Friday, March 31, 2006

secret

Listen, do you wanna know a secret?
Do you promise not to tell?
-- The Beatles


While waiting for my SPM results, I was sent to an Intensive English course to prepare myself for TOEFL exams. I didn't really want to go, actually, coz my heart was set on going to UTM in Skudai, J0hor. Somehow I didn't want to study overseas.
The course was fully sponsored by M@ra, and it was assumed that if I passed with good results, they would also offer a loan/scholarship for me to further my studies to wherever I wanted to go.
So I went to Slim R1ver, a small quiet sleepy old town in Per@k to take this course, simply because I had nothing better to do anyways. There I met up with Suhai and some of my other former schoolmates, along with other former MRSM students from all over the country.

Life there was kinda okay. I mean, we were doing nothing else but learning English for a few months. I can't even remember how long we were there. Must've been at least 3 or 4 months coz we were there till we got our SPM results, then we waited for our UPU applications (College placements - whether we got offered scholarships/loans to study overseas or whether we got places in local universities).

We were given accomodations in a shop lot facing the main road that connects KL to Ipoh, right opposite the the big police station and quarters. At night we could hear lorries drive by. Once we even saw a lorry transporting a baby elephant. It stopped right in front of our building and all the girls ran to the windows to gawk at the cute fat hairy lump of grey. The curtains in our room are drawn most of the time because not only could people on the outside see in (if they looked up, coz our rooms were on the 2nd floor), but because at night the streetlights were pretty bright.

We had fixed schedules.
Weekday mornings we had classes. We'd have an assembly in front of another row of shophouses that had been rented to be our classrooms. The 'headmaster' or his assistant would give a short talk before we go into class.
Saturday mornings we were either at the police station being drilled by them, or we were made to run through the oil palm plantation across the railway tracks. Some weekends a bunch of us would take the train to KL and go home or go shopping (if we can afford it).
Meals were provided, I think... I can only remember that sometimes they'd serve half-boiled eggs and toast, which I learned to eat with soy sauce and pepper. Yummy.
One of the weekdays, I think it was Wednesdays, was Pekan Sehari (like farmer's market) day in Slim River and some of us would skip tea-break and take a walk among the stalls set-up along the streets of the chinese part of the town.
In the afternoons sometimes we'd walk to the train station and just watch the trains pass by.
There were TV rooms provided for the students, a seperate one for girls and boys. That's where you'll find me and Suhai most of the time.
We had curfews and lights out. Everyone was supposed to be in bed and the lights should be off by 11pm every night, irregardless of whether it was a weekend or a school night.

So there I was, one night, reading a very interesting book (I can't even recall what it was and whose it was.. it definitely wasn't mine, it was probably borrowed), when they called for lights out and we had to switch off the lights.
I laid on my bed for a while, trying to sleep. When I couldn't, I picked up the book and sat up on my bed, closer to the windows to capture the light. There was still not enough light for me to read, and afraid that I would disturb my roomates if I drew the curtains too wide, I decided to sit on the window sill.
It was one of those windows that you could open out, and it had no grills and it had quite a wide ledge.
I was kinda uncomfortable sitting on the narrow strip of metal window sill, so I decided to climb out and sit on the ledge instead, with my feet dangling down.
It was quite nice, really, coz there was a nice breeze and the street lights made my reading more comfortable.
I was enjoying the last few pages of my book when I heard the sound of feet on gravel and a "Hey, Kamu buat apa tu?" (Hey, what are you doing?) coming from the ground. It was one of the security guards.
I quickly scrambled back into my room, closed the window, jumped in bed and pretended to sleep, my heart beating in panic. I waited for a big ruckus, maybe banging on doors, maybe an interrogation.. but it never came.

The next morning there was an assembly. They lined us up and told us that one of the security guards caught a student trying to kill him/herself.
"ahhh.. so they didnt know whether it was a boy or a girl.." I thought. Which was pretty weird coz I sported really long hair at that time. Maybe I had tied it up? can't remember.
I was kinda suprised that the guard wasnt even sure which room/floor the suicidal suspect was allegedly trying to jump from.
I kept a straight face the whole time they were trying to weed out the 'suspect'.
We had to endure a long talk about how commiting suicide is a sin and that if we had any problems we could come and see any of the teachers to talk about it.
Goddammit I was just trying to read a book!, I thought to myself.

I never told anyone it was me.
My roomates seemed to care less.. the school wasn't buzzing about a suicidal student and who it could have been, and after a few days, the incident was all but forgotten.




Postscript:
I never got to UTM Skudai, coz I submitted my UPU forms late, so I resigned to the fact that I had to accept whatever M@ra would offer me. I did quite well in my TOEFL exams (Suhai scored the highest marks, and I was a close second) so they sent us to take our American Associate Degree (AAD) program and I eventually went to the University of Illin0is.
Coincidently, Taufik also wanted to go to UTM, but couldn't go coz his parents weren't around (they were off to perform their Hajj) when he got the offer and couldn't give him the money to send him off. He finally got another offer to take the AAD program and this time he was determined and made all the required arrangements himself, seeking the help of his uncles and aunties.
And during the AAD program was where we met each other.
*grin*

Thursday, March 30, 2006

these past few days

Just when I promised mokciknab that I'd be on-line so that my kids could chat with her kids, my internet went down! My ISP did some upgrades on the system and I was offline for almost 2 days.
Then when it was up, it was abit unstable somehow..
Today, for instance, I could dial up. but somehow the network was out of wack and I couldnt acces any web pages.
Till now, that is.

My husband left for Makk@h yesterday evening.
I cried.
It's not that I didnt want him to go.. i mean he's gone to perform the umrah, which is an ibadah afterall, but then.. it's the 18hour bus journey that kinda worries me.
And the fact that he's away.
I called him yesterday before his bus was supposed to depart, another time around 8 to ask if he has had his dinner. Then he called around 10 to tell he just had dinner and to ask about the kids.
I called him at 8am this morning to find out where he had reached, but he didnt pick up the phone.
I called him again at 8:30am and he picked up this time, telling me he was at the miqat, changing into his ihram.
He called me around 1:30pm just now and told me he had just completed his umrah, and is now going out for lunch.
Alhamdulillah.
He's going to do his umrah again within the next 2 days. His bus leaves Makk@h on Saturday, around mid-day. He'll be back on Sunday morning, Insya-Allah.

I am often reminded of someone's comment saying that I will receive some sort of enlightment when I move here. I am praying that the enlightment does not involve me losing someone I love. Hence my anxiety in letting Taufik travel so far without me.
(He's not alone, he's travelling with 3 other guys, and there are 2 families who ahd driven to Madinah earlier and are meeting up with them in Makkah).
What makes it worse is that people going to Umrah/Hajj are often advised to leave their wasiat (will?), just in case anything happens. So before he left, he reminded me of what debts we still have (2 house loans), what insurances we have signed up for, what I should do and who I should call should anything happen.
It just broke my heart even thinking about it.

But I try to waylay all negative thoughts.
I imagine him reaching there, praying for me and our family to be kept living in Islam and if we were to go, to go with Iman, in front of the Holy Ka'ab@h. I imagine him coming home in one piece, and his soul in peace, and that he would lead us as the head of an ideal islamic family would.
Insya-Allah, kan?

This morning we had hot dogs for brunch and then roti canai with dhal for lunch/tea.
I don't know what we'll have for dinner.
Not Maggi goreng.
I have a hankering for some burgers, actually. And curly fries..

It's maghrib now. better go.

Tuesday, March 28, 2006

Easy Peasiest Chocolate Cake



This is actually a cheat recipe. Coz I used the Betty Cr0cker cake mix. But the combination of other stuff made it turn out ssooooo good and it looked like I had put in a lot of effort into it, I thought maybe other mommies/daddies/people would like to try it out someday..

This was yesterday's 'afternoon activity' for my kids. They enjoyed the measuring and pouring and stirring and baking and waiting bit tremendously. If you wanna get educational, this activity done together taught my kids :
- how to read and follow instructions,
- learned a few new words ('beat' has a good and bad meaning, and what 'grease the pan' meant)
- how ingredients are measured (cups, tablespoons, millilitres)
- chocolate cakes are yummmeh!

So here's the recipe:

Easy Peasiest Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:
One box of Betty Cr0cker Cake Mix (I used 'Super Moist Chocolate Cake')
Roudhly chopped walnuts (optional)
2 boxes of thick cream (mine was 250ml each, so that makes up to 500ml)
4 tablespoons of Milo or chocolate drink mix
icing sugar (to taste, only if your choc drink mix has no sugar added)
Chocolate sprinkles

Method:
Mix and bake the cake per instructions on box. I substituted water with fresh milk and added nuts at the bottom of the pan. I don't have a mixer, so I just used my blender ;). Take out of oven and let cool.
Prepare the frosting by mixing the thick cream with the chocolate drink mix. Taste and add icing sugar if necessary. Note: I don't like my frosting to be too sweet, so I did not add sugar.
Once cake is cooled, spread on the chocolate frosting and lay on the chocolate sprinkles as much as you like!
Chill if you want to, but not necessary.


Isn't that so easy??
The kids ate some for dessert after dinner, then ate some more before going to bed, after we came back from my Tajweed class. I still have one more container in the fridge.. so we will prolly eat some more for tea!

yummehhhhhh...!

Monday, March 27, 2006

Epidural or GA?

With a schedule and all, you'd think things would be going on smoothly eh?
Well, kids are unpredictable, so we didnt really stick to the schedule much, but it is used as a guideline, at least.
Yesterday they woke up really late so I had to cancel the morning PS2 session and made them sit downstairs and draw while I cooked lunch (Pajeri terung!! first time I made them and it turned out okay! Yay!!). Then they played PS2 the whole afternoon till I chased them outside to play.
Today they woke up really early. By 8 they had already had their breakfast. I let them shower and play in the tub for a whole hour, enduring a very loud re-enactment of Tadpole Rag and Caterpillar Boogie (audio only).
E.g.:
Ihsan sings at the top of his voice, "One day teacher brought to school" *splash* "Something {inaudible} from the pool" *splash* "It was strange and wobbly" *splash* "Looks like jelly in a plate to me" *splash*.

One day i'll transcribe the whole song here..
and then I made them clean-up their room after dressing up.
Now they're playing Monster's Inc on PS2.

Note to Mokciknab and Papa: I'm going to schedule their 'webchat session' during "Free Activity", which is after dinner, roughly between 7:30 to 9:30 (s@udi time), would that be okay? We will log on earlier if we can. Sorry for not being able to do it earlier than that..

Aaaaaanyways...

today I wanna talk about me.

For the past 3 deliveries, I underwent C-section with the aid of an epidural. I chose epidural because then I'd be aware of what's going on and I'd be awake when the baby is delivered and presented to me and I'd be the first person to call the baby by name. I could even reach out and touch the baby if I wanted to.
For this delivery , however, I am contemplating on whether I should take epidural or not. I think sticking a long needle up your spine for the fourth time is really pushing your luck, don't you think?
So I am considering going under general anaesthetic. That means really really 'going under'.
I have never experienced this before, and I wonder what it's like.. I mean, how long will I be under? How long would it take for me to wake up after the delivery? Would there be any side effects after waking up?
With Epidural, i experienced mild nausea and extreme fatigue (don't know why). How would GA affect me? I heard that patients coming out of GA would sometime mumble and talk nonsense.. is that true? ANd how long will I be out? (i.e. when will I be able to see and feed my baby?)

I know that I should be asking these questions to my doctor, and I will, but I just wanted to hear other people's REAL experience with it.
So If you have any stories to share, I'd more than welcome them.
Hopefully it'll assist me in making my decision.

Thanx in advance!

Saturday, March 25, 2006

shorty

so like, last night we laid down the rules.. only 2 hours of PS2 a day: one in the morning, one in the afternoon. At some point in the day, they HAVE to go out of the house to play. At some point of the day, they have to do at least one sheet of math exercise.
No TV, PS2 or playtime till they've brushed their teeth, taken a shower, dressed appropriately (coz they have been known to run around nekkid) and taken their breakfast.
They are to be at the dining room for meals when meals are served, not somewhere else.
Any deviation, and we'll take away one or all of the privileges.

Well, first thing ihsan did this morning was watched TV, full blast.
I had to threaten them before they made their way to the bathroom and downstairs for breakfast.
They played PS2 after breakfast. but made a lot of protesting noises when I told them the hour was up and it was time for their math exercises. Ihsan complained that he didnt get to play and that Ilham only played games that he didnt like to play.
Ilham finished his math in 20minutes, but Ihsan took longer.
They obediently ate lunch with us.
After lunch I made them do the jigsaw puzzles but Anis kept taking away pieces and hiding them.
Then they went outside to play even though I thought it was kinda too hot.
half an hour later they were back in the house, and I laid down a new rule.. 30 minutes of PS2 for Ihsan, then 30 minutes for Ilham. They can play whichever game they want.
In the end I think Ihsan played Sonic Heroes for an hour and it's been more than 30 minutes and Ilham is still playing Ace Combat.

I'm asking Taufik to bring home some paper so that we can draw up a schedule or something..

I did 3 loads of laundry. Folded one load. the 2nd load is dry but still in the laundry basket. The 3rd load is drying as we speak.
I have a headache.
I need a nap.
Still need to think what to cook for dinner.
Chicken Tom Yum sounds good, eh?

My highlight of the day: I made pasta ala olio and ate it with Cheddar Chex Mix for breakfast. Yum Yum Yum

Friday, March 24, 2006

bla bla bla

aiyoooohhh I am so tired from yesterday's family day..

I did two readaloud sessions. Once in the morning, after kids had played in the pool. I read The Very Busy Spider, and we made Spiders using ballons an straws and string.
Then another time in the afternoon while the older kids played congkak. I only read to the little girls a book borrowed from one of the mommies (who prolly reads this blog), "Gifts from Allah", which was about the wonder of our eyes, ears and mouth. We then sang Heads and Shoulders, Knees and Toes and also Itsy Bitsy spider.

Then we went home coz Anis was getting tired and cranky (and I was getting a bit pooped too) and Anis took a nap, I read TWoP and blogged about AI and then we showered and changed and went back to Khaloud for the dinner.
There was a prize giving ceremony (Ihsan won 3rd Place for his coloring!) and everyone got a souviner for participating.. and the kids was getting really restless and cranky coz they were really hungry.. we finally ate at .. hm.. 9? Food was good though. Then took pictures some more, then we headed for home.

If I havent mentioned it, next two weeks is the spring break for my boys.. so we stopped by ToysRUS on the way back and bought Ilham a pair of in-line skates, and Ihsan jigsaw puzzle.
I hope that these can keep them occupied enough to last the two weeks. I doubt it.
Aside from that I also plan to make cookies for spring fair and I'm prolly gonna rope them in to help me out with it.

We've brought out the PS2 from its 'secret hiding place' and it's now hooked up to the TV.. they're playing Transformers on it as I'm typing this.
I made it clear to them that I get first dibs on the TV though. They are not to hog it to play games.
I hope I survive in one piece and with my sanity intact.

Thursday, March 23, 2006

AI Final 11 (eleven)

This week's theme was Songs from the 50's and the kids got coaching and arrangement advice from Barry Manil0w. I've gotta admit, I think Mr.M did a good job, because a lot of them imrpoved in terms of performence (except for IMHO, Taylor).
Here goes:

Mandisa (I don't hurt anymore) - I thought she looked HOT, She sounded HOT, and she moved HOT. But I didnt really like it when she screams.

Bucky (Oh Boy) - Somehow I didnt feel like he gave his all.. But I liked the way he twirled the mike in the end.

Paris (Fever) - Oh. man. She was so awesomely stylish, it was like watching Ella (Fitzgerald, not Ella melayu tuh). Good job.

Chris (I walk the line) - I have never heard of this song before, so I can't comment on whetehr he sang in tune or not, but I thought his voice kinda wavered in the first few verses.. maybe that's why he prefers to growl his tunes? But he made the song really catchy, and fit his personality, so kudos to him.

Kat (Come rain on come shine) - can this girl get any prettier? She was glowing and her performence was so professional.. simon was right when he said Kat was a star.

Taylor (Not Fade Away) - I thought it was a bit boring, tho he looked like he was having a lot of fun. I was a bit annoyed that he chose to make an entrance by singing Mandy to Barry Manil0w .. what a show-off!

Lisa (Why do fools fall in love) - I don't know what is the matter with this girl.. She sings well, but somehow her vocals came off as forced.. and even though her facial expressions show confidence, somehow I detect an uneasiness in her voice and body language... I dunno.

Kevin (When I fall in love) - hm.. he hit every note, and I love this song VERY much, but.. boring..

Elliot (Teach me tonight) - Alright.. finally we see some kind of emotion and soul injected in his performence.. but What in the world posessed him to put on that tie???

Kelly (Walking after Midnight) - what a suprise that she would pick Patsy Cline *rolls eyes*. I was a bit distracted with her going up and down the stairs, I was expecting her to trip and fall at some point (but unfortunately she didnt) and I hate it when she does the squats. Okay performence.

Ace (In the still of the night) - .. correction, a 'jazzy' version of In the Still of the night. Arrghhh nasal nasal nasal .. and quit looking into the camera like that!! It just gives me the creeps!!

Who I want out: Guess...? The Face of course.
Who I think they will vote out: Bucky.

Results:
I did not watch the result show, because I had a family day in Khaloud. I missed the 1pm show coz the folks there didnt have StarW0rld. And I wont be catching the repeat coz we have a dinner at the same venue at screening time. So this comment is based on reading the forum on TwoP (televisi0nWith0utPity).

I read that Lisa, Bucky and Kevin was in the bottom three. What?? No Ace???
And I read that Kevin was the one who got the boot. Awwwwww... poor chicken little.
ah well.. I wasnt rooting for Kevin anyway.
I didnt think Kevin would get voted out because of the news that the anti-Id0l-movement was going to vote for him to stay, but I guess they failed.. heh heh.. I wonder who they will be backing next.

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

What my kids are learning from TV

Anis was chewing on her vitamin C the other day when she declared
"Bonda, this vitamin is so gross!!" with expression to fit.
"whaaaaat...?" I said, coz she said "gwoss" and I wasnt sure if she knew what 'gross' is.
"It is soooo grossss" she said, making a face.
I laughed as I asked where she learnt that word and she said "From DeeDee" (Dexter's sister).

Yesterday she was just sitting around and she said
"Eeee.. siapa kentut? I smell a butt" (who farted? I smell a butt)
"You smell what??"
"A smelly butt"
I was laughing so hard I forgot to teach her about talking politely.

In the morning she was running around singing "wabershicenwabershicenwabershicen" over and over, which I think means "rubber chicken rubber chicken rubber chicken" .. I think she picked this up from Jojo's circus.
At least she's not in her "shtupid dog!" phase, anymore.

oh yeah, and the other day I caught Anis sniffing the TV.
Then I noticed that Bear In the Big Blue House was on. You know how that bear was always pretending to sniff and smell you and ask if you've just been playing outside?
Anis says the bear is smelly..
(ha ha maybe sebab dia tak suka mandi..)

I must admit, we're a family that just lurrrrves to watch TV. When we went back to M'sia, the kids kept wanting to go to their grandma's house coz nenek has Astro and we don't anymore.
I try to control and monitor what my kids watch as much as I can, and I think I am quite strict when it comes to what I do let them watch. It's really a good thing that I love watching cartoons as well, so usually I am quite in touch with what's showing on TV and am well aware of which shows I don't agree with.
I don't let them watch Ed,Edd and Eddie (even though i find that show hilarious and is always partial to anybody named 'Eddie'), because they are super naughty and they scream a lot.
Kids Next Door is also another problem, because I think it teaches the kids to mistrust adults and form negative opinions about authority. I enjoy the fact that it teaches my kidsa about acronyms and such, though. Ilham is always making up secret codes.. he writes his name as M.I.M.T. now (M0hamadd Ilham M0hamed Taufik).
Cow and Chicken and I am Weasel... I used to LOVE this show. But ever since I got kids.. I don't think they're suitable.. too many butts.

If I have the time, I would sit and watch the shows with them and make appropriate comments .. like "eee that's not nice" or "eewww that is so nasty" or "why are they always screaming??" or "whay does he like to say stupid?"
I think my kids get the point, i.e. what is appropriate and what is not.
Sometimes I would hear the theme song to Ed,Edd and Eddy (which I find to be really catchy, by the way) while I was cooking in the kitchen and I would hear Ilham say "Bonda doesn't let us watch this, let's change to Disney Channel" and then I would hear Kim Possible next.

But despite the negative bits that they pick up from TV (which we can control and monitor and correct), I think they're picking up a lot of positive things too.
They get their weekly dose of insect-facts from Buggin' with Rudd. They always scream "i want this I want this" (meaning they want to watch this show so please don't change the channel) whenever there's a show about planes or ships or tanks or trucks or whatever massive machinery. Sometiems they'd ask me what words mean.. and I think that's good.

The other day I overheard Ilham say "Lets play...(pause) ... the weakest link." in his best Anne R0binson impression. *snicker*

Tuesday, March 21, 2006

4 more weeks to go ...

Last Saturday I went to see my Ob/Gyn. She had set a date for my C-section. She said it should be on April 15th. I asked her whether it could be postponed (coz my mom is only scheduled to arrive in May, she's in Seattle helping out tulisje at the mo) but she said that since this is my 4th C-section, she does not advise carrying the baby past the 38th week.
So I had to email tulisje and buat muka tak malu and ask her if my mom can come home earlier than the previously scheduled date. I feel so guilty for having to take my mom away from her. It's her first baby after all.. but then, I have no one else to help me to get through the first few weeks at home with my baby. From my experience with the first 3, the first few weeks can get quite challenging coz I'd still be healing from the stitches and can't really move around much with ease. I would really need help with bathing the baby, especially.
Housework and the 3 kids, I can probably trust my husband with. But the baby.. not that I don't trust him, it's just that he can get a bit squeamish about handling a new born. He is usually more hands-on when the baby is older and not so soft muscle-wise.
If worse comes to worse (i.e. my mom can't come on time), no choice, I'd have to trust Taufik..
hee hee.. Come to think of it, I think that'd be quite fun to watch.

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

April 15th is a Saturday. If I deliver then, and stay in the hospital for 5 days, that would mean I'd be going home on Wednesday..
alright.. that means I'd still be able to catch Americ@n Id0l!

sheeesh... can't believe that a reality show is one of the determining factors for my child's delivery date...

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

We have decided, this will be my last pregnancy. I will request for a tub@l lig@tion during the C-section.
Somehow thinking about this being my last pregnancy, I think I will miss being pregnant. I kinda like knowing that I have something growing inside me. It sorta makes me feel kinda powerful.. I mean I can determine what the baby likes to eat, by watching what I eat during the pregnancy.. determine his mood by controlling my moods.. sorta makes you feel like an actual Goddess.
And I actually like feeling the baby move inside me and watching my tummy grow. Watching it change shape as the baby move around. Feeling my tummy's surface trying to figure out, is this his head? is this his elbow? are these his feet? or knees? I like rubbing and massaging the bulges and see it respond in movement, and chasing it around, almost like I was actually tickling it through the thick skin(and fat) of my belly.
I liked watching ultra-sound pictures and see the baby actually change from a tiny pulsating blob to an actual baby. Even for the 4th time, it never fails to awe me.
I think this 4th pregnancy has been the best among all, because I have my 3 kids to enjoy it with. Ilham and Ihsan is big enough to understand that I have a baby inside me, and Anis just have this natural loving instinct. When I was pregnant with Ilham, there was nobody to rub my tummy and talk to the baby. With Ihsan, Ilham was too young to understand.. I think he only noticed that I couldnt carry him around anymore. With Anis, Ilham&Ihsan understood but somehow they were not as attentive as they are now.
I often get requests to look and touch my tummy nowadays. Ilham would whisper "Hello Baby.. this is abang ilham". Ihsan would hug my round tummy every morning. Anis would help rub olive oil and always asks "Baby tidor?" (is baby asleep?). I think this little baby is going to feel so loved.

Oh but I can live without the midnight heartburn though..
---------

Gosh. I still have so much to do!!
I need to find a rack for the baby stuff.
Last week I had looked at a second hand travel system (baby carseat and stroller in one), but we havent got a price quotation for it yet.
I plan to breastfeed, but i still need to buy a few bottles and teats , just in case..
I need to plan the changing table to bathing area routine and route.

On top of that, April 12th I have to visit the school and check out the reception class for Anis. April 12th is also the Spring Fair, and I promised to bake something that they can sell.. I think I'll do that next week when the kids are on their spring break.. that way they can help me out.

Hm.. come to think of it, that doesnt sound like it's too much to do..

----------

Wish I had more time, but also wish it's not over so soon..

Monday, March 20, 2006

Be crhool to your scuel (a.k.a. The School Meme)

I wanted to write about something else, but since my sis-in-law threatened me into this...



How many schools did I go to?

My father worked for RTM (The national broadcasting corporation), so we moved around a lot.. so I guess I went to quite a few schools before I finally went to a boarding school and stayed put even when my family had to move. (You'll see this fact true for almost all my siblings)
So here goes:
1. Sekolah Rendah Sultan Ismail (1), Kuala Trengganu. I only went there for one year, and I remember that my teacher was this really sexy chinese lady who liked to wear sleeveless tops and mini skirts.
2. Sekolah Rendah Kampung Tunku, Petaling Jaya. I went there for 2 years. First few months I didnt make any malay friends because the only version of malay I knew was in Trengganu dialect and they couldnt understand me. I could speak fluent english, so most of my friends were chinese or indian. I had a lot of fun in this school. We made up a lot of adventures and mysteries to solve, my best friend (Adeline Yap Lai Fong) and I.
3. Sekolah Rendah Assunta Convent, Kuantan. I was the 'girl from the big city' and my name didnt help me much coz some kids thought I was a snob even before they talked to me, but eventually I made friends. Some even, who are still good friends with me till now.
4. Sekolah Menengah Tanah Putih, Kuantan. This was a school that my mother taught at, but she didnt teach my class coz I was put in a class that didnt have Home Science (*phew* .. i think that'd be awkward). I was the only malay girl in my class and it was really weird coz they had two sessions of mandarin every week and I was always lost. I'd usually do my homework during that session. I was there for about a month or so I think, because then I got offered a place in a boarding school.
5. Mara Junior Science College, Kuantan. Which is the boarding school mentioned above. Again, at first I think a lot of people misjudged me by my name, but it didnt take long for people to see that I'm not really a snob or 'anak lord' (rich kid), especially when they saw I could wash my own clothes and seldom have pocket money (I only get $5 a week, while most of the other kids get extra pocket money for snacks and stuff). First few months I got really homesick even though my dad would come to pick me up every other weekend..

Was I the studious nerd, or the last minute hero?

I was definitely the last minute hero. I really hated studying. I'd finish my homework of course, but I'd rather be watching TV than reading the textbooks.
I'd only study if there's an exam coming.. tomorrow. and usually it's with some music on (Wings!! remember, dory?) and a packet of some kinda junk food at hand, lying on the bed ( ahhh... I'll never forget those days, dory)

Was I the class ‘taiko’ (don't-care-macho-attitude is what I presume it would mean in English) or the teacher’s pet?

Aiyoh.. I don't know.
I was in the Student Council, so does that make me a teacher's pet? I don't think I was ever anyone's favourite, since there are many other popular kids around. I think I was just a normal student. (though I was head cheerleader, but that's only because I had the loudest voice and the least amount of shame)

What was the biggest rule I broke in school?

Hm.. I didnt write porn like rotidua, but I did bring in porn literature to school. and left it there for my juniors to enjoy.. ha ha. (Eh, dory, did you read that book?)

Three subjects I enjoyed

1. Physics! until I got to the nuclear fission/fusion part coz the teacher who thought me this had this ever-present grin on his face and I felt like he was bull-shitting me. I did really bad in Physics that semester.
2. Math , coz I liked the way you could manipulate numbers and stuff.
3. English .. coz it was easy ;)

Three teachers that inspired me

Mrs. Fonander - she taught us music and was in charge of the library. She is so creative and taught me to appreciate pretty things. During Special Tuckshop, she'd always sell these square pieces of cakes decorated in pastel icing with flowers and hearts and stuff. They were so pretty and delicious. I wonder if she's still around.
Puan Siti Hasmah - my homeroom teacher who also taught us Computer Science. Aside from my dad, she was the other person who taught me basic computer programming rules. What she taught me then had stuck with me and has been useful for me throughout the rest of my life.
Puan Zuriati - we used to not stand her at all!! We thought that she was kinda weird, but actually she was really nice. Instead of being couped up in class, she used to teach us Geography under the trees and fed us raisins (it makes us smarter she said) And getting to know her as an adult (me as an an adult), I find her quite intriguing, coz she has so much passion for education.




So who wants to get tagged??
What about...
marina,
mommyalif and
ninuk ..?

Sunday, March 19, 2006

ar@bic numbers

Note: This is not a lesson in ar@bic numerals.

One of the makciks melayu went shopping at one of the local bazaars and she saw an item that she liked and the sign was for 10 riyals. She thought it was a good bargain, so she started picking one. When it was time to pay the seller, the seller asked for 15 riyals. She got mad, and said "But your sign says 10 riyals!"
"La(No), 15 riyals", the seller insisted.
"10" she said, pointing at the sign.
"La 10.. 15." and he proceeded to write the price in european numerals, a 1, and a 5.
Only then did she realize that the sign was written in ar@bic numerals.

You see, ar@bic numbers are totally different from european numerals, so sometimes we 'foreigners' get a little confused ..



As you can see, 1 and 9 looks 'normal', but Zero is just a dot.
The number 2 looks like it is written sideways, and so does 3, except it has a tail.
The 4 looks like a mirror image of the european 3, and the 5 looks like a zero.
The number 6 looks like a european 7, and the number 7 looks like the letter V, or the roman 5.
The number 8 looks like an A (without the bar in the middle, or an upside down V, if you like), which is how I remember it, i.e. A=8.
Confused yet? heh heh
I won't even go into their names, because I can only remember up to 5... :(
That means, if I go to a shop, I can only ask for up to 5 of each item.. tee hee.
When bargaining with a non-english speaking salesman, I usually resort to writing things down, either on paper, or in the air or I would use my fingers to sign. Some of the other makciks bring a calculator along to ease their haggling.

This confusion can be quite dangerous (to your wallet) when you're driving, coz a speed limit that looks like a 70, is actually a 65..
Most highways would have signages written in both european and ar@bic numbers/letters, so that 'foreigners' can understand them.

Another confusing thing is that, even though words are written and read from right to left, numbers, however, are written and read from left to right.
In the earlier days that I was here, I often got prices and phone numbers wrong, because I thought it was the other way 'round.

I think the ar@bic numbers are really pretty, though.. especially when you have a number that are nothing but 7's and 8's and with a few zeros thrown in.. it can create quite a pattern!
:)

Saturday, March 18, 2006

Ilham's New Toy

This is somewhat related to PB's post on not having everything in the world..

On Thursday we had a Family Day in Khaloud Village, and the kids participated in a colouring contest. At some point during the day, the kids had nothing to do, so they went to play at the park. When it was time to go, I discovered that Ilham was carrying 3 pieces of grey plastic. I asked him what it was, and he said it was a ship.
Sure enough, they were broken up pieces of a model air craft carrier.
He held on to the pieces like they were precious treasures. I kept telling him to throw it away, coz they were junk, and he kept insisting that they were not. He found some masking tape and taped the pieces together and he was so happy that finally it had some semblance of an aircraft carrier.
When we got home, he took a shower with it, but the masking tape got wet and the thing fell apart.
He beggggged me to glue the pieces together (since I don't allow him to play with super glue). So while watching Harry P0tter and The Prisoner of Azk@ban, I obliged and painstackingly super glued the warped and cracked pieces together.

The thing is now Ilham's prized possession.

Sorry for the blurry picture.. I need photo taking lessons!!

Mokciknab is prolly rolling her eyes now... she's prolly thinking "belikan je lah budak tu a model aircraft carrier.." (just go and buy the boy a model aircraft carrier)..
I know, I know..! we're so kedekut..! (Kedekut=Cheap) .. and our kids are like underprivileged kids..they don't have any toys.
*guilty*

But actually , underneath that guilty feeling at the pit of my stomach, there's a kind of pride, that Ilham could see the potential of something wonderful in something that other people would consider junk and would have discarded and wasted.

I have a recycler in the making! :D
It's either that, or a pack-rat, or worse.. a hobo!

Friday, March 17, 2006

AI Top 12 Performence and Results

First, let me review the performences:

Ace (Do I Do) - I thought he was sumbang, and oh so so nasal. I couldnt understand a word he was singing, coz I think he was mumbling. I think Paula is pekak, coz I think Ace was aweful. I agree with Simon that Ace's performence was a bit manic. And I finally figured out why Ace look so familiar. He actually reminds me of Syazwan.. except that Syazwan is not so annoying, and probably has nicer hair. (Note: Syazwan is mokciknab's office mate. You can see him modelling on SuhaimiSulaiman's blog)

Kellie (Blame it on the sun) - I thought she was pretty boring this time, but when she started talking (in the after-performence interview with Ryan) she is SO FUNNY!!

Elliot (Knocks me off my feet) - the singing was smooth, but the overall performence was like a karaoke session. He didn't move much and didn't know how to use the stage. It was as if he was auditioning again. I hope next week he will dance more.

Mandissa (Don't U worry abt a thing) - I thought she was a bit off-key at first, but she really brought it on towards the end of the song. Superb job, as always. Berminyak nya muka makcik nih..

Bucky (Superstitious) - He chose something Bo Bice would've chosen, and it was obvious that he was quite comfrotable with the song. I think his voice was very very good for the song. He looked like he had a lot of fun too! And he also washed and blowed his hair!

Melissa (Lately) - She messed up the lyrics!! (but then I remember Bo messing up the lyrics once, but on a pre-result performence), vocally, she was okay though.

Lisa (Signed, Sealed, Delivered) - Now I know why she always sing ballads... She's a mellow kinda person, and not so good with up-tempo songs.. Even though it was obvious she was trying her best, somehow the delivery looked kinda deliberate, like it was very very staged. Like a bad broadway performence. Maybe it's coz we've seen Fantasia nail this song so Lisa paled in comparison.

Kevin (Part Time Lover) - vocally I thought Kevin was okay, though it was a bit straightforward, with no personality. And what was that dancing?? It was SO FUNNY! But I didnt think the performence was apalling..

Kat (Until U come back to me) - oh. my. god. She was so at ease!! She looked so professional. And beautiful. nuff said.

Taylor (Leavin' for the city) - like Kat, Taylor looked at ease, and as always he injected a lot of his soul into the song. This guy totally has no inhibitions when he's performing.. the crowd's reaction said it all..

Paris (All I do) - she was very very passionate and it translated in her performence and I agreed with Simon saying that it's as if we're watching a different show..some guys looked so amateurish (especially you know who) compared to the 2nd half.

Chris (Higher Ground) - I thought he did an amazing job, but seriously, I would like to see him tackle a song with less screaming. I know Rock is his genre, but I wanna see some range, some vocal acrobatics. Come on Chris!! I know u can do it!

Who I wanted to be out: ACE
Who I thought would be out: Melissa (you don't mess up Stevie's lyrics, man..)

Result show:
What in the world was Ace supposed to be in the F0rd video? Bigfoot?
I was SO HAPPY when Ace was in the bottom three. Americans have ears!! They are not tone deaf!! There is hope!
I wasnt suprised that Melissa was in it.
When it was only Lisa and Bucky left, of course I thought , "Oh No... Buckeeeee!!!", but surprise, surprise, Bucky was safe!
Melissa looked resign to her fate when she was standing there with Lisa and Ace. It was as if she knew that between the three, it would be her.
I was actually praying that it would be Ace, but what the hey..
At least it showed that there is hope that he will NOT be the next Americ@n Id0l.

Tuesday, March 14, 2006

Easy Peasy Tepung Boko (Tapioca pudding with coconut cream topping)

'Boko' actually means 'talam' (tray) in the dialect of the folks in the east coast of M@laysia. So the proper name for this dessert would be 'Tepung Talam Ubi Kayu'

Oh man... I have been craving for this for like.. TWO MONTHS.
I asked around for recipes coz I couldnt get my mom on the phone. And then when I did, Taufik kept asking me to wrap up the conversation coz it's so expensive to call home so I didnt get to ask her for the recipe.
OndeOnde gave me a recipe, but hers required steaming, and it wasnt exactly the way my mom did it, plus I don't have a steamer (yet).
Luckily I managed to ask my sister in Seattle right before she gave birth, to ask my mom (Who was with her to assist with the delivery and taking care of the baby) for the recipe and email it to me. I got the recipe exactly the day before she gave birth.
Yay!!

So the next thing I did was go shopping for ingredients.
The recipe stated half a kilo of tapioca. I picked out a few pieces of tapioca and thought they looked so little, so I took some more and ended up with 1 kilo.
It looked less after I had peeled and grated/blended the tapioca. I ended up with roughly 1.5 cups of blended tapioca which looked measly to me, but as soon as I cooked it, it swelled to A LOT of tapioca..!!
It is actually extremely easy to make. The only tedious part is grating/blending the tapioca. Cooking took about 20-30 minutes for each layer, and that is because it was under low heat.


Tepung Boko : Tasted and Approved by Kelas Tajweed Ar@mco 2006

I don't mean to brag, but damn was it good..! It definitely satisfied my cravings... *lick lips* and *lick spoon*

Easy Peasy Tepung Boko (Tapioca pudding with coconut cream topping)

Tapioca layer:
1.5 cups of raw tapioca (peeled, cleaned, grated or blended. Put in a sieve but collect the liquid. Let the liquid stand for a while till the starch seperates from water. Discard water, put the starch back into the tapioca)
3 cups of water (or more.. this is at your discretion)
1 cup of sugar (again, at your dicretion.. I used roughly this much. The tapioca needs to taste sweeter than you think to balance out the creamy topping)
1/4 tsp of salt
2 tablespoons of thick coconut milk (I used the canned coconut milk)

Cook the tapioca + water + sugar over slow fire in a pot (my mom uses a wok, but my wok had oil in it coz I had fried chicken for lunch and was too lazy to wash it so I used a pot), keep stirring to avoid burning the tapioca, until the tapioca becomes transluscent. Add salt and coconut milk. Taste and add sugar if necessary. Stir until it thickens to the consistency of them paste you use in school.
Pour into a container that has been rubbed with a bit of cooking oil.

Coconut cream layer:
1200ml (roughly 6 cups) of thick coconut milk (I used 3 cans of 400ml each)
6 tablespoons rice flour, tapioca flour or corn flour (I used tepung beras - rice flour, and the ratio is like 1 tablespoon for every 200ml of coconut milk)
6 tablespoons of sugar (1 tbsp for every 200ml of coconut milk)
1.5 teaspoons of salt (1/4 teaspoon for every 200ml of coconut milk)

Mix rice flour with some of the coconut milk till smooth and well blended before adding it into the whole concoction (this avoids clumps). Cook coconut milk+rice flour+sugar under slow fire until the coconut milk thickens to roughly the same consistency of the tapioca. Add salt (but taste to make sure its not too salty).
Pour into the container on top of the tapioca.
Let cool, then chill before serving.

As I said, I ended up with more tapioca than I actually needed. This recipe yielded 3 medium sized containers (12inch by 6 inch) of this delicious dessert. You could reduce the recipe accordingly, just make sure the ratios stay the same.


To serve, just scoop out an equal portion of tapioca and topping into a bowl/plate. You have to eat it with a spoon.


Yummy yummy!! Anis loves it!

Monday, March 13, 2006

Tadpole Rag and Caterpillar Boogie

Today we attended the Key Stage One Production of Tadpole Rag and Caterpillar Boogie.
It was so much fun!! And so pretty!

Ihsan was a cocoon, and his costume was just this white sack that covered his whole body and all he did was wriggled on stage (as if he was about to come out) while the others sang the cocoon song.
(But when the others were 'performing', Ihsan would be singing instead)
I think he had fun, coz he has been singing the songs for the past 2 weeks or so. His voice was drowned out by the others because he had a slight sore throat (poor ihsan..) and he looked so serious on stage.
I saw him scan the audience and I put up my hand and waved until I caught his eye, and you should see the way he beamed.. :D
There was a resounding applause when the production was over by the audience. I felt so proud I got all misty eyed..

We tried to get a picture of him with the full costume after the performence was over, but his teacher had taken it off (I guess to make it easier for him to walk around). We tried to get a picture of him against the awesome backdrop, but there were too many people mingling about (as you can see).
So we settled for a hug and kiss, instead.

A friend of ours (who is the mommy to the 'bird' you see in the bottom 2 pictures) took a video of the performence, so we will get to watch it again, one day, I hope!

Can you spot ihsan in this picture?

here's a close up to help you..

Look at him beam :D

Too many people!! Come here and give me a kiss instead..

F1 B@hrain



What a race!!
Looks like it's anybody's race this year.
I am really really really glad that Schumy managed to go to the podium yesterday. He looked so happy. I was of course rooting for him to overtake Alonso, but what the hey.. considering last year's performence, 2nd place in the season opener is good enough for me (and apparently for him).
And what about Kimi?? Damn.. Can you imagine where he'd be if he had not started in the last place on the grid? The iceman is smokin'! The car is totally wicked looking too!
And just like the commentators, I was extremely impressed by Rosberg. He is one aggressive driver, and seem to know what he's doing. An eyecatching debut, indeed. Can't wait to see how he performs in the rest of the season.

I watched the race on TV, but Taufik got to go to Sh@kir,B@hrain and watch the race live.
He said when he heard there was an airshow, he thought it'd be F16s or something ... damn was he suprised to see Boeing 777s instead! I thought he was joking when he called me, but just as we were talking, they showed it on TV and we both went "gilllerrrrr lah!" (That's crazy!).

There weren't that many people at the circuit. I think it's mainly coz Sunday is a working day in Bahr@in and S@udi (Taufik went with his boss coz they had to 'bring clients' *grin*). Taufik said there were many empty seats and the surrounding hills were empty, unlike in Sepang where every available inch would be covered by people.
I'd rather not go to watch the race live, because I prefer to watch it on the telly, in the comforts of my own home, on my couch. I could get up and get me a plate of maggi goreng or something anytime I want..
Furthermore, the view you get on TV is much better than on the track.
But I would like to watch it live, at least once in my life. Just so that I could say "been there, done that" :)
But if I get to choose any circuit, I'd prolly choose Imola, or the one in Germany.

Next week: Sepang , Malaysia!!
Any of you guys going?

Sunday, March 12, 2006

Welcome to the world, baby Aliff!

Announcing, the arrival of Baby Alif at 3.1kg, on 10th March 2006, sometime in the early morning in Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.
(yes, Alif has the same birthday as his Pak Long a.k.a. Dada a.k.a. Abang Ichai)

ahhh.... there's nothing like the arrival of a niece or nephew to make you feel like a makcik (auntie). You gush. Even though the baby is not even physically near you, you can smell him.. his hair.. his skin.. his puffy cheeks.

Pictures!! I demand pictures!!
I am sure as soon as my sister can get her hands on a computer, she'll e-mail us some. But I won't post it here, since he's not *my* baby, and I'm not sure how she'd feel about making her baby go public on the cyberworld. She doesnt even post her own picture, so I don't think she'd wanna post her baby's picture.. but then again, motherhood may change her.
but I digress..

Wow. Come to think of it, now ALL of my siblings have children (siblings from the same mom, I mean). And this is like the 10th Cucu Kustamang!
Can't wait for the first Eid-ul-Fitri that we all get to spend together. Even now it's almost like a Taska at recess... can't imagine what it'd be like. But knowing the parents, Alif will probably be very well-behaved. And a fan of Pearl Jam.

I wonder if the mommy will be singing PJ as lullabies. Or Coldplay.
I sang Wishlist and Elderly Woman. Sometimes Black (but not so often, coz it has the tendency to make me cry). Sometimes Breath.

oh man.. I still can't believe my little sister is a mommy.
tee hee!

Dah jadi mak orang dah kau...

Ihsan's Artwork

I think Ihsan has got a talent in capturing the essence of the shape of things.
Check out his picture of samurai jack.. you look at it, and you *know* it's jack, right?
He likes to draw, but he doesnt get as much computer time as Ilham does, and sometimes when he does get his time on the computer, he would rather play computer games at the cartoon network website.
But when he does get to draw, he'd draw up gems like these..








I don't think I need to put labels on these pictures.. :)

Friday, March 10, 2006

AI 2006 Top 12

:(
I can't believe they voted Ayla out.. !
I know zan already said that Ayla was going today, but then I had to watch it myself to believe it. and I still don't believe it.
I expected Will and Gedeon and Kinnick, but Ayla..
aw man..
I actually cried when I saw her cry.

But I also got excited and went "Bo, Bo . I see Bo!" whenever they showed Bo Bice in the audience..
heh heh


;)

Tazkirah Hari Jumaat (Friday Reminder) a.k.a Life is Short

I was snuggling with Anis on the bed early Wednesday morning after the boys had left for school when Taufik's mobile phone rang. I saw him rush out of the bathroom in his towel to answer the phone and he was grumbling something like "Siapalah call pagi2 ni, time time gini baru nak call" (Who in the world calls this early in the morning, they sure know great timing).
He stepped out of the room but I could still hear his conversation
"Hello?"
"Ya, saya, wa'alaikumsalam..." (Yes, it's me) Okay, it's a melayu, not some arab guy asking for bits or something.. so prolly not a business call
"hah?!! Bakar? Biar betul..." (What? Bakar? You're kidding..)
"Bakar Burn? Aku baru hantar email kat dia last week" (You mean Bakar a.k.a Burn? I just sent him an email last week)
"Macamana dia pass away?" (How did he pass away?) I was on high alert. Passed away? Who passed away??
"Okay okay .. thanx for telling me" and he ended the conversation.

"What was it?" I asked
"Burn, the guy from we@therf0rd (sp?) .. he collapsed, and then passed away" Taufik explained.
"Inalillah-hi-wa-inna-hi-ro-ji-uun.." (From Allah we came, and to Him we shall return)
After that it was a few calls to a few of his other friends, trying to find out what happened.

Burn was one of his friends from when he was working in KL. They used to hang out all the time, having breakfast with the rest of the contractors who have morning meetings with the drilling folks in Petron@s , ocassionally playing golf together.. I've met him and his family once or twice, during birthday parties and other makan-makan (eating) gatherings. I can't quite remember exactly what he or his wife looks like, but I remember that his kids are about the same age as mine.

From what we've gathered so far, he was at his office in Dubai (he's been there for a month, he just got promoted to Area Manager located in Tehr@n and was about to go back home to settle the visas for his family this weekend). He collapsed, they called the ambulance, and he passed away in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.

Taufik's friends who were in KL were the ones who had to go to his house and tell his wife. The wife collapsed several times during the visit. One of the friends (a lady) remarked that she had cried so much during the task, and after, that she had no more tears to cry. He was their friend, their 'gang'. He was roughly the same age as all of them, perhaps only slightly younger.

I can imagine the grief of losing a friend.. but I can't imagine the grief of losing a husband. Especially when the last time you saw him was a month ago, and especially when you were expecting him to return in just a few more days.

Taufik has been in like a daze eversince he heard the news. Friends have been calling him, he has been calling friends. I could see that he was quite affected by the news.
For the past few days there has been snippets of conversations between us about the death.
How the wife is going to cope (which then steered to how one of us were going to cope without the other, but it falls heavier on me if I were to lose him, since I ahve quit my job and he's the sole breadwinner. We have insurance and savings, by the way, and most of our loans are almost paid off, so we think we're okay).
How short life is, how we don't know what's going to happen (Which then steered to what do we wanna do before we die? Do our Hajj or at least Umrah .. )
How he died alone, without his family around him (Taufik is like really really worried about that .. He is really glad that he can see us everyday, but I think he also misses his family).
How we're so not ready to handle death.

Do you think you're ready?
I don't think I am...
but I sure hell am gonna work on it. Insya-Allah.

p/s sorry for such a morbid post.

Thursday, March 09, 2006

AI 2006 Final 8 guys

Gedeon - I thought he sang better than he did last two weeks, but somehow I think Gedeon is the male equivalent of Kinnick. Somehow I don't detect a lot of feeling from him. .. and "Music makes the world go round"??? Can you spell c.o.r.n.y?

Chris - I wish he'd show more range. I was hopping he'd sing something more mellow and something that shows his vocal prowess instead of just his vocal powers. But I see his strategy though. I think he's trying to keep the votes of the folks who had voted for him for the past two weeks. He's playing it safe and sticking to what he does best. I am looking forward to seeing him tackle other music genres in the coming weeks, something that requires less screaming. I mean Bo's best performences was when he really sang (remember the acapella song?)
(sidenote: Chris looks kinda hot with hair! .. actually Chris-with-hair kinda reminds me of Russell, dunno why..)

Kevin - at first I thought he was being very very predictable for picking Starry Starry Night, something that Josh Groban also sang, but then he pulled it off quite well. His voice was smooth and sounded very mature. He looked extremely adorable and I did really feel like squishing his rosy cheeks but then he blinked that blink and he made me think of Chicken Little again.. I dunno..

Bucky - Oh my god. We have 2 buckies!! It's funny how his brother, who looks almost exactly like him, could look so cute. Maybe coz Rocky shampoos his hair more often? I thought the performence was forgettable though. Like Chris, Bucky is playing it safe, by sticking to music he's comfortable with. Come on Bucky, take a chance!!

Will - erm.. what did he sing again? I didnt understand why Paula thought it was so good. It was okay lah, but not great.

Taylor - I thought he was going to sprain something! Macam nak tergeliat aje nih.. dia and the gedik duo patut get together lah. But I thought Taylor was the only one who really really really performed tonight. You can't help but feel his soul when he sings. He really puts everything he's got. The easter bunny bit was also so cute.

Elliot - was meh tonight. He did the Backstreet Boys' version of Heaven. I prefer it when he tackles more soulful songs that complements his voice. I wish Chris was singing Heaven. Now that would've been much more interesting. Budak ni banyak nya penyakit... diabetic lah, sakit telinga lah..

Ace - errrr... I cringed through the whole performence. Maybe it's coz I don't know the song. But I thought even an unknown song, performed beautifully, would appeal to the first time listener. It did not work for me. His falsetto on top of his nasal voice.. made me think of the chipmunks instead of the jacko.

Who I want to go: Ace, Will or Gedeon.
Who I think will go: Bucky and.. hm.. i dunno .. it's a toss between Will and Gedeon. pak-pak dan mak-mak hitam mesti vote budak tu punya lah kan.. so maybe dia akan stay.. tapi tak tahu lah pulak kan..? Let's just hope that the AI voters can see what a farce Ace the Face is.

Defiled!!!

Oh. My. God.
Look what else I found...



Please dont tell The-sister-who-Doesnt-Blog (TDB) what my kids did to her son..

Wednesday, March 08, 2006

AI 2006 Final 8 girls

P@ris – I thought her singing was okay, but she didn't exude as much energy as she did when she sang the first week. Though conga is a really difficult song to sing, I didn’t think it displayed her vocal prowess as much as she could.

Lisa – I thought her vocal performance was excellent as usual, but then she seems to be singing a lot of ballads, which makes it a bit boring.

Melissa – I thought Melissa rawked today, but I tend to agree with Simon that she did kinda shouted her way throughout the song.

Kinnick – aw man.. this girl can never get it right, can she?

Kat – was so much fun to watch! She’s definitely not going home, but is she good enuf to be THE idol?

Ayla – I liked that she sang something more upbeat this week, despite what Randy said about it being not a “ vocal singer’s song”. I thought she displayed great control when she transitioned between the belting out and the softer parts of the song. Loved the ending.

Mandissa – Totally owned the stage. What awesome vocals, even though I thought she was screaming at some parts (She looked like she was gonna swallow the mike!).

Kelly – I hope she’ll sing something not so country next time.. I loved her expression when Simon said he liked her better than “last year’s winner”. She looked so shocked, like Simon said something blasphemous or something.. heh heh.. but then she went on and said “I’m a mink” , which was hilarious.

So which two do I think are going to go home this week?
I am guessing Kinnick and Melissa, but then again I think P@ris is also cutting it quite close.

What’s with these singers and the squat anyways? Why do they like to do that? Don’t they know it looks horrible? macam nak terberak aje…

The Seven Deadly Sins

Got tagged by marina for this :

Greed:Very Low
 
Gluttony:Medium
 
Wrath:Medium
 
Sloth:Low
 
Envy:Very Low
 
Lust:Very Low
 
Pride:Very Low
 


Take the Seven Deadly Sins Quiz

Wow.... Looks like I’m a pretty good girl.. ;)
Now let’s get down to details..

1. Greed : What Luxury item did you last buy?
SR400 worth of maternity clothes and nursing bras from Mothercare. Among them was this pair of pink flannel pajamas .. really really comfy during the cold winter nights. Of course now that summer is here, I have substituted the top with one of my singlets.

2. Gluttony : What is your favorite food?
Damn.. didn’t I answer this question already? Pasta, Chocolates, anything Trengganu or East Coast in general. I am craving for some temosa.

3. Wrath : What makes you angry?
Oh my siblings would prolly agreee with me on this :
a. Inconsiderate people – shoppers that leave their trolleys behind haphazardly, people who don’t flush, people who squat with their shoes on on the seat of a seating toilet (wehhh just lift the seat up lah weh), people who talk in movie theatres, people who miss or are late for appointments. Basically people who only think of themselves and have no consideration for the comfort of others.
b. Irresponsible people – especially when they borrow my stuff and don’t take full responsibility for it. (Like, if you borrow my car and get a parking ticket, it’d be nice if you could pay the ticket so that my house don’t get flooded with reminders to pay the ticket and I don’t eventually get in trouble for it)
c. People who don’t do things my way when I specifically told them how to do it. – but I am open to discussion.. :)
And my siblings would prolly have a few more to add..

4. Sloth : When are you at your laziest?
Really early in the mornings (after the kids have left for school .. I just wanna veg out), late in the afternoons (especially if Americ@n Id0l is on), and weekends (I wish I could say “the kitchen is closed!”).

5. Envy : What brings the green-eyed monster in you?
Hm.. I don’t usually envy people who have more material things than I.
I guess I envy people who have more creative skills than I. People who can write, who can paint, who can sculpt, who can decorate houses. But I wont get malicious of course.. I would just go into the self-pity mode.. “Oh poor me, I am so untalented”. I don’t envy people who can cook better than me, though.. I usually praise and encourage them so that they cook summore and I get to eat whatever they cooked.. tee hee!

6. Lust : What / who do you lust after?
Food.
My husband.
Not necessarily in that order.
I know I fawn over Eddie Vedder and Johnny Depp and Brad Pitt (well, I used to, his infidelity somehow turned me off).. but when push comes to shove, I’d never lust after them.
Taufik is still the only person who can turn me on. Everytime. (And he can turn me on with food, too, so, ... BONUS!)

7. Pride : What are you most proud of?
My husband. I think he’s such a great guy. He has his faults, but his good points outshine them (He is loyal, he is creative, he values relationships, he is hardworking, he is devoted to his family and he’s a homebody and nature-lover like me). I am proud that I managed to land him.
My kids and the individuals that they have grown to be (and are still growing to be).
My dishes, when they turn out not only edible, but delicious ;)
My writings that have been published or turned into (a) documentary.
My job before I quit to become a domestic goddess.. I felt like I really made a contribution to the company I worked for, and I hope I will still be remembered as such.

I am not gonna tag anyone.. If you think you'd like to do this, go ahead.. knock yerself out :)

Tuesday, March 07, 2006

Aeroplanes, Aeroplanes, everywhere

Was cleaning up my folders this morning when I noticed these MSPaint drawings..
damn, these kids draw a lot of planes.
I'm not sure who drew this, but if I have to guess, it would be Ilham.
Ihsan likes to draw other stuff.
Ilham is the one with the obsession with the army and aeroplanes.
He draws other stuff too, but most of the time, it's aeroplanes...




Monday, March 06, 2006

Supersize Me and other stuff

Have you seen the film-documentary 'SuperSize Me'?
It's about this guy who went on a 100% McDonald's diet for 30 days. He ate nothing but stuff offered by McDonald's.
By the end of the 30 days, he had gained 20pounds, his cholestrol level shot up, his % body fat increased from 1% to 18%, his liver was fried and he was on the brink of a heart attack. He also got signs of addiction.. he would feel depressed when not eating and have headaches, and he would feel better when he has had some McD.
I guess his 'experiment' is not only applicable to McD, it's prolly applicable to all fast-food joints, and even food you consume at home, if you're not careful.
Damn.. that movie was scary.

This has made me think carefully about what I cook everyday and what eating habits I am teaching my kids.

I deep fry almost everything.. fish, chicken.. fritters, keropok (fish chips).. it must not be good.
And my kids don't eat vegetables that often. The ocassional carrot slices (in soup) or cucumber (raw, sliced), but I have never been successful in getting them to eat leafy greens. They would even pick out the onion bits in food.
They get lotsa carbo, that's for sure.
They get their protein from the fried chicken, and the omelletes or eggs fried sunny side up, and lately from the crunchy fried anchovies and peanuts that acts a side dish in our meals.
The only supply of fibre that my kids gets is prolly from the apples that I pack in their snack box at school, and those fed to them by Taufik after dinner.
Oh, .. and from the cereal they eat every morning...
Alhamdulillah, I have managed to curb my kids' consumption of soft drinks.. and candy.
Junk food.. hm... since I have cut down myself, there's not really much supply in my house, except for Oreos and Glucose Biscuits.
They get an abundant supply of chocolate/strawberry milk though, but that's not bad, right?

I better re-think my daily menu and try to introduce more fruits and vegetables in my kids' diet.

(Note: yesterday I broiled my ayam garam kunyit (chicken with seasoned with tumeric and salt) instead of deep frying them. Turned out quite good, not that different from the deep fried version. I think I'll do more broiling/grilling from now on)




Just a short comment on last week's AI results.
I am glad Heather and Brenna is gone, as I had predicted.
Jose - well, I had thought he'd be one of the first few ones to be eliminated, so no suprise there.
I was actually suprised that David was chosen to go though. I mean, not that I thought he was a good singer, but I guess I misjudged the AI voters. I thought they'd be superficial and would keep David on because of his cute-ness, but I guess I was wrong.
Which actually gives me hope that maybe they will one day vote off Ace The Face. Yes!.




I saw Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind for the god-knows-how-many-times yesterday.

Every time I watch this movie, I try not to cry and I try to concentrate on the special effects.. how Joel walks out of the bookstore right into his friend's living room. How whichever way he turns around, she is always walking away from him and he was always at his car. How book titles dissapear..
I know those were probably digital effects, done on the computer, but how in the world did they do that scene in that house?? It must've taken a lot of takes to do that one.
But dammit. It didnt work. It still managed to make me cry.
I cried when Joel says "No, let me keep this one (memory of them talking under the sheets)"
and when they were saying goodbye at that beach house and he says "I Love You" before Clementine whispers "Meet me in Montauk".

Anyways. If anybody is wondering what to get me for my birthday, two names:
Jim Carrey (note I already have Bruce ALmighty and Lemony Snickets. And the only one I hate is The Mask) and Johnny Depp (I have Charlie and Corpse Bride and Pirates ..).
oh actually 3 names: add Tim Burton to that (I also have Nightmare Before Christmas, thanx to my dad :) )

Saturday, March 04, 2006

What's going on in my boring life as a mommy

Went to see the ObGyn again today.
She said my weight is okay (as opposed to being 'fat' last week) and baby is perfect. (actuallly she said 'normal', but to me anything 'normal' is perfect.. tee hee).
As you can see from my baby progress-o-meter thingamajig at the top there, I am 32 weeks. 8 more weeks or 2 months more to go!

I asked the doctor to write a letter stating when I'm going to give birth so that we can give the letter to the immigration office and get my mother's visit visa approved, and we got the official doctor's letter today. Yay!

I also asked the doctor about the placenta.
You see, it is customary for Malays to bury the baby's placenta carefully (away from animals and such). It's usually buried under a tree (so that it's cool and that would reflect in the child's temperament somehow). More traditional folks bury the placenta in an earthen pot, with pencils (so that the child becomes learned) or needles (so that the child knows how to sew) and .. actually I don't know what else. I don't know whether the child would become an engineer (or a car mechanic) if you plant the placenta with a spanner or screwsrivers, and whether the child will become a musician if you include a flute or something.
Malay folks also believe that wherever you bury your child's placenta, that is where he/she will associate 'home' with. All my 3 kids had their placentas buried within the compound of the mosque in front of my mom's house (under a coconut tree that Taufik planted himself). I guess that's why they feel so at home at nenek's (grandma's) house.

Anyways, I just discovered that this is actually a unique Malay thing. It's not even a muslim thing. According to the doctor, the placenta will usually be processed like any other bio-hazardous material and is not given to the parents. But since I had asked, she said she will put it in a jar and give it to my husband after the delivery.
I think Taufik will probably bury it in our backyard.. and I wonder if that means that my 4th son will think of S@udi as his home.

And I'm trying to think, where is *my* placenta buried? Maybe my dad knows.

I know Taufik's is buried in the schoolyard of the Primary School in Kalai, Kedah, not under the shade of a tree.. heh heh.. My mom-in-law says that it explains his hot-headedness.. tee hee.

Friday, March 03, 2006

Boys on Bikes


The boys have learnt how to ride the bicycle!!

Many kids in our compound have bicycles. So it was only natural that Ilham and Ihsan wanted one. We told Ilham that the pre-requisite for getting a bicycle was to score 15/15 in his weekly Math test. He agreed to the terms and conditions, but that didn’t stop him from borrowing other people’s bikes before he got one of his own.
Hyun Bin lent him his mother’s bike a few months ago and Ilham had been practicing on it. Hyun Bin is a Korean and he is 8. When Hyun Bin took the bike away so that it could be fixed up for sale, Ilham used Asseem’s bike instead. Asseem is Egyptian and he is 5.
I told Hyun Bin that if they intended to sell the bike, I’d be interested in buying it.

A few weeks ago, Ilham came home beaming and showed us his Math test paper, with a score of 15/15. We told him how proud of him we were and I called up Hyun Bin’s mom and started negotiating the price for her bike. She also offered another smaller bike, and had wanted SR140 for both, but after much haggling and sweet talking, I managed to bring the price down to SR120 (yay me!). I gave the money to Taufik, and he and the boys went to pick up the bikes (it was just 5 houses away). The next day, Taufik went and bought knee, elbow and palm pads.
After a few days, Ilham was already confidently zipping about on the short lane in front of our house. At first he had problems with cornering, but it didn’t take him long to pick up the skill. We were so proud of him.
Next was Ihsan. The smaller bike was actually too short for him, but it didn’t stop him from trying. At first he just sat and pushed the bike with his legs and ‘cruised’ around with his feet up and akimbo, without cycling, but yesterday after a few tries, I saw him actually cycle! He is yet to master cornering though :).
We also taught them safety rules: always look behind you before making a turn, to make sure there are no cars coming, don't ride in a zig-zag way, look both ways before crossing the road. if you feel like falling over just put both of your feet down and don't leave your bicycles lying around haphazardly.
Alhamdulillah, there has been no mishaps yet, only a few scratches here and there, but that is normal..

This reminds me of how I learned to ride my bike. My dad had bought a red chopper for my KakLong and a blue and silver bicycle with training wheels for the rest of us to share. I rode the bike with the training wheels at first, and then I got bored and took my dad's adjustable spanner and loosened the nuts on one of the training wheels and lifted it up. I rode around our house (we lived in a bungalow then) for a few days like that and then decided to lift both of the training wheels.
Like my kids, I always fell when I tried to make sharp corners, but the sense of achievement of being able to balance yourslef in two wheels was so very exciting.
I got better with practice, of course, but I never quite gained the full confidence for riding a bicycle, because of an incident that happened the first time I tried to ride my bike to school.
From my primary school to get to my house, I needed to go down this very steep hill by a secondary school. I remember standing on top of that hill with my friend Lynn with our bikes balanced in between our legs, looking down at the flat part of the road at the bottom of that hill. Lynn, (who is probably my most long-time friend since I've known her since Standard 4 and is still friends with her till now), tried to encourage me by saying how easy it was and that it wasnt as scary as it looks and she said the same thing I say to my kids now: "If you feel like falling over, just put your feet down".
So I said Let's go or something to that effect and we whooshed down the really steep hill. I felt like I was moving faster than I had expected to and like the bottom of the hill was never going to come. It was very thrilling yet also very scary.
We did finally reach the bottom of the hill, but I didnt stop! I remember going "aaaarrrrghhhhhhhhhhhhh!!" or prolly more like "eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeekkkk!!!!" and I hit this patch of gravel and my bicycle turned sideways and Lynn screamed "Berhenti Berhenti!! Letak kaki!!" (Stop, Stop, put your feet down!), and god knows I tried but it wasnt fast enough or what, so I fell on my side. I felt the warm gravel scraping my elbows and cheeks. I got grazed pretty badly I think, though I don't have any of the scars to prove it.
Ever since then, I had always had problems stopping when riding a bike. Somehow, when I am forced to stop or is just about to fall over for some reason, I can never get my feet down fast enough. I almost fell in a paddy field because of that once. Taufik and I went to ride bicycles in the paddy field behind his house, and there was a motorcycle coming the other way on the narrow batas (lane?) and I remember trying to stop but just went "ops ops ops ops..!" and fell over instead. The guy on the motorbike laughed at me. cess.. kurang asam..

Anyways...
I think being able to ride the bike has given the boys a kind of confidence that you can only get from learning to ride the bike yourself. There's some kind of hidden spark in them, a tiny gleam in their eyes, they seem to walk a little taller, and I can see almost like a glow in their faces when they are riding their bikes around the compound.

Side Note though:
Ilham did not get 15/15 for the next Math Test he took, so we had to make another agreement. For every question that he gets wrong, it will translate into one day of the bicycle sitting in the store room instead of outside. So for him to be able to get to ride his bike every day, he would have to get 15/15 every week.
I think that's fair, is it not?

Thursday, March 02, 2006

AI2006 Last 10 Guys

darn it.
I missed the first half of the show!!! Can you believe it??
I had this sudden craving for cashew chicken, so I made Taufik take us out for lunch to a Thai restaurant. When I got home at 1:30pm, I took out the laundry from the dryer and was thinking about what to watch while I fold the laundry when I suddenly remembered!
Dang.
I turned the TV on, and Ryan was already interviewing Chicken Little (also known as Kevin)..
so I missed Taylor and Elliot..
Here's what I think of those that I managed to catch:

Jose - did a really good impression of Stevie Wonder. But that's about it. I didnt see his soul in his performence .. it was good, but it wasn't great.
Will - "Lady"???? oh man.... It was boring. No personality.
Bucky - looked better with his hair tied back and he was kinda cute when he complained about food. He actually reminds me of Firhad fo god knows what reason. (the lanky height and the sengih2?). I thought he was pitchy at moments, but at least the song had a melody and the way he kinda 'yodels' the song made it very endearing. HOWEVER, Bucky is no Bo. He lacks the charisma.
David - i have to admit. I melted. The moment he sang the first line from The Way You Look Tonight ... *sighs* I just melted. . If there's a song I want my husband to learn and then sing to me, it'd be *that* song.
Performence-wise though, I thought he was off the beat at some moments, and I thought the song arrangement was too jazzy.. the upbeat rythm made me wanna see him dance, but he was kinda trying to keep that romantic persona, so it ended up being a little awkward. That put me off a bit. I'm sure a lot of girls will vote for him though.
Chris - Oh. My. God. Is this guy good or what?? It's irrelevant that I love that song even though I never knew it's title (or who sang it). The fact that he managed to pull it off, weaving in and out the rawkin guttural zone into the soft and tender zones effortlessly... just blows me away. Damn. Chris is definitely more than Bo. I hope AI voters feel the same way and keeps him as long as they did Bo.

Okay looking at the snippets that they replayed when they're diplaying numbers to call for voting:
Taylor - ... errr.. I can't tell from such a short clip whether he was good or not, but I could tell that he was spasmic as usual.. and soulful as usual. He really gets into the songs he sings, doesnt he?
Elliot - sounded really really good. Is that a Johnny Matthis song or is it Billie Holliday? I know it's one of those songs that is really difficult to sing coz it goes up and down erratically.
Ace - so so nasal. You've got to have a smooth voice to be able to sing that stalker song.
Gedeon - I don't even remember.
Kevin - didnt sound so good.

So based on what I managed to catch and the short clips, potential bye-byes to:
Will, Kevin or Jose. Maybe even Gedeon.

My little kitten is 4!!

I can't believe that Anis is 4 already.. it feels like it was just yesterday that I was carrying her around in my arms and she was crawling like a commando on our very empty living room.
Okay, so lets track her progress for the past year...


Anis can now brush her teeth on her own. She knows how to rinse and spit without swallowing too. It was quite a difficult skill to teach. I always felt sick when I was teaching her how, coz I had to watch her swallow ... *eyewww*. She said it taste good though.. we use Mango or Apple flavoured Kodomo Lion Toothpaste.
She is also very very toilet trained. She is the only kid I have (at the mo) who can wake up in the middle of the night, switch on the light, go to the toilet, wash and flush, then put her pants back on, then crawl back to bed, all on her own. There had been a few accidents of course, but I think not as often as her brothers.

Anis can also bathe on her own (but I would have to monitor her and make sure she soaps up and shampoos her hair). She hates to shampoo coz she is so scared of the bubbles getting into her eyes.
She can dry up on her own, and she insists on dressing up herself. She knows what she wants to wear most of the time and usually chooses her own outfits.
She's a regular girly girl.. :). She likes pink. A Lot.
She's also very helpful in putting away the laundry. She usually waits for me to finish folding up clothes (and sometimes she'd help with her own undies coz they're easy to fold) and then she would help carry them to her room and put them in her chest of drawers. It's not perfectly neat and tidy, but hey, I am thankful for the help! :)

Anis knows how to eat on her own. Sometimes she insists on eating on her own, but sometimes she begs to be fed. Sometimes she insists on eating on her own, but it takes such a long time for her to finish, I have to beg to feed her. Her favourite food is noodles. Any kind of noodles.. spaghetti bolognaise, creamy spaghetti, instant noodles, maggi goreng, rice vermicelli in soup.. i guess anything long and stringy makes for a fun mea ltime for her.
She also likes fast food (what kid doesnt?). Pizza (plain cheese + thin crust, please. Anything else and she'll pick off the topping), burgers, fries, fried chicken, donuts, chocolate muffins...
She's fickle about her food though. Sometimes I'd serve her something I know she'd like and she'll decide she just doesnt like it that day.

Anis luuurrrves to dance. She would watch tikkabilla on children's BBC and dance dance dance. She'd watch the arabic music channel and dance dance dance. She always suprises us with her new moves. (This picture doesnt really capture her funnier dance moves).
She also likes to sing. She'd pick up songs from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, from the C@rtoon Network and from the Disney channel. She doesnt always get the words right, but she almost always gets the tunes down pat.

Anis also likes to make funny faces. She has all sorts of expressions for all sorts of situations, but this is one of her funniest. She'd go "Why?" and spreads out her hands and purses her lips.. quite irresistable. She usually does this when I ask her to finish up her food. (I stand my ground of course, and go into my lecture of how you need energy to play and food supplies you energy). She also does this "Why??" expression after she has written the letter Y.
Which brings us to what I think is her greatest achievement in the past year...

Anis has learnt how to write!!! Her writing is legible, though her spelling is not (she's only 4, what do you expect..). She writes quite neatly, i.e. she has enough control to be able to keep it between the lines in the book. Though sometimes when she feels like it, she will write her letters in really large print, spanning almost half a page.
She enjoys writing a lot. Whenever she finds a pencil/pen and her writing book (or any piece of paper for that matter), she'd write. Sometimes she'd write rubbish and she'd read it back to me (It's usually a really long story about a girl who goes out playing in the park or eats ice cream or something). Sometimes she'd ask me how to spell a particular word and I'd spell it to her and she'd make a big fuss about how she doesnt know how to write a certain letter and makes a big hoo ha and yeahoo when she manages to write that certain letter..
I don't know whether you can see it, but in that picture she wrote "Anis Cat Meow".


Well, that's my little girl..
correction.
My BIG girl... she's gonna be a kakak (big sister) soon.. :)

HAPPY 4th BIRTHDAY ANIS SUHAILA!!!

Bonda loves you!! *muah muah muah*

Wednesday, March 01, 2006

AI2006: Final 10 Girls

I somehow found this week's performences from the final 10 girls slightly boring.
P@ris gave me a bit of the goosebumps with her almost operatic rendition of Wind Beneath My Wings and
Kelly was very entertaining with Let's Give Em Something to Talk About (she needs dancing lessons though)
but it was Ayla who actually managed to wow me. I thought she was the only one who sang her song perfectly, with the right tone and nuances.
Kathy, though she sang the song well and has a very very very nice voice, was a bit bleagh.
Mandisa belted out way too much, and was pitchy at times, I thought.
Lisa was a bit bland this week.
Melissa was okay, she was rawkin, but her husky voice makes it difficult to listen to the melody of the song, sometimes. Or maybe coz I'm not such a big fan of Reba McIntyre and didnt recognize the song, i dont know.
I thought Kinnick did her best, but she just does not have that star quality.. sorry.
Heather ... hm.. can you spell k.a.r.a.o.k.e? I agree with the judges that if you want to sing Mariah, you've got to either be as good as Mariah, or put so much of yourself into the song that it becomes better than Mariah. Heather did neither.
Brenna chose what could potentially be a really entertaining song, but she was like all talk and no delivery. There was no spark (nor claw) in her performence, she didnt dance even though she was asking everyone to do so, and her voice didnt have enough soul in to inject into the song. (And she looked horrible in that dress. Now I know never to wear that kinda dress)

I think Heather and Brenna will go home this week.

Doing the 69...

Got this from deepblue .. and i have nothing to write about today.. :)



1. How old do you feel? 25! .. tee hee!
2. Where were you on september 11th, 2001? in Impiana Resort Cherating, lying on the bed, reading The Age of Innocence and watching TV.
3. What do you believe is the meaning of life? to constantly spread love to other people.
4. Why is the sky blue? Coz God made it so. I can get into details, but I've got 65 more questions to answer
5. What is your favorite thing to cook? pasta
6. You have only a dollar to your name...what do you buy? food. (To give me energy, then I'd look for work and make some more money to buy me food).
7. What would your last meal be? I can't even imagine.. I hope it'll be porridge or something (coz I'd be so old I can't even chew anymore). But it could be whatever i'm gonna cook for lunch today (which I have not decided yet).
8. What is the youngest age you have memories of? about 2 i think, I ate a flower and it tasted bitter.
9. What is your favorite thing in the world? thing? The TV.
10. What is your most missed memory? swimming with turtles in Pulau Perhentian
11. Have you ever punched someone on purpose? erm.. *thinks back* .. not that I'm aware of.
Oh, actually, I have.. I think I punched my sister once, for saying that my first boyfriend left me coz I was too bossy.

12. Do you know what color chartreuse is close to? errr .. yellow?
13. Did you like garbage pail kids? I dont even know who the garbage pail kids are.
14. Why do we have daylight savings time? To lie to the american people and make them believe that they can control the world by controlling time.. *muahahaha*
15. What living person would you want to meet? Eddie Vedder. surprise surprise.
16. What dead person? Any of the prophets, but I prefer Muhammad, of course.
17. Where in the world would you live if you could? On my own private island on the east coast of Malaysia.
18. Who is your favorite artist? hm.. I don't really have one.. but I like classic chinese/japanese prints and batik. And Lat. Does Lat count?
19. Who has had the most influence on you (good or bad)? My Mother.
20. What is your favorite dessert? Chocolate Ice Cream with nut sprinkles.
21. What age is your favorite so far in your life? I think every day I am alive is a gift.. I have no favourites.
22. Can you make cookies from scratch? noooooo!!! I suck at baking anything!!
23. Was the chicken first or the egg? what were they doing?
24. Hershey or nestle? Depends on what you're comparing. Nestle does not produce kisses, but I prefer their Cadbury Chocolate drink milk very much.
25. Night out or night in? Night in. I'm a homebody.
27. Single forever with a great family or no family and your soulmate? Can't I have both??? I think I already have both my soulmate and a great family *grin*
28. What is your favorite scented candle? I don't like scented candles. I think they're dangerous. But I like fruity smells.
29. Do you ever wear a wife beater? what? what is that?
30. If you could live in a store which one would it be? Any department store, like Parkson or JC Penney, preferable one that also has a section that sells food or candy.
31. Can you eat a dozen donuts in one sitting? Are they chocolate covered?
32. What is your favorite curse word? damn.
33. Your favorite regular word? sayang (love)
34. Have you ever read/tried to read the bible? yeah, but the words confuse me, so I gave up.
35. Who do you dislike most in the world? people who think they have the right to everything.
36. What is your ideal date? boy.. I havent been in one of these in a long time.. hm.. eat, then taling while taking a walk, then maybe a kiss?
37. Would you rather marry a deaf or blind person? A blind person.. I need someone who can listen to me.
38. What is your favorite shape? my husband's butt.
39. Can you eat just one chip? potato or chocolate? either way, no.
40. Where is the farthest you've ever been from home? To the U.S. to study.
41. What is your desktop background? *looks* The Al-Fateh islamic Center in Bahrain. Before this it was a picture of my kids. We change it every now and then.
42. What song do you identify with most? The theme for Toys R Us.
43. Which movie do you wish was your life? Toy Story. Wouldn't that be so cool??
44. Has someone ever intentionally put food on you? heh heh .. yes. Smuckers Strawberry Jam, and it was yummmeh!
45. What color is your favorite? depends on what. I like pinkish red on clothes. But I like earth colors on furniture. My lipstick shade is 'salmon'.
46. What color do you feel represents you? I think people think of pink when they think of me, so I guess, pink.
47. Do you believe in God? I think it's obvious that I do
48. Have you ever broken a bone? Thank God, no.
49. Have you ever shut someone's fingers in a door? oh yes and I am reminded of it often, especially when she looks at her nails and laments on how unshapely they are
50. What is the weirdest thing you have ever eaten and hated? cow's brains, cooked in curry, by my mom in law, no less! *shivers*
51. What is the weirdest thing you have ever eaten and liked? Fries with ice cream.
52. What is your ideal ice cream creation? Fudgy double chocolate chunk with pistachios or macadamias.
53. If you could marry someone from a movie (the character not actor) then who? At the mo, Willy Wonka. So he can feed me with chocolates everyday. (also see question 59)
54. What is your favorite thing to do? eat!
55. What is your favorite junk food? cheese puffs, or twisties.
56. What is the longest you've gone without talking to anyone? prolly an hour. Or maybe two.. the other day when Anis went off to go to her friend's house, I ended up being alone at home for 2 hours before Ihsan came back from school..
57. What is your favorite board game? scrabble.
58. Your favorite book? I know this is gonna sound so corny, but seriously, The Quran.. I can't seem to tire from exploring it. It's chocful of information.
59. What movie could you watch over and over again? at the moment, my kids are making me watch Charlie and the Chocolate Factory over and over and over again.. which actualy explains my craving for chocolate. (also see question 53)
60. Do you know how to change a tire? yes.
61. Have you ever eaten paste? I have eaten toothpaste, shrimp paste, hazelnut+chocolate paste..
62. What is your ideal halloween costume? store bought.
63. What toy have you always wanted and never gotten? You know them rails and towers that look like a mini roller coaster but you roll a metal ball instead? Those.
64. What item could you not go without during the day? a bra.
65. Do you consider yourself a smart person? yup *beams*
66. Do you close your eyes when you listen to music? only if I'm sleepy.
67. Do you eat the burnt chips? err yes.. *shame*
68. Is there anything you HAVE to do everyday? eat!!!
69. 3 wishes... go (no world peace. things that are possible):
1. chocolate. everyday.
2. the will to exercise. everyday.
3. the uncanny talent to whip up delicious dishes from scratch.



You can try it if you want. No pressure.