I'm In The News!!!!

*from my other blog at Dilla Speaks Out

Big moment in history — I am in the NEWS!!!! Wassap????? Heh heh heh.. Still in a daze, somewhat.. Can’t believe it still… Glamour tak? For the benefit of you guys who did not have a chance to get the hardcopy, here it is in the softcopy form… courtesy of Nadya, the e-browse product owner. (Thank you, sissy)

Been waiting for Tuesday since last Saturday. That was when the article was due for. Izza, the KOSMO! journalist was looking around the workshop last weekend. She was looking for the face-painter her friend told her about. Hmmmmmm, that sounds like me.. She is looking for ME! So, we had the interview thing and I promised to send some pictures to her for the piece. Pictures were taken by Kira, of course, my trusted apprentice.

And then, Tuesday came. Got to get my KOSMO!Got to get my KOSMO! When I entered mynews.com (located at the Lower Ground of Menara Telekom) this morning, my heart was skipping a beat. (Btw, you can’t get any more from there now. Lily got the last copy at noon. heh heh heh) Reached for the first KOSMO! in sight and I quickly skimmed through the pages to see if the article made it. Would it be a small one, a full-page coverage or what?

Then I saw the image of Ariff, the brave kid who wanted a full-faced skull last Saturday. Hmmm, that’s familiar. True enough.. there was yours truly , looking pretty professional beside him. IT’S ME!!!!!! What a rush… I brought bought two copies and ran back up to the lobby to get my hubby… grinning all the way… heh heh heh

It made my day, really. Showed the half-page article to the whole office (GM included) and I was smiling the whole freaking morning.. (and afternoon) SMSed some people about it and got some pretty wild responses. My brother-in-law even asked for a quotation for his annual dinner. Wassap??? Way to get the business going… (BIG HUMONGOUS Smiles…) Hmmm.. I might just afford that professional Krayolan kit after all…

Me? I am pretty high on the piece itself. Need some space to let the reality sink in and live among the mortals again.. heh heh heh

-dillz blogging out-

My Khadra, the Drama Queen

*from my other blog at Dilla Speaks Out

My heart welled up with pride and sheer happiness when she started to open her mouth. Couldn’t help the tears that started to trickle down my cheeks. There we were. Two proud parents in the audience. So proud of her. So, so, so proud of her.

Is that your daughter? She’s so good. How old is she? Look at her sing.

It was her first concert at school. 15 December 2005. I took leave on that day. It was a big deal for me. I had to be there. It was her FIRST concert ever. The Early Years Playgroup was having their Christmas Concert. Khadra and Naqib were having their concert. It was a big deal to many of us. Everyone was there: Azrul and me, Ibu and Encik, Achu Kira, Zizie and Nazz, Khaleeq and Nelysa, Aunty Shahrain, Nita and Ziad and of course our trusted bibiks - Lydia and Tibah.

The first number was for all the children. Khadra was in the middle of the front row. I can see why. She sings the loudest and in tune, of course. She does all the actions correctly and whole-heartedly. She’s not afraid of the audience. In truth, I think she loved the attention. She was soaking it in, enjoying it.

The second number was a special item from the kiddy class. The four of them was singing. Sasha, Khadra, Allistair and his twin Samantha. Songs were Itsy Bitsy Spider, In a Cottage, If You’re Happy and You Know It.

Her next appearance was in the Train parade. Everyone had to be a "professional". Khadra was the Train Conductor. She had the cap, the overalls, the walkie-talkie, the whistle and the train schedule/tickets — the whole shabang! No special reason - just that it was the only unisex outfit we could find at Toys R Us. There were also fire-fighters (Emir and Nawfal), Naqib and Violet were police-persons, Sufiyyah was a nurse ( a pretty one, at that), Daniel was a doctor, we had 2 soldiers (Noah and Allistair), a magistrate(Sasha), Sofea was the train driver, a ballerina (Milla) and many more.

In the finale, they were all dressed up in Red Indian costumes. Khadra had hers made by Aunty Liam. The skirt was too long, so I converted them into a dress by adding two bands on the skirt. (Pretty nifty, eh?) Miss Sharon, (her teacher) made her a little cradle to carry a little baby on her back coz she shakes the most. To add a little originality to it, everyone’s faces was painted, the teachers included - courtesy of Speckle & Sparkle, of course!

The moment was just so precious. Her first performance ever, and she shined like a star. To quote what my dad said,

A star is born.

-dillz blogging out-

She's All Grown Up

*from my other blog at Dilla Speaks Out

Did you all know that Khadra has gone to school already? Well, technically, it is more of a playgroup la. There are 2 classes: one for the kiddies and another for the kindys. Khadra in the kiddy class, in fact, she’s the youngest one there. We are paying RM550 monthly for this and her school starts at 9.00am and ends at 1.00pm. Pretty steep for a 4-hours play,eh?

The thing I love most about sending her to school is that I never know what to expect from her. She amazes me every single day with the things that she does. It’s hilarious really-seeing this little girl acting all grown up.

She speaks English berabuk-abuk. (Even her Malay is English-sounding)

She would ask me to "LINE UP" with her before going to the loo.

She recites her "doa" before her meals.

Bismillahir rahmanir rahim. Thank you God for the food we eat. thank you God for the birds that sing…

She practices her concert pieces in the shower. (Yup, the concert is on the 15th of December, and I can’t wait! I’ve applied for leave already)

She knows exactly what she wants and she does not want.

She loves dancing - with music , without music; in front of the telly, on the side walks, just about everywhere. "Look, ibu. Kakak dance!", she would say. (Maybe I have to enroll her into a Dance School next year)

She knows her ABCs and 123s. She loves her stickers.

She comes back with songs that I never taught her and I could even make them out!

She loooves dressing up and accessorizing.

Check out these pictures from her school -

My daughter is fast growing up. Maybe I should start planning for her wedding now…

-dillz blogging out-

Body Painting

*from my other blog at Dilla Speaks Out

Found myself a new activity on weekends - Face Painting! Love it! Love it! Love it! I’ve started painting on my nephews and cousins since 1998. It all started from this book I bought from ‘In The States".

We now have a ‘do’ at The Curve on weekends. Ziezi has a Painting / Sand Art / Window Art / Magic Art Workshop at the flea market and I am occupying a tiny space in her lot. Currently, it’s on Saturdays and I make my appearance for about 4-5 hours to establish my presence, mingle with prospective clients, practise my art and get new ideas for my design. (read - the money is shite!) It’s kinda like my marketing plan lah.. I also get reservations for private functions, family days and parties, that’s where the real dough comes in. (Big SMILES, Big SMILES) I am getting money from doing what I love.. Great, isn’t it?

Not to sound boastful or anything, I think I am quite good at it. Heh heh heh. Check out some pix I have in my profile. I have a photo album on the whole works too.. Here’s more pictures in my portfolio !

With my gypsy image (dangling earings, long scarf tied at the back- the whole shabang!), my natural passion for it, my PR with the kids - the whole thing really works..

What more, I only use the best paint in the world — Kryolan Face Paint.I tried others, but it’s just not good enough, though… Still looking for a supplier here in Malaysia. Got to know of one place from Faizal — in KL Plaza. But the paint is costing a bomb. RM240 for a 12-color pallette. Sheesh… Anybody has any other suggestions? Maybe I have to ask my sister to buy it for me from the UK. We’ll see how it goes..

-dillz blogging out-

Supersaurus Dilla

*from my other blog at Dilla Speaks Out

Finally, I am a Supersaurus!! I scored 81410 in Dynomite Deluxe.. hah hah hah… It might not be a big deal for most of you out there… but IT IS for me!!!! I started a measly Petrified, before slowly making my way up the dinosour hierarchy — a Hatchling,Scavenger, Eggsucker, Omnivore, Carnivore, Horned Lizard and finally a Supersaurus! Wakakakakaka.. Many many moon come, and many many moon go.. There I was, hard at work, practising and practising and practising, day in and day out… Had a lot to prove… Almost everybody in Pondok Azlul is playing it. My hubby, Ewa, Ema and Kira (especially my hubby and my two last sissys). So, there’s the ego thing going too..

I love this game. There’s a lot of strategizing going on.. You don’t just release the balls everywhere, you know.. Whether you wanna whack the Whirleys to avoid an additional colour or alternatively risk speeding up the game a little. Whether you wanna build up yourCombo right up to Dynomite or plan to bring the whole ceiling down in one blast. It’s up to you.. But, the X3 and UP balls really do come in handy!

Not that I had a load of time at my hands, with my work, my MBA and my two little kids. But, I somehow find time after work ( I didn’t install the game at work — it’s too tempting! I might not be able to resist!!! Hah ha!) Somehow I find that it is somewhat a stress reliever for me.

There’s this other game that was introduced to me by my sissy, Ewa.

Here it is — DINER DASH! What’s up Flo? This one is pretty cool too.. I get sooo wrapped up in serving the teens, the business women and the oldies.. Up to almost owning my third restaurant before the trial time is up! Dang! I really gotta do something about that! ;) No time to despair, though. I’d better brush up on my Dynomite Deluxe!

What is it about these games that makes you wanna play it again and again and again????

-dillz blogging out-

La Familia - Take 3

*from my other blog at Dilla Speaks Out

The grand introduction to Khaleeq Mohd Azrul. Khaleeq = obedient, goodness, methodological. pet name, Ayeeq. (Hmm, just having second thoughts.. He wouldn't want to keep this name if he ever goes to RMC) This is Ayeeq submerged in balls - balls - balls. So... chubby.

Ayeeq’s gonna be ONE in a month’s time. He can now crawl, sit unassisted and stand for quite sometime on his own.

He loves remotes. Not just any remote, mind you. Astro remote controls. He works very hard (ie crawling fast, climbing low-rise tables) to get what he wants (ie Astro remote) and religiously puts it in his mouth.

He boasts some bumps due to a few falling-off-the-bed incidents. We are more calm in those situations now since Kakak had gone through that phase when she was about Ayeeq’s age. No big deal, lah..

The thing that I love most about him is his SMILE. He has the sweetest of smiles. Don’t you just want to pinch his rosy chubby cheeks?? However, Ayeeq is a BOY of the truest sense. (Despite his ‘jambu’ness!) He is very active and agile. One moment he’s standing in front of you, on the next he’s already banging the keyboard. And… on the very next moment, he falls flat on his face. That was how he got his NEW look — The Little Tiger! Growlll! He has a pinkish little circle right smack in the middle of his nose. Wakakakakakakaka! We got a little worried at first ‘coz Khadra never scaped off her skin like that before. So, we went over to the trusted Mediklinik Wong, Zul dan Rakan-Rakan in Lucky Garden and was assured that it was not a big deal. We got him an antibiotic cream and off we went on our merry way. Ayeeq completes our mini family, for now. One Ayah, one Abibu, one Kakak and one Ayeeq.

-dillz blogging out-

La Familia - Take 2

*from my other blog at Dilla Speaks Out

This is Khadra. Khadra is two. For just a little person, she has such a BIG personality. Khadra means GREEN, FERTILITY. Aptly, we chose green as her favourite color.(She has no say in this what-so-ever)

Khadra loves? Eating especially Chili’s Mac-and-Cheese and Brownie Sundae, chocolates, chocolate cakes and ice-cream, scribbling / doodling on her Magna Doodle Pro or a piece of paper, reading especially "Do you know how to be a cow?" and flap-books, ‘drawing’, watching : Barney, Save-ums, Madeline, Jojo’s Circus (basically everything Playhouse Disney Channel) , pretending, singing, dancing, performing, playing slides and house (especially at Kizsports) and laughing. She has the most infectious little laugh ever!

She is the numero uno Drama Queen in my household. She exaggerates everything - when she’s happy, when she’s sad, when she’s upset, when she’s angry… A very animated person — I loooove her expressions. She does everything wholeheartedly, especially when she tries to ‘playback’ scenes from Barney. Everytime I am reminded of her ‘acts’ I wish that I was at home with her.

I really adore this kid ‘coz she is not afraid to tell the world how she feels. She wears her heart on her sleeve — such a loving girl, unafraid to express herself in words and actions. She is a constant reminder for me to take life a little less seriously and to enjoy the moment. Sometimes I can hardly believe that she’s only TWO.

She knows exactly what she wants and what she doesn’t want. (Guess who she got THAT from? heh heh) Sometimes it becomes a little hard to discipline her, coz we want her to have everything that she asks for. But, hey, we have to do what we have to do, right?

What about books and toys? Khadra has lots of those.. I have the tendency to buy her things that are intended for older kids. At one point, I went soo OTT (over-the-top) that Azrul sarcastically asked me to get Khadra Standard One text books. (Told you he is the funny guy)

Khadra can speak a little now. We call her ‘Kakak’. She calls Azrul ‘Ayah’ or ‘Asone’ (supposedly Azrul) and I am ‘Abibu’. The little kid bro she calls ‘Ayeeq’. I used to be ‘Abuu’ before evolving into - ‘Ibu’, ‘Bibu’ and finally ‘Abibu’. She tends to add an A to almost everyone’s name. Some of the transformed names are: Awek (from Wek) , Aweewa (from Tuewa), Ameema (from Meema), Abibik (from Bibik).

Her singing is becoming more and more comprehensible (?). I can make the tunes out, for sure, and the words are coming along quite nicely. Some of her faves are Itsy Bitsy Spider, Mister Sun, The Wheels on the Bus, The Raindrop Song, TTLS (Twinkle Twinkle Little Star) and I Love You.

Khadra is definitely a daddy’s girl. It’s okay, though, coz I have Ayeeq! hah hah hah.

-dillz blogging out-

La Familia

*from my other blog at Dilla Speaks Out

Four main players in my little family. The breadwinners - Azrul and Dilla and the two breadeaters -Khadra and Khaleeq.

We hope to extend the family, but not in the very near future ( I think). Giving the kids a little time to grow up and we would like to finish our MBA first.

A little commentary on my hubby:

He is very very funny. I think he thinks he is the funniest guy around. But, then again, a lot of people thinks he is funny too — not just me. He is a brilliant man, in many many ways. He is intelligent, hardworking, caring, loving and brave. He loves his mom, his wife (that’s me) and his kids to bits. Don’t try to mess with these people if you don’t want to experience his wrath. (Hah-ha! That makes him a very effective bodyguard for me!) His passion? Football — playing football and futsal, playing Winning Eleven or Pro Evolution Soccer on PS-2, watching soccer games on the telly (even at wee hours in the morning), reading up on soccer news and trivia, surfing Soccernet.com and of course, his life-long allegiance to AC Milan.

I admire his drive and ambition, his will and his determination. He wants to make a mark in this world. Not contented to be just a speck of dust. It takes a lot of sacrifice, a lot of guts. And it won’t be easy sailing either. I am glad he chose the hard path and I am willing to give him all the time he needs to make it. I’ll be there to support him, encourage him and at the very least, lend him an ear.

A little oblivious at times, a borderline pessimist and kinda have a short fuse. But, he tries his best in everything that he does and is trying so hard to be a positive person. He is a self-confessed perfectionist and gives a lot of attention to detail.

He drives me crazy at times. Yet, he’s the one I run to when the whole world is ganging up on me. He is my shoulder to cry on. He cheers me on when I am feeling down and about to give up. He is my best friend, my soulmate, my love and my life. Sheesh, my eyes are welling up writing this entry. He knows how to make me laugh. He writes me love letters and cards because I love receiving them, even though he hates writing. Best of all, he really gets me.

Enough of mushiness..

We’ve been married since 7th September 2002. We had Khadra on 3rd of June 2003 and Khaleeq on 30th of July 2004. So, that makes ‘Kakak’ two years old last Friday and ‘Ayeeq’ has just turned 10 months. Not bad, eh? All that within two years.. Wanna have a peek at the little ones?

The pix was taken at A’Famosa Resort — a free holiday courtesy of Abang Amran and family. Loved it, wanna do it again! Let’s leave the commentary on the kids for later. A lot to write about, yet so little time.

-dillz blogging out-

Blog Blog Blog

*from my other blog at Dilla Speaks Out

My second attempt at blogging.. The first went successfully down the drain at blogspot. Wanna hear excuses?

1) I am too lazy (yes, it’s true) to write / bitch / complain

2) I am too busy (yeah, right!) to write / bitch / complain

3) I am too sick (really) to write / bitch / complain

4) I have other things to do besides writing / bitching / complaining

Truthfully, I actually succumbed to pressure. Everytime I open my friendster page, that orangey tab really irks me. I finally clicked on it to get that little interrupter out of my sight.

Anywho… here I am , part of the community, part of statistics… In a way, I guess this will be a good avenue to vent out and just pour my thoughts. I haven’t done that lately.. I remember back in school (way back in 1992), Ateh Nor used to tell me to write from my heart. No first draft or second draft.. Just let it flow.. Just write.. I have been doing that eversince..

Maybe that’s why I have not been feeling well this past couple of months.. Ahhh.. why not? After all it’s free.. No consultation fee…

-dillz blogging out-

the maiden post

Through Cut aNd Paste technology, presenting the crap I wrote in my friendster profile just a few moments ago.

And I quote"...

Been long since I updated this profile. Since then, the whole family went to Bali -- Tsunami hit Asia -- the new year of 2005 came -- I turned 30 (ouch!) -- my baby boy, Khaleeq got his 'cukur jambul' thingy done -- bla bla bla -- bla bla bla..
I got a work bag for my birthday this year. Aigner, you -- tak nak kalah! ;) Courtesy of hubby, mommy and daddy as well as contributions from my sissys( Ewa - checked, Kirah - checked , Ema - waiting for her scholaship dough) and brother (have not seen anything from him yet)
My hubby set up a blog for me for my birthday too.. He knows how much I enjoy yakking and just ramble non-stop. I'll try to get down and do it sometime soon. Seems that he enjoys reading my thoughts. (Never could stand my nagging, but wants to know what I think about. Strange, eh?) heh heh heh
Children update? Khadra LOOOOVES to sing!!! You can actually figure out some of the lyrics too. She catches the second syllable of every word out loud and as Azrul constantly remarks, she is really CHEAP FUN! We laugh out loud at her antiques. A real DRAMA QUEEN, indeed ( I think she takes up after Ema -- Adik, that's a compliment!) Khaleeq is still complacent and not wanting to turn! He's happy like that .. Oh well, that's that.. AHA! moment -- Maybe I should just start my blog but CNP-ing this entry... Hmmm...

..." End quote.

Hah hah hah! Did just that! ;) Don't get me wrong! I am NOT lazy.. But, what's the point of rewriting everything anyway.. (Excuses, excuses..) At least, I've started BLOGGING!

I need to come up with some form of organization though.. You know, some kind of trademark.. Like how Friends (The now defunct TV Series) name their episodes.. The One With...

Gotta put the thinking hat on...

Testing 1,2,3.....Testing........

dam dam dum bunyi mercun
da di du di da da di
mi ma mi ma