A (Hu) N G R Y

As usual, this morning, I drove out to get my sons' breakfast at Section 4.  Hampir2 b*ntot MyVi nak kena langgar dek mamat yang keluar dari simpang and ikut rapat.  Huhuhu.. sampaikan abang jual nasi lemak tu pun seriau and tak henti2 mulut dia membebel "dekatnya.. dah nak langgar dah.. takut saya".  Tahu lah orang dah dapat gaji tapi tak kan berlebih sampai nak sponsor b*ntot kereta aku..

This morning I decided to go for my usual Murtabak Singapore.  Dengar2 keluar kat JJCM last sunday.  Jengok dari jauh.. Hmm..macam ok je.  Parking masih banyak.  Park depan kedai dobi bersebelahan kedai MS.  Capai buku cerita dan keluar kereta.  Sambil lalu tukang buat MS, buat pesanan sekali.  "Akak punya macam biasa, satu lapis garing sikit, ye".  Mamat tu pandang, dan angguk kepala.

Melangkah masuk kedai.  Mak oii.. semua meja penuh dengan orang dah.  Ish.. dari mana orang2 nie.  Agaknya dari tempat futsal sebelah kot..  Nampak satu meja yang masih kosong dan bersih.  Berlalu dengan cepat dan duduk.  Seorang pekerja datang dan took my drink order.  Buka buku dan mula membaca.  Sini tak ada Wifi, jadi tak boleh surf.  Sambil2 tu mata menjeling pada pelanggan baru datang, duduk di sebelah (a couple), di hadapan kiri (a family) and right in front (3 boys).  Kesemuanya placed orders long after I did. 

I waited and waited.  Couple sebelah dah dapat order MS mereka.  I repeated my drink order to the waitress.  Family depan dah dapat order minuman mereka.  Lepas tu budak2 depan pun dah dapat air mereka.  Another worker noticed I still had not got anything, asked what I wanted to drink.  I placed my order AGAIN.  (3 kali order air!!)

Glanced at the clock.  Rasa2 macam dah nak dekat sejam dah duduk situ.  Satu hapah pun tak dapat lagi.  Dah 6 muka surat aku baca buku "Iman Suraya".  Huh.. pack up my things, walked pass the waitress and said "Cancel semua!!  Lambat sangat." 

Walked into my car and drove to my favourite breakfast port.  As I walked into Fariz Maju, noticed that most of the tables are full.  Iye lah mak/ayah dah dapat gaji, breakfast kat luar lah ye.  Eyed the table nearest the kitchen (it usually ensure me getting my food fast).  As I walked to the table, I passed the cashier who recognised me and said "Biasa ka akak?  Mee goreng lebey kueh, takmo cili api.. nescafe air kurang manis".  I just nodded and sat down.  Started surfing fb.. belum pun habis membaca dan menjawap posting kawan2, air nes dan mee goreng panas dah terhidang.  Macam tu lah servis yang baik...

~~

I think I should avoid MS until its fame subsides.  Kalau dulu servis dia slow and sengal, sekarang ni lebih2 lagi lah.  MS dia pun belum capai piawaian MS dari JB.

Bowling? Not..

11pm: Faiz fb~tibe2 terasa best kalau dapat hang out dgn Quya :-p 

So a plan was hatched to go bowling.  Initially I wanted to go along.  Saja nak window shop.  But an accident occurred this morning and I ended up having to mop up the floor.  The accident?  The bag of fish curry broke and spilled on the floor.  Mamak fish curry smell will linger even when you have wiped the floor clean and only when you use a pine/lavender scented floor cleaner will the smell dissipate.

So.. I was planning to rest my aching back the whole afternoon.

However when Quya arrived on my doorstep (she came all the way from Hulu Langat), i changed my mind.  I had sent Quya in search of maggi asam laksa mini packs (that my doter asked for) on the other side of town because I failed to find any over here.  Susah kan, orang dalam camp dah mengidam ni.. (Fatimah and Ina.. jangan lah mintak yang susah nak cari ek, masa you all mengandung nie).

So we went to Metropoint, Kajang.  The kids went upstairs to have their game while Mama went shopping.  First stop was MyDin, across Metropoint in search of the illusive maggi.  Nope, none there.  Next stop was Romantica.. I love browsing through the shelves of bric bracs and flowers.  Ended up buying cotton material with small rose prints.  I want to make a dress for Fatin, maybe in time for Hari Raya..hahaha  Then I went to another favorite spot aptly called Hot Value Mart.  Bought a box to store the kids' neck ties.

Then I went to see the kids bowl.  All the lanes were full and I had a tough time looking for Faiz.  Quya jangan cakap lah.. dengan size XXS dia, memang tak nampak, unless dia pakai neon jacket.  Plonked myself in the seat and watched them bowl.  Malay music was blaring away..loud.  Songs of yesteryears.. mendayu-dayu.  Sah2 bola semua boleh jatuh 'longkang' sebab menahan pilu...hahaha..  I asked Faiz, "boleh tak request tukar lagu?".  To which he retorted, "Ni bukan kara-oke lounge lah maaa".  Iye lah, pasang lah lagu2 yang up sikit, baru lah seronok nak main.  Hmmm.. I took out my hand fan (walaupun air cond agak kuat, but I was perspiring~ladies dont sweat, ok~, maybe I am having a hot flush.. I dont know).  I started fanning myself.  Opened my story book and continued where I stopped.

Finally the kids finished their game and we drove back, smack into the heavy rain and traffic jam.  So we headed to Alamanda (to avoid the Kajang jam??) and had pizza.  Otw there, Faiz overtook a red Gen2 and I saw the driver with a handphone in his hand!  It passed my mind that this driver was asking for an accident.  Just as we turned left heading towards Alamanda, Faiz saw in the rear-view mirror, the same red Gen2 swerving left and right trying to gain control of his car!!   Dont know what happened to the Gen2 as he was lost from view.  Haiya.. why lah risk your life (and maybe others), using the handphone while driving and in the rain some more!!!

The drive back was just as nerve wrecking as we try to avoid the jam that has sprouted because of the rain.  Finally reached bangi safely after going round and round putrajaya/cyberjaya.  Told Faiz to detour to get job application forms for the kids (not me!)

Home Sweet Home.. and BED!

Sukan d0lu2

Terbaca status kawan tentang "berlari dalam guni", suddenly teringatkan majlis sukan zaman sekolah rendah dulu.  Nak bandingkan dengan sukan zaman anak2 sekarang.. rasa2nya enjoy habis zaman itu. 

Latihan demi latihan di jalankan walaupun kita hanya berlari dengan telur dalam sudu, berlari dalam guni dan "elephant walk" siap dengan topeng yang di buat masa arts class.  Itu untuk murid yang berada dalam lower primary (darjah 1-3).

Bagi yang lebih "senior" (darjah 4-6), sukan lebih 'serious'.  Relay atau lari berganti pun di anggap serious.  Bukan senang nak 'passing' baton.  Mula dengan tangan kanan dan passing pada tangan kiri kawan.  Bila dah selamat tangkap dengan tangan kiri, hendaklah di tukarkan ke tangan kanan pula.  Macam mana berlatih pun, ada kala nya jatuh juga baton tu.

Oleh sebab kita ni agak tinggi, kenalah masuk lompat tinggi.. tapi tak le tinggi mana pun kalau nak bandingkan dengan standard professsional!  Haha..  Minat jugak dengan discus and javelin throwing.  Teringat satu incident di mana discus yang kawan nak baling terlepas kebelakang dan hit batang hidung budak yang kebetulan duduk dekat.  Huhu.. sampai sekarang kalau nampak orang tu, kita ingat balik.. Orang tu sekarang bergelar Datuk dah pun.

Minggu sebelum sukan di adakan, kita sibuk dengan 'march past'.  Kita lead lah...  almaklum suara kuat.  Hehe..  kemudian sehari dua sebelum sukan, kita kena decorate khemah mengikut warna kumpulan.  Kita dari rumah biru, jadi segala dalam khemah kena berwarna biru dan sehingga kini saya ingat bunga warna biru tu, iaitu bunga telang.  Sekarang baru kita dapat tahu bunga tu di gunakan untuk buat nasi kerabu.

Habis sukan, pasti akan bawa balik banyak hadiah juga trofi2.  Hamper2 akan di buka dan kandungan nya di bahagi2 sama rata.

Seronoknya zaman kanak2.

Sentuhan Cinta ~ Haiza Najwa

This time round, I took a longer time to complete reading this novel, but complete it, I finally did.  Sorry lah HN.  What with my niece's wedding preparation, I was side tracked so often.  In fact, sometimes I didnt even have the time to read the newspapers.

I began reading but before I could even finish the first chapter, I was put off by the big bombastic words!  Haish.. how to keep my interest and finish reading the book!  I pacified myself by saying, this is one of her old novels.. (first print in 2007).  I trudged on and before I knew it, I was hooked and looking forward to know what is in the next page/chapter.  (Hehehe.. HN, this time I did not skip to the end, ok).

Sentuhan Cinta is a story about Hurin Ain's life.  Born from a mixed marriage, Hurin's looks takes after her european mother.  After her mother's death, she was brought up my her step-mother.  Vengeful because of what life has brought her, the step-mother brain washed Hurin into thinking that she is ugly and undesirable. 

She married a chinese convert because the man she loved did not give her any indication of his true feelings for her.  Even though she married Redzal after her divorce from Steven, more hardship was in store.

Read the book to know the end.  Many lessons inserted in between the chapters of Hurin's life that can be applicable in our actual life.  That is one of the reasons I love HN's books.

~~ cuma satu je, HN gunalah bahasa yang lebih difahami orang biasa2 nie.. e.g. curmudgeon (page 4), why not stubborn? Hmm..

I want cake...

This morning I saw at my friend's FB, the various types of cakes her sister bakes.  What attracted me most was the Red Velvet with cream cheese Cake.  It was so red and (yes!) velvety in texture.  At first I thought she used rhubarb to get the deep red colour. 

So, this evening I googled for the recipe and found on the internet a step-by-step instruction on how to make the cake.  Oooo.. they used red colouring to get the colour.  But what set the difference in the cake was that they put in a mixture of vinegar and soda!  I wonder how that taste.. 

As I finished dinner (leftover chicken hanith from Saba restaurant), I asked Faiz if he wanted some cake?  Hehe.. he was game for it.  So off we went to hunt for cake at Sec*ret..where else..

I had a slice of pecan butterscotch while Faiz asked for the choc fudge.  The young couple in front of us bought a slice of chocolate indulgence (ultra sweet) and even had inscriptions of birthday wish and a single candle.  Talk of budget celebration!

I am now on a sugar high...

Sudan dan Saba

Two days ago, I received a call from my friend Salina, telling me that my BFF in Sudan is back for good.  It seemed that Salina was trying to locate her friend and instead called my BFF, Eda.  The last time Eda was in town she was rushing to see her sister in hospital as well as her son in boarding school.  I told her to attend to family and its ok if we dont meet.  Family comes first, right?

As soon as I knew she was back, I quickly texted her and asked for her whereabouts.  Yes, she was back in Malaysia for good and moving back to Putrajaya.  Since her own house is not ready yet, she has to resort to renting a house near to her brother's house.  And since the rented house is not livable yet, she is staying in a hotel.  She gave me the address for her rented house.

This morning she called me to say that she will be at the house to unpack her things and also to see the contractors putting in the air conditioners.  Since Faiz is getting bored, I told him to google-map Eda's house.  He got the coordinates and with the assistance of the GPS dude, off we went in search of Eda's house.

We found the house easily.  In a beautiful section of Putrajaya.  Very quiet place and the gardens was flourishing with beautiful plants and flowers.  Haha.. if the same potted flowering plants were in my area, pasti akan hilang and end up at someone's house.  But then this is Putrajaya..

Anyway.. met Eda and family.  Stayed awhile only as I can see that Eda still has alot to do and I am hungry.

Next on the agenda.. search of lunch/dinner.  We are bored of Alamanda food fare so I told Faiz to locate Saba restaurant.  With the help of Azhar, who gave us the coordinates to the restaurant, we headed blindly with just GPS dude to direct us.  We cant see the restaurant from the main road.  Instead we have to access the restaurant from the back lane.  From outside, we thought the place was full but when we went in, there was still many empty tables.

But Faiz was more comfortable eating at home, so we ordered take-away.  I was very disappointed they dont have mandy rice.  It was there in the menu but they said they no longer offer it.  Hmm.. since we have travelled so far, I wasnt going to go back empty handed.  I opt for 1/2 Chicken-Hanith.  I wasnt sure of the size of the portion so I ordered extra rice.

Faiz reminded me not to buy barbican, the malted bottled drink, because the last time I drank it, I ended up with an upset stomach.

We headed home with the chicken and rice.  OMG, the rice was so looooong..haha..  Sedap.  The chicken is tender and moist.  Alhamdulillah.. it was worth it.

~~

On the way back, I saw some mynah birds hopping in the grass.  What was strange about the birds was, they all were almost bald!  The mynahs must have been a fight and got all the feathers pecked off their head.

Air FREEEE

Walk to the letterbox to retrieve the water bill.  And guess what??  At last I get to use water for FREE.  Eat your heart out Azri!  Hahaha..

Note the words "AT LAST".. I have been trying hard to get free water but to no avail.  Having a daughter who changes clothes as fast as she blinks her eyes doesnt help either.  Luckily I only have ONE daughter.  I can imagine the pile of laundry (washing) I would have to go through daily if I have.. 4??  Hahaha.. that's how many my ex-madu has.  Now that KA is away in camp, I only do washing on alternate days.  Otherwise it could be twice a day!

My son azhar on the other hand has been enjoying this perk for ages.  In fact, SYA*BAS owes him money.  Azri would like to enjoy the advantage but he lives in another state.  I think I will savour this while it last.  The next state goverment might take back this perk.  Huhu..

**  Hey, upon checking the bill again, I in fact used less than what is discounted!

How To Stay Young

I was flat on my back the whole of yesterday.  The aftermath of washing the bathroom.  In my doter's absence, I have no choice but to do the cleaning up myself.  When my doter was around, she would cleanup the bathroom in return of telephone topups.  I couldnt situp for long.  Theraphy and bhujangasana helps ease the pain.

Going through my old emails.. I got this from my friend Jules..

~~

How to Stay Young

1.  Throw out nonessential numbers.  This includes age, weight and height.  Let the doctors worry about them.  That is why you pay them.

2.  Keep only cheerful friends.  The grouches pull you down.

3.  Keep learning:  Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever.  Never let the brain get idle.  "An idle mind is the devil's workshop."  And the devil's name is Alzheimer's!

4.  Enjoy the simple things.

5.  Laugh often, long and loud.  Laugh until you gasp for breath.  And if you have a friend who makes you laugh, spend lots and Lots of time with HIM/HER.

6.  The tears happen:  Endure, grieve and move on.  The only person who is with us our entire life, is ourself.  LIVE while you are alive.

7.  Surround yourself with what you love:  Whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever.  Your home is your refuge.

8.  Cherish your health:  If it is good, preserve it.  If it is unstable, improve it.  If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

9.  Don't take guilt trips.  Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county, to a foreign country, but NOT to where the guilt is.

10.  Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.  Dont wait too long.

So sad..

Was so shocked to hear about Mr.D's grand daughters' demise.

Mr.D is our very friendly barber.  He cuts all my boys hair.  His son, Siva also works there.  Siva is married and has two lovely daughters aged 4 and 1.  The beautiful girls, with their jet black hair and big round eyes are the apple of both the father's and grandfather's eye.

Just an hour ago, my son Faizal came home with the shocking news about the tragedy.  How Siva's wife made the children drink poison-tainted milk and then cut her own wrist in an attempt to kill herself too.  Fortunately, Siva came back in time and got the wife to the hospital.  But the kids did not make it.

I am so sad.

Bourne Mixed Identity

Azri went to pay Atuk a visit after work today.  Azri works today.  No holiday for him.

Atuk was, as usual, resting in his lounger, watching tv. 

Azri:  Atuk.. ni Azri, cucu Atuk.  Azri baru balik kerja ni.  Atuk apa khabar?  Dah makan?

Atuk:  Belum.

Azri:  Dah mandi?

Atuk:  Belum.

According to bibik (the caretaker), he had just had his dinner and bath.  Anyway, he smelt clean and nice.  Atuk..atuk.. dah pelupa teruk.

Azri:  Atuk buat apa tadi?

Atuk:  Syy.. its secret and confidential!

Azri:  Kenapa?

Atuk:  No..no.. dont ask.  I cannot tell.

Ok..  Atuk is speaking in english.  That means he is in his own world.  Azri layan Atuk lagi.

Azri:  Ohh.. what do you mean? 

Atuk:  I currently join the secret service.  I cant remember much.  I'm on a secret mission.

Azri:  What??

Atuk:  Its a big organization, but I cant remember but its big..

Azri:  Who recruited you?

Atuk:  Many contacts.  They come in a van and assign me the mission.

Atuk whispered confidentially to Azri..

Atuk:  Be careful with the people around you.  Then you will know the mission.

Azri:  What's your speciality?

Atuk:  Oh.. I can be a 10 year old kid.

Azri:  You mean you can transform into anything?

Atuk:  Yes.. and I can be anywhere.

Azri:  Since when did you become an agent?

Atuk:  I was one when I was 14 and again recently.  Even a 1 year old can join!

Azri:  Can I join too?

Atuk:  I dont know.  You ask them.

Bibik walks in and asked what Atuk is saying (since she cant understand english).

Azri:  Can you talk in malay?

Atuk:  Yes but these people (other agents) dont understand.

Azri:  Can she join too?  (Pointing to bibik).

Atuk:  No.  No offense but no ladies allowed. 

Azri:  How much do they pay you?  (With Azri, it always boils down to money.. hahaha)

Atuk:  1 Million..

~~~

Azri reckons that Atuk got the idea of being an agent from watching the television.  Atuk loves to talk.  Mostly in indonesian malay and javanese but occasionally he breaks into english.  He must dearly miss company when he chose to live on his own.  Now that he is in a Home.. he has the company to stop him from losing his marbles totally.

Love You Pak.

PLKN & Pau Tg Malim

13.1.2011 - 10:50am  After breakfast and a quick visit to the loo, off we went, Faiz and I, to see KA again.  Inspite of making plans to visit her after 2 weeks, the Camp's schedule couldnt accomodate us.  The kids is going to start handling firearms next week and they are going to the army camp for target practice.  Hehehe.. no way I am going to be anywhere near kids handling weapons and I dont wish to be in their range.

The first time Azhar took us there and he chose a route that passed through abandoned housing areas and the rundown estate house with the Ast*ro byond dish.  The second time, I drove and followed GP*S instructions and ended up touring Selangor!  Third time, Faiz drove and we partially followed GP*S but we still had to pass through small townships with traffic jams and roads that widen to 2-3 lanes and then back to single lanes that can snugly fit two cars.  And Faiz got a summon for driving in the wrong lane!  Actually he moved into the right lane (to make a right turn) too early - or so the abang police said.  What the heck, we dont want to argue even though we feel we are in the right.

Therefore, this time Faiz planned to take a longer drive on the North-South highway and going to the camp via Tg Malim.  And yes, it did cut down on driving time since we were mostly on the PLUS highway.  Just as we got out of the highway, we saw the oncoming cars giving us the signal that there was a road block ahead.  Faiz took all the necessary precaution and drove in the correct lane all the time.  No way we were making a 'donation' again.  Then we saw...the SAME policemen at a different location.  And the drivers ahead (who overtake and drove on the wrong lane) was stopped by the Police.  Huh!!

We normally pass a small chinese kampung just before we reach the Camp.  They were making preparations for the Chap Goh Meh.  Lanterns were hung (I can almost hear Fatin going.. tanglung nie, tanglung nie.. hehe..) and suddenly we were behind a lorry.  I whispered to Faiz.. "look there is a car in the lorry.. its a Mercs".  Faiz went.. "Mana? Mana?"  Then only he noticed that the lorry was laden with paper Mercs and bungalow.  No that wasnt for the CGM but for the funeral parlour further down the road.

KA got her handphone late last nite, but nevertheless she still managed to order Nasi Goreng kampong that she wanted to partake with her friends.  She asked for sunblock as they were spending more time outdoors.  She got sunburnt on the face already.  It was a short visit this time.  So after passing all her things, we left.

We decided to hunt for the infamous pau tg malim.  The place looked very different.  I last stopped there for pau, long before the PLUS highway was completed.  We saw UPSI and Secret Recipe!!  Haah, tg malim ada SR.  We gave up and got into the highway to get home.  Just then Azhar gave us coordinates to get to the pau shop.  But we told him, next time.  Then, KA called and before she could say anything, I blurted, "Mama lupa bagi pocket money.." and she said, "Haah..boleh turn back tak atau mama nak send via post".  Huhuhu.. I told Faiz we go to the R&R Jejantas for some burgers first.  I made a blunder, ordering a waffle at BK!  Penat and pening dah.  Got burgers for KA and we turn back.  Hadoi...

Even the guards at the guardhouse recognised me and told me to just go in.  Gave KA her money and burger.  Wahh... naik balik 3kg macam nie.   Then I told Faiz to set the GP*S for the pau shop.  And we found it.  Called the new "makyongs" for their pau orders.  My niece F is back from Oz and she is one of the makyong.  The other makyong is my doter-in-law (belum confirm lagi).  When I asked Azhar, what pau he wants, he said "we are the carnivores - so I will have beef curry, and red bean pau for the makyong".  Hahaha.. terlanjur dah jumpa kedai nya, borong pau banyak2.  They even sell frozen pau.  Saw the advertisement on the pau.. "Since 1926".. huhu.. established before WWII.

Btw, the policemen were still at that post, summoning people.

Drove home and asked Azhar for directions to get to his house.  Set the GP*S but still Faiz tersasar.  Reached his house to deliver the pau.  Fatin was in a bad mood due to lack of sleep.  Played with her for awhile and finally we headed home.

All in all, we were on the road for 7 hours!  We travelled hundreds of miles.  I am so exhausted.

~~~~

Rested a while and cooked dinner for Faiz.  I made sandwiches only.  Slept like a log and my legs got cramp.

Fatin nak ke Bubba..

After the kenduri aqiqah, Fatin dropped by to Oma's place. I miss her already. She is getting so mischevious and naughty. She kept us all entertained with her antics and playfulness.

Finally it was time for her to go to Bubba. Mama and ayah has made a date with their friends there. Ayah bathe Fatin. Amidst all the yells and screaming, Fatin finally came out. Mama said there was still some shampoo in Fatin's hair. Ayah complained that Fatin couldnt keep still and it was difficult washing off the shampoo from one wriggling kid!

Once she was dressed in a pretty red dress, she sat down beside Uncle Faiz. I found a cherry flavoured lip gloss and applied on her lower lip. Left her pouting awhile. Then I applied a plain lip gloss on the upper lip. Fatin didnt like that. She asked for some tissue and wiped the offending lipgloss off. Then pouted her lips in my directions and said, "Liptik, liptik". Hahaha.. so I applied the cherry flavoured lip gloss.

So there she stood, shiny lips pouting, trying hard not to smear it. Hahaha.. a girl through and through...

Oh My Doter..

Doter came back from camp for the Chinese New Year break. From the time she sets foot in the house, she got her hands on the notebook and only comes detached when its time to eat, sleep and 'doing-business'. Otherwise she swings from FB to YM to Blogging and probably various other places on the WWW.

She was supposed to check on her UPU application but couldnt find the slip with the "NO UNIK ID". She said, just before she went to Camp, she left the slip on her study table (which is actually the small folding table with the pictorial alphabets) by her bed. Opps.. after she left for Camp, I did a major cleanup and everything on the table ended up in the rubbish bag..and that was 4 weeks ago. Oh maaann.. I made her search all over the room and as expected she couldnt find it. Not when her eyes and heart is on the note book that is pinging away with chats from her old school friends as well as her new found PLKN friends.

Once the break was over, off she went, back to Camp but not before I made her call her teacher to find out if she can get a copy of the "no unik id" from school. Mana lah tahu if the school ada simpan a copy. But nope, teacher said they dont keep a copy and that doter should try the bank. (Later I found out, another (rural) school made the students write the number on a list prepared by the school. I guess this school is better organized!)

So, I made an effort to go to BSN (the issuing bank) to find out if they can give me a copy. But the officer at the bank said, I should get the date as well as the exact branch that issued the numbers to the school. Then I have to write in the request. IF and ONLY IF the copy has not been sent to the main office for safe keeping, a search will be made. Otherwise the request will be chanelled to the relevant department (tempat archive tu lah) to look for the copy. And the officer fore warned that that will take a long, long time.

I tried another angle.. "Err.. can I just buy a new number", since it cost only RM10.60. But the officer said, they have closed sale for the session. Aduhhhh...

So next, I have to go to school and get the relevant information and then write the letter. Planned to go the next day but I got a terrible backache overdoing housework. So I just texted doter a message asking her to call the teacher instead. And the message was KIVed because the handphone was switched off and kept by the Camp authorities.

Today I decided to cleanup the cupboards (inspired by Noha..hehe). And guess what.. I found the slip in my box of bangles and bracelets in my wardrobe. Now I remember asking doter to put it there and asking her to remember because I know I will forget. True enough, I forgot and so did she. Haish...

I have put in the number into MY handphone and Faiz has taken a pix of it on his handphone.

At the same time Faiz has also taken a pix of doter's birth certificate number (for something else). Thanks to technology, hopefully this time nobody forgets.

p/s Doter called this evening (using the public phone) telling me not to come next weekend as they have shooting practice. Yah right!! No way I am coming close to where they are letting loose kids with weapons... Secretly I still have hopes to marry again before I die.... Hahahahah... just joking!

Not on speaking terms..

My son received a 1st reminder from his alma mater (a university in the northern states). He has to pay RM1370 ASAP, else he cant seat for his exams.

Firstly, my son graduated last year.

Secondly, my son is already working.

So, what on earth is this?

Called them up and asked for some clarification.

Me: Anak saya..... dpt surat dr pihak university, mintak bayaran.

Puan: Boleh bagi nombor matrix dia. Saya periksa dulu.

Me: [matrix #]

Puan: Dia nak grad bulan 8 nie ka?

Me: Haa? Dia dah grad tahun lepas dah, tapi dia tak sempat pergi convo. Baru je dapat scroll dia bulan lepas.

Puan: Boleh dak fax kan resit bayaran scroll tu?

Me: Aikk? Kan dah fax kan. Scroll pun dah dapat.

Puan: Tak dak dalam file. Boleh tak puan fax kan sekali lagi. [hehe.. dia dah keluaq accent north dia]

Me: Sat nooo.. kalu makcik jumpa resit tu, makcik fax kan nooo...

Ish.. depa nie ingat kita tak dak keje lain ka. Sib bek [baik] la, makcik nie efficient, sampaikan surat anak2 pun makcik simpan dan failkan.

Fax lah sekali lagi ke Cik Puan Bendahari dan call balik to confirm yang dia terima.

Me: Makcik yang call tadi pagi. Makcik dah fax kan resit tu. Dah terima?

Puan: Ha.. dah2. Kami baru peksa dengan bahagian pendaftaran. Memang dah keliar [clear].

Awat lah buat haghu. Check lah dulu baru hantaq surat "reminder". Dan awat lah bahagian pendaftaran dan bahagian bendahari tak communicate and update each other. Perlis tu bukan besaq mana pun.. kalu jerit kuat2, bule dengaq..

My son said to ignore the reminder. I told my son, I want closure. I dont want to receive a 2nd or third reminder.. not unless it comes with cash.. hehehe

The Potato Game

A Kindergarten teacher has decided to let her class play a game. The teacher told each child in the class to bring along a plastic bag containing a few potatoes. Each potato will be given a name of a person that the child hates, so the number of potatoes that a child puts in his/her plastic bag will depend on the number of people he/she hates.

So when the day came, every child brought some potatoes with the name of the people he/she hated. Some had 2 potatoes, some 3, while some up to 5 potatoes. The teacher then told the children to carry with them the potatoes in the plastic bag wherever they go (even to the toilet) for one week.

The days passed by and the children complained about the unpleasant smell let out by the rotten potatoes. Besides, those having 5 potatoes also had to carry heavier loads. After one week, the children were relieved because the Potato Game finally ended.

The teacher asked :
"How did you feel while carrying the potatoes with you for one week?"
The children let out their frustrations and started complaining of the trouble they had to go through having to carry the heavy and smelly potatoes wherever they go.

Then the teacher told them the hidden meaning behind the game. The teacher said :
"This is exactly the situation when you carry your hatred for somebody inside your heart. The stench of hatred will contaminate your heart and you will carry it with you wherever you go. If you cannot tolerate the smell of rotten potatoes for just one week, can you imagine what it's like to have the stench of hatred in your heart for your lifetime?"

Moral of the story :Throw away any hatred for anyone from your heart so that you will not carry the burden for a lifetime. Forgiving others is the best attitude to take! Love others even if you dont like them. True love is not loving a perfect person but loving an imperfect person perfectly.

Duyong ke?

Halfheartedly planned for an Ikan Bakar dinner in Malacca. First we had to wait for lil princess to wake up and makan.. then we had to wait for lil princess to nap AND wake up after lunch. Adeh..

Meanwhile I hurried off to get the boys their lunch altho' ada diantara mereka yang sedang breakfast. Dah settle lunch (nasi briyani mamak with chicken nuggets and rempah ayam kapitan), everyone was online on the various laptops, notebooks and handphones, waiting for the lil princess. Ini lah gara2 ada budak network dalam rumah. You can even go online while waiting for the gates to open!

Princess arrived and while we are getting ready, she had a go on her slide and swing. Actually, I had KA start getting ready as soon as I received the message from Azhar that they have just left home in Ampang. KA takes 10minutes just to adjust her tudung, ok!

All 6 adults and princess loaded up into the Al*za. The journey was smooth altho' traffic was quite heavy (no jam). Jam at all toll exits only. As we reached the Air Keroh toll exit, called and confirmed with the orang Melaka if they want to join us. PakNgah's back was still 'out' and he was supposed to be resting only. So that allows us to go direct to the Ikan Bakar place.

We have stopped going to Umbai (overrated, over priced and jam packed at all times). My adik will head to Alai(?) but my kids wanted to go to their usual place in Muara Sungai Duyong. Ahhh..mama ikut saja.

Puhh.. ALL cars seem to be heading in the same direction and as expected the place was jam-packed. We decided to park oh-so-far-away and walk to the restaurant. The first restaurant even had a queue to wait-to-be-seated as well as a queue to choose fish. So we trudged on to the neighbouring restaurant across the single lane bridge. Place was quieter but not for long. As soon as we had chosen our fish and seafood, more people started coming in.

Nevertheless we still had to wait for dinner to be cooked. Princess was already agitated. The only way to keep her still was to say "Fatin posing!". Instantaneously she will stop whatever she is doing and pose. Not camera shy, my grand doter.

Food finally arrived.

Nasi lemak - sambal sedap, ikan bilis sikit benar.

Buttered prawns - not like MatChanDollah though. No sarak telur and no butter taste at all. Neighbour's udang bakar looks nicer! But prawns was very fresh, crunchy and big.

Sotong goreng celup tepung - Ina says not up to standard. Methinks mamak's sotong goreng taste better.

Ikan Jenahak goreng sweet sour (I think) - very nice.

Ikan siakap bakar - very nice.

Kailan ikan masin - biasa je.

On the whole, gives a thumbs up for the freshness of the seafood. They way it was cooked was nothing to shout about. Slightly less than rm150.

Walked back to the car. It definitely was more than the necessary 40 steps walk after a meal. Hahaha

Stopped by to visit PakNgah. He can walk around dah. Takde lah macam orang dalam pantang pun. Adik made sushi (more fish??). Sorry, I dont eat sushi, so no comment there.

Lil princess was more excited about the tanglong and fireworks. My sister is the ONLY malay family living there. And the chinese was having a door-after-door-lightup-firework session. Something like having the marhaban group doing the takbir from door-to-door in a muslim community. Tahan telinga saja lah. Fatin wanted to see but at the same time, she is scared of the loud noise. So she peluk Unc Faiz dia kuat2 and jerit "Takutttt" but peeked to see the fireworks.

On the way back, she was pointing out and shouting "Tanglong ni, tanglong ni, tanglong ni..". Banyak tuh.. since every chinese house have tanglongs hanging in their porch. Cantik sangat.

I dont know about the journey back. I guess everyone slept except the driver. Sedar2 dah sampai toll bangi. Tired but happy.

Start of the day..

Doter woke me in the middle of the night, coughing. Aikk.. macam orang balik Mekah pulak. Bad, loud cough. Dah suruh makan ubat batuk.. tapi degil. Handed her the chest rub.

Woke up with a startle. Pikir sekejap.. Thursday- MPKj rubbish collection day! Took out the garbage and started off 2nd round of camp washing. Went back to bed, not to sleep but to check out FB. Hahaha..

Doter said she missed mamak food. They never get roti canai in camp but they do enjoy kue teow/nasi goreng, mee hoon/kue teow soup, soto and there was one time that they got 'koko krunch' and milk. She complain that food is bland in camp. Even biskut marie taste so wonderful there. Hahaha.. baru dia tahu!

She gave a list of things to bring back to camp..among others.. megi in mug, biskut etc. She breaking out bad. Apa nak buat ek? Macam bad case of after-chicken pox.

Petang ni plan nak pergi Alai for ikan bakar. No we stop going to Umbai.. too many people go there (over rated, I think). Food tak ada lah sedap mana pun. Fatin (my cucu) kata dia ok jer nak pergi Melaka.

What I did on 2nd feb 2011

Early morning and I was ready to head off to BootCamp to get my doter back for the CNY. But first I had to wait for her BFF, QuYa. Faiz drove this time. Smooth journey and not so many cars.

BUT just as we were 10minutes away from the camp, we saw a policeman waving a red flag. Oh dear, kena saman meh.. Kesalahannya : salah lorong. Huhuhu.. Faiz moved into the right lane too early when he wanted to make a right turn. Bukan nya menghalang kenderaan mana-mana. Tapi just an over enthusiastic policeman, at the wrong time and wrong place. Redha aje lah.

Doter was already waiting for us and the checking out was swift. Faiz (still unhappy about the summon) needed to get something at Low Yat. Yes.. we went to jam packed Low Yat. We were lucky to get a parking space! Stomach growling and eyes sleepy.. finally he came back to the car.

After dropping off Rai, we headed home for a quick shower and started off doter's dirty washing. Then we all headed to Alamanda for lunch. Since there were 6 of us, it is worth going into Johnny's.

Hehe.. I always keep the bill from the last visit to J. This saves time in placing the orders. I think the staff there pon dah kenal sangat dengan Mdm Efficient. The staff are not local, so language is a barrier. So as to prevent getting our orders wrong, I just present the old bill and make whatever necessary changes.

Must say I always enjoy eating there. To save a bit more, we always share the (refillable) Thai tea or plain water. I know of some people who even go to the extent of buying fish ball or crab stick from the nearest supermarket and sneak the food in. But they wash it first ok.

Back from Alamanda, we were all poofed out and took a nap. But managed to get doter to hang out her washing first. She was already connected to her FB and YM. Teased her about having withdrawal effects staying in the camp and not having access to her handphone and internet. She said her camp is so deep in the boon docks that to access internet, they have to be at the highest possible location. Use of handphone on weekends, is only at strategic places. The yellowman phone does not have any line there.

Faiz came into the room and asked what's for dinner. Since doter mentioned about missing Yassir's pasta, we headed there first. Unfortunately Yassir overdose on the chili padi and the pasta (carbonara and olio) were extremely HOT.

Now I am going to sleep. Nite world..zzzzzzzzzzzz

Aikkk..

Time was 12.27.

Date - 2nd february 2011

Location: I was deep in the bowels of Low Yat (parking lot, meh!), when this message came in..

"Ni ayah guna fon police tlong bgi credit maxi$ 50 ringgi ke nombo bru ayah 0128114817  Ayah lgi ada msalah kat blai police. ta payah call, sekejap ayah call."

Ya right!

1.  Sejak bila my dad bahasa diri "ayah".

2.  Sejak bila my dad (if it was my dad) guna handphone. Phone telekom yang biasa tu pun dia dah potong sebab dia guna Wifi**

3.  Dad doesnt know text shortforms...tlong, bgi, lgi, msalah, blai, ta.

4.  Dad would speak in english.

5.  Beware of the word maxi$.. people who use $$ in place of 'S', must be after your $$$.

6.  Cant even spell ringgit properly.

**Dad, in his own world can make calls without even using the phone. All he needs to do is to tip his head abit and he gets his 'calls' through.

Tak kuasa nak layan. My son told me NOT to even try calling the number because apparently there is a program that will suck ALL your credit dry.

I do wish these people find a job and purchase their own phone credits. Tak selamat hidup menipu nie.