UK Trip Day 1

  
Better late than never. Muazzam had jot down all our activities. If you read on you can somehow guess its been written by him. I kind of add some here and there.


Thursday 31 May 2012

I took the day off on Wednesday to finish all the packing, clean the house and emptied the laundry bin. We decided to bring 2 big luggages and one backpack each for the boys. MMBM’s backpack contained all the important documents and his laptop while Afiq’s has all personal items such as small towel and a pouch full of all sorts of medication. Each of us had our jacket with us. MMBM came back early so that we can have an early night. The two boys had their time main sorok-sorok. I don’t even know where they put all the house/car keys, laptop and MMBM’s watches. Our peti besi is so small to keep everything. MMBM booked our usual airport taxi the night before.

We woke up at 6am, took shower, solat subuh and were ready to go after ensuring the house is all secured and the garbage bin had been emptied. The taxi came a few minutes after 7am and we were on our way to klia.

As expected there was a long queue at the check in counter due to school holidays so MMBM decided to go for self check in. But still there was a long queue at the luggage check in. Dah tu domestic and international use the same counters.

After a simple breakfast at McD we went through immigration control. Afiq & Sarah tried the auto gate. This is in fact the children’s first oversea trip excluding Singapore lah kan. We took the aerotrain to satellite terminal where MMBM met his friend Yasin, who was on his way to Manila. Walk to gate C36 for immediate boarding.

It was a 13 hours non stop flight to LHR. 4 of us sat in a row and Sarah has to sit next to 2 ladies. Lunch was served. MMBM & I had lamb and potatoes. The children had chicken and rice. Dessert was Magnum ice cream. Afiq entertainment unit was faulty so he switched his seat with me. He played games continuously while the others watched movies. What to expect from the old aeroplane kan....due for replacement very soon sebab tu the tickets were affordable for us.

We had light snacks in between. The usual MH tidbit pack consisting of peanut, chocolate chip cookie, Luxury biscuits etc. 3 hours before landing we were served another meal. MMBM, Afiq & I chose steak & mash potatoes. Sarah & Hannah had fish and noodle. For record, Hannah went to the toilet 4 times during the whole flight. The landing was a bit rough due to strong wind which made Sarah fell sick. She threw up just before landing then while leaving the plane. Kesian Kakak.

We arrived at LHR at 4.15pm at T4 which is a new terminal, a smaller one. There was only a short queue going through immigration. Hooray…Made our way to collect the luggage. By the time we reached the carousel at A1, our 2 big bags were already there.

We made our way to the bus stop outside the terminal where the Hertz shuttle bus was already waiting. We went through to collect the car. Initially we booked Vauxhall Astra through online but we were offered a Nissan Qashqai (cross over) which nicely fit our family of 5 and the bags. It had a full tank, so we were ready to go.

We made our way to Cambridge via M25. Traffic was a bit heavy as it was 6pm, peak traffic. Then joined M11 where the traffic was much smoother. Later we joined A11, then a smaller A-road to Cambridge. Perne Avenue here we come. The weather was nice though cool breeze. It was a nice drive with padang rumput seluas mata memandang with a few houses in between.

Sarah & Hannah were so happy to see Nurina & Deja. We enjoyed a big nice garden behind the house. Their house was a small, 3-bedroom semi-D house. Had dinner and catch up with Malek & Nadia. Dinner was roasted chicken with rosemary taken from the herb garden. We went to bed at 10pm. The girls slept together in one room. The 3 of us were put up at the study room or the yellow room which had a futon and 1 air bed. Couldn’t sleep well due to jetlag and noises around 1am when Nadia’s Family (mother, sister, BIL & their 2 kids) arrived from Paris. We had a full house due to school holidays. Anak-anak sekolah so school holiday baru boleh berjalan jauh.

Nadia's herb garden and very very big garden which come with the house. Orang putih mmg garden di back yard and they have big garden. On the left hand side of the garden ada apple tree tapi masa ni tak berbuah and dahan dah di potong. The apple tree is actually own by her neighbour tapi kira dahan masuk Nadia's & Malek's rented house so apple yg situ boleh di ambil. The girls keep pointing out what differences they could see such as tangga yang tinggi dan curam dan sempit.  Sarah even pointed out how different people were at the airport. Ya lah 1st time berjalan jauh.

Mary Poppins

While preparing for the London Trip I was somehow got reminded on Mary Poppins and had tried to find the dvd but can't find any. The apartment which we rented had a dvd player and after poking my nose on every nook of the place I found a tall cabinet full of dvd and one of it was Mary Poppins! The children had a blast watching and singing the song err..nearly everyday for 2-3 days until I found Sound of Music. The only thing that we ignored in the apartment was errr...the Law books ha..ha..ha..

The 2 songs that keep playing on our head. Even now that we are back at home. We kind of miss that place *sigh













A Spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down
Mary Poppins:
[Spoken]
In ev'ry job that must be done
There is an element of fun
You find the fun and snap!
The job's a game

[Sung]
And ev'ry task you undertake
Becomes a piece of cake
A lark! A spree! It's very clear to see that

A Spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down
The medicine go down-wown
The medicine go down
Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down
In a most delightful way

A robin feathering his nest
Has very little time to rest
While gathering his bits of twine and twig
Though quite intent in his pursuit
He has a merry tune to toot
He knows a song will move the job along - for

A Spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down
The medicine go down-wown
The medicine go down
Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down
In a most delightful way

[Interlude]

The honey bee that fetch the nectar
From the flowers to the comb
Never tire of ever buzzing to and fro
Because they take a little nip
From ev'ry flower that they sip
And hence (And hence),
They find (They find)
Their task is not a grind.

Ah-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h ah!

A Spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down
The medicine go down-wown
The medicine go down
Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down
In a most delightful way


Chim Chim Cher-ee
Bert:
Chim chim-in-ey, chim chim-in-ey
Chim chim cher-ee!
A sweep is as lucky, as lucky can be
Chim chim-in-ey, chim chim-in-ey
Chim chim cher-oo!
Good luck will rub off when I shakes 'ands with you

Or blow me a kiss and that's lucky too

Now, as the ladder of life 'as been strung
You might think a sweep's on the bottommost rung
Though I spends me time in the ashes and smoke
In this 'ole wide world there's no 'appier bloke

Chim chim-in-ey, chim chim-in-ey
Chim chim cher-ee!
A sweep is as lucky, as lucky can be
Chim chim-in-ey, chim chim-in-ey
Chim chim cher-oo!
Good luck will rub off when I shakes 'ands with you

All:
Chim chim-in-ey, chim chim-in-ey
Chim chim cher-ee!
A sweep is as lucky, as lucky can be
Chim chim-in-ey, chim chim-in-ey
Chim chim cher-oo!
Good luck will rub off when I shakes 'ands with you

Bert:
I choose me bristles with pride, yes, I do
A broom for the shaft and a brush for the flute
Up where the smoke is all billered and curled
'Tween pavement and stars is the chimney sweep world
When there's 'ardly no day nor 'ardly no night
There's things 'alf in shadow and 'alfway in light
On the rooftops of London coo, what a sight!

Chim chim-in-ey, chim chim-in-ey
Chim chim cher-ee!
When you're with a sweep you're in glad company
Nowhere is there a more 'appier crew
Than them wot sings, "Chim chim cher-ee, chim cher-oo!"
On the
Chim chim-in-ey, chim chim cher-ee, chim cher-oo!

Playing with Words

You know when your mum’s coming round to your flat and you give the place a quick tidy? Well that’s exactly what we’re doing. Except our “flat” is London and our “mum” is the rest of the world coming round.

So we’re cleaning London in time for the London 2012 Olympic Games. But that’s a big job so we’re asking people like you to lend us a hand. We have litter to pick, graffiti to scrub, and flowers to plant. To help London look its best go to xxxxx. Come on. Make your mum proud.

Came across this advert on the tube while we were in London. Love it and wrote it in my notebook.

I love wordings or quotes. I have a 'For Keep' folder on my pc where I keep all nice quotes I found on the internet. I have more in pinterest. How I wish we have more of Islamic quotes. If only I know how to do it myself.

I found lots and lots of nice things in London. How I wish I can bring back all. There were small pillows, mugs, frames, notebooks with nice and uplifting wording ahhhh......

I also collect tea towels. This one I bought during my Sydney trip and send it to be framed. I have 2 tea towels from London. Its cheap, 1.50 pound each at Primark. Tea towels can be given out as souvenirs. One can frame it or if you have 2pcs one can even came out with a pillow cover. How about that?



Now even MMBM use these words. Tension...tension dia kata .....

My Favourite Food

image from www.rachaelray.com/

A very very simple dish which represent who I am.



Bought this when we were in UK. How I wish I bought more *sigh Other people might shop for branded items, me....I rather bought cooking ingredients or baking accessories :-D

Now...that's ME

Farewell Gift

Should I ask for this?



A Pandora starter bracelet where I can add more little charms until it become this



Photo through google

Someone Special Day

Happy Birthday to My Dear Husband MMBM




Name: MMBM
Designation: P******
Date of Birth: 18 Jun
Highest qualification: Bachelor of Accounting, International Islamic University Malaysia
Length of service: 14 years
Lines of expertise: IT audits (IRM in External Audit, IT in Internal Audit, Business Process Controls); Advisory and attestation engagements for US SOX and Japanese SOX; IT due-diligence; IT project advisory (business requirement planning, system/vendor selection); IT risk management; Financial audits; Profit/cashflow forecast for IPOs and bond issue.

Professional affiliations:

• Chartered Accountant, Malaysian Institute of Accountant

• Member, Malaysian Institute of Certified Public Accountants

• Certified Information System Auditor, ISACA

• Professional Member, Institute of Internal Auditors Malaysia

Most memorable professional experience:
I have had numerous memorable experiences in my professional career so far, notably: working in London for two years on the global mobility program; switching over from Audit to IT Advisory to lead the IT Audit team; and, of course, being made a P****** a few years ago.

What do you like most about working in K***?
Being able to work with various clients across different sectors, gaining valuable experience working on a diverse set of projects, developing and working with a team of young and enthusiastic professionals, meeting different people and developing a network of contacts, and helping my clients to solve their problems.

What values do you hold dear?
Commitment, self-discipline, honesty and integrity.

What inspires or motivates you?
My family - my wife and my three children. I am also inspired by strong leadership.

What are your hobbies?
Motor racing, cars and, recently, golfing. I find peace and inspiration in cars. In fact, washing my car is a form of therapy after a stressful day. Probably it's because I enjoy quiet time with cars - they 'listen' and don't talk. Golfing allows me to spend time with friends or clients.

What is the one piece of advice you would like to pass on to future generations?
Don't be afraid to work hard, especially when you are starting your career. Your hard work will pay off later in your life.


Orangnya memang banyak cakap. Friendly dengan semua lapisan masyarakat termasuklah kawan-kawan anak-anak dia dan juga mana-mana baby yang dia jumpa. Apek di kedai spray kereta pun dia boleh borak.

Paling dia tak suka...jeng...jeng...jeng....kereta yang kotor. Dia akan judge orang through condition kereta orang tu. Bukan baru atau lama tapi bersih atau tidak. Almaklum average umur kereta kami sendiri pun 5+7+9=21/3=7 tahun tapi insyaAllah condition masih tip top gitu.

Siapa yang kerja bagus memang dia appreciate. Dia memang ramai staff perempuan. Mostly yang dah kawin dan beranak pinak gitu. Ada satu ketika lepas sorang sorang pregnant sampai dia pening kepala. Tapi dia paling considerate kalau anak sakit etc sebab dia banyak pengalaman. Ada sekali tu siap kena keluar dari bilik di tempat client sebab 2 mak budak nak menjalankan aktiviti mengepam ha..ha..ha...

At this point of time kalau dia nak study dia akan ambik course counseling ha..ha..ha...asyik dok kena counseling and motivate staffs aje.

Lepas pencen dia nak jadi lecturer then nak bawa teksi :-D

Saje google nama dia and jumpa article. Bila tanya kenapa takde gambar? Saje low profile kata dia.

Kalau orang tanya apa kerja dia? Lebih kurang macam salesman gitu. Pagi di tempat lain, petang di tempat lain. Kalau tak meeting, review proposal & present report.

Itulah serba sedikit tentang MMBM. Semoga diLindungi dan diBerkati Allah selalu.

Kisah Luqman Al-Hakim dengan Telatah Manusia

Dalam sebuah riwayat menceritakan, pada suatu hari Luqman Hakim telah masuk ke dalam pasar dengan menaiki seekor himar, manakala anaknya mengikut dari belakang. Melihat tingkah laku Luqman itu, setengah orang pun berkata, 'Lihat itu orang tua yang tidak bertimbang rasa, sedangkan anaknya dibiarkan berjalan kaki."

Setelah mendengarkan desas-desus dari orang ramai maka Luqman pun turun dari himarnya itu lalu diletakkan anaknya di atas himar itu. Melihat yang demikian, maka orang di pasar itu berkata pula, "Lihat orang tuanya berjalan kaki sedangkan anaknya sedap menaiki himar itu, sungguh kurang adab anak itu."

Sebaik saja mendengar kata-kata itu, Luqman pun terus naik ke atas belakang himar itu bersama-sama dengan anaknya. Kemudian orang ramai pula berkata lagi, "Lihat itu dua orang menaiki seekor himar, adalah sungguh menyeksakan himar itu."

Oleh kerana tidak suka mendengar percakapan orang, maka Luqman dan anaknya turun dari himar itu, kemudian terdengar lagi suara orang berkata, "Dua orang berjalan kaki, sedangkan himar itu tidak dikenderai."

Dalam perjalanan mereka kedua beranak itu pulang ke rumah, Luqman Hakim telah menasihati anaknya tentang sikap manusia dan telatah mereka, katanya, "Sesungguhnya tiada terlepas seseorang itu dari percakapan manusia. Maka orang yang berakal tiadalah dia mengambil pertimbangan melainkan kepada Allah S.W.T saja. Barang siapa mengenal kebenaran, itulah yang menjadi pertimbangannya dalam tiap-tiap satu."

Kemudian Luqman Hakim berpesan kepada anaknya, katanya, "Wahai anakku, tuntutlah rezeki yang halal supaya kamu tidak menjadi fakir. Sesungguhnya tiadalah orang fakir itu melainkan tertimpa kepadanya tiga perkara, iaitu tipis keyakinannya (iman) tentang agamanya, lemah akalnya (mudah tertipu dan diperdayai orang) dan hilang kemuliaan hatinya (keperibadiannya), dan lebih celaka lagi daripada tiga perkara itu ialah orang-orang yang suka merendah- rendahkan dan meringan-ringankannya."

Hidup Dalam Doa

Itulah kata-kata ayah untuk this girl



Alhamdulillah 3 doa yang tak pernah dia tinggal

1. Doa sebelum dan selepas makan. Kalau dah habis lepas tu sambung lagi dia akan baca semula.

2. Doa tidur. Tak kira di mana-mana termasuk dalam kapal terbang pun tak lupa baca. Malam tadi 5 kali baca sebab lepas dia baca dia cakap so dia baca semula.

3. Doa masuk dan keluar tandas. Walaupun dah tak tahan atau mata tak boleh nak buka dengan merengek-rengek di pagi hari. Tetap angkat tangan baca doa.

Syukur alhamdulillah. Itulah orang kata senang nak lekat good habit kalau mula dari kecik ni. Mama & ayah pun segan dengan dia

Alhamdulillah jugak pagi tadi perjumpaan dengan guru kelas dia Pn. Ruzita. Siap folder terpilih untuk jadi bahan showcase lagi tu. At the end of the year kalau parents nak simpan, dapat photostate aje lah gitu. Kan dia tak ada exam cuma ada penilaian KSSR yang mengikut Band tertentu.

Yang bestnya malam tadi, saja mengusik dia....

Mama: "Apalah agaknya Pn Ruzita cakap pasal Hannah esok ya."
Hannah diam je
Mama: "Hannah nakal tak dalam kelas?"
Hannah: "Sikit je. Tapi masa cikgu ada Hannah baik."
Mama:"Ooooo macam tu ya. Kalau gitu esok kalau Pn Ruzita cakap Hannah baik, mama nak cakaplah..Ooooo...cikgu tak tahu kalau cikgu tak ada dia kata dia nakal sikit."


Dari Mama & Ayah untuk Hannah - Keep up the good work!

Looks like busy

Siapa tak kenal....kita kan memang suka bab planning planning nih :-P

Lepas 8 hari cuti kebetulan masuk ofis time semua orang berperang (meeting) di Langkawi so free lah sikit.

Fikir-fikir rutin yang akan berubah 360 darjah dalam bulan Julai, InsyaAllah.

Hari ni terima statement loan rumah (govt loan) so that Mr boleh proceed to apply new loan. Alhamdulillah within a few years value apartment di KD tu dah naik so tak lah risau nak apply loan. Almaklum now bank bagi 70% je untuk loan rumah ke 3 dan ke atas.

So far itu je lah nak kena settle dengan penghantaran notis 3 bulan bertarikh 1 Jun yang lalu. Kali ke 3 baru lah selesai...

Setiap kali berfikir-fikir ni selalu kena ingat niat asal hantar notis. Sebaik mungkin cuba elak dari menjadi lebih sibuk dari masa kerja sepenuh masa so setelah di timbang tara, I will focus on the family 100% until end of the year. Lepas tu bolehlah kalau nak mula fikir what to do from home to earn some pocket money.

Banyak yang diberangankan bila dah duduk rumah nanti. Walaupun hakikatnya akan sibuk dengan menghantar dan mengambil anak dari sekolah dan kerja-kerja rumah. Antara aktiviti yang wajib dilaksanakan sebaik sahaja selesai notis

* tukar langsir yang asyik ditangguhkan saja. Elok jugak sebab dah nak dekat puasa dan raya
* spring cleaning all areas. Dalam almari, luar almari, semua tempat lah....
* work on the reno plans. Need to install sliding door between living and kitchen area. To convert the balcony into IT area for the children so that dia orang tak berkampung dalam master bedroom at the same time it can't be in their own bedroom. Must be visible for monitoring purposes. To create my own space in the master bedroom and a wet kitchen if that is possible and the budget permits.
* ada hati nak start herb garden. Memang niat dah lama dan semakin membara masa singgah rumah Nadia di Cambridge hari tu. Sedapnya bau fresh thyme. Restoran Jamie's Kitchen tu penuh dengan herb garden. La ni rumah ada daun kari, daun pandan, daun limau purut & pokok pisang. Teringat pulak bunga kantan my neighbour yang dah pindah tu ada 3-4 yang sedang naik. Nak kena pegi ambik tu kalau tak sah sampai jadi bunga dah tak best nak guna sebab dah kembang semangkuk. Lepas ni bolehlah beli anak pokok di pasar tani PH tu.

Macam ni ke



or yang ni



berangan takpe sebab FREE :-D


So sementara tu trying to figure out the daily routine (wahai anak-anak ku jangan ingat boleh duduk rumah tengok tv & main game saja ya!) & menu masakan (untuk mengelakkan pembaziran, ok)
.
* Photos google

101 Ways to Praise your Child

http://www.myideaedu.org/products/101_ways_copy_300.jpg

Simple Life

1. Learn to let go of negative thoughts

2. Know what you want. I am not perfect, I am only a human. I have desire but...since I know what I want, I like, I love it makes my life way much easier. Err...I love small car & I love single storey house. I am at peace ha..ha..others can have the biggest car and 3 or 4 storey house --- I am happy with what I have err...Golf TSI please :-D

3. Learn not to make things more complicated

4. Learn to let go what is not so important

5. Plan so that you do not have to live as what/how others expect you to live. If you know what you want, you can just smile and even laugh it off

6. Know what you can say out loud and what you just need to say out in your own skull *muaha..ha..ha...

Hari Ini

Slot Motivasi Pagi 24 Mei 2012


Hari ini, untuk Allah. Apa yang kamu sudah lakukan?

You Never Know

Rajin pulak menulis ek...tulis simple2, pendek2 je buat kenangan nanti2

Anak-anak (Afiq & Sarah je) dah selamat menghadapi pksr1. Dah dapat results pun.

Alhamdulillah Afiq did better this time. After 3A2B in Feb & March test he managed to get 5A's this time. Now nak kena istiqamah maintain the momentum. Antara 5 subjek maths paling tinggi. Syukur kepada Allah, anak sulung ni so far tak ada masalah dengan maths. This time even dapat highest marks. Atas pagar pun ada, apa lagi pemahaman lah. Betul-betul atas pagar, 80. So far pemahaman paling susah nak study. Kena rajin buat soalan. InsyaAllah ada masa lagi nak work on that. Orang tu ada sedikit terkilan lah jugak sebab dapat #3. Ada hati rupanya nak fight for #1 or #2. Takpe lah cuba lagi...

Sarah lain pulak ceritanya. Alhamdulillah dapat #5, cuma.......turun dari biasa. She had maintained her #1 in class for the past 2 years and also for Mac test this year. Nak kata frust tu frust jugak sebab banyak careless mistakes dalam paper maths. If you ask me, I don't mind sekali sekala macam ni sebab hakikat kehidupan ada masa kita di atas ada masa kita di bawah gitu. Susah nanti kalau dah asyik di atas dan tak pernah merasa bagaimana perasaannya bila di bawah. Allah itu maha adil, walaupun turun agak jauh but she is still the best for english. Full marks gitu. So....happy jugak lah Cik Kak tu. Ada beberapa ayat yang keluar dari mulut dia yang membuatkan hati mama terusik.

"Tu lah....bila orang kata kakak pandai, kakak selalu cakap tak lah...mana ada..... Kan dah jadi betul....."

"Kakak tak suka sangat bila orang cakap alah...you kan pandai mesti dapat markah tinggi bla...bla...bla..."

She is not comfortable being label like that. And...

Girls can be mean I tell you. The girl who got the 1st place siap kata "Ha....I beat you *jelir lidah" and Sarah replied with "Takpe, Sarah bagi chance kat orang lain."

It was the right time for mama to talk about doing your best, focus and last not least the power of solat and reading Al Quran. Open up opportunity to tegur mana yang perlu di tegur.

Touch and Go

Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said:

“Allah says, ‘I am in accordance with the thoughts of My slave about Me; and I am with him, when he remembers Me. If he remembers Me in his heart, I also remember him in My heart. If he remembers Me in a group, I remember him in a better group (i.e. angels). If he draws near Me by the span of a palm, I draw near him by a cubit. If he draws near Me by a cubit, I draw near him by the space covered by outstretched arms. If he walks towards Me, I go to him running.’” [Sahih Bukhari]

This hadith shows how willing and eager Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) is to befriend us and draw close to us. Anybody who sincerely wants Allah in his/her life will find Him. It cannot be that a person is sincere in their search but are not guided to Allah (subhana wa ta’ala). The case of Salman Farsi is a perfect example of how the search for truth brought him to Allah (subhana wa ta’ala). It is said about him that even if Islam were to be found on the moon, he would have made his way to it. Allah has His own ways of bringing people to that which they seek. Nobody is left helpless in their search. If they are confused, it is only because they wish to remain so.

In our everyday dhikr we should rejoice in the fact that when we remember Allah Mighty and Majestic, He takes special note of it. When we talk about Him in any gathering, He mentions us in a much superior gathering. Imagine! The most important entity that exists, discusses you with the angels...



What a coincidence malam tadi baru sempat raised this issue with anak sulung.

Tak nak cakap panjang-panjang so kita cuba guna cara yang paling senang nak faham. Tak nak membebel sebab dulu-dulu masa kita muda belia kita pun macam tu jugak. Alhamdulillah dah agak tua ni sikit-sikit kita perbaiki diri kita.

Senang je kita cakap................

"Abang (Afiq) kalau kita solat touch and go je or macam guna smart tag, macamana Allah nak dengar doa kita. Macamana Allah nak bagi apa yang kita doa tu."

Sigh...makin besar ni makin banyak distraction, makin banyak unsur-unsur luar yang kurang membina yang selalunya datang dari kawan-kawan.

School Holiday Approaching

The mid term school holiday is fast approaching. 26 May until 10 June it is. Let me see what can we plan for the children.


1. Dinosaurs Live Malaysia at Pusat Sains Negara
http://www.dinosaurslive.com.my/
Tickets are affordable.

2. Sasana Kijang near Bank Negara
http://museum.bnm.gov.my/teaser/index.html
Free and the Cafe Museum and Art gallery (MAG) worth the try.
I am not sure what they have there but who knows it might worth a visit. And its free.

3. Tasik Perdana

4. A simple getaway that won’t break the bank account like this
http://www.deriverresort.com.my/



5. Or this… http://pulaidesaru.com/# balik kampong sekali bawa parents holiday and seafood at Senibong and meet Aunty Huda who is currently residing in JB

6. If you have a budget the favourite place to visit will be

We have not been there, maybe at the end of the year or next year. Afiq is patiently waiting for Legoland

Besides that, there are a lot of holiday programmes available. Some are not cheap I tell you. If you don’t have the budget just plan for some at home activities. I'll do some gardening with the girls. I should keep a list of activities just for back up plans that can be recycle for the years to come *wink wink

The Never Ending House Chores

As you, you, you, you.....know this blog has officially become a place where I decided to write anything I feel like writing since I kind of have a feeling that fb is not the best place ..... so please bear with me :-D

This is my routine on a Sunday night

Shower
Maghrib
Dinner
Homework/Revision
Packing for school
Folding clothes and clothes and clothes
Children go to sleep at 10pm
Isya'
Mama go to sleep at 11pm

Lebih kurang macam tu lah. Mostly the same week after week after week

We kind of watch less tv at night. So last night when I was folding the clothes at the same time packing for the childrens' bag for transit.....

Me: "Kakak tolong lipat ni your undies"
Kakak: "Banyak-banyak kerja kakak paling tak suka lipat kain. Kakak paling suka erm....masak kot. Iron kakak tak tahu kakak suka ke tak sebab kakak tak belajar lagi."
Me: " Kalau tanya mama, semua kerja pun mama tak suka. Yang mama suka duduk relax buat apa yang mama suka macam baca buku ke"

Kakak diam seketika.......

Kakak: looking at me "Ha...kakak rasa kita boleh buat macam ni. Once a month kita choose one day kita orang buat kerja untuk mama."

Me: smile ;-D

I took the opportunity to share my experience staying in the boarding school. The responsibility that I had to carry at a very young age. To take care of myself on my own. Not that they are going to any boarding school but I wish I am able to train them.

Now we have a kitten at home. Kesian punya pasal, baby lagi and mak nya tak tahu di mana so kita bagi lah Sarah jaga. Hope that it will teach her some valuable lesson. Nak ada pet ni bukan untuk time suka-suka je but kena jugak responsible bagi makan and bersihkan dia. Mana boleh nak geli-geli bau busuk ni. Sama macam manusia juga nak anak kena jaga semua perkara bukan boleh pilih-pilih.

Mama nih semua benda dia nak membebel :-D

Secretary

Tomorrow is the last day for someones secretary. The boss will only be back from HCM tonight. I guess he was reminded this morning when he read his email.

Sooo......I received this email below

Need a small favour – esok dah Kavitha punya last day. Can you buy a gift for her so that I can give tomorrow.

Jadilah kita instant personal shopper. Nak hantar resume to become his secretary in the office dia tak bagi. Baik cari kerja yang tak susah tapi dapat bonus 6 bulan kata dia. Ada ke? Ada.......dia kata dengan nada cukup tak puas hati especially dengan company 'K*******' itu.

Kena pulak instant personal shopper not in the mood to drive to mana lagi kalau bukan A1amanda and decided Macy will do. So tepat pukul 1pm pegi turun bawah bawa purse (selalu bawa purse kecik je) pusing-pusing takde menda lain kecuali vase. Vase pun vase lah asal ada hadiah. Vase pun cantik, modern design. Siap beli wrapper munge-munge and tq card kecik. Dah settle. Alhamdulillah

Now I remember this weekend Sarah ada bday invitation which means another gift hunting tomorrow. One thing about me is......I so love doing the wrapping myself :-D

Photo via google

Happy Extra Special Mothers Day

I agree EVERYDAY IS MOTHERS DAY.

Yes, everyday after solat I never failed to doa for my parents including my in laws. Every year I plan for our trips balik kampung first before planning for other trips. Everytime I meet my parents either we balik kampung or them coming over mesti ada buah tangan that I've collected over the time. Nampak tafseer dalam BM ingat hari tu mak cakap Cik Aya beli ikut juzuk. Nampak tudung lawa ingat mak mesti suka. Tahu Bak suka minum kopi kita beli kopi untuk dia. Ingat dia suka kek buah kita tempah untuk raya. Bila hujan lebat kita teringat dekat mak & bak di JB risau air naik. Bukan kita tak buat apa-apa we bought an apartment in JB dekat sangat dengan rumah sekarang but macam biasa they decline to move out. Sama lah dengan Ma & Ayah in KB. Susah nak cakap sampai tahap sekarang kita doa sajalah semua baik-baik belaka.Mungkin boleh kata mak ayah bukan mintak balasan dalam bentuk harta benda atau duit tapi as anak yang duduk jauh dari keluarga ini lah yang kita mampu buat. Bukan tak pernah pelawa duduk sekali biar kita jaga tapi orang tua ni dia nak duduk rumah dia sendiri juga.

But Mothers Day is extra special. So I spent half an hours berborak dengan mak the night before. There are things that she only story mory to me. Her only daughter. Walaupun ada masa the gap is there. Even though sometimes our preference or our views are different. At the end of the conversation i told her "Selamat hari Ibu, mak"

For me Mothers Day is an Extra Special Day where you do Extra special things to show your appreciation.

So if everyday I had my breakfast either in the kitchen or at the garden on Mothers Day I had my breakfast in bed. What a coincidence that I diberi cuti the night before so i can just lie on the bed buat-buat tido. I let them have the fun and feel proud of their hard work making breakfast, the cards and choose a rm5 present from Dais0. If I deserved to receive an extra special day they also deserved to feel proud of their hard work. That is by doing something extra special for their mama.

Should I then remind them by saying Everyday is Mothers Day?

Be Positive #1

image google

Shaikh Ibn Uthaimeen, may Allaah have mercy on him, said,

“Indeed those things which inhibit a person from attaining what he is aiming for are numerous. But by seeking Allaah’s Aid, the Mighty and Majestic, and by expending [the required] effort he will achieve his goal. And let it be known that every time the diversion is stronger then the one seeking [his goal] will be in a jihaad, and that every time the distraction is stronger but the person drives it away then through that he will receive two rewards : the reward for doing the [righteous] action and the reward for repelling the hindrance and for this reason the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم said,

“Ahead of you there are days of patience, when patience will be like grasping live coals, and the one who does good deeds will have the reward of fifty Companions,” because of the numerousness of the things that hinder.”

Ash-Sharh al-Mumti, vol. 1, pp. 22-23.

Ouch....Stiff Shoulder

Stress.....in the office. Macam tak percaya je kan. Surat letak jawatan dah hantar tapi masih stress. Tanggungjawab masih ada. My final 'official' contribution as penjawat awam. Berpinar biji mata nengokkan data untuk sme ni ha *sigh. Data ni lah nanti digunakan untuk buat dasar and as a base for the related agencies to come out with their incentives. Banyak awareness perlu diberi kepada sme nih. Especially on keeping good records. Nak measure semuanya based on figures so kalau record keeping hancus how la kita nak measure.

Thats where the title comes from. Since semalam cuti kita ambil peluang pegi half body massage. Half body equal 30 mins je sebab yang lain-lain aka encik suami dan 3 orang anak pun ikut sama. Nanti lama pulak menunggu nya. Everytime pun pegi ThaiOdyssey sebab so far ambiance ok and quality sama walaupun lain-lain orang and outlet. So semalam I told the lady that my left shoulder sakit and dia kata...." Muscle very stiff oooo....Next time must come full massage. I put oil (half body not using any oil)." Siap dia tunjuk kena ambik package yang mana.

Adoi...sakit lah...2 more months sitting in front of the computer. Sabar je lah kan........


Kalau hidup sekedar hidup, b*** di hutan juga hidup..
Kalau bekerja sekedar bekerja, kera pun juga bekerja.

#Buya Hamka

Kerja jangan tak kerja....

Motivasi Pagi

image google

Alhamdulillah sejak awal tahun 2012 ni rutin waktu pagi membolehkan kita mendengar motivasi pagi di IK1M fm. Oleh kerana sebelum ni kita keluar lewat sedikit dik menunggu Cik Puan Hannah kita yang susah tidur dan agak sukar bangun pagi itu. So now pagi-pagi boleh ikut timing sendiri. Nak awal atau nak lewat sikit so...usually agak elok-elok start engin 7.30pagi untuk manikmati motivasi pagi sambil memandu sepanjang skve yang tak banyak kereta itu. So santai-santai mendengar masuk telinga kanan-----turun ke hati-----fikir-fikir di otak (mana dulu eh?)

Mula-mula masa bertukar ustaz/penceramah rasa macam tak best tapi akhirnya semua pun ada kelebihan dan ilmu mereka yang tersendiri. Alhamdulillah dalam masa yang pendek 15 minit sahaja banyak perkara baru yang dipelajari dan perkara lama yang diingati. Ada masa apa yang kita pelajari waktu pagi kita sampaikan ke anak sulung masa kita tuck in dia malam-malam. Ya....esok dah nak pegi buat mykad tapi masih di tuck in saban malam. Setakat borak-borak penuh makna. Kita panggil motivasi malam. Ada masa kita bagi motivasi, ada masa kita tegur apa yang patut. Lepas tu dia salam tangan kita, dan tak pernah tinggal kata (kadang-kadang 2-3 kali) " Nite-nite Ma. I love you muah...muah...Abang sorry kalau abang ada buat salah."

Balik ke motivasi pagi.... Tak pernah rasa jemu mendengar kerana gaya penyampaian berbeza-beza tajuk juga amat sesuai. Ada yang menggunakan cerita-cerita haiwan, ada yang bercerita tentang Nabi, ada yang bercerita tentang akhir zaman, ada yang bercerita tentang menjadi orang yang berjaya, ada yang bercerita tentang kaitan sains dan Islam, ada yang bercerita tentang kebesaran Allah....tak lupa juga tentang hubungan suami & isteri, ayah, ibu & anak-anak. Alhamdulillah Mr juga mendengar perkara yang sama dan yang paling membahagiakan apabila kami dapat sama-sama mempraktikkan apa yang dipelajari.

Hidup menjadi lebih damai, InsyaAllah.

Yogurty Yogurt

Afiq decided to treat his sisters on their birthday. His budget was rm10 each, so Hannah choose tutty fru1ty and Sarah choose macaroon from Wh1sk. Why food? I guess because then everybody can share :-D


Last Saturday we went to OU because I need to go to Jusc0. We basically walked from the old wing to the new wing. The last place we visited was BestDenk1 to have a look at a few electrical appliances that we would like to get. Upon entering the shop MR met one of the firm ex staffs and they kind of had a very long conversation. Sempat anak-anak berlakon buka tutup fridge :-P

Sebab lah lama......he had the opportunity to ask on the franchising on the above brand. Boleh tahan...ratus-ratus ribu gitu. Interesting though.

An Aquarium

A few months ago I attended a motivation talk for Std5 & Std6 parents at SKUSJ2O. Thanks to the pibg for their effort on activities like this. I was there alone while MR. took care of the 2 girls. The reason I made the effort to join the talk is to show Afiq that we are all in this together. We are here to support him and at the end of the day...parents need some motivation too :-D

The talk did not teach you how to motivate your children but emphasized on the effect of the relationship between parents on children's motivation. A lot of hidden points here and there. Siapa tak pick up memang tak faham apa-apa lah kan...

One thing I'll keep in my heart and will pass down to my children is this

Imagine an aquarium, a nice beautiful and expensive aquarium. Everyday the fishes are given the best food and they have all kinds of 'entertainment'. The water is changed regularly and the aquarium being clean daily. One day if the aquarium 'PECAH' can the fishes survive living in the 'LONGKANG'?

to be continued.....



image via google

To Do List. One out of so many......

Cepat sungguh masa berlalu. Sehari...seminggu....sebulan....setahun.....bila di kira-kira September ni genaplah 5 tahun pindah ke TigaTiga.

Not much had been done since then besides small additions here and there. Change of soft furnishing, new lick of paint etc.

But the real problem lays in the store room and the small room under the stairs *sigh. It will take me a few days to do 5S.

Apa itu 5S?

SEIRI SISIH
Mengasingkan barang-barang yang tidak diperlukan
di tempat kerja (rumah) dan membuangkannya


SEITON SUSUN
Susun barang-barang yang diperlukan dengan teratur
supaya ianya mudah diambil untuk digunakan

SEISO SAPU
Bersihkan tempat kerja anda dengan rapi supaya tiada
habuk di atas lantai, mesin dan perkakas

SEIKETSU SERAGAM
Memelihara taraf penjagaan kebersihan dan penyusunan
tempat kerja (rumah) yang tinggi pada setiap masa

SHITSUKE SENTIASA AMAL
Melatih pekerja ( ahli keluarga) mematuhi peraturan penjagaan
kebersihan yang baik dengan sendirinya

One of the item in my To Do List come July 2012 is to implement 5S at home. For the time being, I am closing one eye err...sometimes even both eyes muaha..ha..ha...

As Easy As ABC

Thanks to the advancement of ICT a lot of things can be done in a jiffy. A lot of research can be done including those that you have never ever thought before.

For instance, if you are planning for a holiday especially overseas you can book your accommodation, train tickets, flight tickets from the comfort of your home or office.

Choosing the best and according to your specs and budget is another thing lah kan.

It took me(researching) and us (making decision) a couple of weeks to get the type of accommodation for our holiday in May-June. At one particular time I kind of got frustrated and stop for awhile. Nasib tiket flight dah beli kalau tak mau rasa macam nak cancel aje the trip. Almaklum, there are 5 of us and a strict budget (semua kena kali 5 *tepuk dahi)

Finally after berpuluh-puluh email (until I lost count lah jugak)and after weighing all the pros and cons especially on location & size we decided to pay a deposit for this particular apartment rental for a week. But before making the final decision I decided to g00gle the owner of the apartment (he gave his full name in his email) and found interesting facts on the guy. And one of it....

Lectures on Family Law for Professional Conferences, Jordans Family Law, the Family Law Bar Association and at Cambridge University.

What a coincidence we are going to Cam for 2 nights for bffae get together kind of thing. We have been exchanging emails (besides exchanging money *sigh) he is going to help us on finding an accommodation in Cam (for emergency).

Somehow i like this guy because I can imagine him as one funny English man. Check out one of his earlier reply

I would do the accommodation for £999.00p [nine hundred and ninety nine pounds only]. Would this be any use?
JWK

:-D


The area that we are going to stay insyaAllah.

One of the many reasons

Monday at 2.30pm. Afiq just called from school. By now whenever I saw this number 038O231556 I know its must be one of my children from school. If you want to know itu nombor public phone at sk usj2O.

He has training for bola baling. None of us (the parents) are sportsman. Nak kata kaki bangku tak jugak tapi taklah pernah wakil sekolah ke hape. So I guess anak-anak pun samalah kan. Cuma Afiq memang bersemangat involve in sports. Last year he was in the softball team. Jadi pemain simpanan aje pun. This year no softball so dia volunteer masuk bola baling. Itu pun kerana most yang memang terer sports masuk team bolasepak so dia ikut advice ayah to choose something yang tak ramai yang masuk. So higher chances untuk wakil sekolah.

Back to the real reason I am writing this. He called nak confirm that he has training today from 3-6.30pm and I need to pick him up from school after work. When most of his team mates balik rumah dulu and coming back later he stayed back at school. And he is clever enough to always have at least another friend with him. So when I asked lunch apa? He said the potato gratin yang i bekalkan pagi tadi. I guess he bought food from canteen during recess. This is not the 1st time. Dah a few times macam ni and every time i asked him sedih lah hati mama ni. So this is one of the reasons why I am sending in my resignation letter today(cubaan kali ke 3 and boss kata 3rd time dia akan accept).

I pray that Allah will make it easy for me. Keep reminding myself. Setiap apa yang terjadi mengajar kita samada untuk bersyukur atau bersabar. So after making my decision I redha whats coming in the future.

Countdown to the .........................

11 Weeks 2 Days to go before the four girls reunion





We are looking forward for a lil tea party here http://www.orchard-grantchester.com/

Ah.......... can't wait

Learn from your mistakes

Macam biasa bila cuti lama anak-anak pun banyak homework.

Puas dah ingatkan. Afiq kata dia ada homework BM saja. Nearly 100 perkataan yang perlu dicari maknanya.

Tengahari semalam dia sebut kena photostate karangan surat kiriman. Sibuk dia mencari. Dalam pukul 9pm dia kata nak scan dan print. Tapi......ink printer dah habis so nampak kelabu saja.

Mama pun apa lagi rasa nak marah lah kan. Kenapa lah tak buat awal-awal. Dia kata lupa, cuma ingat bila kawan-kawan tulis dalam group fb 6 Dedikas1. Bagus jugak budak-budak ni, dalam group tu semua cakap pasal homework. Ingat mengingati.

Tapi tu lah dah malam baru nak print dan kebetulan ink tak dak. Macamana tu?

Memang dah warn dia pasal ink habis so bila keluar print kelabu saja terus Afiq bangun masuk toilet ambik wuduk and solat Isya'.

Tak jadi mama nak marah....

Kita ingatkan dia. Buat benda janganlah bertangguh. Kalau buat petang tadi kan sempat lagi nak start kereta pegi photostate *sigh

Project Part 1: Bilik Lumpur

When I saw this, I go Wow!!



Then i think any of these will do....








all photos from pinterest



But the reality is......


Muaha..ha...mana ada budget beb. So I end up using whatever I have at home with some new cheap addition. I had the pink & blue cubes for ages, stucked under the girls study table without realising its full potential. So kasi bersih and angkut turun bawah. Bought Afiq's at Tesc0 for rm10. A real steal. Its even bigger than the girl's. I add the cork board for each of them from Daish0 for as you know rm5 each.

So tadaa....I end up with this. Ha..ha..ha....




Boleh lah tu. This is in the guest room downstairs. Guest room kena ada for us yg bukan locals but bukan selalu guna. Lebih banyak jadi laundry room dari guest room. It is a good size room so kita decide to use the space for my childrens school bags etc. Tak sanggup nak angkut naik atas everyday. Since dah all 3 sekolah lagi banyaklah bag and harta benda sekolah. Kalau tak semua benda end up on the main dining table and habis bercampur-campur. Buku Std.3 masuk bilik Std.6 vice versa. So now everybody is responsible for their own cube. Yang perempuan kemas yang lelaki ikut sesedap mata dia. Yang penting timetable and any notes from school are on the board. Senang mama nak monitor.

So now every night after dinner all 3 akan beramai-ramai mengemas bag ikut jadual sambil sembang-sembang. Eh..buku kita sama, eh..kita pun ada buku macam tu, kita suka Cikgu tu, Kita suka Cikgu ni....etc....enough gossip for the day sampai kena remind cepat...cepat...mulut berbunyi tangan pun kena jalan jugak :-D

Anak Ayah

One of the outcome from our 1st Family Meeting 2012. Everybody did this and we had a great laugh when we read it out loud. Even Hannah has something to write. It's a good exercise.

The children including the parents need some 'aligning' to do. If I can reformat my children I will surely do in some parts. Told myself they are still young and with our doa as parents InsyaAllah they will turn out good dunia and akhirat.

This is Afiq's





We added a few new routines and new goals.

Afiq to ensure solat 5 times.

Sarah to try her best to khatam this year.

Hannah to learn the proper way to solat.

Ayah & Mama to emphasized on Islam, InsyaAllah

Children Are Like Kites

Children Are Like Kites


You spend a lifetime trying to get them off the ground.
You run with them until you're both breathless.
They crash.
They hit the rooftop.
You patch and comfort, adjust and teach them.
Finally they are airborne...
They need more string and you keep letting it out.
But with each twist of the ball of twine,
there is a sadness that goes with joy.
The kite becomes more distant,
and you know it won't be long
before that beautiful creature will snap the lifeline that binds you two together
and will soar as it is meant to soar, free and alone.
Only then do you know that you did your job. "

(Kyle D. Navarro)

The first time I heard this perumpamaan was from my husband. This was what his father told him on raising children. I doubt he has ever laid his eyes on this poem though.

Dream Big

*I read in one of the blog

In Timothy Ferriss' book, 'The 4- Hour Work Week'.

Under the heading, 'Doing the Unrealistic Is Easier Than Doing the Realistic', Tim says,

"Having an unusually large goal is an adrenaline infusion that provides the endurance to overcome the inevitable trials and tribulations that go along with any goal. Realistic goals, goals restricted to the average ambition level, are uninspiring and will only fuel you through the first or second problem, at which you throw in the towel. If the potential payoff is mediocre or average, so is your effort".

Tim says, "if you choose a goal because it is realistic, you won't have the enthusiasm to jump even the smallest hurdle to accomplish it.... but you'll find that you are prepared to do battle for a dream that is worth dreaming".

So her target for 2012 is to go to UK to meet her bffae Nurina :-D

The Last Day of 2011

The last day of 2011 also means I am turning a year older.

The day started with a wish from my dear husband. A peck on my cheek when the room was still in a total darkness just before he left for subuh prayer in the surau. Errr...birthday girl *bejot so does not need to wake up for prayer.

Then came in the children. Sarah went down to the kitchen to prepare my breakfast in bed with ayah's help. Hannah was given the task to ensure I'll stay in bed until the breakfast is ready. The breakfast consist of a piece of bread, a sunny side up and a sausage. Complete with a mug of coffee on a tray.

Sarah gave me a birthday card with a coupon for a breakfast in bed, a massage and a make-up session :-D The card was taken from my cards collection *yes I love to buy cards any type of cards. Sampai ke Sydney pun beli cards.

Hannah will come a hug & kiss me whenever she feels like to. Keep saying "Happy Birthday, Mama"

Afiq had made plans to bake me a pavlova but again he still needs me to buy the ingredients. I have never make pavlova so I pun menyibuk.

Mr did 2 rounds of laundry. Masuk mesin, sidai & angkat. He also made sure the sink is clear. Mama jadi lady of leisure

We went out to OU for lunch. Again we went to Delici0us for my birthday treat. I am easy to please lah. Looking around for others dining at the same place, its their typical weekend routine but that is not the case for us. The bill came a bit more than what mr expected. The most expensive eating out bill so far. We were full to the brim.

Next stop was to go for a final test drive and finally mr put down the booking fee. That's a done deal. Now I can rest from having to pergi tengok kereta. Will say good bye to DBE soon. Sedih jugak....

We reached home around 5pm and we haven't buy the ingredients for the pavlova. Adehhh penat dah but lucky giant is very near. Alhamdulillah the pavlova turn out well and it taste good with lots of fresh fruits.

At the end of the day I am a happy wife & a happy mom. Thanks to my family.