ST DAVID'S HIGH SCHOOL CARNIVAL 2011

The State Champions performing for the Chief Minister

CM walking around the Carnival, impressed by the turnout!

Shaking hands with parents and students

Taking time with the futsal players



Our school field on the day of the Carnival

Thanks to ICI Paint for donating free paint to re-paint all our school buildings. We are proud to be the 1st school in Malaysia to be the recepient of ICI's special CSR program called Tunas Harapan. Thanks to the Chief Minister of Melaka for spending time with us at the Carnival.

Thanks to the team of parents, teachers and students who have given their all to ensure the success of this event! It was so much fun!

Special thanks to the most dedicated team of parents: Josephine, Puteh, Azian, Fazy, Wan, Alice, Eleanor, Jaishree, Pat, Mike, Kemmy, Jagan, Sonia, Christine & Joyce. You are all so inspiring and fantastic! It's a pleasure to lead a team of volunteers who are so committed to do so much although they have nothing at all to gain except for the satisfaction of having helped change the lives of others. Thanks to Qabil & Kerry for organizing the futsal tournament and being around to help with everything.

I am indeed Proud to be in St david's High School (^_^)

Postscript: Body aching all over BUT feeling extremely HAPPY!!

SCHOOL CARNIVAL 2011

The St David's High School Carnival is coming back with a BANG! Come join us on SATURDAY 25TH JUNE 2011 for a FUN-Filled Family Time!! This year, apart from 70 Food Stalls organized by the teachers & students and the oh-so-scary Ghost House, we'll also be having Paintball, Wall Climb, Trampoline, Flying Fox, Abseiling, Pony Rides & many, many more!

After 2 years of roaring success, the St David's High School Carnival has become an event to look forward to in Malacca! All proceeds from the event will go to our School Building Fund to upgrade the infrastructure of the School. Our main priority this year is to renovate and re-furnish our 4 Science Labs which have not been refurbished since 1960! Needless to say, the tables and benches are all termite infested & desperately need changing!!

Please do come and have a wonderful time with your family at the Carnival, all for a good cause (^_^)

Istanbul

May started with a bang for me with a trip to Istanbul to attend the Global Summit of Women! What an experience to be amongst so many inspiring women who are successful in their own respective fields! The delegates from Malaysia led by our First Lady of Malaysia were organized by SMECorp. Thanks so much to Kak Normah for taking me to Istanbul!!

Perfect weather with clear blue skies!

The Global Summit of Women was conceived as the nexus at which all sectors - public, private & non-profit - would come together under the common vision of dramatically expanding women's economic opportunities globally through exchanges of working solutions and creative strategies forged by women leaders in all parts of the world. I was so proud to be a Malaysian as our leaders both in the public and private sectors were great speakers who shined! Our very own Women's Minister, Datuk Shahrizat was easily the best speaker of the whole Summit!

With Kak Normah: the ambience at a centuries old cistern was mystical

Wonderful friends we met: Yati, Joanne & Alice

The Haunting Swirling Dervishes

Hagia Sofya is a must see in Istanbul

The Beautiful Blue Mosque

The Grand Bazaar's tempting wares!

Istanbul, being right at the border between Europe and Asia, is a land of contrasts. They are neither European nor Asian - exactly somewhere in between. This fusion of cultures is reflected in everything in Istanbul, their architecture, their food, their traditions.. even their approach to religion. We were lucky to be there in Spring with the sun shining brightly and the cool wind blowing. Flowers - tulips, tulips, tulips, of every colour imaginable - were everywhere! Istanbul is hauntingly beautiful.

For me, it was a such an eye-opener! Meeting all those wonderful ladies from Malaysia in such diverse fields was electric! A shock to my system! I realize that there is a huge world out there outside of Melaka & perhaps, it's time to spread my wings and fly!!! (^_^)

Happy Anniversary to Apak & Mak

Wishing Apak and Mak a very Happy Anniversary.. After 49 years, they still hold hands while sitting next to each other whilst having a conversation with me, Eda & Win that evening. It brought a tear in my eye being in the presence of so much love... To Apak & Mak: Thank you so much for everything that you have taught me, for all your sacrifices, for your unconditional love and understanding. I am who I am today primarily because of you, and for that I'm eternally grateful.. I love you so much, Apak & Mak.. Happy Anniversary!!

The Awakening

It was a journey like no other.

The feeling of being in MasjidilHaram and facing the Baitullah for the first time is just too amazing for words. I felt a throb in my chest, and all my senses felt as if they tingled, and without even realizing it, I was in tears. It seemed like everything else which surrounded me, the crowd, the people, the sounds, moved to the background. I only saw the Kaabah and there was me. It was such a surreal experience.

It was as if something in me had finally awakened, as if I had found something that I didn't even realize I had lost. Maybe I had found myself. The true reason for my being. Why I am placed on this earth. I am now finally at peace with myself and my Creator.. Rasa begitu dekat dengan Allah..

Alhamdulillah, AZ and I were blessed to arrive in Tanah Suci on the official first week of visa Umrah. This means that the holy place was not crowded as usual. Semua perjalanan, urusan dan ibadat telah dipermudahkan oleh Allah. Alhamdulillah. Kami berkesempatan membuat yang wajib dan sunat. Bersolat dan berdoa di tempat-tempat yang paling diidamkan. Menyempurnakan amal dan ibadat yang tidak pernah kami lakukan sebelum ini. The mosque is just so beautiful and peaceful. I felt so blessed to be a guest in Allah's home.. Alhamdulillah, Alhamdulillah, Alhamdulillah.

Every prayer was so precious. Almost every time I sought His forgiveness, His indulgence, His guidance, every time I thanked Him for everything that He has given me, tears would just fall. What a feeling to pray with the Kaabah right in front of you and the sky above you. I kept closing my eyes and re-opening them to see whether or not I was dreaming. Whether or not I was really saying my doa in front of the Kaabah. For the first time ever in my life, I was looking forward to every waktu solat. Even Subuh! Masya Allah..

Every daily activities in Mekah are scheduled around prayer times. How wonderful is that? Why can't it be the same in Malaysia? Shops are temporarily closed during prayer times which means that everyone can walk over to the mosque and solat berjemaah. 100,000 kali ganda pahalanya dibandingkan dengan solat di tempat-tempat lain. Wow! Terlalu hebat ganjarannya..

Now I understand what Mak meant when she said that I would only fully appreciate the feeling of being in Mekah when I go there. And I understand that praying is not just for Allah, but also for me, to cleanse my mind, my heart and my soul so that ultimately, I would be able to perfect my submission to Allah.

Ya Allah, aku memohon dariMu untuk diberi peluang lagi menjadi tetamu di RumahMu bersama-sama dengan AZ dan anak-anakku... Amin..

Labaikallah Hummalabaik..

Alhamdulillah, we received confirmation last night that our Visa Umrah has been approved and Insya Allah we will be embarking on our spiritual journey soon..

Ya Allah, permudahkanlah perjalanan kami ini dan terimalah segala amal ibadat kami.. Janganlah Kau menduga kami dengan dugaan-dugaan di luar kemampuan kami.. Tingkatkanlah kesabaran kami dan hilangkanlah kemarahan kami.. Ya Allah, kami pohon dariMu kesegaran tubuh badan semasa menjalankan ibadah ini, kuatkan keimanan dan kepercayaan kami, tambahkanlah ilmu pengetahuan kami, keberkatan rezeki, peluang bertaubat sebelum mati, mendapat rahmat pada saat kematian menjelang tiba serta mendapat pengampunan selepas mati. Hanya kepadaMu tempat kami memohon dan berlindung, Ya Allah.

Sebelum berangkat, saya ingin meminta ampun dan maaf dari hujung rambut ke hujung kaki sekiranya saya pernah menyinggung perasaan sesiapa di sini by something I said, or didn't say, did or didn't do, or if something I had written had hurt any of you here. Dalam pergaulan dan interaksi kita seharian, dalam keadaan sedar ataupun tidak, kita pasti ada melukakan hati, menyakiti, menaikkan kemarahan, mendukakan, menyinggung perasaan... and for all that, I sincerely apologize from the bottom of my heart. Minta dihalalkan makan dan minum..

Labaikallah Hummalabaik..

Bonjour Paris

Had an amazing week in France this week, working for 2 days with clients in Nantes and enjoyed the sites and sounds of Paris with AZ thereafter. Will write more about this beautiful city when I'm not so jet-lagged, but for now, do enjoy some of the pictures...

The awe-inspiring Tour Eiffel

Me, a mime & the Arc de Triomphe

The Champs Elysees, home to sinful designer labels

AZ in the Sully Wing at the Louvre

The Pyramide seems out of place but somehow

blended with the centuries old Louvre Palais

The view from the Eiffel Tower is simply breathtaking

Thanks so much to Encik Mazlan & Puan Normah for this work-cum-pleasure trip. And to my darling AZ, thank you for the really special Anniversary presents (^_^)

Adlan's PMR Results

Congratulations to Adlan for getting 5As & 3Bs in his PMR. Bs for BM, Sejarah & Agama is a real achievement for Adlan who normally scores Cs in his past exams for those subjects...

Well Done, darling! Mama and Papa are mighty proud of you!

PS: Adlan missed an A to guarantee him a set of Roland Drums that he's been pining for all year long. Papa and Mama are now in process of reviewing this requirement based on VERY VERY good behaviour (^_^)

WANITA - December 2010

Thank you to the team members of Majalah Wanita for featuring our family in the December 2010 issue. Special thanks to the Chief Editor of the magazine, Kak Normala for such wonderful write up. It is our hope that the article will inspire more and more families to stay close together and aim for excellence in life.

Wishing everyone a most productive last month of the year (^_^)

PS: Since I don't have any pictures, here's a link about this in Hasanah's blog.. Thanks Hasanah!

Happy Birthday Anas

Happy 8th Birthday to our darling Anas. He's a real joy in the Danau Kaseh household - although Adlan & Hakim may disagree to this sometimes :D

Anas asked for a camera for his birthday (Aiyo! Budak-budak sekarang ni demanding betul!). Thinking back, I think I got my first camera when I was in University!! Times have changed tremendously.. Sigh..

To Anas: Happy Birthday sayang. Mama & Papa love you LOTS. Don't forget to share the camera with BaLong, Nyanyah & Chakchik!

Eda's Spiritual Journey

My sister Emilda and her husband Aswad are flying off tonight to perform their Hajj. They will be away for 44 days. Waving Eda off about an hour ago was somehow so difficult for me.. I tried so hard not to cry, but I just couldn't help myself. I know how Eda must feel to leave her children for over a month to go on this spiritual journey..

I love all my 6 sisters very much, but I must admit that Eda and Win are the closest to me. Apart from AZ, they are always the first people I turn to whenever I need help or seek an opinion on something. We share our joys and pains together, we laugh and cry, we support each other. Through thick and thin. You can't choose your family but you can choose your friends. I'm one of those lucky few who have my sisters as my best friends.

Last week, Eda came to my office and gave me a sealed envelope with instructions to open it only if something happens to her and Aswad. We were both overcome with emotions. Amidst sobs and tears, I told Eda that we will open the envelope together when she comes home safely from Mekah in December. I wouldn't want to even think otherwise.

To my darling sister, Eda the Buttercup: Wishing you and Aswad a safe passage to Mekah and back home. Semoga Allah sentiasa melindungi dan merahmati setiap ibadat dan Akak doakan Eda & Aswad mendapat Haji yang mabrur dan terbaik. Take care of each other (^_^)

10.10.10

A very special date today. 3 years ago, Adlan fell & broke his kneecap. We were in Pantai Hospital after his operation when we saw Sheikh Muzaffar's launch into space, live on TV. And now 3 years later, I'm watching the Astronaut's wedding live on TV3. 10,000 guests! Wow! Seems quite overwhelming! Wishing them both a life full of love and understanding..

For me, the Sunday of 10.10.10 was spent in the best way ever which was lazing around doing nothing with my kids, eating dinner together and having a nice quiet chat with AZ..

Have a good week people (^_^)

Another Year Added

my beautifully wrapped present

A day becomes special when the people you love around you make it special. Otherwise it's just another ordinary day..

I feel lucky I have so many people around me who have made my day so special today.. Thank you so much to AZ and the kids for the presents. I love them! AZ completed my iPod RED collection and the kids shared to buy Mama 2 new pets.. I strongly suspect that although the terrapins are Mama's birthday present, they were chosen more for Adlina & Anas to play with ;) I adore them nonetheless (thanks to Ateh for going to the pet shop & helping them buy the terrapins. And thanks for the 30% discount!!).

More importantly, I had a very special conversation with AZ yesterday over lunch which made me feel all warm and fuzzy. He may not have noticed how important those words were to me, but they were rare and precious, and reassuring. I will remember and treasure them.

Thanks to the team members of Messrs. Adillah A. Nordin for the surprise birthday party! It means a lot to me. It made the day special, and not just ordinary.. Thanks.

Just to share 2 memorable Haha :D scenes:-

Scene 1: Venue - Subaidah Restaurant, Jln Hang Tuah

Papa: Hakim has something for you from all of us.

Hakim: Here's your present Mama. Guess what's in it!

Mama: (Looking at the size of the beautifully wrapped box which could easily fit a ring) Is it jewellery? (asking hopefully!)

Hakim: (Looking panic stricken) Errr.. Guess again.

(So, it was the latest iPod Nano with touch screen! Not a jewellery!)

Scene 2: Venue - Home

Mama: Thank you so much for the terrapins! What a surprise!

Adlina: We all shared to buy the present, Mama.

Adlan: Hmm.. actually Mama, I had nothing to do with it. Really.

Adlina: Err.. Bang Long. Hakim took your money from your wallet..

Adlan: Haaaakkiiiimm!!!

Have a great day everyone.. (6_6)

Hari Raya 2010

The residents of Danau Kaseh had a wonderful family time on 1st Syawal! This year, 1st day of Hari Raya was celebrated in Melaka and here are some pictures of the Celebration of Love and Life:-

All 42 of us: Boria Kampung Pinang!

The residents of Danau Kaseh -

Kids have grown tremendously!

Raya Eve: Exchange of Gifts & Duit Raya

Mak + Apak

Anas + his cousins

Anak2 Mak + Apak :-)

Thanks to Mak & Apak for instilling in all of us the importance of staying close. What better time than during Hari Raya to reinforce our ties and celebrate the abundance of love and precious family bond. Thank you so much to everyone for making our Hari Raya very, very special.

Wishing everyone well for the rest of Syawal. Happy visiting families & friends!

Note to self: Beware of the temptations of Food Glorious Food at the upcoming Openhouses (gulp!) (^_^)

Salam Syawal 1431

Wishing everyone a blessed Hari Raya surrounded by loved ones.

Biggest Loser

The residents of Danau Kaseh are in the running for the Nordin family's Ramadhan's Biggest Loser contest!! This is Kak Long's brainchild of course (she's the most creative member of the family when it comes to team building!). So, whoever loses the most weight wins!

Status so far: Papa: less 2kg; Mama: Less 2kg; Adlan: less 2kg; Hakim: less 2kg; Adlina: less 1.5kg; Anas: less 2kg.

This is rather average la.. Some members of the family have lost 4-5kg so far!! I was hoping to lose more weight this year but unfortunately same as last year: First week down by 2kg, then maintain for the rest of the fasting month!! Worse still, after 3 days of Raya, the 2kg will be back on with an extra 1kg to spare!! Yikes!!

Happy fasting people (^_^)

Ramadhan Al-Mubarak

Wishing everyone a blessed Ramadhan. Semoga kesemua amalan kita di bulan yang mulia ini diberkati Allah. Maaf sekiranya ada tersilap kata, terkasar bahasa, terluka hati.. (^_^)

ST DAVID'S HIGH SCHOOL CARNIVAL 2010

Come one, Come ALL to the St David's High School Carnival 2010! Bring along your family to have GREAT FUN while helping us raise funds to furnish our New School Block!

Organizing this year's Carnival is so much more meaningful for me this year for 2 reasons: 1. The construction of the New School Block has already started (unbelievable but true!); and 2. Hakim is also now in St David's. So 2 of my Boys are going to join in the fun in organizing the Carnival!

Following the success of our Carnival last year, we decided to organize this event again this year:

SATURDAY 3rd JULY 2010 from 9.00am to 4.00pm.

If you are living in Malacca or will be in Malacca on that date, please don't miss is ok? Hope to see you and your family (^_^)

Hasanah's Love Story

AZ's longest serving Danau staff, Hasanah is getting married today! We are so happy and excited for her.

To Hasanah & Anuar: As you start your journey in life together, we wish you a lifetime of happiness, laughter and understanding. Semoga Allah sentiasa memberkati dan melindungi. Take care of each other ya.. Selamat Pengantin Baru!

GOLD COAST: AAN Firm Trip 2010

The staffs of Messrs. Adillah A Nordin and their respective spouses had a blast in Gold Coast, Australia during our annual Firm trip last week!! What a GREAT time we had!

The weather was brilliant, with the sun shining brightly during the day with a temperature of 18-20 degrees. The evenings were a little bit chilly with a low of 11 degrees, but this was definitely a good experience for everyone. Came back and felt how hot & humid Malaysia is!!

What were the highlights? Well, there were many! Seaworld & the Dolphin Show. The Stunt Drivers performing live at Movie World. The Roller Coaster rides. The Sheep Shearing show. Gawking at the sleepy Koalas. Petting the Kangaroos. The nice apartments by the sea. The walks in the evening. Shopping at the Surfer's Paradise. Just being together as a team.. The journey for me was so relaxing, with a lot of warm and fuzzy feelings..

Here are some pictures -

At the Sheep Shearing podium

(Hadi volunteered to shear the sheep!)

Waiting for the next show

The Amazing Dolphin Show - WOW!

I went on this ride! OMG!! How did I live through it?

AZ persuaded (forced?) me to go on the Batman ride which was the vertical fall from a height of 8 stories (I think). It was terrifying. Definitely my first and last!! He went on it twice! So did Shah & Hadi.

All 19 of us on Mt Cootha

Apak+Mak, AZ+me, K.Midah + B.Rahim, K.Faridah, Eyta + Azahari, Faizah + Hizam, Longchek + K.Ton, Mas + Shah; and the first timers Saad, Lina, Asalina + Hadi. Look at the clear blue sky!

Naik Bas jalan-jalan

AZ + me

Apak, Mak + me

This trip was made extra special because Apak and Mak joined us. Mak was the chief Chef, making sure everyone was well fed - asyik makan, makan, makan! We were lucky all the food we brought into Australia was allowed in by the Customs except for the Milo & 3-in-1 Nescafe. Imagine: even Mak's sambal belacan & asam jawa lepas! Haha :D

It was the 6th time we had travelled together as a group, and it does get better and better. Thanks to everyone for making the trip and the whole journey so much fun and special.

Really looking forward to the next trip (^_^)