Mode Study : ON

Been a little tied up these couple of days. I have been diligently hitting the books, don't you know? :) I am sitting for the final installation of my CIA series. (It's the Certified Internal Auditor exams, if you don't already know) Already sat for parts I, II and IV within this last year and before I knew it, the expiry date for Part III was nearing. *Sheesh* Knowing me, kalau tak paksa, memang la tak buat. So, me and Linda sneakily registered for Part III some 6 months ago just to make sure that we would be forced to sit for it by year end. hihihihihi

So, I had no choice, but to make some time to study for it, walaupun busy yang teramat sangat. There are 380 pages of content to read, and of course to attempt the online questions. Insya Allah, cukup lah preparation untuk exam. I actually had the awareness pretty early. We (Linda and me) even met up at the office on fine Saturday to study together-gether. Semangat tu... Siap bekal Hot Grande Toffe Nut Latte sorang satu and some pastries / bun/ cheese cake from The Loaf. :)

But, as usual lah, typical me at the last minute baru nak ramp up the studying. Masalah problemnya, awal-awal tu, baca pun macam kura-kura. Adoiaiiii... Benak lah pulak... hihihihi As I write this, Linda will be sitting for her exam in the next 12 hours, while I shall follow suit 24 hours after her. Currently, I just finished Section A and onto Section B - about 130 pages down. Finished the online questions for Pre-test as well as Section A. Adoii banyaknya lagi nak buat. namun masih sempat untuk squeeze a little time to write this. *Hey, everyone needs a break, no?*

So, do send some great luck along my way. I sure need them. Tak tidur lah malam ni nampaknya... ;)

Updated : 15 December 2010, 7:24am
Morning!

I am already back at the grindstone. Managed to finish a whole segment before I went to sleep this morning at about 4.30am. Thanks to my bottle of Tazo, loud reading, multi-coloured pens and highlighter and the frequent twitter and fb breaks. :)

Decided that I needed the sleep more than anything, so I succumbed to my bed. I did promise to wake up early and try to finish at least one segment (consisting of 30 or so pages) before we go off to Khaleeda's presentation. Apparently, we need to be there by 10.45am. Namun, masih sempat download BloggerPlus to blog from iPad. :)

When I went to bed this morning (for a measly 2 hours plus) I could swear that I was trying to slot 7 more segments of 30+ pages into the day. Esok dah nak exam,wei. Sempat ke ni?

Ayyoh! Stress aku! Hihihihihihihi

Updated : 16 December 2010, 8:24am

Morning....

I got word yesterday that my colleague did not make it through the exam semalam. Dah kata dah. Part 3 ni susah... :(

Memang saya pun down giller. Tapi, since memang fees pun dah bayar, baik pulun je la... Do my best and see how. At the very least I have gone through the studying part. And if ditakdirkan saya pun menerima nasib yang sama, next time around boleh concentrate on the questions pullok. Makanya, decision is to just bulldoze sahaja and do as much and as best as I can.

Dapatlah tidur 3plus hours this morning selepas memulun. Status sekarang -
Completed reading (sometimes speed) 324 out of 380 pages.yang tak terbaca is Section E about Information Technology.
Online questions dah siapkan Sections A, B and D. Started on C. Yang tinggal to do are: the Post test, Sections C and E.

Memandangkan dalam waktu yang getir sebegini, Imma skipping the rest and concentrating on the online questions this morning. Kalau sempat karang, high speed reading lah apa-apa yang patut sebelum masuk exam room at 12 pm today! :)

I really need the luck! Sat lagi, berita suka atau duka, saya update. ;)

-dillz blogging out-

The (Attempt of an ) Explanation

*bringing in the vaccuum*

Hola! Soi Dilla.

Sorry for the awkward long silence. Guwe busy. Ni baru nak tulis-tulis balik. Coz I have really missed writing.

Please, do allow me to blame it on:
1. twitter - guwe lepas gian di sinun. (If you haven't already, follow me at @dillazag to read my mumbles and rantings.) Though di sinun pun not as prolific as I want to be. But at least ada lah appearance.

2. Work - there has been a tremendous amount of work to be finalized by year-end. Managed to clear a few already. But, I still have a few more layers of "mangkuk tingkat" i.e. outstanding work.

Can't think of anything else to point at. So, this shall have to suffice. I will be checking in regularly (Insya Allah) from here onwards. There's a lot to tell. A lot to share. Till later, though. Too-da-loo!

-dillz blogging out-

Peeking In

*dust* *dust*
cough cough

Hi there!

*runs back out the door*

-dillz blogging out-

And Another Long Unplanned Leave

Well, not very long this time. Just 7 days of MC from the day I was warded in Pantai Medical Centre, Bangsar.

Warded, did I say?

Sorry, getting a tad ahead of myself.

This is how it happened.

I was having breakfast with some of the mommies from Khadra's school at Pekan Kopitiam. A joint that was very near to the school. I actually was not very keen on going since I was experiencing "tummy upsets" since the night before. "Upset" here, actually refers to pains in the tummy without the urge to go to the toilet. Gassy, cramping - enough to make you cringe and just wanna curl up in bed with a pillow firmly pressed on your stomach. That kind of "upset".

So, back to my story. ( Suddenly having an eerie feeling that this narration is a little bit like How I Met Your Mother. Hahaha. Influenced by @azrulx lah ni)

We were about to leave when suddenly I realized there was a small puddle of blood on the Kopitiam floor.
And on my seat.
A little check on my hiney revealed that I had a bloody spot on my baju kurung too. (mind you, we are talking about 2 layers of kain and 2 layers of baju here - both had lining)
Panic set in.

I told my breakfast buddies about it and they were very quick to respond.
A little convo exchanged on whether I have had my menses yet since my last D&C procedure on 18 August 2010, to which I replied a No. We decided that it was best to send me to the hospital right away to have this checked. Ziezi thought it would be a better idea to send me straight to Dr. Hamid Arshad's clinic that happened to be some 50meters away from where we were. Fiza took of her cardigan for me to wrap around my waist. Melor was beside me already memimpin me to walk. All the time I was literally dripping blood trails and my head was slightly woozy already.

Nasib baik the clinic was already opened by then and the good doctor had surgery thst morning. So the place was not its usual packed self. Me and my entourage waited by the registration counter in the lobby. It was pretty gruesome - I could physically feel the gush of blood coming out in batches. They had to put a liner on the stoll I was sitting on as well as under my feet. There were just sooo much blood. Rasa macam telenovela pulak. Punyalah drama. :( A few phone calls ensued - packing my stuff at the office, getting some items from home to change into seeing that my panties and my baju were drenched in my own blood, getting all the said stuff over. (Thank God for Saufi)

Anyhoots, the doctor suspected that I was pregnant - very early pregnancy lah coz the ultrasound image showed there was a sac of blood in my uterus. Another D&C procedure was scheduled that evening. Myself? Entahlah. I felt numb. Takda perasaan. It ran on auto-pilot right after. Getting myself checked into the hospital, yadda..yadda..yadda..

Fact is, I've had 2 D&C procedures in 2 months. Wow! That is some kind of record in the Zaghlol clan. Thing is it can not be good for the body, can it? Bottom line is I have to start taking better care of myself. *Sigh*

So, that's my update. How have life been treating you this past couple of months?

-dillz blogging out-

Mencari Inspirasi Nak Kerja

I really should be on holiday already. But since I am not, I thought I'd spice up the day today and come to work in abaya, smokey eyes complete with stilettos. Apa lah sangat, right. Prolly, for some of you, that is your standard uniform to work. But it is kind of a big deal for me. I am more the clean-your- face, tone and mosturize kind of girl. Slap on the sunscreen and I am ready for work. Maybe a swish of black liquid eyeliner and gloss when I am in the mood. That's the extent of make-upness.

The other thing was, I had no idea how to make this smokey eyes look. A quick reference to Mr Google landed me a picture clear enough on how it should look like.

Picture from : here

So, berbekalkan my multiple coloured pallette that I have had since my wedding (yes, it has been that long), I just gave it a shot. Since the pallette memang dah lama gila, I DO NOT even own any proper brush for the challenge. I just made do with my four fingers on my right hand, each finger dedicated for one colour :black, dark brown, brown and white. (Tu la, banyak gila kaler, okies.)

And the result?

Tadda!!!!!

Boleh la kan? Hahahahahaha
Bangga siut!!!!

This will be my reference for my other baju rayas:

Pictures from: here , here , here and here

Have a good day, y'all. No matter if you are on leave or still stuck in the office like me. :)

-dillz blogging out-

We Didn't Make It (This Time)

I was experiencing slight bleeding last weekend. It got me worried that we headed to the Emergency Dept in Pantai Hospital, KL. They reconfirmed my pregnancy with a urine test and proceeded to take a syringe-ful of blood for a Full Blood Count. They results came in as everything was normal. I was prescribed some hormones to stop the bleeding and was then to go for a check up with my gynea the next week.

Next week came and I had an appointment with Dr. Hamid Arshat this morning.I was shuffling my work schedule around, thinking that I could make it to the 11.30 meeting with an auditee and the one scheduled later at 2.30pm. All in good time.

Was I wrong.

As soon as we got the doctor up to speed with everything, he summoned me to the ultrasound room. He always started with some doa and that always calms me down. He was very matter of fact about it. Short and clean. Told me that "the uri dah pecah-pecah. The sac is also irregular in shape. I think we'll put you down for D&C this evening at 3.30pm".

Suddenly I realized how things may not be OK. Things can so easily go wrong. It was only after a few seconds that it actually dawned on me that I would be losing my baby. No one could hold back my tears then. It was just streaming down... I was just glad I did not have to go through that moment alone. That I had my husband beside me to keep me strong.

Dr Hamid said, "Walaupun kita bersedih, we have to remember that this may be the best for you and the baby." I knew that, but it was good to hear it out loud. I guess I was more taken aback by it all. I was expecting to go right back to work that same morning, so this D&c was definitely not part of the plan. It kinda throws everything back and your plan for the day, for the next two weeks down the drain. I guess I am still coming to terms with what went on in the consultation room. Plus the anxiety and not knowing what to expect in a D&C procedure.

Just let me have a moment to mourn for my loss, and Insya Allah I will be OK.

-dillz blogging out-

Ahlan Wa Sahlan Ya Ramadhan 1431

Ramadhan is here once again. Alhamdulillah.. :)

For the first terawikh, the Azrul clan (minus Miss Khadra) was at Masjid Wilayah. Penuhnya ya amaaaaattt, we literally parked in the middle of the road. Anyhow, Khaleeq went with his dad. Menurut kata report, he was OK. Just that he was reading "Subhana rabbiyal azimi wa bihamdih" really loudly for rukuk AND sujud. hihihihihi. Khaleeda came with me to the muslimat section. Boleh tahan behave jugak, the little makcik. She keeps herself busy whilst waiting for rukuk by looking around and walking around me. Whenever there were major movements, such as rukuk and sujud, she would follow suit. (Just that bila sujud, dia terlentang. hihihihihi. Will have to remember to correct her position later.)

From their track records, Khadra started fasting last year and managed to complete the whole month without fail. Khaleeq on the other hand, completed a commendable 29 days - itu pun sebab he didn't quite understand the concept the first day and was too tempted by the sizzles of fried chicken for lunch! Khaleeda has yet to start. Bagi chan lah itu makcik, she is only 2.5 years old after all. ;)

Of course, we had a little incentive scheme in place that was really really working last year - a DS Lite each, up front. :) At that point in time, a big reward was vital coz that was their first time fasting ever.

This year, we have not yet cemented any agreements with the two Khas. Just a little reminder here and there on how the fasting month is coming and one is not allowed to eat and drink from dusk to dawn. I thought Khadra did a good job explaining it clearly to Khaleeq.
Khadra: "It's when you can't have breakfast and lunch, Khaleeq"
Khaleeq: "You mean, I can only eat at night time?"
Hmm... Boleh la tu...

Anyways, to keep them motivated, our First Sahur was a little extravagant. Mandy rice from al-Rawsha, Jalan Damai for Inche @azrulx , me and Bibik Parmi AND KFC for the kids. (Though, Khaleeda had her mashed potato and original drum stick before she headed to bed that night) I thought we overdid it that time. Probably 2 mandy rice packs would have suffice. Waking up K1 and K2 was alright. The real challenge was really after they came back from school the next day.

At 12:30pm I got a call from Saufi and Khaleeq was crying and wailing on the other end.
"I am hungry mom! I am so thirsty. I am so sad coz I am hungry."
Hmm.. Macam mana nak buat ni?
Had to go into rescue mode right away. I told Saufi to pick me up from office and the coaxing, pujuking, pep talking, usap-mengusaping began. I was just cuddling him on our way home and he really looked beaten at that time. Keluarlah segala cerita kesian kat orang susah, at least you get to eat at night, you have done it before, you are a strong boy segala. Wah!! Tak jalan juga. Masih menangis. Still wailing his heart out.

In times like this, I had to bring out a toy that he really wanted from our secret stash. (Nasib baik dah prepare earlier) I took out Decepticon Lockdown and he immediately changed his demeanor. Tetiba jadi energetic, jumping up and down.
"Is that surprise for me? I love it!"
I told him that this toy could could be his if he fulfill his fast that day. Nampak semangat semacam je. Tetiba, OK pulak. Things were finally looking up! :)

The toy did help him feel distracted for a while. Alhamdulillah, he completed the fasting yesterday, but not without more complains. One thing for sure, I really needed to keep on reassuring him time and time again. He needs to do other stuff so that he gets distracted and not focus on the hunger and thirst. Come on, boy.. You can do this. I foresee these 3 days to be a little tough. Transition time. After he gets through this few days, Insya Allah.. He could do it on his own for the coming days. On top of that, ada pulak distraction from Lil Miss Deyda. Boleh minah tu minum air sejuk depan abang dia, siap panggil nama Khaleeq lagi. Ish.Ish.Ish.

Second day - same story. Sahur was OK. The drama really started after school was over. Extra challenge today coz Khaleeq had his gym session today and not allowed to drink. So, as expected, the call came sometime around 12:40pm, he was asking for permission to drink coz he was thirsty. I asked Saufi to pick me up so that I could talk some sense into the boy on our ride home. Rupa-rupanya budak bertuah tu already took a bite off a biscuit he found in his bag. Bukan banyak pun, just one tiny bite.
His justification:
"It's not my fault, mom. My belly button is controlling me."
Adoiaiii, Khaleeq.

Nak gelak pun ada.
Anyhoots, I took away Lockdown for the day. Told him he could get it back once he fulfills a day of fasting. And the next 7 consecutive fasting days, he can get another toy.
He kept apologizing and saying that he'll try to do better tomorrow.
Takpe lah , Khaleeq. Esok kita try lagi..

Khadra on the other hand is not complaining walaupun nampak penat dan letih. Good job, Kakak! Onto day TWO! :)

-dillz blogging out-

Action Song Goes to Singapore

I know it's been a while. Sorry, sorry... before I forget, here's the piece on Khadra's adventure to the City of Lion. :)

***

The action song team would be performing their 1Rhythm, 1 Malaysia routine in a few primary schools in Singapore in conjunction with the Racial Harmony week over there. It was Khadra's first time on a sleep-over school trip anywhere, so obviously Ibu had to follow her 3-day adventure. :)

We started bright and early at the school compound. Ticking checklists and making sure everyone that was supposed to be there was there and everything that was supposed to be onboard the bus had been brought there. There were a few daddies who stayed on to see their precious princess(es) off. Maklumlah, kanak-kanak Tahap Satu, ya tuan-tuan dan puan-puan. :) Nasi lemak breakfast filled our tummies and after a few photo shots, we were ready to leave Kuala Lumpur.

Seronok juga naik bas ramai-ramai ni. I really thought the girls enjoyed themselves. Of course, we were aptly prepared: snacks, drinks, books, mp3 players and Zoobies onboard!

Our temporary abode was the Fernloft Little India Hostel. It was a budget backpacker hostel going like SD16 per head per night which suited well into our budget. :) Eventhough it was a budget hostel, the reception area was air-conditioned with 3 PCs offering free use of internet. There was an elevator and every room was air-conditioned. The toilets/shower room were really clean with hot water supply. Best thing was, we got the whole 2nd floor to ourselves - a 20-bedded dorm, a 5-bedded room and a 6-bedded room. So, it was really convenient for us to get the girls ready in the mornings. Most were double-decker beds anyway and the girls had a fun time trying out the bunk bed and having a sleepover of sorts with 10 of their friends. :) Lights off was at 10.30, but the moms were up late chit-chatting still.

The other plus point was we were within walking distance to Mustaffa. Suffice to say that night we were spending a lot of time at the neighbourhood malls! :) (I got me 2 Charles and Keith shoes that were going at 70% off! hihihi)

The next day, we got the girls ready for their first school visit at Teluk Kurau Primary School. OK. I was so impressed with this school! Period. The principal is such a sweetheart. Just take a look at the school's operating principles. Don't you just love "Catch them doing right" ? Catch them, when they do the right things - such emphasis on positive reinforcements! :) I loike!

The infrastructure is to die for. They have a Heritage Gallery that showcased their history and their famous alumnus. We also found out that Allahyarham Tun Hussein Onn went to the school while he was young, so we got Raina, Tun's great grandchild, to pose with an exhibit that was his - his Report card. So sweet, kan? I especially LOVE the library. So conducive for reading. They had walls of Jungle Book murals and even a pillar disguised as a tree. There was a space that was wood laminated for chilling area, complete with throw cushions and a stage for story-telling. Just heaven! :) I noticed that their stairs are wider too, with the multiplication table painted on the steps. The quadrangle where kids play during their recess was huge, with 4 hopscotch rings, a garden at the sides and and a rock-climbing wall to boot! *seriously*

After their performance, we made a quick stop at the Merlion in Marina Bay. Photo opp!!! Imagine 18 kids all dressed up in their 1Malaysia costume appearing at a tourist spot. The other Japanese and Korean tourists were busy snapping their pictures instead. It was so darn hot, I tell you. We just took a few pictures in front of the Merlion and quickly dashed back to the bus.

Changed their clothes in the bus and we were set for an educational session - next stop: Science Centre. They had fun goofing around while learning a principle or two. Truthfully speaking though, I think the mommies had a bit more fun than the kids. Especially when we invaded the souvenir shop. hihihihihi

We then went to the Snow City which was in the same compound as the Science Centre. Getting the right getup was a challenge - the jacket, the pants, the boots and the gloves. No cameras were allowed in the snow area, so we had to rely on the professional photographers there. In any case, the kids were having so much fun taboganning down the snow slope! One by one or in groups of fours! It was really fun! A dozen times later, they were about to call it quits , but not before some photo taking in the snow. After, we had some hot chocolate and hot bowl of noodle. Yumms. Just the right combo after freezing in the snow.

In the night time, we took the opportunity to visit the Night Safari. We just made it to the last "Creatures of the Night" show where the nocturnal animals took centre stage. After the tram ride around the Safari, it was time to call it a night. Sleepy time before visiting two more schools on the next day..

First up was Nan Chiau Primary School. The key take away from this school was how they incorporated ICT into their daily activities. It was really wonderful seeing that Primary 1 and 2 kids are utilizing the iPod Touch for some creative learning. :) The elder kids use the Android as well as notebooks for school work. I was also particularly impressed with their Lab of the Future. 3 screens that is able to project different items and the dynamics of the detachable desks and chair which is able to be arranged into different class layout. (They also have bean bags in there. *serious*)

Last school we visited was Rulang Primary School. The staff were waiting for us to show the different instruments from the three major ethnicity of Singapore. They had the teachers stationed at every booth, waiting to explain and let the children experience the classical instruments themselves. How very, very sweet. :) They kids made their final performance and was treated to lunch later.

All in all, I really think it was a very good exposure for the children (and adults alike). There is so much positive takeaways from the trip. I am so glad we had the opportunity to be part of it. :)

-dillz blogging out-

Khaleeq Turns 6

A "happy birthday" shoutout to my son who turn SIX years old today.

From a chubby baby

To the Transformers (AND Batman:The Bold & The Brave AND Ben-10 AND IronMan AND many more) fanatic

But ALWAYS ALWAYS Ibu's precious little boy

Happy Birthday , Khaleeq Mohd Azrul. I wish you all the joy, love, success and wealth in this world and the world hereafter. Aminnn!

Malam ni Chili's , jom?

-dillz blogging out-

Fourth Time A Charm

I have been a little anxious these past few weeks.
One : Coz I am late.
Two: The pee stick always says it's a NEGATIVE.

Alhamdulillah, the fourth test yesterday after 17 days past my mensus was due revealed that it was indeed a POSITIVE and that the 4th KHA bun is baking in the oven as we speak. :)

-dillz blogging out-

Date Night Is Movie Night Is Date Night

Had a little WE time last night with Inche Azrul.

Agenda biasa = dinner then the movies.
He was craving for duck confit so I obliged. To Alexis we go. Dapatlah makan mixed berry meringue for desserts. Yeay!! :)

Happy. :)

The movie of the night?

picture from: here

Best giller okeh. A bit long , about 2 hours and a half. But I really liked it. Intellectual, gitu. Plus there's Leonardo DiCaprio, that mamat from 3rd Rock, Joseph Gordon Levitt and this child prodigy Ellen Page *no wonder she looked fimilar, adalah Juno* for good acting . Whoever thought of that story is a real cracko. Giller complex dan out-of-this-world sekali. However, I find that it could be summarized by this tajuk lagu rock kapak dari tahun 90-an. Inception = Umpama Mimpi Dalam Mimpi. hihihihihi

Happy. Happy. :)

Here's another reason to be happy. My first Choos made her debut on Malaysian soil.
Happy. Happy. Happy. :)

Happy Friday, all!

-dillz blogging out-

Whoopsie!

Dear readers,

I am proud to introduce you to Miss Whoopie Pie.

Sedapnya....

Sedapnya....
Sedapnya....
Kan, @kaezrin?

I have 9 more of these to share with the Azrul household.

The baker herself wrote about some Whoopie Pie lovin in her blogshop. Kalau korang nak, sila contact Madamme ShoppingQueen di: shoppingqueen78@gmail.com , ya? It's going at RM30 for 9 whoopie pie pieces.

Sedapnya... *terbayang-bayang lah pulak*

P/S: Harus kerja lebih keras di gym after work today.

-dillz blogging out-

Look What the Cat Brought In

Cashed in my nuffnang earnings a month back after about one-year joining the web-advert community. When I got home from work last Friday, this baby was waiting for me. :)

Seronoknya. Alhamdulillah. :)

The next envelope was this letter from the Cawangan Trafik.


Ala.... Nasib baik ada duit nuffnang.

*doing the myeg dance till fade*

-dillz blogging out-

Khaleeda's First Day at School

Khaleeda, my 2 years and 7 months old girl has been asking us since forever to let her go to school. We have been meaning to send her to Early Years Playgroup since March this year, but they were not admitting new kids into the Nursery class at that time. *had to let the triplets cool down and ease into school first. :)* So, when I called Aunty Zai a few weeks back, I was estatic that she agreed for us to have a look see around the school for Khaleeda and Eva. (Zachy and Emelia's firstborn) Just to see whether the kids like it there and whether they are ready for school.

Early Years Playgroup and us go way back. Khadra started her early development days there in August 2005. She just turned 2 years and 2 months. When she went in she could hardly speak. Prolly only had 5 words in her vocabulary. Among others are: Abibu (for Ibu), Amimok (for selimut / blankie), Shishu (for Susu) and.. Maybe that's it. hihihihihi But, at the end of the year, in her December concert, we were just amazed on how she had blossomed. Truly, truly amazing. :) Then, there was Khadra's 2006 concert where they had the musical-inspired theme. Me, Inche Azrul and Kira worked hard on the backdrop screens! Hmm.. those were fun times!

Khaleeq joined in January 2007 , when he was 2 years and 5 months. Similarly, he couldn't speak when he first joined. But, when he left 2 years later, he was speaking in an American slang. hihihihihihi *must have picked it up from the telly, tho* In 2007, we had two stars performing in the year-end concert. This year it was the Children of the World. Khadra left for Beaconhouse the year she turned 5, so in 2008, Khaleeq was the only one performing at the year-end concert. (Whoa! I din't blog about that year's concert. Must have been REALLY busy or lazy!)

So, anywaaaays... (Panjangnya mukaddimah)

Lil Miss Khaleeda and Lil Miss Eva went for a look-see the other day and ended up really liking the place. *Am so glad* They joined the class right after breakfast and stayed on for the storytelling, playtime and music time. It really helped that Eva, her new BFF, was around. But she kept calling me to be near her. Must have been a little overwhelmed with all the new faces, I think.

She quickly warmed up during playtime though. Especially when they discovered the water tank. The two little ladies must have scooped the pink water onto the water mill like a million times. Don't they ever get bored? I wonder. Khaleeda also enjoyed music time very much. It really helped that Miss Maria's songs were familiar to her - especially Row, Row Your Boat where she got to partner the dashing Mika (One-third of the triplets) and also Heads, Shoulder, Knees and Toes. hihihihi *Thank you, Barney!*

So, we decided that Khaleeda would definitely join Early years Playgroup and after the approval from Tok Mummy, yesterday was the first day of school for Lil Miss Deyda! :) I just accompanied her for awhile before I left her to enjoy her day. *Exit timed nicely as she went for the water tank*

Picking her up at 1pm was an entourage consisting of me, Khadra and Khaleeq. She was smiling from ear to ear when she saw the sight of me. Screaming "IBU! " from the top of the stairs she looked so excited and happy. Khadra and Khaleeq were smiling too, probably proud of their baby sister. Khaleeq siap declared to the two teachers that he used to attend the school before too. Good to hear that Miss Rina and Miss Tini reported that she didn't even cry that first day. Only asked for me once in a while. Yeay, Deyda!!!

Looks like a good beginning for Lil Miss Khaleeda. Now, I just have to think of her day-to-day clothes to school. They are allowed to wear normal clothes, the uniform is just an apron. :) My little makcik is a diva, suka melawa. Ikut aunty-aunty dia lah tu. (Not me, definitely)

-dillz blogging out-

Tit for Tat

Stayed up late to teman the hubby watching FIFA World Cup 2010. It was the semi-finals : Germany versus Spain. *also for the adorable Messut Ozil, but don't tell Inche Azrul. Shhhh! * Actually , we slept first and woke up at 2am for the 2.30am game. Damn so many alarm clocks were blaring at my ears.

The game was really menyedihkan for me coz I was rooting for Germany. *think doe-eyed Messut Ozil, yet again* They were slow, macam kena rasuk pun ada jugak. Spain, on the other hand, played a very aggressive game and held possession of the ball almost the entire game. Ozil was sadly, slower than usual. Inche Azrul said it was due to that Mueller guy not playing. Sheesh! Apa nak buat, memang dah ditakdirkan kalah. As predicted by the Oracle, Paul the Octopus. Sigh.

Mamat yang score goal tu celebrating.
picture from : here

I think in a way, Inche Azrul appreciates my company, coz guess what we will be watching at 10pm tonight? *plus also because he enjoys the Twilight series*

picture from: here

Wee-hee! Can't wait!

-dillz blogging out-

Widuri Laduree

How awesome is this? I wrote about macarons a few weeks back and my awesome Srikandi sister has connections that could make my very own batch of Laduree macarons very very possible! Her brother stays in Switzeland and apparently, this chick has been getting her constant supply thataway! :)

As luck would have it, her brother is back in Malaysia now and brought back some Laduree macarons and the kind-hearted Deyna decided to share some with moi! :) :) :) Thanks to the FOC messaging by Berry, we scheduled a little rendezvous at Mothercare KLCC and I picked the lovelies up last Saturday. Her reminder was for me to have a macaron at the Laduree salon to experience first-hand the magic. Apparently a smart looking waiter with a bow in a suit would be attending to that tiny macaron. Can not wait! :) Bila mau pergi, Inche Azrul? hihihihihihi

*Oh, dan sempat buat demo pakai tudung untuk gym using that Mily and Cole tudung, ya. The pirate variation. I'll try to shoot astep-by-step video of it and post it up for you, ok Deyna? *

Thus, we, the Azrul household, have been Laduree macarons for desserts ever since. hihihihihihihi

Ada chocolate, caramel, pistachio, coconut.... Hmmm Hmmmm Gooood!! :) (Sorry, Maween they are all mine!) You were right, Deyna. As soon as the outer shell hardened and crisped a little it was pure heaven! Just need to finish it alllll up before it becomes too dry. Hmm.. Party macaronnsla nampaknya. hihihihihihihi. I loike!

*suara suara apungan* Diet? Apa dah jadi dengan diet? Ahhh.. Persetankan aja.

So, thank you so much Ardena Aziz. Me love you mucho!! You soooo didn't have to but you did!! Wee-hee!!! Love ya! Love ya! Love ya!

Moral of the story: Masuk STF, please to get awesome friends for life such as Deyna. :)

-dillz blogging out-

Ala-ala Supermodel

Just to share another one of Khadra's advertisement in the media. :) Alhamdulillah.

She's part of the kids turned professionals - signifying our futurelah in the new Maybank Islamic product, WAQF. Currently running as the highlighted product on maybank2u (sila refer inset) and a one page advert in The Edge, today. :)

p/s: Yang lagi 3 orang tu pun kazen-mazen dia jugak. Habis Zaghlol cucus tapau! :)

-dillz blogging out-

Siksaan Dunia

Aircond takde.
Starting to sweat already.
I feel like I am in a very warm sauna room.
Berlengas, okay.
Nasib baik ketiak tak basah lagi.
Could hardly breathe in here.
Very, very uncomfortable.
I could hardly think.
Subconciously I am thinking, "Panas, panas!!"

Tulah, take for granted that air and ventilation is always there for you.
Nah rasakan!

-dillz blogging out-

She's Up! She's Up!

Presenting my little angel on a billboard along the NKVE.

As captured by @azrulx by the side of the road. :)

The billboard is in-between the Damansara and Subang tol plaza, on both sides. (i.e Northbound and Southbound) If you see her, do holler!!! hihihihihihi

We were so darn excited last night when we got news from my sister @ewazag on the BBM;

OheMmgLee!! Nak nangis pls!!! Guess what??? Pls lalu NKVE coz Khadra's already Up Up on the billboard yo! So proud of her & darn happy sampai nak nangis!! Couldn't capture her coz I was too happy! Weeee~

Me and Inche Azrul actually just got off the plane from Jakarta and we were dying to see it! Maka, haruslah detour on our way home, siap lalu NKVE bagai. Our trusted Saufi parked by the roadside and Inche Azrul went down to capture her daughter on her first billboard. Proud, proud moment. :) (Ya, kami jakun sikit sebab memang taklah tiap-tiap hari anak kau masuk billboard, kan? )

We were extra excited coz this has been a long time coming. I think we went for the shoot some 3 months ago. Here's a little snippet of her "behind the scenes".

Amazing, kan? From the few stems of sunflowers in her hand suddenly transformed into a field of sunflowers on the billboard. It was definitely an awesome experience for her and me both as we got to experience the actual work that went into a production such as this one.

Kaki jangan bukak sangat.
Tunduk sikit lagi.
Look up.
Smile.
Look at mommy.
Okay, good job...
One more time.

She must have done the pose a million times. It was so darn technical. But everytime she would just smile even when I knew that deep down she was truly exhausted. So, yes, I have a greater appreciation on the hard work models do now. Looking pretty is not so easy after all. :)

-dillz blogging out-

Quick Stop

Finding time in between my hectic liburan schedule to drop by this side of the world. Am actually being fondhandled by two persons as I type this. One doing the cremebath treatment on my head and another doing reflexology on my feet. So, yeah. Agak busy. Hihihihihi

Going to the spa has always been a highlight for my Jakarta trips. Kalau boleh memang nak pergi hari-hari. :) I told Alina Kansoor via fb that I'd review the spa I'm currently spending 5-6 hours of my time in today. She's going to Jakarta this Friday. Hopefully I won't disappoint.

Mean time lemme just relax and NOT think about work. Ngee.

-dillz blogging out-

Taking A Break

Taking a few days off from work to be with Inche Azrul. Just him and me in the land of cheap spas.

*Not looking to shop this time around. Duit bonus dah habis kat Shingapore. Kalau Inche Azrul nak belanja, itu lain cerita. *

Picture from: here

So, see ya in a couple of days. Or not. I might just blog from Jakarta. We'll see.

p/s: I actually brought some work over with me. Can't seem to leave them behind. Shites.

-dillz blogging out-

Her Last Call Was From A Cellphone

Got a forwarded e-mail from Ibu early this morning. *She's currently in Egypt, btw, visiting my youngest sister Kira for a whole month*

The message was;

Dearest Ema, Kaklong, Bangteh, Ewa, Kakngah, Kak De and last but not least ,Enciknya in order of priority
--tolong jangan guna handphone semasa memandu pleeaseee!
It is not worth it,all the texting and smssing and the phonechatting while driving are not worth dying for.

*Author's note: nasib baik I was listed 3rd last. Pheww!

In any case, I think I am also guilty of this. Talking on the phone, smsing, Blackberry-ing. I tell you that BBM is the devil. Can not resist everytime the BB vibrates - it just compells me to grab and read it. Must must must resist the temptation to reply instant messaging instantly, lah. It's just sooo dangerous!

Anyways, being the caring citizen that I am, I'd like to share the forwarded e-mail with you, as below:

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sometimes only a picture can get our attention!

Her last call was from a new cell phone...

Doyou see the motorcycle?

Now do you see it?

The Honda rider was travelling at approximately 85 mph.

The VW driver was talking on a cell phone when she pulled out from a side street, apparently not seeing the motorcycle.

The riders’ reaction time was not sufficient to avoid this accident.

The car had two passengers.The bike rider was found INSIDE the car with them.

The Volkswagen actually flipped over from the force of impact, and landed 20 feet from where the collision took place.

All three involved (two in the car and the bike rider) were killed instantly.

This graphic demonstration was placed at the Motorcycle Fair by the Police and Road Safety Department.

Pass this on to car drivers or soon to be new drivers, 0r new motorcycle owners...

ESPECIALLY EVERYONE YOU KNOW WHO HAS A CELL PHONE!!!!!

A picture is worth a thousand words.

Save a life …

Stop talking on Cell phones and Texting while trying to drive.

The life you save may be your own... or mine...

This community service reminder was brought to you by dillazag's Ibu.

-dillz blogging out-

Trudging Trudging

It's already Thursday. That makes it almost a Friday.

The week has been long for me thus far.

A day would go on where I would work hard at work, come home late and carry out some more work at night. Maybe even manage a 2 hours nap in all that time. Next day continues and I try to put in some kind of exercise - be it PT based or just a good cardio or group exercise. Then, I'd get a full 6hour sleep.

Repeat cycle.

So far I am still managing. Maybe the slot of exercise has kept my stamina going further. Ideas are creatively flowing, thoughts are clear and analysis still sharp. Alhamdulillah. Business as usual. Just that I don't get to see my kids as much as I want to.

This would go on till Saturday, before I leave for Jakarta to join Inche Azrul. Will be back in the home country on Tuesday.

Honeymooning, just the two of us.

So, yeah. Am really working hard to earn that 2 day leave. Saturday can not come soon enough.

Till then, I might just make a run home for lunch. Only possible with the help of Saufi. Really missing Miss Deyda. See you in a while , baby!

*updated: Miss Deyda during my lunch run!

-dillz blogging out-

Fish! I Screwed Up!

I was in my car, at the office car park when I finally realized that I totally forgot about my kids' mengaji class tonight. Reached my phone - battery's dead. Fished the other phone out of the handbag - dead also. By this time, I was already 45 minutes late.

Picture from: here

Knowing how the kids dispersed after mengaji classes, they were all gone in the first 5 minutes. Suddenly my own experience waiting for my dad in the dark with my 2 other sisters flashed quickly before my eyes.

**
I think I was 8 years old or so. I was attending primary school at Sekolah Kebangsaan Sri Petaling, Petaling Jaya with two of my sisters at that time. The three of us ; Ziezi, me and Illa ; were waiting for our ride home as per usual.

We waited and waited and waited and nobody came for us. The day was getting darker (we went to the evening session) and slowly turned into night. We were the only three beings left outside the school compound, hugging each other tight (Probably crying too). Then, a car approached and there was our dad asking us to get into the car.

A stream of complaints came from the three princesses - "Mengapa lambat?" "There's no one else here" "We were the last ones, Encik"

Sekali kena tengking, daa.... hahahahahahaha

It turned out that our then 4 year old brother drove the Isuzu Pajero down the hill and ended up in the ditch. (He didn't actually, drive, he just released the handbrakes and the car slid down the hill) So, itulah sebabnya lambat, dan of course he had other things in his head at that time, with the balik kampung plan screwed up and all..

**
Anyways, pointnya adalah, I know how it felt to be the last one waiting for your parent to arrive. Been there and done that. It's a lonely feeling and one gets pretty restless. And cranky and teary-eyed. So.....

Panic.Panic.Panic. Aduh! Lagilah pressure!

Luckily, I spotted the Blackberry car charger in the car. Plugged it in and immediately called Ustazah Yati. She said she tried to call but it didn't go through. I apologized profusely and told her I was on my way. The journey to Kota Damansara was a smooth one, I was there in about 15 minutes. I must have driven at 120km/h where I could.

Anyways, as I arrived, her house had the gate and the front door closed. No lights in the foyer. Dark and a little scary. Called Ustazah to tell her I was already there. Her sleepy voice greeted me and said, "OK". Turned off the engine and ran to her house to quickly hug my two sweethearts. More bouts of apologies ensued. Luckily, both kids were smiling widely. Ustazah shared with me another great news - Khadra has gone to Iqra' 5. Yeay!,Khadra! Gave them a quick kiss and a last kopek apology to the Ustazah. We made our way to the car.

Talking, talking, talking in the car. We made it home safely. All is well once more. :)

Moral of the story: Lain kali ingat la nak ambik anak , weh!

-dillz blogging out-

jí​shí​ jiào​shī​

jí​shí​ jiào​shī​ or, in the full mandarin character, 即时教师 means an Immediate Teacher. At least that's what the mandarin translator website tells me. The instructions are completely in Mandarin. Just a blue stamp of "Home Work" to tell me that this particular page needs to be completed before he returns back to class tomorrow. I had to turn to the worldly knowledge of the web to help Khaleeq figure out his Mandarin homework.

Just in case you are caught in the same predicament - by predicament I mean not knowing how to speak, read or write the language but having to assist your child anyways.

It's basically a two step process.

First: Character dictionary
Use the brush icon to invoke a clean white screen where you could "write" the characters and a bunch of character will be filtered for you to choose from. It's important that you kinda know the order of the strokes as it affects the filtration process. Just pick the character that resembles the character that you want the most and it will appear on the top left screen. SHould you wish to define this character, click "Go". Do this for every character that you need before you go on to the next step.

Second: Translate
Translate the bunch of mandarin characters that you have gathered to form the instructions that you need. I missed a couple of characters so, in the end it read: "The activities of a sub-rain line.." Hmm..


We figured that we needed to cross the box in the activities that you can't do on rainy days.

Bantai je lah Labu... hihihihihi

-dillz blogging out-

Shingapore Trip

It was really a last minute trip. 2 whole days at the Summit that ran in conjunction with CommunicAsia2010.

The visionary address was by Josh Silvermann, the CEO of Skype. Then there was the CEO's Perspective forum that brought together the CEOs of Skype, TM, Telstra and StarHub in one sitting. Later we adjourned to the individual tracks. I was registered into the Next Generation Broadband Business Model and Next Generation Fixed Broadband tracks. I came prepared though - several varieties of multi-coloured pens for taking notes, several bottles of mineral water and a Starbucks Frappuciono as back up. :) I really thought that it was interesting. Well, at the very least, it definitely brought some new insights to what was happening in the telco industry.

As usual, bab makan je la kena hati-hati sikit. I only stuck to croissant with strawberry and butter, some juice and cereal at the buffet breakfast. There were, of course nasi goreng, kuey teow goreng and stuff. I didn't take 'em. I just worry that they contain bits of meat in it. The following "assorted leaves with condiments" served at the Summit lunch, for example, contained little bits of reddish pink specks of what I suspect is bacon bits. So, yeah. Be careful, yah. Besides fast food that are certified Halal in Shingapore ( I know KFC, McD and Burger King are) we also tapaued some macarons from this dainty cafe called 1837 TWG Tea at Ion Orchard. All are infused with tea (but of course) and selling at SGD2 per pop. Sedap! :)

Since our adventurous nature was really burning that Monday night, we went ahead and got a cab to Beach Street Food Garden to try out some Singapore Soup Tulang, only at the authentic haji Kadir's place. It's red, I tell you!!!! Kinda gruesome and canniballish but pretty darn good - especially when cicah with roti. They had mee /meehun goreng that was blood red too, but we felt it was way too much lah. hihihihi. Takut...

Despite being caught in training the whole day, sempat juga pergi the Great Singapore Sale. Among the stuff I got:

That nudie jeans will not be washed in at least 6months to get a really nice "wash" to it. What's special about it is that it would follow the natural creases that is unique only to my body = unique "wash". Wah! Tak sabar! Apparently, the tip says that to get rid of any odour, one should put the pants in the freezer. Adoiai! Habisla jeans bau ayam nanti. hihihihihihihi

On the night I was packing the stuff, I realized that I needed to get more stuff for the kids sebab pembahagian harta tidak adil between the three Khas. Seeing that it was already the last night in Singapore and wouldn't have time to shop after training finishes, I did a little more shopping at the airport. (Ya, selepas check-in semua) Suffice to say the kids were pretty happy with what they got. Ibu pun happy, sebab dapat the following at Gucci. :D

-dillz blogging out-

I'm Backkkk!!!

Been away from the home country for a while. Attended the CommunicAsia 2010 in Shingapore. Great timing for a seminar as it coincides with the Great Singapore Sale! Yeay! The travelling and catching up on work after the travels. Well, let's just say I have been a little tied. ;)

Anyways, just wanted to share a possibility on this lovely Friday. My weight as per what the scale in the hotel told me.

63.3kg?

Biar betul... If that is so. I have lost 3kgs already since. (I doubt it would stay on like that even, looking at what I have been eating while I was there. hihihihihi) Biarlah, betul ke tak betul ke.. It's a moral booster anyways.

BTW, you heard about the flood at Orchard Street? Thank God I already left my hotel and made my way to the Singapore Expo. There's just sooo much to update! :) Talk to you soon, lovelies.

-dillz blogging out-

Three Days into the Mid-term Holidays and still NO Plans for Vacation

Pictures from: here, here and here

Kesianlah pulak kat anakanda - anakandaku bertiga. Cuti dah cuti. Tapi tak ke mana pun. Bukannya tak nak bawa ke mana-mana. But time is kinda tight. Before I knew it, it's already Wednesday of Week 1. My husband is away for a business trip till the weekend. Add to that Khadra's commitments on her full week practice schedule for her Action Song and Rhythmic Gymnastics next week. So, that basically means these kids are not going anywhere far - not in this school holiday, anyways.

Just to let them have a little bit of holidaying spirit, the kids have been shipped out to my mom's place in Puchong since Saturday. Just them kids. I also posted Bibik Parmi at Pondok Azlul for a helping hand. Me and the hubs have been sleeping in our own home. The kids are kinda enjoying it coz ZZ and her kids are also staying in Pondok Azlul. (Maid gone balik kampung) So, they have the company of their first cousins there - Naqib, Teyta, Neyna, ChenChen and also Shoshoff. It's like camping over - but indoors. Everyone is happy.

But it's not all play there over in Nenek's house. I have assigned Khadra and Khaleeq daily school / homework and exercises to be completed. I would drop in at my mom's for 2-3 hours to go through their work every two to three days.

Kesian punya pasal, I am taking a day of leave this Friday to take them prolly to Sunway Lagoon ke hapa ke. Jangan tak, ya dak? Ews, JOM!

-dillz blogging out-