Khaleeq's First PTM for 2010

PTM(Parents- Teachers Meeting) for Beaconhouse Bangsar is here again!!!! Waiting in line had the butterflies in my tummy run amok! It's always the case when it's time to have a face-to-face discussion with Khaleeq's teachers. hihihihihihihi (Read about the last PTM we had here.

First up was Cikgu Kamariah - the Bahasa Melayu teacher. She was really happy with Khaleeq's progress, citing that he has the right attitude towards learning and he concentrated better in class. His writing has improved so much so that she does not need to shadow them anymore. (i.e. Cikgu writes in the exercise book in a coloured pencil and Khaleeq writes over them with his pencil) Of course it could be very much better and neater and nicer. So, that takes a little more practice. She even related that Khaleeq knows some of the Jawi alphabets - I guess the Iqra' classes we have on the sides are really paying off. It also helps that the Iqra' method is similar to the Bacaan for Bahasa. But we still need to work more and practice more; both in reading AND writing. Hopefully, the mingling that he does at the mengaji classes would also help with his Bahasa. If he needs it, probably, I would have to consider sending him for Bahasa tuition come June. Just to make sure he is ready for Primary school. In any case, Yeay! I am happy!! Sangat happy! Phew! Lega satu perkara!

Next was his class teacher, Teacher Amy. Let it be known that Teacher Amy was Khadra's class teacher last year. So, she could really compare the two. Also, Teacher Amy ni is the strict type - disciplined, no nonsense kind of person. On the other hand, we have Khaleeq. Tulis pun tak berapa nak betul lagi, baca pun merangkak-rangkak. So, you'd understand my anxiety, lah. hihihihi

It turned out that she was REALLY happy with his progress too. She kept on saying that we should not compare between the two kids, each child develops differently. Khaleeq is more expressive, a charmer and he wears his heart on his sleeve. He'd go to a person and ask for a hug. He's that type. Whenever he is called up to the teacher to read, he would be standing close to her. Slowly, without even realizing it, he ended up reading while sitting on Teacher Amy's lap. hihihihihihihi.. Loving, gitu..

In a nutshell, she was happy with Khaleeq's attitude and approach for work. He had grown so much from last year. She related a story to me. One day, in Irises 2 class.
Khaleeq: "Excuse me, teacher"
Teacher Amy: "Yes, Khaleeq"
Khaleeq: "Do we have homework today?"
Teacher Amy: "No Khaleeq. No homework today. But thank you for asking"
hihihihihi. So sweetlah anak aku, mintak homework, please..

She said that his work has improved tremendously. He could write without shadows. Can copy from the board, can colour his pictures, but he takes his time a little. So sometimes he does not finish his work in class. Which is OK. With practice, he would be able to write and colour faster. She acknowledged the work we have done with him over the holidays and even now at home. She said for Khaleeq to improve more, we need to work together. Spend time with him at home and she will help when he's in school. (Note that , Ibu)

And the sweetest of all, get this: She volunteered to have a one-on-one session with him 2 times a week to let him catch up with the rest of the class. She said it would be a challenge for her, but she would love to help Khaleeq improve. She said he has the right attitude and that's why she's ever willing to help. Awwwwww!! So sweetlah teacher Amy. I really really heart her! Insya allah Khaleeq akan berjaya!

Yatta!!!

-dillz blogging out-

Java Jazz Festival 2010 - Hasil Tangkapan Perang

Java Jazz Festival 2010 chronicle : |1- Contemplating| 2- The Decision & Update| 3 - Hasil Tangkapan Perang |4 - All My Bags Are Packed I'm Ready To Go|

Atas permintaan Madam KS. Here's the hasil tangkapan perang semalam. All from Zara and some were like clearance items. Case in point, my creme blazer was going at RM69. Serious! I loike!

1. Patterned Dress
2. Long black top with bedazzled star on the right rib
3. Creme blazer
4. Navy blue tights
5. Damn cool cawat londeh pants with belt

6. , 8. and 10. Dilla's typical Zara blouses for me the roam the days in Jakarta
7. , 9. and 11. T-shirts to go under the cardigan and jacket.
(Not in picture) Damn cool black cardigan thingy.

Test. Test sikit... Basically, ideanya adalah seperti di bawah :

Tudung tak jumpa cari lagi and muka kena cover sebab malu. Gemuk dowh! Sebab tu "model" serkup macam penyamun. hahahahaha

Footnote: Tak sempat nak order Spanx from KS. Next timela, babe. You know that I so need it!

-dillz blogging out-

Serabutssss!

Apa lah nak jadi. Sebenarnya malas nak pikir , tapi exam dah habis, so kena pikir jugak-jugak.

Perkara-perkara yang menyerabutkan kepala si Dilla Zaghlol:

1. Bila si Khadra ni stop menangis , menjerit , melarikan diri dari kawasan sekolah setiap pagi? Yes, this morning, she attempted to run away from school after her dad. It's not enough that she was wailing at home while getting ready for school. Once we got her into the car and to school, she would be bawling her eyes out at school pulak. Yes, I have asked her what the problem was. She tried answering that she was "bullied". But, I thought the Bully B incident was already settled? Oh, it's another person, she said. Turned out to be a small girl sitting next to her who spoke to her "angrily". Khadra dear, that's NOT bullying. It's just how she speaks. If you don't like it, then tell her off and you don't really have to like everyone , you know.... Deal with it, please.. I also found out that she was afraid that she did not finish one of her homework (on one of the days). Once that was done, we managed to get her to school. But that didn't stop her from shedding a tear or two on Monday. I spoke to her about it, she said it's just dust in her eye. It seems like she uses one and any excuses to get out of going to school. What is the real matter? She is just fine the night before.. Once she gets to school, it's a different story all over again. Seriously, we still have no clue what this is about yet. And I don't know what to think anymore. Tak suka cikgu ke? Tak suka sekolah ke? Ke nak kena tukar sekolah? Kenapa? Kenapa? Kenapa tak nak pergi sekolah?? It's driving me crazy. I need to get to the bottom of this. Susahnya ada anak ni, wei!!!
2. As part of our logistic plans this year, my kids and Ziezi's kids have been car-pooling back from school with the help of Pakcik. I am grateful for the arrangement as it frees up our lunch and there is absolutely no need for us to run around picking up the kids from various schools back home. As part of the arrangement, her two kids would be in transit in my house on schooldays in preparation for Sekolah Agama in the evening. It's a window of about 1 hour that they get changed and eat lunch. Yes, it is a well known fact that when the 4 of these cousins get together, one who takes care of them may go somewhat crazy. I don't know how to explain it, it's like they feed off each other's energy and go incontrollably annoying and sangat degil. I can't handle them for long either. So, Bibik Parmi decided to tell Ziezi yesterday that she does not want to mengurusin Naqib and Nelysa anymore. Which ultimately screws up my beautiful logistic arrangements during lunch. Banyak songel ke Bibik aku ni? She gets some upah to do it too, bukannya for free. Granted la, she's been feeling under the weather lately, which might have fuelled the angin tu. So, whatever it is, we need to sort that one out , somehow. Presto! Arrghhh!! Stress!! Pening!! Serabutss!
   

I refuse to think at the moment. Kalau ada idea, sharelah ya? In the mean time, saya nak pergi Gardens. Nak shopping baju for Java Jazz Festival 2010. Later!!

-dillz blogging out-

Road To CIA 6: It's Crunch Time! - Updated 2

Road To CIA series | 1:I've Committed! | 2: ... and they lived happily ever after (Part 1) | 3: Another Step Closer| 4: Let's Try This Again| 5: Miss Procrastinator Strikes Again | 6: It's Crunch Time |

*Final Update on 23 February 2010, 1:30pm

Picking up where I left you, the following checklist could probably best illustrate was how very last-minute I was:

Must do by 10:45am today!

1. Finish reading Section E - done by 7:40am (23.2.2010)
2. Attempt on-line questions.
   

• Pre-test - done by 7:15pm (22.2.2010)
• Section A - done by 10:40pm (22.2.2010)
• Section B - done by 11:28pm (22.2.2010)
• Section C - done by 8:25pm (22.2.2010)
• Section D - done by 8:55pm (22.2.2010)
• Section E - done by 8:25am (23.2.2010)
• Post-test - done by 9:25am (23.2.2010)
• Final Review test - 0/238 Q (not really necessary)
  

Last timestamp was at 9:25am today when I had the exam at 10:45am. Phew! Soon after, I packed my stuff and dashed on to the exam centre. But, not before I had a slice of Roti Bakar Susu, 2 half-bolied eggs and Teh Ais from PappaRich. :)

After all that last-minuteness and not forgetting the other drama that accompanied this particular exam that literally made my head berserabutssss (shall not elaborate it yet, you might be able to read about it later, kot?) , I am grateful and very pleased that the results were favourable.

Alhamdulillah. Only one last hurdle before being a Certified IA. Won't be thinking about that just yet. In the mean time, let me just celebrate with some retail therapy.

*First Update on 22 February 2010, 6:16pm

Wahhhh!!! Those Caramel Macchiatos have been my constant companion these past few days. I have one, everyday. Without fail, so far. I also have a cool bottle of mineral water to complement the caffeine overdose. Just the perfect combination! :)

So, how have I managed my revisions thus far?

Saturday was VERY productive.
Since I am doing this on part-time basis, the study sessions had to be slotted in between the "quality family time" and our normal Saturday routine. Among others, we went to Raju's for roti canai breakfast in the morning and I supervised *read: occasionally shouted* 2 hours and 45 minutes worth of holiday homework for Khadra and Khaleeq at night. I managed to get 3 sessions of study-time; 1) while the kids were having their daytime nap, 2) locking myself up in my room sometime in the evening while they were watching tv outside and 3) after they all went to bed at night. Prolly finished around 92 pages of revision. Yeay, ME!

Sunday was not so great.
Since it went way too awesome on Saturday, I figured I'd cut myself some slack. I didn't target too much, and I barely just achieved them. Ha Ha! Kasi chanla, we had mengaji in the morning, more homework to complete in the evening and a birthday celebration that night - so there was really not much time left for studying. I did press on though. Burnt the midnight oil to ensure that I achieved my minimum target for the day (i.e. 30pages). So, that's that! :)

Monday? That's today!
Did some pre-school hunting for Khaleeda that took up my morning and a little of my afternoon. Once we got back, I hit the books straight away and I need to finish about 60 pages and attempt all the on-line questions by 10.45am tomorrow morning. (Coz that's when my exam starts! haha)

Will update once more once the results are out!
Over and out!

*Original post on 20 February 2010, 2:13am

The time has come to put things aside for a little while and concentrate on my (deferred) Part 2 of the CIA Exam series. The exam will take place on Tuesday, 23rd February 2010 at 10:45am.

In my more leisurely study schedule, I have allotted around 30 pages to be completed in a day. That would take me 8 days to finish the syllabus. Since that I am left with only 3 full studying days to finish the whole damn thing, the accellerated program would need me to finish 3times more than my leisurely target. (Padan muka) So, I have tried to slot 2 sessions of 3hour or 3 sessions of 2hour study time for this weekend. That would still leave me around a day of buffer to finish up the reading and also do the questions online. Phew! (Hopefully)

So, yeah. I'll be hitting the books this weekend. Have a good one, y'all!

-dillz blogging out-

Java Jazz Festival 2010 - The Decision and Update

Java Jazz Festival 2010 chronicle : |1- Contemplating| 2- The Decision & Update| 3 - Hasil Tangkapan Perang |

With regards to my contemplation on the upcoming Java Jazz Festival 2010. It's official now! I AM GOING!!! Wuu-hu!!!

Mental checklist.

Things completed:

• Java Jazz Festival 2010 Tickets - DONE! Bought the Three-Day Pass for the 5th, 6th and 7th of March 2010 with Special Show Passes for John Legend (Section B), Toni Braxton and Babyface.
• Air-tickets - return tickets to and fro KUL-CGK on MalaysiaAirlines, y'all!
• Annual Leave - taken Friday and Monday off. Leave has been approved. Thanks.

Things still to complete before the trip:

• Get doped on the music that will be playing - I already bought 2 of John Legends' albums. (The first two, that is) The CDs have been taking turn to play on repeat in my car. (MyVi don't have CD changer, maa) I also imported them into my iTunes and they've been playing on shuffle and repeat there too. Will be getting the third album sometime next week. (Maybe after my CIA exam is done. haha) As far as Toni Braxton and Babyface are concerned, I think I am still OK with their old songs - would have to ask Inche Azrul to download the MP3s for my Java Jazz Festival playlist.
• Find my obsolete iPod and its peripherals and download the playlist in it for my mobile dose of music.
• Meet up with Zura (the girlfriend I am going with) to have some kind of understanding on our itinerary and schedule. Which other shows to catch, logistics of the day, what other stuff to do in Jakarta. Would love to squeeze some spa time, Johnny Andrean, retail therapy, Hard Rock Cafe, maybe.
• Sort out with Madam Jakarta and maybe squeeze her into our itinerary, kalau sempat. :)
• Find out who else is going. Syok jugak kalau ada ramai geng! So far, I know Munzie's sister Nadia is going. Nad, you have BB or not?
• My most pening-est kepala item: WHAT TO WEAR TO JAVA JAZZ FESTIVAL , lah? Since it's jazzy, so I figured it must be slightly classy, somewhat smart - like smart casual lah kan? Tak kan nak pergi selebet je dak? Better be overdressed than underdressed, right? So, I googled some images of previous festivals and came up with this!

Picture from here , here and here

B, Nak kena pi beli baju baru lah camni. We'll sort it out after my CIA exams, ok? hihihihihi

-dillz blogging out-

No Plastic Bag Every Saturday

Did you know that the state of Selangor has implemented 'No Plastic Day' on every Saturday ? What it means is that if you go shopping in the state of Selangor on any given Saturday, you will not be handed plastic bag(s) to carry your goods. If any plastic bag is needed, then you might be charged a minimal sum for it. So bagus, right? My response to that is, "About freaking time!" :)

For me, personally, I have been lugging my very own reusable bags since like a year ago. I have evolved from the bulky , fold-unfriendly green bags (and the blue cooler bags) from Village Grocer, as evident below:

To the eco-friendly, easy to fold and chuck into your handbag RuMe bags ( got it from Tiny Tapir, of course. :) ) I got two Medium bags in the Fall in NY 5th Ave and Spring in NY 5th Ave designs.

Picture from : here

Jangan marah ya dong! Jessica Alba spotted using the exact same design that I have - Fall in NY 5th Avenue. Sungguh precious! :) Hahahahaha ( Dasar perempuan kiasu. Tak nak kalah! Asyik nak pakai beg celebrity pakai aje. )

The plus point for me is that they are easily rolled to be chucked into my handbag. Three RuME bags can be rolled together too. So it gets me prepared for groceries shopping at any time at all. I normally use one bag for the wet stuff - chicken, sausages, vitagen, etc and the other for the dry stuff. To complement the two, I also have a indigo-coloured fabric netting bag to chuck all the other groceries in. So far they have been adequate and have served me well. Of courselah, when you buy pampers or boxes of tissues or big bottles of Softlan, no need to use the baglah! Just carry it loose. Kalau tak berapa banyak beg nak guna???

As taken from the RuMe website, by incorporating RuMe Bags into our everyday lives, we can do our part in reducing the estimated:

• 17 billion gallons of oil used annually to produce plastic bags
• 100 billion plastic bags Americans throw away after a single use
• And save more than a million birds and 100,000 marine mammals and sea turtles that die every year from eating or getting entangled in plastic

Wah! We can help the environment so very much by just bringing our own bags to do groceries. It doesn't matter if it RuMe or Jawi. (Lame joke, haha) As long as you STOP using the plastic bag for shopping.

Masih tak teruja? Go on. You know you want to already. Stop using that plastic bag already. Bring.Your.Own reusable bags. It's trendy and it helps the Earth!

If you feel like you'd like to increase the stylo factor, then please meet the "Mother of all Eco-friendly Shopping Bag" as dubbed by the Manilla Fashion Observer - Longchamps Le Pliage shopping tote.

Pictures from : here , here and here.

The medium size with Long Handle retails at RM530, y'all. Adoiiiiai!

Sekarang baru teruja, kan?
hihihihihi

-dillz blogging out-

Scouting for Our Next Dream Vacation

Was scouting around for a place to take the kids this year and I am intrigued by the buzz surrounding the Resorts World, Sentosa Singapore. Apparently, a few of their hotels are now open for stay since January 20th, 2010. There are 6 hotels available with their own demographic to serve:

• Crockford Towers - by invitation-only all-suite hotel, complete with 24-hour butler services. Must be for the high rollers, yaww!
  
• Hotel Micheal - this hotel is a tribute to the American architect, Micheal Graves. Stepping into the hotel is described as entering into an art gallery. So, not so much for me, then.
  
• Hard Rock Hotel, Singapore - Laaa... hari tu kan baru pi yang Hard Rock Hotel , Penang punya. Rilek dulu la..
  
• Festive Hotel - In their own words, it is "perfect for families travelling with their kids"
  
• Equarius Hotel - suitable for nature lovers and families. It's location is close to the Equarius Water Park. Don't think this one is open yet though. The website says it's opening AFTER 2010, that could be 2011, 2012. Who's to say, eh?
  
• Spa Villas - Choose this one if you want to " you can wake up to the sounds of waves and the beckoning calls of dolphins". Whoaaa!!! It's targeted to the honeymooners, newly weds, those aiming for a lovey-dovey breaklah kot. As per Equarius Hotel above, this one opens AFTER 2010. ;)
  

Anyways, most relevant to us (young family with kids) is the Festive Hotel, lah. Here's additonal info from the website :

Children-friendly amenities are key highlights, such as the assortment of candies at the reception that will put a smile on any kid’s face. Welcome novelty packs and tailored bathrobes are also catered specially for the little ones. For parents with babies, we offer cribs, baby food, wet wipes, nappies and bibs. Should parents wish to have private time alone, babysitting service is available at a fee.

hahahahahaha
Sounds like a dream.

However, this perfect room has to be the deal-sealer for our little family:

Picture from here

Best tak? Ada king bed for the parents, a loft bed and also a sofa bed that opens up to a double bed. I could just see my kids go CRAAAZY over the loft bed! :)

The real attraction for me, however, is the Universal Studio, Singapore. Since Khaleeda is of the right age to be experiencing theme parks, plus the nearest Disneyland is much further than Singapore, I thought this would tie the vacation up quite nicely.

The park is divided into 7 segments. Some of the rides / shows would be making its premiere in Singapore.

• Far, Far Away - Revolving around the theme of Shrek.
  
• The Lost World - Divided into Jurassic Park and Water World. Dinosaurs and all things water, what else could it be?
  
• New York - Experience the Big Apple.
  
• Sci-Fi City - Welcome to the city of the future. :)
  
• Hollywood - Hollywood Boulevard, here we come..
  
• Madagascar - Meet the casts of Madagascar; Alex, Marty, Melman and Gloria and join in some fun with them in the dense jungle of Madagascar.
  
• Ancient Egypt - Pyramids and sands, eh?
  

Guess we'd have to wait just a little while longer. Bukak je Universal Studio ni, you knowlah where we'll be heading to.

hihihihihihi

Can't wait!

-dillz blogging out-

Valentine's Day vs Percy Jackson

Spent a good portion of the long, loong weekend at home and my mom's place, vegetating. Thus explaining the lack of updates in the blog. hihihihi.. At other times, I was at the movies, spending some quality time with the other half. Dulu, waktu berchenta pun, going to the movies has always been one of the main agenda. This time, we managed to watch TWO movies. :)

Valentine's Day

picture from here

A star-studded film - Julia Roberts, Jessica Alba, Ashton Kutcher, Topher Grace, Anne Hathaway, McDreamy, McSteamy, Taylor Swift, Taylor Laudner, Jessica Biel, Jamie Foxx - macam-macam ada.. So it was definitely pleasing on the eye! :)

The story line pun boleh tahan. It's a story of love in its many, many forms. One good lesson to be learnt by all is that you need to accept your other half in totality - the good parts as well as the bad part. To stand by their mistake and to celebrate their succcess. Gitulah lebih kurang. (Eh, movie pun ada moral of the story? Ini sudah bagus..)

I mean, I went in with no expectations, so I was pleasantly surprised at the end. The bad guys ended up alone, the good guys get companions. A real feel good, heart warming movie this one.

Percy Jackson & The Olympians : The Lighting Thief

picture from here

Truthfully, I thought Percy Jackson was the American version of Harry Potter. Only that the boy can't act as well as Daniel Radcliffe. hihihihihi So kayu , he reminds me of Anakin Skywalker in Episode 1.

The story was adventurous enough to my liking and the sidekicks were pretty awesome. The villains are even more awesome - Uma Thurman as Medusa. So stunning. *literally* There's also other hotshots like Pierce Brosnan, Sean Bean, Rosario Dawson and Melina Kanakaredes (The CSI lady - susahnya nak eja nama). I loved Hades in the Mick Jagger persona - hilarious! And that Persephone is so gatal! Rosario nailed her perfectly! hihihihihi :)

Despite the great CGI and story-line, I personally feel that in the duel between the two, I proclaim Valentine's Day as the winner! Woo-hoo!!! I am a sappy romantic underneath after all.. :)

Excuse my ignorance, but I have never heard of this dude Percy Jackson before. But, it did make me google him a little more. So this is what I found.

There's a whole series of Percy Jackson and the Olympians - in writing by Rick Riordan. The series include:

• The Lightning Thief
• The Sea of Monsters
• The Titan's Curse
• the Battle of Labyrinth
• The Last of the Olympian

I have only this to say, "That Percy Jackson Hardcover Boxed Set sure looks yummy." hihihihi

Picture from here

-dillz blogging out-

Bullys Ain't Cool!

Was just commenting at flowerella daily on the Bully who was disturbing Narnia. Told Nong to tell Narnia to tell the Bully that Nong would call the Bully's mom if he does not stop bullying. Just today I had to keep up with my promise to Khadra coz her Bully B has not stop bullying! :(

I know the term "Bullying" has such a bad connotation to it but what else would you call pushing and shoving and kicking and hitting one's back? :(

The incidents with Khadra involved two different sets of Bullys.

She was relating to me some stories about school and casually mentioned that Bully A is disturbing and bullying her. Fortunately, Bully A immediately stopped when I told Khadra to "tell-Bully A-to-stop;else I-will call-Bully A's -mom". All was well and good.

She also told me about Bully B. A set of three boys which consist of one of her friends from her pre-school. And they were from another class. I told her to tell them the same thing but I kinda dismissed the idea of serious bullying coz this boy and her are friends - I'd like to tag this dismissal as Mistake Number 1.

Then, some not-so-funny stories started to crop up.

Not-So-Funny Story 1
Early one morning , as she prepared for school, Khadra complained about having a tummy ache. Told her that we would put some Minyak Telon on the tummy and I dismissed her once again. I casually asked her to get ready - another Mistake Number 1. On our way to school, she insisted that her tummy was still hurting and we made a turn back to the house. I told her to rest and that I would check up on her later.

Around 10am, Khadra called saying,"When I told you I had tummy ache earlier, it wasn't really hurting. But NOW, Ibu, my tummy REALLY hurts." So, it was clear at that point that she was really making excuses not to go to school. My immediate reaction to that was, "Oh, did you lie to me in the morning then?" - Mistake Number 2. Concentrating on the fact that she lied rather than really listening to what was untold. I should have read it as "Why did she have to lie to me? What could be so wrong in school that she had to make excuses not to go to school?"

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

Not-So-Funny Story 2
Before bed, she came to me whining that her left foot is in pain. Whenever I rubbed it, even with the slightest touch she would go, "Ow..Ow.. Ow.." - trying to clearly indicate that it hurt! However, she would miss a few "Ow"s, which led me to believe that she was just trying to come up with another excuse not to go to school.

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

Not-So-Funny Story 3
We were in school , bright and early and her Drama Minggu Ini pun bermula. She started wailing and holding onto the gate, not wanting to go into the school compound. "I don't like school. I don't want to go to school." She would repeat this over and over, refusing to even move. My first reaction (which is the wrong one again, a.k.a Mistake 3) was embarassment. I just held her arm real tight telling her to "Stop this nonsense and get to your class". Of course that was the wrong thing to do AND to say. She made an even bigger scene and I was doubly embarrased. I mean the traffic was heavy, kids and parents were streaming into the school, all bearing witness to this drama. I took a deep breath and suddenly realized that something must be VERY WRONG for her not to want to go to school. I told her to move away from the walkway and we sat at the gazebo. Told her to calm herself down and tell me what was really going on. She said, "I already told you" (That hit straight to the heart) True enough it was the bullying and I was dense enough to dismiss it. (read Mistake 1)

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

So, I finally did what I needed to do. Try to nip it at the bud. Called Bully B's mom and told her what was happening. She came to school and we had a talk. Then we met up with the boy to straighten things out. His class teacher was also there. He said he didn't do it and it was his friend who actually hit Khadra. He said he was sorry to me and to Khadra.

In a way, I also pity the boy. He looked really terrified when we confronted him. His eyes were already tearing up and he looked like he was about to cry at any moment. I gave him a little shoulder rub and said, "It's okay. Just don't do it again. Aunty knows that you are a good boy."

I also pity the mom. I have been there before too. Remember when Khaleeq went on a biting rampage when he was younger? To look the other parent in the eye and apologizing for your child's behaviour. Man, that was hard and kinda embarassing too. I am sure there is an underlying story to why they are behaving in such a way. Acceptance? Belonging? Whatever it was, it's not that I want to make a big deal out of it, I just wanted to sort it out. I want my child to go to school without fear and not having to make all sorts of excuses/not-so-funny stories to avoid school. That's all.

I really hope that this would not prolong any longer. Would have to let Khadra update me on that.

I am, however, glad for four things:

1. Khadra knows what constitutes Bullying. Which behaviours are acceptable and NOT acceptable with friends in school. I have to acknowledge Beaconhouse Bangsar for this when they had a session with the kids to make them aware of this phenomena.
   
2. Parents in her primary school are connected in one way or another, by the school social network. In a way, this would facilitate crises solving and such as we could call up the parents concerned and tell them what's happening in school.
3. The mom was very understanding and acknowledged that her son is doing all these things he was accused of. It would have been more difficult if the parent was not willing to see that the child has done something wrong.
   
4. She is not physically scarred in any of these acts. (yet) Syukur.
   

For myself, I have a few learning points too :

• Not to dismiss anything she tells me as something trivial.
  
• I really need to just listen to her. Really listen when she tells me that she's having problems in school. Listen, Ibu, Listen.
• Handle her more appropriately when she makes a scene. Memanglah malu, but I need to read what's the real story. The real reason she was really acting out.
  

I'm so sorry my darling Khadra. I hope this settles your problem and you would have a better day in school from today onwards.

-dillz blogging out-

Replying a Tag on My Spouse

Tagged by Teratak Hami. Dah lama tak layan tag macam teruja lak nak buat. Thanks for tagging, Aja. :)

B, baca nih.. I hope I get the story right. hihihihihi

1. Where did you first meet your hubby/other half and when was it?

PPP/ITM, Section 18 - it was the first day I joined the Calculus I class by Mr Aziz Samson. It was circa August 1996.

2. Was it love at first sight?
Definitely not lah kot.
He was the one dok terhegeh-hegeh kat I.

hihihihihi

3. Who was he/she when you met him/her for the very first time?

He was my classmate in the Calculus I class. (which I totally owned, by the way! A-Levels Maths dah dapat A, boleh la berlagak.. )

4. How long did it take him/her to ask you out on a date?
We started going out socially as kawan-kawan during Calculus II. And we finally became an item on the 28th of April 1997. So to the best of my estimation, around 6 monthslah.

5. The venue of your first date?

Most probably Jusco Bukit Raja. The agenda was always the same: movie and makan. Share kueyteow kat foodcourt, lagi. (BTW, I taught him how to use the chopstick, tau)
If that wasn't it, then it must have been Kompleks PKNS Shah Alam. No movies in Shah Alam, so makan and borak-borak only.
hihihihihi

6. How did he/she proposed?

I think he never did. We sorta just know that that would be the next step for us.
The moment for me was when he called to tell me that he already told Mek (his mom) about wanting to marry me. :) Time stood still and I could literally feel my heart dropped to the floor. What went through my head was, "Gosh! This is it!"

7. Recollect a Special Date with your hubby/other half.

Ada ke yang seriously out of the ordinary? Hmm.. tak termasuk dalam ingatan lah pulak. Our dates usually revolved around movies and eateries.

I do remember going to Taman Tasik Shah Alam a couple of times. hahahahahahaha.. Oh, oh , oh.. There were a few times when we went to the Mines , naik water taxi bagai. Then, there were trips to Sunway Lagoon. Best!!! I do remember Ema, Ewa and Kira following as chaperones though. (Adik, awak ingat tak gambar awak pusing-pusing pokok kelapa kat Taman Tasik Shah Alam tu? Lawak siut! hihihihihi)

Zaman dah tua (ye ke tua?) I really appreciate the time we spend together without the kids. A late night movie, an occasional dinner, retail therapy (ini penting), hanging out at PappaRich for supper and the likes. We even go travelling sometimes, just the two of us. :)

8. Any changes that he/she asked you to make?

Hmm.. lemme think.

I don't recall him giving specific instructions to change, but after we were an item, I think I am a little more mellow, a little more calm and a lot less in-the-face. If you knew me from my SSP, STF and A-Level days, I am a much changed person. Very much less of a Ketua Pengawas, so in a better way, I hope. :)

9. What is it about him/her that you love so much?

His thoughtfulness. Never the romantic, but he would make an effort to write mushy letters and cards for me while we were courting because I am very much a person of words. He even made cards for me, like literally cutting out papers to make a shape of a heart, etc. Serious. So sweet, kan? It does help that he is so darn creative. (Hey, how come I don't get any more cards now?)

His sense of humour. Memang pelawak. Not like Raja Lawak type of lawak, but still very funny indeed. He is the funniest and wittiest person I know. (Cheh, bodek) His ability to turn a serious and tensed situation into something that we can laugh about shortens our crises period.

His generosity. I really think he would give his right arm to provide for his family. He has such a generous soul that he gives and gives and gives. Sometimes I forget to show my appreciations , yang, but do know that we are so grateful for what you have provided for us. *Ish.. Sedih la pullok*

His protective nature. Don't try to mess with his loved ones if you do not want to see the wrath of Azrul. You have been warned!For that I feel safe and protected. I know that no one could hurt us coz they've got Azrul to answer to. Jaga-jaga.. Kitorang ada bouncer, tau! :)

10. What would you like to change about him/her?

Nothing. (Jawapan politically correct)
I do believe that a marriage is a union that accepts one as they are, so nothing to changelah in that sense. Tapi, maybe if he could worry less and complain less, that'd be great! hahahahaha. My husband is such a pessimist. So, I guess he needs me to balance it all out. :)

11. You will lose your mind and crack your head when he/she.....
Boleh jawab nanti tak? Tak terpikir lah.

12. You will smile through your eyes the whole day when he/she..
writes me stupid/mushy/idiotic things over the BBM.

Seriously, I think this BlackBerry is really making us closer than we really are. It bridges the communication gap coz you are just a line away from asking the other person what ever is bothering you.

13.Complete this sentence, "My love towards my hubby/other half is as big as.."
Apa, ya? Whatever it may be, we would never be larger than Anna Swan & Martin Van Buren Bates who were crowned the Largest Married Couple in the World!

Info and pic found here

hihihihihihi

Now, I would like to tag DNAS (DNAS' reply), Jazzmatazz (Jazzy's reply), Kak Shana and Noresh and Kay coz they have been slacking on the updating department and Amy (Amy's reply - actually she did it before I tagged her) , Along (Along's reply) , Kay , KS and Zatil (Zatil's reply)coz I am a Kepochi like that! :)

-dillz blogging out-

Buku Lagi

Had had had to get Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert after finding out from msmengantuk that Julia Roberts is gonna star in the movie version of it. I actually knew of the book from one of those Oprah shows yonks ago (Call me lame but yes, saya suka perempuan Oprah itu) - it basically tells the story of a woman eating passionately in Italy, praying in India and finding love in Indonesia.

Picture form here

Yes, I do have like a gazillion more books to read (refer 2010 Bookbar on the side) of which I have not managed to finish even one! Only managed to read halfway through The Book Thief at the moment. But, no matter, it didn't stop me from getting Eat Pray Love from Borders, The Gardens last night. hihihihihihihi

Oh, since I was there, I managed to sneak "Daughters of Shame" by Jasvinder Sanghera into the cart too. :)

Picture from here

hihihihi

What??? Can claim tax relief what....

-dillz blogging out-

Assalamualaikum!!!

Whilst waiting for the kids to finish their night mengaji sessions, I could normally be found in either Giant Kota Damansara or Sunway Giza. If I were to spend time in Giant (there's J.Colah yang! :) ) , Maghrib could be performed in their surau. Tapi kalau nak pergi Giza, I would normally solat Maghrib at the Kota Damansara mosque. Last Monday, however, I decided to entertain a slightly different approach. How about tak payah je pergi any malls?

*Gasp* Could that be done?

So, I had my very early dinner at home at around 6:15pm. Sent the kids to their mengaji class and I headed to the Kota Damansara mosque for both jemaah Maghrib and jemaah Isya'. (Yeay, Dillz!) Truth be told, I have not been going to the mosque for solat berjemaah for quite some time already. This is, of course, not counting the days in the month of Ramadhan or any solat Raya. So, while the kids get to go mengaji, why don't I try to do something for myself too - untuk tambah my Amanah Saham Akhirat (ASA) , as my mom aptly says. :)

Aaaaaannyways, there was a very interesting short tazkirah in between the two prayers last Monday. The message was simple - asking for permission to enter and memberi Salam.

Assalamualaikum , ejaan orang melayu kita, which really means "Peace be Upon You".

(Picture from here )

Without going into the dalils and the hadiths here, the ustaz gave some reminders on:

1. Asking for permission before entering a person's premise / house and giving the Salam- the emphasis ada dua. One on the permission and the second on the Salam. If the host are not up for it, we can't go to their house, tau! Orang Melayu ni suka je terjah rumah orang, patut-patutnya telephone, tanya dulu, baru datang.. :) Bila dah sampai tu, budgetlah - bagilah Salam, kan?
   
2. Extending that into our own house and making it a norm for your child to knock and ask for permission to enter your room and give you the Salam and vice versa. He gave examples, what if your child entered your room when you are indecently dressed (or not dressed) . Sure malu, kan?
   
3. If you sedang mencegah mungkar, tak payah la ask for permission. :) Imagine the cops asking for permission before doing their raid. Habihla lari semua penyamun.. hihihihi
   

Lama dah tak pergi tazkirah, usrah ni semua.. Teringat zaman kat STF. hihihihi

Anyhoots, I extended learning point number 2 to Khadra and Khaleeq during the drive back. What do you know, next day, si Khadra terus, "Assalamualaikum.." at the Master Bedroom door. Tapi pagi ni dah tak ketuk pintu balik. hihihihihihi

Side track kejap: Zatil / Yoi bila nak ajak kitorang jengok rumah korang ni? Dah masuk dua bulan dah budak-budak tu mengaji wei... hihihihihi

-dillz blogging out-

Iqra' : Aj-Juzu' Thalith

Iqra' development series | 1:Aj-Juzu' Wahid | 2: Aj-Juzu' Thani| 3: Aj-Juzu' Thalith|

It's time for the third installment of the Iqra' series. Just to keep you (and me, really) updated on their developments. Since then, Khaleeq had been sick and vomitted all over the class in one incident as well as the kids skipped a few classes due to hi-fever and whatnot.

It would seem pretty obvious by now that we have long ditched the baju kurungs and baju melayus (as exhibited in the 2nd installment) for the night sessions and joined the likes of Haris Omar, Iskandar and Harith in their parades of baju tidur. hihihihihi I have finally concurred that, Yes, it is much more comfortable for the kids and it makes the transition to sleepyland much faster when we get home at around 10pm. :) We do come in full gear for the Sunday sessions though. :)

For the general viewing, I have included a few pictures of their meja rehal yang awesome itu. :) Khadra has hers in pink (of course) and Khaleeq has his in black.

This picture was taken when I came in early, one night session. Tu yang tak berapa ramai orang lagi tu. At full quorum, Ustazah Yati would have the kids surrounding her in the shape of a square, and she'll be in the middle. :) Oh, Ustazah Yati is the lady in the cardigan. She said she wasn't feeling too well that day.

Their behaviour / attitude for the class?
There was one occasion when Khadra refused to go to class when we already arrived at the Ustazah's house. Yes, of course I was pissed off. Imagine driving through traffic for almost one hour and when we finally got there, dia tak nak masuk pulak. Mau tak angin? Khadra said she was tired and sleepy and she did not want to mengaji that day. She also just got up from her nap during the drive there, so maybe angin dia pun tengah weng at that time. Ustazah was sweet enough to coax her in, saying that she didn't have to do anything and rest for a while. I left her in the good hands of the Ustazah. Later, she related that Khadra was only crying for about 5 minutes before she quieted down and started her mengaji.

Khaleeq did not give me any drama. Only that he asks me for a new toy everyday. But that is besides the pointlah. :)

Oh ada satu cerita baru (as related by Haris Omar and Iskandar to their mom, Liza) just yesterday. Ustazah asked Khaleeq about one of the Arabic alphabets. (I am assuming it was the letter Za - refer chart below)

(Picture from here)

Since this is a third-party story. We really could not be sure which version took place. Either way, it is still very funny.

version 1
Ustazah: What is this , Khaleeq?
Khaleeq: That's a burger in the nose

ataupun

version 2
Ustazah: What is this , Khaleeq?
Khaleeq: That's a booger in the nose

hahahahahahahahaha...

Their progress?
Alhamdulillah, Khadra just started Iqra' Three last Monday while Khaleeq is very well on his way to finishing his Iqra' One. :) To give them that extra incentive, I also promised to reward them RM10 each for every Iqra' book they finish. For completing Iqra' Six, and that means graduating to the al-Quran, they will get RM50 each (to add into their Tabung, of course) . So, that deal seems to sit with them pretty well. :)

They also learnt how to perform their solat with the practical done every Thursay. I know it is a little overwhelming, especially for Khaleeq coz he has yet to memorize all the ayat-ayat sembahyang. So, to help him (and Khadra) out a little bit, we have been practicing some of the ayat-ayat sembahyang in the car to and from mengaji. For quick wins, I started on ayat rukuk and sujud coz it is a one-liner and you repeat them in every rakaat. Sure dia rasa best sikit when he gets it.. :)

I'll upload a little snippet of Khaleeq practicing on a real-time basis during our most current tahlil at Pondok Azlul - orang tengah jemaah Isya' tu.. :) (Insya Allah *updated)

OKlah abang oi! You got it almost right most of the time. Main-main kena kurang sikit, berdiri tak boleh gerak-gerak, ayat-ayat lain kena belajar lagi, tau! (Ko paham tak ni Khaleeq, oi? hahahahaha) In time,lah my dear.. In time..

In any case, I am proud of you, Boboy!!! :) Kita practice kuat-kuat lagi, ya?

-dillz blogging out-

My New Toy Is A BB

Waited for it for a while now. I think the waiting game began since December 2009. So I was really overjoyed when this baby was waiting for me at home last Friday. :)

Inche Azrul charged it up and did the initial setting up and such. Nothing fancy; just my email, BlackBerry Messaging (BBM), twitter and facebook applications. Then, I was good to go. :)

Aduiiii.. Berhantulah BB ini...

• BBM

I was hooked to BBM instantly. It's basically instant massaging gone amok, if I may say so myself. Of course you need to have people to talk to first,lah. And for that you'd need to get your friend / contact's BB Pin. This is a special ID unique to each BB, ala-ala MAC addressla gitu.. I don't know what the BBetiquette is, really, but I was broadcasting my BB PIN like nobody's business. If you are my friend on facebook or my follower on twitter, you would know. :) Don't see the harm in it coz you could easily Decline a contact's request. Say if you TER-add them, you could Ignore them later anyways. So, in a way, it was safer than broadcasting your mobile number, kan? :)

The BBM application itself is superb coz you get the response instantly. Plus, you can even conference chat! Most my family members are already BB owners - Inche Azrul, Ewa, Ema, Illa, Nazz. So, we had a whale of a time conferencing last weekend. (Ziezi, go get onelah! Loser betul!) To top it all off, it's FREE too. I just hooked up with a long lost A-level friend living in Nigeria via BBM just last weekend. It really does make it feel like she's just next beside you, you know. (Hi Hadjara Dikko! *waves*) I really think this is the application that will eventually lead to BB's invasion of the world. *okay, exeggerating a little. but so necessary for the drama, kan?* Unless iPhone has a reply to BBM, world invasion is almost certain! Just look at how they are accepting BB in Indonesia. There's even a term coined - "BB Autis" - for the way the locals are behaving when they are actually meeting their friends for coffee. Everybody is busy drinking coffee and layaning their own BB. Hello? Tak de orang bercakap sesama sendiri ke? *serious*

Also, I had a little competition going on with Inche Azrul. He has 79 contacts in his BB to date. My target is to surpass that number (in an undisclosed timeframe). This morning, I already have 44. hihihihihi.. Be afraid, Inche Azrul, be very afraid...

• Uber Twitter

Tweeting has never been simpler with Uber Twitter. Senang nak Reply and Retweet. Plus, I am able to upload a picture conveniently taken by the BlackBerry phone onto TweetPhoto to accompany my tweets. Sungguh jaki dengan orang yang able to do that on the move before. Previously, my E71 kena email the photo to a dedicated addresslah apalah - which I was too lazy to figure out. In the end I just do it on my lappy - top when it was already obsolete. Now I can tweet with photo too. :)

• Facebook application for BB
  

Yeay! Enough said! :)

The other thing that I learnt really quickly was : When in doubt, just press the BB key. :)

(Picture from here)

This key is the keeper of all things wonderful - if you :

• Were at the BB Home, you'll be able to access all the controls and applications on your BB - Messages, SMS and MMS, Browser, Contacts, Clock, Calendar, Media, etc etc
• Were at the call log, you'd be able to Call / SMS / MMS the contact and set any special "treatment" to the contact (Speed Dial, Ring Tone), etc etc
  
• Were writing a message on the BBM, say, you'd be able to Select, Copy, Paste, Check Spelling, Add Smiley etc
  
• Were at Uber Twitter, it would allow you to send New Tweet, Refresh, View, Reply , etc etc.
• Were on Facebook for Blackberry, it would allow you to Share, Refresh, View your Profile, View news Feed, View Status Updates, etc etc
  

So, use it often that BlackBerry key. It will serve you well!

Terima Kasih, Inche Azrul. :) I love it loads.

Now I just need a COACH phone lanyard to distinguish between His and Hers.
hihihihihihi *sempat lagi tu..*

-dillz blogging out-

I've Been Spammed

I noticed that of late, I have been receiving lots of unrelated, seemingly random comments which I had to delete one by one. Some were even written in Japanese or Korean. Hello? I don't even know how to read them. Some looked like an advertisement. Some were just random words strung together which eventually pointed to a link to a website. Have I been spammed?

See examples below:


OK. Sangat tak kelakar, tau!!!

So, I have resorted to Word Verification option such as below to limit the auto-spamming into my blog. Seeing that only humans can type the verification word, hopefully akan menjadilah.

Sorry guys. Not that I get many comments anyways but this is just getting way too ridiculous. Those of you who do decide to leave a footprint in this little blog of mine would have to do this extra step from now on.

Jangan serik comment ya.

Ailabiu!

-dillz blogging out-

Java Jazz Festival 2010 - Contemplating

Java Jazz Festival 2010 chronicle : |1- Contemplating| 2- The Decision & Update| 3 - Hasil Tangkapan Perang |

Java Jazz Festival 2010

on from 5-7 March 2010

John Legend, Toni Braxton, Babyface, Shiela Majid, among others.

Macam menarik kan?
Hmmm...

-dillz blogging out-

Revenge of the 3-in1s

Our office had since resorted to a mini pantry of sorts to cater to the thirst of hard working auditors. See Exhibit A below.

Exhibit A

Dengan penuh gigih, me and adnil9 cuba try test secawan mug. Semua kena start from scratch. So it was fairly obviouslah bahawasanya saya tak reti buat milo from scratch. Siap kena tambah susu tepung, okay? After some trial and error on the sukatans, terjadilah secawan mug Milo, tapi tak menepati spesifikasi. So, a drastic plan had to be executed.

Cue 3-in-1s.

Tadaaa!!!

Idiot-proof way to make a mug of Neslo 3-in1.

1. Dapatkan sesachet Neslo 3-in 1.
2. Add hot water.
3. Stir and stir and stir.
4. Add a scoop of Milo.
5. Stir and stir and stir.
   

Dah siap!
Geng minum 3-in-1 (tiada dalam gambar, si Adeeb)

Hi adnil9 and tokey pantry (si Adeeb)! Don't miss me too much, eh? Hari Jumaat saya balik bawa ole-ole dari Kuching, ya! :)

Bye-bye 3-in1s! I'll miss you.......

-dillz blogging out-