year (InsyaAllah). Besides these, we also had a lot of cookies- some homemade, and some bought.

On the first day, we invited family and friends over for lunch and everyone did turn up. Syabil and Daryn had a lot of fun especially when there's other small kids around. Of course, by the end of the day, Daryn got tired with her 'baju kurung'. Her skirt kept falling off or otherwise turned around. :)

It's the 4th day of Eid today, the crowd has subsided but we have to attend a wedding in Alor Setar today (about 2 hours drive). Lastly, thanks to all the thoughtful people who have sent these lovely gift hampers to my beloved hubby! (October is my birthday month, so, I need to butter my beloved hubby up a little) LOL

My Smooth Moves!

2008-09-28T00:44:00.014+08:00

Yesterday was the 27th day of Ramadhan, and in Malaysia, we call it 'Malam 7 lekor'. During the Ramadhan (fasting month), this evening makes the pinnacle of all days - as the night of power (laylat-al-Qadr) falls on the 27th day of this month. That means, there's 3 more days of fasting! When the fast ends (the first day of the month of Shawal) it is celebrated for three days in a holiday called Id-al-Fitr (the Feast of Fast Breaking).

Last night, we again went to EQ for break fast. It was so worth it as the ambiance was all set to feel the celebration of Eid. At the pool area, fireworks and firecrackers were stacked- and kids were happily burning the fireworks and the adults (I believe the hotel staff) were putting a show of gorgeous fireworks in the sky. That's not all, there was this group of men and boys, all dressed in the traditional 'baju melayu' playing the 'kompang' (Malay traditional instrument/ drum) and performing the 'marhaban' . It was absolutely lovely- I just felt like it was already Eid last night at the hotel. We were greeted with the 'marhaban' as we walked down the coffee garden- such a pleasant tune to the ears.

Syabil hated the fireworks- as expected; cried and wanted to go home. Little Daryn was absolutely enjoying herself running here and there and making new friends too. Everyone was so tired running after her!

Now, I was the star last night! Aha! Believe me! The live band members (who now are my friends) called my name up on the stage, and of course, I took up the challenge. I gave them my smooth moves. LOL (ya whatever, not that smooth, kinda stiff when I looked back at this video below), but hey, who actually could step on the stage and do what I did in front of a huge crowd? So, pat me on my back and thank you very much. :)

Here's my not-so-smooth moves......what do you think?

Not only did they tested my moves, they even made me sing a HINDI song (Dil to Pagal Hai) with Helmi- the band singer/manager. I love to see and hear him sing, but I don't think I like to hear my voice here. Well, I don't know if it's a myth or so, but, normally, gorgeous girls don't really have gorgeous voice (and vice versa). hahahahahahaha, ya ya, which makes me the gorgeous girl there, so, it's OK to sing off tune!!!! LOL

Hindi speaking people- don't judge me, Hindi is not my mother tongue. :)

Listen to me sing! Kinda off pitch heh? It's the mic! Not me!!!!! *wink***

We had a great night again there, and now, countdown to Eid. I would like to take this opportunity to wish all of my Muslim friends 'Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri, and Maaf Zahir Batin'. Eid Mubarak everyone and if you do drop by my place, you are welcomed to be my guest too. Enjoy and have fun.

Eid is around the corner [2]

2008-09-25T23:42:00.008+08:00

It's just so exciting waiting for Eid and especially doing preparations to welcome the beautiful month of Syawal. For the last few days, my dad has been assigned the job to decorate the walls of our home with the colourful lights. Syabil and Daryn love doing this job too. Whenever their tokwan carries his toolbox, they would both get theirs and 'work' with tokwan. Well, they would knock on the walls, on the windows and even on the newly hung lights and of course I will be screaming after that!

It's something about these bright colourful lights- it gives thrills knowing that it's going to be a celebration soon and everything will look vibrant!My mom was busy changing the beddings today- of course we all had new bedding for our rooms. It's something about Eid, everything needs to be new and fresh! I got Syabil and Daryn Mickey Mouse duvet covers since currently they are so much in love with Mickey and Minnie.

We are almost done with the preparation. Eid cookies- well; I am sure there's more than enough too. :) My mom has sealed them all tight and kept in the kitchen cabinet. Well, I guess, that's a sign to not let us finish the cookies before Eid. hahahahahahha

Since everyone was busy today, we had our iftar in EQ again. The food was great (as always), and we actually made reservations again for Saturday! Oh, did I tell you I love the live band? I think I have! :)

Preparation for Eid [1]

2008-09-23T13:45:00.007+08:00

With Eid-ul-Fitr is just a week away, everyone is getting busy with all sorts of activities! A few days back, I took Daryn to my saloon for a hair cut. I know, I thought I wanted to keep her hair long too, but NO! It's not comfortable for her (she would sweat and itch on the neck) and I hate to see that. I decided to trim her hair so that it's easy on my eyes, and most of all, she'll be comfortable. Syabil went for his hair cut yesterday. He's not afraid of the 'scissors' anymore. In fact, he enjoys sitting on the high chair and getting his hair trimmed- all I need to say is "number 2 hair clippers please!!" and the job is done! I love to see him all neat with short hair cut.

My mom- she's been busy baking cookies for Eid. Her very faithful assistant is Syabil. He enjoys sitting next to his grandma and eating all the chocolate rice.

Me? Well,basically, Daryn wouldn't leave me alone. She expects me to be next to her all the time, except when her grand father and daddy are at home. It gets tiring sometimes with her. She is not in 'good terms' with her aunty Shaz- which is a HUGE relief for her aunt! LOL She would run like a little mouse whenever she sees her aunt approaching her. LOL I wonder what aunt did to make her dislike her aunt so much. But well, I don't think aunt is complaining, in fact, she's thankful. hahahahahahahaha Whenever the kids are playing, then, I could do some work too. However, whenever they are not playing together, then they might be fighting for the same toy and one of them would end up crying and coming for help. :)

Syabil? Hmm...he's getting fatter, smarter and bigger everyday! LOL

Daryn? Oh boy, she's getting naughtier, cheekier and she's now bullying her brother whenever she gets the opportunity. Yesterday, she actually slapped Syabil and the big fat brother fell on the floor crying like a little baby! LOL She's tiny but she's really active and brave. She's talking a lot now too, for sure she knows how to scold her brother- with loud voice! :) Last week, she took her plastic golf club and hit her poor brother's head. Sometimes, I don't blame Syabil for being hard on Daryn too. She's really cheeky!

I think my dad is going to hang out some colourful Eid lights tonight. I see some of my neighbours are painting their houses too. All in the excitement of Eid....

No more diapers OK?

2008-09-20T14:19:00.009+08:00

Syabil is on 'no diapers' training!

I've been training Syabil not to wear diapers now. It's been 3 days and he's progressing rather well. I know it's late with him, but better late than never! LOL His grandma would say, "let him stop whenever he feels comfortable, poor boy" Grandparents can really spoil their grandkids!

Anyway, on the first day, I told Syabil that 'big boys don't wear pampers anymore'. I actually had to give examples of his daddy and 'the uncle playing golf on the golf channel' Do you believe that! I had to say, 'if you want to play golf, you can't wear diapers' and that was the line he actually bought!

I kept checking with him if he wanted to pee (err like every few minutes) and at one point, he got tired of me and yelled 'NOOOOOOOO' LOL which I thought was rather funny. Anyway, no harm asking right?! He was walking weird without the diapers. We couldn't stop laughing looking at him. I am guessing, probably, he was not comfortable with his 'willy' swaying left and right when he is walking. muahahahhahahahahaha He was like walking with legs far apart and obviously that's not comfortable. Gosh, I was laughing so hard looking at him, I had tears in my eyes. LOL LOL

Then, when I was just about to sterilise their milk bottles, Syabil yelled "Mommyyyy I want to peeeeee". I ran towards him and immediately took him to the toilet. I stood there, he stood there too looking down at his 'willy' and nothing came out! LOL Ouch! Then, I put his pants back on and continued to sterilise the bottles.

After some time, I heard him scream again to pee, and again, I ran towards him. Guess what I saw? Not a mirage! He actually peed on the floor. hahahahah I guess, he can't really 'estimate' the right time yet now. The same happened today. His daddy was home, so, daddy was checking with his every now and then. Next thing, Daryn took his toys and he shouted at his poor little sister, just then, he peed on the floor again! LOL Twice in 2 days- not too bad heh? As long as I keep the mop near me, I am good. :)

That's fine, accidents like this will surely happen with kids getting potty trained. He needs to feel comfortable without his diapers. It's OK to wear diapers to sleep at night though for now. Besides, XXL is the largest size available (and is currently what Syabil is wearing). I don't think Mamy Poko has diapers in size XXXL! LOL

Babies in Womb

2008-09-20T11:02:00.002+08:00

I found these cute pics of babies in the womb online. Looking at these pic, made me think. Now, what all would Syabil and Daryn say while in me? :) I wonder now....Daryn might come up with something like "who's that boy whose playing the new play gym daddy just bought for me?" or even "Yeay, I have a brother to play with" but obviously, now, she wouldn't think so anymore. LOL

Syabil...hmmm..he's the lucky one since he's the first one. When Syabil was born, 100% of his clothing came from the UK since his aunty was there still that time. I hardly get him anything from here. From head to toe- his aunty would come home with her huge luggage filled with 35kg of Syabil's clothes and toys! Perhaps, in the womb, he would have said, "Who's that lovely lady always bringing me so much gifts?" LOL LOL or "Mommy, stop being extra careful, I am fine!" I admit, I was being very careful with Syabil's pregnancy as I had a miscarriage before I had him.

Here's some cute pics!

Have a nice weekend everyone...

Handbag

2008-09-18T11:28:00.002+08:00

A few days back, GP tagged me with the 'handbag tag' - to show what all is in the handbag! I thought this is a fun one, and I just know that IT'S NOT GOING TO BE MY HANDBAG! I've got a better one in my mind- and I bet the things inside this 'bag' are absolutely gorgeous! :)

Presenting.......Syabil's bag!

Aha! Syabil has a bag too, which he carries everywhere- and yes- EVERYWHERE! He loves his bag way too much, and he loves the content in it even more. He particularly chose this bag as he is so much in love with Mickey currently. He carries this bag to the mamak's shop for 'roti canai', he carries this bag whenever we go out shopping, he carries his bag whenever he goes to play golf- simply everywhere and everytime! :) Now, let's see what's inside this very cute Mickey bag!

Syabil is very careful with his stuffs, and his greatest enemy is Daryn who loves to play with his stuffs. Well, he has a coin wallet (for his coins obviously) and a pair of sunglasses (from Disneyland)- actually he has a few sunglasses, but he chose this particular one to keep inside his bag. What else?

He can't leave home without his 'phone'. He would constantly check for 'missed calls' and 'sms' on his phone- and the only loyal friend who would call him is 'Mickey' and recently 'George'. Don't ask me who George is! I have no idea. LOL He has 'the other wallet' too, to keep his cards, some passport sized photos and bills (dollar notes). Lastly, he has a camera which he loves.

So, that's about it with Syabil's bag. Daryn has a bag too- basically, she doesn't really know what she wants. Whatever Syabil has, Daryn would want the same ones too...so, here presenting Daryn's bag!

Of course, she basically has everything her brother has, except that hers are of different colours. Even then, she would prefer playing with her brother's stuffs. Tough girl!

Here they are- my two little apples. One with the giant bum, and the other with the small bum. hahahahhahahaha

They are ready to get washed up before they go to bed..

Equatorial Penang Ramadhan Buffet

2008-09-16T18:01:00.007+08:00

Last night, our family opted for the Coffee Garden in Equatorial Hotel for iftar. EQ Penang probably has one of the best line-up of Ramadhan treats featuring more than 80 home styled cooked dishes and individual stalls dishing up various of food- both local and international. We arrived there just 10 minutes before iftar, so, I had the chance to quickly scan through the options I had. Hubby had very kindly invited Natasha's mummy and daddy to join us too which was great- the more the merrier! :) They came with their latest edition in the family- a baby boy!

It was good. Everything was just nice, I didn't eat much, but I think, I must have sniffed a lot of food last night. LOL Well, what can I say? Food- CHECKED! :)

Decoration & Presentation- Checked!

Service- Checked!

Ambiance- Checked Checked!

Entertainment- double checked!!!! :)

The live band was awesome! I must admit, I was standing and watching their performance more than eating last night. Initially, there were singing some nice Malay tunes, and suddenly, it was like a Bollywood night- which was an automatic attention grabber! LOL The singer- Helmi Irman had the voice of a nightingale. I thought he was miming initially because he sounded so good but I was wrong. They were simply awesome. The music was great and they were entertaining. Sue (the lady with the black top), tried to drag my mom and Finaz up on the stage but they were not 'brave' enough to show some steps. LOL If only they had asked me to step on the stage- I would have given them some smooth moves. hahahahahhaha The best part was, we challenged them to sing a Tamil song (just for fun) and guess what? They took up the challenge and gave the crowd a really fast catchy Tamil song. Some guys even went up the stage to join the dance. Really great.

Tonight, we will be at home. I might take the kids to the airport tonight to see aeroplanes. hahahah Does that sound like fun? Well, that is what they both love to do; it used to be just Syabil but Daryn loves aeroplanes now too. :)

Heat of Eid-ul-Fitr

2008-09-14T21:16:00.003+08:00

2 more weeks for Eid-ul-Fitr, and the heat of the celebration could be felt everywhere. Malls are packed with busy shoppers and streets are all lighted up with bright pretty lights. Tonight, we got ourselves busy playing firecrackers! Well, it is actually banned in Malaysia, but amazingly, it is sold everywhere in Penang- not in hiding but in public areas. Of course, we got ourselves some too.

Syabil was as scared as a tiny rat when he heard the loud noise from the firecrackers, while Daryn was sitting there all brave and cute clapping away at the bright lights! Ouch! That's a tough situation I have to handle, don't you think? LOL

Just when we were about to finish, there was a group of Chinese girls walking on our street holding bright pretty lanterns! Those lanterns are so attractive and I think today is the beginning of the Lantern Festival. Well, I don't really know the significance of this festival, but I do remember last time, these lanterns were just plain with a candle in it- now they come in gorgeous colours and shapes!

Iftar with the family

2008-09-13T23:58:00.007+08:00

Today, we went out for iftar. The beauty of Ramadhan in Malaysia (despite religious reasons), among others are the selection of food (food items you don't normally get easily during the other months) and the Ramadhan buffet. Syabil was very excited and looking forward to the evening even when he's not fasting. My boy loves the ambiance of a great eating place.

The food there was good, we sure stuffed the max we could, even Syabil and Daryn love trying out all the different kinds of food. After eating, Syabil said ,"Can we go up now to the room?" LOL That's always the case whenever we dine in the hotels, Syabil would insist that we put up the night there, and sometimes, his grandfather would fulfill his wishes. However, not this time. :)

Daryn was constantly disturbing me because she wanted to eat too. I was feeding her while breaking fast. Then, Syabil being the sweet brother, offered to feed his little sister. Most of the times, the food he is feeding doesn't even go inside Daryn's mouth. The poor little girl would open her mouth so wide waiting for Syabil to feed and then give me a disappointed look when the food remains on the spoon. LOL So funny to see them both.

Oh by the way, me and hubby had the same T shirt on! :) I like it! Thanks Finaz! :)

After iftar, we went to Gurney Mall since I wanted to get Syabil Mickey duvet cover set. The traffic jam was massive! Thank God, I finally found the Mickey duvet cover and also an addition quilt set there. He wanted Mickey bath towels too, which was actually cute. I have to admit, I do love Mickey and Minnie too since I was a little girl. They are really one of a kind. Currently, both Syabil and Daryn are in love with Mickey (maybe after tokwan and aunty Shaz brought back so much stuffs from Disneyland recently). I wonder what would be his next favourite character.

Oh, I met one of my primary school friends at the mall entrance- and oh boy, does she look absolutely stunning! She was one of my best friends in primary school, but lost contact when I went to the boarding school. I just heard from her that her sister, who is Finaz's primary school classmate has migrated to the USA. How sweet! They were both really loving siblings and good hearted friends too. It was nice to actually catch up with her again.

I am home now, with the children. They are still playing and no sign of going to bed yet. Till then...goodnight! :)

Soften your ego

2008-09-11T11:18:00.007+08:00

Ranting time!!!

The world is indeed a stage, and some of us sure know how to act their parts real good. Just like a 'friend' of mine who would talk all sweet and nice, but in fact, this person, (call her 'BS'- it means something) has a heart filled with black spots. It's so annoying talking to her nowadays, everything is a competition to her. If I say something, even when BS doesn't know about the topic I'm talking about, or even if BS have not been to where I am talking about, BS would just want to be negative about it. Why? Is this stupid or just the ego talking?

BS- for your information, one man's trash is another man's treasure (if you don't understand this, open up your dictionary). It's amazing to know how strange you can be just to argue with me. You know what? You've NEVER been there, and you've NEVER done that- so, stop talking for the sake of talking since they don't make any sense. Maybe, you need to open your eyes and mind and see the world before you can even make any remarks. Just to prove yourself right, you don't need to make up stories too. The more you talk, the more I see your true colours. In the first place, you don't need to prove me right or wrong because you don't know! By the way you talk, it reflects your black heart. Come on, step out, stop being like the frog under the coconut shell who thinks his only great world is the coconut comet yet with so much ego. Soften your ego will you?

I don't need to follow anyone else, I have my own mind- unlike you. I have my own reasons for the things I do. I say the things I believe in because I am confident about them and I mean it. You are a pretentious person because you need to fit in the crowd. How pathetic? Can't you just be yourself?

I am not going to say anything to you, maybe I should just avoid you.....

P.S: BS= bodoh sombong

Cuteness!

2008-09-07T23:00:00.008+08:00

Syabil's cousin- Izzah Safiyyah came to visit today, and oh boy, has she grown?! We love teasing and talking with her, she will be 3 years old coming 30th September. When she saw Syabil, she was very shy and became very quiet. When I asked them to sit together to pose for a photo, Izzah was not comfortable while Syabil gave his angry look! So cute!

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the chubbiest of them all? LOL I just love chubby babies. They are just oh-so-cute to pinch on the cheeks. Izzah's fav food? mac and cheese or otherwise pizzas. Syabil? He loves his rice and noodles.

Syabil looks so innocent sitting there. Looking at them, reminds me of the video clip where Syabil was singing '5 little monkeys' next to Izzah during Daryn's 1st birthday party.

So, now I know who the boss is! Bravo Syabil.

By the way, last week, while coming back from my old school, I asked Syabil if we was comfortable (since he was getting tired sitting in the car) and he replied "No, no, no" Eager to find out if he really knew what I meant, I asked him, "What is comfortable?" and he replied "It is vegetable, I am not vegetable" ehhehehehehehe

Hmm...English is a hard language after all.

The beauty of Ramadhan

2008-09-05T11:04:00.004+08:00

It's been 4 days since Ramadhan started and amazingly this year, the weather is so great that we hardly feel tired nor hungry throughout the day. The month of Ramadhan is not only the holy month, but I would say, fasting is also a great way of self purification; patience and sacrifice. During this month, throughout Malaysia, there are hundreds of 'Pasar Ramadhan' (Ramadhan market/ bazaar), it's really fun and exciting going to Pasar Ramadhan, as you could get any food imaginable there- and only in Ramadhan months there thousands of people go out to sell what they could do best. My 2 favourite Pasar Ramadhan in Penang would definitely be the one in Bayan Baru and the one near home in Balik Pulau. Normally, I would walk around, inspect all food and buy nothing. Even if I did, I would normally get the freshly cooked ones (cooked there and then), otherwise, it's a risk to take not knowing if the food is fresh or old. Believe me, no one wants to get sick in this month!

Pasar Ramadhan scene

The best part of Ramadhan- breaking fast! hahahah obviously! Not that I eat I've never seen food before, but breaking fast is all about delicious food all arranged on the dining table (sometimes, the 8 seater dining table looks so small in my home too) LOL There's just full of variations of food, home cooked ones, the little ones bought from Pasar Ramadhan, the ones neighbours sent, fruits and drinks. In my home, no one takes hot drink when breaking fast- we all drink the coldest drink! :)

Another interesting fact during Ramadhan- you could only see all kinds of traditional bite-sized food items (we call them kuih). They come in different sizes, colours and shapes. Tough a lot of people selling all these kuih, not all taste as great as it looks like- and yes, looks can be deceiving.

To all Muslims, happy fasting :)

Sweaty bum

2008-09-02T12:40:00.005+08:00

Last Sunday, hubby took Syabil to the club again for more golf- since they will be taking a month off during this fasting month (Ramadhan). I didn't follow them, I was at home instead. Syabil sure looks impressive day by day, skills polished and getting more stylish with his clubs. :) Since he has the inclination to golf, he would be watching the golf channel on TV too and would go "oh no, missed!", "oh man!" and more- which can be really funny sometimes.

Now, here's the best part! On the way home, he was a little restless in the car, and he kept saying 'my bum is itchy'. His daddy told him to be quiet, but he kept on saying 'itchy, itchy'. LOL Yeah, he still wears his diapers and I am sure he must have sweat his bum off when he was golfing! LOL, so, guess what? Hubby stopped by the road shoulder, and gave a good scratch and wiped off the sweat from Syabil's bum! hahahahhahaah now, isn't that funny- a golfer who wears diapers and sweats the bum? LOL

SMSAH...revisited

2008-08-31T11:49:00.002+08:00

After fourteen years stepping out from my boarding school (90-94)...TARA!!!...I travelled up north today to have a quick glance of my beloved school, SMSAH (Sekolah Menengah Sultan Abdul Halim). Definitely it filled me with full of memoirs and excitements! Walking in the girls' hostel, I was having an "inexpressible" feeling! Looking up at my dorm named CENDEKIA (the blue house) -it haunted me with memories to be and not to be remembered. I was excited though, like a little girl getting the forbidden lolly. :)

How time flies..I came back to visit my school with my two apples after fourteen years..and there wasn't much changes on the landscape. The major difference is only the dormitories. We used to step on the very hard concrete uneven ground, but now they have changed it with clean, shiny floor tiles. Looks cleaner and even easier to maintain.The study room where I used to "study" is now a dorm with purple coloured bed spread 'theme' and plenty of public phones in the hostel compound! Envy ....envy...! I used to hate the school rules as it was way too strict and I hate the "rushing" environment where you need to get everything ready on time..right from taking bath till you sleep! The bell dictates everything, the bell ring annoys me to my utter core then! Argg...but now I missed my school so much especially when I used to have nifty time with friends but still wondering..how on earth did I managed 5 years in the "jail" with a bureaucratic leadership style!

Well, my school was one of the best fully residential (boarding) school in Malaysia, where students are selected after their junior school exams. Only the 'creme-de-la-creme' -(ehemmmm!!!) are selected from each states and placed in different boarding schools throughout Malaysia. I may not be the 'goody' one in school, but I bet I was one of the famous ones, for being the 'pick of the prefects' all the time! LOL

Stepping in the familiar surroundings...after 14 years was sure something! It amazes me how memories are still vivid in my mind and heart, especially with great and wonderful friends in SMSAH.

Angry, Happy, Silly

2008-08-27T16:47:00.004+08:00

It is pouring outside, and I am feeling really bored. The little sting bee is sleeping, which means, I could relax a little. But, well, too much of resting is boring! Syabil didn't sleep, because he said 'I can't close my eyes to sleep', so, I let him play alone. I had a few slices of bread with fish curry, and Syabil had 2 slices too! Looks like the rain is really opening everyone's appetite. Then, I grabbed my camera and asked Syabil to give me some poses- and God, I had a good laugh with my little boy.

First, I asked him to give me his 'angry face' and this is what he gave.

I really laughed looking at his 'big eyes'. I guess, that's his definition of 'an angry face' and I sure know where he got that from. *ehemmmm* LOL

Then, I asked him to give me his happy face, and he sure looked happy in these photos. Really cheeky.

Lastly, I told him to be silly- and I know he's good at this! LOL

So, which one is your favourite? Mine will definitely be the 'angry look' Boy- I am scared! hahahahahah

Permatang Pauh, Penang: By-Election

2008-08-25T15:30:00.008+08:00

UPDATE: Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim won with huge majority of 15,671 againts Arif Shah despite the low turnout at 65 percent. Congratulations DSAI, we knew you'll make it BIG!

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Permatang Pauh election in Penang will surely be a history to be remembered. We went to check out the place last night, and I hope the results will be as promising as the campaigns are. The place looks so different with banners and posters and people were just flocking out from no where. It was like a huge fiesta going on, not forgetting the massive road jams too.

The by-election will be tomorrow (26th August) and the election fever is coming back after only 6 months since the general election in March. Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim will be contesting this time and I ~~am sure~~ hope, he will make it big time! Good Luck DSAI! For this special day, Penang new government has declared a public holiday too. How wonderful! I am really nervous and anxious to know the results, although deep down, I know who's the real hero and who the people love and trust more.

Instead of giving a politician the keys to the city, it might be better to change the locks. I hope Penangites especially the ones from Permatang Pauh make their decision right, just like how the've made it last March. I am sure people there are smart, and they know what they want. I will not be voting, I am not in that area, but am sure eager to know the results tomorrow.

Kids and clowns

2008-08-23T22:17:00.008+08:00

Last Saturday we went to my nephew's birthday party- Wafri who turned 2 years old. My cousin, the father of 3 heroes and also the proud owner of 2 Noodle Stations in Penang, sure knows how to promote his noodle stations by having some menu items from the restaurant. Pretty cool!! :) Well, it would have been great if only there was a cocktail bar too. hehehehe (maybe some cocktail items from the station?) Anyway, the food was great.

There was a clown/ magician at the party, and as expected, Syabil hated the clown. In fact, he refused to enter the house because of this clown. Apparently, the birthday boy, Wafri cried bad too looking at the clown. LOL Now, what is it with small kids and clowns? Personally, I don't find the clown to look funny. In fact, he looked weird and scary with the ridiculously large glasses and the funny looking nose and outfit. Not all small kids love them, and for sure, Syabil and Wafri hated him. hehehehehhe

I am sure a lot of the older kids love him, and I was lining up to get some figured balloon too for my kids. Well, who says adults can't have fun?

It was a great party and I am sure everyone had fun. Happy 2nd Birthday Wafri! :)

Don't poke the beehive!

2008-08-23T10:40:00.007+08:00

Please her, make her happy, give her whatever she wants, be nice to her, don't raise your voice; or else you are just poking the beehive! That's Daryn Sania's nick name now- sting bee! My sting bee is surely not easy to please. Her mood swing is so unpredictable. She's not afraid of anyone, she only wants things to happen her way. We get tired looking after her, she won't stay at any one place longer than 3 seconds. She bullies her daddy and tokwan the most- they deserve that since they are the ones pampering her too much and turning her into a bee. LOL

When she's angry (for whatever reasons), she throws tantrum and she throws things on the floor too. She loves her brother's toys- even when she has the same ones (of different colours). If Syabil refuses to give her, she throws tantrum to everyone (again) and expect us to give her what she wants. LOL She's one fierce little bee- she maybe cute, but she's a sting bee, so, we always watch out not to mess with her. Never poke the beehive, or you'll be inviting terror!

Cleanliness

2008-08-19T10:10:00.002+08:00

I was on the phone with one of my best friends recently and our long chat was on cleanliness. Of course, I love this subject- and those who says its impossible to keep a house clean and tidy with children around, that's just plain lame excuses. If you can't dance- don't blame the floor! It's that simple. It's all about self discipline and how you instill the behavior in everyone at home. Of course, I am not talking about 'hospital sterile' environment, but at least, whenever there's guests coming to your home, you don't have to get panic and start doing a 'cleaning overhaul' at home.

Anyway, back to my conversation with my friend, N, she was just telling me about how pissed she is with her 'new' messy housemates. Coming back from work, and walking into a clean house is definitely relaxing, but what about walking into a dirty house? Some people are just used to living in a messy and dirty house- it's somehow a familiar environment for them and they wouldn't want to change it at all! Strange for me, but true to many! Being untidy is different, but being dirty? Yucks! Some of these filthy pigs are just so arrogant and adamant. These people also always have incredibly patronizing and hypocritical comments that are always delivered with a sneer. Anyway, it's not easy educating animals how to be clean right? It shouldn't be hesitation when it comes to cleaning. To see if a house is clean, just check the toilets and the kitchen. How can these people live in a house piled with clutters everywhere? If your housemates are strangers to you, then, it's easier to talk, but if they are family, how do you even approach them and ask them to at least maintain the house clean? It's not as easy.

My sis used to tell me about this horrible housemate she has in the UK. This girl would actually throw everything on the floor, so, it's hardly possible to step in the room since there's so much of garbage there. There's bottles of milk, unwashed undies, unwashed plates and pans (and in some, you could even see worms), books, crisps and even unwrapped sanitary napkins on the floor. How disgusting was that? It's still acceptable to show off your dirty self in your private room, but it's definitely not acceptable to make the public areas as dirty. This girl not just makes her room looks like thrash, she didn't even wash her own plates- let alone ask her to clean the toilets! The problem with this girl was that she was so tremendously rude too, but at last, my sis successfully made her leave the house the cruel way! LOL

Some people grow up with it but never grow out of it. How sad! They are simply blinded by the disgusting familiarity they are used to see. There's no point looking all great and pretty on the outside, but when you step into their home, it's just a huge playground of messiness. Messiness is no laughing matter. It is an endless source of frustration to parents or those whose partners are. Messiness, to me, is moral failing, a trademark of laziness, a severe eccentricity of flaw or a hard-wired human behavior. But one thing seems clear: the tendency for messiness shows up early in life and endures, leading some to believe that slobs are born, not made. Human are born as clean as white cloth, it's up to the upbringing and personal preference to make the white clothe black with their disgusting behavior- be it physically or emotionally.

Nature and nurture- both are equally important qualities to make yourself who you are today. When you live with others, at least, don't show your animal qualities too much. Respect others and respect yourself too. Being tidy and clean is not difficult, it's all in your behaviour and in your mind.