St David's High School 50th Anniversary Dinner

The Opening - Adlan played the Chinese Drum!

St David's High School celebrated 50 Glorious years of educating young people to excellence with a fantastic fundraising Dinner and musical extravaganza last Saturday! What a memorable evening it was!

Our event was graced by the Chief Minister of Malacca who made time to attend our Dinner although he had another dinner to attend in Seremban hosted by the Prime Minister. In the short hour that he spent with us, he announced that the State Government will change all the furniture in the Science labs before 1st January 2010 and will give the school a grant of RM100,000. Thank you so much, Datuk Seri!

God is Great and He answered our prayers. Our total collection for the evening far exceeded our initial target of RM200,000. We managed to raise almost RM350,000! Alhamdulillah..

very good turnout - 94 tables sold

Thank you so much to my darling AZ and his Danau team for assisting us in many ways to make the Dinner truly special. To all the students who performed on stage: Congratulations on such outstanding performances! You all made us really, really proud.

Danau's table

To my very committed team members: Josephine, Puteh, Fazy, Alice, Azian, Saro, Anna, Larry, Kris, Mike, Christine, Jagan and Natty – it has been a real pleasure working with all of you for the past 2 months. This is our team of 1Malaysia. It is not easy to lead a team of volunteers who have nothing at all to gain personally from doing such hard work, and I have been blessed with the honour of leading all of you for this project. Meeting every week for the past 2 months have created a real bond of friendship and understanding amongst us that transcend race and religion. Your hard work has inspired me to work even harder for the school. 

St David's being a missionary school, is not fully funded by the Government. But instead of complaining about this archaic policy, our team of parents is taking this imperfection in the system as an opportunity for us to serve and give back to the community. What better way than to take positive action in ensuring a Better Future for our children.

Cookies compliments of Berjaya University College for all guests

The past month has been a great journey of self discovery for me. It has been extremely exhausting but sooo fulfilling... (^_^)

This and That

This posting is a summary of my past week. I will keep it short and sweet:-

1. It's official: My camera is lost. I must have misplaced it somewhere! So, for now, there won't be any pictures accompanying my postings (yawn..);

2. I've been spending some time this week wearing my PTA Chairman's hat! Adlan's school is celebrating its 50th Anniversary and St David High School PTA is organizing a Fund-raising Dinner on 5/12/2009. It's quite exciting. Last Tuesday, our committee members were called to meet up with the Chief Minister at his office. It was great of CM to re-arrange his schedule to ensure that he'll be able to grace our event! Thank you, Datuk Seri :)

3. We ordered Hakim's reward for doing well in his UPSR. He wanted an iPod Touch. We ordered it online so that his name can be engraved on it. Hoping that the package will arrive by next Monday;

4. Selamat Hari Raya Aidiladha to everyone! The day was spent mostly at my sister Eda's home. Adlina & Anas decided to stay the night at Mak's home so that they can spend more time with their cousins.. Adlan & Hakim decided to stay home - Note: Rumah Mak takde computer ;)

5. This morning I spent a wonderful time with Kak Long, Kak Mas & Eda at Spa Village.. It was so relaxing.. Destressing with a good massage is a MUST for all working mothers! Heavenly..

Tomorrow's Sunday! Yay (^_^)

Hakim's UPSR

Congratulations to our precious Hakim for getting 4As 1B in his UPSR. Hakim's BM Pemahaman is his weakness, and we are thankful that he got a B for it! Alhamdulillah.. We are going to have a special family lunch to celebrate later today.. 

To Hakim: Papa and Mama are so proud of you, darling! Keep up the good work (^_^)

Happy Birthday Anas

Mama's fatty boom-boom

Anas is 7 today!

I can't believe our little baby is seven!! He is a real joy in the household of Danau Kaseh. Anas is chubby & adorable. He is smart & knows how to get things going his way. He speaks well and you can have a decent conversation with him about a lot of things. He is so mischievious, he is constantly irritating Adlan & Hakim. Most fights at home are caused by Anas, unfortunately. His best friend is his only sister, Adlina. They love doing art projects together, converting big boxes into tables & buildings; medium-sized boxes into cars & trucks, & little boxes into handphones. Anas adores Adlina & Adlina lets her little brother (who is heavier than she is!) sleep in her bed with her sometimes. She reads to him.

Anas sleeps in his own bed now, but most nights he still walks over to our bedroom in the middle of the night to snuggle in with papa & mama. We let him because he is still our little baby (although he takes up so much space, sometimes he kicks me out of my own bed!).

And today, our little baby is little no more. To Anas: Papa & Mama love you SO MUCH. Happy 7th Birthday darling.. (^_^)

Occupational Hazard

Have been having too much on my plate these past 2 weeks. Too many meetings & deadlines. Having to solve problems faced by others, some of which were too complicated for words. Been spending some time in KL High Court & Melaka High Court for Hearings. Clients pressing for Agreements, one of which is a mind-numbing Shareholders Agreement of unfriendly parties. 

Why do people get themselves into such complicated business relationships and situations? Then they look for lawyers who have too think of how best to solve their predicament! It's been affecting me quite badly this time that I find myself awake in the middle of the night not being able to go back to sleep. I guess this comes with the job.. Sigh.. 

I just feel I need a holiday REALLY badly.. Just need to get away..

Adlina the Blog-Buster

The background of my blog has totally been changed by Adlina (the Blog-buster!). She said that my previous blog background was too boring.. And for that, I allowed her to pick a background for me. & just for today, she is allowed to write something here..

This is Adlina's note:

So what do you think about mama's new blog?
If it sucks, Please comment! (Seriously do not comment if it looks bad to you.. (>___<)
But i think that it is very nice + suitable for mama..
I'm not saying she is old... (I never said that!)
btw: I found it at the cuttest blog on the block! Which is why mama's blog looks cute! Well, I guess... ?

PERFECT!!

Beautiful Hydrangeas

Gorgeous Lilac Blooms

Came back home to a beautiful surprise yesterday! My dear friend Tati delivered 2 pots of beautiful flowering hydrangeas as a belated birthday present! Thank you sooooo much Tati!! Tati remembered that after having seen her beautiful hyrangeas in her garden about 2 months ago, I went in search of a pot of my own from nursery to nursery since way before Raya. Unfortunately none of the nurseries I went to had any to sell..

Tati, you are so sweet & thoughtful beyond words...

Raya Hazard

My sistas & I @ Eda's Openhouse

The month of Syawal is filled with Openhouses! Good for strengthening relationships BUT so BAD for the waistline. I summoned some courage to step on the weighing scale this morning & was so shocked to see the result. Yikes!! Dah makan banyak pun boleh terperanjat tengok the kgs coming on konon! Should be expecting the outcome kan? After all, since 1st Syawal, we have gone to about 12 Openhouses!! This is truly the hazard of Raya :-0

Happy last few days of Syawal everyone (^_^)

The Neglected Page

It's been a while since I last wrote. Life has been packed with activities the past 2 weeks. Our legal assistant resigned & I've had to re-organize our Litigation team which means that I have to cover some of the Court cases for the next month or so.. Weekends have been filled with Raya Openhouses & I haven't had the time to update this neglected page.. There is so much to write about but I'm either too busy working, or too full to write after all those Openhouses...

See you soon (^_^)

Nordin Family Raya Gathering & Olympics 2009

Brainstorming the night before the event at Danau Kaseh

What a GREAT day we had on Wednesday! Every year we look forward to the Nordin Family gathering for Raya & this year was extra special as we had the family sports day too - we call it our Nordin Family Olympics ;) 

Score Board

Azam preparing the lines

Getting ready for the Briefing

Hanani is the GREEN house mascot - so sweeeet!

With Apak & Mak's 8 children, 7 menantu & 24 cucu, we had enough people to make the event a real Blast! The day started with breakfast (have to fill up for the BIG event!), then team members started preparing their mascots & Team cheer-song (4 teams - Red, Blue, Yellow & Green - all cucu-cucu). 

Ateh Eda helping out the Blue Team Cheer-song

"Biru! Biru! Baik Jaga-Jaga Kamu!" (Sing to "Beat It" tune)

Andak Win with the YELLOW team - check out the headgear!

Each Team had their own Coach to guide them during the cheer-song performance (which was hilarious!), then the games started. 6 games altogether & points were collected for each team: 1. Passing Getah with Straw, 2. Ping Pong Ball in a spoon, 3. Empty water bottle on a Plate, 4. Filling up water in a Bottle with Sponge, 5. Sweets in Tepung, 6. Treasure Hunt. It was so much FUN!

Hakim - run, run, run!

Ngah strategizing with the RED team members

Peace Hadi!

Anas filling up the bottle

Then we had 6-a-side Soccer: KL vs. Melaka. BL, BN, Azam, Danial, Izzat & Amir (KL) lawan AZ, Aswad, Zizi, Andy, Adlan & Hakim (Melaka). Apak was the umpire & both teams were so good! Ended with a tie: 2-2. We took a break for Lunch: Berkelah makan Nasi Lemak bawah pokok asam. After zohor, we gathered for the family meeting. This is the most anticipated event of the year for everyone. It is our tradition every year to have this gathering during Raya: Apak & Mak will give a speech to wrap up the events which had happened throughout the year, we give thanks to Allah for our blessings, we doa for the coming year, we exchange gifts with Apak &  Mak, sisters & brother, and give angpows to nieces & nephews. 

Beloved Apak & Mak

For me, Raya is complete only when we have this family gathering. It is just so special that I can't describe it in words. We reflect on what we had achieved for the year in our lives, our careers, our children's education; we talk, we laugh, we cry - it is a time for sharing, and reinforcing our love and commitment to the family. The warm & fuzzy feeling is so overwhelming during these gatherings that I can feel the love for days later.. 

Thank you so much Mak & Apak, Kak Long & Bang Long, Kak Ngah & Bang Ngah, Kak Mas & Azam, Eda & Aswad, Win & Zizi, Jerd & Ery, & Andy for all the wonderful presents & the Angpow for the kids; And most of all thank you for the precious time we shared together. We love you all - & look forward to our next gathering..

Selamat Hari Raya 2009 & Maaf zahir batin (^_^)

Happy Raya & Happy 40

Mama's darlings

The residents of Danau Kaseh celebrated 1st Syawal in Raub & Jerantut this year. It's always special being with Mak in Raub, and every time we go back, I always wish that we had gone back more often throughout the year.. Must make extra effort in future..

Santai di bawah pondok :)

2nd Syawal this year falls on 21st September, my 40th birthday. We headed back home to Melaka and on the way, we stopped in KL to have Mama's Birthday lunch at Chillies, Mid Valley. I will remember this day for the rest of my life - it's just so precious spending the quiet lunch with AZ & the kids - all warm & fuzzy feeling. Thanks to all mama's darlings for the lovely presents. Thanks baby for the personalized iPod Nano - love it!

20.09.2009 - my last day of being 30-something

40 is like the new 30 :)

Mug from Adlan, Lotion from Hakim,

Notebook from Adlina & Piggy Bank from Anas

Turning 40

I have to admit that I've been rather malancholy these past few days. You see, I will be 40 in a week. Somehow the BIG 4-Zero seems to be such a daunting number and I feel so afraid of facing it! 

A friend said (obviously to comfort) that Ustaz Shamsuri in a lecture actually quoted a hadith which essentially said that a woman is most beautiful at the age of 40. I looked in the mirror and can safely confirm that this is not true in my case! Yelps!

Self reflecting, I try hard to focus on the positive. What are the lessons that I have learnt in the past 40 years? The real lessons that count. Not the ones that you learn in college to get a degree. Lessons in life, of life. There are just too many to list down, but perhaps for me, the most compelling (this may sound cliche) is the importance of Family. I believe that everything revolves around having a good and stable family relationship. It affects all other aspects in the life of a person: his self confidence & self worth; his attitude towards life; his relationship with God & the people around him; everything on the outside of a person is a reflection of how he is on the inside - and this is determined, mainly by the way he has been brought up and his relationship with his family.

I also learnt not to take things for granted and be thankful for what I have. The little things & the big things. The miracle of life and the gift of health by Allah. Having a close-knit family who loves me unconditionally. Being with my soulmate and having 4 beautiful children with him. Having a roof over our head and food on the table. Having special friends who are supportive and encouraging. Being in control of my career and having my own business where I can share Allah's rezeki with my staffs and their family. There are just too many to be thankful for. Ya Allah, You have been so generous to me beyond comprehension. Syukur Alhamdulillah.

Turning 40 is a blessing from Allah - it means that I have been chosen to continue walking on this earth with all the wisdom and lessons that I have learnt in the past, and to share these lessons with others. I have also been given more time to prepare myself for the next life as I know I am not ready.

Looking back, there is no reason for me to freak out when I found a grey hair on my head 2 weeks ago... (^_^)

Our Oldest Koi

Dragon 

Our Koi Pond was infected by bacteria last week!! Yikes.. The kois looked so dizzy, grouping together at the corner, mostly gasping for oxygen. A few were already swimming sideways! Literally Nyawa-Nyawa Ikan :( 

Dragon, our oldest Koi succumbed to the disease last Thursday when I was in Kuching. It's so sad because we had it for 5 years & it had survived many-many Pond-Mishaps like when the pump broke down 3 years ago & almost all our kois died (about 25 of them). Adlina was really sad but I told her that Dragon is in a better place now..

Dragon saying goodbye to Brownie (Adlina's favourite soft toy)

AZ intervened on Saturday & poured in the Ubat to kill the bacteria & the water is all luminous green now. But it looks like the ubat is working well. All the fish swimming sideways suddenly dah tegak balik! Phew!

Really hope that the rest of the fish will survive this trauma..

The Familiarity of Home

It's been a whole week of rush, rush, rush for me. Had to fly in to Kuching & then Sibu in the middle of the week to get 5 sets of Agreements signed by 4 different clients. It's been utterly stressful. This was especially painful for me because it's fasting month and I just hate to be away from home. I missed the sahur, berbuka and solat Maghrib berjemaah with AZ and the kids..

Being away from my family for just a couple of days was enough to make me really appreciate being home more, even if it's just doing nothing particularly special. The familiarity of home, the love and acceptance, precious moments with the kids and the comfort of being with AZ, all adds up. I guess I'm not cut out to be one of those high flying people who live in a suitcase, going for business trips from country to country. I think I was born to be a housewife :)

I sound so sappy here.. please excuse the ramblings (^_^)

Cherryl Alya Abdullah

Cherryl on her last day

It is with a very heavy heart that we let Cherryl go today to pursue her career in Singapore and be with her mom. Cherryl is family. She has been with us since 2005 and we have gone through so much together. In the years that she has been with us, I've had the priviledge to watch her grow and bloom. Almost 2 years ago, Cherryl made a life changing decision when she embraced Islam. We were so proud of her. We still are. It is just too difficult to say goodbye.

Our lunch before Ramadhan

Dear Cherryl, wishing you the very BEST in your new place. May you have a lifetime of success and happiness, and always be in Allah's protection. Farewell my friend. We will miss you much. Take good care & keep in touch..

Anas's First Ramadhan

Anas managed to puasa for the first time ever yesterday. Alhamdulillah. 

When I told him that he could take a day off today & puasa every alternate day, his response was: I want to puasa for the whole month, Mama..

We are so proud of you, Anas (^_^)

PS: Adlina, mama is also proud of you & I know Anas is able to puasa because of your strength & encouragement. You are a GREAT big sis for Anas, darling <3

4 days to Ramadhan

It's 4 days to Ramadhan. Somehow this year has gone by so fast. It's the middle of August, with just over 4 months left to 2009. And the fasting month seems to come so soon.. 

Wishing everyone a blessed holy month filled with love and submission to Allah. Selamat berpuasa bersama keluarga tersayang (^_^)

Adlan the Cake Baker

There's been a flurry of activities in the kitchen of Danau Kaseh. Adlan has shown a sudden interest in baking cakes which is fantastic for everyone (we are a household of cake-lovers!).

Here are some of Adlan's creations in the past few days. The marble cake is soft, smooth & lovely. Adlina helped with the colours :)

The delectable blue, pink & cream Marble Cake

These cupcakes were baked yesterday by Adlan & decorated by Mama. Perfect with a cup of tea.

Adlan's delicious cupcakes

(Extremely easy) Recipes as follows:-

Marble Cake

180g butter

3/4 cup caster sugar

1 1/2 cups self-raising flour

3 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla essence

food colouring

Method:-

1. Cream butter & sugar until light & fluffy. Add egg, one at a time. Add vanilla essence.

2. Fold in sifted flour and milk in 2 batches. 

3. Divide mixture in 3 bowls & add food colouring to your liking.

4. Bake ring cake tin in oven at 180c for 40 minutes.

Cupcakes

1 1/2 cups self-raising flour

2/3 cups castor sugar

125g butter, softened

3 eggs

1/4 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla essence

Icing:-

100g butter, softened

1 cup icing sugar

1 1/2 tbsp milk

food colouring

Method:-

1. Cream butter & sugar until light & fluffy. Add egg, one at a time. Add vanilla essence.

2. Add sifted flour and milk in mixture. 

3. Drop 1 1/2 tbsp of mixture in paper cup cases.

4. Bake in oven at 180c for 20 minutes.

5. Mix all icing ingredients in bowl & beat with electric mixer until fluffy.

6. Decorate cupcakes only after cake has cooled.

The Chef & Sous-Chef 

(Adlan used a face mask when preparing his cake!)

Have fun baking (^_^)

Working from Home

I've been working from home for 3 days since Tuesday. Files are piled up on the dining table, mostly completed but some still needing attention. Since Adlan spread the flu virus to Hakim & Anas, my schedule has been chaotic. I wanted to be home to monitor the kids, but at the same time I had 13 sets of Agreements which were due to client by yesterday. It's been a nightmare! 

Alhamdulillah Adlan and Hakim are a lot better today. Unfortunately Anas is still struggling to keep his body temperature down. He has also developed a nasty cough. This morning I brought him to Pantai again when his temperature peaked at 39.2 Celsius. He is now on Relenza, an anti-influenza prescription. His temperature has gone down to 38 after taking the paracetamol. But he still refuses to eat. It's painful for me to see my little boy just lying down in bed not wanting to do much when normally he would be running around driving everyone crazy. Really pray that he will get better soon.

It's been quite good working from home. Yesterday Adlan, Hakim & Adlina joined me at the dining table with their notebooks & did their own things ranging from playing their favourite games on the Internet to working on their workbooks & test papers on Score A. Surprisingly, I got a lot of work done. Managed to email to my client all the Agreements within the dateline. The kids were so good, they knew that I had work to finish, and they were just happy to have me home. No disturbance. I'm comforted by the fact that I'm with all my kids & checking on their condition every now and then. Real peace of mind. 

Thanks to modern technology & the Internet, you don't have to be in the office to get your work done & communicate with clients. It's times like these that I am so thankful to Allah for endowing me with the blessing of having my own Firm, where I am able to decide and prioritize on what is important in my life.

Thank you God, for all your blessings.. Please take care of the residents of Danau Kaseh..

H1N1

Adlan was down with a very bad flu last night. Very high fever at 39 degrees celcius & terrible coughs. I started getting really worried when he started to feel lethargic and refused to eat his dinner (this is very unusual!). 2 days ago 18 students from his class were absent from school due to severe flu. So, I knew we had to take him to the hospital immediately.

Putra Hospital A & E was packed with people, mostly down with flu! It didn't look good. I was informed that the night before, 70 students from a college were brought into the hospital with flu symptoms & it was chaotic. When the doctor examined Adlan, he said that it was possible that Adlan might be having the dreaded H1N1 as the virus is just everywhere now, plus the fact that St David High School had a few suspected cases. I felt so weak when he said that. But he reassured us that complications only happen in 1 of 500 cases. In most cases, the virus will stay & die off after 5-7 days. He prescribed Adlan with some medication, some strong antibiotics & requested that he be quarantined at home. He finally said that if Adlan starts vomiting, we have to immediately send him to the General Hospital.

Apparently the swab test to determine whether or not one has H1N1 is only available in government hospitals. The test kit is expensive, costing about RM1,250 per person and it takes 3 days before the result can be confirmed. I guess this means that the numbers of people infected with virus in Malaysia must be so much higher than the 1,400+ as published by the government. I'm sure there are many more people who must have been infected but didn't get the chance to undergo the swab test to confirm their status! This is so worrying..

Well, at home, Alhamdulillah Adlan is feeling so much better today. His fever has reduced to 38.2. He is still coughing with some runny nose, but no vomiting. He has started eating again at lunch time, although much lesser than normal, at least he is eating. I hope he will completely recover soon..

Just pray that the rest will be spared from the flu.. Shoo, Shoo H1N1!!

Allahyarham Yasmin Ahmad

I have never met Yasmin Ahmad. And unfortunately I've never had the privilege of knowing her personally. But I'm a huge fan of all her TV commercials and movies. She touches my heart in the few minutes of short stories about love, life and respect in the commercials aired usually prior to festivals in the past few years. Strange how she can make me feel & cry in less than 2 minutes.

And don't get me started on her movies. Yasmin had that gift of seeing differently. Her movies are honest and true, so much so that all her work attracted controversies from the powers that be. Scenes were cut, some parts were banned and debated on. Her film Muallaf never reached the screens in Malaysia. But, kudos to her, she persisted on. She didn't live with a front so she would get public's approval. Yasmin was a story-teller who told simple, real stories about people, relationships, love and life. She was honest, without all the pretence and hypocrisies - and she touched so many hearts, mine included. 

The closest I got to Yasmin Ahmad was when I left a message in her blog yasminthestoryteller last year. I told her that I was in awe of her talent and she responded to my message simply by saying: Allah is generous beyond comprehension. How true..

Last night Yasmin was called to her Maker and we, as a nation has lost a remarkable person who had that rare gift of making people laugh, cry and think, all at the same time. Al-Fatihah..

It's strange how you can be so affected by the death of someone you don't even  know and have never met. But I feel so, so sad today. 

Please watch the clip below. It's to remind people that we are all "beautifully imperfect". It's one of her work in Singapore.

http://www.youtube. com/watch? v=Nw0s4C0g5SM

National Choral Speaking Competition

The Champions!

Adlan's Choral Speaking Team won the National Competition today!! St David High School's team is the Best in Malaysia 2009! Wooooohoooooo :D

I was at the venue first thing this morning as SDHS was the 4th school to perform. Without a doubt, the SDHS team was in a class of their own. Their performance was OUTSTANDING! From the word go, they were all articulate, expressive, passionate & convincing! Their delivery & gestures were flawless. The script entitled "Teachers' Nightmare" was interesting, gripping and funny - every second was a pleasure! Adlan had some solo lines (he is the school principal in the script!) & he did extremely well. I was so, so proud of him. The audience was so appreciative, some of the competing schools even gave them a standing ovation! Thank you so much to the most brilliant and passionate coach - Anna Nonis - for bringing out the best in the students. Anna, you are the one who made this happen for the team! You are truly priceless.

Anna in pink with the team of Kaypoh Moms & Sisters :)

Adlan & his 2 BFF - Alif & Joel

Waiting for the results nearly gave me a heart attack. When they announced SDHS as the champion, the students literally brought the roof down with screams, cries, yells & delightful laughters! I cried and laughed at the same time. We were all hugging each other, and I quietly thank God for this wonderful gift. 

A picture with Dato' Noor Rezan Bapoo Hashim 

(who gave an inspiring speech!) & the coveted trophy :)

Adlan, Mama is so proud of you and your team!! Congratulations darling! The school PIGB will reward you all soon (^_^)

Postscript: The Choral Speaking video can be viewed here.

Hadi

Having tea and cake at the kitchen on Hadi's last day

Of all the interns who had been attached to our Firm, Hadi is the most special. He is focused and he works at a given task seriously and diligently. He understood instructions given to him well & researches his work with much enthusiasm. To be fair, some of our previous interns were good too, but what made Hadi different is that he genuinely made the effort to get to know all the staffs. He is always willing to help (even in the kitchen!). We were comfortable to have him with us. We felt that he was part of the family.

Hadi left last Friday to continue with his final year in UIA. We wish him the very best of luck as he strives to obtain the much coveted law degree! 

A Quiet, Lazy Weekend

The Eye is quite stunning at night

Eye On Malaysia in Malacca

The residents of Danau Kaseh had a quiet and lazy weekend & it was truly blissful :)

We all went for a ride on the Eye On Malaysia on Saturday night & the experience was much better than expected! The brightly lit Giant Ferries Wheel looked stunning at night! Glad we decided to take this ride and it's a MUST if you are ever in Malacca (Anas was a little scared at first but he got over it soon!). We then parked at EQ and strolled over to Subaidah at Dataran Pahlawan for supper. Although the teh tarik was somewhat disappointing, the Tandoori Naan was Yummy!

Anas looking a bit worried

Papa & Hakim

Adlan & Hakim

Sunday lunch, Adlan helped Mama cook in the kitchen while Hakim & Adlina helped clear & set up the table. We had lasagna and garlic bread, and bread pudding & jelly for dessert. I'm gald we gave Mawar the weekend off. Really should do this more often - quiet weekend, just with the family..

Wish the weekend would last longer - it's Monday & I'm really in for a busy week this week.. sigh...

The Day After the Carnival

What a day we had yesterday! The St David High School Carnival was so well received by everyone! I couldn't believe the crowd that came. We expected about 2,000 people but there must have been more than 5,000 people at the carnival yesterday! Thanks everyone for joining in the fun while helping us build our new school block!

All the hard work put in by the committee members truly paid off & the stress & pain just disappeared when the school principal said: "This carnival is a roaring success!" The Chief Minister came & spent about 45 minutes going around the jumble sale, food & games stalls, checking out the ponies & flying fox, & he even went into the Haunted House put up by the students! What a good sport! Our initial target was to raise RM20,000, but from yesterday's estimation, we may have collected more than 3 times our target! YAY :D 

Thank you so much especially to my wonderful team of strong-willed mothers who were the backbone of this event: Josephine, Natty, Puteh, Wan & Fazy - your commitment & strength has inspired me to work even harder. It is not easy to find a good team of volunteers who are so committed & pleasant to work with, in spite of all the challenges & hurdles. I am so proud of our team & leading all of them have been a real privilege. Thanks also to some of the teachers who embraced our vision, Puan Tan, Shikin, Noraini, Azimah, Mr Tay, Mr Lai & most of all the supportive school principal, Mr Chay - who must have been initially shocked by the new PIBG committee members who are so persistent & wouldn't take no for an answer :) We really hope to raise enough fund for the new school block within these 2 years.

Today, the day after the carnival, my whole body is aching, my hands are so sore, I cannot feel my legs & my back is totally numb. Worst of all: the piles of sunscreen SPF50/PA+++ totally melted away in the hot sun yesterday & I am left with a glowing RED face with brand new freckles popping merrily on my cheeks & nose! YIKES!! 

But, I am so happy & proud beyond words! Feeling very warm & fuzzy inside. I really hope everyone had great fun at the carnival yesterday! Thanks for all your support, especially my sistas Buttercup & Bubbles (who brought along their whole troupe!) & Linda, Raha & Ijan - thanks for making the time to share the day with us. It really means a lot to me.. (^_^)

PS: Adlan's burger stall was a sell-out. I didn't even get the chance to buy a burger!  

PPS: Adlina wrote about her experience at the carnival here.

St David High School Carnival

SATURDAY 27/6/09 from 10.00am

Adlan's school, St David High School is having a Food & Fun Carnival on Saturday 27th June 2009 to raise fund for a new School Block. The PIBG committee members of SDHS have been busy organizing so many things to make the Carnival as fun as possible & here are some of the highlights of the events you can look forward to:-

Jumble Sale, Pony/Horse Rides, Abseiling, Archery, Wall Climb, Free Health Screening, RM5 haircuts, Nail Art, Face Painting, Book Sale, Fashions & Accessories, Food, Food Food :0 And loads of FUN :D

If you are in Melaka: Please come & join us at the Carnival!! We welcome you to St David High School with open arms & lots of fun + laughter (^_^)

Khatam Al-Quran

It was a very proud moment for AZ and me yesterday when we celebrated the special occasion of Adlan, Hakim & Adlina having finished reading the Al-Quran for the first time. Thank you everyone who came to share the event with us late Friday afternoon; Thank you so much to Linda, Radhuana, Tati, Kak Midah, Eyta, Faizah, Asalina, Cherryl, Noridah, Kak Tini, Kak Wan & Jerd for the kueh-mueh, cakes, chocolates, fruits, gifts and angpows; Thank you Mak for coming all the way from Raub to be with us; Thank you Mak for the pulut kuning; Thank you Kak Sapura for making the curtains in 2 days :) (I hope I haven't forgotten anyone!). We are truly blessed to have so many wonderful and supportive friends and family around us. 

Finally, Special thanks to Ustaz Norzaki for teaching our kids for the past 2 years. We really appreciate your commitment and patience.

This is such an important milestone for Adlan, Hakim & Adlina. To my darlings, Mama is so proud of you. Love you all so, so much.

Syukur Alhamdulillah (^_^)

* Pictures of the event will come soon.

In Sickness

It's been a little quiet the past one week, mainly because I had the flu. Adlina got the flu bug about 10 days ago, passed it on to papa last week & then mama. Adlan & Hakim caught it 2 days ago & finally Anas this morning.. Of all the residents of Danau Kaseh, Mama got the worst of the flu - the whole works - fever, completely blocked nose, extremely sore throat & excruciating coughs! Finally feeling a bit better today after 2 days of antibiotics. 

Having said all that, I know I have a lot to thank for. This is nothing compared to the news that I just received about the passing of a senior in school who was just 2 years older than me. Kak Angah passed away yesterday after suffering from breast cancer for just 4 months. I just cannot imagine how her children would cope without their beloved mother.. It's so painful. I don't really remember Kak Angah who was our Blue House captain in 1984, and I feel so terrible that I can't really have a clear image of how she looked like. It has been more than 25 years after all.. Semoga rohnya ditempatkan dengan orang-orang yang beriman & I pray that Allah will protect her children and give them the strength to move on in life. Al-Fatihah.

In Malaysia, for every 5 women, 1 will suffer from cancer - breast & cervical cancer top the list. This means that I could be one of the 5 - the statistics is so staggering. Why is it so prevalent? Is it the food we are taking? Is it the stress? Is it the environment? Could it be our lifestyle? Takut rasanya nak fikirkan.. Doa Allah jauhkan penyakit ini dari kesemua ahli keluargaku dan kawan-kawanku. Amin.

Of Love and Betrayal

A close friend just discovered that her husband has a second wife, who is now pregnant with their 3rd child. Needless to say, she is extremely devastated. There are no words to say to make her feel any better. I cannot think of anything to say. So, we just both cried while i held her hand when she poured out her story. About love and hope. About trust and betrayal. About what life has been for her and her 4 children. Her husband must have been married for at least 5 years: All 5 years of lies, deceit and betrayal. It's terrible.

I cannot imagine how some men could live a double life. I've been informed by a man who is living a similar situation that he didn't want to hurt his first wife, whom he loves, by telling her about his second family. How can you love someone and lie to them on a daily basis? How can you say you love someone and betray her trust in you? A Husband is the closest person to a Wife, the person she trusts most with her life. He is her protector, her ardent supporter, her lover and her best friend. Well, that is what I feel a husband should be to a wife. And vice versa.

So, what do you say to a person who discovers that her best friend, her protector, the person closest to her heart & soul, has betrayed her for the past 5 years? There are no words. It goes far beyond pain and hurt; it is affecting her self esteem and self worth. She feels she is a failure. That she has lost everything that she had carefully built all these years. She has lost her best friend and soulmate to someone else. It's just too painful to bear. 

I just wish all men would realize how deeply they affect the women in their relationships. A husband is almost everything to a woman. He is her strength and her weakness. He is her source of joy and happiness. His being with her boosts her confidence and self esteem. He is a part of her. She needs him to be with her and to reassure her that he will always be there for her when she needs him. To love and trust. This is the whole basis of a marriage, to a woman. When this trust is crushed, what is left is an empty shell. 

To my dear friend, may Allah give you the strength during this difficult time. I pray that Allah will guide you to the correct path as you make this very important decision in your life. Take care, and hang in there.

NORDIN GROUP is officially open

CM looking at the Red Maze

NORDIN GROUP is officially open on 15th May 2009. Alhamdullillah the opening ceremony went well, officiated by the Chief Minister of Melaka. 

The people behind the Group of Companies

Thank you for the flowers!

The most meaningful bouquet came 

from my dear friend, Tati.. Thanks :)

Coming to office is such a pleasure these days. The kids feel so much at home here - weekends are spent in the office for them to finish up their homework & spend time with AZ and me. This is a true blessing from Allah and I am so thankful beyond words.

I pray that this will be the start of a really GREAT journey for the whole group of companies. My Firm now feels that it has come home.

Mak

My beautiful Mak

When I was a little girl, I always thought that Apak was the head of the family who made all the decisions for all of us. I was always in awe of Apak & thought that Mak was just playing a supporting role to Apak. But now that I've grown up, I realized that Mak had played a much bigger role in our family and in my life. Looking back, Mak was the most influential person in my growing up life and I am who I am now, mostly because of Mak. 

Mak is the most sincere and most generous person I know. Mak was the one who taught all of us values in life as we grew up; the rights and wrongs. Mak was the person who kept our family so close together, always reminding us the importance of staying close. It was Mak who reminded us that it was prayer time, teaching us how to do it right. Mak was the one who encouraged us to do our best in school; Mak attended all my school concerts, the one who applauded the loudest when I received any prize in school. When I was in boarding school, it was Mak who fussed over everything, making sure I had enough food, clothes and everything else. Coming home for holidays, its was Mak who made sure that my favourite dishes were served at every meal.

Mak loves to make people happy. She devotes her life to making others happy, her family, her friends. She is so giving. She is surrounded by people who love her and who hold on to her friendship passionately. She has nothing bad or negative to say about anyone. Mak always looks at the best in people. She always reminds us "Biar orang buat kita sedih, jangan kita buat orang sedih" (Let others hurt us, but we must never hurt others). Such a simple reminder, but I really try hard to hold on to it. 

Having 4 kids of my own, I can now appreciate  how difficult it must have been for Mak to bring up all 8 of us. And she did it so gracefully, and successfully. Through her strength and dedication, we are who we are today. I just pray that I can be half the mother that she is to me to my kids. 

Mak was awarded the "Best Mother Award" or anugerah Ibu Mithali for the state of Melaka last Sunday on Mother's Day - and how she deserves it! We are so proud of her! 

Mak - you are my Hero & I love you soooo very much.

Happy Mother's Day!

Footnote - Mother's Day in Danau Kaseh started with a delicious breakfast cooked by our very own chef, Mizter Adlan. 

Yummy breakfast!

My bedroom walls were decorated with love notes & cards by Hakim, Adlina & Anas. 

I love the cards & notes - pasted all over my walls <3

Thank you my loves. Mama had a terrific Mother's Day (^_^)

Mama is Queen of the Table :)