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-

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-

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-

And It Didn't Just Happen Magically...

We have quite a big family, us Azluls. There are 7 of us siblings, 4 are married and at the moment, the total grandchildren of the Zaghlol clan stands at 12. Add to that my dad's side - 11 siblings, 8 are married with 33 kids between them and 16 grandchildren. Last Saturday night , 43 were at Pondok Azlul, my parents' abode in Puchong.

The normal agenda was planned - jemaah Maghrib, jemaah Isya', a little talk, Yaasin, tahlil and then the big makan.


It may seem weird for some of you as it was a little weird for my husband when he first married me, as we have this type of things almost every month. But to me, it is already biasa. It is part of our own special tradition, how we grew up. :) Truthfully, it could get a little troublesome too, as we might already have other plans. I sometimes feel burdened by it. For my dad though, (who happens to be the eldest living sibling in his family) this type of gathering is a must and the show has got to go on. No matter, sapa yang boleh datang, sapa yang tak boleh datang, maybe next time then.

Personally, when I was younger, (wah, dah older ke?) I thought nothing much of it. It's just an avenue for good food and great company. Us cousins would be chit-chatting away - in between prayers and all. :) Aunties and uncles reconnect with their nephews and nieces. Exchanging stories , jokes, sad news and the like. I remember very well our late nenek saudara who loved telling stories to us kids. She was such a beautiful lady with a unique ability to mesmerize you with her stories.

Anyways, my point is, I didn't know it then, but my dad had carried on his father's legacy on having this type of gatherings to create a loving environment for us to grow in. A support system unlike no other - a close-knitted family bond. I do appreciate his persistance now. Now that I have kids of my own, I want them to be secured. I want them to know that these are the people that they could depend on. That everyone is there for them. :)

The other thing about it is that my dad does not get upset that the little ones won't get in line to sembahyang. He'd just let them roam when we were reciting the Yaasin. :) For him, it's just as important for the little ones to be around this type of gatherings, so that they would want to join in when they are older. So that they would know who their families are. So that they will not forget their religious duties as well as wanting to be succeessful in the studies and careers. These are hard lessons to teach my kids and I really don't want to shove them down their throat. My dad has taught through his actions that we need to balance the pursuit of akhirat and the current life we're living. That it is both equally important.

So, yeah. We try to make an effort to come to these gatherings. After all, who can resist the authentic home-cooked Temerloh mari patin tempoyak, eh? Yummy..

-dillz blogging out-

Kill Kill Kill!! Die Die Die!!

I have been complaining to the hubs about my pest problems in the car and he immediately recommended one of those Roach Baits. They come in a box of 6 or so and apparently he has had some remarkable results with it.

Anyways, being the true Miss Procrastinator that I am, I have not yet got round to doing it . The complaints kept on mounting, yet the solution remains the same. There were even a few rounds of "You la beli.." and "Nanti I beli, lah.." But, still no signs of the Roach Bait in the Azrul household.

Until...

I was on the royal throne the other day when I noticed that there were some living beings underneath the pelapik toilet tiles (You know, those ones that you put on so that your feet don't get wet when you visit the toilet. Yes, those ones..) So I nudged it. Four little beings scampered away. Adakah baby cockroaches? Ewwwwww.... Adalah gross..

The last straw came when I left my cut fruits in the car after the kids' mengaji session last Wednesday. Thinking that the fruits might get spoilt if I left it overnight, I asked the hubs to accompany me to the car. *OK, Adilah adalah mengada* Anyways, guess what was waiting for us in my pack of jambu batu with asam? Two kid cockroaches. I kid you not. Ewwwwww...... Menggeletis, ok..

So, I finally got them Roach Bait last night. Memperkenalkan; Mortein Roach Bait that comes in a pack of 6.

Packaging untuk kotaknya

According to the instructions on the back of the package, you are supposed to put the baits about a metre apart from each other. The spot needs to be dark and warm. I already put 3 baits in toilet last night. Switched off the lights and the waiting game begins....

By this morning, I saw a trail of ants near the door. Three puny, tiny, baby cockroaches are being lifted for their feast tonight. Behind the pot, there was a casualty, bellied up! Turtle gitew.. hihihihihihihi
So, Yeay!!! It works! It blardy works!

Next , my car pulak. I placed all 6 baits in it. One at each passenger seat and one at the driver's. Two more in the trunk.

Eeh.. Blur pulak. Gelap sangat agaknya..

Sekali lagi. With flash!

Expecting to see some more casualties later today. According to the instructions, there are two types of roaches:

Lipas Amerika
Warna: Keperangan
Saiz: Besar 35-45mm
Lokasi biasa: Bilik air, tempat basuh, dekat paip dan longkang. Mencari makanan di dapur.

Lipas German
Warna: Perang Muda
Saiz: Kecil 5-15mm
Lokasi biasa: Pada amnya di tempat memasak yang panas dan lembap seperti almari dan di bawah sinki.

So, bring it on, Decepticons! We are on a mission!!!

Kill! Kill! Kill! Die! Die! Die!

hihihihihihihihihihi

*Updated 29Jan10 - The massacre site*

-dillz blogging out-

Things You Need To Register Your Child Into Primary One

In the midst of preparation for Khadra's Primary One, I went to her school a couple of times to get her books and badges and stuff. So, I figured that I'd better kill two birds with one stone seeing that Khaleeq was already eligible to be registered for the 2011 schooling year. :)

I remembered that I needed the utility bill, copies of parents' ICs and the child's original and copy of Birth Certificate. I also remembered that the registration process was very simple and was over and done with pretty quickly.

As I got to the school office, I asked for the relevant forms. Upon setting my eyes on the checklist of required documents , I immediately went, "Alaaaaaaaaaaaaaa... Tak bawak envelope!!!" :(

Maka U-turnlah saya and went straight to Czip Lee to get the said envelope.

So, as a reminder to myself , the things that I would need to register my child into Primary One are (Perlu ni when I register for Khaleeda pulak):

1. Sijil Kelahiran Asal dan Satu Salinan Fotostat
2. Salinan Bil Utiliti (Bil Air, Bil Elektrik, Bil Telefon ) atau Cukai Pintu
   
3. Satu Sainan Fotostat Kad Pengalan Ibu dan Bapa / Penjaga
4. Satu Sampul Surat Bertingkap Warna Putih 41/2 X 91/2 dan Setem RM0.50
5. Surat Pengesahan Abang/Kakak yang Bersekolah di Sekolah yang dipohon (jika ada)
   

Ingat tu!!!

-dillz blogging out-

Can Niat Double Or Not?

*Updated 1 October 2009 1:50pm*
Ahhh... Stress balik. A comment from KOG prompted me to make additional research on the WWW and got me to this:

fr harakahdaily.net : Bolehkah puasa Qada' dan Syawal digabungkan?

Namun secara cermat beliau (Ustaz Zaharuddin Abd Rahman) membuat kesimpulan dalam mengutarakan perbincangan ini iaitu adalah tidak elok digabungkan dan elok sangat didahulukan yang wajib (qada) daripada sunat (Syawal) tetapi menganggap sebagai rukhsah "keringanan" bagi mereka yang mempunyai kesukaran kerana uzur dan tidak mampu untuk mengasingkannya.

Here's another interesting take from Soal Jawab Puasa:

Didalam kes mengadha' puasa dan melakukan puasa sunat 6 hari didalam bulan Syawwal, ulama berbeza pendapat yang mana satu harus dilakukan. Beberapa ulama' berpandangan bahawa Tidak sah amalan sunat sebelum melakukan qadha'. Mereka menggunakan kaedah :

أن النافلة لا تؤدى قبل الفريضة

"Sesungguhnya amalan sunat tidak boleh ditunaikan sebelum amalan fardu"

Akan tetapi, jika terdapat masa yang sangat pendek (takut tertinggal peluang menunaikan puasa 6), berbanding dengan puasa qadha' yang banyak; seperti didalam kes wanita yang panjang haidhnya, dibenarkan melakukan puasa enam hari didalam bulan Syawwal, dan kemudian mengqadha'nya sebelum menjelang Ramadhan yang akan datang. Syeikh Ibn Utsaimin mengatakan ini merupakan pandangan yang lebih kepada kebenaran. [Sharh al-Mumthi' 6/448].

Kesimpulannya, bagi puasa sunnat yang mempunyai fadhilat umum (seperti Isnin-Khamis), jika ia bersamaan dengan puasa sunnat yang mempunyai fadhilat khas (contohnya puasa sunat hari Arafah), bolehlah dilakukan niat yang khas (Puasa Arafah) bagi mendapatkan ganjaran puasa Isnin-Khamis sekali. Bagi Puasa qadha' yang dilakukan pada bulan Syawwal, dia boleh berniat qadha' dengan harapan moga2 mendapat juga fadhilat berpuasa didalam bulan Syawwal. Jika seseorang itu berniat puasa sunat, maka tuntuan qadha' masih tidak terlepas dari dirinya. WA.

So, how now?

-dillz blogging out-

*Original post 30 September 2009 1:24pm*
I have heard many answers to the question:

Is it permissible to niat for both sunat Syawal and puasa qada' for the missed days in Ramadhan ?

Some said that we have to qada' all the missed days before you are entitled to fast the sunat Syawal on the counts of you have to dahulukan yang wajib.

Some said it was permissible to niat for both at one go.

I am thinking that may be some of you are having the same doubts as me, so I'd like to share this knowledge (Thanks Raz for sharing) from this very helpful link: Double Intention in Shawwal Fasting from Islamonline.net

Extracted from the webpage:

From the late Sheikh `Atiyyah Saqr, former head of Al-Azhar Fatwa Committee -

A person who has missed days of fasting in Ramadan may fast the optional six days of Shawwal with the intention of both making up for these missed days and observing the optional fasting of six days of Shawwal. He or she will then get double benefit simultaneously: making up for the missed days and getting the reward of fasting the six days of Shawwal, for it is established in Islam that one's acts are judged by one's intentions.
However, it is recommended that one makes up for the missed fasts separately from fasting the six days of Shawwal [so as to get extra reward].

Moga-moga tiada lagi sebarang ragu di minda.

Wallahu 'alam bissawab..

-dillz blogging out-

Claim Jangan Tak Claim

Remember our delayed flight from Jakarta the other day that caused such drama? Good thing about it was that we purchased travel insurance which covered any events of delays, lost baggage and such. Tersangatlah malas nak buat paperwork, but I was told we would be compensated RM250 per head for any delays above 8 hours. Since our flight was scheduled at 6:30pm but we departed at 5:00am the next day, we were certainly eligible to claim.

If you ever get caught in the same condition as us, and would like to claim for delayed flights from MHInsure, here's how:

1. Email Malaysia Airlines to get a letter confirming the flight delay and its cause. This is easy, just go to their website at www.malaysiaairlines.com. Click on the link : Contact Us and fill up their Fill up our Customer Feedback Form now. Just detail out your request here and you will be contacted by a MAS staff. I had a good experience with mine, she was very helpful and even entertained any customization I needed, it was real easy! Thank you Miss Radhiyah Omar. :)

2. Go to: Booking & Info -> Travel Services -> MHInsure and download the Claim Form

3. Fill up the Claim Form completely.
For delayed flights, fill up the GENERAL SECTION (To be completed for ALL claims), Section C. TRAVEL OR BAGGAGE DELAY / OVERBOOKED FLIGHT / FLIGHT MISCONNECTION and CLAIM PAYMENT AND DECLARATION (To be completed for ALL claims)

4. Get the other necessary documentations for the claims process. In this case, you would need:

• Original completed claim form
• Original travel itinerary
• Copies of front page of passport / the page indicating entry and exit stamp to the country of destination
• VISA
• Original Boarding passes / Air tickets
• Original Certificate of Insurance
• Written confirmation from carrier on the duration and reason for delay (This is the one you wrote to MAS for earlier)
• Original receipts in respect of hotel accommodation and meals (I didn't have this coz we were put up in a hotel by MAS)
  
• Original receipts of essential purchases (I didn't have this)
  
• Documents stating amount of compensation from airlines or other sources (I diodn't have this)
  

5. Mail your complete documentation to:

MHinsure Claims
Level 14, Tower B, Dataran Maybank
No. 1 Jalan Maarof, 59000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Don't forget to photocopy everything and keep the duplicate. Just in case the documents gotlost in the mail.

6. After a few days, follow up and call the MHInsure Emergency Assistance & Claims Handling to make sure they already got your claims' forms.

Number to call: +(60) 3 6207 4115 (reverse charge call from overseas), or at 1800 806 377 for our toll-free hotline within Malaysia. Lines are open 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, 365 days per year. You can also email: MHinsure-claims@mondial-assistance.com.my

7. Wait for your Duit Raya. Ours are already on the way. hihihihihihihi

-dillz blogging out-

Changing our driving habits, one pledge at a time

Yesterday was 09.09.09, the day Malaysians Unite for Road Safety.

I heard about it over the radio and have seen the banner plastered on the more socially-concious blogs (as opossed to blogs such as mine yang dok cerita apa saya atau keluarga saya makan, beli or buat pada hari ini) So, obviously, I was intrigued to find out more about it.

Essentially, pledges in the form of text, pictures and videos are received from all Malaysians on the ways they would reduce accidents and save lives. We are asked to honour these pledges for 12-hours between 9:00am-to-9:00pm on 9 September 2009.

My last visit to the MUFORS page revealed that there were 231,280 pledges to date. Not very many, eh? How sad..

I personally think Malaysian drivers are transformed into another being once they get behind the drivers seat. It is as if the law now does not apply to them. The anonimity makes them ruder and more selfish. I mean, the things you see people (or I) actually do - I mean, forget about it..

Take cutting queues for example. Sure, you need to get there fast. Sure, they are plain ineffective. Tak cekap, slow, lembab.. But, hey! Orang lain pun nak cepat jugak. Whatever your reasons maybe, cutting queues is just plain rude. Just because the other drivers do not know you personally, that doesn't give you the ticket to be rude. You wouldn't get caught cutting queues when your neighbours are there, would you? Habis satu kampung mengata, Anak sipolan-sipolan tu, kurang ajar, ek. Mak diorang tak ajar ke? Sapa yang malu? Mereka dan keluarga mereka jugak yang malu.. I know you get what I mean.

Anyhoots, the moral is, we need to change and what better way to start with one-self.

My text pledge berbunyi:
Dilla Zaghlol:
I pledge to:
1. Not read or reply to any sms whilst driving
2. Always ensure that my passengers and I are safely buckled before the start of our journey.

In any case, I don't think this pledge has a validity period. So, I am continuing on with my pledge and try to keep them as best as I can. maybe in time, I'll add more good driving behaviours to my pledge and build it on one pledge at a time. Just wanna keep it simple and do-able. Sikit-sikit, lama-lama jadi bukit, maa..

How about you? Don't you wanna keep our roads safer for all? What would you pledge to do?

-dillz blogging out-

Hands up for road safety

Just realized that apart from being a darn great date, 09.09.09, where people flock to get hitched today, it is also the beginning of MUFOR - Malaysians Unite for Road Safety.

Do your bit and pledge to MUFORS today.

-dillz blogging out-

Your Bibik Wants To Balik Kampung?

Our bibik Parmi would be going back to her hometown in Solo, Jawa Tengah this coming 13th September 2009 for a whole month. She will be returning to us on the 10th of October 2009.

When we extended her permit for the 4th year last July, we were informed by the Immigration officer at the PKNS Shah Alam office (ke I hallucinate?) that we would need to get the endorsement of the Immigration department for her trip back home. The documentations needed are:

• Letter stating she would "balik bercuti ke kampung halaman" with her travel particulars
• A copy of her travel itinerary (tickets for flight, ferry, etc)
• A copy of the first page of her passport and her valid working permit

All these need to be done in three copies. I just had to come to the department and get it "chopped" thus endorsed.

A month and a half later (we really took our time), hubby and me went to the Immigrations Department (this time in Pusat Bandar Damansara) to get the papers endorsed. Lain pulak ceritanya.. (but better!)

The officer checked Parmi's passport and concluded:
TAK PAYAH BUAT APA-APA..

As long as-

• Your Bibik has a valid work permit.
• Your Bibik has a valid passport.
• Your Bibik's passport stated a Malaysia address at the back. (If not, you need to get it endorsed at the Indonesian Embassy)
  

He did say, however, there may be cases whereby the Indonesian Immigration might ask for a letter so you may want to prepare a letter saying that she is allowed to go home for holiday. I shall prepare that lah for her, for ease of mind. And in 3 copies, at that! :)~~

-dillz blogging out-

Let's Keep It Clean

There was a health-talk by Lifebuoy at the kids' school last Saturday. One which we had signed up for a week prior and for which we had to skip 2 birthday invites. (Sorry Rita and Azni)

Some of the highlights of the events were:

• Story-telling with En Durian: It had a simple theme. Adventurous Kids gets themselves dirty, adventurous kid gets sick. Adventurous kids need to be clean and practice good personal hygiene. Adventurous kids get to be adventurous and healthy! The storyteller was the bubbly, expressive and energetic En Durian, who took his time and turned it into something fun for the kids. Here's a little snippet of En Durian in action:
  
• Hygiene talk and Quiz: After the story was done, En Durian explained the expected hygienic activities that the kids were supposed to maintain. How many times they should bathe with Lifebuoy shower gels. :) When to wash your hands, and how to wash them with Lifebuoy hand wash. The kids had to imitate a series of step-by step instructions and once again En Durian made it fun. Even Khaleeda joined in! :) There was also a simple quiz at the end of it.
  
• Hand-washing demo: The kids took turns, one-by-one, to step on the stool and have a go at the mobile wash basin. En Durian was there again to guide them. So sweetlah En Durian ni. And so patient. :) Here's Khadra giving it a go.
  
• Colouring competition & Facepainting: Next was the colouring competition and to complement the activity, me and Kira facepainted the kids too. :) No pictures, sorry. I was too busy "working".
  

I did think it was a great and fun way for the kids (and their parents) to learn about personal hygiene. Even I didn't know the exact techniques to wash my hand, know what I mean? All this while, I have just been winging it. Mana ada buat claw and gosok-gosok on the palms, segala. hihihihihihi Why lah zaman dulu takde pun orang nak ajar kita cuci tangan? Kids these days are so lucky, they have everything handed out to them, eh?

Anyhoots, with the influenza scare about town, it could not have come at a more appropriate time. Thank you , Lifebuoy! Thank you, Beaconhouse Bangsar! I sure learnt some great lessons!

-dillz blogging out-

House Arrest!

Azrul has not been feeling all that well since our travels back from Jakarta. I blame it on his frequent fly-out in the past few weeks. He has also scheduled another trip to Phnom Pehn this Sunday. When one's body has been put into the stress of travels, rushing hours, unfamiliar territories and food, lack of sleep etc etc , your body would somehow find a way to tell you to slow down. Mulalah batuk-batuk, sakit badan, demam segala datang menjelma.

After a few days back from Jakarta, he started to feel weak, tak sedap badanlah kata orang.. Then, the high fever started on Sunday. His temperature reached upto 39.7C so, we went straight to the Emergency Department in Pantai Medical Centre. The ED was filled to the brim, eventhough it was at 11:30pm. After they took his history and temperature, he was given a 3-ply mask and immediately taken to the isolation area. We stayed till 2:30am when he was finally released to go home, but with a self-quarantine advice. I also underwent self-quarantine the next day and worked from home, just in case.

He felt better soon after. The high fever was completely gone on Tuesday. However, he noted that his chest was giving all sorts of funny noises. He could even hear his wheezing with every deep breath. So, he decided to go back to the clinic on Thursday and have a check. True enough, he was referred for an x-ray at the ED in Pantai Medical Centre. We spent Thursday lunch at the ED and he had his chest scanned and also some blood works done. He sent me back to the office and he went home to wait for the results.

At about 5pm, he went back to the ED and was told that he had developed mild pneumonia and needs to be self-quarantined at home for about 7 days. (Later, we went back to ED to get some clarifications on what to do and was assured that he just needed to rest and just stay away from gatherings and the masses as a whole so that he won't get infected by the gen pop. You never know what other people has and it's just sound advice to just carry out social distancing.)

So, with our masks still on, we went to borong two boxes of 3-ply masks (one for adults and another for kids) , a few bottles of Dettol antiseptic gel and some supplements for the kids. BTW, OMG on the price of the face masks. RM1 for each 3-ply = RM50 per box. The N95 variety is going at RM5 per piece. Don't get me started on the antiseptic sterilizer thingamabobs- the surgical standard ones are going at RM45 per bottle. (Medium sized) Last-last, pharmaceutical companies jugak yang kaya bila ada outbreak macam ni. Way to feed on people's paranoia! :(

Anyhoots, Azrul will, from now on (until his 7-day quarantine is over) live in the space I stayed during my confinement, separate from the others in my household.

1- The two of us while waiting to get his chest X-rayed at the hospital
2- Bahan borong dari pharmacy
3- Patient under house arrest dalam keadaan duduk and melayan bosan at isolation room in our house
4- As above, but dalam keadaan baring
5- Khaleeda putting her mask on to show daddy how cute she looks. :)

Would have to ask for his wish list on how to kill the boredom. Would also need to stock up on the jajans in the kitchen. Kesian, suami saya..

Saya sudahi dengan a good read on A(H1N1) --> A(H1N1) flu: Updates on 10 FAQs - Dr David KL Quek. Be informed, do the right thing!

-dillz blogging out-

Breast Cancer: What can we do?

This post is dedicted to Allahyarhamah Siti Marlina Zainal (1976 - 2009) , my junior Srikandi thoroughbred 89-93. She passed on last Monday, 6th July 2009 after a brave fight against cancer. Do read her "My Surviving Years" blog. I was so touched and saddened by her heartfelt posts. She was also featured as a Winner in "My Story -Ceritaku" competition in conjunction with National Cancer Awareness & International Breast Cancer Awareness months. Read it here: I lost my breast but not everything else!

Al-Fatihah.

********

Just about everybody knows that the most common type of cancer in women is the breast cancer. Everyone would know at least one person within their circle that had passed on due to the deadly disease.

The statistics doesn't help either:

• Breast cancer afflicts an estimated figure of more than ONE MILLION women in the world each year and it is the 2nd leading cause of cancer deaths among women worldwide, second to lung cancer.
• For new cases of female breast cancer reported in Malaysia in 2003, 64% of these cases were women between the ages of 40 to 60 years old.
• Early detection and getting the appropriate medical attention can help save lives. It is so unfortunate that in Malaysia, nearly 40% of new cases identified each year were already in the very advanced stages of the disease.

(Taken from: Pride.org.my - Statistics)

What I can say is that Early detection is KEY. We need to be aware of the Do's. Don't just wear the pink ribbon, you need to know what to do and you need to DO IT!

From Breast Self Examination (BSE):

Every woman from the age of 20-39 years old should:

• carry out BSE once a month, between the 7-10 day from the start of your period (Truth be told, I have NEVER done this in my life. I know about it,sure. I feel embarrassed when approached by the lady with the pink ribbons, that I just quickly get the DIY manual on BSE and hurried along)
• do Clinical Breast Examination (CBE) once every three years, though there are also other recommendations to do it once yearly when you reach 30. (I am guilty too , I have NEVER done this ever!)

For ladies aged 40 and above:

• carry out BSE once a month. For women who have reached menopause, do it on a specific date of the month
• do CBE and mammogram once a year

We need to be breast aware - i.e. know how your breasts actually look and feel. Look for changes in breast size and shape, any pains and lumps, changes on your skin and nipple.

On another note, I feel that we would also need to participate in breast cancer awareness campaigns. I found a local community program called Passionately.You - " a woman driven campaign dedicated to women's health and to celebrate all cervical and breast cancer victims and survivors' fighting spirit. The Passionately You Duck represents HOPE for those battling cervical & breast cancer."

They organized a 2 months campaign last year called "Passionately Pink" in which pink rubber ducks , a commonly used symbol to fight breast cancer, were given a make-over by Malaysian celebrities and then auctioned off. The objective was to raise RM100,000 to fund the Breast Cancer Community Treatment Programme at Assunta Hospital.

The Passionately You roadshows aimed at telling women about breast cancer prevention and and HPV immunization campaign for young women to protect them against cervical cancer. The next roadshow would be at TESCO EXTRA Selayang on 16 - 17 July and TESCO Setia Alam, Shah Alam on 18-19 July 2009.

There's other exciting activities in store, including "All Things Women" shopping weekend scheduled sometime in August whereby a percentage of sales from designer clothing, footware and accessories will beused for women's cancer treatment. There will also be fashion shows and music entertainment in the agenda.

Another interesting activity is the Passionately YOU Quacky Run of 25km and 5km Family Fun run on October 11,2009. For more information call 603-77839509. (You could run or volunteer, either way, do call the number) Make that call and start practicing for the marathon with benefits - this would go well with my "Muffin Top" eradication program.

-dillz blogging out-

Gimme Toys Toys Toys!

*Updated 9 July 2009

More toys for the Hospital! Ziezi donated this row of oversized stuffed stuffs for the kids. A Big Bird, a Powerpuff Girl (Buttercup, menurut kata Adeeb), a Pink Panther and a Pooh! Yeay! Thanks, sis.

They are already at the office now. En route to the final destination.. There's still time.. The closing date is 10th of July 2009!

*Updated 7 July 2009

Got some queries on where to deposit their old toys. As mentioned earlier, the drive is by TM staff , so the collection points are mainly in main TM offices around KL. Here are the details:

1- Surau Al-Hidayah, Tingkat 9, TM Annexe 1 ( Hj Abu Hasan Abd. Rashid 013-397 1669 )

2- Surau Al-Amin, Tingkat 19, TM Annexe 2 ( Mejar (B) Azmi Mohd 013-395 2700 )

3- Ruang Legar berdekatan Gelanggang sqausy Menara TM berhampiran Surau Menara ( Zulkafli Othman 013-368 1918 )

4- Surau An-Nur, Tingkat Bawah, TM Bukit Mahkamah, Jln. Raja Chulan ( Sida Kamis 013-332 2004 )

5- Surau TMTC (Hj. Muhamad Azahar Hj Saidan Ahmad ( 2020 1330 )

Hope that helps! They'll be collecting until the 10th of July 2009. Thanks for your contributions, guys. We might make some sick kid's day! ;)

*Original post 6 July 2009

Had a plight from our resident Badan Kebajikan Islam TM on a drive to collect toys for the Peadiatric Ward in Hospital Kuala Lumpur:

Dimaklumkan bahawa BAKIT KL dengan kerjasama Jabatan Pengimejan Diagnostik ( X-Ray ), Institut Pediatrik, HKL berhasrat untuk mendapatkan sumbangan permainan kanak-kanak terpakai.

Untuk makluman semua, barang-barang permainan tersebut diberikan secara sementara kepada kanak-kanak yang datang membuat pemeriksaan. Kanak-kanak yang datang terdiri dari pelbagai bangsa dan peringkat umur. Perasaan resah dan gelisah, bosan sehingga ada yang menangis sementara menunggu giliran. Jadi, untuk mengelakkan pelbagai perkara yang tidak diingini berlaku, perlunya barang-barang permainan sebagai penawar dan memujuk hati kanak-kanak tersebut.

Walaupun pada awalnya terdapat banyak barang-barang permainan, tetapi bagi memujuk hati anak-anak, barang permainan terpaksalah diberikan terus kepada mereka. Sehingga kini, hanya terdapat beberapa barang permainan yang amat lusuh dan tidak sempurna. Oleh itu kerjasama dari ahli-ahli untuk memberikan sumbangan amatlah diharapkan dan dihargai.

Tarikh tutup adalah pada 10 Julai 2009 ( Jumaat ).

I always thought the kids had way too much toys for their own good anyways. So, we went through the toys and decided upon those that could be given away.

We managed to collect 2 big bags full of toys for the cause and I am mighty pleased. There were many baby toys, since all my three kids have outgrown them. There were also toys that has not had any play time for quite a while now. So, those ones had to go too.

But, I also decided that it was time for me to part with some of my soft toys. Special mention to Baba Lele - that big camel that I got from Trocadero, London and Oluwa Se-un, my adorable brown bear. They have been with me since my A-Level years, so that makes it , what? About 15 years since.. Fare-thee-well dear friends, hope you'll be happy in your new home..

-dillz blogging out-

Rumah Terbakar Panggil Bomba!

Any one of you got caught in traffic at Federal Highway near the Kerinchi exit during lunch hour today? Inilah penyebabnya..

Captured the pictures while I was having lunch at the TM cafeteria just now. So, this is really hot off the press, y'all! Seems that a house (probably squatter) by the Federal Highway was on fire. I believe it is in the Kerinchi area. There's not many squatter houses left in that area, most have already made way to the rapid development in the neighbourhood. By the end of my lunch, there were already several firetrucks on the scene. Efficient, y'all! (BTW, call 999 for Bomba these days, ok? They are all using the same number for Malaysia Emergency Response team inclusive of the police, bomba and ambulance)

Terbakar or dibakar? Don't really know.. Maybe a child was playing with matches and the unfortunate happens. Maybe some developer tied a flaring torch to a mouse and let it loose.

One thing's for certain though. Traffic jam due to kay-po-chee bystanders; in the buildings, by the roadside, in the cars.. (Yours truly included) All stalling to see and comment among themselves on what happened, why it happened. A must get-together lah, kata orang..

Aaahhh... Malaysia memang boleh!

-dillz blogging out-

Dot Bangang

Have you ever had this happen to you?

You get a call right in the middle of doing something important; in the middle of a meeting, getting your hairy body parts waxed, screaming to your kids for not doing their homework right or what-have-you; and the number is one that you do not recognize. It could be some random mobile or fixed line, but fearing for some important or critical news on the line, you pick it up. I mean, what other option do you have, right? Only to hear a stream of words thrown your way:

• asking you whether you have 3 minutes to enjoy a free stay at a remarkable resort by the sea?
• or offering you a great insurance / personal accident coverage offered only to you, our special and priveledged customer,
• or selling you a great travel membership with association in 600plus resorts in 90 countries.

This is when I personally go fuming mad. I know they are just doing their job, so I bite my tongue and say any of these reply varieties:

• "It's OK. I already have personal insurance."
• "I'm not interested. Thanks."
• "I tengah meeting lah. Nanti call balik, ya"
• "I outstation ni."

Now I have another option than to answer the calls. After every event, I would save the number into my contact named ".Bangang". If I exceed the maximum number for ".Bangang"; then ".Bodoh", ".####" ".%^&$%" will follow.

Peace of mind. Thank you!

Okay, I have ranted. Now, I can work!

-dillz blogging out-

RM50 & RM1

Just got this from my beloved Aicu...

Duit seringgit telah bertemu dengan lima puluh ringgit dan bertanya:
"Oit,lama tak nampak, mana ko pergi?"

Lima puluh menjawab " Aku pergi merata tempat. Pergi stadium tengok bola, Naik STAR Cruise, gi KK naik AirAsia, lepak One Utama, konsert AF, Malaysian Idol.. tempat2 cam tuh lah. Eh, ko camner lak?"

Duit seringit menjawab perlahan seraya menunduk,
"Hmm..biasa lah.. Balik-balik tempat sama.. surau, masjid, surau... ".

Thanks, Aicu for the reminder and guys;

"Sendiri mau ingat, brader.."

-dillz blogging out-

In Darkness and In Light

Date? 28 March 2009
Day? Saturday
Time? 8:30pm till 9:30pm

It was Earth Hour and we decided to turn off the lights in our home and take a more scenic route to my mom's house. The side-tracking got us to Menara TM (so proud of you, baybeh!), the top of Jalan Bukit Pantai (to catch a glimpse of KLCC and Menara KL), onto SPRINT highway and then LDP all the way to Puchong.

It's good to see all the major buildings turning off their lights for Earth Hour - we made a stop near Menara TM to catch it on our DSLR. Hubster got quite some good shots of it. (*Updated!*) We also tried to capture KLCC and Menara KL from a distance but the camera failed us; it was that dark! :)

Good job guys.. It's a start..

Alrighty then, one night is done, everybody (or so) turned off their lights for an hour. So, what next? While waiting for Earth Hour 2010, I was just wondering what else I could do to help save Mother Earth and found some Tips to Save the Earth as below:

1.Turn off your light: As my mom and dad always says, "Tutup lampu tu..." Ikut cakap orang tua, kay.. They know what they are talking about.. There's also those energy saving lights that are more expensive to buy, but in the long run can save you some bucks and save the Earth some life! If I could recall correctly, Maya Karin gave out the Osram energy saving lightbulbs as a trinket for her Malaysian wedding reception. How cool is that?

My mom-in-law, on the other hand, goes one better. She literally switches off every single equipment in the house that utilizes electricity everytime she leaves the house for a short visit to her children's place. (short = minimum of overnight stay) Yes, even the refridgerator is not spared. So, sweet, kan?

2. Running faucet: Everyone can do this coz it's soooo easy. You just need to be concious about it. Just turn off the running faucet when you brush your teeth or when you are lathering the soap for your facial wash. Apparently, if you leave the water running for two minutes, you waste up to ten gallons of water.

3. Carry cloth shopping bags: I remember those green bags to be only RM1.00 when they first introduced them some 2/3 years ago. Now, they are selling at RM3.50 (or more) but that's not the point here. The point is, when you use your cloth shopping bag, there is less and less need to produce the plastic shopping bags that are non-biodegradable. Non-biodegradable = BAD for the Earth.

4. Recycle: This is an old song to sing. "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.. It's easy to do..." Everyone knows that we can recycle paper, plastics, glass and aluminium. Thing is, it is such a chore to do, to separate your trash and stuff. Then, we'd have to pick it up ourselves to the nearest recycling centre. If it's too much for you to do, start small.. I am starting with my non-trash - my old magazines and oooooold newspaper.... There's a recycling campaign going on at the office and the first batch will be sent on 3rd of April 2009. Plus, every kg of recycleable item will be worth some sen. I might as well get some money doing it, eh?

Will leave you with a little video snippet of our night ride.. So, how did your night go?



-dillz blogging out-

Exercise Caution!

We watched "Taken" on the DVD some nights ago. (Hubby thought it was a French movie thus won't be screening on the local circuit - So NOT true.. The movie was just SHOT in France.. ) Anywho, I thought it was a brilliant show though in retrospect, I would have slept quarter way through it if Mr Neeson was replaced by Mr. I'm-a-1-man-super-army Seagal. Without spoiling the movie for those who intend to catch it; adik-adik, kakak-abang; main takeaways from the movie would include:
- don't lie to your dad
- daddy knows best, eventhough he can be so incredibly annoying
- a little paranoia goes a long way
- your dad is THE best dad in the entire world

Leaving Hollywood behind and coming back to the realms of reality. I am compelled to share the following 3 incidents that happened to friends & family members not too long ago, i.e. in 2009 for us to learn from:

1. I am no burglar

My Mak Anjang who lives around Sunway Kinrara area spotted a group of people (2 men and a woman) acting rather suspiciously around her neighbourhood. She stopped her car to call her neighbour to warn them when one man approached her car, asking whether she knew the address he supposedly had on a piece of paper. Being suspicious, she only rolled down her window just a little bit, just so that she could speak to the man. The man said,

"Turunkan la tingkap tu kak.. Kakak ingat saya ni perompak ke?" (Why don't you lower down the window a little more, Miss. I am not a bad person / burglar)

After some hesitation, she lowered the window just a little bit more. The man then reacted and replied,

"Kalau perompak, buat macam ni" (A burglar would do it this way)
He lowered the window with his hands, opened the door and took out a knife. Pulled my aunty out of her car and drove off with it. Literally in a split second, her handbag, her car was gone! Can you believe that?

2. Valet scam
My sister went to Pantai Medical Centre for her doctor's appointment and met her friend there. After an hour or so after the appointment, the same friend called her up saying that her car was missing! Apparently, after she valet-parked her car, a good-looking, suit-wearing gentleman approached her saying that they have mistakenly given her the wrong parking card. (Oh, OK..) So, here's the real one and can you please return the wrong one? (Oh, OK.. again...) No harm done right? WRONG.. When she tried to retrieve her car, the parking card apparently doesn't refer to any car and her car has already been taken out by a good-looking, suit-wearing gentleman. What the ??

3. Snatching visitors
A good friend of mine from STF had this happen to her just a few weeks back. She was having a seat-down lunch at one of the restaurants in Sheraton Hotel, Subang. She had her handbag on the floor, partially covered by the table cloth. After some time, she realizes that her handbag has gone missing. The F&B manager later pulled her aside and related that they retained a suspecting group of Middle-Eastern visitors lingering in the restaurant. Since there were no complaints or reason to hold them any longer, they have just calmly and quietly told them to get out of the restaurant. He thinks that these people may have something to do with the disappearing handbang. I.e., the woman must have "smuggled" the handbag under her abaya. She had a first class treatment from the hotel to lodge a police complaint etc but luckily also, her husband called her kidnapped handphone and managed to get the thieves to return the handbag. She had everything back sans her handphone and some money. All others are intact - handbag, IC, credit cards, purse, keys etc etc.. (Boleh tak? So lucky, right?)

So, please, please, please be careful, people.. It never hurts to be extra careful in this day and age..

-dillz blogging out-