Happy 6th Anniversary!

The firm of Messrs. Adillah A. Nordin is celebrating its 6th Anniversary on Friday 1st August 2008! My posting today is dedicated to all team members who have contributed tremendously in the growth of the Firm. 

Kak Midah, the Sifu in our Conveyancing department has been working for Apak since 1984. 

Nampak garang, tapi sebenarnya hatinya sangat-sangat lembut & sensitive. Kak Midah is kind and ever so helpful to anyone who wants to learn, and there is so much knowledge in her. I have learned a lot from Kak Midah. Abang Rahim, her other half is the "Penghibur" during our company trips :-) He is so funny!

Kak Faridah has been Apak's secretary since 1984. Both Kak Faridah and Kak Midah saw me growing up, and i feel so humble in their presence. Kak Faridah is assisting in our Litigation department and her work is meticulous. She doesn't talk much and speak only when delivering an important message. I would say that she is the perfect secretary for Apak. She is so well organized!

Eyta is very efficient. She works fast and learns fast. When I need something done urgently, I would normally ask Eyta to do it. Consider it done. She takes instructions really well and asks questions if she is not sure. Eyta is the perfect assistant. Eyta's husband, Azahari, is also a friend and joins us in all our company trips - he would buy the strangest souvenirs! :-)
Kak Midah, Kak Faridah and Eyta are the people who have been with me ever since we started in 2002. They are my Core Team.  I cannot imagine the Firm without these 3 very special people who are so loyal and dedicated. 

Zurina is our Legal Assistant in the Conveyancing Department. She was my first pupil & joined the Firm when she was called to the Bar in 2003. I can see the growth in Zurina through the years and she is now so much more confident and assertive with clients. The others call her Ustazah as she speaks Arabic fluently & she is our check-point on religious matters! Zurina works independently most of the time and would only ask for my opinion on issues when unsure. Shidi, Zurina's husband joined us for our trip to Cambodia last year and it was a real pleasure getting to know him.

I would say that Faizah is the most friendliest amongst all of our staffs. The office is quiet whenever she is on leave! Faizah started as  a staff in Nordin Group and we absorbed her into the Firm as we could see that she is capable of doing so much more. She does her work well and has a positive attitude to learning. It's good having Faizah's husband, Hizam join us in our trips too.

I don't see Pakcik Longchek as merely being the driver. He takes care of Adlan, Hakim, Adlina & Anas, as he shuttles them to and from school, tuition & afternoon activities. He is a great help. He also assists with banking and posting. Longchek is a devoted husband and father, always talking about his family. His wife, Kak Zaiton, joined us in our trip last year & we could see the special relationship that they have.

Mas is always ready to help. She learns from others and executes her tasks well. Although she is primarily assisting in our Litigation department, she would also lend a hand to the staffs in Conveyancing department when they call in for help. It's good to have Mas in our team.

Cherryl is the first person you will meet as you enter our office. She brightens up the front desk! Cherryl is soft spoken & polite. She makes our clients feel comfortable as they wait to be attended to.

Saad has been with us for over a year now. He is a big help for all our land matters. I cannot now imagine how we got by without him before he joined us. He has settled countless problems at the land office & managed to overcome even the most difficult snags. I'm glad Saad is with us.

So, these are the team members of Messrs. Adillah A. Nordin.

I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to all of you for assisting me and being with me throughout the years. We have gone through so much together, the ups and downs, the tears and sweat, the pains and hurts, the joy and laughter. You each have contributed in the success of the Firm, and I am very proud of you. You are my family.

Happy 6th Anniversary!

Footnote: Thank you so much to Zaharim for a really special posting on the Firm's anniversary here.

An Evening at Jonker Street

Welcome to Jonker Street

Have you been to Malacca recently? If you haven't & you're making plans for your family for the upcoming school mid-term break, please consider Malacca as your holiday destination! We have much to offer! The historical sites (recently acknowledged by UNESCO as World Heritage), the good food (cheap & the variety is endless), the shopping malls (not as good as KL, but better than many other states in Malaysia), the river cruise, the observation tower... plenty of things to see & do! 

One of the special places that you must visit when you are in Malacca is Jonker Street. Last night the residents of Danau Kaseh played tourist in our home state & spent the evening in the delightful Jonker Street. It was quite a fascinating experience!

Jonker Street is a small street within the heritage zone which is lined by old shop houses built more than 100 years ago. Every weekend, from 6pm onwards, the street is closed to traffic & transforms into a whimsical night market with hundreds of stalls and little shops selling interesting wares from all over the world. 

Interesting bottled fruit juices

We were so pleasantly surprised last night to find so many little treasures. Adlan got an original deck of Pokeman cards (apparently difficult to find now & less than half the normal price), Hakim chose a wooden gun that shoots rubber bands (it's a real classic!), Adlina found herself  some lovely Hello Kitty stuffs & Anas was so happy to get a pair of binoculars (just RM7 & works perfectly!). 

So many toys, Anas rambang mata (Mama pening)

Zaharim & I found that we were fleeced in Singapore - the special multi-coloured LED clock that Zaharim got at the Singapore Discovery Centre for SGD8.00 last weekend is just selling for RM8 at Jonker Street! It's exactly the same! So, he got himself another one last night. And me: I bought a wooden puzzle at the Singapore Science Centre which I thought was a steal at SGD3.00. It's only RM3 at Jonker Street! So, I bought 2 last night. Unbelievable that we could find those things here!  

There were thousands of things to see: wooden carvings from exotic Bali, fabrics and cotton from India, Korean brooches and clothes, Chinese toys & bric-bracs, Vietnamese handmade bags, and not forgetting local products: from beaded shoes to pineapple tarts. 

It's like walking into history, as Malacca was in the 15th Century when it was host to traders from all over the world! 

Walking along Jonker Street last night, I could just imagine how vibrant Malacca port must have been 600 years ago. What a great evening!

Farah

Farah Nadiah has been a member of Messrs. Adillah A Nordin ever since she started chambering in 2005. She was my pupil when she chambered. After she was called to the Bar, Farah continued her career as a Legal Assistant in our Firm, specializing in Civil and Banking Litigation.

Farah is very serious and meticulous in executing her work. She is responsible and conscientious. She works independently most of the time. Farah takes instructions very well and she is naturally good at drafting documents. Being in charge of our Litigation department, she spends most of her mornings in Court, mentioning cases and taking judgments. Farah handles all her Court matters well.

If you don't know her well enough, you may think that Farah is a little aloof. She is actually not. Farah is just a very shy girl. Once she warms up to you, you will find her to be quite engaging. Farah is well liked by the legal fraternity in Malacca as she is very helpful, being active in many activities organized by the Malacca Bar Committee.

When Farah informed me two weeks ago that she was leaving the Firm, I was crushed. I truly felt like I was losing a friend, not a staff. But I told Farah that I would not stop her from pursuing the career path that she has chosen. Farah will leave our Team next week and begin a career in the Multimedia University. It will be a sad day for Messrs. Adillah A Nordin when she finally leaves next week.

To Farah, I wish you every success that you deserve and a lifetime of achievements. All the very best in your new undertaking. 

Farewell, my friend.

Daily Ramblings

Sometimes its good to be away from your kids once in a while, just for Papa & Mama to have some quality time together.  Zaharim & I went to Singapore & stayed just for one night on Friday. Thanks to Jerd & Ery, for taking care of the kids on Friday night.

It was actually a business trip for Zaharim & I tagged along. I spent most of Friday in the hotel room  drafting an Agreement which is due to a client by Monday. It was refreshing to be working in a different environment. It helped that when I checked into the hotel, the very friendly girl at the reception upgraded our room to a lovely Suite with free internet access! It was terrific! I was so comfortable & happy to be working on my Agreement in the huge room with a clear view of the Eye On Singapore that I cancelled my earlier plan to go to Orchard Road for some "recreational" activities (read: shopping). So, I saved some money & managed to finish a large portion of my work at the same time. Wonderful! 

But mothers can never be away from home & their kids for too long. We were home by Saturday evening & back to all the chaos of little people hovering around you fighting for undivided attention. :-) Everyone was happy with their loot: Adlan got a new basketball, Hakim adored his Spy Walkie-Talkie & Adlina loved the Hello Kitty stuffs. Anas was asleep by the time we got home & I held him close in my arms for a good ten minutes on his bed. It's so good to be back home.

Lazy Sunday came with a simple but surprising pleasure of discovering that our tiny rambutan tree is fruiting for the very first time!

The kids proudly showing off all of our 6 Rambutans

How exciting for the residents of Danau Kaseh: exactly 6 perfect rambutan, one for each of us! (^_^)

There is really no place like home... <3

The Historic Debate

I was one of the millions of Malaysians who was glued to the TV this evening to watch the Historic Debate between Anwar Ibrahim & Shabery Cheek on the Rise in Fuel Price in Malaysia. Did you watch it?

Wow! What a Show! Glad I didn't miss it. So, how would I judge the Debate from a purely objective point of view?

To me: Anwar won the Debate, hands down. 

Shabery was no match to Anwar. Seriously.

Anwar was truly in his element: as gentleman as ever, he was cool & composed as he clearly argued his points, supported by data, facts and figures. He explained his proposed mechanism to reduce the fuel price, all in layman's terms so that it could be understood even by pakciks in the kampungs. He resisted the temptation of using the forum to explain his personal issues even when goaded by Shabery. He didn't even waste any time responding to any of the personal attacks leveled at him by Shabery. He continued to stick to his point on fuel price & the management of the Economy. He gave credible and practical solutions. Hats off to Anwar. I give him full points.

Shabery, on the other hand, was only interested in leveling personal attacks on Anwar from the word go. He kept on going into history, not to make any point on the fuel price, but to criticize Anwar's past actions, even mentioning demonstrations led by Anwar as far back as 1974. What has that got to do with the recent fuel price hike? At this stage, especially in this Debate, Malaysians are not interested to hear about Anwar or his past. We want to know about the Government's plans to ease the burden of the Rakyat following the escalating food prices due to the rise in fuel price. Unfortunately, Shabery failed to explain this convincingly. He didn't answer much of the questions posed to him. He didn't clarify the Government's position clearly. By the 2nd session of the Debate, he had lost all credibility & most of his speech was off topic. Even by standards set in Secondary School level debating competitions, Shabery would have lost. It was quite disappointing.

I felt that the Finance Minister should have represented the Government instead. Why did they field Shabery for the Debate? He was clearly not equipped to face Anwar. I guess no other ministers dared to rise to the challenge.

But credit must be given to the Government for allowing the Debate to be aired live on TV for all Malaysians to see. This would never have have happened in the previous government.

Well, that's my take on the Historic Debate.

Let's hope that this will be the first of many more to come!

Family Fun

It's a day full of fun activities for the whole family! 

Had breakfast early (Pizzahut for breakfast! Shocking!); kids went for their haircuts; played some games at the arcade (this is really rare. Zaharim & I even tried the F1 race - it's really tough!); had cakes & ice-cream at Secret Recipe (there goes my diet.. sigh..); bought Adlan a new phone (he lost his phone 3 weeks ago) & BEST of all: we all went Bowling for the very first time!!

The kids never tried bowling before & we all had LOADS of FUN! Anas was hilarious but in the 1st game, he even beat Adlan's score - malunya Adlan (>_<). But our hero redeemed himself in the 2nd game when he beat everyone else & emerged champion, defeating even Papa with a grand score of 111 points! Not bad eh? Hakim & Adlina were good first timers too! They were more consistent with their throws. Well Done everyone!

What a GREAT Family Sunday filled with fun & laughter & warm fuzzy feelings... <3

Time Out

Nature has a way of telling you to stop & take time out! This morning, I felt like I couldn't get up. My body must have cried out for help as I didn't give it the rest it deserved when I was down with my sinus infection last week. Last night, it turned into a full-blown flu & unbearable coughs! This time, I have to admit that I am ill... sigh.. 

So, here I am, in bed at home, having given up fighting nature, making peace with my body, taking my necessary Time Out.

Petrosains ACTology - Grand Finale

Adlan & team won 3rd Prize in the Petrosains ACTology Competition Grand Finale!! Yaaayy!! They won for their school a Science project by Petrosains and a multimedia set; & for the team a 4 days/3 nights educational tour package within Malaysia! Congratulations!!!

The day started very early for us this morning (left home by 6.10 am - the challenge was to wake Anas up!) as we didn't want to miss the event in MATIC, Kuala Lumpur. Hakim, Adlina & Anas were given special permission by the kay-poh mum to skip school for the day (ahem, note to class teachers will follow..). When we reached the venue, I was relieved to find that we were not the only kay-poh parents in the auditorium (should set up the National Kay-Poh Parents Club - won't be short of members. Seriously!). Some came all the way from Penang & even Sabah! 

5 schools were competing: from Penang, Kelantan, Sabah, Sarawak & of course, Malacca. All the teams put up a remarkable show! Adlan's team was fabulous in their drama called "A Night in the Science Centre". All of them did so well, I was really really proud of them! Well Done to Adlan & team! Thanks to Puan Mak & Ms Shik for their guidance!

A special poster for St David High School

But the 1st Prize winners from SMK Hamid Khan Penang stole the show!! They were so funny (Great script! Kudos to the teachers!) & the actors were fantastic! They truly deserved to win! Congratulations!

Adlan & team won 3rd Prize!

Group pix with the 1st Prize winners 

(1st prize winners are going to Hong Kong!)

As a participant in the Petrosains ACTology National Science Theater Competition, Adlan has learned so much more than mere acting. He learned to think creatively, he learned the skills of planning, coordination and project management, he experienced the importance of teamwork, he conquered his fear of standing and speaking in front of a crowd and he learned to become more responsible - not just to himself, but also to others. All these are invaluable skills and experiences. Thanks so much to Petrosains for the exposure (the free educational trip is a plus of course)! :-)

I would like to end by quoting a part of the speech by the CEO of Petrosains, a quote by a Chinese philosopher, Lao Tze -

"Tell me and I will listen,

Show me and I will see,

Let me experience, and I will learn"  

There are just too many lessons that we must learn outside the classroom. The lessons we learn from experience are the most powerful. I truly believe this.

Petrosains ACTology - Waving Off

The Petrosains Actology Final Competition is finally here! It will be held in MATIC, KL on Tuesday 8th July & Adlan's team from St David is one of the 5 finalists! 

The event is extra special as Zaharim & Azim had helped Adlan's team with some of the props & posters for the drama. The set for the drama looks fantastic with the new props! (More pictures on this later)

one of the props

Today, the team leaves for KL for briefing on the event, rehearsals and the final. Petrosains has arranged for all the participants to stay in the Zon, KLCC for a couple of nights.

Adlan & the Director, Narain

Alif & Joel packing the Clock in the Bus

Adwina, YZ & Paveetra on the Bus

Cherlyn going up the Bus with some props

As I was waving Adlan off in school, I felt both excitement and apprehension: Excited that Adlan will be experiencing so many new things in the next 3 days. & apprehensive that my boy is going to be away from home! It's never easy to let go... Adlan has grown up so fast! Where did the time go? Sigh..

Kay-Poh Parents Club members

(I wasn't the only parent with a worried look)

ALL  THE VERY BEST of LUCK to Adlan & Team! See you on Tuesday!

Mama's Sick Day

Hands up all mothers out there who is reading this posting! If you are a mother, you will find my story yesterday very familiar..

It's been hectic in Danau Kaseh the past 3 days with Hakim, then Adlina getting sick. All these happening with me getting a bad sinus infection with bouts of massive headaches. But being a mother, we actually have no time to get sick. Seriously. 

So, whilst I was myself ill yesterday (& our driver had to be on leave), this was my schedule:-

6.00 am : Adlina was wheezing badly & her temperature shot up. Gave her some paracetamol. 

6.45 am : Adlan & Hakim left for school.

7.30 am : Prepared Anas for school.

8.00 am : Zaharim went to work.

8.15 am : Sent Anas to school then immediately went to Pantai hospital (waited for over 1 hour!)

9.30 am : Dr Lee finally examined Adlina & told me that she was having asthma (horror!)

9.45 am : Adlina was put on a nebulizer. Was told to come back at 3pm.

10.15 am : I went to see the physician at Pantai's A & E. Was told that my sinus was inflamed (hence the massive headaches). Doctor gave me 2 types of antibiotics & some other ubat. 

10.50 am: While driving, got a call from client. Wanted his draft Agreement amended immediately (!!!)

11.00 am :  Came home with Adlina. Amended the Agreement in bed & emailed to client.

11.50 am : Finally felt I couldn't take it any more & started to doze off...

12.10 pm : Anas came home from school & was excited that Mama's home & wouldn't leave Mama in peace.. (tak sampai 20 mins nap..). Head throbbing. Just lied down in bed with Anas pouncing on me every now & then..

1.30 pm : Got up (after failing to get any sleep at all) & went to fetch Adlan from school 

1.45 pm : In Adlan's school & met his teachers as we are helping them with some props for the Petrosains Actology Drama Competition next Tuesday.

2.15 pm : Dropped by at Jusco as Adlan needed to get a hooded jacket as part of his costume for the drama.

3.00 pm : Reached home, dropped Adlan & picked up Adlina to go to Pantai hospital for her afternoon nebulizer.

4.00 pm : Reached home & Adlina wanted to eat mee kari & since she was sick & didn't eat much for the past 3 days, I immediately cooked mee kari & then baked her favourite cake which is the Victorian Sandwich Cake.

6.00 pm : Kids happily eating mee kari & cake.

6.05 pm : Collapsed in bed (with a really big headache this time). Finally got my rest..

7.30 pm : Got up, had a shower & felt much better when Zaharim came home.

Familiar mothers? 

Mak once told me: Anak kalau sakit, mak jaga. Tapi kalau mak yang sakit, kena jaga diri sendiri. I understand what she means perfectly... Thanks so much Mak for all those days you took care of us when you were ill yourself..

For those of you planning to be a mother, please don't let this scare you. The JOYS of being a mother is sooooo much more fun, rewarding & fulfilling, & will easily overcome 1000 sick days!