A Mother's Pride

I am SO PROUD of Adlan today!! His team from St David High School won the State level Choral Speaking competition & they will be representing Malacca at the National level competition in July! For those who are unfamiliar, Choral Speaking is like Story-Telling but in a group of about 30 people.

Here's the story...

It could not have happened on a busier day. I had meetings fixed at 9am, 12.30pm & 4pm. & the host school is in Alor Gajah! Of all places, they have to choose a venue 40 minutes away from town! But I told myself I cannot miss his performance because his team has been practicing so hard the last 2 months & he is all excited about it! And this is the first time Adlan is representing his school for a competition, and surely I can't miss such an important milestone in his life!

So, I rushed in the heavy rain after my meeting in the morning & arrived at the venue, in time to see 7 other schools perform & in time to give last-minute good-luck-cheers to Adlan & his team-mates who were all nervous & excited at the same time. & then it was their turn...

Thank God I didn't miss it!

Their performance was OUTSTANDING! From the word go, they were all articulate, expressive & convincing! Their delivery & gestures were flawless. They told a story about Valentine's Day & the script was superb! The script writer & coach, Anna Nonis (who happens to be an old friend) did an incredible job. Thanks Anna! Adlan had some solo lines & he did extremely well. I was so, so proud of him. Miss Shik & Miss Ely, the teachers who accompanied the Team were beaming!

Their main contenders were Malacca High School & Convent. But everyone agreed that St David did exceptionally well & when they were announced as the Champion, everyone cheered! Adlan's team was hysterical & they were all screaming, laughing & clapping together! Adlan learnt an important lesson about teamwork & team spirit today, & that is truly priceless.

What I experienced today was something no one could understand, except for proud mothers who have gone through similar events. I felt so many feelings at the same time: I was apprehensive, nervous, excited, happy, surprised, proud, euphoric. I felt so much love & pride that my heart felt like it was bursting! Seriously.

I had a quiet chat with Miss Shik before the performance & she told me that there are a few students who were really hardy & always gave their best in every single practice & Adlan was one of them. My eyes were brimming with tears when I heard that.

As I drove (exceeding the speed limit) to my next meeting (I was late), I made a solemn promise to myself to take the day off to be with Adlan & his team when they take on Malaysia in July!

To Adlan, your team was FANTASTIC & really deserved to WIN! You were so wonderful & I am so proud of you darling.  By the way, you are officially forgiven for doing badly in your exam in March :-D 

Footnote: Anna told the team weeks before the competition: "Don't win because the others suck. Win because you are good." 

I thought that was a great advice!

Powerpuff Girls

Today I would like to write about 2 of my best friends: Buttercup & Bubbles, and the true meaning of friendship.  

How would you define Friendship? Many would say: Being around for each other, through thick & thin. Always ready with a shoulder to cry on. Laughing uncontrollably about nothing. Sharing secrets & fears. Confiding about the future & the unknown. Relying on each other. Being together...  For me, it's all these & so much more. 

In the past almost 6 years since we set up our group office, I've had the privilege of being with these 2 very special people, who also happen to be my sisters, and I have learnt so much more about the true meaning of friendship. 

Despite being so different from one another, we have grown to be so comfortable together. We are independent & we each have our own separate businesses, & yet we are inter-dependent. I know I can always rely on them for anything at all & vice versa. We seek each other when we are in doubt. Their opinion on things, both important & trivial, mean a lot to me. I know something is wrong with any of them even before they voice it. When they feel hurt, I feel the pain too. We are so defensive of one another: speak no evil of my PPGs :-D Anyway, they understand me better than most people (& I'm a complex person, really).

We find time for each other & would go out at least once a week (usually on Fridays) for lunch & girlie stuffs: we call it the PPG outings. We would wrap up the events of the week, discuss about family & work matters, seek opinions, indulge in Baskin Robbins & do other girlie stuffs (which normally involves getting fat). Somehow, the week seems incomplete without the PPG outing (which sometimes happen since we've been so busy lately!). I really look forward to our PPG time together. Seriously.

I love my 2 best friends! (Actually I have 4 other sisters & a brother, & I love them to bits too - but more about them in my future postings!). 

To my PPG buddies: thank you for being there for me! 

Love lots, Blossom xxx

The Passing of an Uncle

I was awakened by a phone call at 3.16am early Sunday morning. No one would call you in the wee hours of the morning unless there is an important message to deliver, and as suspected, it was not good news. My uncle, Pak Uda, Apak's second brother, had passed away. And I was asked by my cousin who was too distraught to call Apak & everyone else in the family to break the news.

With a heavy heart, I called Apak & my other uncles to inform them that they have lost a brother. 

When Pak Uda arrived at his home for the last time, it was heart-wrenching to see Mak Uda crying for a lost life partner. Sha, Sue, Shukri, Bob & Dina are now without a father & there is nothing you could say to comfort them. But the worst was to see tears flowing from grown men. Watching Apak, Pak Andak, Pak Itam, Pakcik & Busu mourning for their brother yesterday was just too painful.

It was a sad day for the family. But it was also a day which brought all of us together in the true meaning of family, with unreserved & outpouring show of love. And it was also a day of reflection for my sisters & I. The thought of losing our own parents one day is just too unbearable. I hugged Mak & Apak a little bit tighter yesterday when it was time to go home.

Pak Uda, I will always remember you as the person who gave me my name. I never said thank you for that & I just wish I did. Thank you, Pak Uda.

Semoga Allah menempatkan roh Pak Uda di kalangan roh orang-orang yang beriman. 

Al-Fatihah.

Rainbows

What a perfect way to start my Friday morning! As I was driving to work this morning, I looked up to the sky & saw a perfect rainbow! It was clear & beautiful. It followed me all the way to my office.

I love rainbows. Rainbows are so special. A multi-coloured arc in the sky, brightening up any cloudy day. Even as a child, I remember getting so excited whenever a rainbow appears in the sky.

I see rainbows as a sign of Hope. I believe Allah created rainbows as a reminder to people to be patient in persevering challenges & obstacles in life. As a way of assuring that there is something special for everyone who face up to hurdles boldly & patiently. You see, we all have to go through a lot of rainy days, even thunderstorms, before we can see a rainbow. It is not an everyday occurrence. It doesn't happen before or after every rainy day. It just happens once in a while, but when it does, it is always a pleasant, colourful surprise! 

So, don't fret my friend. If you are going through a rainy day or a thunderstorm in your life, strengthen your resolve & hold your chin up. Walk through the rain with all the strength you could muster. Challenge yourself to go that extra mile. 

Then say a little prayer and one fine day, your rainbow will appear.

Mak & Apak

Mak & Apak are the most amazing couple. They have been married for 46 years, with 8 children & 23 grandchildren. They are so different from each other & yet they complement each other. Mak & Apak brought us up with so much love & understanding. With lots of hugs & kisses. They are the glue that binds all of us together, tightly. 

I believe that parents are Allah's gift to children. Your parents are the people you know you can always depend on, no matter what. Even as an adult with 4 children of my own, going back to Mak & Apak's home is a great comfort for me. Just being with them is comforting & gives me a warm, fuzzy & secure feeling. I can't really explain it, it just feels warm inside.

I just wish that I could spend more time with Mak & Apak. But life has been so crazy busy lately that I haven't been able to go back as often as I would have wanted to. 

So, yesterday was special. I went back to see Mak & Apak with the kids & spent the whole day with them. It was a wonderful day. I still feel warm & fuzzy inside.

If you haven't called your parents lately, do call them. They are waiting for your call. Seriously.

Adlan Hakim Adlina & Anas

Introducing 4 very important people in Danau Kaseh:-

Adlan the sanguine handy-man (Can fix Lego & Bionicles without looking at the Instructions);

Hakim the loyal melancholy (Adlan's most ardent fan! He speaks really well & always grammatical!);

Adlina the Pretty Princess (Papa's sweet little girl. Great keeper of keepsakes..); &

Anas the Smart Alec (Can never win an argument with him & he's only 5! Seriously!)

It's funny how you learn so much from your own kids! The past 13 years have been extremely enlightening for me & Zaharim. We have learnt to be more tolerant, more patient, more understanding, more accommodating. We are now better listeners. Better planners. 

Above all, we have learnt to love, truly and unconditionally.

Thank God for blessing us with our kids!