Monday, December 19, 2005

Yoo hoooooo!!!

I am at my dad's.

We cancelled the phone connection at our house before we left, so no internet connection at home... bummer.
I don't know when I'll be able to get on-line again, so a few guidelines on how you can contact me (for gathering invitations and such.. hee hee):

1. My mobile phone still works, so you can call/sms me on my previous celcom number. (Nekbat: aku talipong mung semaley. Guano tok jawab...)

2. I will be in KL probably till Dec 23rd. We plan to drive up to Alor Setar by then. Then I will be back in KL by Jan 4th. So if you wanna meet up in KL, those are the dates I'll be around.



Oh, in other news. First thing I did when I got home was went to my mom's for lunch. I had Udang masak lemak cili api and tempe goreng.. yum yum yum. Then I had Lau Wan Char Kuey Teow for dinner. Then roti canai, then dim sum, then nasi lemak cikgu, then .. mm.. can't remember anymore. Suffice to say that I am fulfilling my gastronomic fantasies.


Oh more news, I also went to see my Ob&Gyn (Dr. Idris in PMC), and he confirmed I was 20weeks, and he scanned for the baby's condition and development (All is well, alhamdulillah) and the kids was so excited to find out the baby's gender...
It's a boy!
Ihsan was so happy, he exclaimed "Yay!! We did it!!! We got a boy!!"


On Sunday I went to the Malaysian Modblog Gathering in FRIM, expecting a lot of people and KFC so I made a HUGE bowl of potato salad.. but alas, only a few could make it..
Takper, we had fun anyways. The kids enjoyed themselves despite us thinking that they'd be bored. What do you expect when you let kids loose in a semi-forest?
The gathering was abruptly cut short due to rain, and I didnt even get a chance to say a proper goodbye and thankyou.. Sorry guys!



okay we're gonna have lunch in Chilli's Mid Valley now (My dad, Mimi and my kids and I) so.. laytur, whenever.

You guys have a good holiday!





Blog Comments

Posted by:bertique
Date: 12/19/05 at 6:46 AM (6M1d ago)
yay!

i must talk with ilham again when we meet, MUST. haha .. with his fantasy and such, ada ker unicorn kat saudi .. he was so funny, and confused at times ;) .. doesn't help lak an when you have me to talk to .. hahaha

lupa lak, the potato salad was superb! best giler ok. tapi at 10 am, KFC mana bukak sis .. kalau tak, mmg i dah bli dah berbarrel-barrel ;) .. it was a good outing anyway kan ??

if you wanna try chinese food - ala carte eat all you can (no kidding!) .. try kat xing zhu cyberview lodge cyberjaya .. rate dia dlm RM55++ if am not mistaken .. it's ala carte style (means that they have like 30 set of masakan yg u buleh pilih) but eat all you can .. hehe whatever it's - mmg best.


Posted by: zan
Date: 12/19/05 at 7:40 AM (6M1d ago)
you masak sardin makan dgn roti ker? cyberview lodge, jauhnyerrr...but i guess mesti sedap giler..


Posted by:bertique
Date: 12/19/05 at 8:11 AM (6M1d ago)
masak sardin letak kentang potong dadu, tomato pototng dadu ..
ikan sardin tuh digoreng terlebih dahulu ;) ..
then perah sebiji lemon .. sedapnya ..

err apa soklan u tadi??

aaa betul, mkn ngan roti. i penah try mkn ngan spageti - best gak actually ;)


Posted by: zan
Date: 12/19/05 at 7:40 AM (6M1d ago)
ayoo...dah lama tak makan kat chillis...


Posted by: BerryBear
Date: 12/19/05 at 2:48 PM (6M1d ago)
yup.. poor turnouts but great event, nevertheless... love the salad and the cekodoks! bert's sardines was great too! and great to see you again!

XXXXX Nak kena gigit ke? XXXXX


Posted by: yellowcabbie (View Website)
Date: 12/20/05 at 7:18 AM (6M13h ago)
congratulations on your new baby news... jaga diri bebaik..eat well.. dah start think of names ke?


Posted by: lion3ss (View Website)
Date: 12/20/05 at 8:12 AM (6M12h ago)
I pulok yang terliur baca. Anyway, too bad I couldn't make it hari tu. Family matters. Missed out on ur potato salad lah kang?


Posted by: famygirl
Date: 12/21/05 at 1:22 AM (5M4w ago)
potato salad itu memang yummy. i nak makan banyak-banyak tapi *malu*

you know me, anything sweet chocolate-y, or cheesy, or mayonnaise-y hee hee


Posted by: roserose
Date: 12/21/05 at 4:02 AM (5M4w ago)
Tahniah!
Alor Setar tak banjir ke?



Posted by:nick898
Date: 12/21/05 at 9:45 PM (5M4w ago)
You just ramble on about all different things as I was scrolling. It's interesting to read. Keep up the good work!


Posted by:
shumagorath
Date: 12/23/05 at 8:33 AM (5M3w ago)
bert....u masak sardin utk sume org...u dr dulu janji nak buat sardin roll kasi i...huhu...nak najuk la cenggini


Posted by: Leez (View Website)
Date: 12/29/05 at 1:42 AM (5M3w ago)
hey welcome back!! wowww... looks like you got your hands full with gatherings! wish i could join! hehehe.. as if i'm invited!!

anyway, have fun!! and take it easy ye! have a happy new year :)


Posted by: marinadelrey (View Website)
Date: 01/04/06 at 8:27 AM (5M2w ago)
hey u like all the same foods i do! from lauk lemak udang to Chilli's...and can u post up ur potato salad recipe por favor? another boy huh? congrats n take care mummy-to-be! got any advice for a first timer like moi?


Posted by: Ripcord (View Website)
Date: 01/07/06 at 6:44 AM (5M1w ago)
Your blog seems to be taking ages to load up lately... =(

Posted by: The Angel Islington
Date: 01/13/06 at 6:46 AM (5M6d ago)
Kak elisa I miss you and your postings! Glad you're back.

Signed,
The not-so-active-commen ter on Spread the Jam

Wednesday, December 07, 2005

Well, whaddaya know..

I still have my internet connection.. hm.. maybe they'll cut it tomorrow.
While it's still up, some ramblings:


If you visit somebody's blog and leave a what you think is a really friendly comment, and the next time you come you see that the blog owner has deleted your comment, would you be offended?
I think I would be. And I am.
It made me think, either this person has a personal dislike for me for some reason (even though it was my first time visiting), or this person is intensely private and just wants her friends to leave comments.
Either way, the message I get is "Go Away".
And you know what, I probably will.


I never knew skanky tops are so difficult to choose. I mean.. you don't want your little sister to look like a slut.. How do you find a skanky top that's not .. well.. so skanky?


I just watched The Man Who Cried the other day, and Johnny Depp looked so yummy. He was scooping horse shit and looked delectable.
And I wonder, when has he ever NOT looked yummy?
Okay maybe in Jung, he looked a bit revolting to me, but even in Pirates of the Carribean where he looks so stinky that you could almost smell him, I found him quiet appealing. In Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, he looked as good enough to eat as some of the candy in his factory, even with his false teeth. He even made that guy in Corpse Bride extremely attractive by lending it his voice.
And don't even mention Don Juan. I couldn' stand watching that movie coz he looked so good it was depressing.
I don't think anybody but Johnny Depp could pull that off. Nope. not even Brad Pitt (he looked absolutely horrifying in Kalifornia, he didnt look good bald in Oceans 11/12).


What in the world do people do with saffron (besides cooking paella) ? They're damn expensive.. but it seems to be something some people want from over here..


Ilham has his Musical Concert today. Taufik can't go coz he's been taking time off at least once for the past 2 weeks. last 2 weeks, for a walkathon. Last Week, for the Snow Queen. ANd next week we're already on our vacation.. so today he's just gonna send me and Anis to school and go off to lunch before going back to work.
I'll take pictures. If we're lucky and the internet connection is still up, maybe I'll post some here!
oh, which reminds me, you can see what goes on in the boys' school at http://www.dhahranbritish.com. Look for the galleries andd you can look at pictures of all the activities in school. It's quiet good. You might even find a few pictures with Ilham or Ihsan on there.


Okay gotta go now.

Tuesday, December 06, 2005

Last Day On-line

Well, today is the last day that my internet connection will be active.. so I guess today I'll be trying to catch up with potential lost time.


My tentative itinerary:

Dec 14th : Get all our bags all packed and ready. When the kids come home from school at 3pm, get them showered and changed, pray Asar, then off we go to Bahrain. Check in, have a bit of dinner, then board the plane for Doha. At Doha, get on another plane for KL. I am banking on the kids (and me) to sleep all the way to KL.
Dec 15th : arrive in KLIA around noon. Take a cab to Kelana Jaya to my mom's house to pick up our house keys, then return home. HOME!! I'm sure Taufik will be checking on the plants and all. The kids will probably rummage thru their toy box first. I will be changing my bed sheets. We'll have abite to eat, hm.. where..? I'm thinking maybe nasi ayam hailam if the redemption letter for our house loan has arrived, else, either FAM (mee kari!!) or Sri Pattani (Tomyam!!). Afternoon will be spent cleaning up the house (if it's not already cleaned by my brother in law), and dinner will definitely be Jaya (Char Kuey Teow, Nasi Ayam, Rojak SIngapore, Laksam.. and sirap bandung).
Dec 16th-Dec 17th: settle stuff .. my house loan, my RHB acount, pay all the fees for the condo, go to MSRI to pay my sponsorship for Israa. Eat and eat.. maybe if I get a chance to, meet up with the lunch ladies for Friday lunch. Oh, and shop for food for the gathering.
Dec 18th : cook for the gathering, go to the gathering, eat eat eat. talk talk talk. take pictures. play with kids.
Dec 19th- Dec22nd or so: Spend quality time with my mom. Visit my dad.
Dec 23rd: Drive to Alor Setar, maybe stop by @ my friend's for dinner.
Dec 24th to Jan 2/3rd : In Alor Setar, go to the orchard (work work work), maybe have a family picnic at a waterfall, eat laksa, meehoon sup. Make a trip to Penang, eat mee udang.
Jan 4th - Jan 9th : back in PJ.. settle more stuff if needed. Visit Mokciknab and her brood. Go shopping. Go jalan2. Go makan2. Maybe Ladies Day Out if the ladies are up to it. If we have time, drive to Kemaman? (Eat some more)
Jan 10th: Eid Ul Adha. Go Sembahyang raya in Masjid Al-Hidayah. Visit relatives around KL.
Jan 11th: Shop and pack.
Jan 12th: Fly back to Saudi.
Jan 13th: Do Laundry, clean house, shop for groceries, prepare for school.
Jan 14th: Kids go back to school. Pay internet bill.
Jan 15th: Back on-line, I hope!

But then again, with me, nothing is ever fixed.. aside from my arrival and departure dates, and the Dec 18th do. Things may change. We take detours (which I just love!). All of us are on a holiday, including Taufik, so that means no office appointments! We can do antyhing we want! We are truly truly truly on a vacation, all of us. I am most certainly looking forward to this holiday.


Yesterday I helped to wrap gifts for the school's Santa's Groto. Next week , 'Santa' will be coming to the school to give out gifts to the children from 4 to 8 years old. The way these parent volunteers handle this project.. it was like a CIA operation. Everything was kept a secret. Shopping was done in secret. They covered all the windows in the Groto room so that no kids can peek in. If any students saw toys being carried, they would say they're for a charity. I couldnt even tell my own kids what I was doing in school. When I accidently mentioned it to Ihsan's teacher in the presence of one of the kids, she actually covered the boy's ears.
We painstakingly removed price tags off each toy. Ignorant me suggested that we just used a marker to black out the prices and the mommies cried out in unison "But Santa doesn't buy toys, he makes them!". Err.. okay.. he would barcode them as well, eh..?
They discussed about who to get to be Santa and when. They had to schedule things just right so that none of the students would come in and suddenly realize that Santa is actually their Dad in a suit. So Katie's class need to come when Katie's dad is not santa.
They even wrote an elaborate letter to each class, telling them that Santa would come to visit in a few days, after the visas for the reindeers are cleared by immigration.
I hope I don't offend anyone when I say that I found it funny how they took so much pains in protecting the idea that Santa is real. I mean.. he's not even a real religious element of Christianity, isn't he? Is believing in Santa equivalent to believing in God?
Ah well.. I wasnt there to preach. I was just there to help (and to take a peek at what my boys would be getting)(Ihsan's getting a punching bag, Ilham a remote control car)(kinda cool, huh?).
I brought ANis along and she was unbelievably well behaved and nice to everyone! She would go up to everyone (but me) and ask "Can I help?". She was so sweet, they decided to give her a present when we said our goodbyes. She got hair accesories, in a plastic carry case, which she is carrying everywhere she goes now. I was so proud of her (and relieved that she did not embarass me.. tee hee!).



oh well, I guess that's it for now. While I'm gone, you're welcomed to visit my archives, or check out my links .. there are very interesting people out there!
You know I'll blog whenever I get the chance to.. :)

Season's Greetings, Happy Holidays and have a Happy New Year!





Blog Comments


Posted by:TheCharmedOne
Date: 12/06/05 at 8:38 AM (1M1w ago)
Selamat kembali ke Malaysia.


Posted by:elisataufik
Date: 12/06/05 at 1:35 PM (1M1w ago)
terimakasih MrCharmed..

"we were but stones, ... your light made us stars"


Posted by: marinadelrey (View Website)
Date: 12/06/05 at 8:45 AM (1M1w ago)
wow! that is one DETAILED itinerary! i'm gonna have 2 learn how 2 plan like u once i become a mom...have fun back in jolly good ol' malaysia!


Posted by: elisataufik
Date: 12/06/05 at 1:40 PM (1M1w ago)
detailed ke? I thought it was pretty general..
I like to have a plan, so that we don't end up wandering around aimlessly and not achieve anything during our time home.
but the fun thing about having plans is also being able to break them.. tee hee

"we were but stones, ... your light made us stars"


Posted by: ondeonde
Date: 12/06/05 at 9:30 AM (1M1w ago)
you can quench and gobbled (excuse for my choice of word) on whatever things you mengidam while in tanah air tercinta!


Posted by: elisataufik
Date: 12/06/05 at 1:44 PM (1M1w ago)
oh I wish I would achieve that ! :)
but most importantly, I also want to meet all the people that I miss, be it family or friends :)

"we were but stones, ... your light made us stars"


Posted by:+pizzofmine
Date: 12/06/05 at 10:11 AM (1M1w ago)
The holiday schedule awed me, awed I say!


Posted by:elisataufik
Date: 12/06/05 at 1:47 PM (1M1w ago)
i bet if you told us *your* itinerary, we'd be awed too..

"we were but stones, ... your light made us stars"

Posted by:+pizzofmine
Date: 12/06/05 at 2:04 PM (1M1w ago)
well i don't think it will awe anyone if the route is between to the work desk - toilet -work desk -toilet - work desk -toilet and back to the work desk again


Posted by: rotidua (View Website)
Date: 12/06/05 at 10:25 AM (1M1w ago)
eh..tak nak jumpa kiter ke?


Posted by:elisataufik
Date: 12/06/05 at 1:52 PM (1M1w ago)
eh MUSTI lah jumpa...
you're bringing fruits to the gathering kan kan kan?

Mama mesti buat makan2 punya lah.. paling kurang, on Raya Haji..

"we were but stones, ... your light made us stars"


Posted by:bertique
Date: 12/06/05 at 10:41 AM (1M1w ago)
have a good flight home ok.

and, pergh! packed giler schedule nyer :D

see you on sunday.

kalau sesat, call saya - hehehe

Posted by:elisataufik
Date: 12/06/05 at 1:55 PM (1M1w ago)
Kalau dia takder tukar jalan ke Putrajaya in the past 6 months, Insya-Allah tak sesat..
apa2 pun, nanti kita calling2..

please follow up on nekbat. Kita nak dia datang!!

"we were but stones, ... your light made us stars"

Posted by:nekbat
Date: 12/06/05 at 5:00 PM (1M1w ago)
Oh pressure, pressure


Posted by: hannaidea
Date: 12/06/05 at 3:16 PM (1M1w ago)
Have fun during your holiday. We're going to miss you.

hanna's mum


Posted by: shadesofblue
Date: 12/07/05 at 4:30 AM (1M1w ago)
I can feel the excitement...balik kampung..ooo..balik kampung.
About the Santa thingy...they do take things seriously and go into details huh...read about how some of the other mothers in US prepare their childrens birthday Mak Oiii...mcm2 ada

Sunday, December 04, 2005

Wondering about writing

LoLlieS asked me a long long long time ago, how my family and I became so good at writing.

Well, firstly, we don't think we're that good. At least I don't think I'm that good at writing.
But I would agree that I like writing, reading and telling stories, and so does most of my family members (even The Sister Who Does Not Blog', henceforth to be referred to as TSWDNB, or maybe DNB (Does Not Blog), for short). So maybe I could shed some light on how we became this way.
damn.. i make it sound like it's some kind of affliction..

My siblings and I grew up telling or listening to stories. When we were young, sources of entertainment was limited. I remember that TV shows only started at 5:30pm or so. If you switched on the TV before then, you'd only see the test pattern. So we had to occupy ourselves with other stuff. When we're not gallavanting in the bushes (Trengganu was filled with bushes then), we're probably hanging out on some wooden platform (gerei) with our friends, or hanging out near the huts where the adults were cooking (nasi dagang or keropok lekor) and listening in to their conversations. Sometimes we made up our own adventrues and stories. I remember one time when mokciknab and I drew elaborate diagrams and made up complex processes on how to turn shit into ice-cream. I am not kidding.

My grandmother's house in Pantai Merang was worse. It didn't have any electricity until the generator was started at dusk (around 7:30pm roughly). So again, we occupied ourselves by playing or hanging out among the adults and listening to their stories. I remember killing at least half of the day watching this old woman who lived in front of my grandmother's house making nissang (sugar made from cooking coconut milk ..err so, 'palm sugar'? *shrug*). It was pretty fascinating to watch her patiently stir the coconut milk in a huge wok, watching it turn from white to sticky brown and then seing this thick gooey stuff being poured into the round moulds and harden up. Then we got to ate the bits that stuck to the bottom of the wok. Yummy. But I digress.
My grandparents would tell us all sorts of stories. Sometimes it was stories about how they or my dad grew up. Sometimes it's silly made up stories, like the one about 3 guys, one with big ears, one with a sharp bum and one with a lot of discharge in his eyes (taik mata), who got on a boat and how the guy with the sharp bum made a hole in the boat when he sat down and the guy with the eyes patched the hole up with his eye-discharge and the guy with the huge ears was used as a sail.
During blackouts in our house, we would sit around my father's feet and he would tell us jokes (some dirty and unfit for young ears) and stories about his childhood or travels. My mom would tell stories about her childhood too, about how she and her 8 siblings lived in a one room house that doubled as a tailor's shop (her parents were tailors), how she got a chance to study in England, her travels around Europe, how we lived in remote Kuala Berang.

My parents were avid readers, we had tonnes and tonnes of books in our house. In fact I remember we once had a whole wall of bookshelves filled with books. So I guess it was only natural that my siblings and I enjoyed reading. Some of us are more voracious than others: me being the worse, because I am quite picky about the books I read and DNB is the slowest (she took forever to finish Lord Of The Rings). Mokciknab is prolly the most well-read in terms of breadth of subjects coz she reads all sorts of technical books, while TulisJe would be the more literature-concious and artistic one, and the male rotidua would be the more adventurous one, appreciating both the well-written and well-drawn stories. I am not sure about Mimi, since I don't get to observe her reading habits first-hand. But I think you can't part a Bustaman from his/her books.

Except for Tulisje, none of us had any formal education in writing. Mokciknab took law. Male-Rotidua went into the visual-production field. DNB took Teaching English as a Second Language. I took engineering. Mimi .. is still in highschool, and it looks like she's leaning towards the performence arts. TulisJe was the only who has a Degree in 'English', which I guess involves alot of writing and reading..

Our backgrounds are reflected in the way we write, I think.

My dad, for instance, used to work for the information ministry and then moved on to the Prime Minister's Department to develop informative documentaries. So the posts on his blogs are mostly like Public Service announcements or documentaries on the Trengganu culture, catered to appeal to the masses. And from the popularity of his blog, you can tell that his writing do have a massive appeal.

Mokciknab tend to be very journalistic in her posts. She tends to write about issues (or makes issues out of the goings on of her everyday life). Her writings are always concise and focused, fit to be in a 5 minute slot on the evening news. Her 'connections' also has given her the ability to look at things from a lot of different perspectives, and listen to the same story from all the different sides. It also sometimes make her a bit jaded and sceptic about things.

The Male Rotidua, when he does write, simply blows you away with his eloquence and his perspective on things. In person, he is just like the way he writes. He doesnt say much, but what he says mostly matters, is rational and makes sense. (Note: The Female Rotidua, though is only related by marriage, suprised us with her eloquence and quirky sense of humor in their blog. We're proud of her :) )

Tulisje is the accomplished writer among us. You can tell that her posts are well-thought out, and probably went through a few drafts, coz they come out so perfect. She tends to write about deep things (except when she talks about college football and the UMich Wolverines) and I am often amazed by her imagination and her ability to convey stories in such a beautiful way.

Mimi .. is still young, and writes like a teenager should. I live vicariously through her shopping trips, teenage-angst and adventures on stage.

Me, having an engineering background, has made me very technical and analytical about things. I think I am best when I am writing instructions and procedures (like when I give out recipes). Ask me to write about one thing and I will break them into little pieces and analyze them bit by bit (like I'm doing with this one). I am always asking Whys and Hows, trying to figure out cause and effects of things that happen around me or that I'm doing. Very Boring.

So, I don't know whether this has given you an insight on how to be a 'good writer', but I hope it has given you an idea on why my family and I write the way we do :)





Blog Comments


Posted by:+PrimaryBasic
Date: 12/04/05 at 10:58 AM (1M1w ago)
if everyone writes in the same style, we would be better off reading just one from the same group.


saya suka blog ini.

and

"In fact I remember we once had a whole wall of bookshelves filled with books. So I guess it was only natural that my siblings and I enjoyed reading."

we also have tons and tons of books on the bookshelves. but, kenapa my younger ones tak nak membaca? :(


Posted by:elisataufik
Date: 12/05/05 at 5:40 PM (1M1w ago)
I wasnt that keen on reading when I was younger too.. but I saw everyone in my house reading and I got to thinking, "Apalah yang syok sangat baca buku cerita ni ya?" So I started picking up one of my dad's books (I think it was Robert E Heinlein) and was hooked. Thanx to my siblings' 'adventurousness', our family was introduced to Tolkien, Pratchett, Gaiman, Garcia-Marquez.. kalau tidak, jangan harap I nak beli kalau tak kenal..


Posted by:famygirl
Date: 12/04/05 at 11:30 AM (1M1w ago)
this is very nicely written. saya rasa terinspired.

i hope my kids will grow up being ardent fans of books and become good writers like you and your siblings... as you've known, i have started my own collection of tons and tons of books on the bookshelves (I wish I have the luxury to read each and every one of them right now)


Posted by:elisataufik
Date: 12/05/05 at 5:44 PM (1M1w ago)
well, judging from Sofea's talkativeness, if she doesnt become a good writer, she'd definitely become a good pengacara or penyanyi nasyid.. ha ha!


Posted by: Tengku Sheril Amirah (View Website)
Date: 12/04/05 at 3:25 PM (1M1w ago)
performing arts all de way man!!

muahahaha, oh yeas, and you asked me to leave a "not" here, so here it goes.

I don't really want anything frm The Land Of The Sand(my friend is already bringing me back melted snow in a bottle from UK) but I don't mind a shopping trip back here in Malaysia. *grin*

but den, its the thought tat counts so juz hantam and get me anything you think mite be nice *pssst scanky tops and bras*

Posted by:elisataufik
Date: 12/05/05 at 5:52 PM (1M1w ago)
okay.. a skanky top it is then.. I hope I have the time (and money) to go shopping before next week..


Posted by: ninuk (View Website)
Date: 12/04/05 at 4:01 PM (1M1w ago)
and i can vouch you are also good at "writing programmes/sql scripts" dan yang sewaktu dengannya !


Posted by:elisataufik
Date: 12/05/05 at 6:01 PM (1M1w ago)
oh.. I don't know whether I can still remembr how to do that.. the only 'serious' writing I do nowadays are notes to the boys' teachers..


Posted by:LoLlieS
Date: 12/04/05 at 4:37 PM (1M1w ago)
I see I see. I am very intrigue with the storytellings and listening to stories that you folks had when you are little. it definitely runs in the family. simply amazing


Posted by:elisataufik
Date: 12/05/05 at 6:07 PM (1M1w ago)
I am sure your kids will benefit from your love of storytelling as well :)



Posted by:+pizzofmine
Date: 12/04/05 at 8:01 PM (1M1w ago)
hmmmmm.....*nodding sagely*



Posted by:elisataufik
Date: 12/05/05 at 6:11 PM (1M1w ago)
encik namra.. kamu akan datang ke gathering tak????
heh heh .. i'm gonna bug bug bug you like a ghost haunts and abandoned house.



Posted by:+pizzofmine
Date: 12/05/05 at 6:21 PM (1M1w ago)
I'll have to take a massive rain check on that. Got so many datelines all lining up screaming my name as if I am some rock star


Posted by: The Elusive Mr R
Date: 12/05/05 at 1:49 AM (1M1w ago)
Joe, who's Mimi?
There's kak long, u, megababe, didie, firhad...so who's mimi??

*confused*

/rz


Posted by:elisataufik
Date: 12/05/05 at 6:17 PM (1M1w ago)
Mimi is my youngest sister. Eh I never told u about her meh?



Posted by:nekbat
Date: 12/05/05 at 2:31 AM (1M1w ago)
Am always enthralled at your stories, however mundane. And you are creative other ways too. I istill remember your upside down signature masa kat maktab, which I thought was real cool.


Posted by:elisataufik
Date: 12/05/05 at 6:25 PM (1M1w ago)
you know what, I still sign upside down.. but now instead of 'elisa bustaman', I now sign 'elisa taufik' :)
people always ask if my singature siamese, and I always love the expression of wonder on their faces when I turn it around and they could read it.


Posted by: AzeedA
Date: 12/05/05 at 3:39 AM (1M1w ago)
Hi, Kak Lisa! I'm one of most prolly many others who hops around ur 'blood blogs'.. really enjoy reading u + family's creative entries.. KEEP IT UP!!! and... luuurrvveee PJ's Alive sign up there... ;)


Posted by:
elisataufik
Date: 12/05/05 at 6:30 PM (1M1w ago)
On behalf of my family, thankyou for visiting us.. datang lah lagi.. :)


Posted by: Alsa aka Ayu lol (View Website)
Date: 12/05/05 at 6:27 AM (1M1w ago)
My goodness gracious! Mata terbeliak baca entry ni. I to love to write but ill never be as good as you - Syok baca ur blog- ever thought of blog em up in a book? oi bukan nak bodek yer... its true! hehe suka ati u la nak call i ayu ker, ape ker, np .. hmm do u hv IMs? can i add u? my yahoo id is ayulinro n my msn is brit_millennium@hotmail.com - take care


Posted by:elisataufik

Date: 12/05/05 at 6:35 PM (1M1w ago)
I have msn, but.. ermm.. jarang on-line because I think it's slows other stuff up.. but I'll add you in. You'd never guess what my msn id is..heh heh


Posted by: Tengku Sheril Amirah (View Website)
Date: 12/05/05 at 3:00 PM (1M1w ago)
to The Exclusive Mr R - *i brought it upon myself to answer dis comment* ehem, I'm mimi. The youngest of the Kustamangs.


Posted by:elisataufik
Date: 12/05/05 at 6:37 PM (1M1w ago)
maybe I should right about you lah one day..


Posted by: TheCharmedOne
Date: 12/05/05 at 4:11 PM (1M1w ago)
Turn shit into ice cream!!! It's disgusting!!! Nothing to talk about ke that time?? :)


Posted by:elisataufik
Date: 12/05/05 at 6:43 PM (1M1w ago)
wehhhhh I was maybe 6 or 7 and mokciknab was 10 or 11. We were just fooling around, probably while waiting for the kuba bala (kerbau gembala) to walk past our front yard (behind our house was a paddy field).
Fun apa...

Posted by: JoKontan (View Website)
Date: 12/06/05 at 2:43 AM (1M1w ago)
Elisa,

This post answered a wholelotta questions, I had earlier. I've been reading and enjoying all Kustamangs delicious posts sejak azali lagi. Ek, dunno male rotidua has one ?.

But this is the first time commenting, feeling inferior, terasa 'seperti dua darjat'. I, simply cannot write.

When Modblog went Posa 6, few days back, I was busy looking around,."Bila nak on nih ?"


Posted by:elisataufik
Date: 12/06/05 at 5:40 AM (1M1w ago)
Your writing okay what... very enjoyable reading. Especially bila terkeluor loghat pahang sket sket.


Posted by: The Elusive Mr R
Date: 12/06/05 at 3:03 AM (1M1w ago)
Joe (and Mimi if ur reading),

I swear to god i tak pernah tau the existence of *your youngest sister* ni until now. I'm beyond astonished that only now I discover that there's another sister. I dah pegi rumah u banyakkkkk kali dah, and tak pernah pun jumpa Mimi ni. Either I was stoned everytime I was there, or you have never mentioned it to me, or something doesn't add up. It's like Sydney Bristow finding out that SD6 were the baddies...heheh.


Posted by: elisataufik
Date: 12/06/05 at 5:22 AM (1M1w ago)
and I am astonished that you have the time (and energy) to watch Alias..
Dah lah ada anak kecik 2 orang.
ini mesti kes laki-bini dua-dua suka tengok Alias nih...



Posted by: marinadelrey (View Website)
Date: 12/06/05 at 7:32 AM (1M1w ago)
so that's the story.. i've been wondering the same thing all this while...i applaud the fact that u and ur whole family are so expressive in ur writing and can freely let forth ur thoughts via blog and it is something that all of you can share among family members as well...writing for me is a very private part of myself..and i find that there are things i can't even express freely, without worrying that the rest of my family may be reading it...thus, the anonymity... kudos to u n the whole Bustaman clan 4 ur excellent blogs! I'm a great fan of all of u...:-)


Posted by:zan
Date: 12/07/05 at 7:23 AM (1M1w ago)
saya pun terinspired...thanks for the entry, moi very bad with languages, let alone writing...

fyi, mr zul pun selalu puji your style in writing.



Posted by: Tengku Sheril Amirah (View Website)
Date: 12/10/05 at 2:38 PM (1M4d ago)
to The Exclusive Mr R(again) - I like to lead a quite life. my sisters are always so busy with their kids and everything that I just sink in because I'm family. and usually, family members need not be mentioned. *winks*

Saturday, December 03, 2005

I am back home...

Back home at modblog, that is.. Latest update as of today is about Ilham's participation in his school play.

If you're interested in joining the Malaysian (mod)blogger's gathering on Dec 18th, 3pm in putrajaya, please join the discussion here.

We need to know how many people are coming and what you're going to bring.

See ya! :)

Ilham in Snow Queen

Last Tuesday (29th November), Ilham participated in his first play. The students in his stage, 'Key Stage 2' (7 to 10 year olds), performed a musical of Hans Christian Andersen's 'The Snow Queen'.
Ilham was a flower! A Flower??? *groan*
Early in the month we got a letter asking us to look for a long green t-shirt and green tights.
"Tights??" I asked, "You mean leggings?"
"No, we mean tights." they said.
I told Taufik and he said No way in the world is my son going to wear tights!
So we searched around and finally bought him a set of green pajamas: Green Long Sleeved T-shirt and Green long pants. What are they gonna do? Expell him? heh heh

A day before the performence for parents they performed the play for Key Stage 1 kids (4 to 6 years olds), so Ihsan got to watch Ilham perform. I asked Ihsan about the play and he said he was scared when the snow queen 'attacked' Kay (the boy who got his heart frozen), but he enjoyed watching Ilham sing on stage.

On the day of the performence Taufik took some time off work and we went to see Ilham perform, with Anis in tow. I was quite excited, coz I've heard Ilham singing the songs in the shower for almost a month now, and this was like his first stage performence (Taska Salsabiila school concerts don't count).
It was a little while before Ilham's scene came and Anis was already fidgeting and kept asking "Mana abang Ilham?" (Where is big brother Ilham) and I keep having to point out to her that Ilham is sitting on the benches in front of the stage and is singing the chorus when he is not on stage.
So when his scene came on ("In the Enchanted Garden") Taufik took pictures. He started in a crouched position and he slowly rose as the 'sun' continued to shine and the Garden Witch came out to water the plants. His face was so serious though. It was obvious he took his part seriously coz he made sure his leaves (hands) unfolded gracefully and his head would sway gently as he sang.

He had only one spoken line really, "But here inside the garden walls, time is standing still", but the proud mother in me could've sworn he said it with such gusto and prose that even Sir Laurence Olivier would be put to shame.
tee hee!
(But after Ilham recited his line, I saw him make this shy face he often makes)

Anis was fretting all through out the play, I guess coz it was kinda long. She kept asking for her milk, but all is forgotten when after the play was over, we saw one of our Malaysian friends who also brought their daughter who is Anis' playmate and the two of them hugged and ran off to play.

We then went out to take pictures with Ilham and his friends.


I hugged Ilham and told him that he did a really good job and that I was so proud of his performence. Taufik told Ilham that he couldnt hear his voice when he was singing.
I think Ilham enjoyed himself. I hope that this experience will make him more confident and outspoken.

The kids are now singing the songs from Snow Queen everytime they shower..





Blog Comments


Posted by:+nectar
Date: 12/03/05 at 3:32 PM (1M1w ago)
Oh, that's so sweet. Well done, Ilham. I don't see anybody wearing tights pun. Semua org tak ikut arahan ke?

Posted by:elisataufik
Date: 12/04/05 at 4:54 AM (1M1w ago)
Two of the boys who are standing beside Ilham (partially hidden by the boys standing in front) are wearing tights. They looked kinda weird .. like they weren't wearing any pants.. hee hee.
Isnt the head dress cute though?? They made it themselves and got to take it home.

"we were but stones, ... your light made us stars"


Posted by:famygirl
Date: 12/04/05 at 4:21 AM (1M1w ago)
hee hee, during sofea's last concert, the boys were the flowers too :) the girls were the butterflies.


Posted by:elisataufik
Date: 12/04/05 at 5:00 AM (1M1w ago)
the weird thing is, almost all the flowers were boys and they also had trees, and they were all mostly girls.
I am just glad that the flowers didnt have to wear any make up.. kih kih kih

"we were but stones, ... your light made us stars"


Posted by:nutty
Date: 12/04/05 at 7:24 AM (1M1w ago)
alah cutenya. yay ilham!


Posted by:elisataufik
Date: 12/05/05 at 5:33 PM (1M1w ago)
bonda Ilham tumpang bangga... ;)

"we were but stones, ... your light made us stars"

Posted by:jalommah
Date: 12/05/05 at 2:28 AM (1M1w ago)
so cute.... tapi perasan tak yang pakai black gloves kat belakang Ilham tu.. Dia nyer butang baju senget macam Zami Ismail dalam Pi Mai Tang Tu..hee..hee


Posted by:elisataufik

Date: 12/05/05 at 5:17 PM (1M1w ago)
ha ah lah.. i didnt realize it until you pointed it out.. hee hee



Posted by:nekbat
Date: 12/05/05 at 2:42 AM (1M1w ago)
The spotlight seemed to be on Ilham je. Macam star performer gitu. Comel la.


Posted by:elisataufik
Date: 12/05/05 at 5:22 PM (1M1w ago)
actually it was just a coincidence that the spotlight fell on him. His position was in the middle of tha 2nd row, but the kid that was supposed to stand in front of him fell ill, and couldnt make it, so it looked like he was standing alone.


Posted by: mokciknab (View Website)
Date: 12/05/05 at 8:52 AM (1M1w ago)
Awww.. Ilham looks so cute. It's ok that he's a flower -- shows that he's confident about hus masculinity. Your husband must hae freaked out, though hahaha.

BUT, I have to say my kids gelak guling guling to see Ilham in costume. Never mind. Wait till its their turn.


Posted by:elisataufik
Date: 12/05/05 at 5:30 PM (1M1w ago)
Actually Taufik went "Oh no no no... he's not gonna wear tights"
and I said "Because you yang tak nak ke, or what?"
and he said "You think Ilham is gonna agree to where tights?"
I thought for a bit and had to agree with him..
Ilham saw his friends who were wearing tights and said they looked like they were running around naked. And even on stage, one of the boys turned around and I could see his undies thru his tights! I'm glad I spared Ilham that embarassment.

"we were but stones, ... your light made us stars"