Unfabulous Mum

Dusty blog...

2009-12-29T20:39:00.003+08:00

It's been a long time but I don't think I want to abandon this blog. This is what I do to de-stress so I definitely still need it. My job as a teacher is ranked at no. 5 on the most stressful jobs list in Malaysia. Believe me it's not even slightly what you think.

Anyway, I do hope that I am going to improve more next year. I know that I did improved some this year. I want to be a more cekap and berdisiplin teacher.

I have moved from Sabah to Selangor now. I love my new house and I can't wait to make it a home (just a few days left before we move in). I miss the comfort of old routines. I am anxious about my new school. It's a good school - ranks at no. 2 in my district for its PMR result (no. 1 goes to a science boarding school so there's no suprise there) but I can see that vandalism is a problem there.

Ok, new year; new life. Wish me luck ;)

PS: Suprisingly I miss my ex-principal's strictness haha.

Aidilfitri 2009.

2009-09-27T11:15:00.003+08:00

I love my raya in perantauan. Seriously! I don't ever feel sad celebrating Aidilfitri away from everyone. I enjoy Eid ul-Fitr with strangers more than relatives haha.

I love that our raya is celebrated at our own pace; our own everything. Raya at your own house means many things. These include waking up in your own bed, not needing to queue up in order to use the toilet and you know definitely how clean your bathroom / toilet is ;)

I started cooking my raya feast (like everyone else) the day before 1st Syawal. For the first day of Eid we had rendang daging and lontong accompanied with sambal sotong. We ordered some kelupis (the local ketupat) to be eaten with the rendang of course. Cooking for hari raya on my own is something I know most of my close friends don't experience. Believe me it's really tiring (even with Mr. A constantly helping with everything else) but rewarding =)

1st Syawal was spent mostly at home. This year we received visitors before we had the chance to step out of the house. Furthermore, the kids took their naps in the late afternoon and they chose to sleep more than three hours! They managed to sleep really well even though they were some visitors coming in and going out during those hours.

We went visiting friends on the 2nd and 3rd Syawal. And on 4th Syawal I decided to cook mee kari because I know some of our friends were planning to visit us and I seriously didn't want them to feast only on air sirap and kuih raya. We went out visiting friends the next day and the next and the next... We even got to stuff ourselves with plenty of delicious durians when we visited some locals who own durian orchards here hehe.

Ughh how I hate to go back to work tomorrow!

More blogging please...

2009-09-25T13:22:00.006+08:00

It has been a while I know. I still do like blogging but sometimes I have nothing to blog about. When I started this blog I wanted to blog more about my kids, my family but still my blog posts seemed to focus more about my life.

Adik has started to talk more. His first vocab was "Ayah". Now he can ask for water (nak ayee), his vitamin C (amin) and say thank you (asih). I forget some of the other words he said because those three mentioned are what he says most.

Kakak has also expanded her vocabulary knowledge and mostly in English. I can't say that i'm really proud because I am actually guilty of letting my kids watch too much TV. They watch Playhouse Disney mostly. Anyway, I really think that parents should let their kids watch cartoons in English as opposed to those dubbed in Bahasa. I hate cartoons (that are originially in English) in Bahasa. What a waste!

Kakak says her English words funny though. Here are some examples:

Chicken - chingken

Blue - buyu

Baloon - buyun

Haha =)

Ok, I'm going to blog about Raya now. See you next post!

Some of the best times for ourselves (except for one).

2009-08-30T20:15:00.007+08:00

Tomorrow's the last day of the school holidays. It has been a week of pure leisure. We hardly ever have school holidays exclusively to ourselves. School holidays are usually spend with family and friends back in Peninsular but this time there is no one else but the four of us.

The first day of the school holidays was also the first of Ramadhan so I decided to do some extra cooking. For the first time in my life I made traditional kueh. Mr. A helped of course. We made buah melaka. One of my favourite traditional kueh. I would say it is an easy sweetmeat to make. That's why I chose to make it! Our buah melaka turned out quite okay except it was kind of too green haha.

On the fourth day, Mr. A and I went to KK to do some shopping. We didn't bring Kakak and Adik because of the H1N1 situation. We came back quite late - around 8.30 p.m. We broke our fast in the car on a roadside.

This school holidays I love how we got to sleep in in the morning. Everything was done leisurely. We got to watch movies - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Brokeback Mountain, The Bucket List, Thick as Thieves, and The Notebook. How I wish we have billions of ringgit in our bank accounts so that we never have to work anymore! Haha such wishful thinking.

One horrible thing did happened though. Adik fell from a sofa he loves to climb just this late afternoon. There was a small gash that almost an inch long. We rushed him to the ER and his small gash was sewn three stitches. It was heartbreaking to see him wailing and screaming while getting the stitches. The funny thing was when we arrived home from the ER, he could merrily danced and jumped to Jojo's Circus' song, Jump For Joy. He even ended it with a huge clap. Boys will be boys *sigh*

After that, he even wanted to ride the motorcycle with Mr. A. Mr. A had to ride and ride because Adik wouldn't let his father stops even though he was really sleepy. He ended up sleeping on the motorcycle haha.

Mr. A's photoscaping.

2009-08-21T13:17:00.005+08:00

He did this in conjunction with our 4th anniversary yesterday.

He sure loves us so much!

We love him so much too =)

In conjunction with our 4th anniversary.

2009-08-19T18:58:00.009+08:00

This entry is inspired by Zek Zek’s entry, Just Married. I waited months for this haha.

Tomorrow’s our 4th anniversary. Four years and two kids. How time flies. Mr. A is my first love and he will forever be =)

We met in 2004. Both of us were taking Kursus Perguruan Lepasan Ijazah (KPLI) in Institut Perguruan Temenggong Ibrahim. We met because we played active parts in the Jawatankuasa Perwakilan Pelajar of the institute. We were also in the same class for the subject Ilmu Pendidikan so we always saw each other.

Earlier in the year I saw him as a big brother. He’s nine years older so that sense of respect was automatic. Furthermore, he was always looking out for me because I was the youngest of them all. Big brother and kid sister – nothing more.

However, around April I could sense that there was a different kind of chemistry between us. On the other hand, we only went out two months later. We became an item towards the end of July of the same year.

I brought him home to meet my parents the next month. My mum prepared OTT lunch; with fried pomphret perfectly laid on a bed of lettuce. I remember the first my mum said to me about him, “Hidung dia mancung”.

My dad was the champ. He purposely slurped the gravy from his plate! Picking it up and slurping with no shame. Haih.

I met his parents a few days after that. I went to meet them wearing a slim-fit blouse and tight jeans. My grandma gave me a good scolding for that. But I guess what mattered most was that I was being myself. Not some girl clad in some baju kurung.

We got engaged in November. Everything came fast for us. Maybe it was meant to be. I hate to think about my engagement day. My kebaya was too tight and my makeup was hideous!

Alhamdulillah, we were solemnized on the August 20th, 2005. At that time I was teaching in Melaka and he’s in Sabah. We lived as long-distance husband-and-wife for a year. I moved to Sabah a few days after our 1st anniversary. Kakak was about two months old then.

Living together for the first time proved to be such a challenge. It was too overwhelming to me especially. It was my first time as a “full-time” wife and I was a new mum. In addition to that, it was a whole new teaching experience for me because before moving to Sabah I taught in a matriculation college.

Living in a kampong also got to me. The house where I grew up in is situated next to a busy road. The quietness here almost killed me. But I’m used to it now =)

Marriage is bliss but it’s not a walk in the park. I thank God for a husband who is patient, helpful and a good father to my kids. I am also thankful to be married to someone who loves food as much as I do. I especially love it when he marvels (even) at the smell of my cooking.

We are different as much as we are alike. It is not easy to complement each other but we do give it our best. We pray that the state of happiness is where we will always be. InsyaAllah...

Here are some of the pictures of our wedding.

Some of the hantaran.

My wedding bed.

Khatam Quran the morning before solemnization.

The solemnization.

Both of us were so thin compared to how we are now =D

I love this picture so much!

The specially-ordered bunga manggar by Along and Fidah.

My bridesmaid, Fidah, and my orang kuat, Am.

With Akma, my BFF and her sis.

Ain - so pretty. Kalah pengantin!

My favourite wedding picture.

Cheekiness =)

A picture taken during our honeymoon in Pangkor. I love how it shows how alike our facial features are.

Back on tranaxemic acid.

2009-08-17T18:39:00.005+08:00

Since my first episode of menorrhagia, I had two menstrual cycles. The first one started after 50 days and the second one 20 days after that. I’m currently on the second cycle and haven’t stopped bleeding for a total of 13 days now.

I already know that my hormones are imbalance. I have the case of estrogen dominance or at least my estrogen level is higher than what it should be. I am worried to some extent and I know that I have to change my lifestyle in order to be healthier.

I think the onset of my hormonal imbalance begins when I stopped taking Mercilon. What Mercilon does is it increases your estrogen level in order to prevent the monthly release of an egg from the ovaries. Of course one cannot get pregnant when there’s no egg in the first place.

My problem is my estrogen level hasn’t gone back to normal yet. This is because I am also obese and always stressed out about my job. Being obese and stressed out don’t help especially if you are hormonal imbalance.

By the way, our estrogen level goes up in the first part of our menstrual cycle and our progesterone level goes up in the second part.

I also think that I am currently infertile and I kind of understand now when people say that fat people can’t get pregnant. It’s because of the high estrogen level. This includes you men. However, I personally believe that maybe obese people can’t get pregnant. Not overweight people.

As a result of all this, I know that I have to:
1) Lose weight (up to 14 kg just to get to being overweight. Yes, I know it’s crazy)
2) Exercise more.
3) Stop stressing out about my job (so help me)

As an adult, a wife and a mum, I know that losing weight is not about fitting into a size or two sizes smaller. It’s about health. Nevertheless, a slimmer body is definitely a bonus. Who can disagree with that?

The WHO’s Asia’s BMI goes like this:

Less than 18.5 – Underweight
18.5 – 23 – Normal
23 – 27.5 – Overweight
More than 27.5 – Obese

I’m at 32.4. Where are you at?

PS: Hormonal imbalance is also a cause of obesity. What a vicious cycle!

PSS: My doctor prescribed me 3-days worth of tranaxemic acid in order to stop the bleeding. A woman shouldn't lose more than 80 milliliters of blood during a menstrual period as it can cause medical problems and lifestyle issues.

What's your bucket list?

2009-08-12T18:49:00.012+08:00

If you have been following my blogging efforts in the past two years you may remember one of my blog post about The Bucket List. Even though it was not really a great movie, I think it was good. It has (kind of) impacted my life. I've been thinking about my own bucket list since I watch that movie. Unfortunately I haven't cross anything off my list yet. A bucket list is a list of things you want to do before you die (kick the bucket).

Let's sum up the story:

Freeman plays Carter Chambers, a mechanic, and Nicholson plays eccentric billionaire Edward Cole. In Chambers’ freshman year, his philosophy professor suggested that his students compose a “bucket list”, a collection of all the things they wanted to do before they die (kick the bucket).

Chambers had his dreams of becoming a professor. There were other dreams too – to be a millionaire, to be president of the United States, to climb Mount Everest, and to visit the majestic sights of the world. But he met a girl, married her, dropped out of college and became a mechanic. The dreams faded away as the realities of life sunk in. He read a lot and was a walking encyclopaedia. But the children came, the days spent under the hood of cars prolonged from one day to another, and his dreams slipped further and further away.

One day at work, Chambers gets a call from his doctor. He has cancer and has probably less than a year to live. His whole world collapses.

Cole, meanwhile, had been chairing a board meeting when he coughs up blood and collapses. He, too, has cancer and may not live the year out. Used to getting his way, like insisting that in all the hospitals he owns, no patient has a room to himself, Cole ends up having to share a room with Chambers.

Here we have two characters – a very rich businessman who has gone through many marriages and has a daughter he has not seen in years, and a mechanic who had to work long, tough hours to support a growing family.

In the hospital room, one day, Chambers draws up his bucket list – the things he wants to do in the six to 12 months before the big C claims him. But after a while, knowing he has no time and no means to achieve his dreams, he squashes the list, throws it away and goes to sleep.

Cole comes across Chambers’ crumpled bucket list on the floor and reads it. Chambers wakes up and is irritated to find his room-mate reading his list. Cole suggests that they draw up a joint bucket list that they try to do all the things they always wanted to do but never had the time (Cole) and money (Chambers).

After some persuasion, Chambers agrees. And with Cole’s Wealth and private jet, the duo embark on a journey around the world, doing the things they never thought they would do if the doctors had not told them they were dying. They skydive, they race fast cars, they visit exotic locales.

I was inspired by the movie because I know I haven't live my life to the max yet. I am the kind who always play it safe; sticking to the norms. Now that I am married I further indulge myself into this web of mundaneness. I know it's important to live my dreams before it's too late.

Hence, my bucket list (up to now):

1) take-up journalism

2) run a marathon

3) swim in a crystal-clear sea (I can't swim actually)

4) sing in public

Hope some day I'll have the chance and / or courage to cross off item(s) on my list.

PS: Here's John Mayer singing the theme song of the movie, Say.

Do it with love.

2009-08-11T20:48:00.011+08:00

The other day my FB status read: (My full name) is going to cook mee udang for today and she's going to cook it with THE special ingredient. Whenever she cooks with this special ingredient she always know that even without tasting the food it's going to be good. And no, it's not ajinomoto ;p

However corny it may sound, I must admit that the special ingredient is L.O.V.E. I once read a story in one of the Chicken Soups for the Soul books about a mother's secret ingredient stored away in a jar and kept away from all her children's reach. When this woman passed away, a daughter of hers finally had a peek in the jar. In the jar was a note, worn and looked like it had been passed down from one generation to another. The note said that everytime one cooks, one should cook with all his/her love. Only then the food taste good.

I truly believe in that story.

And I also believe in the theory of how positive energy and thoughts impact water and its molecular structure.

As a wife, I know that I'm definitely not a "trophy". But I want Mr. A to be proud to have a wife who can cook good food for him. One of the best things that he said to me was that even though he loves his mother home-cooked food, he eats mine with more selera (appetite). I was so happy to hear that. He loves my ketam masak lemak cili api, asam pedas ayam, ayam masak cili api (fried chicken with thick gravy based with oyster sauce and cili api) and sambal petai udang. On some weekends I would cook nasi lemak (i have yet to master this), nasi ayam, spaghetti, mee kari, mee rebus, mee bandung, mihun sup or (the latest) mee udang. Mr. A also has been pestering me to cook laksa and make traditional kueh which I don't think will happen so soon because they are too tedious for me.

As a mum, my only wish is that my children would say their favourite food is my home-cooked food!

I had to include some of my food pictures (taken by my beloved Mr. A) in this post. I have no intention of boasting. Err maybe just a need of some ego boost haha.

The ketam masak lemak cili api.

Ikan tiga rasa.

Ikan stim.

Nasi ayam.

Udang galah goreng kunyit.

Last weekend's mee udang.

PS: I'm a foodie married to another foodie =)

I'm a whale?

2009-08-11T14:08:00.005+08:00

This has to be one of my favourite forwarded emails.

Recently, in a large French city, a poster featuring a young, thin and tanned woman appeared in the window of a gym.

It said: "THIS SUMMER DO YOU WANT TO BE A MERMAID OR A WHALE?"

A middle aged woman, whose physical characteristics did not match those of the woman on the poster, responded publicly to the question posed by the gym.

"To Whom It May Concern:
Whales are always surrounded by friends (dolphins, sea lions, curious humans). They have an active sex life, they get pregnant and have adorable baby whales. They have a wonderful time with dolphins, stuffing themselves with shrimp. They play and swim in the seas, seeing wonderful places like Patagonia, the Barren Sea and the coral reefs of Polynesia. Whales are wonderful singers and have even recorded CDs. They are incredible creatures and virtually have no predators other than humans. They are loved, protected and admired by almost everyone in the world.

Mermaids don't exist. If they did exist, they would be lining up outside the offices of Argentinean psychoanalysts due to identity crisis. Fish or human? They don't have a sex life because they kill men who get close to them, not to mention how could they have sex? Therefore they don't have kids either. Not to mention who wants to get close to a girl who smells like a fish store?
The choice is perfectly clear to me; I want to be a whale."

P.S. We are in an age when media puts into our heads the idea that only skinny people are beautiful, but I prefer to enjoy an ice cream with my kids, a good dinner with a man who makes me shiver and a good cup of coffee with my friends. With time we gain weight because we accumulate so much information and wisdom in our heads that when there is no more room it distributes out to the rest of our bodies. So we aren't heavy, we are enormously cultured, educated and happy. Beginning today, when I look at my butt in the mirror I will think, "Good gosh, look how smart I am!"

And looking at the size of my butt I guess I'm definitely one of the smartest! ;)

A whole new meaning to "kiss my arse".

2009-08-03T18:26:00.007+08:00

Whenever I come home from school, Adik (if he is not napping) will surely greets me excitedly. As soon as I enter the front door he'll hug my legs and literally kiss my arse. And he'll hang on to me for a few minutes; "sticking" to me while I walk to a room at the back of our home to keep away all my bags. And THEN he's done! Haha my little cheeky monkey.

PS: I'll post a picture (or a video) of it as soon as I get it on camera. Because how can I take a picture of my own arse? Please don't answer that question LOL.

H1N1 is in town!

2009-08-02T16:20:00.004+08:00

Currently there’s a fiesta in the town I live in. It’s a three days fiesta and today’s the last day. The fiesta is called Pesta Gata (an abbreviation of Gasing / Tamu Besar). This fiesta is held every two years in the sleepy town of Sipitang. It is a truly big event for the locals here. Most locals can’t afford going to KK for some leisure and entertainment activities so whenever Gata comes the whole town is buzzing with excitement. Everybody dresses their best and wouldn’t be left out of anything relating to the fiesta.

On the contrary, I have not the slightest interest in going to the festival due to the spreading of H1N1 virus locally. Last Tuesday the principal at my school announced that a student from our school had tested positive for the virus. The number increase to three students in the following days. Mr. A’s school was also inflicted. Four students of his school were positive of the virus. However, these four students were affected by the virus when they were in Melaka (some two weeks ago) for a national event and haven’t been allowed to attend school.

In my opinion the state should’ve have cancelled the fiesta. I think the risk of the H1N1 spreading wildly easily increases with all the close proximity. I heard rumors that the local Health Department had advised against the fiesta but were brushed off because Gata is one of the main events in the Sabah Tourism Calendar.

You would wonder why my school hasn’t closed down yet. I think there’s a politic to it. I mean why go on with the fiesta if a local school has been closed down because of the virus right? I am afraid for the week to come. Pray for us.

PS: Mr. A had to go there today because he somehow in charge of one of the events. Luckily he was provided with a mask and he wore it all the way through.

PSS: H1N1 has been declared as a Phase 5 of WHO pandemic alert. The pandemic alert has only six phases.

Cluttered.

2009-07-31T14:43:00.010+08:00

I didn't sit at my desk for almost a week. It was so cluttered (with everything)! I don't know whether it's because I have too many irons in the fire or I am just disorganised. I can be so disorganised sometimes but sometimes I also can be obsessive-compulsive. Such imbalance roles! For the past few days I've been doing my work elsewhere - wherever I can squeeze in including colleagues' desks haha. It took me almost an hour to de-clutter the desk just this afternoon. Guess I have lots of catching up to do eh.

Strewn books and papers everywhere. Visible - my box of raisins for healthy snacking ;)

A closer look.

PS: I was also busy with creating a new blog. Come and visit!

Review: Safety Plus feeding bottle

2009-07-26T12:25:00.005+08:00

I’ve been planning to write this review for quite some time now. Please know that this review is just an honest opinion of mine. I'm not a pro.

We know how harmless BPA can be if we “consume” it on a daily basis and issues on materials containing BPA in feeding bottles have been raised in these past two years. After some research on the net I’ve decided to change from Avent to Safety Plus.

Why did I want to abandon Avent? Avent products contain BPA. It has come up with BPA-free products but they are only marketed overseas. Malaysia is one of the countries that they treat as a dumping ground for those non-BPA-free baby products. However, Avent BPA-free products are available at most local online baby stores but at very expensive prices.

Safety Plus is a brand by a local company – Brand Melody Sdn. Bhd. For this particular brand R&D is done in Australia (by a partner company) and manufacturing is done in Taiwan. The feeding bottles from Safety Plus are similar to a US product, thinkbaby, one of the top choices in US for plastic baby products.

I chose to use Safety Plus because I fell in love with the design. I think the design looks elegant and neat. And the brand is easily available in KK. There is an exclusive reseller here that has all its range.

The first thing that I notice about the bottle is the silicone teat. As you can see below the teat is different from any other teats in the market. It has a valve that’s hanging down from the teat. The teat is the cross cut type and has an anti-collapse feature… which I’m sorry to say doesn’t work.

I’ve never experience any teat-collapsing when I was using Avent. The teat kept collapsing while Kakak and Adik were nursing from the bottles. However, the problem has been solved because the company has come up with a new range of teats.

And then at first I was so in love with the cross cut feature of the teat. Even if the bottle is lying horizontally the milk will not drip out. But the feature wears off rather easily. I don’t know whether it’s because the teat is “naturally soft” but the teats get torn at its opening easily. I have to change the teats every month and it cost RM16.90 a pair.

I have no other problem with using Safety Plus but I really hope they once again improve their teats.

The feeding bottles are easy to take care of. I wash it with a non-anti-bacterial dishwashing liquid. Please take note that a BPA-free product cannot be washed with an anti-bacterial dishwashing liquid – it damages the material.

The feeding bottles from Safety Plus can be used up to a year and a half if you use two alternating bottles. Please avoid scratching the inside of the bottles to ensure that the bottles are always safe for use.

I don’t recommend this brand to feed infants. I think it is more suitable for toddlers.

Will I use this brand for long? The answer is no. I hate to change teats too often and I would like to opt for a cheaper product. For now I’m thinking of MAM.

Note: We had started using Safety Plus in May 2009. We bought two 300ml / 10oz twin packs. The twin pack costs RM77.90 per pack.

Arghhh!

2009-07-23T18:41:00.007+08:00

I was really angry at one of my students today. The incident happened first thing in the morning. While I was making rounds checking whether they have finished their homework or not, I noticed one of the boys wearing a chain around his neck with an animal tooth hanging onto it. I immediately asked him to take it off. He hesitated of course but then he seemed somewhat glad giving it up to me. Just a few minutes later, his classmates told me that it was a pig's tooth. How dare he! He is non-Muslim but I knew that he knew that pigs are haram to us Muslim. I threw the chain at his face and directed him to the principal's office immediately. I also gave him three good canings and asked him why he gave it to me knowing that it's a pig's tooth. He simply answered I was the one who asked for it. I told him that he could at least be courteous by telling me it's pig tooth so I could take it away by holding it between papers or other things! I really felt like killing this kid. I think what he did was so kurang ajar. He thinks he's a gangster of some kind. He never finishes his homework, he's a "sleeper" in class, and he talks a lot too. He's from the weakest class of the second formers. Some of the students from this class can't even read. Most of them are "hyperactive" - they can never sit still and never quiet. And they like to sleep in class. I've read that it takes all sort to make a world. I hate this sort.

PS: I had to "samak" my hands after that. Samak is a ritual cleansing done by Muslim whenever he or she (accidentally) touch animals (or animal parts in my case) haram to Islam such as pigs and dogs.

I can hardly wait for next season!

2009-07-22T21:38:00.004+08:00

Ugly Betty's third season ended last night. What I love about it was:

I love that while giving his speech Daniel saw Molly all dressed-up in that red dress, when it was actually Molly's soul saying goodbye to him. It reminds me of stories I've read in the Chicken Soup for the Soul series.

I love the quick scene of Amanda consolling Marc at the end of the episode. I really love their friendship.

It broke my heart to see Daniel losing Molly and being comforted by Betty. I love how they were always there for one another and how their relationship was beyond boss-personal assistant.

Claire's cliffhanger is one of things that I can't wait for. I wonder who is the son that she had with Hartley (or maybe somebody else for that matter).

And Matt. He broke up with Betty. But next season he will be Betty's boss thanks to his father, Hartley, the new owner of Meade Publications. His demeanor has changed and I think he'll be cruel-Matt.

And I definitely love the Cinde Lauper song (Time After Time) for the ending montage. Especially with the scene where Betty hugging Daniel tight.

If you're lost you can look and you will find me

Time after time

If you fall I will catch you

I'll be waiting

Time after time

Read the full recap.

Promo pic from the second season.

An update

2009-07-20T17:30:00.016+08:00

Sorry for this long break. The Internet was down for a few days last week; and the weekend before that was spent in KK. This post is really long so I’ve divided in into six parts. If you can’t finish reading in one go, please come back another day =)
____________________________________________________________________
Part 1 – Our first furniture

I was so looking forward to our two-night trip to KK the previous weekend (11 – 13 July) but Mr. A ruined it to some degree when he forgot to bring the camera! I was so geram but we were already 30 minutes on the road when we realized it so we didn’t turn back. The trip to KK from our home would take a minimum of 2 hours.

It was a shopping trip… plus we need to do some banking on the 13th. As soon as we arrived in KK (and after we ate lunch), we went shopping in Parkson Grand in Wawasan Plaza. And we were done clothes-shopping! Suprisingly I can get all that I wanted in one place (and mind you that Parkson Grand was only a one-floor shopping haven).

One of the things on our shopping list was teak furniture. We wanted to buy our first set of dining table and some other things. We went window shopping for them mostly at Seri Jati (both in Penampang and Sadong Jaya) and Jamilah Furniture (both in Wisma MUIS and Putatan). We wanted modern wooden furniture. Like I’ve said in one of my previous posts, the decoration concept I’m going for is resort concept.

We were so happy to find exactly what we wanted. We bought two pieces of furniture – a dining table set and a sideboard. Both in dark natural colour. The dining table is huge for a six-seated. It actually fits eight. We are planning to purchase another pair of dining chairs when we get back in Selangor. And I am so in love with our sideboard. For now it acts as what it is but in our new home it will become our TV cabinet.

Our first very own dining table!

Isn't it gorgeous?

My mum hearing that we were shopping for teak furniture quickly placed her orders! One of them was a daybed. I wanted one for myself and I found only one (in the exact design I desired). But of course we didn’t have the budget for it so we bought it for my mum. I didn’t mind at all. Besides, we are the ones who got to use it first haha.

My laundry-folding station for now.

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Part 2 – Hotel review: Grand Borneo Hotel

We spent the two nights in KK at Grand Borneo Hotel (a four-star hotel). A hotel adjacent to 1Borneo – a hypermall. I booked a standard room for us. The room was really really small. I knew about the size but I didn’t know it could be that small! There were only mere spaces around the bed. It became much smaller for us because Kakak and Adik conquered the bed most of the time.

The room would be more suitable for honeymooners. But if you have room service you definitely will eat on the bed. There was a working desk but not enough space to sit two. The bathroom is A-okay to us except for the full length window facing the bed. The problem was the blind was situated outside so Kakak and Adik were always peeking inside. Haih. There was no bathtub but the power shower was great.

The room has all the usual amenities – flat-screen TV, kettle, small fridge and a safe. You could borrow a set of iron and ironing board and keep it in your room as long as you stay. And the towels are so nice and fluffy.

We upgraded to a superior the next night. I couldn’t bear the smallness of the room anymore. Superior was roomier in fact. The bathroom had a bathtub (but not a separate shower) and no more window facing the bed hehe. What luxury comparing with kids always peeking in while I were busy soaping. The same amenities applied.

I really like the breakfast buffet at the Soul Out Coffee House as the foods were delicious. The ambience was really nice. Most furniture were white and there were huge windows looking out to green mountains. There were the usual egg/omelet station, noodle station, bread and pastries, fresh and canned fruits, cereals, etc. The funny thing was I love the most basic food – their fried rice. By the way, this is the first hotel restaurant that I saw with a Jakim halal sticker.

The staff were nice and well-trained. The swimming pool is situated indoor. We didn’t have time to swim but we managed to visit it. The size was okay, it was not really big nor it was small. The hotel parking space (situated outdoor in front of the hotel) was very limited. However, the jockey service was really cheap – only RM5 for the whole day!

Unfortunately we didn’t have the camera so I have no picture to include here. Please visit their website for more information and of course to see pictures of the hotel.
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Part 3 – Camping

And last weekend, my school had organised a camp – Perkhemahan Integrasi Unit-unit Beruniform. We camped for two nights at a nearby Pusat Kegiatan Kokurikulum. I was one of the AJK Keselamatan committee members. I was there most of the time even though I didn’t sleep at the camp site. I just had my period. I know I’m the lemah semangat type so it’s better to be safe than to be sorry right?

We did nothing much. Just the usual school camping routine – setting up camp site, LDK, exercising in the morning, marching, cooking, Kembara activity, Malam Kebudayaan, etc. I’m with the Puteri Islam. My kids won the cooking competition.

Kakak visiting.

My kids.

The kids being "bullied" by their PJK teacher.

The most fun people in my life right now - Kak As and Amir.

And of course there were ghostly sightings.
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Part 4 – Hormonal imbalance

I just had my period. Only after the 50th day after my heavy bleeding episode. At first, I thought I was pregnant. I tested twice and both were negative but I still didn’t have my period. I went to a clinic and was told that most probably my hormones are still not stable so I just have to wait for it.

Waiting for it was hell. I really feel that my hormonal imbalance has caused me to gain weight (yet always)! The urge to eat was so bad. Plus Mr. A didn’t let me exercise thinking that I was really pregnant. Now, I have to really work hard to lose kilos again.

I nearly reach my peak and that can’t happen. I already feel uncomfortable with my clothes which is a horrible sign! If only I had speedy metabolism =(

Am i fat or am i fat?

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Part 5 – My lingerie from US

… was a let-down. It was a size too big (or two sizes too big). I followed the size chart exactly but I guess it was just my luck. So now I have to find somebody bigger than me to sell it off. Yea good luck Ms. W!

Nevertheless, I am satisfied with the service provided by my friend from Beauty Corner. I am currently waiting for another order of mine to arrive (not lingerie). I’ll show it off here once it arrives okay.
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Part 6 – Kakak’s first drawings.

Last week while I was busy folding laundry and Kakak was busy doodling, I heard she says the words ate (eyes), idung (nose), uyut (lips), ambut (hair), angan (hands) and angki (legs) again and again but I didn’t check what she was doing. Later I found four pieces of paper with her doodling and boy I was so proud of them!

She did this all by herself. We have not yet teach her to draw caricature.

Kakak looking proud.

Kakak may be a late talker but I really believe in her kinetic skills. I really hope she inherits my father’s talent in art. I didn’t.
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I have busy weeks ahead of me. Lots and lots of books to mark, paperwork and reports to submit and weight to lose. Yes, my weight bugs me. Tell me yours don’t.

What a compliment =)

2009-07-09T17:56:00.003+08:00

I don’t know whether I am a well-liked teacher or not. I am the kind of teacher whom makes sure there is an invisible gap between me and my students. I can be nice but I don’t want to be too nice. I don’t want my students to be clingy to me. I think kids love attention and I don’t like to give attention unnecessarily.

However, I do want students to think that I am a good teacher; a dedicated, dependable (to an extent), and caring teacher. I want them to be inspired by the things that I teach them; to be able to use English language as a tool to succeed and to have a high self esteem.

Other than teaching English, I also teach Pendidikan Moral to a class of first formers. I really enjoy teaching this set of students. Being budak kampung and still very young, they are eager to learn. They participate well in class even though sometimes they can be quiet mischievous! ( Today I caught one of the girls writing a love letter while I was teaching and she slammed the door on her way out).

Yesterday I was told by my Penolong Kanan Pentadbiran that starting next week I do not have to teach Pendidikan Moral anymore. So today I made the class worked hard. We covered two units (chapters) in two periods (which is a lot okay). I wanted to finish up the Bidang Pembelajaran 4 so the new teacher can simply start at Bidang Pembelajaran 5.

They wondered why I was in such a rush. Even though at first I didn’t want to tell them about them getting a new Pendidikan Moral teacher, I had to. Of course there were moaning and groaning and whining (don’t know whether they were being sincere or not). They told me they didn’t want a new teacher. When I asked them why, one of the girls answered (while giggling),

“Teacher lucu”

I couldn’t help feeling touched and proud *big smile*

The ultimate question.

2009-07-07T16:59:00.010+08:00

There is a baby boom among my friends this year… and since my kids are no longer babies, it kind of made me think. I do think about (and feel like) having another baby. However, I do feel anxious about it as well.

Actually, I already gave up the idea to have more children. I’ve given away all the baby clothes that once belong to Kakak and Adik. I am an unfabulous mum at most when I am being impatient. I always feel that (my) children deserve better. Children with their curiousity and not yet being able to understand the real world should have wonderfully patient mums.

I am happy, yes but sometimes I don’t think Mr. A and I are not good parents. We don’t know how to quietly argue. I don’t want my kids to grow up confuse and defensive. Once again I feel so unfabulous.

Being a parent is never easy I know but sometimes I wonder is it fair to bring an innocent child to a world that is so imperfect and flawed?

Besides, my greatest fear is breastfeeding. I don’t think much about giving birth. I mean once you’re done, you’re done right?! But breastfeeding is too much hard work for someone who has flat and / or inverted nipples like me. It hurts too much – physically and mentally.

Breastfeeding had caused my nipples to severely crack that one of them is scarred forever. (I wonder if I still can breastfeed with that breast). And when I don’t breastfeed I feel guilty and like a failure (furthermore when everybody else is doing it and unconsciously judging those who don't).

Still we have actually decided to ditch all methods of family planning. I can’t say that I am trying hard. What I can only say is whatever will be; will be.

Happy 3rd Birthday Kakak!

2009-07-05T18:19:00.008+08:00

Kakak's birthday was actually on the 2nd of July. We had a small party that evening which consist just the four of us (I did say it was small, didn't I?). We had chocolate cake and ate a normal Malay dinner after that. Anyway, thanks to a good friend of mine, I am able to come up with a photomosaic of Kakak. The base picture was taken on the special day. She looks so "grown up" now. How time flies *sigh*

Interested in creating a photomosaic? Click here.

PS: Click the picture in order to view it larger.

Going gaga over small chandeliers!

2009-07-04T18:47:00.005+08:00

We are currently doing some modification to our new home. With a small budget we are ever-so-anxious in imagining what we can do to beautify the house. One of things that I would love to see in our home is two small chandeliers hanging down from the living hall ceiling. I’d like it to be in either bronze or brownish in colour so it would match the resort concept I am thinking of in decorating the house. I’ve googled some image of some beautiful chandeliers in order to get some ideas.

I love this one.

This would be my second choice.

Maybe this(?) since we are on a small budget but I want to avoid black chandelier. Too gothic for me.

Isn't this one so sweet? Such an eye candy but I think this one is for English concept interior design.

Of fond memories, good times and old flames.

2009-06-30T15:12:00.011+08:00

Akma, one of my best friends, called me a few weeks ago and asked me for my address. When I told Mr. A about it, he said most probably she would mail some lingerie she ordered from the US just for me (she has a brother studying there). LOL. Such wishful thinking! Anyway, whatever she wanted to mail me came last week.

It came in a very normal looking envelope and didn’t look suspicious at all. Inside, there were a bunch of A5 papers (pullouts from an organiser) with a note attached:

Salam,
Tgh aku kemas2 laci kat office, tetiba terjumpe compilation msg2 kau dulu (and yes.. aku mmg takde keje tul dulu2) =) Enjoy! Hope you’ll like it.

I started reading…

Smiling…

Laughing!

There they were, text messages from me to her documented and haunting! Those messages were texted in 2004, about five years ago. Five years ago, when I was still Wani Kembara (because I used to drive a Kembara; I was and am not the outdoorsy type).

I graduated from Uniten in 2003. Looking back I didn’t think 2003 was a good year for me. Most friends easily got good jobs because of their good CGPA. I on the other hand got a job at a very small company where I was the only employee who did everything from calling clients to dispatching letters. At the same time I was really heartbroken (got “dumped” around July). I was lost in every way.

I quit my job after a few months. Still heartbroken, I spent most of my days feeling depressed. Towards the end of December, I got an offer letter for Kursus Perguruan Lepasan Ijazah (KPLI), in TESL (Menengah) at Maktab Perguruan Temenggong Ibrahim (MPTI), JB. With nothing better to do, I guess that was my calling. So off I went…

horror!!! hideous giler!!! bilik aku atas skali, ujung skali, blakang skali! burok plak tu! toilet toksah cite aa.. ceiling lobang2, kepale shower xde, nasib baik air laju ngan sejuk. roommate aku melayu, mak org, org jb, dok seminggu je. nx week dok sorang la aku! & e nightmare continues. -26 Jan 2004, 1.02 p.m.

korang… sedih..! mak pak aku dh blk dh. roommate xde. aku still xleh nk terima hakikat aku dok johor sethn. dhla aku x kenal sape pon kt mktb ni. period 1st day lk tuh. sakit jiwa la aku camni. ni aku nk g mandi ni.. wash away all my tears and fears ;( - 26 Jan 2004, 3.18 p.m.

26 Jan 2004 was the first day. Orientation week sort of went like this:

aku dah jumpe 3 mamat yg agak ensem. 2 amek catering. sorang math sek ren. aku target yg amik cat tu sorang. skali die angkat tgn bile pensyarah tanye sape dh kawin.. ceh, tensen. smlm susah nk lelap. mate bulat je. tido 2 jm lebih je. ngantuk! 27 Jan 2004 10.10 a.m.

kelas (sini pgl opsyen) aku ade 17 org (shj!). pompuan 14 laki 3. yg single aku (sorang!) ngan bbdk laki tu. pompuan sume dah kawin ngan ade anak xcept sorang tp dh btunang. aku plg muda. sume org buat aku cam budak kecik. kalo aku x makan, kena marah sket. lapo dieorg sua roti krim kt aku. maklumla ibu2 sume.. - 28 Jan 2004, 2.04 p.m.

bodohhh! tau x aku tjatuh dpn bdk math yg cute tu. arghh horror! die siap cakap Allahuakhbar plak tu! bongeks! mintak2 la die x nampak muka aku sbb jatuh dlm gelap =p - 29 Jan 2004, 10.16 p.m.

drama group aku menang no 1! – 29 Jan 2004, 10.15 p.m.

I was never an active student neither during my school days nor during university. But in MPTI, I became one of the chairmen for our Jawatankuasa Perwakilan Pelajar (JPP). I was the Pengerusi Penerbitan. Proudly, I can say that I had produced the 2004 yearbook for MPTI.

korang..! hr ni hr pertama aku sbg ajk jpp. aku pengerusi biro penerbitan. tp x rasmi lg. jumaat ni penyerahan kuasa informal. rasmi nnt buat dlm dwn dpn sume org – 10 Feb 2004, 2.56 p.m.

Anyway, most of the time I still feel lonely but I guess I was beginning to get back on my feet.

waaa!! i miss my friends back home! ;o( 4 Mar 2004, 10.58 a.m.

waaa i feel like crying!! i don’t have any wan-g* here 2 run 2. my car is my only sanctuary. uwaaa! – 4 Mar 2004, 10.58 a.m.

akma, apela cite ko ni? senyap sunyi jeh. x rindu ke kt aku? wish that e 4 of us r hanging out together now. can talk2 & gossip2. haha. – 23 May 2004, 9.16 p.m.

*Wan-G is my aunt who lives in Kajang. Her home was my sanctuary back when I was studying in Uniten.

MPTI was also the place where I met Mr. A. We got close because we were always working with each other as he was also one of the JPPs. And he was always looking out for me since I was the youngest in JPP and he’s the oldest.

i just got my first rose ever.. (fr a guy la weh) – 23 May 2004, 11.39 p.m.

korang- korang.. aku dh jd gf orang =) – 23 Jul 2004, 9.30 p.m.

I got an A- for my practicum. I almost deserved an A but I didn’t come up with enough ABM (alat bantu mengajar) but anyway I knew I did well =)

hi korang. hr ni pmntauan aku dpt 17 mrkh penuh out of 21 criteria. highest tkt ni. mentor commented “well cut to b a teacher” & “should do well in ur career”. – 14 Sept 2004, 1.23 p.m.

Mr. A and I knew we were going to marry each other so in the same year we got engaged. We got engaged on 27th Nov 2004.

hi korg! bosan x bkeje? aku pn tgh bosan. tgh kursus kuliah sjrh msia. ngantuk aku. hr ni 1hb dh. sronoknye! – 1 Nov 2003, 11.03 a.m.

But not without any challenges.

korg! isk smlm aku br tau yg sorg mamat yg aku minat giler ni (sblum aku bcinta) minat kt aku gak. 25 mins 2 late tul la. tgugat aku dgr smlm. ni la drh manis. – 8 Nov 2004, 2.25 p.m.

LOL. 2004 turned out to be a good year – love-wise. I had a lot of attentions that year (showed me how important it is to be myself).

That mamat who had a crush on me (who I also had a crush on) was a sweet-looking Kelantanese. We met on his first day at the college. He was from a 3rd batch or something. Later, I always sent my regards (kirim salam) anonymously to him through my best JPP buddy there. He never did kirim salam back to me (the anonymous admirer or so I thought - somehow he knew I was later told).

But whenever we bumped into each other he would always try to make up conversations with me or if not he would plainly stare at me. And once he gave me (he named me his Gadis Misteri; and later his "girlfriend") some green apples through my best buddy (who eventually became his buddy too).

I finally knew he also had a crush on me when I received a sajak from him (passed to me by our buddy). I don’t remember much of it as it was too metaphoric but I think some of the lines meant something about how he was glad that he got to know me even as just-friends. How nice =)

Guess that heartbroken girl could also be a heartbreaker.

Those good old days… How I wish I can relive them *wink*

PS: Akma, you are definitely my BFF.

PSS: Sadly, I don’t have any pictures from MPTI to be included here. I think I have some pictures but I don’t know where there are now.

PSS: Not all the text messages are included here. Some are just plain silly and some too private that Mr. A surely will kill me if he got to know LOL.

My unsociable boy...

2009-06-25T17:45:00.005+08:00

When I was pregnant with Kakak, I always imagine her as a friendly and smiling baby. I was told that we should always imagine good things when we are pregnant so the baby would come out “perfect”. Kakak was really a friendly smiling baby. She was an easygoing baby. Not afraid of strangers at all (well, except male strangers). It got to a point that I worry someone would easily take her away from me.

My absolute favourite picture of Kakak smiling. She's around 5 to 6 months in this pic.

Adik, on the other hand is my unsociable baby. He’s only comfortable with his ibu, ayah and our maid. He does get along with relatives after spending some time with them but he really dislikes strangers.

Last week, we went to a kenduri cukur jambul at a neighbour’s house and as we reached the front gate of the house he stoically turned back and walked home! Ok, he managed to take only a few steps but I totally knew where he was heading. I scooped him up and gave him to Mr. A. Still he managed to walk home. This time with his Ayah following. (They went home just for a while and Mr. A had to let Adik ride pillion on his motorcycle to make Adik go to the kenduri).

At the kenduri, Adik played all by himself. He only sat next to me and no one else. He walked around our neighbour’s house as if no one was there. He seemed couldn’t care less.

I must admit I didn’t imagine Adik as “anything” when I was pregnant with him. I was too busy teaching and reprimanding students back then. Is it my fault or is it because he spends all his life cooped up in his own home? Hmm…

PS: Kakak went to a babysitter’s from the age of 2 months and until she was 1 year 3 months old.

The itch we women love to scratch, scratch, scratch, scratch =)

2009-06-23T18:37:00.005+08:00

The itch to shop that is. I am so happy today. Since I was an anak dara I love to browse lingerie websites from the US (so gatal already back then LOL). I mean their choices are great and they have it in plus sizes!

Of course as a wife I dream about wearing beautiful lingerie for Mr. A but it is hard for me to buy plus size lingerie locally. Yes, I know there are local websites that sell these things but some of them are so distasteful that I see no credibility in trusting the seller. And still you have to admit that there aren’t that many choices for plus size lingerie from those local websites.

Anyway, I’m so happy because I’ve found out a very good friend of mine from my alma mater entertains custom orders of stuff from the US! Just tell her what you want (and you have to be exact), she’ll find out whether she can get it or not and give you a quote. If she can get it and you confirm the order (plus transfer the payment), she’ll order whatever-it-is right away! Visit her at her website (Beauty Corner). She also has another website for ready stock items (Beauty Bazaar).

BTW, my favourite websites that carry plus size lingerie are Hips and Curves and Frederick’s of Hollywood.

PS: She can get all the lingerie I ordered, yay!

Tell me that's not beautiful ;) BTW, I didn't order this one. Too expensive LOL.

If I were a pro photographer...

2009-06-22T17:57:00.003+08:00

I’d definitely submit an entry (or entries) for CIMB Foundation MyCause Photography Contest. Other than the chances of winning cash (thousands of them) for yourself, you can also win RM100 000 for a cause you believe in be it community development, sports or education. You have the power to empower others to build better lives.

Here's how to participate. Find yourself a worthy cause and snap a picture of it. Register for the competition and give your cause a title and write a description about it. Upload your photo and you're done! Don't worry much about writing the description as entries will be scored on the photo (80%) and description 20%. So get your camera shooting or at least tell a friend =)

And actually you don’t have to be a pro. Students can also submit entries and the school with the highest submission will win RM10 000! Hurry, the closing date is 31st July 2009.

Baby talks

2009-06-20T06:51:00.005+08:00

Kakak is going to be three next month. I remember when she was just a little baby (around 2 months or so) she was already a “loud” baby. Making a lot of noise and I just loved to hear her cooing! I know she’s definitely going to be a talker. Even more when once we went to this supermarket a Chinese woman told me by the look of Kakak’s lips she’ll definitely have many things to say =)

However, kakak is still not really talking well. It would sound some sort like this;

Kakak: Wan ne?
Ibu: Wan kat kampung.
Kakak: Kakak nak* gi apung / kapung.
Ibu: Ok, nanti kite balik kampung k.

Kakak: Ok...
*you can’t actually hear the consonant there and this is the most understandable conversation I can have with her.

Furthermore, she sometimes purposely talks like she’s not a big girl yet. Buat-buat manja. And then she’ll throw a tantrum when we cannot understand her *sigh*

And don’t get me started on Adik. He’s already 1 year 8 months old and all he can say is Ayah. In fact he calls each and every one of us Ayah. If I ask him, “Kakak mane?” he’ll go, “Ayah…” And once when I was away for two nights he went to my closet, held one of my baju kurung and called, “Ayah…” LOL

I can’t even remember Adik’s cooing.

Anyway, Kakak and Adik can understand instructions and use gestures well. I had read this one article in NST that said young children who can use gestures well will easily acquire a variety of vocabularies as opposed to those who don't. So there’s nothing to worry about I guess =)

PS: Wan is their maternal grandmother.

Why Not?

2009-06-19T16:04:00.002+08:00

Do you love to save? I know I do and you know what? Money is not the only thing we can save. DiGi is trying to raise RM150k for charity in 30 days (ending the end of this month) and you have the power to help. Just go to LoveToSave website; select the organization you want to help (either as a group or individual); verify your email and you’re done! With your click DiGi will donate RM5 to the organization you pick. So why not?

Mine was for Malaysian Council for Child Welfare (MKKM). If you want to help this organization just click the banner below.

PS: I learnt about this from a friend's blog (nizbila.com)

Glad to know

2009-06-19T12:57:00.004+08:00

Just came back from school. Today we had our belated teacher’s day celebration. Started off with some senamrobik (exercise + aerobic), followed by a child’s play game. And then all of the teachers played futsal. Female teachers so sucks(!) at playing ball using their feet and legs. What a laugh but we couldn’t enjoy it anyway. No skill no thrill. Anyway, for the closing ceremony there were five awards given away to teachers.

Anugerah Guru Cemerlang (Excellent Teacher Award)
Anugerah Guru Penyayang (Loving Teacher Award)
Anugerah Guru Kreatif (Creative Teacher Award)
Anugerah Guru Inovatif (Inovative Teacher Award)
Anugerah Guru Berdedikasi (Dedicated Teacher Award)

Although I didn’t win any of the awards, I am so happy that I was one of Excellent Teacher Award nominees (voted by the students). Wonder if my parents would be proud of my really small achievement…

Ugly Betty makes me happy =)

2009-06-18T17:04:00.008+08:00

I love Ugly Betty. The show always makes me laugh. I watched Yo Soy Betty La Fea as an undergrad student. Although it was not one of my favourite shows, I tried not to miss it. With what I call a “Desperado Disease” back then, I love stories with an ugly heroine. I feel there’s a touch of reality somewhat even if the story is not.

Remember them?

One of the things that I enjoy in watching ugly Betty is the friendship that had developed between Betty, Amanda and Marc. Amanda and Marc care about Betty in their own mean way. Anyway, I think these two OTT characters exude the humour that I love in the show.

Amanda and Marc trying to teach Betty how to get Matt to make love to her. This was from the episode shown this week on 8TV.

One thing that I dislike is Betty’s good luck in dating. I mean she’s supposed to be ugly right? Somehow last season two men fought for her. Henry and that sandwich guy (what’s his name?). And this season Betty gets a billionaire boyfriend(!), Matt. Sheesh! But come to think of it, I know the show is trying its best to portray that confident, intelligent but plain-looking women can also play the dating game =)

Matt the billionaire.

Blessings and more blessings

2009-06-16T16:20:00.015+08:00

June 1, 2009

Got on the plane at 11.30 a.m. We flew business class. Working with the government in Sabah (or Sarawak) means your family gets to fly home for free at least once a year. This time around Mr. A applied for the free flight so our ticket would fly us to Alor Setar as the free flight will send you to the state you were born in. (Mr. A was born in Kulim, Kedah). We cancel the flight from KLIA to Kedah thus we somewhat get a free upgrade to business class (blessing no. 1).

Anyway, we had our tickets reissued since I wanted to have my endometrial biopsy ASAP. On the phone with one of MAS hotline officer, I was told that we need to pay RM30 for each reissued ticket. (Fine, here’s RM120). But when we went to collect our tickets before the flight the officer in charge at KK’s MAS ticketing counter looked puzzled when I wanted to hand him the money and told me to just go check-in. RM120 saved! (Blessing no. 2).

Golden Lounge in KKIA was small but we got to eat for free and drink café latte all we wanted. Truly comfortable and quiet it got embarrassing when you have these two little brats. So we ended lepaking in the Golden Lounge surau until it was time to board the plane LOL.

As usual, Adik would cry his head off before take-off. Actually it was his nap time. Strangely he wanted to sit on my lap (instead of his father’s like he always did) and he dozed off as soon as he got comfy (we weren’t even flying yet). Kakak was on her best behavior. Playing by herself and eating well. (Blessing no. 3).

Arriving and after collecting our bags at the designated carousel we were surprised with “door gifts” handed out by MAS reps. Each of us got one even Adik! (Blessing no. 4).

June 2, 2009

I had my endometrial biopsy today. Ugh hated that I had to spread my legs in front of strangers (or anybody else for that matter; except for Mr. A I guess haha). The gynecologist was witty thank God. I got myself scanned from the inside. Even without the biopsy result she could tell me that I was fine. There were no visible image of any malignant or polyp. I was so relieved and happy. Didn’t mind the RM640 that we had to fork out.

After the visit to the hospital, I went textile-shopping with a good friend of mine Am. She’s an expert on textile-shopping. She’s my unofficial consultant! Got all the kain baju raya my family and I needed. Thanx Am! You’re the best (in pilih kain la haha).

PS: The result of the biopsy will be mailed.

June 3, 2009

Went to visit our new house with our back door neighbour. She had asked us to share the cost of a new stretch of (brick) fence (we share) and we agreed. Pleasant lady from Penang she was. Talkative but not nosy.

No. 10

Our street.

Our beautiful neighbourhood.

After that we went shopping in Mid Valley.

June 4, 2009

Morning – Went to visit a maternal cousin of mine who just gave birth to a baby boy (o God can’t remember the baby’s name!). She looks so healthy. And lucky she breastfeeding didn’t hurt! Felt a little bit down remembering my painful experience *sigh*.

Evening – Went to Kiah’s house to collect Kakak 3rd birthday present. Kiah bought it at a Mattel warehouse sale. I accidentally knock down a glass full of water and Kakak had an “accident”. Great. Anyway, I like talking to Kiah. She’s my buddy in the not-so-perfect-mum department haha. No inferiority whatever when with her. Noted.

June 5, 2009

Went shopping in Subang Parade in the morning. Saw a lot of rich people there. Subang Parade has become somewhat exclusive. Thank God that Uncle Lim’s had that JAKIM halal sticker. Was getting really envious when Fidah blogs about eating there. I so miss the Teh C Special! Yum!

After that, we went visit my good-in-keeping-dark-secret friend Shah and her baby girl, Aleeya Zulaikha. Barely a month, I can see that she has her mother’s big eyes.

We had a special dinner that night. Everyone was there (Ayah, Mak, Abang, Ezal and Dilah). Adik seemed to be fond with his Ayahlong. So sweet.

PS: Forgot to take a picture of Ika.

June 6, 2009

Started our trip to Kelantan 8.30 a.m. We arrived in Kota Bharu 11 hours 30 minutes later (stopped in Kemaman a few times for lunch and keropok lekor) and was told that there was no room at the hotel (Renaissance) even though we had made reservation nearly a month earlier!

But the good news was we were given free buffet dinner that night. Two nights (out of three planned) free stay (first night at another hotel). And we were upgraded to the Club Level without any extra charge (for the one-night rate we gladly had to pay)! Club Level means you get access to a lounge with free food and free drinks almost 24 hours. How lucky we were! We saved nearly RM530! (Blessing no. 5).

Warung Aziz Satar was where we ate lunch.

The big yellow plastic plates!

PS: Went to KB for a wedding and of course we did some shopping! For the first time ever I blew RM145 for a tudung bawal akhbar with a really beautiful sulam and Swarovski crystals. I usually buy the RM25 – RM35 range of tudung bawal. I fell in love with the tudung the first time I saw it.

June 7, 2009

Mr. A's 37th birthday. Happy Birthday Sayang!

June 9, 2009

At the in-laws in Perak for three nights.

June 12, 2009

On the way back to Shah Alam, we stopped at Tronoh to visit Ezal (my younger brother who’s taking a postgraduate course in UTP). Went sightseeing on his campus ground. Damn UTP is beautiful. Note: Must send my kids there. By the way, being there reminded me of those sweet rebellious gatal time LOL.

In front of the library.

June 13, 2009

Last day in holiday-heaven (a.k.a. weight-loss-hell).

PS: Got the biopsy result. No presence of anything not-right shall I say. Alhamdulillah...

June 14, 2009

We flew home. It’s true you know when people say home is where the heart is =)

What a "great" start to the school holidays!

2009-05-31T10:59:00.007+08:00

Yesterday was a definite suprise in my somewhat well-planned day. I woke up feeling my bottom drenched with my menses. It was really heavy that I know that something was amiss. However, I went to school as usual because I didn't actually feel any pain (other than some mild menstrual cramps).

After about an hour at school, I had to go home and change my baju kurung. My menses had soak through my layers of clothing! Later when I went back to school I nearly fainted. I had to ask a good friend of mine to drive me to the ER of a nearby government hospital.

The medical assistant there suspected that I had a miscarriage or an ectopic pregnancy. Those were ruled out later and I was referred to a doctor. The doctor told me that I needed to be warded and that was what suprised me most. His reason was that I had to receive an intravenous drip due to the loss of blood. I was also injected (intravenously) with tranexamic acid every eight hours in order to stop the heavy bleeding.

I was confident that I would only spent a night at the hospital. I thought there was nothing wrong with me. Other than heavy bleeding (my first episode BTW) I didn't have any fever, pain, etc. But suprisingly (again!) I was not discharge the next day and I didn't know why. I went to find the doctor that didn't want to discharge me. I was told that I need to go through an endometrial biopsy to discover the presence of cervical cancer.

Whoa!

Okay, don't panic. Biopsy is meant to discover the presence, cause and/or extent of a disease. It is also meant to ruled out any wrong diagnosis.

Anyway, I requested to be discharge and said that I will have my endometrial biopsy elsewhere (and here I am blogging *wink*). Truth to be told; I am scared. My two beautiful children were the first on my mind. I wouldn't want them to lose their ibu so early in their life. (Don't cry, don't cry).

I've scheduled an appointment with a gynaecologist at SDMC this coming Tuesday. I hope everything goes well even though I know that the procedure will be uncomfortable. The most important thing is my endometrial biopsy result. I pray that it will be something that wouldn't make me cry *sigh*.

PS: My final diagnosis written in my discharge summary was menorrhagia. See also --> Top Ten Causes of Heavy Bleeding

PSS: We're flying home tomorrow.

How could I leave my happy family...