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 (^_^)

Victoria Sandwich Cake

Fresh Strawberries with cake is always a winner!

I've used a square baking pan instead
to cut the cake easier in squares.

Baked this last night and the residents of Danau Kaseh loved it. Very simple recipe and would like to share it with you here:-

Ingredients

250g butter (softened)
1 cup Caster Sugar
2 cups Self Raising Flour
4 Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla Essence
Icing sugar
Strawberry Jam
Strawberries
Whipped Double Cream

Method

1. Cream Butter & Sugar until light & fluffy.
2. Add Vanilla Essence and Eggs 1 at a time.
3. Add Flour until smooth.
4. Pour mixture into 2 identical baking pans. Best baked in 20cm Round shaped baking pans.
5. Bake at 180c for 25-30 minutes.
6. Cool cakes and then sandwich with jam, strawberries & cream.
7. Dust top of cake with Icing Sugar.

Note : The Strawberries and cream are optional. The cake is also delicious with just strawberry or raspberry jam. With strawberries & cream, the cake should be eaten on day of baking.

Good Luck with the recipe & I hope your family will enjoy the cake as much as mine did (^_^)

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.

Reading the Quran Translation

Al-Fatihah

1. In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. 2. All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds. 3. The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. 4. Master of the Day of Judgment. 5. You alone do we worship, and You alone do we ask for help. 6. Show us the Straight Path. 7. The Path of those whom You have bestowed Your Blessings, not of those upon whom be Your wrath, nor of those who go astray.

I've been meaning to read the Quran translation for years, but never really got round to it. Even bought the Translation by Yayasan Restu about 2 years ago but kept putting it off.. This Ramadhan, I told myself that it was finally time.

And now I realize how much I have missed all these years. The Great Book has clarified a few doubts that I had in my mind about certain issues. It makes many things so clear. I love reading about the Prophets. The stories of the prophets and their struggles made me realize how difficult it was for each of them before in their quest to spread the magnificence of Allah. And yet they persevered despite being tortured and shunned, some even by their own immediate families. The challenges that they had to endure were really frightening and beyond imagination. I feel so, so small and insignificant in comparison.

It is time to learn more about my Creator and the reason why I am put on this earth.. I am so blessed by Allah in so many uncountable ways that saying Thank You and Syukur Alhamdulillah seems so utterly understated...

Ya Allah, please show me the straight path, the path of those You have bestowed Your Blessings.

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.. (^_^)

Happy 8th Anniversary

Happy 8th Anniversary to the Team Members of Messrs. Adillah A. Nordin. Most of how I feel about our team members have been stated here but let me just add that I feel blessed that Allah has bestowed so much blessing and rezeki in our 8 years of operation. Syukur Alhamdulillah..

I feel sooo lucky that I'm surrounded and supported by people who are loyal and committed in our quest to provide the best profesional legal services to our clients.. Thank you so much to Kak Midah, Eyta, Kak Faridah, Asalina, Faizah, Longchek, Mas, Saad and Hadi. I couldn't have done it alone and your unwavering support is tremendously appreciated. Never forget that!

Postscript: Thank you so much to all my staffs for the beautiful present and the lovely roses. Love them (^_^)

Last words

A friend's husband passed away on Saturday morning. He wasn't feeling well the night before, and after a trip to the clinic, he came home to sleep, as he normally did. He never woke up.

There are no words to comfort Norita. She didn't have the opportunity to say goodbye. To say sorry, to say thank you, to say words of love and affirmation to the person who was closest and most important in her life. It was too sudden. There were no signs. His last words to her were not significant.

Norita is now left with 4 young children to care for. The eldest boy is only 12 and the youngest is merely 3. It's hard enough being a mother, but to have to shoulder the responsibility of bringing the children up all alone seems most unbearable. It's so traumatic and I couldn't stop crying. I pray that Allah will give her the strength and will to carry on..

Being with her on Saturday made me think of how precious life is and how we take many things that we have for granted. How we take the people that we love for granted. I cannot imagine not having AZ or any of my kids in my life. I don't think I will have the strength to go on and face life without any of them. It makes me think of my own mortality. I so fear that my last words to them will not be ones of love and encouragement. I want them to always remember me as someone who love them utterly and unconditionally. That I am their biggest fan and most ardent supporter.

I pray to Allah that when my time comes, I will be given the opportunity to say sorry, thank you and goodbye. To say to AZ that he is the most important person in my life and how I love him so fiercely; to tell my kids how absolutely precious they are and how proud I am of each of them; to tell my family how special they are in my life and how much they each mean to me.

Death is certain. Every day is a gift from God. Use it wisely and spend it with the people that you love, doing the things that you love. Never go to bed angry. Make amends with your loved ones. Say sorry even if you know it's not your fault. Tell them you love them, every day. You never know if those words are the last ones you will ever hear or say.

After the Carnival 2010

Ever had SO MUCH to do that you don't have the time to get sick? Then, when everything is over, the flu comes on to you at double dose?

Well, the Carnival is over. Happy to report that it was a BLAST! Everyone had LOADS of FUN and we raised more money than we targeted. Alhamdulillah.. The Wall Climb was a real hit - more than 600 people went on it! The queues to the pony rides, paintball and haunted houses were endless up to the end of the Carnival. The PTA Kopitiam alone raised more than RM5,000! There were 64 food stalls and 10 games stalls - but this clearly wasn't enough to cater for the thousands of guests who came as most of the food were wiped out by 2pm! Wow! What a Fantastic day we had. God is Great and made it such a wonderful day with such good weather (it rained for about 10 minutes at about 10am and it stopped and cooled down the whole day!).

Then the flu came, full blast! (I've been staving it off the whole week last week - no time to get sick then!). My whole body ached the whole of Sunday (yep, getting old, definitely). Followed by an excruciating sore throat (voice is still scratchy) and a very heavy head. Had double dose of Vitamin C, been taking Actifast and lots of fluids. Feeling a bit better today.. phew!

But above all, we now have more money for the School Building fund and that's awesome! Alhamdulillah.. (^_^)

Lost Palm

I lost my phone yesterday. With it went over 2 years of special text messages that I have saved from AZ and encouraging words from friends and family. These are messages that I read again and again whenever I feel a little bit down. Now they are gone. It's heartbreaking.

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 (^_^)

Happy Father's Day

Wishing AZ a very Happy Father's Day!! Thank you for being such a wonderful father to the kids. We LOVE you, Papa... We celebrated the evening together last night at the movies watching Toy Story 3 in 3D. What a great movie about friendship (I cried twice!).

To Apak, Happy Father's day and Thank you for everything that you have done for me and you are to me. I love you, Apak..

Getting Old & Sensitive

It's true what they say. As you get older, you become more and more sensitive.

I didn't give much thought about this before. Until recently. When I started feeling so sensitive and emotional about little things. I guess it's a clear sign of me getting old! Sigh...

Adlina and Anas stayed over at Mak's house for 2 nights over last weekend as their cousins from KL were around. They must have been having so much fun that they didn't bother to call home (read: Me!). I felt so emotional about this and started to think that it would come to this eventually when they leave home to go to college or university. Is this an indication of how it would be like? No calls to Mama when the children are away? Sedihnya!! Ok, ok, they are only 11 and 8 now and won't be going away until they are 18. But it hurts to think that they are no longer dependant on me and didn't need my daily hugs and kisses.. Double Sigh...

I AM getting old & over-sensitive!! Aiyoh..

Well, that explains why all 4 of them have been camping in our room on the floor the past 2 nights. The excuse of wanting to watch World Cup together is such a farce. The truth is, I just love having my kids close to me.. It's just so hard to let go...

Now I can imagine what it must have been like for Mak to let 8 of us go. Note to Self: Must make a point to call Mak more often.

Call up your mom today, folks (^_^)

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!

Prince of Persia - The Sands of Time

Saw this movie yesterday evening with my kids. In one word: It was AWESOME. I would even go as far as saying that this is the best movie that I've seen in the last 5 years. Great story, Beautiful settings, Terrific adventures, Thrilling fighting scenes, Fantastic Special Effects, And a Dashing Hero ;) (Reese Witherspoon must be nuts to let this guy go!).

3 other things that I love about this movie:-

1. The Heroin was smart & courageous. Not a wimpy-damsel-in-distress stereotype. A great character and a good role model for young ladies;

2. The ending was soooo unpredictable! I couldn't believe how good the ending was! It could not have ended better.

3. The movie stressed on the importance of family staying close. The King said to Dastan: "The Bond of Brothers is the sword that will save the Empire". Wow.

For those who haven't seen this movie yet, may I suggest that you make it a family outing during this school holiday? Your kids will love it!

Have fun (^_^)

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 (^_^)

Celebration of Life and Love

The whole family

Chinese character "Ai" means LOVE

Just had the most WONDERFUL weekend with my family, celebrating life and love. Our plan to celebrate Apak's 76th birthday and Mak+Apak's 48th Anniversary turned out to be so much more for all of us. There were so many special moments over the weekened, but my favourite part was when we gathered for the concert by the kids and watched the video prepared by Andy about how Mak + Apak bonded our family with love. I cried watching the video. Kak Ngah's girls made a video too and it was hilarious! Kudos to all the talented people in the family!

I look forward to every family gathering we have. As the family is so big (all 42 of us!), we find it hard to synchronize everyone's schedule and gather. So, when we do meet, we will try our best to make it special. This time, Kak Long came up with the theme: Celebrate Life & Love. And it fitted so well with the mood that we were in.

Thank you so much to everyone for the precious time. Thank you to Eda + Aswad for hosting the event in their lovely home. I love you all soooo much..

Here are some snapshots...

1, 2 Go: Splashing Fun!

Venue: Eda+Aswad's lovely home
(Please don't feel SERIK to host us next time!)

CLL:2010 - Happy Anniversary to Mak & Apak,
the BEST Parents in the World!

Anas (in the middle) with his cousins

Take time to pick up the phone and call your mom and dad, just to say Hello and to tell them how much they are loved and appreciated. Meet up with your sister or brother for coffee, cake and bonding. Tell your spouse and children that you love them every opportunity you have. Life is short. Fill it with the people you love, doing the things that you love. Make every day count.

Go celebrate your life, with love (^_^)

Mystical Bali

Gunung Agung

Beautiful Paddy terraces

A snapshot with the Kecak dancers

Danau team + me

The residents of Danau Kaseh were in Bali a few weeks ago with AZ's Danau team, making it the 3rd year we travelled together. We all had a blast!

We only had 3 days to spend in Bali, so our diary was packed!

Day 1: Explored Kuta

Bali is a beautiful island filled with myths and legends. The serene lives of the locals are bound by magical folklores and pagan rituals. The Balinese are very polite and hospitable, always the perfect hosts, ready with friendly smiles.

Unfortunately, the lives of these simple people, is simple no more. This is especially felt in Kuta as the city is swarmed by tourists, primarily from Australia. Jalan Pantai Kuta is dominated by international franchises and restaurants: Starbucks, Hard Rock Cafe, Pizzahut and MacDonalds, to name a few. The stores lining Jalan Legian prominantly display the brandnames of Levi's, Crocs, Reebok and Nike.

Prices in markets and stalls are not cheap, clearly catering for the foreigners who are their main customers..

Day 2: Gunung Agung volcano, Paddy Terraces and Kecak Dance

Our 2nd day was full. A trip to the volcano was made memorable by the group of relentless peddlars who hassled us incessantly after our lunch, blocking our way to the van. Anas and Adlina were scared.

A word of advice: despite their aggressive approach, you will find the best prices and bargains from these peddlars. Anas bought 25 keychains for Rp50,000 (RM16). Unfortunately, the more you buy, the more they hassle you!

Our next stop was the Pasar Ubud which was overflowing with touristy products and souvenirs. I thought the prices were reasonable but found out later that the prices in Denpasar Market was even cheaper! Bought loads of beautifully carved wooden trinket boxes.

The Kecak dance is not to be missed if you are in Bali. It completes the mystical experience that is Bali. The dance is very intense and dramatic featuring a hypnotic chorus of chanting and grunting simulating the sounds of a gamelan orchestra. It's an awesome experience.

Adlina + Mama

Wina Holiday Villa Courtyard
(The hotel serves Halal food)

Papa + the Boys

Day 3: Bali is a Shopping Heaven

Bali is a true shopping heaven. There are so many interesting souvenirs to bring home, all at under RM10. From Batik shirts to Wooden boxes to Mengkuang Bags to beaded slippers! Just bring extra Rupiahs!!

Check out the Denpasar Market. It's so much cheaper than the market in Ubud. Just wish we had more time to spend shopping in Denpasar. Most things are cheaper by more than 50% compared to Ubud or Kuta.

The day ended with the kids riding the waves with Hasanah, Thony, Azim and Shida. Azie was taking photos from the beach and me and AZ were just lazing under the shade! Hasanah and I finished off the evening with a full body massage and lulur which was heavenly...

In the van going places!

Can't wait for our next trip together. Thanks everyone for a great time!

Postscript: Had a BAD sunburn due to the intense heat. Wear a big hat in Bali, ladies (^_^)

My Big Sista

Kak Long - post op

My eldest sister Marlin is very special. We call her Kak Long. She is a very positive and loving person who always look at the brighter side of everything and the good side of everyone. Kak Long loves to give us presents, not just for special occasions, but for no occasion at all - except to remind us how special our relationship is.

I now realize that Kak Long has been such a huge influence in my life. As we grew up, it was Kak Long and Kak Ngah who reminded us time and again to always study hard and excel, and to show Apak that girls are just as good as boys, if not better (Apak always wanted a boy - and he had 7 girls before finally getting his only son, my brother Andy). Both of them used to round us up (there were only 5 of us then) and motivate us. Kak Long was such a big motivator. She still is.

When Mak followed Apak to London for a whole year and we were left in the care of Nenek, Kak Long and Kak Ngah held the fort for us and made sure that we stayed close together. I was only 5 then. But I can vividly remember the 5 of us holding hands when we went to sleep. Thinking about those times can still bring tears to my eyes.

Kak Long, Kak Ngah and Kak Mas were exemplary. They taught us by example. They all obtained scholarships to study in America, Australia and England respectively. I remember Kak Long never forgets birthdays and special occasions. She used to send cards and little presents by mail for birthdays and good luck cards prior to big exams. This taught me to always remember birthdays and special occasions. To always remember to celebrate special occasions and remind the people you love how much they are loved. And for this important lesson, I am truly grateful.

When Kak Long informed us 10 days ago that she had a tumor in her pituitary gland and needed a surgery to remove it, I was shocked and shaken. I cried and felt so scared. I realized that I have not been spending enough time with my Kak Long and I just wished that we stayed closer together. I have been taking our relationship for granted, thinking that she will always be there for me. It's really true how crisis and hurdles make you look back, think and reflect on things that go on with your life, make you appreciate what you have more.

Alhamdulillah, Kak Long's surgery went well last Tuesday and she is now in recovery. I have vowed to always remind her how much I love her and to try my level best to spend as much time as possible with her and my other sistas who are living in KL.

To Kak Long: I thank Allah for having you as my sister. You are so special and precious. You are such an inspiration to me. Thank you so much for everything that you are to me. I truly love you.

Malacca State Champions

Happy Hakim + friends when the result was announced!

The truly 1Malaysia Winning team

Hakim and his St David High School Choral Speaking Team are Malacca State Champions!! The school has now won the coveted title for 5 years in a row! CONGRATULATIONS everyone!!

Special THANKS to the most passionate coach, Madam Anna Nonis, who poured her heart and soul into the team. Watching them perform last Thursday, I was filled with so much pride and joy. The students were in their element. Their performance was SUPERB! The team was really in a class of their own, way above the rest (Biased mom speaking, I know!!). I couldn't believe they only had 7 days to practice! The script entitled "Superstition", written by Anna, was hilarious and informative at the same time. I loved every minute of it, and I could see that the judges (and audience) were truly entertained!

This is the 3rd year I've seen the team from St David perform at the State level Choral Speaking competition. The past 2 years, Adlan was in the team. This year, he passed the baton to Hakim, to continue the tradition that he started. The school won first prize at the National Level competition last year and it was Adlan's brightest highlight of the year :)

To darling Hakim: Mama is so, so proud of you! You were great!

PS: Really hope that the Ministry will allocate the budget for the national level competition (^_^)

Facebook vs. Blog

There is another HUGE reason why I haven't been updating my Blog as frequently as I should. It's called: FACEBOOK. Somehow Facebook has won over Blogger in my case..

Facebook: Quick & Easy Status Updates
Blog: Need time to think of new Posting

Facebook: Many friends linked directly to daily updates
Blog: Friends need to type in your Blog URL

Facebook: Immediate link through Blackberry & iPhone
Blog: Need to type in your Blog URL

Facebook: You can check many friends' status daily by opening just 1 window
Blog: Must open many windows

Facebook: Easy to upload photos & albums
Blog: Not as easy as FB

Facebook: Many games directly linked
Blog: What games?

Alamak! So many reasons la!! Facebook wins!

So, please don't blame me for not updating regularly.. (^_^)

Reading Chick Lit - Part II

For me, reading is a way for me to wind down after a stressful day at work. I love to dive into the pages, to learn about people, real or fictional; to feel the love, excitement, anguish and frustration, the emotional highs and lows of each character; to learn about different places and cultures; to understand how different people react or respond to diverse situations in life. Some books are so well written that they touch your heart!

I love books that are positive and uplifting. Books that encourage you to do more in life, to appreciate your friends and family, to never take anything you have for granted. Books that make you understand yourself even better!

Reading chick lit for the past 2 months have been quite interesting for me. I feel I understand people and their reactions better! I love books by Lisa Kleypas and Nora Roberts. They are so special and real. Rachel Gibson books are so light and easy to read - they are perfect after a real hard day. You can read these books over and over again..

BUT, there are books which should have come with WARNING Labels on them. I just can't appreciate books written by Cecelia Ahern. I read 2 books by her over the last weekend and regretted reading them: If You Could See Me Now and Love, Rosie. 'If You Could See Me Now' is written in the perspective of the heroin's nephew's Imaginary Friend (can you beat how weird this is?). It is rather bizarre! 'Love, Rosie' is just so infuriating - it's about 2 people who had been best friends ever since they were 5 years old and began to realize that they love each other when they were 18 but only finally confessed to each other of their love when they were 50 at the very last page!! I hated the book mainly because the heroin kept on subotaging her own life and happiness throughout the book and wasted more than 30 years of her life denying her love and feelings!! It is so against what I believe in - people should seize every opportunity they have, and seize the day! They should be with the ones they love, and love unconditionally. I was so angry reading the book and wanted to burn it midway! It was definitely NOT uplifting and I felt depressed after reading it.

Which is why I am swearing off Chick Lit for the moment and moving on to Motivational Books for the next few weeks. I should start with ESQ which was given to me by my friend Raha early last year. Never got round to reading it.. Better start now (^_^)

PS: Ladies, any of you have any words to say about Marian Keyes books? I got 2 of her books from Borders yesterday but I'm a bit wary of reading any books which could pull me down..

From Apple to Dell

I just changed my notebook a couple of days ago. After using a Macbook for the past 2 years, the Dell is such a refreshing change! There is so much to un-learn and re-learn! The latest Microsoft Office is just wonderful. Drafting agreements have been a pleasure with easy icons accessible on a single click. I love my new Dell notebook!

PS: I'm actually really quite sad to part with my Apple.. it was AZ's valentine's day present to me 2 years ago.. sigh..

Emotional

Why are we women so emotional? Don't you just wish that you don't care so much sometimes because somehow little things mean a lot and before you know it we start feeling hurt. We cry, sulk and wait for those 2 little magic words: "I'm sorry". The problem (and the sulking) is somehow enhanced when those words are not forthcoming from our men. The thing is most of the time men are just clueless about what they did (or didn't do) to hurt their other (better) half. And sometimes I don't blame them! We women somehow feel that there is no need for explanation as we always think: "If he loves me, he will know what went wrong!" Hallloooo??? Not only do we expect our men to be loving, romantic and attentive, we also expect them to be mind-readers!! Tsk, tsk, tsk...


Well, I used to be guilty of all that too. Don't blame me, I'm a woman! So, I'm entitled to be unreasonable when it comes to matters of the heart. But you know, I've somehow changed my perception of things (mainly because I just turned 40 and it gets rather tiring to wait for my man to somehow guess when something went wrong). So, I feel it's best to just be upfront, tell him and make him understand why it hurts. And it's working so much better! Why didn't I think of this earlier and save myself all those pain & hurt? Now we understand each other even better (read: he now knows that I get stressed over little things!). Aiyoh! A little bit embarassing sometimes, but at least he knows that he should say sorry and I will feel a lot better :)


Ladies, for the sake of sanity and self-preservation, when something goes wrong (as it often does in a relationship between 2 people who are far from perfect) please just tell your man what went wrong. And when he asks: "What's wrong, dear?", don't you dare say "Nothing's wrong..." although you just cried your eyeballs out in the bathroom!


Good luck, gals (^_^)

Reading Chick-Lit

I've been seriously neglecting my Blog and my Scrabble games in FB due to the fact that I've been reading books at every possible free time. All chick-lits at that! I haven't read these much fiction since my days in secondary school! Seriously..

The problem is this: once I start reading, I just get obsessive about finishing the book & neglect everything else. Unfortunately (or fortunately?), my eldest sista Kak Long has thousands of books in her library (I'm not exaggerating: she can open up a 2nd-hand bookstore) and she has been supplying books to Eda, Win & me. Before I knew it, I got sucked in :-0

I started with the 4 Twillight saga books (Eda's evil influence!) and since then, I've been reading non-stop. Just for fun, I made a list of all the books that I've read and was shocked to note that I've read a total of 23 books in the past 30 days!! Aiyoh! Must tone down la... My scrabble mates have already abandoned me for the past month (ok, ok.. my games were all neglected for weeks!). Before my friends (and family) start boycotting me and before Blogger close down this Blog due to neglect, I better phase out this new hobby! But Eda just passed me a few books by Judith McNaught and she swears that the books are good reads.. Sigh..

Anyway, I really recommend these authors to all ladies out there: Nora Roberts, Jennifer Crusie and Lisa Kleypas. You will cry and laugh at the same time! Enjoy reading gals (^_^)

Happy Birthday to Adlina & Papa!

Happy 11th Birthday to our precious princess Adlina & Happy 47th Birthday to my one and only AZ.. I am truly blessed by Allah for having both of you in my life <3

The Year That Was

It is unbelievable that I have left this page unwritten for nearly a month. So much has happened in the last few weeks of December 2009 that I feel it was somehow a good closure to the year. I've had a lot of time to self-reflect on the decisions that I have made in 2009 and how these decisions had affected the people around me. It seems surreal now looking back on the changes that had happened in my life in the past year.. 

For the Firm, I would consider 2009 as the turning point. The move to our new building was more than a re-location to a better venue, a better address. The move also signified the change that was inevitable for the Firm, to re-focus on its core values and principles, and translate them into the specialized services that we now know we are best at. 2009 was a time for our Team to re-new our bond and commitment in a fresh new environment. With a new spirit, new strategy and new synergy, we hope to propel the Firm to a higher level in 2010.

2009 also gave me the opportunity to give back to the community. Being involved in St David's PTA has been a very rewarding experience for me. I've been given the chance to make important and significant changes in a school which needed so much help, and these changes will benefit so many children and teachers. It's so fulfilling. I have made new acquaintances and developed new friendships. I am proud to have a team of very committed and passionate parents who are willing to sacrifice so much of their time and energy towards a good cause. We hope to continue with our efforts in 2010 and I'm so excited just thinking of what we can do and the people that we can help.

At home, the kids just grew too fast in 2009 with Adlan leading the way in growth. He is way taller than Papa & Mama at 5'9". Hakim has finished his primary school in 2009 and will now join Adlan in St David High School. Adlina has blossomed into a pretty young lady, very tall for her age and Anas is now so much more independent than before, sleeping by himself and hardly coming to our bed in the middle of night. But most importantly, our relationship with the children have strengthened as they grow. We discuss things with them, and have good conversations with them as they are big enough to form their own opinion on many things. It's just so amazing. As they grow further in 2010 and beyond, I just pray to Allah that this precious bond that we have with them will strengthen further. 

For me and AZ, there are just no words to describe. It is incredible that love can grow even more when you feel that you have loved your utmost. I feel that we now know each other even better than before. His love, understanding and support has been the strength that I needed to go through the challenges throughout the year. Thank you for always being there for me, sayang. Happy 16th Anniversary..

Ya Allah, thank you so much for everything that you have given me in such abundance.

Wishing everyone out there a Hugely Successful New Year 2010 filled with unexpected happy suprises... (^_^)