Friday, July 30, 2004

LIKE MOTHER, LIKE DAUGHTER

Last night, I got a glimpse of what it's like to see through my mother's and my sister's eyes. You see, though I am generally neat, they are cleanliness freaks. Despite us having a maid, on her off days, my sis would arm herself with a small bucket of soapy water, an abrasive sponge, and go down on her knees, scrubbing the tiles of the house and getting rid of the grout in between the tiles. I used to wonder to myself why is she so meticulous. It's not as if the tiles are dirty. Its already so clean you could practically eat off the floor and yet there she goes. I used to think that she is unnecessarily tiring herself out.

Last night over @ our place, while Umi, my sister, The Don and Alisa (yes, she's our first guest) was watching tv and playing with Muhd Idris, I was doing what I've seen my sister does for years. On my knees and scrubbing!!! Hahahaa. I could hardly sit down on the tikar without noticing the black spots in between some of the tiles. The DON managed to scrub most of it off but its still there, especially at the corners. I could see Alisa look at me bewilderedly and I could read her thoughts:- "my fren has gone "house crazy"!!" Hehehe. You know what they say.. sooner or later you will turn into your own mom! So I guess my journey to there has started circa yesterday.

Thursday, July 29, 2004

This is the way we scrub and scrub....

We were supposed to wash the house together yesterday after work to get rid of the 2 years worth of dust and grime (the last owner hasn't been in the house since the last two years) but since The Don was free in the afternoon he went by and got started all by himself.(Urrgh he called me in the office to make me jealous!!!)
My superhero DOn washed, scrubbed and mopped the whole house all by himself. (he left the washrooms for me though!!!!!! hhmmph)And the result......

Squeeeky clean cream-coloured tiles !!! He even managed to get the grout in between the tiles vanish. Ain't I a lucky girl ???!!!!

My tools for my washroom project!!!
And now both my washrooms are as clean as the rest of the house too. And smell of lemon scent too. But looks like this will the first and last time I shall be cleaning the toilets in this house. I almost blacked-out and almost had an instant asthma attack due to the strong smell of this effective yet nose-assaulting product.

NO MORE HARPIC FOR ME !!! In fact,*thrusts the pail, toilet brush and harpic to THE DON*, here you go Darling... ALL YOURS !!!!!! hehehee

The air-con left by the old owners are pretty new. So we won't have to change new ones and best of all they look pretty good too...

We moved in The Don's TV console and a semi-new TV to occupy some of that big empty, empty space we call HOME and of course some mats and plastic plates and cups. It feels like we're on a picnic indoors. Oh and yes, we even have cable tv !!!*Oooh La La*

Now that the house is squeeky clean, it saddens me to no end thinking how its gonna be like once the reno starts. And then its gonna be scrub scrub all the way again......

Tuesday, July 27, 2004

THE KEYS ...ALREADY?? WOW!!!!!!


Early on Sunday morning, we went to The House for an inspection. After a thorough look and introductions with the friendly next-door neighbours, we were about to leave when the agent handed over to us the house keys and said we might as well take it anyway even though the official completion will not be till this Friday. For a minute THE DON and I were astounded and didn't know what to say. We looked at each other to make sure we both heard the same thing and before we knew it the agent shook The Don's hand and later mine and congratulated us on our new home.

WOW!!!!!!!!!


It was totally unexpected! So even though we had made the rounds to all the rooms and kitchen, we made another round, this time hand-in-hand and with the realisation that this IS NOW OUR SPACE, OUR HOME and OUR ASSET. Alhamdullilah syukur. The first thing we did was to call our ID guy to ask if he could come down, fetch Umi to surprise her with the good news and then off to the hardware store to arm ourselves with the mop, the baldi, the brush, the rubber hose and 3 different types of cleaning solutions. (KIASU!!!!)

We went again to our place yesterday after work altho we had to keep it short (no elect & water yet) Managed to sweep the place and wipe the grilles and gate. It's a resale D&B so not much reno is needed and its basically move-in condition. We're planning a family gathering with the G5 - (my term for the 5 greatest important people in my (soon-to-be) married life) my Umi, my parents-in-laws and my sis and brother-in-law - this Saturday for a do'a selamat and perhaps even a sleepover. It's so wonderful to share a happy moment like this with the people closest to you and to know that they feel happy for you too. I guess that's what families are for.

PS: No pics yet but will definitely put some up soon. Stay tuned!!!)

Monday, July 26, 2004

Makansutra


It was a weekend of makan and more makan. After a whole day at Ikea on Saturday, I suddenly had the cravings for the so-oft advertised spaghetti in a tortilla bowl at Pizza Hut. We crossed the bridge to Anchorpoint thinking there was a Pizza Hut there but alas! But I saw my favourite ice-cream cafe there and instead of the already late lunch (it was already four) The Don indulged me with my all-time fav desert --->
Haagen Daz Strawberry ice cream. Ooohhh HEAVENLY ....!!!!!!

We finally found my tortilla bowl at Jelita. I just love that place (Holland VIllage too) Brings back memories of the time I were in NJC. Every chance we got, (in between lessons & after school) we'd take a bus down to Hollland V or Jelita for a long extended cuppa. Anyway the spagheti was deeelicious !!! but the nachos were a bit too tangy for my tastebuds.

Last night The Don caved in to another of my foodie requests ----> Chicken Rice at Rex Mackenzie Restaurant at Prinsep Street. The place is not so classy but the chicken rice is definitely the nicest I've ever tasted.


Ok enuff indulgence for the week ... now aback to my diet regime... AS IF !!!!!!

Friday, July 23, 2004

HALFWAY THERE


Yesterday, exactly on the 150th day (the earliest day they would allow us to register) before the date of our nikah, we went to down the ROMM to register our marriage. Just the three of us, The DOn, myself and my eldest brother (a.k.a my BOSS). It was such a long wait waiting for our turn to be interviewed. And when it was our turn, it was over even before we knew it. First, The Don went in on his own, and barely 2 minutes later it was my bro's and mine turn. The Registrar Nor Razak hardly asked us any questions other than the usual "Have you been married before?" "Have you been forced into this marriage?" like questions. The best part was when at the end of it he actually told my brother "Tahniah Tuan Syed, anda dapat adik ipar" I could not control myself and cackled a laughter. For a moment it felt like we were in a lucky draw and he was congratulating my brother on winning a new car or something. Lucky I caught myself in time before I burst out into a raucous laughter.
As we walked out of ROMM, The Don and I exchanged glances and congratulatory smiles at having passed yet another stage in our relationship.

We didn't consciously feel it but as we sat down to watch TV after dinner at my place that night. Umi commented that she had never seen us happier than we were last night. Hmm.....

Wednesday, July 21, 2004

What Comes After "I DO"??

Call me methodical but I have been really motivational about making sure we start our marriage on the right foot. I have been reading voraciously on the subject both the secular and religious aspects of it. Its part of my preparation for my journey into the next stage of my life - the land of Mrs-hood. I have a long list of books that I am slowly completing and so far I am halfway there. The speakers at the kursus pra-nikah I attended gave us another list of "must-read" books to cover but these books cover parenting as well so I guess I'll cross that bridge when we are nearing it. The Don is not much of a reader (he hardly has the time anyway) but he is ever ready to listen and share whatever knowledge I've gain. He is a superb sounding board and we always discuss and debate the pros and cons of a particular way of conflict handling or theory on maintaining communication between married couples. We also had a fun time doing the quizzes and tests.

I started reading as soon as we were engaged in Jan 2003. I believe that despite having known The Don for the last 8 years, marriage will be another ball-game altogether and I don't want to be shocked out of my wits. I have a few living examples of couples in the family and soon-to-be-family who are married then think that's the end of the story. They simply exist only in their own world and shirk their responsibilities as sons and daughters-in-law and are a constant glass shard in their parents and parents-in-law hearts. I want to make sure we don't go down the same road. Granted, not everything can be learnt from books but at least it is my hope that with this knowledge, we are more aware of our responsibilities to people around us and are also more adept at handling conflicts between us.

One thing I realise while reading is that Islam is such an encompassing religion. It is truly complete and it teaches us everything!!! Right down to the tinyiest, minutest detail. Subhaanallah!!! Now I truly understand why islam is said to be Ad-Deen (the way of life) And if you actually read Sirah Rasullulah, especially his ways with his wives, you will be lost for words. He is utterly gentle with his wives and always prioritise their feelings. If only the men of today can be half as great as the Prophet S.A.W....

Anyway one book all girls comtemplating marriage must read is this: (click the book for excerpts!!) Its a light read but nevertheless full of tips and information.  it covers everything from handling your in-laws to managing your finances and what I like best about it is the bits of anecdotes from living, still-married couples. Hilarious doesn't even begin to describe it.


CLICK FOR EXCERPTS FROM THE BOOK

Tuesday, July 20, 2004

BEND IT LIKE IDRIS

Father and son went to play ball today. Lucky my BIL brought along the digi to capture these shots ....


And here is a shot of my handsome boy with his favourite toy-of-the-moment. His "MAN-MAN" (budak2 pun ikut trend eh?)

GIRLS' NIGHT OUT


Its been so long since Umi and I have not spent any time together. We usually make it a point to go out shopping or watch a movie or just go to the library together. We share a lot of things in common so there has never been a "generation gap" between us all along. Except perhaps different tastes in music. Recently, however, I have started giving a listen to the old songs and found them quite pleasant to the ears although I absolutely draw the line at Tom Jones and other hairy-chested male singers from that era. I can't believe girls used to go crazy over these men and actually threw their underwear at them on stage. YIKES!!


Andy Williams is coming to town so I'll be bringing Umi to go watch his concert on Friday. He is most famous for the love anthem "LOVE STORY". He also sings other nice songs like "MOON RIVER" and "SPEAK SOFTLY LOVE". His voice is real sultry and soulful. New singers of today may have the vocal range but I can't think of anyone who has a voice as honey-like as Andy Williams. (xcept maybe Ol' Blue Eyes)I'm really looking forward to spending this Fri with her. I'm sure it'd be a nice trip down memory lane for her as she and my late dad used to enjoy listening to songs from that era together.

As I am typing this, my collegue came in the door and announced WILLIAM HUNG IS DEAD !!!!!! Apparently he has died of intentional substance overdose. Click to go to the website which broke the news. Since this site is indeed a satirical site and the fact remains that no major newspaper or magazine has reported the matter, I am inclined tp think that it is just a publicity stunt to stir things up a bit for the "accidental" idol. Drop me a line if anyone knows or thinks otherwise.

Monday, July 19, 2004

THE SUN, THE SEA, THE SAND & THE HOSPITAL BED (???!!!)

 

Saturday was a thoroughly enjoyable day. We went to the sea at East Coast Park with the in-laws, both my sister's in-laws and my in-laws to-be. Umi prepared Nasi Goreng seafood & Bee Hoon goreng while my sis's in laws made Nasi Sambal Goreng. There was of course lotsa chicken and "nonsense" food for the kids and those who felt they were kids. hehehe. It was thoroughly a wonderful time. Best of all, we decided to stay till after maghrib and was amply rewarded with a preview of the display of fireworks & the flypast for National Day.

 
All the fun, laughter & enjoyment ceased that night when the phone gave a ear-piercing ring at about 1am that morning. My aunt was rushed to SGH from JB after she had an asthmatic attack. Luckily though, everything is fine altho she will be kept for a while at the hospital for observations.
 



Friday, July 16, 2004

And I'll Huff.. And I'll Puff....



 
If you're in Singapore and in desperate need of a fag, the first shock you'll get is when you ask what is the price of a regular pack. Last I heard it's SGD $8.50 per pack of 20. (dun ask me which brand, I dun smoke) And if you havn't decided to just go cold turkey after hearing that, another shock will be in store for you. Starting 1st August 2004, all cigarette packs in Singapore will carry shock images as those you see above. In a desperate attempt to discourage the people of Singapore from smoking (since increasing the duty on cigs dun sem to work anyway) they have resorted to what in my opinion is child-scare tactics. 
 
Sure, the first time, you take a look at it, you will be slightly taken aback especially since the photos seems to be close-up of certain parts of the body. But if a guy buys one packet a day, that makes it 7 packs a week, and surely within a fortnight, he will be so used to it, he could stare at the graphics and won't even flinch. And there goes all the effects of the pictures that was meant to shock. Worse still, if they decide to play it on TV ad nauseum, (Oh pleeese...SPARE ME !!!) then all the kids will also be desensitized to these images and they will end up nothing but merely a resource for jokes among them.
 
After all, what is the reaction they were hoping to get? A guy goes out to buy a pack of cigarettes, grit his teeth while handing over the money while cussing the Govt under his breath for imposing such a high price on cigs,  receive the pack of cigs, takes a look at it, gets the SHOCK of his life, wonder if the same will happen to him then SWEARS never to come near a pack of cigarettes ever again ?????? NAH...... I DIDN'T THINK SO TOOO......................



RAINDROPS KEEP FALLING AND FALLING...




Woke up to dark grey skies this morning. And as we turned into the expressway on the way to work, the rain started falling. Aahh.. How I wish I was still curled up in bed, under my warm down comforter, reading the book I left bookmarked on my bedside table last night. Probably with a hot mug of Milo and some chocolates too.... OOhh How blissful!!!

Alas! We were already on the way to my office. When I sighed out loud, THE DON cheekily suggested I go instead with him for his two short appointments then we go back to my house to enjoy the rainy weather. Oh how I wish I had the freedom to come and go as I please the way he does. Well, wait till I have my own little business set up. Then I can be the BOSS and decide to go to work or stay home and enjoy the weather. Till then.. here I am slogging for my pay in the cold, freezing office.


As usual traffic delays and accidents comes as a package with a heavy downpour like the one we're having this morning. Vehicles slow down to a crawl and pesky drivers stop using their brains and start squeezing their horns. My deepest empathy goes out to motorcyclists who have to brave the rain and those workers who are sitting on the rear of their companies' lorries and pick-up trucks. Some cover themselves with plastic sheets and others with just their hands. They are totally drenched and you can practically see them shiver. I can't help feeling sorry for them. Especially when I am in the comfort of our Lancerlot, with adjustable temperature, entertainment and even breakfast.

With the exception of that, the rain usually puts me in a good mood. No, not the kind of rain with storms and lightning, but a gentle downpour. It usually puts me in a reflective & retrospective mood. I will reminisce all the good times I've had in the rain. Or significant incidents that happened on a rainy day in the archives of my life. But the rain also makes me very lazy. Just like I am so lazy to do my work now and am here blogging about my laziness. How perfect!

Thursday, July 15, 2004

IF THE SHOE FITS.....



If I have to admit my biggest extravagance, it'd have to be shoes. It's like a habit that I can't shake off. I HAVE to buy a pair of shoes every single month. It's like almost a ritual for me. It doesn't matter what kind of shoes, cheap or expensive, as long as i like the style and the shoe fits. Some months I fall in love with a pair of $hundred plus plus Nine West shoes and some months its Vincci's RM49 pair. But the worse thing is I have so many shoes I hardly have a chance to wear them. About 3 pairs that are still in their boxes, paper wrapped and all. I havn't had the occasion to wear them yet!!!!

My shoes are mostly black (I have very conservative taste in colour) but they come in all styles, slingbacks, mary-janes, strappy, suede, open-toed, mules, 4-inch heels, (I'm vertically-challenged so the height helps!!) and usually very shiny. Basically you name it, I have it. THE DON says I could open a shoe shop with all my shoes (Don't all husbands say that?) and that the sale proceeds could buy us both first class tickets to Europe for our honeymoon. (I usually pretend I don't hear him when he talks about my shoes!!)

Since we have been saving up for the wedding and for our new house, I have had to curb my shopping instincts (yes that's what I call them, INSTINCTS!) a LOT. I started with only buying shoes below SGD$120/-. Then I stopped buying shoes every month. Only every other month, hehehe.

I sure can't wait till the wedding is over then I won't have to curb my shoe habits anymore.

Wednesday, July 14, 2004

What's In A Name?


If you enjoy literature as much as I do, I'm sure you'd remember these famous words by Shakespeare
"What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet"
- Romeo and Juliet Act II Sc II

Actually, lots of things are in a name and while the rose will smell just as sweet, no one would want to come near it in the first place.

Like what our prophet once said,
Sabda Rasullah S.A.W bermaksud ;
"Sesungguhnya kamu akan diseru pada hari kiamat dengan nama-nama kamu dan nama-nama bapa kamu. Maka indahkan nama kamu itu."
-Riwayat Abu Daud

I think a name is very important. If your name means something horrid in arabic, imagine later dipadang mashyar how will you be called ??

I'm sure glad my name is what it is. Apparently there is a very distant relative who has a similiar name and she is very intelligent and pretty. So my aunt suggested the name to my dad. My dad kinda liked the name but he took it to the Saudi Arabia Ambassador to Malaysia for confirmation of the meaning. (My dad was a political journalist so most of the ambassadors were shoulders rubbing friends) He found out that to fully have the intended meaning, the spelling should be with an "i" in the middle, the way my name is spelled. Otherwise it will have a different meaning. Oh by the way, my name means bright constellation.

Anyway for my dear friend Acidrain who will be welcoming his bundle of joy soon. I wish you best of luck in finding and choosing that all-elusive name. Don't know how much of this is true but the old folks like to say don't give a name that is too heavy a burden for the child to carry. (as in naming him a name that translates to "The Great" or something) And heres a link for the names that you should avoid giving your child. Nama Nama Di-Larang

Have fun choosing......

Tuesday, July 13, 2004

PHOBIAS

Image hosted by Photobucket.com
I always have this recurring dream....

I am going down a menancing looking staircase. I am fearful of slipping and I clutch the handle tight and take slow thoughtful steps. Suddenly something at the foot of the stairs catches my attention. I lose concentration for a split second then my feet slipped, and I roll down the stairs.

...And I wake up with a jerk. Or at the very least an involuntary spasm of the leg.

It comes most often when I am not yet fully asleep. Probably as I hover between the conscious and the sub-conscious. And usually after this happens, it will take a while before I can make myself calm enough to sleep again. Sometimes it occurs even when I am wide awake. Usually when its the first time I go down an unfamiliar flight of stairs. I get "visions" of me rolling down the stairs.

And I absolutely abhor overhead bridges with those tiny steps with those gaps in between. They are a life hazard, I tell you!!! When I have no choice but to go up or down one, I'd hold the handle for dear life and cease all other things I am doing to concentrate fully on putting my feet carefully on the steps. That means I'll end all conversations on my mobile and stop conversing with the person I am walking with before I negotiate the steps. Weird, I know!!

Ok anyway a quick research on the internet gives a name to my condition. I'm somewhere in between a
Bathmophobia - Fear of stairs or steep slopes. (I thot this one was fear of baths)
and a
Climacophobia - Fear of stairs, climbing, or of falling downstairs.

Apparently its a common recurring dream, this fear of falling down. According to some "dream experts", dreams of yourself falling is a fear of failure. According to the same site having a staircase in your dreams "symbolizes change and transformation." Perhaps its a fear of my soon-to-be new status and fear of falling short of the many many responsibilities that comes with it. I don't really know. I mean I don't exactly feel the stress consciously but I guess its there in the sub-conscious.hhhmmmm....interesting huh?

Check it out and many other phobias here

Monday, July 12, 2004

Hum A Do Drum...

I caught myself humming as I was serving dinner for THE DON just now. I'm not a hummer so when I hum I guess it just means I am really, really happy.


We ended the Kursus Pra-Nikah today and finally got the much-needed, much-anticipated cert. Today's programme was definitely the most interesting of the four days we have attended. The speakers were upfront, frank and didn't waste much time with silly group work activities like the days before. Probably because one of the modules covered today was "Kasih & Seks". The speaker was Ustadz Mohd Khair and he was hilarious!!! His animated anecdotes literally left us either laughing in stitches or guffawing in embarassment. His approach was very unique and slightly off-course from what you would normally expect of an Ustadz's delivery. Most of the day was spent comparing notes on what we thought of ourselves and what is our perception of our soon-to-be life partners. Alhamdullilah THE DON and I have healthy, solid-on-the-ground expectations of each other and are aware of our own shortcomings. I guess this is the part where the 8 long years we have spent knowing each other kicks in.

The other half of the day, as what normally happens at certificate presentation ceremonies, was filled with pleasantries and lotsa speeches from the relevant chairmans and tablemans of various committees. *Yawn*

After kursus on Saturday, our designer, Joe brought us to his completed projects sites to see real-life examples of his work. Wow!! It felt like we were being transported into the pages of Home & Decor magazines. We went to 4 different houses together and they were all very nicely done. And we did more than see their workmanship, we STOLE THEIR IDEAS!!!!hahaha hahaa. If only we had the fooloos to turn our abode into the 'syurga duniawi' these people have done with their houses. *SIGH* *DOUBLE SIGH* Looks like we'll have to made do with plastic chairs and coffeeshop dining table for now! Or even better, the trusty old tikar mengkuang !!

Saturday, July 10, 2004

Kiddy TV


Typing this while watching my handsome prince of a nephew watch his newest Barney vcd. Don't you think kids nowadays have it so lucky? I mean they just have sooo much to see and watch and do. I remember when I was a child I only had my toys. (ok I had a lot of toys) but after a while I grew bored of them and didn't have anything else to play with. I was the only kid in the house (I'm the youngest & all my siblings are much older)And I remember feeling bored a lot, especially in the mornings and early afternoon. I used to mop around the house bugging whoever I could bug (usually my mom) with my endless questions. There were kids in the neighbourhood but they played kinda rough so dainty precious me didn't like playing with them.

TV didn't start till after 3pm and sometimes I used to stare at the colourful squares on TV, counting the many lines I see.

Now with cable tvs, cartoons are on 24/7. Just last week, Muhd Idris got up from his nap at 11pm, promptly took the remote control, put in my hand and said "Cartoon??" He spent the next half hour watching Bananas In Pajamas on Disney Playhouse Channel. Lucky Brat you!!! In my time, at that god-forsaken hour I had to watch whatever my parents were watching and when the kiss-kiss scenes came one, I was banished into the room.

And back then, there wasn't any computers to play games on. Now, even my nephew who is setahun jagung (literally!!) knows how to play the games on the internet. (He loves the games on Barney.com) To play games I had to wait till my sister came home from work at 6pm. Or when my other sister (who was in nursing school & stayed in a hostel) came back for the weekends. Even then our games were those "masak-masak" and "makcik pergi pasar" type of games with rubber bands cut into small pieces to represent mee (noodles), small pieces of paper to represent rice and plasticine made fish and fork and spoon. Those were the days....

Sometimes I wondered how kids today will turn out with so much tehnology in the things they do. And just what kids in the future (a.k.a my own kids) will play with. Virtual reality maybe ??

Friday, July 09, 2004

My Lil' Princess


My Lil' princess Yasirah

Of all my nieces and nephews under the age of 5, (I have 16 nieces n nephews altogether and only 5 of them are under 5 years old) there is only one girl. Yashira. (I chose the name for her when she was born. It means Lenient/Give & Take)

She, like most young girls, adores Pink. And her favourite cartoon charaters, apart from Barbie is Power Puff Girls. Naturally when I came across a store near my office selling all these cute stuff. I could not resist buying some of them for her.




I just love the way her eyes lit up whenever she gets a present from me. And of all my nieces and nephews, i think she is the one who took the most after me. Even at this young age, she already adopted some of my traits. She has a biting tongue and is not afraid to use it. SOOOOO not unlike me... hehehehehe

New Abode

Frustrated to the max with the lembapness of the loading of my blog entries, I've attempted to make a few shortcuts and put my blogger directly here instead of hosting it on angelfire. (I'd sure miss the 10MB free storage space!! Sob! Sob!)My archives will still be available and everything will still be the same. Just that you'll have to update my blog address to

ilovediamonds.blogspot.com



Now that wasn't so hard to remember is it? Didn't get it yet?
its

I LOVE DIAMONDS DOT BLOGSPOT DOT COM



Kinda funny actually coz previously I was using iframes. And iframes is supposed to load quite quickly. Probably coz I had too many photos n all my photos had huge bytes. Well, hopefully this one works fine.... u guys lemme noe ok if u can't see anything.