Al-Fatihah

Got news that Azura Hani Ahmad a.k.a Zoorek and Norhashimah Wahid a.k.a Sheema both succumbed to their illnesses this morning. They both have passed on. As and when there is info, I shall keep the updates coming on this post.

Al-Fatihah to my two lovely sisters. Ya Allah, grant their loved ones the strength to carry on.

I was totally numb, trying to make sense of things. It was so overwhelming that I had to stop the car and park by the roadside and cry and cry and cry. What a devastating way to start the week. I shall miss them dearly.

*Update on Allahyarhamah Azura Hani Ahmad

8:55am : Jenazah akan dibawa ke rumah aunty dia di: No 48, Jalan 17/4, Petaling Jaya. Kebumi sebelum Zohor.

10:28am : Directions to her aunty's house - if u are coming from the Masjid Bulat Section 14, at the Rothmans roundabout, take the 3pm exit. Take the first second left turn and look out for Jln 17/4 on your right after Pasar Seksyen 17.Go straight on until you get to a cross-junction. No 41 is the first house on your left.

10:55am :(via sms) Azura Hani, akan dikebumikan @ Kota Damansara, Seksyen 9. 2:30 today.

6:00pm : Tahlil arwah will be carried out at her aunty's house (same place) after Isya' for the first night.

9:00pm: Zoorek's mom confirmed that the 2nd night tahlil will be carried out at the surau instead of her aunty's house. The 3rd night will be done in Meor's house - 105B, Menara Jaya, Section 14, PJ (Opposite Milleneum Tower) Tahlil as usual will be after Isya'. She encouraged that we come to the one in Meor's house. :)

2nd June 2010 : Tahlil arwah malam ke 7 akan diadakan di rumah Abang Hak - No. 78, Jalan Lee Woon (Belakang Zoo Negara) The itinerary would start after Maghrib. Aunty reminded to be there a little earlier, takut sesat.

*Update on Allahyarhamah Sheema Wahid

9:05am : Jenazah akan dibawa ke: No 41, Jalan Enggang Timur 1, Taman Keramat. Kebumi estimated around 11am.

10:07am : Jenazah bertolak dari Hospital Klang pukul 11am. Burial will be a little later.

10:25am (fr sms) : Skrg arwah sheema di bilik forensik, after that dimandikan di Masjid Al-Ansar, Jln Enggang 1, Tmn Keramat, all details about arwah ada di nst, utusan n few local newspaper, all press n govt ppl ada di hospital, arwah akan dikebumikan selepas zohor atau tgh hari ni..time x confirm lg

5th June 2010 (fr sms) : Salam, Di jemput utk menghadiri Kenduri tahlil malam ke-7 for arwah Norhashimah Wahid on 060610; tomorrow nite will be held @sheema's mother house @ keramat after isyak. Please forward to other family member and friends as well.. TQ

-dillz blogging out-

Send your Prayers and Love for Sheema

I just got home with my sister Illa from visiting Zoorek in the UMMC ICU last Saturday. Right after Maghrib, I got a phone call from Jaja (Khairiza Kurdi), my junior in STF. She was calling to update me on Sheema's condition in the ICU. The beautiful Sheema Wahid is a friend of ours from UNITEN. She is married to Zul, who happens to be a friend of my hubby and also my brother. They make the sweetest young couple.

Jaja called to say that Sheema wasn't doing too well. I could feel my heart literally sink to the pit of my stomach. Me and @azrulx rushed over to Hospital Tuanku Ampuan Rahimah in Klang that very night to see how she was doing. We were allowed to go into the ICU two at a time. Sheema was strapped to the life support machine with all sorts of lines attached to her body. Her feet was propped up a little and Zul was always, always by her, stroking her face and speaking to her. There was another lady there too, whom I assumed was her sister. She was just rubbing her feet, kissing her hands and making sure that she was covered sufficiently by the blanket. Such exhibits of unconditional love and adoration that really tugged at my heart. I managed to recite for her the Yaasin. Though with some difficulties. I couldn't contain my tears and I was actually sobbing between the lines. It was such a sad sad sight.

The thing is with Sheema, everything happened too abruptly. We were caught by surprise with the news and how quickly her condition had worsened. Sheema was taken to the Bangi Hospital on Thursday and transferred to the Klang ICU on Friday. The day that we visited her, that was a Saturday. It was only two weeks ago that she organized her daughter, Hylda's 2nd birthday party on 15th May 2010.

Pictures from Sheema's facebook on Hylda's party

Last update I heard today via sms:

Alhamdulillah she's improving. Her lips colour came back, bruises on d hands gettin lesser n her BP is rising 2 normal. But her condition is still critical. Jazakallah 2 all who r praying for her.

Things are looking up. Please don't stop sending your prayers and positivity for her.

-dillz blogging out-

Tea-ing in Style at Harrod's KLCC

Did y'all know that one could actually have some food at the very cozy cafe in Harrod's KLCC? Me neither, until I saw some tweets/fb statuses about the famous Harrod's afternoon tea set. It just so happens that me and a couple of girlfriends from way back when have been meeting up for food. The modus operandi has always been that one person would pay for the eat-out, and we have been taking turns. Not much different from a structured "kutu" scheme that our moms and aunts used to indulge in. The other unspoken rule is that the place chosen has always been a little on the up-scale side, bordering gourmet, if you will. *Cheh cheh cheh - cultured lah konon*

So, aaaaanyways.... It was my turn to host and I chose to have tea in style at Harrod's with my girls. Before that, I did a little research on the place and found this very useful review on masak-masak blog. She wrote it in May 2009, so adalah terlambat sikitla kami yang baru nak pergi menerai ni kan? (Oh, she took great pictures too)

Vitals: Lot No 137, First Floor, Suria KLCC - it's opposite California Pizza Kitchen, next to Godiva.
T(+603-2166 6000)

I got word that the afternoon tea is only served up till 6pm. Also, it was also worth noting that the cafe is very intimate and there are not very many seats available. So, it really seemed like a good idea to call in for them to reserve us a place as well as keep a few sets of afternoon tea for us working mommies. (Rushing through mad #kltraffic after work, well.. we were bound to reach KLCC after 6pm, right?)

1. Entrance to Harrod's KLCC. There's the display of bags, coin boxes, pastries etc. Walk in and head to the left for your ultimate tes-ing experience.
2. My Old Grey (eh, ye ke? ke Jasmine, eh?) - everyone got the stylo little teapot with strainer and such
3. Butter - salted and also the sun dried tomato variety.
4. Mira showing off her scone. Mine had jam and clotted cheese on it.
5. The whole set - 3 types of sandwiches, fruit tartlets, some choc bites and 2 pieces of scones. (each)

Each Harrod's Afternoon Tea set is priced at RM60. We took a set each, which in retrospect I think is a little membazir. For a party of four, I really think two sets and two additional orders of pot of tea(at RM20 each) would be more than sufficient.

Let me just tell you, the experience is awesome. Syok jugak borak-borak over tea ni. So English. So wannabe. hihihihihihi. The ambience is just so perfect for chit -chats, really. Seems that the clientele do not leave. Chit-chat.Chit-chat. Sip tea. Chit-chat. Chit-chat. More tea, anyone? One lump or two? (Ke kitorang je camtu?) hihihihihihihihi We were truly enjoying ourselves tremendously, living the lifelah, kata orang. That was until we saw what the table next to us was having.... We decided that we just had to order dinner right there and then. :)

Here's what we ordered:

1. My soup of the day - pumpkin soup. Comel that little cream dollop in the middle, kan?
2.Lobster Thermidor for the craving mommy, Mira.
3. Salted Beef Sandwich
4. Roast beef and Yorkshire pudding

Lemme get the prices out first and foremost:

• Soup of the Day RM20
• Lobster Thermidor RM100
• Salted Beef Sandwich RM38
• Roast Beef and Yorkshire pudding RM50

Everything was shared amongst us. So we had the order in the middle and the waiter set up empty plates for everyone. There were four of us ladies and we only ordered 3 entrees. Which was more than enough, I thought. OK, side note here; the lobster - so not the place to have one. It wasn't fresh live lobster to begin with. But since we had a craving pregnant woman amongst us, we ordered it anyhow. Fortunately, the food were generally good tasting. I especially liked the Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding. Sedaaaapppp!!! Mixed reviews on the Salted Beef Sandwich. I liked it (but not screaming like, kinda like); but Shan thought it was just OK.

BTW, the mineral water? Ty Nant Sparkling /Still is priced at RM15 per bottle. I really liked the place. Nice corner of the Earth to lose yourself with your companion / girlfriend to sit and talk and talk and talk. One should really try it. I, for one would highly recommend it! :)

-dillz blogging out-

Selamat Pengantin Baru, Hani...

I was really excited to receive a wedding invitation from my former housemate in UNITEN - Fazilah Hani Harun. The invite itself was creme and pink and at the cover , it said: Hani & Zizan. The first thought that ran through my head was, Hani nak kawin dengan Zizan Raja Lawak ke? It was quickly answered when I turned the cover coz Hani (in her beautiful engagement outfit and complete with tudung) was smiling right at me with Zizan Nin by her side. So, the first question quickly answered and it was quickly replaced by "Lawanya dia pakai tuduung!!"

Apparently, Hani is now with NTV7 - she's a broadcast journalist. Of all the years I've known her, she's really been doing most everything. I think she started her working life as a stewerdess in Malaysia Airlines, then Air Asia. She was part of the team that went on the maiden flight to Manchester and took photos with the ManU team, I think. hihihihi.. Then she worked for some engineering consultant's office and now settling at NTV7. So to say her life is colourful is somewhat an understatement. :)

A few calls between friends later, we have kaw-timed with my lovely Srikandi, Jaja to secure a place on the same table. I had a lovely time catching up with friends - loads of goss and laughter!

The bride was a sight to behold. So beautiful in her flowing outfit. She looked a tad taller than Zizan. Prolly due to the heels. He even commented on it during his speech - "To my wife, what can I say? You look so beautiful AND tall" hihihihihi.. Lain kali pakai platform lah brader... :)

My highlight moment, dapat ambik gambar dengan the bride and groom!!! hihihihi

Girlie housemates reunited. (Mana Juju?)
L to R: Inche Azrul, Inche Azril, Zizan Nin, Fazilah Hani, moi, Jaja

We are so happy for you, beautiful Hani. Here's wishing you a wonderful journey of life together as man and wife! Yes, you are absolutely right, dear - it won't be a bed of roses. Make it work and stick together through thick and thin. :)

-dillz blogging out-

Good Conversations Over Icecream

The dessert:
Yummy Earthquake at Swensen's. And it was at 50% off since we had it on a Tuesday. :)

The participants:
We were in college together whilst doing the ADP programme at PPP/ITM, Shah Alam.

Just ladies of the ordinary variety, each with their own stories to tell. A glowing mom-to-be, the tough single mom, singletons having the time of their lives, devoted wife and super (and not-so-super) moms.

I tell you, I really need to reconnect more.

I want to be there during the good and the bad times, girls! We need to do this again,lah. ;) *and another reason to have yummy ice-cream*

Thanks Amy for organizing, even though you had to pay RM13.50 for parking when I paid RM3.50. hihihihihihihi

-dillz blogging out-

2 Great News In A Day!

I was just minding my own business today when not one, but two great , wonderful news came my way. :)

News Number ONE

The lovely Liana from my office has given birth to a beautiful baby girl, who at the moment is known as Sara. She was born at 12.33pm yesterday at Pantai Medical Centre. She is still looking for a good second name , so I suggested - Sara Hana (cilok nama anak Faradzilla Roziani) or Sara Lynn (cilok nama anak Zaihasra). She is such an adorable baby, with her big big eyes and pouty lips. She kept her eyes opened and was scrutinizing the makcik-makcik yang bising datang visit dia. :)

So, congratulations dearest Liana and take a good, much deserved rest. She would be taking the services of Hanis Zalikha's aunty as the live-in confinement lady for 14 days (daily urut, masak pantang, jaga baby). So I am really waiting for her review on her services. Mana tau it might come in handy in a few years... :)

News Number TWO

This second news really come as a very very pleasant surprise.

Begini, background storynya.
Two people that I really liked from my PPP days got married to each other and I have been reading her blog for a while now. She also operates a blogshop ; ShoppingQueen78 (that is really cool, by the way) that handles orders from the US. Salah satu product that really caught my eye and yang tengah selling like hot cakes sekarang ini adalah Coach ID lanyard that comes in gold (10 left), black(2 left) and red(1 left).

Sila rujuk product tersebut di sini.

Jokingly, sebagai orang yang tak tau malu, I commented on her personal blog that I would like to get the awesome Coach lanyard as a birthday present. But, of course, I expected nothing out of it.

Tup,tup. Guess what abang poslaju got for me this morning?

So sweetlah KS and SK. I lap you two very very much lah! (Ooo, dapat hadiah baru nak sayang sayang!) hihihihihihi Still smiling like a kerang busuk. Thank you lovelies, you guys really made my day. :)

-dillz blogging out-

The BFFs lives on (for now)

For as long as she can remember, Khadra has always had Teyta and vice versa. They are cousins, you see and they were born in the same year, 2003. Teyta being my elder sister's daughter.

Enter Harissa in the year 2007. Point of contact? Beaconhouse Bangsar, class Irises 1. The three of them loves to sing, to dance, talk-non-stop, looking pretty, putting on makeup, manicures and the like.

It is no wonder that the three of them got on well together and their friendship has been elevated to BFF status. They do most everything together and are always there for each other. Take December 2009 for example, here's a list of things/events that they have attended / gone to together.

• Sleepover for the Graduates

As part of their graduation (after kindy, je) , the mommies (well, mostly Ziezi and Fiza) arranged for a sleepover party at PNB Derby Park for the three princesses. The agenda was really shallow; basically just fun, fun, fun. There were singing, dancing, makeup sessions, menicure and nail arts, more make up sessions, makan-makan, performance time, swimming and more makan-makan. Needless to say the girls enjoyed theselves tremendously.

Here's their take on "Party in the USA" by who else but their idol si Miley Cyrus.

• HSM: Summer Celebrations

The HSM crew was in town, so we made an outing for the girls of the house to KLCC for the show. (This time, even Khaleeda and Neyna was invited) The three came in their high school best and to add on to the excitement, Ziezi (as usual) even brought the pom-poms and the feather boa.

• Princess & The Frog Party

Teyta celebrated her advanced birthday at the movies, so the kids were invited for a Princess and the Frog party. They came in their princessy costumes to watch the movie.

Their BFF run would have ended when they enter the next stage of their life but it seems that it has been given an extension of time. The three of them will be attending their Primary One in SKBD together next year! Hah! :)

Here's to BFFs that last forever.. (Well, at least for another 6 years)

-dillz blogging out-

Beanbag Kraayzee!

Got the chance to bring home Adeeb's mastercraft of a BeanBag (BB) for a couple of nights. I have been falling asleep on it these past few nights. (BB dok depan TV) It was that comfy. :)

The kids had a trial tonight. They seem to enjoy it. Khaleeq LOVES it! They jumped on it. They slept on it. They turned it into a pirate ship. Now, Khadra wants one. Khaleeq wants one. Khaleeda wants one. Adakah nak kena beli 3? Adoyaiii.. Bangkrap mummy kamu.. hihihihi

In the meantime, we all order satu dulu, ya Deeb. Nak space it out, boleh catch 2nd gen, 3rd gen bagai.. :)

Korang tak nak order?

-dillz blogging out-

And the magic number is..

Yeay! We finally did it. :)

Remember the drive for One of the Man(s)?
We've reached a number, boys and girls.
1640.

That could get them a font-load and then some, eh?

Siap di audit oleh En Haris tu. Tak sesia dulu kerja kat TMPoint kau, Haris.. :)

Have fun with it Man and Emy!

-dillz blogging out-

One of the Man(s) has gotten married!

A brief shout out to my colleague who was mentioned prior in my Wali: Cari Jodoh post.

Congratulations Man!! Semoga berbahagia ke anak cucu!!! Semoga berbahagia hingga ke akhir hayat!!!

Picture credit: Adeeb! :) Thanks, hunny!

While he is now off for a week with his new bride, honeymooning to an undisclosed location, we are working hard to get the newly weds one of these babies!

A Fully Automatic Washing Machine for their new home!

Question now, is: Would it be this one?
This ultra chic Samsung one?

But, this one would definitely save you some time, bro!

Pictures from: here, here and here

hihihihihi..
Don't worry lah, we'll give you the money, you buy what you wantlah, huh???

-dillz blogging out-

Happy 40th Birthday Sekolah Sri Petaling!

The official Sri Petaling Alumni organized a reunion dinner in conjuction with our alma mater's 40th anniversary. (I just found out that the school opened its gates on the 6th of January, 40 years ago. It's on my birthdate, Woot!) The dinner was held at Dewan Perdana Felda in Jalan Maktab and not wanting to be left out, I signed up with the lovely Nadia. (Thanks, darling! Kalau ikut malas aku ni, sure tak dapat pergi punya!)

The do was filled up with so many ex-SSPians, dating to the very first batch who left Primary School in 1969. (Serious) There were many notable figures too - Dato' Mukhriz Mahathir was there, Sofea Jane, Johan Nawawi and his wife Nora, Gary Thanesan (DJ tu), Sham Mix FM, Norman KRU (dia pun SSP jugak ke? Musykil lah pulak) - just to name a few.

Anyways, 5 out of the 7 Azluls made it. (sans Kira who is now doing her medic in Egypt and Boy who was working that night). We were seated according to our respective batches. Nampak macam Batch 79, 80 and 81 yang control game - ramai giller. There were also teachers, administrators and ex-PTAs.

1987 table (Standard 6 ni wei!) was filled up by Nadia Hanim Tajuddin, saya- Azlul Adilah Zaghlol, Syazrina Sabri, Suhaila Hanim, Johan Ariff and his lovely bride, Azali, Salman, Azrin and Arif (pemain import).

Kejap-kejap, picture time:

1. 5 Azluls -Ewa, me, Ziezi, Illa and Ema 2. Penghuni meja 1987 3. Lovely ladies of Batch 1997 4. Ladies of batch 1987 (note: tetamu tak diundang, tak masuk, ya) 5. Badge sekolah :)

1. A shot of the teachers on stage 2. Nad and Syaz with Arif 3. Ema and Tara, he came straight from Indonesia, yo! 4. 5 Azluls with Nora! :) 5. 5Azluls with Mr Ong -garang woo cikgu ni, siap baling buku dulu..

So, it was massive and it was grand.
Prizes were handed out for the winners of inter-batch games, comprising of Badminton, Football, Bowling and Handball. Turned out that Batch 1987 was the champion for the inaugral Badminton competition! Yeay!Since some of the actual players did not come to the dinner, our tablemates very willingly made up for it! Dapat medal and challenge trophy, you! :)

There were performances by the ex-students too. Mostly played some instruments/in a band and ther were loads of singing. There was this one audience participation thingy where the selected audiences had to dance a little on stage and ended with one person collapsed due to some heart problem. The MC had to announce for a specific heart medication and thankfully someone bought it over. I was made to understand that the attending cardiologist back stage was none other than Kak Shana's hubby. Thankfully, it turned out well in the end. Cayalah Doctor! :) (Power tak primary school kitorang? hihihihihihi)

We were also quite lucky in the sense that 2 out of the 5 tickets Nadia bought were called up for Lucky Draw prizes. One was in the shape of a hamper , won by Syaz (but I picked them up from the stage- Syaz malu!). The other was a digital camera. Unfortunately when it was announced, Amy(Johan's wife) had already left and I didn't keep their tickets. Dang! Takpelah takde rezeki..

Apparently, the dinner would be an annual event from this point on. If it materializes, need to do some lobbying and get more of my batch to come. We could easily get 4-5 tables. Barulah gamat!

Kudos to the organizing committee for successfully gathering 780 odd people from SSP on the night. BTW, takde ke prize for the most siblings in the school? hihihihi.. Sure kitorang can be in contention. :) Plus, kalau ending tu nyanyi lagu sekolah, sure lagi best, kan?

Sekolah Sri Petaling
Satukan berbagai bangsa..

(School badge from here . Other pictures were either mine or cilok-ed from Ema's facebook.)

-dillz blogging out-

DZ's Update 2

DZ's Update series: | Red Alert:Prayers needed | DZ's Update | DZ's Update 2 |

You may recall my posting about a dear friend, Dzuliana Md Sakan or DZ, whose family was involved in an unfortunate incident last 4th April 2008. I even published a post on her update the next week.

As we went right along getting on with our lives, DZ has been broadcasting sms-es about how her family has been doing from time to time. I am compelled to share the sms-es here as many of us out there would like to know how are they faring.

Received: 9 April 2009 9:24am
Salam. Khabar terbaru tasha: Dr azian pakar tulang kata kaki tasha so far ok kalau die x bnyk gerak n blh sembuh cepat. Pastu kalau dah ok n blh duduk maybe xperlu duk wad icu lg. Iskandar dah discj semalam.Dzuliana.

Received: 11 April 2009 3:43pm
Salam. Berkat doa dan semangat dari semua, alhamdulillah hari ini saya dah boleh discj. Tasha pula sudah ditukarkan ke wad biasa. terima kasih semua. Hanya Allah yang dpt membalasnya.

Received: 21 April 2009 5:38pm

Aslmkm semua. Kami yang dirumah mcm biasa aja. Tasha dah berlatih naik kerusi roda tapi tak lama. Kaki dia pun boleh bengkok sikit, jd senang sikit nurse nak pakaikan diaper. Dia masih mengerang juga kalau buat dressing, mesti sakit tu. Buat masa ni ingatan dia cuma sampai 3 apr. Masuk 4 apr dia lupa langsung, dia pun tak ingat naik kapal terbang dan kena langgar. In a way, it's a blessing buat masa ni at least dia tak tau that her Cikta has passed away. We all pun berhati2 bila nak ckp dpn dia.

For those of you wanting to visit, Tasha is now in Ward P5, Level 3, Tower Timur, PPUM.

Alhamdulillah, DZ. Things are looking great for you. My thoughts and prayers are with you constantly. Stay strong as your kids would be needing it, dear friend. And Azmarin, great job bro... :)

-dillz blogging out-

DZ's Update

DZ's Update series: | Red Alert:Prayers needed | DZ's Update | DZ's Update 2 |

I am a little overwhelmed by the response and hits that I got due to my previous post. Firstly , for those who were seeking news and reliable sources on the DZ's sister, Ms Dzulita Md Sakan; here's an extract from our HR division regarding her.

"Dengan dukacitanya dimaklumkan bahawa Cik Dzulita M Sakan (30 Tahun), Pengurus Business Support & Admin, Group Performance & Program Management Office (GPPMO), TM Ibu Pejabat telah kembali ke rahmatullah pada hari Sabtu 04-04-2009 kerana terlibat dalam satu kemalangan jalanraya di Lebuhraya Utara-Selatan berhampiran kawasan rehat Sungai Buloh.

Jenazah Allahyarhamah telah selamat dikebumikan di kampung halamannya di Kota Tinggi, Johor. Bagi yang ingin melawat keluarga Allahyarhamah Dzulita, bolehlah mengunjungi mereka di alamat 3374, Jalan Intan 6, Felda Lok Heng Barat, 81900 Kota Tinggi, Johor.

Untuk makluman, kemalangan tersebut turut melibatkan 5 anggota keluarga lain termasuk kakak beliau, Dzuliana M Sakan (bekas anggota TM), 2 orang anak Dzuliana, pembantu rumah dan rakan kepada adik beliau. Mereka semua kini sedang dirawat di Hospital Sungai Buloh dan Hospital Universiti, Kuala Lumpur.

Pemergian Allahyarhamah Dzulita merupakan kehilangan yang amat besar kepada TM khususnya kepada GPPMO. Beliau merupakan seorang warga TM yang sangat cemerlang dan penuh berdedikasi.

Sudilah bersama-sama kita menyedekahkan bacaan Surah Al-Fatihah kepada roh Allahyarhamah dan roh muslimin muslimat yang telah mendahului kita. Semoga didoakan rohnya bersemadi aman di alam barzah yang menanti.

AL-FATIHAH"

A small tahlil was conducted in her office on Monday morning and at the end of it, her VP spoke highly of her, how she has surpassed his expectations with her commitment, organizations skills and support that she has given to her department. How even in the her last days she was exhibiting who she really was - organizing the transport and logistics for her family members from the airport back home. His eyes were filled with tears when he said those words. It really showed how sincere he was and how adored Allahyarhamah was. We were also told that Allahyarhamah was also looking forward to her week long holiday , who would have thought that she would be taking a permanent leave of absence.

***********

We also got a link and pictures to the accident. It was posted by a good samaritan who came across the accident. Pictures courtesy of: burt

You can read more about his encounter here. Am really touched by his words and good samaritans all around. DZ related that she was helped by passersby who tried everything to get them out of the Naza Ria. Iskandar was sent to Hospital Sungai Buloh by a good samaritan. DZ's brother got to PPMU by flagging down a passing car. These acts rarely get any air-time. What we normally hear are stories of lost handphone, lost money , etc etc from the scene. So, bravo to all good samaritans, the unsung heroes.. So glad to see that the culture is still embedded within us..

***********

We went visiting Tasha at PPMU at lunch time yesterday and Alhamdulillah, she has completed the procedure on her legs to fit the brace. She is still in the Peadiatric ICU and it seems that she is into her recovery stage. As of now, she is being sedated to minimize her brain activities and to avoid shock should she realize the trauma she had gone through. Her dad was with her when we visited. Azmarin was looking well despite the commuting and he had spent the night before with his son Iskandar. Be strong, bro.. My heart really goes out to you..

On the evening, we went to visit DZ in Sungai Buloh. She is looking much better, talking incessantly about this and that.. :) She has her right leg nicely bandaged after the successful operation the day before. I really think the visits are really benefitting her.. She seems more upbeat, more positive.. Thing is, she still hasn't been eating that well.. Maybe, I'll have to bring some goodness of Gardenia Butterscotch and tempt her with it. Otherwise, she looks pretty good. Need to remember to bring some trashy magazine when I go see her next as well, to get her mind off things..

Update on their helper: she broke 5 ribs (3 on one side and 2 on the other) and also has possibly slipped her tulang belakang. Still a little traumatized.. I don't really know on the status of DZ's brother's fiance, though..

While with DZ, we were visited by Iskandar who came down with his grandpa to visit his mom. He looks fine now, more upbeat then before and as soon as he saw the toy we brought him, he was ready to bid good-bye to mommy. :) Iskandar is scheduled to meet the neurosurgeon today. (He loves small cars, so, think HotWheels and the lot if you come visit!)

-dillz blogging out-

Red Alert: Prayers Needed..

DZ's Update series: | Red Alert:Prayers needed | DZ's Update | DZ's Update 2 |

An unfortunate accident has just happened to a dear friend of mine and her family. The person in question is Dzuliana Md Sakan, whom we fondly call DZ, my friend from STF, SPM Year 1992. (Block A, band girl)

(Disclaimer: This will be the encounter as I gathered it. The details maybe a little out, though.)

What had happened? DZ and her family lives in Jakarta and touched down around 10am Saturday morning at KLIA. Her sister, Dzulita Md Sakan, insisted to come and fetch their family from the airport. Two cars convoyed from the airport back to their house in Sungai Buloh. Car 1 - Naza Ria, driven by Dzuliati; co-driver : DZ's brother's fiance (The fiance), Second row passengers: Tasha - DZ's 7 year old daughter (right hand side), DZ & her 5 year old son Iskandar (left hand side) and third row passenger: The Bibik. Car 2- X-Trail, driven by DZ's husband ;Azmarin and co driver :DZ's brother.

They were driving along on NKVE and around the Subang Jaya interchange the X-Trail overtook the Naza Ria. Azmarin related that after he reached the Sungai Buloh interchange, he received a call from DZ that the Naza Ria was involved in an accident and he was to hurry back to the accident scene.

Fortunately / Unfortunately; DZ was awake and aware of the whole ordeal. She even saw the 20-tonne lorry coming from the other direction hitting the divider and flying towards their vehicle that was on the left-most lane. The lorry actually flew across 3 lanes of traffic to hit them on the driver's side. At the point of impact, DZ could only hold Iskandar very very close and tight , while fearing for their lives. She related that 3 of the passengers were unconcious, her sister, Dzulita who she suspected died on the scene, The fiance and her daughter Tasha. Good samaritans came over to break the windows as the doors were already jammed. Though hurt in the accident, the boy Iskandar was taken out first, followed by the Bibik and then, DZ. She told us that she remembered to recite the Syahadah by each one of the unconcious ones before she left the car.

By the time the first car arrived at the scene, they were extracting the unconcious ones from the car. The first ambulance carried Dzulita, Tasha and the fiance to PPMU and Azmarin followed suit. Iskandar was taken by a good samaritan to Hospital Sungai Buloh. The second ambulance took DZ and the bibik also to Hospital Sungai Buloh.

We (Mira, her hubby and mom; Lily and Amar) came over to Hospital Sungai Buloh this morning to give DZ some moral support. She broke her right leg and shattered her patela and was scheduled for an operation today. She was not in her best condition as she could still see the image of the lorry flying over to their car and still not over the demise of her sister. Even the morphine could not help her sleep. Iskandar is being treated in the peadiatric ward upstairs whereby he's suspected to have some concussion in his head. It was fortunate that Azmarin's family lives in Sugai Buloh and his sisters have been taking turns keeping Iskandar company. The bibik had some fractures on her ribs. The fiance broke her hand and has been concious since this morning. Tasha is still in ICU due to some clotting in her head and has been induced into a coma. Tasha and the fiance are still in PPMU.

Please say a prayer for DZ and her family; for their speedy recovery, for the strength to go though this trying times, for the resilience and courage for Azmarin to be everywhere at the same time.

To anyone who is in Hospital Sungai Buloh, please take good care of my dear friend DZ at Katil 14, Ward 5D and his son Iskandar at Katil 11, Ward 8C. Doctors in PPMU, please give lovely little Tasha who is in Peadiatrik 1, Tower Timur the extra attention and tender loving care as her mom is not able to be near her during this critical period.

There will be a tahlil conducted in Level 51, Menara TM for Allahyarhamah Dzulita at 8:15am tomorrow morning. Please recite Al-Fatihah for her.

-dillz blogging out-

An ANT Adventure

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

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

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

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

-dillz blogging out-

April, am I a Fool?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

YES, even now..

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

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

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

-dillz blogging out-

S.L.I.M.R.E.D

My fifth sister, Ewa has 6 best friends from her secondary school days in Sri Aman. Shikin, Liyana, Izati, Munz, Raff, (Ewa) and Deena. And they call themselves the S.L.I.M.R.E.D. (You know what they say about names, right? Your name is actually a doa. So, doa kena bagus-bagus.. Slim, aje..)

Personally, they have a loong history with me. You see, during their adolescent years, I happened to be that elder sister with the legal driver's licence and car who could drive them around attending parties and such. I was their 'kaki'! Sometimes, I'd have to have my date with Azrul in between sending them everywhere. Not forgetting the fact that I actually tutored this lot in some of the subjects for SPM. So, through the screaming and yelling while class was in session, we bonded. ;) Since then, these people have always been in my life, even up till now. I remember taking them out to Sate Kajang Samuri in Bangi when I got my first paycheck. They were present during my wedding, my children's birth, birthdays and Hari Raya gatherings...

They popped in Pantai Hillpark to visit Khaleeda on her 4th day. But, only S.L.I.M. came. Raff was in Melaka, she's a doctor, you know.. Ewa is still in Melbourne, finishing up her masters and Deena is in the UK. Soon, Shikin will be going off to the UK to do her ACCA, they will be left as L.I.M. Once Ewa comes home, they will be known as L.I.M.E. .. heh heh heh

Ever wondered how one can have so many best friends? I kinda had my own S.L.I.M.R.E.D clan when I was in Form 5 too. We were living far away from our family and in STF, I was very close to 7 others in my class: Fida, Mira, Linda Razali, Kynne, Fara, Nor and Fedzah. Some of them are still close to me up 'til now. For instance, Mira and Kynne are working with the same organization as I am, so we often have catch up sessions over coffee or food. Fida, a Dr now; Fara and Fedzah are staying in the Klang Valley area, so we do meet up when there's Hari Raya open houses or Srikandi events. Nor is still in Trengganu, working with the national O&G company and the last I heard Linda Razali is still in Penang, lecturing.

I don't think I could have survived my adolescent and adult years without my girlfriends. Growing up, we shared experiences, stories and tips on a wide spectrum of things; boys, working woes, housing loans and even breastfeeding.

Since then, I have made more great girlfriends along the way. After all, one can never have one too many of a great girlfriend!

-dillz blogging out-

Wedding Fwenzy!

We attended 2 weddings last weekend and we have another two more this weekend. Seems that everyone is trying to catch the 07.07.07 date for their nikah.

The first luncheon wedding took place in the Putrajaya; it was Amadt's brother's wedding. When the wedding invite came, it was addressed to Azrul, Dilla, Khadra and Khaleeq. I was pleasantly surprised as it captured our little family of four in its entirety with the correct spelling and all.. Just a little confused as I did not recognize the bride nor the groom's name. Sapa pulak la ni... On that Saturday, we just made our way to Putrajaya to Amadt's brother's do -- on the way there were signages all over Putrajaya with the mystery groom's name pointing the same way as where we were heading. Only then did we put two and two together.. Mystery grrom who got our names right = Amadt's brother. Punyalah blur... Sheesh.. Anywho, they had cak lem pong which was rather cool. The kids were a little jakun about it (as were the parents). So, we spent a good 20 minutes in front of the group listening and enjoying the music. Plus, I also got to see Rina, (Amadt's wife) a cool chic I got to know during my years in PPP. She now lives in JB, so it's rather hard to catch her around this part of town. So, out comes the phone for a photo op!!!! She has two kids already but she's still sekeping! Amazing!!

The second wedding was Elyas'. He happens to be my brother's and my hubby's friend whom I got to know during my UNITEN years. The lovely bride is Farah - don't really know her, but she sure is gorgeous! This was my first pool wedding and it was pretty informal and intimate. The guests were mainly their friends and there were about 100 people there. The entertainment was by Elyas' friends that includes this really familiar famous face - I reckon he might have been with a vocal group or something coz he really sings like a dream... (you know, like Shades ke apa ke..) It turned out that he was actually Cham, from the very hip and happening group, V.E. Mak aaai.. Outdated nye makcik.. Patutla macam pernah nampak, aje.. heh heh heh

However, the surprise of the night came in the form of this:

Anuar Zain sat at our table and he was sooooo friendly!!!!! He made conversations with just about everyone on the table. He came alone, so I can't dish any hot gossips here... It's just so awkward when you actually meet a celebrity in a normal, day-to-day setting. You can't really act like you don't know them, coz obviously you do. But, you don't really wanna be excited / OTT about it coz you don't wanna appear to be like an uncool dork / stalker. So, what do you do? Just treat him like a normal human being, lah... It was made so much easier as he was the one extending his hand for a cool shake. (I am so not gonna wash my hand tonight) He even congratulated me for the pregnancy and wished me luck for the baby's delivery.. heh heh heh

Wonder what other surprises will unveil in this week's weddings. Got quite a big act to follow.. hmmmm

-dillz blogging out-

What Was and What Was Not!

What Was Not:

I waited and waited for 11.30am for Kelab Disney Malaysia to air on Saturday. In fact I scheduled my whole day around the airtime of 11.30am to 12.30 pm in the hopes that I could get to see my daughter on the idiot box. You see, they came to Khadra's school for a shoot last weekend and I had the impression that she'd be on this weekend. So, we told the whole kampung to tune in as our little precious will be on National TV - all our family members, some 30 unsuspecting people bombarded with smses.. And the waiting game began... Then, suddenly... Apahal lak cerita budak sekolah Shah Alam ni nak pergi menari in Turkey? Alamak.... It's not showing this week... Imagine me, waiting on my mommy's brand new super comfy sofa, with Khadra on my lap. Aleh-aleh, takda pa-pa.. Aaaaahhh.. Frust, ok? Khadra just went, "I am not on TV, mom" and merrily went ahead with her business.. Me? Pressure punya pasal... Tu tak campur malu lagi.. I just closed my eyes and caught up on some sleep. Malas nak pikir... I found out later from Khadra's teacher that the program will air sometime in May. So, here's to waiting, yet again... Don't give up on me, people.. Let's wait together-gether, okies?

What Was:

What Was, however, is that I had a fantastic series of makan-makan with some girlfriends from PPP. The quorum that made what I fondly called the TETBES was made up of Noresh, Amy, Aje and Zied.

We didn't plan it that way, just that the ones who finally turned up had pretty large assets (?) heh heh heh We started downing the scrumptious Daim cake intersperced with the yummylicious Swedish meatballs with cranberry sauce, before making our way to the Little penang Cafe for some tea. On the menu was the Penang Curry Mee; meehoon only with extra tauhu; a plate of Gurney Drive Rojak, Prawn mee, cendol and a variety of beverages. The food was finger-licking, the company was great and the conversation was scandalous! Uuuuhhhh.. I loike!!! Another write up can be read at Amy's - also the source of this ciloked pix. (Ros, Pijah, Sand - lain kali musti mau join aaa...) *Updated* Other write ups on the same event: Aje & Noresh .

-dillz blogging out-