Hari Bermalas-malasan

I totally abandoned my spring cleaning project yesterday (told you I was the HHTA Queen)and opted to finish reading New Moon and watched 8 episodes of Gossip Girl Season 2 back-to-back. By the time I was done, it was almost 9pm. Hihihihi..

Thing is, hubby brought back with him 7 DVDs and the malasness continued with a movie marathon. Bibik was tasked with a bowl of Maggi Kari with telur and sawi and the kids were sent to their room to watch cartoon. After 2 movies, Khaleeq came out and said, "Hey, you're not done. Watch more movies.. " Personally, I think he was enjoying this late night TV watching and did not quite want to go to bed just yet.

Verdict? 3 movies in a row. We watched the Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants 2, Burn After Reading and the Housebunny. At about 1.30am, the whole family decided it was time to wrap it up 'coz we'll be spending some quality family time celebrating this New Year in the city. Need to wake up at a decent hour to prepare and pack up.

*Sigh* That spring cleaning would have to wait... (Elokla tu, little miss procrastinator, meet the Queen of HHTA)

-dillz blogging out-

Nuptial Shout Out

We just came back from a wedding reception in Tropicana Indah. Just wanted to shout out to the newly weds and congratulate them. (Not that they read this blog anyways.. Hihihi)

Ida and Rizal,
Big congratulations to you both. We hope that you will have a wonderful journey of life and many many happy memories together. Are so happy for you both and semoga berbahagia ke anak cucu...

I also thought that they had one of the sweetest wedding invite ever. Check it out y'all.

Sweet or what?? This was the 5 Kenanga class photo , taken in Sekolah Sri Petaling, PJ in 1986. Macamana boleh berdiri in front of each other tu? Misteri, tak? Hihihi...

-dillz blogging out-

Tea Tree Oil Fights Back!

Amidst the tenure of a string of highly "intense" (in terms of time, complexity and expectations) assignments, I discovered that a few colonies of acne has been successful in breeding and claiming parts of my face as their habitat. They were all over - both cheeks, both temples, near my jawline... (Eeh, jawline? Do I even have one? Hihihi) It was also about the same time that I noticed that I have not been washing my face for the past (let's round it up, shall we?) three or four months. I'd like to point my dainty little index finger to work but upon reflection, I really think it's due to pure laziness..

No matter. What is done, is done. Hence, it was time to put a plan into action. A trip to the Body Shop should do it. I went and bought me the whole shebang: Facial wash, facial toner, mattifying mosturiser, blemish fade night lotion, facial exfoliator, face mask, blemish stick and THE tea tree oil.

I got them lined up real nice for the photo op. Hihihi..

Been very anal about washing my face twice daily, every third day is exfoliating day and every 6th day is masker day. Just hope this won't end up another one of my infamous HHTA plans...

-dillz blogging out-

Jumping on the bandwagon

I was intrigued by the hoo-haa surrounding the movie Twilight when I decided to borrow Kira's book. Just to get a little sneak preview before me hubby and I watched it at the movies, you know.. Not so typical high school vampire romance , which actually came in second and third and fourth helpings, if I may add so myself. It was kind of an easy read and one that I could see myself reading before going to bed, in the loo, while waiting for someone or over a cup of caramel macchiato. I was embarassed to say, but I actually wanted to get the whole collection for myself. Hihihi.. Yela, cerita vampire romance kat high school, awak tu mak orang. Lu pikir la sendiri, bak kata Nabil...

Anyways, after the movie screening, I decided that movie was alright and I kinda liked the whole thing. (plus that Edward is hot!) On top of that, Boarders had this bundling promotion; Book 1 AND 2 of the Twilight series for RM50. (I think it was slightly less, makcik dah round up the figure) So, I got them both and put my name down for Books 3 and 4.

So, that's my plan for the next few days... (among others) Excuse me while I get back to Bella and the Cullens..

-dillz blogging out-

A Tribute to Ayah Teh

Today marks one month since our Ayah Teh Zohdi left us due to cancer. Me and the hubster just came back from a kenduri arwah at Mak Teh's place in Bandar Kinrara.

His was a very sudden death, something like 2 days after we found out that he had the "C" and the actual passing.. I can distinctly recall that fateful Monday when I got the sms telling me that he did not have much time left. Hubby picked me up from office and we headed to the High Dependency Ward in HKL to pay him a visit. The ward only allowed 2 visitors at a time, so most of his were literally setting camp outside. There were many relatives and friends reciting Yaasin and taking turns to be by his bedside. Even the Chief of Police came by that day. All his 6 beautiful girls were around him, with the elder ones and Mak Teh softly whispering "Laa ila ha illallah" in his right ear. He was so blessed in that way..

Even the preparation for his burial was smooth and easy. I remember thinking that he really looked like he was peacefully sleeping when they opened up his kain kapan prior to the actual burial.

Ayah Teh (he's the one in the big rimmed specs) made the news when he went back to school to get his Law Degree sometime in the 90s. At that time, both him and Ayah De were doing Law and Ayah Cu (who is about 20 years their junior) were all studying in UIA. So they made the news, lah. I always remembered him as a jovial person. A man of not that many words, but very loving indeed.

Semoga rohnya dicucuri rahmat. Rest well, dearest Ayah Teh.

Al-Fatihah..

-dillz blogging out-

Zaghlol's ELEVEN

For the benefits of my lil sisters who have been harrassing my Kak Long to upload the 11th addition into the Zaghlol clan.

Presenting....

Lil H at ZERO day old. (Name yet to be decided, but I am calling him Husayn for the time being) Personally, I think he is a mixture of Naz's nose, Naqib's ears, Teyta's mouth, Neyna's eyes and Illa's chin. Somehow he reminds me of Haikal - Illa's 3rd born. hihi.. Funny how that adds up.

He was born on 22 December at abt 3.53pm at 2.9+kg. Didn't quite get the stats to the tee, but OK la tu...

There's the proud mummy (note the collarbone, 'yall) on Day ONE already facebooking while breastfeeding. hihi...

Welcome baby Husayn (?)...

-dillz blogging out-

Attack of the chicky poxy!

My little boy has turned into a sight I could barely recognize. With puffy eyes and red blistery dots sprawled all over his beautiful face. He has multiple ulcers on the right corner of his lower lips. It's under his chin, all over his scalp, body and back. You got it right, Khaleeq has the chicken pox.. ;(

Khaleeda has it too. But hers is very mild, just 2 or 3 on her face and a few prominent ones on her back. It's almost nothing as compared to those that manifested on Khaleeq. Khadra's not affected since she already got them when she was only 6 months old.

I guess, I should really be thankful that they are getting it now instead of later when they are older... At least they are not missing any school days and they don't have to deal with it later. Might as well get it over and done, with, eh? I just feel so helpless 'coz they have to deal with this by themselves...

So kesian... Especially for Khaleeq.

My mom and Mak Langkawi had already scoured the whole of Puchong and beyond to get the pokok semambu that would help to ease the itch a little.. When I got back last night, his hair was sticky (and smelly) with sweat. He has not had his bath for the last so many days and his head was filled with blisters. I could actually FEEL the bumps when I ran my hand through his hair. Since I couldn't do much to help him, I started to blow his face and hair and it just kills me when he replied, "Aaahh.. That's better.."

He was actually protesting when I took the photo shot of him. I asked him to look into the mirror and he just replied, "NOOOO.. It's dangerous". I guess being a vainpot that he naturally is, it is a little hard staring back to something he could barely recognize. The chicky poxies are dead set on congregating around his eyes, nose and mouth. There's sooo many of it , I felt like fleeing the scene 'coz I was getting the itch myself! *Sheesh*

Medicine time is also a torture 'coz he'll shout and scream and kick and try his best to get out of my grasp. But, the good thing about it is that he is in high spirits. Watching Ben-10 the whole day is not that bad a deal, I guess..

Be strong, my little hero. It'll soon be over...

-dillz blogging out-

Back from the Land of Winter Sonata

Anyeo Haseo, guys...

I went away for a while leaving these lovelies behind..

It was kind of a last minute trip, so I did not get to spend a lot of time preparing the kids for the 5-day period without mom. I guess, the elder Kha-s might be ok with it. In fact they have not seen me much of late - you know, keluar pagi balik malam kind of thing.. Thankfully, their dad is always there to pick up where I slacked. (Tq so much, babe)

Anyways, I really pitied the youngest of the 3 since this would be my first time not sleeping with her eversince she was born. Kind of a first time thing for her and for me.. Nasib baik I've started weaning her a little, so I could depend on Ms Parmi to take care of dear Khaleeda at night time..

Korea is a beautiful country, we got to see some of its beauty amidst our shuffling between Seoul, Gumi and Chun An. Otherwise, it was just work, work, work.. Sometimes till wee hours in the morning.. Kinda put my mind off the kids for a while, so that was good, kinda..

My key take aways from the trip.
1. I really took a liking to the heated bidet, though. I couldn't read Korean, so I had to rely on my deciphering prowess to figure out what each button would do. Have to say that I had quite a few entertaining sessions in the loo. (P.S. There was even a button for "blow-drying" the effected area... hihi)

2. GREEN is the way to go! I noticed that they try to be "more" evironment-friendly than we do. I was told that they converted a mountain of trash into a green landscape of big trees supplying more oxygen than you'll ever need. Surprisingly, there is no trace of stench and the place now has an ultra cool postcode (ie, mahal neighbourhood)
Plus, they have separate bins for trash and recycleable items and what's more, they have free watercoolers with funky paper pockets or cones...

3. Respect is still IN. The parking attendent / traffic usherer you see here, would bow every time a car passes by. Seriously.. I witnessed his counterpart in Lotte Mart parking lot doing the same.

Khamsa Hamida, Korea. Maybe we'll meet again, someday. Just wish that I'll have more time to shop the next time around... ;P

-dillz blogging out-

Testing! Testing!

hihi
No, it's not my birthday.
Not our anniversary either.
If you could believe it, am actually blogging from my new E71. Not good at it yet, but not too shabby either..
Guess I won't have that many an excuse not to update, then, huh?
Meet the man who made it all possible..

Thanks, hun.... You know I love you..

-dillz blogging out-

Kemalasan Infiniti

Maybe it's the rendang or kuah kacang.. Maybe I am still in Raya mode. Maybe it's the desertedness level of my office. I had to literally drag my feet to work this morning. On the plus side, there were many parking spaces downstairs.

Yes, am back in the rat race. But sure feels like I am the tortoise destined to finish last. I wanna be home , sleeping the day off ... Making the visits to relatives' / friends' places and finishing their leftover ketupats and lodehs. How I wish it was Raya weekend, every single day...

I am so darn malas to finish up that report. Looks like another all-nighter then. sheesh

Oh, Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri, all.. Maaf body and soul.

-dillz blogging out-

Eyes Wide Shut

*Sigh*It's back again... It seems that I have an allergic reaction to "something" and it manifests itself in the form of hardened and stiff upper eyelid, blood red and puffy eyes. It's just as if I've been skodeng-ing someone! Sheesh..

Got a bucketful of pills to down after iftar and sahur:
1. Antibiotic - 625mg of Curam (Amoxycilin 500mg + Clavulanic Acid 125mg) - supposed to be breastfeeding friendly
2. For the phlegms - 30mg Mucosolvan ( Ambroxol. HCl)
3. Antihistamine - 125g Clarinase (5mg Loratadine + 120mg Pseudoephedrine Sulfate)
4. For "susut bengkak" - a pale peach circular pill with a Y-in-a-cirle logo on it. Doesn't say what it is just that I should not drive or operate heavy machinery after taking it.

I hope it recedes soon. Really irritating and kinda impeding my productivity (Chehhh! Alasan.. ) a bit. I can't concentrate / focus for too long 'coz my eyes get tired after squinting for a period of time. And, it hurts and itches and I just wanna rub my right eye all the time. Which , of course, is a really BAAAD idea since it'll aggravate it even more! Arrgh!!!! I get irritated easier and am not in a mood to coordinate/liaise/make small talk.

So, in a nutshell, the timing really sucks work-wise and social-mingling-iftar-gathering wise. My social calendar is literally full this week from Monday to Friday - (except on Thursday) and am meeting my primary school friends tonight! Hayya.. What a way to make a first impression after 20 odd years...

-dillz blogging out-

From LCCT with love...

Just wanted to test power and post one from th LCCT. On our way back to Kubang Kerian and have a little bit of time to kill before boarding.. So , here I am.. (rajin la pulak..)

Dah la tu.. Kang kena tinggal plane la pulak...

Will holler from the other side.. (i'll try, at least!)

-dillz blogging out-

5 Minutes Management Course

Got the following Management lessons from a colleague today. Am sure I have read them before elsewhere, but just to be sure I have them archived somewhere, I decided to share them with you.. :)

Lesson 1:
A man is getting into the shower just as his wife is finishing up her shower, when the doorbell rings. The wife quickly wraps herself in a towel and runs downstairs. When she opens the door, there stands Bob, the next-door neighbour. Before she says a word, Bob says, 'I'll give you $800 to drop that towel.' After thinking for a moment just, the woman drops her towel and stands naked in front of Bob, after a few seconds, Bob hands her $800 and leaves. The woman wraps back up in the towel and goes back upstairs. When she gets to the bathroom, her husband asks, 'Who was that?' 'It was Bob the next door neighbour,' she replies. 'Great,' the husband says, 'did he say anything about the $800 he owes me?'

Moral of the story:

If you share critical information pertaining to credit and risk with your shareholders in time, you may be in a position to prevent avoidable exposure.

Lesson 2:

A priest offered a Nun a lift. She got in and crossed her legs, forcing her gown to reveal a leg. The priest nearly had an accident. After controlling the car, he stealthily slid his hand up her leg. The nun said, 'Father, remember Psalm 129?' The priest removed his hand. But, changing gears, he let his hand slide up her leg again. The nun once again said, 'Father, remember Psalm 129?' The priest apologized 'Sorry sister but the flesh is weak.' Arriving at the convent, the nun sighed heavily and went on her way. On his arrival at the church, the priest rushed to look up Psalm 129. It said, 'Go forth and seek, further up, you will find glory.'

Moral of the story:

If you are not well informed in your job, you might miss a great opportunity.

Lesson 3:

A sales rep, an administration clerk, and the manager are walking to lunch when they find an antique oil lamp. They rub it and a Genie comes out. The Genie says, 'I'll give each of you just one wish.' 'Me first! Me first!' says the admin clerk. 'I want to be in the Bahamas , driving a speedboat, without a care in the world.' Puff! She's gone. 'Me next! Me next!' says the sales rep. 'I want to be in Hawaii , relaxing on the beach with my personal masseuse, an endless supply of Pina Coladas and the love of my life.' Puff! He's gone. 'OK, you're up,' the Genie says to the manager. The manager says, 'I want those two back in the office after lunch.'

Moral of the story:

Always let your boss have the first say.

Lesson 4 :

An eagle was sitting on a tree resting, doing nothing. A small rabbit saw the eagle and asked him, 'Can I also sit like you and do nothing?' The eagle answered: 'Sure, why not.' So, the rabbit sat on the ground below the eagle and rested. All of a sudden, a fox appeared, jumped on the rabbit and ate it.

Moral of the story:

To be sitting and doing nothing, you must be sitting very, very high up.

Lesson 5:

A turkey was chatting with a bull. 'I would love to be able to get to the top of that tree' sighed the turkey, 'but I haven't got the energy.' 'Well, why don't you nibble on some of my droppings?' replied the bull. They're packed with nutrients.' The turkey pecked at a lump of dung, and found it actually gave him enough strength to reach the lowest branch of the tree. The next day, after eating some more dung, he reached the second branch. Finally after a fourth night, the turkey was proudly perched at the top of the tree. He was promptly spotted by a farmer, who shot him out of the tree.

Moral of the story:

Bull Sh*t might get you to the top, but it won't keep you there..

Lesson 6 :

A little bird was flying south for the winter. It was so cold the bird froze and fell to the ground into a large field. While he was lying there, a cow came by and dropped some dung on him. As the frozen bird lay there in the pile of cow dung, he began to realize how warm he was. The dung was actually thawing him out! He lay there all warm and happy, and soon began to sing for joy. A passing cat heard the bird singing and came to investigate. Following the sound, the cat discovered the bird under the pile of cow dung, and promptly dug him out and ate him.

Morals of the story:

(1) Not everyone who sh*ts on you is your enemy.

(2) Not everyone who gets you out of sh*t is your friend.

(3) And when you're in deep sh*t, it's best to keep your mouth shut!

Enjoy the day!

-dillz blogging out-

Ramadhan Is Here

Ramadhan is here again and these are the things that I look forward to in the holy month of Ramadhan:

- The sahur time - seems like I have more time at hand since I don't normally sleep after sahur. Very handy when one has to finish up a report or need time blogging and facebooking. Me likey!

- The food, what else? The endless variety of delicacies from the PaRams (short for Pasar Ramadhan) around. Our favourite PaRam spots include the one in front of Masjid Saidina Abu Bakar in Bangsar - look out for the killer Rojak Penang and cendol ; in front of Giant kecik in Kelana Jaya - try the Ikan Bakar Fend and murtabak from Man Bess; in Pantai Dalam - for my favourite cucur udang and of course, in front of Taman Tenaga, Puchong - various dishes from Q-Caterers. Nope, don't go to all of them before breaking fast. Pick one (or two, if you have the time) and go with that! :) (Sorry, Ayoi and Zara.. You all ambik bau je la... heh heh heh)

- The earlier release time of 4:30pm from work. Yeay! More time to melawat kawasan - kawasan PaRam.

- It's been a kind of a tradition for our household to spend at least ONE fasting weekend at my in-law's place in Kubang Kerian. The PaRam at the Kota Bharu stadium is just insane. Sooooo many stalls and soooo many GOOD FOOD! I just can't wait! Oh, we are going to KB this Thursday, y'all!! Yum Yum..

- The Ramadhan buffet madness in Klang Valley. I don't normally go to many, the few that I go to are carefully planned and serves as a catch up session with various groups of childhood friends. ;) (Yes, Amy .. I am talking to you.. Get that IKEA thingy going, girl!)

-Getting our Raya cards out. I believe in the snail mail. It's sooo old school, I know but I love receiving Raya cards too! I still have the list from last year, but if you have changed addresses since, and you wanna get a Raya card from the Azrul clan, drop me your address.

- Time for ibadat. Khadra and Khaleeq are excited to follow us to the mosque for Tarawikh. Khadra was with me at the Tarawikh tonight and she was just doing the motions. Of course, she did complaint that she was sweating la... her head is itchy la... But, at least she kept her telekung on until the last rakaat. Good enough for me.. :) I'm trying to get every Tarawikh night this year. Should also try to read as much Al-Quran verses as possible. I hope this does not turn out to be yet another one of my infamous HHTA plans...

Though my list does not seem to agree, but to me, it's not ALL about the food. Personally, Ramadhan serves as a little check point in my life.

In 2002, I had my first Ramadhan with my new hubby - adapting to a new way of Ramadhan and another place to call kampung. I was at the early stages of my pregnancy with Khadra then.

In 2003 and 2004, our family grew from 2 to 3 to 4. :)

2007 saw me carrying Khaleeda in my tummy while trying to maintain a sane household with Khadra and Khaleeq running around.

This year, my two kids are already big enough to follow us for tarawikh and start on their half-day puasas.

It just got me to thinking, you know.. Will I be there for them next year? Have I done enough? In all honesty, am I actually prepared? In the busy-ness of our day-to-day lives, I hardly ever think about the future. Always trying to resolve the now, firefighting.. The report I have to write, the bug that had the whole family vomitting and having diarrhea, Khadra's field trip, Khaleeq's haircut, Khaleeda's biscuits, Parmi's passport and permit, etc, etc, etc.. It just doesn't end.. Ramadhan gives me the chance to pause and prioritize. Beef up on the insufficients. Make ammends. Be calmer, breathe more..

So, maaf zahir batin and have a blessed Ramadhan y'all.. Make it count , this time round..

-dillz blogging out-

Seharian di Kedutaan

The place? Kedutaan Republik Indonesia at Jalan Tun Abdul Razak
Purpose? Had to renew my maid's passport

We were greeted with :
"Kami siap melayani anda dengan mudah, murah, cepat, aman, nyaman dan ramah"
So, here's my assessment on the whole process.

mudah?
From the gate, we were ushered to the officer in charge of all the formulir. (forms). He took a look at my maid's passport and gave us the correct form, PLUS, he reminded me to photocopy IC majikan.
Form was very very simple - I think I only had to fill in ; Name, Sex, Date of Birth, Name & Address of Majikan, Name & Address of someone to contact back in Indo. No unnecessary information required. :)
Went to photocopy hubby's IC at the photocopy kiosk. The guy went ahead and photocopied the recent permit as well as front and back cover of Parmi's old passport.
There's also a photo booth in case you forgot to bring 4 passport photograph with red background. (He only charged RM10 for the 4 copies)
Then, went to the officer to take our number.
Process wise, we only had to submit our application , pay the guy and the passport will be ready on the same day.
Easy enough? I think so. :)

murah?
The fee for a 24 page passport id RM22.00
Is that cheap? Damn right, it's cheap.

cepat?
Our turn was number 1441. They were currently serving number 1281. The time was at 11:27am. An hour later, they were serving 1376.

All in all we were done by 15:00.
3 and a half hours? Not too bad, la..

aman?
What does this really mean? Peaceful as in nobody shouting? Well, it was aman, I guess..

nyaman?
Definitely nyaman. The waiting hall is air-conditioned!

ramah?

Very the. The officer attending us at the loket lima was so chatty and nice. Even photocopied another page of the old paspor for me. Siap tanya kampung kat mana, you.. heh heh heh

All in all, we walked into the embassy's gate at 11am and walked out at 3pm. Four hours of my life was spent at the Indo Embassy that day.... Out of 5 maximum scoring, I rate them 4. Not bad, la huh?

-dillz blogging out-

An ANT Adventure

There is a boy by the name of Anthony. He is Ema's Actuarial Science coursemate from LSE. They have just completed their undergraduate studies and Ant is vacationing around South East Asia. He just came back from Kuching, experiencing the real long-house , complete with the several-hour rides on the skinny-planked boat. You see, he is not into the typical touristy places, shopping malls and the like.

So, when he came to our house for his next stop, we were under a lot of pressure to measure up and let him experience Malaysia off the beaten track. First off, my mom and dad took him to see our neighbour's Malay wedding - so, that's something he's never done before. (Good...) That night, we took him out for a satay experience at the R&R in Kinrara. Turned out that he's had satay before , in London, mind you.. ish.. ish.. ish.. (Not so Good..) Later, we promised to meet up with Ant, Ema and Ki at Hartamas Square for some late supper, so that he really understands that we are all about food, food, food here in Malaysia. Had some lala chilli which was a little chewy for his liking.. (Okay Good...)

Since it was a Sunday night and people actually have work to go to the next day, there's not much to show him that night. My hubby, however, had a brilliant idea of taking him to , where else but, Putrajaya. (btw, it was already 11.30pm by then) So, we did and the following photos kinda captured what we did there.. ;)

So, have fun and do take care wherever you are, Ant! Hope our little outing made it into your little brown exercise book. Oh, and please refrain yourself should you wanna comment on whether or not I am pregnant. I am not. :)~~~

-dillz blogging out-

Gallery of Pictures

Am done with excuses, so am not trying to explain myself here. :)~~

Here's a little pictoral gallery in chronological order (with minimum narration, of course) for your viewing pleasure.

1. My Baby Khaleeda's Aqiqah

She was almost 6 months old when we finally had the ceremony. Khaleeda had changed into 3 outfits by end of event and was such a doll the whole way through. Preparation wise, had a lot of help from Hubby who was doing the running around since I was away for an assignment in Melaka, Ziezi (event planner), Mak Anjang, Eno for the lovely decoration of the buai, and of course my mom and sisters.

The star attraction was, without a doubt 3 "kambing goleks" that tasted just heavenly. Yumm....

Got a beautiful black album of photos from KC of http://www.myshotswedding.com/

Cupcakes are from Zura who did excellently especially on the bootie cuppies. Me likey! (don't have her link as yet, will update later)

Check out Khaleeda's very own gallery here! And some more pictures in my facebook here: Majlis Aqiqah Khaleeda.

2. Phuket Island Vacation

Wonderful island getAWAY vacation with my family, ZZ's family, Boy, Ewa & Eski, Tilong & Harris and Feizy. We set base in Kantary Bay at Cape Panwa which had a wonderful restaurant with a muslim chef next door and an array of muslim hawker stalls lining the street towards our hotel. So, that kinda sorted our F&B issue. The place was a little while away (about 45 minutes, actually) from Patong Beach and Phuket. But, it worked for us as we kinda liked the peace and tranquility there, and there's always the option of leaving the kids while we 'experience' the night life in Patong. *evil muah hah hah*.
Highlights of the trip:
- went island hopping to the three Kai islands, with kids in tow. I had to leave Deeda behind with Parmi due to the boat trip.
- a little bit of shopping in Patong (btw, lovely nutella / banana pancake by the roadside *two thumbs up-a must try*)
- a brand new tailored suit for me, hubs, Nazz, Boy & Eski. Damn cheap at just RM400 per suit
- 10 of us (or so) crammed into a tuk-tuk coz we were damn tired to walk the 200m to be robbed in bright daylight by the Arab restaurant - bloody Ali Baba, hampeh betul!
-The 'night life' in Patong -- hmmm how shall we say it, a lil interesting? *sheesh*
- lots and lots massages

3. Khadra and Khaleeq's Pirate & Princess Party

We hosted the themed party by the poolside of Pantai Hillpark. Most of the kids came dressed as either a princess or a pirate. Since it has been a while since we last threw a party, this one was done in a lot of style. *perasan*

Activities for the kids include; face-painting (by Kira), nail art and tattoo (SLIMRED), games (hosted by MC Liyana) and jumping along in the bouncy castle. Oh, there was also a Wii/ Guitar Hero canopy set up for kids and adults alike.
Buntings were specially designed by bro-in-law Eski. He did it from scratch, y'all!! Just AWESOME!! Party planning overseen by Ziezi, of course.. Photography (professional) by Hafiz (Raff's bf) and (amateur) by Af's Sony Alpha A350. (I think Kira took most of it)
Food catered from Restoran Delima and additional satay from Satay Salam. Cake in the form of a castle ordered from Noresh of Baking with Passion , supplemented by pirate themed cupcakes from Zura, yet again.. I love them cute pirates.. (*yes, I need to get her link up here..*)

More pictures at my facebook page: Princess & Pirate party

4. Family Photoshoot

Yup, the Zaghlol's Photo Shoot is back again.. We had an additional 3 kids (Neyna, Laiqa and Deeda) and a brother-in-law from the last one done in 2006. Everyone was in their baju melayus and baju kurungs for the first session and we changed to a more formal outfit after. (Actuallynya, saja nak menunjuk suit baru buat kat Phuket *heh heh heh*) The boys even had a little session to boast their Guitar Hero skills.. Really... ;)

Thank you, Min from prettypeektures. Check out a selection of pictures here: My Favourite

-dillz blogging out-

.. and a series of HHTA plans were crafted

I was just minding my own business on one fine Friday morning when my next door cubicle-neighbour came in with his blood profile results. There was a health campaign running at LG1 level whereby a few of the PMCare panel clinics / hospitals set up booths offering tests and checks to gauge our current health conditions. Suffice to say that he sparked my interest, curiosity and a little anxiety to perform the RM5 blood test as well. While I was at it, I also queued up for the BMI / fat profiling, eye test, diabetis and bone density checks. (Phew, that was a mouthful!)

The results?

BMI / fat profiling -

Doing good at the BMI section, had an almost ideal 22.6 and VFAT count of 4 (Normal).

My BMR is at 1291 kcal daily (ie can only have that much intake per day)

Body Fat at 34% (Ouch!) and that entirely explains why people have been wondering whether I am pregnant now. *heh heh heh*

The 'adik' who interpreted the results was so sweet saying;

"Inilah badan yang diidamkan semua wanita (with regards to the BMI), tapi lemak tu , ada lebih sikit. Kakak jangan lah makan lemak ayam tu, ya... But, since you are still breastfeeding, jangan bimbang. Nanti, langsinglah balik... "

Thank you, 'adik'. You're sooo sweet, please..

Eye test -

Perfect eyesight (Alhamdulillah) but highly sensitive to allergents

Diabetis / glucose level test -

5.5, but I just ate 2 hrs prior. So, that's ok.

Bone density check -

Off the chart 113.5. anything above 92 was OK. So, that means I am in Excellent condition, bone density wise.

Blood profile -

will come in this evening..

So, what does this mean for me, personally?

Well, I reacted how I knew best, I suppose. A series of HHTA (it's hangat-hangat tahi ayam, btw for the uninitiated) plans were crafted to immediately address my major issues.

For example, to address my lack of exercise and 'lemak' 'condition' ;

HHTA Plan A : I shall either ; a) swim a minimum of 4 laps, or b) do a 30-minute cardio workout at the pre-paid gym prior to going to work in the morning. (a little ambitious, but CAN be done..)

HHTA Plan B: I shall walk up the stairs from Level 5 up till Level 9 after my breakfast at the office canteen at Level 3. (Yes, it does mean that i shall take the lift from Level 3 up till Level 5, thank you very much and VERY DO-able)

HHTA Plan C : To cut down on the sugary sweet, coloured drinks (especially Teh Ais and NO MORE carbonated drinks) and stick to warm plain water aka 'sky juice'. To only drink 30-minutes after my meals , as opposed to gulping it down every 3 mouthful of food.

Others are still being crafted as I type this.. *heh heh heh*

To make the heat last a little longer, I also got an accomplice in the form of Ms Adeeb "Inul" Mustapha to walk the stairs up with me every damn working morning. *heh heh heh*.. I hope it works (for at least a week!)

-dillz blogging out-

Sharing Is Caring..

Just a little note for the day.

I read this over at one of my favourite makcik blogger's place.

Adakah Patut?

hah hah hah

Saya baru nak active balik, sudah ada orang kena sound... Suka hati lah labu....

-dillz blogging out-

Distraction

Been a while since I made my last entry. While Ken Lee can be very, very funny - I guess it will get a little old after a while.. Before I lose all 4 of my readers out there, I tought I'd better make a cameo once in a while..

Thus, here I am back at it again.. heh heh heh

I just want to rant today. So, if you are not up for it. Come back after a month when my next post might be uploaded. Otherwise, stay.. Whatever, I don't really care..

Life's been a little hectic kind of late. In truth, I am kinda sick of it. Sick of vomitting report after report.. Sick of going to work, back from work at night and waking up wee hours in the morning to have clarity and specificity in what I write in that darn report. Kids are on their term break and I am slogging like a tired old dog. Slotting in Khadra's term homework while pumping for Khaleeda's EBM stock. Even hubby can't secure an appointment to meet me up for lunch! Dad's in the ward for the past 3 weeks for appendicitis and the complications that came with it, and I just came in for a Hi-Hi , Bye-Bye, once in a blue moon. Sometimes, I go visit and end up catching up on lost sleep on Mom's matress/ double duvet on the ward floor. Even worse, there were times I went to the hospital on the pretext to see my Dad to get away from my kids to write that damn report(s). Sheesh! Working damn bloody hard, I tell you. I guess I could just produce a so-so kind of report, leave it up to the team leader to take the heat of my crappy issues. Hah - I wish!

Sometimes, I do wish that I am just a very very wealthy woman who does not have to do this day in and day out. Go for brunches at 11.30 am, meni/pedi appointment before lunch, late lunch with hubby at some ridiculously expensive restaurants that serve you puny portions of meals you can't even pronounce and enjoy a 4-hour pampering spa treatment after. Bila tu, yang??? hah hah hah..

Back to planet Earth..

Told you I just wanted to rant.

Now, back to that darn report...

-dillz blogging out-

Ken Lee

I just can't get enough of this woman. She is Valentina Hasan, a Bulgarian trying to make it in their version of "American Idol". I just love her quiet confidence. Watch her!

I bet you it'll be tops at any karaoke session you might attend in the future. (I can personally attest to that!) So, please feel free to cut and paste the lyrics for memorizing purposes. I don't mind. heh heh heh

No one ken to ken to sivmen

nor yon clees toju maliveh

When I gez aju zavateh na nalechoo more

new yonuz tonigh molinigh

yon sorra shooo

yes ees shooo, ooo

Ken Lee

tulibu dibu douchoo

Ken Lee

ken lee meju more

Ken Lee

tulibu dibu douchoo

Ken Lee

ken lee meju more

Berhantu, kan? I find myself playing this clip over and over again... And laughing and smiling like a silly cow while staring at my laptop sceen. My colleagues must all think I have finally lost it! heh heh heh

Just love that "tulibu dibu douchoo" part - can't resist it!

If you are like me then you can't get enough of her. So, here's a bit more of her, in a slightly improved (ie. with better English) version. She's called back as a guest artiste in Music Idol - ala William Hung. Cayalah minah ni..

-dillz blogging out-

April, am I a Fool?

It was this day, 7 years ago, I stepped into the HR office to serve my 10-year bond. Teringat pulak adinda zaman dolu-dolu...

I was chosen in 1993 to be one of the scholarship recipients to continue my studies abroad. Off we (all 100 or so of us) were shipped to Kolej Bestari (#4, was it?) in UM for our obligatory 2-months English course. Then, for a 10-day Outward Bound School in Lumut and another 2 weeks of induction course in Taiping. Lucky, eh? Little did I know that this was where lifelong friends were made. We laughed, learnt, cried, camped, gossiped and grew together.

This was the basis of our close-knit support group for our studies (no matter where it was), our work life and now, our family life. At 18-years old, I already had my whole life charted for me. Study A-levels in the UK for 2 years, 3/4 years for my Degree/Masters in Engineering and back to my country to serve "The Company" for 10-years. It seemed like a sweet deal at the time. Damn lucky, I tell you..

I had a lot of fun while I was in Cobham doing my A-Levels. Went horseback riding, boating, camping, rock climbing, even went for an exchange program to the US of A for a month! Especially so with schoolmates like Che Nah, Lisa and Liza. We had loads of fun eating nasi sejuk with KFC brought all the way from Malaysia. The exeats were blissful as we got an apartment to ourselves right smack in the middle of London town! The midnight exploration to Trocadero, the new year celebrations, the makan feasts! All seemed to go as planned when I got my conditional acceptance of AAB into Corpus. Come the day for our results, I got just that! Was I relieved.. I just made it to Cambridge! Lucky, no?

Later, the results was changed to 3As due to my Chemistry teacher's complaint. hah hah *She is sooo sweet, even wrote me a card to remind me to tell my sponsor that I got better results!* I have to admit that I took it easy in Cambridge; went rowing in the morning, (well, not really.. I was the cox, so I kinda shouted more than anything else) going to classes, labs and tutorials, taking part in the Malaysian dances, pot lucks and such but all the time I was silently thinking when will my lucky streak run out. It was just kinda surreal to me.. Can't really explain it.. I even made plans to visit Lily in Australia to spend my summer there. But, as soon as I entered the exam hall, I knew I was not coming back the next year. Suddenly, it hit me. This is it! I'm gonna have to start fresh.

I was a fool. I know. Not many people got the opportunity that I did. Yet, I blew it! After crying my eyeballs out, I decided to face the consequences head on. The problem's not gonna go away just because you are hiding from it. Bounce back, girl.. You know you can do it.. So, I decided that I shall do exactly that! It was decided for me by the powers that be that I shall start my American Degree Program in PPP/ITM , Shah Alam. No credit transfers - just start again, my dear! I wasn't in the objecting mode, so I just kept it low and went to Shah Alam with my tails tucked neatly between my hiney. It so happens that I got to make more lifelong friends and one of them happens to be my soul-mate. *hah hah hah Nasib baik I kena balik Malaysia, kalau tak tak jumpa you, yang!*So, you see, things could not have turned out any better! There is always a silver lining in every storm, if you know where to look for it.

You see, there are many events in my life that I can truly bitch about.

YES, even now..

and NO, my life is NOT a bed of roses, unlike what some people might think.

Just because I don't whine, it does NOT mean that I do not have problems. I believe that everyone gets their fair share of shit. Me, included. I do, however, try to search for the lessons to be learnt, the positive side of things, the goodness in people.. Some may call it being optimistic, some may call me a fool. Call me what you want, it's just my way, my choice to stay happy.

Be rid you negative people. Stay as far away from me! Shoo!

-dillz blogging out-

Row, Row, Row Your Boat!

Ya Ampunnnn!!! This is going to be my desclaimer post - the main reason why I have not been blogging lately.. Wa busy, lah... (lame excuse, I know, but kinda valid, ok?)

For the second year in the running, TM is one of the esteemed sponsors of the Oxbridge Malaysia Boat Race 2008. We were also in it last year, where we really kicked butt! The 29th March event is very much similar to the last:

• The traditional rivals - coxless four skull boat race between Oxford and Cambridge.
• The sponsors' race - dragon boat race between TM and Deloitte.
• The inter alumni - coxed four sweep boat race between Oxford and Cambridge and Harvard.

Kinda stressful for us since we needed to defend the Challenge Trophy we won last year. This year's crew mainly consists of the old folks who are still in TM (we lost Izrin to Bangladesh (work), Muzairy to Germany (studies), Lambert to BAT and Mugun to an undisclosed company) plus new recruits from other 50 Top Universities and not to forget some new (read: young) muscles who are in their early 20s. Yeay! More power to the people!!

Practice was much less than last year since the rental for the boat has gone up slightly. We only managed to go down to the lake 5 times (inclusive a mock race with the good people of Putrajaya Holdings).

The actual day itself was too sunny for my liking. Dang, it was hot!!!! This year the scull and sweep events ran for about 1.5 km and the dragon boat race was only between the two sponsors. I kinda wished that we got to row twice , macam tak puas...

Anywho, the results?? As usual, Oxford won all the university races. And more importantly, we once again kicked butt leaving Deloitte trailing a few boats' length behind. Woo-hoo!!! TM Boleh!! After the prize giving ceremony, we ate lunch and everybody went home a happy camper.

Personally, I am looking forward to a nice lunch with the guys and also the Boat Race Gala Dinner. Till next year then...

-dillz blogging out-

Ada Apa Dengan Gediks???

My daughter surprised me yesterday with her short self-video. Yup, you read it right.. She video-ed herself! (In front of the mirror, mind you..) I uploaded 3 of her masterpiece in YouTube already.
For a sneak peek, Enjoy!!


A little How-to video on what to do during a fire. Sound, sound advice! I believe she got this inspiration from "Elmo Visits the FireHouse" CD we got Khaleeq 2 weeks back.


Her other ramblings include:
Restrike!! - gibberish all around. But, coupled with a LOT of attitude and style!

Subtitlist - practising to replace the Japanese voice over people in RTM.

-dillz blogging out-

The Day That Was..

We decided that this was the year for Khadra to join a preschool to ease her transition into primary school in 2010. (No, it's not thaaaat far!) For the past 2 and a half years, she has been attending Early Years Playgroup in Damansara Heights where they were more into wholistic development. I must say that they have done a terrific job on Khadra and she have blossomed into a sweet, confident girl who loves to draw, paint and perform- I mean, just look at her dance and sing. To think that she was barely even speaking when she first came in, it is truly amazing!

She is now attending Beaconhouse preschool and here's some pictures of her first day of school - all smiles in her new uniform. (also Naqib's first day of Primary One in SKBD) However, I found it extremely difficult to coax her to prepare for school in the mornings. She takes almost 30 minutes to down her "Shishu Milo", cries before taking her shower, finds all sorts of excuses to NOT go to school for that day.

There was this one stretch that she missed almost the whole week; cited reason - sick. (cough, vomitting, what not) The next week, as we were walking towards the car, all clad in her gym outfit, she vomitted infront of me. So, I thought, "Aahh.. She's not well.. Let's not go to school, then.." I took her up our house and from the corner of my eyes, I think I saw a little smirk on her face. The next day, she vomitted, even before we were out the house. Another day of NOT going to school. Khadra -2, Mommy-0.

That night, we were just talking and she somehow let out : "I made myself vomit. hah hah" and in my mind, I immediately went, "What? Is this girl playing me? Waaa.... so terror.. Tipah tertipu...." So that was the end of it. For the next day and the day after the next.. She was dragged to school come hail, or snow, or storm, or vomit.

Very sneaky, eh? I know it'll take some time for her to adjust to the new school environment. Bigger school, bigger class, new faces - both friends and teachers, new requirements (uniforms, homework). It is quite a lot to take in, I guess, for a little 4.5 year old Khadra... Maybe she just needs a little more time.

In the meantime, I think I need to just support her and bribe her with breakfast before school at the local mamak or an island holiday.. heh heh heh The things mommies have to do these days...

-dillz blogging out-

Sorry Mary!

Been lazy at updating. I know. Have loads to write but kinda been a little tied up buying and selling off my family and friends at Friends For Sale in Facebook. heh heh heh

Will definitely put some stuff up here for your reading pleasure.

Till then!

-dillz blogging out-

Thirty Three

.. and counting. Hoop-de-doo!

The whole family was at our humble abode the night before. Since it was a spontaneous plan, we ended up having rice with chicken korma (courtesy of Illa) and Parmi fried loads of chicken with a plate of omelette and sambal belacan at the side. Not very fancy, I know.. We ended the night with a happy birthday song and me cutting the obligatory birthday cake. (Had chocolate cheese cake this year which was absolute yum!)

Azrul treated me to a birthday lunch at Victoria Station. We had the usual Indonesian Oxtail soup and Chili Spare Ribs. The birthday girl decided on Lobster Thermidor as a special treat. The food was good but the ambience was better. Since ours was a late lunch - the 3pm crowd was almost non-existent. The kids were really having a time of their life, running around the restaurant and acting like their grandfather owned it. Since there were no other patrons at that time, we just let them enjoy driving the train and going round and round the coach for the umpteenth time.

Speaking about Coach... Have a look at my brand new find and salivate!
My very own Bleecker Flap Leather Duffle bag. I love you, Azrul... Maybe another one next year? heh heh heh

-dillz blogging out-

Short Break

We took the opportunity to go down south the New Year weekend with Ziezi's family. The plan was to stay in Orchard Road for one night for intense shopping session and also half-a-day at Sentosa Island for the kids' enjoyment.

We managed a superb rate at the Grand Central Hotel (behind Le Meridien) thanks to Ziezi's persuassive bargaining power which was OK in location and conveniently had a Halal hawker stall nearby for lunch and dinner. After the first wave of shopping at Robinsons', hubby and I unanimously decided that it was easier to get the shopping done withOUT the kids. So, we sent the elder ones back to the room , under the watchful eyes of Parmi.

Off we went; me , hubby and Khaleeda in her Baby Bjorn carrier for some serious shopping. (That carrier is a real God-sent! She looked so snug in it and was practically asleep most of the time) Shopping with Khaleeda was a breeze coz the malls here have sufficient facilities for nursing and baby changing. The breastfeeding rooms were comfy & clean and I was rather surprised to see many mothers were breastfeeding their babies here. Even saw one lady expressing her milk during one of Khaleeda's breaks-- heh heh heh..

Thankfully, we didn't do much damage shopping this time round. It was mostly for the kids and I was very happy when I managed to get the Bumbo seats for Khaleeda for S$69.00. Have been trying to get one in KL but to no avail; seems that the stocks have run out around here. For myself, got a hell of a bargain at Polo Ralph Lauren for a raw denim low-cut jeans. Me very happy, me likey! Other than that, biasa-biasa je....

The Sentosa Island trip was purely for the kids. We were in time for the animal encounter show and even crossed a hanging wobbly bridge for some photo op. The kids were a little upset when they found out that they couldn't go swimming in the sea. In fact, Khadra was the loudest in expressing her disappointment;
"We are doing NOTHING at the beach?"
Amboi, marah ke makcik?? heh heh heh

Wanted to watch The Sounds of the Sea but the earlier show was already full-housed. So, we headed to Arab Street for dinner instead. There was a long row of restaurants serving all sorts of food. Taste-wise, I thought that it wasn't anything much to shout about. We have better tasting food here. But, I was mighty impressed that the Singaporeans did not double-park and all vehicles were parked in their designated spaces. Seriously...

-dillz blogging out-