Falala lalaa la laa la laa...

The Christmas trees are decorated, the Christmas lights are on and the presents are all wrapped up. People of Sutton are all in their festive mood with a sense of excitement in their eyes... ahhh yes, it's that time of year again. The Christmas holidays have officially started.

I love the Christmas holidays because it means that Hubby will be home 24hours for the whole 2 weeks. Hoorrayyy!!! This means that Haidan gets to spend quality time with his Papa (a.k.a me can finally have the time to colour my hair and shave my legs in peace!).

Christmas holidays also spell BOXING DAY SALES- double Hoorrayyy!!! As it’s the only time of the year when Hubby and I allow ourselves to shop till we drop! Every year on Boxing Day, we’d be well prepared to travel all the way to UK’s premier outlet stores and kiasu-ly queued up before the shops open to grab whatever we can get at good bargains. However, this year we’re not going to be as aggressive because of little Haidan. We vowed to not let our precious son see how crazy his Mama and Papa can get when it comes to succumbing to the boxing day sales. We wanted to set a good example and to not let him witness how violent we can be…. thus, we have unanimously agreed that Haidan tak boleh ikut Mama and Papa shopping at Bicester Village, OK? Eheh...(But we promise to be home early and buy you something as well, can ahh???)

Also, a huge thank you hug goes to little Azmarea (she's so adorable to the max, OK..) and Marisa & Alan for the lovely scrapbook page for our little Haidan, when they came visiting us in Sutton. We love it! Thank you!

Thank you Soffya & Areef :)

Dear Haidan,

Today you turn 1 month old (already??!! Oh my god, how time flies!). And just perfect timing, you received a very special surprise present all the way from Malaysia. It was your very first parcel- and it comes from your friends (and fellow scousers.. hehe) Soffyya and Areef... Yeay! Yeay! Thank you!!! (Errrmmm.. as you can see, your Papa & Mama yang ter-over excited pulak.. )

To Soffyya & Areef (and Uncle Dil & Aunty Eza), thank you so much. Remember, "you'll never walk alone" ;)

Hope to see you all soon!

My pantang experience

I am struggling to stick to a strict pantang routine because I don't really have a lot of free time for myself nowadays. Seriously, this motherhood business is no easy task. Believe me, after a routine of feeding, changing nappies and putting Haidan to sleep, there's usually less than a 2-hour window left to do anything else, before he wakes up again.

This is when being in the UK made me realise how lucky new mommies in Malaysia are. My cousin, Nurul, gave birth a few weeks before I did and she was treated like a princess. Every morning and evening she goes through the traditional malay akar kayu/ daun herba bath, then di-urut, di-tungku and then di-barut/ bengkung and finished off with di-pilis and di-param. Then she rests until evening before she washes herself off. She doesn't do a lot of moving around coz she's got assistance to help her with the housework, cooking and babysitting.

Me on the otherhand have to struggle with the pantang routine as I have to do it all on my own. My mom's got her hands full in the kitchen with the cooking, cleaning and laundering. It gets a bit messy and complicated you know trying to put everything on yourself and then not being able to move for the next 4hours with all the pilis and param on me. Imagine standing alone in the bathroom trying to tie a very long bengkung with all these messy smelly pastes all over your body and forehead and just as you are about to tie halfway, your baby dah start melalak lapar! Therefore, it proved to be too stressful that I have given up on the total traditional routine. I've now resorted to mandi with sabun Dove and then putting this supposedly miraculous heaty Slimming & Toning Gel and then wear a M&S girdle.

On food pantang, there's bad news and good news. The good news is that Mama did make sure that I have a healthy menu with no frying dishes whatsoever. My daily menu will usually consists of a half portion of nasi putih panas, with either ikan bakar or tofu jepun or sup ayam and a serving of steamed vege (usually brocollis or asparagus). The bad news is that Mama now is going through this phase in her life where she’s all so excited on experimenting on making deserts and kueh. Yup, I may have a 10 calorie meal but then I screwed it all up by finishing it with a 1000zillion calorie desert. Plus, having a Hubby who loves to share his jar of Nutella after dinner with me proves to be a bit too difficult to live with.

Therefore, I have concluded that I have failed miserably in my pantang routine. I realized that this critical 40 days confinement period (mat sallehs call it the 6weeks-postpartum period) is originally to make sure that the new mommy gets the rest she deserves after all she’s been through. Since sticking to this pantang business proves to be more stressful than not, I shall not beat myself up for not following it exactly. However, I will promise myself that once I’m stronger, I will go all-out on my aerobics exercise regime again. In the meantime, I will forgive and forget my sexy size 8 jeans and devote all my free time (if any) to get myself a deserving rest. Heck, I’m going to follow exactly what the midwife told me before I left the hospital: “Don’t stand when you can sit, don’t sit when you can lie down and don’t stay awake when you can sleep!”

My Labour Drama

Yes, I’m alive again.. after a week long of heavy doses of morphine (with added ibuprofen and occasional paracetamol for extra uummph!), I’m now back on my slightly-swollen-feet, but am feeling a lot better.

It has been a little more than 2 weeks since Haidan arrived and I can still remember the drama I was going through to have him:

Friday, 16th Nov
My last day at work before I go on leave. After my colleagues threw me a big farewell do, I was busy the whole day packing stuff to bring home. Did quite a lot of heavy lifting- files, folders, books etc. My boss siap tegur, “Careful with that, we don’t want you to give birth now do we??” I looked at him and coyly replied with my ‘Don’t-be-silly-lah-My-baby’s-due-on-1st-Dec-only’ grin on my face.

Saturday, 17th Nov
Spent the whole day in bed, with my lazy mode on full. Hubby tried to convince me to wake up and start kemas to prepare the baby stuff. Dengan nada bongkak, I responded, “Alaaa… relax ah bro… lama lagi lah nak beranak…” and pulled the duvet over my head to continue my journey into slumberland..

Sunday, 18th Nov
Suddenly had the urge to makan besar, especially tetiba teringin sangat nak makan pengat durian. So, forced Hubby to drive 3 hours worth of traffic up to Oriental City in North London, where we all melantak dim-sum, nasi campur, roti canai planta, teh tarik etc. Managed to bungkus fresh durian, so that Mama can cook me my pengat. Was smiling ear to ear with a full tummy on the way home. I woke up in the middle of the night and ‘curi makan’ 2 ulas durian, hoping that Mama won’t notice.

Monday, 19th Nov
At around 4am, my water broke. Panic.
Midwife advised us to come in to the hospital and said that I should be in labour within the next 12 hours. My reaction, “Huh??? Alamak, camana nie.. We haven’t prepared anything yet. Damn the durians!”. More panic. Gobbled up a handful of Ferrero Roche to calm me down.

Tuesday, 20th Nov
After 24 hours, still no major contractions yet. The obstetrician came in and ordered me to be induced. Hubby was quick to suggest that I have epidural before the induction. The sight of the needle literally sent shivers down my spine… (thank God I had my Ferrero Roche to help me forget and relax). Within 20 minutes, I was all numb waist down (due to the drug) and a bit high waist up (due to Ferrero Roche overload). We were to wait until I was readily dilated to start labour. Hubby and I (and a couple of the midwives) resorted to watching Desperate Housewives on our laptop. It seemed to be the longest wait ever…

Wednesday, 21st Nov
After more than 8 hours of waiting, I wasn’t doing much progress at all. The obstetrician came up to me and said that Baby Bubble’s heart rate is slowing down and suggested that we opt for a caesarean. After much persuasion that it’s for the best (plus she promised that she’ll do the most perfect incision with dissolvable stitches), I succumbed and was then whisked away to the surgery theatre. After that, it was more drugs and I can’t remember much, (except the part when I can see Hubby all excited putting on his ER costume and sempat posing bergambar lagi!). They put up a screen so we can’t see the works. At 2.39am, the surgeons announced “It’s a BOY! Congratulations!!!” and soon after I heard my baby’s cry - it was the most beautiful thing I have ever heard.

And thus, begin a new chapter of my life.... motherhood. Cool...

Introducing my Baby Bubbles :)

HAIDAN ARIEF.

Born on Wednesday 21 Nov 2007, 2.39am at St Heliers Hospital, Surrey. He's a healthy 2.8kg boy, born via C-section. We both just got home from hospital last Sunday. My water broke prematurely and he arrives 2 weeks earlier than expected (such drama I tell you, it deserves its own posting.. hehe).

To those who've heard, thank you for all the wishes via sms, email, friendster and facebook while we were in hospital. Me will post more pics as soon as I'm fully recovered, as at the moment I'm still a bit stiff, sore and high on drugs...

3 days to go....

Tick, tock, tick, tock... 1 more hour to go and that's another day in the office gone. I'm so looking forward to my cuti as it has been very hectic at the office- so much work to finish before I leave.

Yup, I'm 37 weeks pregnant and am still working. Though this week will be my last week before I go off on a 4 month maternity leave- Hoooorrraaaayyyyy!!!! Next week onwards, I so can't wait...

... to wake up late, ignoring the winter chill as I curl under the duvet
... start organising Baby Bubbles wardrobe and shoppings
... test run my Quinny Buzz
... put my feet up and watch Desperate Housewives DVD
... update my blog, iPhoto and iTunes
... spend the whole day pampering myself in the bath
... go to Oriental City and melantak as much as I can

(Hmmm... macam banyak lah pulak kan nak buat- sempat ke ni???... especially considering I can just go into labour anytime.. eheh)

My long silence - the excuses.

Oh my... it has been a while since my last post but so many things and memorable events has happened since, I don't know where to start! Apologies for the long silence, am so touched to some who even sms-ed/ emailed asking whether I'm OK.. (a.k.a dah terberanak ker?? hehe).. Don't worry, everything's OK- Baby Bubbles is still comfy inside me.

So below are my excuses for not blogging in awhile:

Excuse #1: Hubby & Mama arrived!!!
Yup! At long last, the wait is finally over... Hubby & Mama arrived safely on Tuesday 9th October together with 80kg of combined luggage! So life have been hectic trying to sort out space for the bags and boxes (which comprises mostly of my food cravings from Malaysia.. hehe). Since my HM has not moved out yet, we can't really settle a lot of things just yet...

Excuse #2: Selamat Hari Raya!!!
Timing was just right when Hubby & Mama arrrived- terus raya on Friday 12th October. So, in the middle of work, unpacking, kemas-ing the house and jet-legged layan-ing, we were preparing for our raya. We went to London on that Saturday raya to meet up with our close friends at Holiday Villa. After that rushed to Jeril's open house. On Sunday, I had to follow Hubby to his boss' open house and then rushed home to greet our friends who came to my place for makan-makan. Pictures will follow.

Excuse #3: Paris Weekend
Errr... yes... I actually went for a 4days 4 nights trip to Paris last weekend. It was all a last minute thingy that Hubby had to cope- he was forced to watch the Rugby World Cup finals in Paris to entertain some clients. It was supposed to be the long weekend together we planned to go to a London Baby Show/ Exhibition to start buying for Baby Bubbles. But since Hubby had to work, he decided to drag his mak-buyung wifey all the way to Paris (or risk facing the ultimate emotional tantrum of the year!). So, yes... like a true Parisian, (while Hubby worked watching muscular-sweaty-bloody-men-on-top-of-each-other-biting-their-ears-off, just to catch an oval shaped ball across a field), me the Madamoiselle went waddling through les shops along Champs d Elysees, enjoying devilish pain-au-chocolat while watching the sun set at the Arc de Triomphe. Though I must admit, waddling a 20kg bump into designer boutiques without Hubby (and Hubby's credit card for that matter!), wasn't all that fun. A seperate post (with pictures) should follow suit.

Excuse #4: Work
The weeks post-Excuse#2 and pre-Excuse#3, has left me rushing through to finish a lot of work in the office. Nak check my gmail pun tak sempat tau.... :(

Excuse #5: The return of the Kiasu Hubby
Since I can't access my blog due to Excuse #4 at the office, one can retaliate and justify that I should have time to blog when I get home then, right?.. errr WRONG! Yes, living with a self-confessed kiasu Hubby means that I have to give in everytime he wants the space to hog the laptop and internet... and for some strange reason, Hubby just NEEDS to use the internet for work everytime I was about to launch my browser. By the time he's done with the internet, I'm already sprawled on the bed all snorring till next morn. Oh well, bersabor je lah...

So, excuse me for the excuses. I will upload the pictures and post them up soon... So watch this space!

SPICE GIRLS - Here I come!!!

I am so excited!!!!

I don't care what you might say, but I love the Spice Girls to bits. I have all their albums and bought their books and even went with my girlfriends to their concert in London Earls Court back in 1999 and had a fabulous time!

When the news broke out last June that they will be reuniting for a concert in December, I immediately checked out their website and register to be in the priority waiting list for updates on the concert. I so want to go for it, even though I know that Baby Bubbles will arrive early December.

Then last weekend, they announced that the Spice Girls will be playing at 02 Arena a week before Christmas and then back on 2 January 2008. I knew that 2 Jan should be OK- (a.k.a Baby Bubbles should arrive by then!) and tried booking the tickets. Browsed through and got good seats.... but then had to ask Hubby first, so decided to wait till he's in a good mood lah- lepas dia buka puasa, at home and rested. When Hubby finally succumbed to let me go (and worst still temankan I sekali!) I then tried booking the tickets again. Alas, I was shocked that by then all the tickets SOLD OUT!!!! Nak nangis OK... so devastated.... so sedih... so emo...

However, found out this morning that due to huge demands, they've added extra dates in January. So, dengan penuh rasa kiasu yang berkobar-kobar, I managed to whisk up 2 tickets, best seats in the house, for Friday 11 January 2008. Perfect!!!! I should finish my pantang by then, just nice to be allowed to have a good night out.

Hooorrraaayyyyy!!!! (Even though dah pokai paying for the tickets and its gonna be mid winter and Hubby would be cursing me throughout the concert nanti but I don't care) coz I really, really wanna, wanna zig-a-zig-ahhh....

Hmmmm... so true...

"This easy-going pair will go out of their way to provide everything a child could possibly need -- at least at first. Problems could arise when Cancer's "must" list for the perfect child gets long enough to cut into Taurus' creature comfort budget. Cancer will literally begin to sacrifice non-essential items (Plasma TVs, fancy furniture, a new car) if there's not enough to give baby the latest and greatest of everything. Taurus is always more than happy to provide anything that can be procured with "disposable" funds, but when the choices arre private dancing lessons or sports coaching for a 3-year-old versus a new leather couch or country club membership, Taurus will probably draw the line. This can be worked out by endless discussions that Cancer is quite unlikely to win. Better for Cancer to give the bull what it wants, and stash away a separate fund for indulging beloved baby."

A weekend with Kak Jem

Kak Jem, who used to take care of us when I was a scholar, paid London a visit for work. Since she's also a very close friend of Hawari's, it was imminent that she would continue to stay and spend the weekend with us folks in Surrey. It was so good to see her again! (The last time I met Kak Jem was so long ago- I think before I left for Manchester kot...). As usual, she greeted us with her winning smile and sisterly hug when we picked her up in London last Friday.

We buka puasa at Malaysia Hall, (hehe Pak Wie tegur my tummy dah double the size when I last visited!). Kak Jem agreed when I told her how lepak being at Malaysia Hall is, considering her past few days of posh dinners in London, and how it made us feel so at home....

Anyways, lepas melantak-nasi-dengan-rakus-sampai-mengah, we walked a bit and continued our melantak session at Waffle House for dessert. Oh my God, the belgian waffles with strawberry ice-cream is so sedap, OK.... pure bliss! Definitely will paksa Hubby to bring me there again in the near future! We then dragged our heavy tummies back to Sutton and called it a night.

On Saturday, we celebrated Kak Jem by giving her a pre-birthday gift of watching the Phantom of The Opera at London's Her Majecty Theatre. To tell you truth, I didn't know what to expect because I've never read the book or know the storyline of Phantom because I always thought its like one of those horror-movie thingy, with the mask and all. You see, I HATE horror movies. Vasantha and I was once dragged in to a Korean horror movie and we ended up not knowing what the story was all about because throughout the whole movie, we closed our eyes and ears sebab takut giler! So, with Hawari & Kak Jem, I was trying to control macho (but deep down inside I was so dead worried that the Phantom would probably sneaked out behind me and I'd just die of heart attack!) In the end however, Phantom proved to be an excellent experience- the kind of a sad story of cinta-tak-berbalas, which left me to tears... I enjoyed every second of it, although the occassional Phantom's loud surprises did jerk Baby Bubbles to kick my ribs throughout the show!

We then followed Kak Jem shopping- good timing because it was the first day of the mid-season sale but very tiring because there were so many people around!!! I was quite proud of me-self for not being sucked in the sale ordeal, mostly because we needed to save money for Baby Bubbles coming and plus I tak larat nak go through the hustling and bustling in the mad shops- Hawari & I opt to just wait and sit outside for Kak Jem, while enjoying the fresh air and watching the kerenah of Londoners around. We had a late proper dinner and managed to catch the last train back to Sutton around midnight.

This morning, Kak Jem left for Heathrow and it was quite sad to see her go... Its always nice to see a familiar face when you are in a foreign land. It was such a short visit but we hoped she enjoyed it, I know I did.

Picture purrr-fect!

We needed to get an official photo for Boboy's microchip certificate. So, it took Hubby quite some time to convince Boboy to stay put and get his best angles.

Trial 1:



"Ooopss sorry.. a bit too far plak, I better zoom in.. try again!"






Trial 2:


"OK, looks better... but too much to the left lah... can you turn a bit to your right, please??"







Trial 3:



"Almost there.. if only you can open your eyes a bit bigger...??"






Trial 4:



"OK, ok... you're not too happy now... err.. let's all take a 5- mins break.. eheh!"




Trial 5:

"Yup! Puurrrrr-fect!"

A long weekend in bed

Last Friday, I had to undergo a glucose-tolerance test and some other blood test at St Helier's Hospital. I was to follow a strict diet menu 3 days before and then fast from Thursday night till Friday morning. The test requires you to fast until they draw out some blood (about 3 vials full), they'll then give you this very, very, very sweet glucose drink (think 1 glassful of water diluted with 10 tablespoon sugar!), which you have to finish within 1 minute... and then you wait for 2.5hours in a lounge until the nurse comes back to take more blood (3 full vials).

Fasting was not too bad because we're kinda used to it in Ramadhan, but being around fasting-pregnant-mat-salleh-women was something that I wasn't prepared for. Well, hunger and pregnancy hormones don't mix well on a Friday morning.. and to actually wait in a lounge room doing nothing except reading magazines from the 1980s are not exactly calming for us, who are mostly in our 7 months. There were 4 of them in my same session, all looking grumpy and cranky, as if none got enough sleep the night before. They gave the nurse on duty such a hard time, complaining on everything they could possibly see and touch in the lounge- from the radio being too loud or not loud enough, to the couch not having enough support to the cotton gauze being too itchy on their skin etc etc... I guess in Malaysia, we don't complain that much because the thought of just being attended to in govt hospitals are considered a blessing dah pun! Their nagging even made Baby Bubbles uncomfortable, kicking all the time, as if telling me to just get out of the room and take a walk!

By noon, I was done.. but with all the nagging and blood sucking experience, I was so dead tired that the journey home felt like forever. Had a quick maggi goreng and crashed into bed. Seriously, I haven't felt so tired in my life- even answering Hubby's call feels like an athletic feat. I slept the whole weekend through, didn't do anything but stayed in bed!

As I woke up today (finally!), I felt so guilty- I did promise Hubby to continue with my report writing this weekend. Now rasa macam so wasted dah a good weekend at home. It could have been a productive one, but instead it was just spent in bed. Oh well....

Microchip-ed Boy!

Hubby decided to celebrate our special day by officially implanting Boboy's Microchip. So, pagi-pagi dah Boboy was fed with his favourite dish and was treated extra special to bodek him not to panic and make a scene in the hospital later. Unfortunately, Boboy (being the 'mamat-over') could sense that he was going to the vet and as usual, screamed his lungs out all the way to the hospital. When they arrived at the reception, the whole staff on duty were quite amazed on how loud Boboy was, even the dogs kept quiet.

Anyways, much to our surprise (and Boboy's as well!), putting in the microchip wasn't all that bad- no anaesthetics, no surgery- just one simple injection. The microchip was so tiny to the human eye that it just took one simple jap, and Boboy was all done! Penat je with all the drama, Boboy oiii... tak sampai 5 minit pun!

I think he knew he was a bit "the over", so all the way home Boboy was quiet as if nothing happened... malu lah tu... Here's some of the photos Hubby managed to snap on his ordeal of being Micro-chipped:

10.00am: Boboy looking suspicious of the extra special attention he's getting out of the sudden


11.00am: Boboy with his muka sepuluh sen ready to go to the vet


11.30am: Boboy officially Microchipped!


12.00pm: At home, showing off his "scar" to Mama.


12.30pm: Boboy all tired after his convincing drama performance.


Next, he will have to get his rabbies japs pulak and wait for a 6months cool-off period. Then, he'll be on his way to the UK to be with us (Insyaallah)... Horraaayyyy!!! I can't wait!!! Miss him so much already...

Happy Anniversary.

A photo of my heart and soul taken on our nikah night, Sept 11 2004.



Sept 11 marks a special day for me & Hubby as it is our Anniversary. Although we are miles apart, every year on this special day, Hubby will try his best to be with me to celebrate. Unfortunately, this year had to be an exception.... spending our 3rd year Anniversary without Hubby was really sad and depressing for me- it just doesn't feel right. I really hope this will be the last time we will celebrate our Anniversary apart.

Anyways, Happy 3 years Anniversary, Hubby. I love you always...

Good food & good company make a good weekend

My sis Serina has moved out from her London flat and will be staying with me and keeping me company for the next 2 weeks till she goes back to KL for good. It has been quite a while since we had our sister-bonding weekends- we usually go window shopping or spend the day swimming and gossiping in the jacuzzi pool or steam room. But since yours truly dah jadi mak buyung, nak jalan kaki keluar rumah pun dah malas. So we ended up spending the weekend at home watching DVDs. Hawari pun decided to join us later in the afternoon.

I made nasi lemak complete with kari ayam. Hawari brought yummy desert a.k.a rambutam-dalam-tin which is so sedap! While enjoying the food, we watched My-Ex and Premonition back to back. Premonition was quite tiring as it really got us thinking on the twist of the movie... obviously, to think after a good 3 pinggan nasi lemak each proved quite challenging.. hehe. But all in all, it was really a good relaxing weekend.

Anyways, here's my 7-months-mak-buyung-picture. As you can see, I'm looking more like a teapot by the day... Baby Bubbles is growing so fast, I can already feel the strain on my back. Bedtime is also a challenge- as I need to sleep on my side now, the guide book mentioned piling up on pillows to make sleeping more comfortable. Hmmm... at night, my bed definitely looks more like a kubu tentera with all the pillows surrounding me...

My durian drama

Last Saturday, Hawari & I went to the Malaysian 50th Merdeka Fair in Hertford. Best giler coz there were loads of Malaysian food ala-ala pasar malam atmosphere- kuih-muih, kueh teow, nasi lemak, nasi kerabu, apam balik, sate, ais kacang etc etc. Obviously, being pregnant gives me the licence to melantak dengan rakus sampai mengah... hehe. There was also performances, raffle draws, lion dance and some tai-chi/ kung fu demo thingy going on. Obviously, its a big event for most Malaysians in the UK to come along, therefore a good opportunity to meet up with each other... not forgetting some surprise reunions. I managed to meet Zura (she looked so lovely!), Kak Zihan from OGP (without Jeril-a.k.a-anti-social yang last minit cancelled), Hawa from BBGS (and a few other BBGS juniors), as well as getting to know new friends- particularly Aznim & family, who were just wonderful. The weather couldn't be any better- as a group of us, gathered under a big tree near the stage with loads of food and enjoying each other's company. Kak Zihan & Aznim were so kecoh sampai senak perut ketawa. I haven't had so much fun in a long time!

Anyways, back to the title of the story... what's a Malaysian fair without the Malaysian king of fruit - the durian. Yes, they were selling durians for £2 sebiji. Me, being the hantu durian could not resist to buy sebiji and got all excited on the way home, as I dah lama mengidam nak makan pengat durian. By the time Hawari & I reached Sutton, it was nearly 11pm and I managed to convince Hawari to kupas the durian before he leaves home. In order to make sure the whole house tak bau durian, I managed to contain the isi in a tupperware inside the fridge and got rid of the kulit durian (all nicely wrapped up!) in the garbage bin across the road of our apartment. I was convinced that I managed to hide all clear evidence (although I'm sure ada bau sikit lah) and went straight to bed.

At around 4am, my housemate and his friend, Adam, came home from London. Unsuspectingly, they encountered a strange smell- like leaking gas, most prominently in the kitchen area. Suddenly, they got into a panic and alerted the British Gas emergency unit! (Obviously, being in the UK and in the middle of autumn especially, durians were the last thing on their minds!) By 6am, a crew of gas inspectors arrived at our apartment taking tests and inspecting each and every gas pipes in our kitchen as well as the connecting pipes outside our flat to investigate this 'strange smell'. They also put on a 'CAUTION-DANGER' notice on our front door. All this drama happened while I was still sound asleep (dreaming of a bowl of hot pulut slathered with yummy pengat durian....)

By 8am, the inspectors still couldn't figure out where the gas leak came from and decided to come back in 24hours, this time with professional help. In the meantime, they issued out warning notices to the entire flats in our apartment block to not turn on their gas supply, just in case of an undetectable gas leak. They left shortly before 9am. Adam and my housemate retreated to bed after the long sleepless night ordeal.

Me on the other hand woke up around 9.30am, got all fresh and geared up to masak my pengat durian. As soon as I entered the kitchen to turn on the stove, suddenly Adam came running in to stop me. With his zombie-pucat-ness expression, he told me that its not safe to cook because there was a gas-leak-smell since they got back last night. Convinced that he was just pulling my leg (and irritated because I really tak sabar dah to cook my pengat durian), I ignored him and opened my fridge to reveal the tupperware with my durian in it. Within seconds, the whole kitchen bau macam leaking gas and out came my housemate half asleep rushing to the kitchen. I immediately said, "What??? Its just my durian lah!!!!" And the whole house burst into laughter.

In the end, we had to call up British Gas to explain everything, nasib baik lah tak kena saman or bayar their emergency service tuh... All this drama because I mengidam my durian... oops.. eheh...

I love bank holidays :)

Its a bank holiday Monday today. Somehow or rather, its such a good thing waking up on a Monday morning knowing that you don't have to go to work... A plus bonus is that the weather today is so beautiful - there's sunshine!!! It has been a while waking up on a Monday sunshine morning - thus, i'm such in a good mood today.

As usual, I've kept myself busy just lazing around at home with a good book, while sorting out much needed laundry. This time around I was washing up Baby Bubbles' baby clothes - ok lah, it sounds a bit silly but most of Baby Bubbles baju are from sale racks & outlets and I felt more comfortable washing them up first before she/he can wear them. Baby clothes are so cute & since Baby Bubbles will be a winter baby, I've got her/him loads of fluffy warm sleep suits, with matching fleecy hoods & boots. My mummy instincts have definitely kicked in big time- I got tears in my eyes just looking at those cute tiny sleepsuits!

Also, have started working on my reports... finally. Didn't quite have the time during the weekend to start it off because I was busy out & about with Hawari in London. We went on this duck tour, which was really good. Its like a tour of London's Westminister area by road and then straight into river Thames on this special amphibian bus- quite cool la... especially when the vehicle plunged into the river part, I was quite impressed. The friendly tour guide was very funny explaining the touristy sites along the way. Here's some pics from their website:



After that, we went to Malaysian Hall for yummy nasi campur. Orang kat Malaysia Hall sampai dah kenal dah - asyik muka I je yang melantak nasi - the pregnant minah with all the lauk on her plate! Ada ikan keli, OK.... mana lah tak melantak gila! heheh.

Alrighty... have to continue writing me reports... (yawning)... though rasa macam mengantuk la plak... Hmmm...I might take a break and have a nice walk outside for a while to get some fresh air. Better enjoy this summery day while it lasts- its going to be our last holiday until Christmas!

Am I bovvered..?

I just had to post this latest photo Hubby took of Boboy...


Boboy to the world: "Face bovvered? Am i bovvered? Does my face look bovvered? I AINT BOVVERED!"

Rainy Sunday

I slept really early last night as it was raining & miserable. It could have been worst but Hawari came over to cheer me up. We went to watch Bourne Ultimatum, which was good and shopped a bit. I broke my vow to not shop for clothes anymore, but got tempted with Primark's latest autumn collection, which features a lot of the 'bubbles' top or 'smocks' as they call it. Its mostly 60's inspired empire cuts, which is kembang at the tummy area- fits perfectly for pregnant mommies like me :)

As Hawari left around 7.30pm-ish, the rain just kept pouring. I guess summer's officially over then- not that it was a noticable one anyways. I called Hubby but he malas nak layan as he was already tucked in bed. So, made myself a cup of hot Horlicks and then turned on Baby Bubbles lullaby music. By 8pm, I was in dreamland already.

At 5am today, I was wide awake. But still the rain hasn't stopped pouring. Made myself another cup of hot Horlicks and turned on Baby Bubbles lullaby music... and again dozed off till 12noon.

Though my day didn't seem all wasted lah kot... I managed to almost finish up on my reading while in bed. I know I have to do and update my quarterly reports soon. Workload is beginning to lighten up nowadays, so I have no more excuses to not complete my reports. Hubby has been reminding me of how I need to buck-up and catch up on my charteredship application. I know he's worrried that with the baby & all, I might just put it off completely. I know I really have to get myself focused again. This charteredship was the only reason why I moved half the globe, leaving my friends, family and a 5-months-bonus job.

But today so susah lah... the horrible cold wet weather makes cuddling in bed under the warm duvet seems so inviting....

My nasi lemak craving....

I'm on AWW today - a Friday off once in 2 weeks, complimentary of my company. I was planning to spend the day to start off my charteredship report writing, which is far due! However, had to entertain Julie, my letting agent, who came by this morning to inspect the house. As expected, everything was OK on my part of the house but with bad reviews on my housemate's room and his quite the disguisting bathroom. Don't wanna talk about it here coz it will just make me sick. Let's just say that I'm counting the days till 6 November...

Anyways, after Julie left I was quite hungry. Suddenly teringin pulak nak makan nasi lemak... so I thought, OK lah have brunch first, do the report and then reward myself with a good break in the kitchen to cook up a mean nasi lemak for dinner. So, to keep my tummy (and hungry Baby Bubbles) occupied for the day, I made a simple egg-mayo sandwich, with apples for dessert and coffee. But the thought of nasi lemak was still haunting me... even the sandwich (which was usually a favourite) rasa tak sedap!

In my attempt to curb the devilish thoughts of nasi lemak, I tried to keep myself busy with filing my work and browsing through the net on tips and guides to complete my report.... but soon I was finding myself google-ing on sambal nasi lemak recipes... which then brought me to a blog featuring a photo of a scrumptous plate of nasi lemak, sambal with kacang and ayam kari and suddenly my Baby Bubbles can't stop kicking. So, I finally succumbed (at 3pm, just 2 hours after my heavy sandwich meal) and head straight to the kitchen.

By 5.30pm, I was all done- nasi lemak in the rice cooker, sambal in the kuali, kari ayam, timun, kacang and telur rebus all ready! Dengan rasa tak malu and tersangat excited, I managed to wallop 2 pinggan non-stop.

Now, feeling so heavy and sleepy.... alahai.... zzzzzzz.....

I'm officially 6 months...

... pregnant today.

Oh my, time passes so fast already. I remembered complaining 3 months ago that I wish I have a proper baby bump so that I can start shopping for maternity wear. Today, as I slipped on my summer dress I was quite surprised to see how fast my bump has grown. I can't see my feet anymore if I stand really straight - so I have to be careful the next time I board off the train/ tube and remember to MIND THE GAP!

I can also begin to recognise Baby Bubbles routine now by the kicking. In the morning Baby Bubbles wakes up at 6.30am, then before my morning Milo at 10am. Petang by 4pm Baby Bubbles is already kicking to go home from office and at 9pm sharp, kicking frantically again demanding for the nightly dose of Amy Mastura's song "Satu Dalam Sejuta" followed by a series of baby classical piano music until dia tertidur sampai pagi.

I wish Hubby was here to feel Baby Bubbles' kicks though...

Anyways, here's me, the mak buyung, at 6 months:



People say that you can tell a baby's gender by the shape of their mummy's bump. Hmmmm... what do you think Baby Bubbles will be?

Good news & bad news

The good news is that recently UK has lifted the requirement for pets from Malaysia to undergo compulsory 6 months quarantine, given that they would have to be micro-chipped instead. Alhamdulillah, this means that Boboy would have no problems when he enters the UK coz we were more worried of how he will cope in quarantine than anything else. All he needs to do is get the microchip in him (he shouldn't feel a thing, considering how much insulated fat he has!), wait 6 months at home and then take the first flight to London :)

The bad news is that we couldn't get him the chip as soon as we want (so that he could come to the UK with us in February when I'm returning home). All because just recently, he got into a nasty fight with the neighbour's cat and had his face injured... again. This time around, he got a minor eye infection and had to take antibiotics. He will need to have a cooling off period post-medication before the vets can put in the chip.



Boboy, boboy... sabor je lah kannnn.... Now we'll have to figure out something to come home again just to settle him sometime in April. Hopefully masa tu Hubby ada business trip or something.

BIG GIRLS DON'T CRY

Hubby left this morning and as usual it was very difficult to say goodbye. I was trying really hard not to cry in the train on the way to work this morning.... When I got back from work, suddenly the house feels so life-less. The room seems to be so quiet and cold - all's left is just Hubby's t-shirt on the bed. I miss him so much now :(

"BIG GIRLS DON'T CRY"
The smell of your skin lingers on me now
You're probably on your flight back to your home town
I need some shelter of my own protection baby
To be with myself and center, clarity
Peace, Serenity

I hope you know, I hope you know
That this has nothing to do with you
It's personal, myself and I
We've got some straightenin' out to do
And I'm gonna miss you like a child misses their blanket
But I've got to get a move on with my life
It's time to be a big girl now
And big girls don't cry
Don't cry
Don't cry
Don't cry

The path that I'm walking
I must go alone
I must take the baby steps 'til I'm full grown, full grown
Fairytales don't always have a happy ending, do they?
And I foresee the dark ahead if I stay

Like the little school mate in the school yard
We'll play jacks and uno cards
I'll be your best friend and you'll be my Valentine
Yes you can hold my hand if you want to
'Cause I want to hold yours too
We'll be playmates and lovers and share our secret worlds
But it's time for me to go home
It's getting late, dark outside
I need to be with myself and center, clarity
Peace, Serenity

Hubby's coming to town!

Just when I thought that I'm going to spend another weekend bored and miserable amidst the horrible summer weather, Hubby called to tell me he'll be taking the first available flight to London besok for a meeting on Monday. Hoorraaayyyy!! I can get to see Hubby again. Even Baby Bubbles are all excited kicking frantically when Hubby called. Yes, my baby has started to kick... I noticed Bubbles loves doing it if I listen to music or when I'm doing my pre-natal aerobics DVD... dia pulak yang seronok- especially the scoop-scoop roll bit.. hehe..

I've gained quite a lot of weight and from the books I read, I really need to get good exercise. So, I've started walking to work, instead of taking the company coach from the rail station- its a good 15minutes walk. Balik kerja pulak, if the weather's not too bad, I'll go to the gym and swim... but if the weather's horrible, I'll stay home and do my Davina McCall Pre-Natal Workout DVD... Yoga doesn't seem to work for me lah. As soon as I start the yoga DVD warm-up, the part when the instructor says "Relax, inhale deeply and close your eyes, imagine the sound of the sea..." I started yawning. By the time I realise it, I'm already sprawled on the mat, tertidur half way through the DVD dah!

Anyways, I'm packing my stuff- meeting Hubby in London besok petang and spending the weekend with him. He's returning to KL on Tuesday night. I know I won't get to spend much time with him coz he'll be busy working, but at least its comforting to know that he's near.

Graduation

Hubby and my best friend Vas and her husband (Shasi) were here in the UK last 2 weeks. We all had a great time, jalan-jalan London and went up to Manchester for my graduation. The weather was not being too kind as it rained most of the time- only the odd sunshine on some days. I was so happy during my graduation because I have my loved ones with me on that special day...





Hubby left home on his birthday while Vas & Shasi continued their honeymoon up to Glasgow/ Edinburgh and then to Paris. It was really sad when they had to head back home last Friday... I really missed their company.. counting the days till I get to see them again, and back to the reality of being here alone in the UK.

Well, err... technically, I'm not really alone.. coz err.. yes, I'm pregnant- 21 weeks to be exact. Carrying Baby Bubbles (our baby's temporary name for now...hehe) for 5 months already has been a real eye-opening experience for me. It kinda changed me a bit now... I'm obviously more emotional than usual.. hehe... but I'm learning along the way. Its a bit difficult going through the pregnancy alone without Hubby & Mama on my side, but hopefully things will work out in the next couple of months. In the meantime, I'm coping with some good books - thanks to Nina and Mama, which are helping me loads.

Work, work, work...

I'm so exhausted. My boss is going on holiday next week and I've been assigned to finish all outstanding work by this Friday. So much to do la... Hubby's been working late in KL too. We rarely get to talk as often as we used to, which sucks coz I really miss talking to him. Even Boboy's feeling the pressure - Mama said he's been waiting at the door all day long for Hubby to come home and take him for a walk, sampai tertidur-tidur depan pintu. Ever since Baby's gone, Boboy has been in depressed mode lately. I think he could sense that he's losing his loved ones one by one- first it was me, then Baby, then soon Mama & Hubby. Kesian-nya dia... if only he knows that we are trying our best to bring him here in the UK, it won't be so bad.

OK, I'm starting to blab nonsense... I'm practically falling asleep already.... looks like an early night, again!

Summer Cleaning

I'm keeping myself very busy this weekend - mostly to keep my mind off from things that have been bothering me lately. I've also been very naughty starting back something that I'm not supposed to touch again ever. So, I'll occupy myself by cleaning the room - a major overhaul I'd say.

I'm going to file my bills and letters, store my winter clothes, clear off junk from my drawers and closets, clean and organise my toiletries & make-up, change the bedsheets and start 'vacuumming' the carpet.

In the books, its called "nesting instinct"... ;)

I miss you too, sayang.

My 2 weeks trip home went so fast, its unbelievable. There was so much to see and do (and eat!) but so little time. To all my friends that I could not get to catch up, I'm really sorry. I'll make it up to you guys one day, I promise.

However the one thing that I did not regret was my time spent with the love of my life, Boboy. Every single spare moment I had (before I had to rush out of the house again to settle stuff) was spent with him.

We'd go for walks around the house:

catch cicaks or play hide & seek:

or just cuddle up. Even Hubby was sometimes jealous of how much attention Boboy got while I was at home. Every night, I made sure that Boboy gets a place next to me on my pillow and we'll cuddle to sleep:


When I was packing on my last night in KL, I cried buckets knowing how much I'll miss my Boboy. It will be a very long while until the next time I'll see him - in fact, I don't even know whether I will get to see him again... I was really sad. Boboy couldn't understand why I was crying and why I was packing up so much stuff. He even made it difficult as he refused to get out of my luggage that night. Hubby had to force him out of the room sampai Boboy merajuk malam tu sebab kena marah.


The day I left, Hubby told me that Boboy was as if looking for me. He'd go around the house, searching every room hoping that I was hiding behind the door. And yang paling sedih sekali is that until now, every night Boboy will climb up our bed and lie on my pillow, as if waiting for me to come home and cuddle him. He'll wait on my pillow till he falls asleep... Hubby said he really misses me.


I miss you too sayang. I'm sorry we have to do this, but I promise that we're doing our best to work something out so we can be together again, OK. Hang in there - Mama still loves you no matter what.

I will get through this....

I asked for strength,
He (Allah) gave me difficulties to make me strong,
I asked for wisdom,
He gave me problems to solve,
I asked for prosperity,
He gave me brain and brawn to work,
I asked for courage,
He gave me danger to overcome,
I asked for love,
He gave me troubled people to help,
I asked for favours,
He gave me opportunities,
Hence.. I received nothing I wanted,
But, I received everything I needed.

A toast to the bride & groom

Ladies & Gentlemen,

I would like to start off by saying congratulations to Vasantha and Shasi and how proud I am to be part of this special day. It meant so much to me to watch my best friend marry the man of her dreams. My journey half the globe to be here tonight is all worth it- just to see them hand in hand with sparkles in their eyes and glows on their cheeks to show how much they are in love and happy together tonight... (sigh).. OK, enough of the jiwang-jiwang bits.

Ladies & Gentlemen,

As the maid of honour, I was told to say a few words about the bride. Obviously, this proves to be a daunting task- as one can never ever able to describe Vasantha in only a few words. I have known Vasantha since we were in BBGS for nearly 20 years ago. At school, Vasantha excel in her studies, especially Maths and Add Maths, and was active in sports. She is definitely one that would not go unnoticed because we could always identify Vasantha's loud laugh and beautiful smile wherever she goes. No wonder she made the perfect cheerleading captain at our school.

As far as I could remember, we have had lots of good times. It seems like it was just yesterday that we were spending whole weekends at each other's places - staying up all night gossiping or doing mini facials or watching romantic films, wishing Brad Pitt would galantly walk through the door.

Over the years, careers changed, apartments changed, boyfriends changed - some friends married and started families and others stayed single and continued the search. With all of the variables, one thing was always constant - the deep friendship Vasantha and I shared with one another and with our dear group of girlfriends.

Vasantha was my confidante, my support, my maid of honour. No major event has happened in my life in the past that Vasantha has not been by my side. She has always been one that I can lean on and one that I can rely on. Vasantha's kindness and sincerity, her grace and most of all her patience have made her the person she is, whom I greatly admire and respect.

To Shasi,

Not only are you a lucky man, you are definitely a brave one too... hehe. I am happy for you both - your personalities completely complement each other and the love you have for one another is evident. So Shasi, I ask you from the bottom of my heart - will you please take care of my best friend, Vasantha, and treasure each moment you have together. Share each other's hopes and fill each other's dreams.

On a final note, congratulations Vasantha and Shasi on a wonderful future ahead together.

3 days to go...

.... till I balik Malaysia!!! Tak sabarnyeeeee.....

OK, I haven't been updating... reason being I was so busy at the office, working late nights to finish up before I take my much deserved 2 weeks off. Boss kept me running here & there to meet some deadlines and by the time I reach home, I'm so dead tired.

I've packed most of my stuff and counting the hours till Friday for me to board that flight home...

I miss home so much.... I got so obsessed that when I stumble upon the video below, tears start to flow okay.... habis emo tau...



Cepatlah, dah tak sabar nak balik ni......

When Taurus and Cancer come together...

....it's usually a very good combination. They are two positions apart within the Zodiac, and such Signs tend to share karmic ties and a deep mutual understanding. These two particular Signs have much in common: Both prize security in a love relationship above almost anything else; both tend to be nurturers (Cancer is emotionally nurturing while Taurus loves to spoil their lover with sensual delights, gifts and good, rich dinners). They're both quite domestic and love a quiet night spent at home with their partner

The Taurus-Cancer partnership tends to be a happy one due to this mutual enjoyment of the security and comfort of home. They love a solid home base, a strong relationship, nice possessions, good food: all the comforts of domestic life. Theirs is often the ideal family that people of other Signs strive for, with strong ties between them and a relationship that is family-oriented rather than toward the outside world. Their only major problems arise when Taurus insists on having its own way and Cancer responds by sulking. Taurus must understand Cancer's emotional sensitivity, and Cancer needs to rely on open, honest communication rather than emotional blackmail.

Taurus is ruled by Venus (Love) and Cancer is ruled by the Moon (Emotions). Both of these celestial bodies vibrate with feminine energy. Cancer often keeps emotions bottled up and simmering inside, which can lead to occasional outbursts. Thus, Cancer is attracted to Taurus' open and honest nature. As the Moon controls the tides of the Earth, quietly affecting all life, so does Cancer, manipulating behind the scenes. Cancer tends to be sentimental, and both partners prefer to enjoy each other rather than socialising with large groups.


Taurus is an Earth Sign and Cancer is a Water Sign. Water and Earth are compatible as tangible, physical entities. As a Water Sign, Cancer is born to nurture an Earth Sign like Taurus. In turn, Taurus tends to have a more stable view of life than Cancer and is less prone to emotional turmoil; therefore, Taurus can help Cancer stabilise their feelings. Both Signs must be careful in this relationship, however: Taurus may tire of Cancer's mood swings, and Cancer may in turn feel that Taurus is insensitive to their needs.

Taurus is a Fixed Sign and Cancer is a Cardinal Sign. Taurus has Fixed habits; they won't change an opinion once it's formed. This can provide Cancer with an emotional foundation, as Taurus is entirely dedicated to the relationship. In turn, Cancer can bring new inspiration to the relationship and start new projects that Taurus will enjoy taking over later.

What's the best aspect of the Taurus-Cancer relationships? The steady, reliable team they make. Both Signs are dependable and nurturing, strongly oriented toward domestic life together. A mutual love of home and security makes theirs an ideal long-term, family relationship.

Can't wait...

I'm counting the days till I'm going home... yeay!!!

Can't wait to kiss & hug my Boboy...

Can't wait to see Hubby and Mama...

Can't wait to hear the latest Malaysian happenings with my best friends...

Can't wait to dig into Burger Ramlee special, ikan keli goreng sambal and yummy cendol....

Can't wait to feel the sand and sea and the fresh breeze in Tanjong Jara Resort...

(Sigh)... 15 days to go... Can't wait!!!

As I turn 30 today...

... I realised that time passes so fast

... I wish I could celebrate it with Hubby, Boboy & Mama

... I realised who my true friends are

... I thank God for giving me the best 30th birthday present ever

Boboy Bodek

Saya tengah emo, OK??!!

"Kata-katamu hanya mimpi
Disiang hari
Kemarau panjang berpanas jua
Berteduh tidak"




Hmmm... kalau dah terasa tu... apa lagi, talipon lah & pujuk... benci ah!

>:(

Nak gi merajuk ni...

A lazy relaxing Easter weekend

I had a very long weekend for Easter, an opportunity for me to actually do something productive at home- like finish up my Quarterly reports and start Vas's wedding montage. But unfortunately I didn't do much at all, except some laundry and a lot of sleeping. Sis Serina spent the long weekend with me and I thank God she was here coz she kept the house all together. I was mostly either in bed resting or in the kitchen munching.

By the time I realise it, the long weekend is already over. Tomorrow marks a new beginning in my career when I now have to start travelling to Leatherhead for work. No more waking up at 8am and enjoying the morning walk to work- this time, I have to wake up as early as 6.30am to rush for the early train.

Therefore, starting from tomorrow I have to penalise myself for being so lazy lately. The below will be my punishment in no particular order:

1) Must clock in an average of 5hrs a week overtime
2) Must attend Aqua Aerobics at gym every Monday & Wednesday
3) Must work to complete quarterly report & Gap analysis report every Tuesday & Thursday
4) Must do Vas's wedding montage on Fridays and weekends
5) Must stop eating junk food and drink more water

Hopefully since I have been over-resting, my body and mind is ready to face the above challenge.

Boboy.... grounded!

As some of you might well know by now, my Boboy is very prone to self-inflicted injuries. As the most clumsiest-but-obviously-cutest cat in Kg Baru, he'll always end up in a fight (either intentionally or not) everytime he walks out the door. Over the years, he has had injuries with stitches on his right leg, left leg, tail bone and forehead. Now, he's injured his left toe! So, Hubby brought him to the hospital and the doctor diagnosed Boboy with a viral/fungus infection on his toe. Apparently, the wound will take months to heal, and only with constant antibiotics and supervision. Thus, our doctor ordered that Boboy would be officially grounded in his cage for the rest of the year! Here are some of the pictures that Hubby took from Boboy's recent ordeal:

Boboy in the car on the way to the hospital:


Boboy in the isolation ward dengan muka 10sen, after kena marah dengan Dr Siva:


Boboy on the way home in his carrier- notice the red wound on his left toe:


Boboy... grounded!:

Preggie kitty or fat cat?

I'm confused. I missed my period, my body is bloating like a baloon, I'm more tired than usual - but the pregnancy test is negative.

I don't usually miss my period and if I do get bloated, it usually wears off within a couple of days. Also, my body's the type that I can lose & gain weight easily. After a couple of days food binging, I'll pile on a few pounds... but then if I keep on a strict diet and exercise regime, I'll lose the pounds again.

Since Hubby went home, I started my diet again. I watch what I eat- no carbs, only protein & veggies. I even did some aerobics at home and booked a Body Combat tomorrow. But I seem to get heavier!

To let me rest peacefully, I'm counting the days till my next period is due, which is approximately in 10days. Till then, I'll pray that I am NOT a fat cat.

Time for a turnaround!

In oil & gas, when a plant is due for a turnaround, it means that production has to be stopped for a while and the plant goes through a major overhaul. All the equipment will be rejuvenated, the system revised and any damage will be repaired. The turnaround period is very crucial as it has to be done quickly and efficiently- every single minute lost of production results in losses of millions of ringgit or pounds or whatever currency. But once the turnaround is completed, the plant will work tremendously better than before and everyone's happy.

As for me, a turnaround is very much needed at the moment. Since Hubby left, I have piled on more weight than before, motivation is at its lowest and work has not been efficient. I haven't clock in a single overtime this month, which is a shame because the project is at its end phase and I might not be able to cash in some extra money anymore. But most of all, I am really disappointed with myself because I have left my work to record my development pending.

You see, I have always dreamed of becoming a Chartered Engineer. Heck, its the only one reason why I decided to leave Malaysia- my position in Petronas, my family and friends. I have sacrificed my comfort zone to start over as a graduate in the UK, so that I can have the opportunity to complete my Charteredship with KBR. As I looked back to where I was in Malaysia, I knew that I will never get the chance to do my Charteredship with the shitty support by the Malaysian bodies. Yes, I might be entitled to extra 'technical professional' allowance, or bonus or unlimited medical benefits- but I would just be a normal engineer, counting on my 'seniority' level to proceed. Its a vicious game to get on top in my previous company- you have to take everyone else down before you can climb up the ladder. A game I know that I will never survive.

Here its different. You can lick you boss's backside all you want but if you don't show any improvements in your work- you're doomed. You'll just be stuck at where you are. But if you work hard enough, your efforts will be appreciated and rewarded. To survive successfully, you have to do beter than what you're expected- no 'seniority' crap! If I work hard to become a Chartered Engineer, my current salary will triple and I can climb up the ladder twice as fast. Instead of having other people bringing you down, here they support you all the way.

However, it all has to start from myself- whether I want to do it or not. I confess that I have not been working hard enough lately. So I have decided to write this post to remind myself on what I left behind, what my goal was and what I need to do to catch up. I have to prove to myself and all the negative people out there (who brings me down by reminding me of all the "good" things I sacrificed) that I am here for a reason.

Adita, its time for a turnaround!

The day Hubby left...

The day Hubby left... I feel so lost and lonely.

The day Hubby left... I feel so bored and lazy to update my blog and photopages.

The day Hubby left... the sunny weather was gone and it has been raining, cold & miserable since.

The day Hubby left... I was in no mood to work. I went back on time every day and am not bothered to clock overtime.

The day Hubby left... I stopped going to the gym and piled on more weight than before I started exercising.

The day Hubby left... kerepek pisang, sweet-home-made-teh-tarik, roks and the tv have been keeping me company.

The day Hubby left... I feel so de-motivated to do my Chartered quarterly report, which is due this Monday.

The day Hubby left... I haven't been going out to town or shopping since I'm so pokai.

The day Hubby left... I feel so bloated and heavy. My pants seems to be tighter that the side pockets are all stretched out and I haven't got my period yet... (hmmm???)

Please God, answer my prayers so that I can have Hubby back here again...

Hubby's here :)

Hubby is finally here! I'm so happy and have been in a chirpy mood ever since. Since its a short visit, I was trying to fit in everything to make sure that his stay will be worth it.

Last weekend we went jalan-jalan to Croydon & London. In Croydon, I hit the shops and did some serious spring shopping. We also went out for yummy tosai at Chenna Dosa. The tosai really reminds me of home... On Sunday, we braved London to watch STOMP, which was good. I don't usually like London because I hate the rush, the crowd and the madness- but last Sunday was an exception. The weather was so beautiful as Spring arrives.

Tonight we are heading up north to Glasgow to visit Nina & Ezrul. Hubby's excited coz he's never been to Scotland before and is really looking forward to being a jakun tourist for the weekend. So, I have to be mentally ready to be irritated as I bet he'll be stopping every 2 minutes to take photos.. hehe.

3 days to go....

I know I have not been keeping my blog up to date as I would want to. Plus, my past posts seems to be getting grumpier by the day. I don't know- I have not been in a good mood. Probably because of waiting till Hubby comes- he's arriving this Friday. Why does time passes so slow :(

Though I did have a good week last week. I finally did my Body Combat performance. Unfortunately, I got half the routine wrong. All those aching practice and I screwed it up.... oh well. My housemate did tape it- so I might put it on the post one of these days. At least its a good reminder to myselfon how badly I did.. hehe.

Last weekend was great. Devina came down from Lemington Spa and Marc & sis Serina joined us as well. I cooked Kueh Teow goreng and had a good night rest with Mama's famous baju rumah. On Saturday, we lepak at Churchills Pub in Clapham Junction after Marc & Devina watched footie... sorry Ayang, Liverpool kalah.. hehe. Had some good thai food and layan Devina's mabuk moment. It was really fun.. hehe ;) Will post some photos once Marc sends them over.

On Sunday we spent a good relaxing time at home, while bitching on American idol. Went to town for a short while, and came back home for some more relaxing tv. Got a shock of my life when I saw my sis taking up knitting! She said it calms her down... hmmm, probably if work is stressing up, I might take it up too.


Today, I was quite productive at work- finished 2 schedules in a day, which is quite an achievement as I usually take a week to get one done! Now, I'm just tired and I wanna go home.

Can't wait till Hubby arrives... sigh... 3 days to go...

Sorry, wrong number

Dear Mr X,

I'm not sure how you got my contact details from, but I think you might mis-understood with what you "heard".

To clarify- yes, I am currently working in the UK. However I am not in any way working with recruitment or human resources to have the power to give you a job offer in the UK. So unfortunately, I don't have the info you requested and thus, your intentions to send me your CV will not benefit either of us.

Thank you for your very brief email. However, it would be much easier (and much more friendlier) if you could at least provide me with an introduction about yourself, who gave you my details, what's your career background and what type of work you're looking for. I might not land you a job in the UK, but I can certainly help share some advice from my experience on applying.

One thing for sure, there are loads of company websites where you can apply online and upload your CV directly. That was how I applied for my job here. If you want to work with KBR, I can send you the online link. Getting a job by the "who-you-know" method might work in Malaysia... but unfortunately, its not the job survival method here.

I do apologise but I hope you can give me a bit more info about yourself and what you are looking for. At least then, I know where to start....

Thank you & Best wishes.

Body Combat blues

After a much deserved relaxing weekend with my sis, Serina, I dragged myself to the office again and found loads of work on my desk. I have to do protection settings - a task that requires a lot of patience as it is very time consuming. Imagine going through a file of 10 pages of fonts size 6, doing a line by line comparison and then repeating for another 259 others! Its not rocket science, but definitely eye straining. It took me a week to finish the last 50 files- so when I got the new load last Monday, I knew that I'll be the grumpy old lady that everyone should just avoid this month... not fun >:/

Plus, I'm already getting tired with the Body Combat practice. I find it a struggle gettig out of bed in the evenings to drag myself out to go to the gym for the practise sessions. Though I know its good that I am forced to exercise, but I just needed some quality time at home, which I am not getting anymore. By the time I get home from work, I only have time to change into my gym clothes and I'm already off to gym. When I reach home after the practise session, its already time to go to bed. I so want this performance done and over with! I miss my quality time in front of the tv and those nice relaxing bath and early bed times...

I also miss Hubby very much since the past few days. I wish he was here to give me a hug.... I so need a hug right now...

A snowy trip to Leeds

Yes, I had to go to Leeds again for another Factory Acceptance Test, but this time I'm going with my colleague Sanjay. Sanjay's a bit more serious than Alan and Peter- so I expected that this trip up is gonna be different from the last. Well, weather wise it was totally different. South England was hit with heavy snow since last Thursday morning. I woke up freezing. The whole town was covered with snow! It was lovely... but I wasn't as excited because I knew I had to deal with the inconvinience to travel up to Leeds dealing with bad weather.


It turned out that it wasn't too bad really.. of course there were delays of the train travel, but that was just for half an hour. This time around, I got to travel business class and that saves the day. You see, I was all drained up from the gruelling gym and Body combat practise. My body's all aching and knackered. So, business class rail travel was bliss. Again, we stayed at Malmaison and had a good Indian dinner at the posh Akbar's.

The next morning, the FAT went well. I witnessed some LV motor starters- pictures below:



We finished by 3.30pm. We caught the 4pm train and arrived London by 6.30pm. My sis, Serina met me at King's Cross and is spending the weekend with me in Sutton. So, this weekend will be a good sisterly bonding weekend.

I'm all sore

My body is aching. My muscles are tired. Since last night's Body Combat, I slept like a baby and was struggling to get out of bed for work. The long stairs down was painful and the walk up the hill was nasty. Thank God there was a lot of work at the office, so I sat down most of the time. By lunch time, I was OK. However after work, I dragged myself to the gym again for Aqua aerobics. It was a good relaxing workout. We played water polo and that was fun. After that there were more practice for the show. Worked out quite a sweat and the journey home was a cool down for me as the temperature has really dropped recently. Now I'm sprawling on the couch and can feel the pain coming back. My body is aching. My muscles are tired. I'm all sore... Kalau tak kurus jugak ni, tak tahulah....

A lucky newbie...

Being a newbie to my new company has its perks. I can start fresh and avoid mistakes done in the past. Hence, since first impressions are always the best expressions of who you are perceived, I've been quite lucky.

I was invited to the HQ office in Leatherhead to attend a pre-meeting for the IET re-accreditation exercise next Thursday. I was specially chosen by my boss to take on the task with 4 other colleagues. We were supposed to impress the IET people this Thursday to show that my company is capable of producing quality graduates and future Chartered Engineers. Since I was the only one that has just started recently in the company, it was quite a good compliment to be invited. My mentor met me afterwards and congratulated me for being chosen. That made my day :)

Later, I rushed to the gym to attend my first Body combat class. I arrived a bit late and the instructor, Daniel, made me stand in the first row and forced me to introduce myself. I told him it was my first class and he said not to worry if I can't catch up. It was really good fun- I worked up quite a sweat and followed attentively to Daniel's instructions and moves. After the class ended, Daniel came up to me and told me to stay back for awhile for a briefing. I was shocked to find out that he wants me to join a few others for a Body Combat performance in Sutton town centre to promote the club. The 'Spirits Fair' will be held in 2 weeks and they have been practising since last 2 weeks. He told me that I was a natural and I should consider joining the team. In return, we'll get freebies from the Club.

Wow, can't believe it- it must be my lucky day. Well, I've always believed that life is like a wheel- sometimes you're up and sometimes you're down. Today, I definitely feel like I'm on top of the world. Syukur, Alhamdulillah.

My weekend...

On Friday night, Olu & Marc came over and I cooked Assam Fish with fried chicken and kailan. After dinner, we headed off to the local cinema for Dreamgirls. It was a good musical movie. I was excpecting a musical - so, when a bunch of youngsters were making noise when Jeniffer Hudson & Beyonce got singing (again and again), I got irritated. Hello... we're watching a movie here?! How come you didn't complain with Chicago or Moulin Rouge??? I mean, it is a musical movie, so of course there would be singing. Anyways, apart from the jerks, Dreamgirls was a good one.. I liked it.

Saturday started off quite badly when I overslept and woke up late- feeling all bloated and grumpy. I made an appointment to visit the Spirit Health Club in Sutton at 11am, but since I woke up at 11.05am, I had to call in and cancel. Had lunch from the leftovers and was wobbling through the hall... when suddenly I caught myself in the mirror. Yup, I've put on quite some weight since Xmas and the sight of my bloated self in the mirror got me quite depressed. So, I decided to head over to Spirit anyways - I so needed the fresh air and the sun was out- might as well.

When I got to Spirit, I was shown around the club and I was really impressed. They've got a pool with Aqua-aerobics, Body Combat classes, Steam Room, sauna and the gym equipment are all new. Plus, the toilets were very clean and they give you towels. It was definitely better than Cannons and a whole lot nearer from home. Without hesitation, I signed up.

So today, I walked up to Spirit with my new swimsuit and waterproof bag in hand and had a good 30minutes swim. It was lovely and I was smiling all the way back. Never felt happier. Now, i'm so geared up for the classes to come. Tomorrow is Body Combat, can't wait!