Saigon, here we come

The blog seriously needs an update and I am gonna finish my Piala Malaysia experience series after this one.
(Hopefully Kerabu Jantung will be patience enuf… I usually will finish what I started even though it’ll take a lloooonnnng time. Oooops earlier series also yet completed : The Pale Green Home, aiyah! – slap my own face)

Yuuuup, the title says it all… we are going for a short 4 days 3 nights trip to Ho Chi Minh from Saturday, I mean just a matter of few more hours. Wish me a safe and wonderful holiday, people !

It was supposed to be Harris’s office sponsored trip which is only for the staff. But I guess, you all know la… this mother hen (wey, I really mean mother hen with two legs and a pair of wings – not the one at Lorong Haji Taib) can’t stop making noise. I nagged and nagged and nagged Harris to ask his office administration if I could tumpang sekaki. I don’t mind paying for my own expenses. Again, this mother hen is not shame to admit that she is not the shameful type when it comes to this sort of item. He he. My feet got mole oneee….

My darling hubby on the other hand had to put away all of his shame to place my intention to the attention of trip organizer. One day after work, he told me – “Yes, you can join the trip to Vietnam”. Waaaaaaa!!!! Me so excited, I made my own assumption that surely there were many hubbies whom their wives pestered them to ask the same thing. The decision was made then due to the volume of requests.

Guess what Harris answered me? “Taklah, Abang je yang tanya." Gulp! I felt chocked. Is it real? I don’t believe it, could I be the only noisy mother hen? Guiltiness surrounded my senses.

Anyway, that thought only perplexed me for a very short moment. Always see a glass as half full! If it’s not because of me being the noisy mother hen nagging the big cock,… the other nicer mother hens wouldn’t be able to enjoy the trip, aren’t they? Adding as bonus, trip organizer also decided to sponsor for spouse’s trip expenses. Haaaaa, see the benefit to have a noisy mother hen? For that, I thank myself.

No doubt we are definitely bringing the little bidadari Dew along, even though her expenses is not counted in the package.

So, I am excited towards this trip. Further more I’ve contacted a friend from school whom is attached to Petronas and has been living Saigon for about a year. I really hope we would be able to meet up.

I’ve done with my before trip MUST-DO and MUST-BRING lists, It's 3am anyway. Of course most of the items in the list concerns Dew the most.
Before our trip to Bandung earlier this year, I made Harris agreed to cash out his RM 600 for the Baby Bjorn carrier albeit Dew has already own a carrier before the Bjorn. How? Oh… easy, I always implement the veto decision convinced him to trust my instinct. :P
Many times when we were in Bandung, Harris kept saying “It’s a good thing that we get this carrier or I could end up having back pain….”

Since Nada now is quite ‘heavy’ and ‘long’ to fit into the carrier even though she is still within limit specified by manufacturer, I thought we should get a pushchair for this trip. A light, not bulky and umbrella closure type. Easy to carry and practical to use. Lil Dew definitely will get tired at any point and I figured this stroller would be much useful. We could use in the airport right to the aircraft and shaft it by the door or in the overhead luggage area once we get into the fuselage, I have seen many people do that. Should later it is not really needed in HCM or the city could be less friendly to push chairs, then we’d just leave it in the hotel room.

My initial thought was to buy one of those pushchair which cost less than RM 100, but somehow after due consideration we end-up buying this one at more than triple of our budget. *Sigh*

I got hooked with it after looking at the size it become upon being folded up!

Lets make the buy worth even more …… to families whom have plans for trip and think this cutey push chair would do wonders… be a NOISY MOTHER HEN and don’t be shameful to ask me if you want to borrow. Non-chargeable. (Heard somebody is off to Melbourne?, siapakah itu ?)

Just shout out loud. (Susah nak baca ni – Macam - She sells sea shells at the sea shore!)

Oh dear…. I really love baby gadgets I think I want to own a business of it’s kind. For traveling purpose alone, lil Dew now has 2 pushchairs, 2 car seats, 2 carriers before her age is 2.
Well, I need not have to worry so much about that, surely there’ll be others who has more and different people has different interests anyway.

For now, I want to finish up a full bowl of trifle pudding and sing happily : “All our bags are packed and we are ready to go …………….”

P/s - Will brag about the trip later. Please bear with me, ya !

P/p/s - Mentibang ; thank you for this beautiful and delicious pudding. Must be nslave who made it!

Piala Malaysia 09 - my experience : Kelantan vs Negeri Sembilan

Pintu masuk ke dalam stadium telah lama dibuka sebelum kami tiba di perkarangannya. Ramai yang telah berpusu-pusu masuk untuk mendapatkan tempat duduk dengan lokasi yang diingini. Namun demikian, Harris dan saya memilih untuk bersolat Maghrib di surau berdekatan terlebih dahulu sebelum masuk ke dalam stadium. Di surau juga keadaan sesak sekali. Begitu ramai yang telah bersiap sedia di dalam saf untuk solat walaupun Maghrib belum tiba waktu. Barisan untuk mengambil wuduk bagaikan ubat nyamuk lingkar. Di dalam surau bahagian wanita, saya dapati ramai juga ibu-ibu yang membawa anak-anak kecil sekitar umur Si Kecil Embun. Ada yang sedang menyiapkan anak, ada yang menyuap makan. Saya agak mereka datang jauh dari Kelantan dan sudah tentu ada yang doanya malam itu selepas solat supaya skuad Kijang akan menang.

Di dalam perjalanan keluar dari surau, saya terdengar seorang lelaki menyatakan kepada isterinya : “Tok payoh masuk lah neh dale stadiung, abe tok ‘de nok caghi tekek. Buke tok sey beli, tak dok etek….”
Bermaksud “Tak perlu masuk ye ke dalam stadium. Abang tak sempat nak cari tiket. Bukan tak nak beli, tiada lagipun.”
Si isteri seolah-olah menerima tanpa bantahan. Saya tidak berpeluang untuk melihat air mukanya kerana itu hanyalah kejadian sepintas lalu di tepi saya sahaja.
Di dalam hati saya berkata. “Salute you lady”. Kalau saya berada di tempatnya sudah tentu ada sesuatu yang keluar dari mulut saya seperti : “What! No ticket? What the h*** then I’m gonna do outside here? No ticket for me means no ticket for you as well. Lets go home.”.. ~Leter-leter~leter~leter~

Sebaik sebelum masuk ke dalam stadium Harris mengutarakan kepada saya, mungkin saya mahu menimbang untuk duduk di pihak penyokong Negeri Sembilan. Secara terang, tempat duduk di pihak sana nampaknya lebih banyak yang kosong. Saya berkira-kira ada baiknya juga cadangan tersebut. Lagi pun Negeri Sembilan bukanlah satu negeri yang asing bagi saya.

Memanglah saya ni anak Kelantan tulen, kedua-dua ibu dan bapa saya orang Kelantan.

Tetapi Negeri Sembilan teramat dekat di hati saya. Selama lima tahun saya bersekolah asrama di sana. Tempoh waktu membesar yang menyeronokkan saya habiskan di Tanah Adat itu. Makanannya menjadi santapan saya. Selepas habis bersekolah, saya pergi buat sementara waktu dan pulang kembali untuk bekerja. Rezeki saya ada di sana. Ketika bekerja, saya mengumpul ramai kawan yang asalnya dari Negeri Sembilan. Setiap hari mendengar percakapan loghat Negeri yang juga tidak kurang syoknya.

Di negeri bertuah itu jugalah saya bertemu dengan saudara Harris yang merupakan salah satu anugerah terbaik buat saya setelah saya gagal cinta pertama dan tetapkan minda untuk tidak mahu jatuh cinta lagi sehingga saya pasti – “This is it”. cheeeeeeWAH.
Harris kemudiannya adalah lelaki yang saya kahwini. Setelah berkahwin saya juga tinggal di Seremban, Negeri Sembilan walaupun itu bermaksud saya terpaksa berulang-alik ke Kuala Lumpur untuk berkerja setiap lima hari seminggu (saya telah berpindah tempat kerja setelah tamat Ijazah Kedua). Bukan calang-calang orang yang boleh berbuat demikian.

Sekarang tinggal di apartment, kadang-kadang saya rindukan jiran sebelah rumah saya di Seremban, seorang makcik tua berbangsa Sik. Dia saban hari akan menunggu saya pulang dari pejabat di anjung rumahnya hanya untuk menanyakan : “Hello Yanti, you only reach home, how are you? are you tired?” Saya akan senyum kepadanya dan menjawab : “Hi, yes very tired, aunty… You haven’t sleep?” Kami kemudiannya akan masuk ke rumah masing-masing. Paling saya selesa, kami saling tidak “busy-body” dan saya tidak pernah menerima soalan “When are you going to have a baby” daripadanya. Walaupun tidak “busy-body, her ice-breaking conversation" adalah sesuatu yang sungguh menyenangkan.

Jika dibandingkan dengan sekarang, saya hanya sekali terserempak dengan isteri jiran sebelah rumah saya selama hampir dua tahun tinggal di rumah sekarang walaupun pintu apartment kami hanya dipisahkan oleh dinding setebal 4 inci. Ini cerita benar … Hanya sekali dalam hampir dua tahun dan saya pun telah lupa akan rupa parasnya.

Si Kecil Embun juga dilahirkan di sana walaupun ketika itu kami telah pun berpindah ke Ampang. Sehingga kini kami masih kerap turun ke Seremban kerana masih merujuk Pakar Kanak-kanak yang sama untuk Si Kecil Embun. Jika pun tidak ke hospital kami akan sengaja pergi kesana untuk melewati kedai-kedai makan yang menjadi kegemaran kami di hujung minggu. Nasib baiklah Seremban itu tidak jauh dalam erti kata di dalam negeri berjiran dengan tempat tinggal kami sekarang.
Pendek kata hampir 10 tahun saya mengenali Negeri Sembilan, dan itu adalah hampir satu per tiga dari umur saya sehingga sekarang. Tempoh itu juga hampir sama dengan jangkamasa saya tinggal di negeri sendiri Kelantan kerana hidup saya ini banyak berkelana.

Panjang lebar saya berkisahkan diri saya dan Negeri Sembilan, namun kami tetap memilih pintu pagar untuk penyokong Kelantan kerana di sudut hati, saya adalah Kelantanese……………………. And I came to support my countryman. Amacam ? bersemangat tak saya malam itu?

Sebaik melepasi pintu pagar stadium, beg saya diperiksa dan pengawal keselamatan menjumpai dua botol berisi air di dalamnya. Ia adalah tidak dibenarkan dan merupakan sesuatu yang tidak kami ketahui. Oleh itu, saya dan Harris terpaksa menghabiskan 600ml air minuman kosong dan 600ml air ribena setiap seorang di hadapan pintu pagar itu juga.

Lautan manusia bebaju merah meliputi 2/3 kapasiti stadium benar-benar membuatkan saya teruja dan terkesima. Sorakan Gomo Kelate Gomo menaikkan semangat, saya secepat kilat mengirimkan sistem pesanan ringkas kepada kawan sekerja seorang penyokong tegar Selangor, berbunyi “Kalau sorak, 200% Kelantan dah menang malam ni”

......... bersambung lagi

Piala Malaysia 09 - my experience : So many of us

The red warriors telah tewas di kaki anak-anak tambatan jurulatih Wan Jamak Wan Hassan pada dua Sabtu lepas di Stadium Bukit Jalil. Pasukan Hobin Jang Hobin nampaknya telah bermain dengan lebih baik. Walaupun di kala saya menulis pos ini pelbagai cerita kedengaran kenapa skuad Kijang tidak bermain dengan baik pada malam tersebut, sebagai seorang yang sangat meminati Sukan, saya sentiasa percaya “Best team deserves to win”.

Perasaan saya begitu berbelah bahagi untuk bersama-sama pergi menyemarakkan suasana Stadium Bukit Jalil bagi menyokong pasukan bolasepak negeri saya yang telah kesekian 39 tahun tidak dapat memasuki peringkat akhir Piala Malaysia.
Pertamanya, saya tidak pasti jika saya pergi menonton perlawanan tersebut perlukah saya membawa sekali Si Kecil Embun. Tidak sampai hati untuk ditinggalkan tetapi dalam masa yang sama begitu was-was dengan keselamatan di stadium yang saya pasti akan dipenuhi dengan pelbagai ragam manusia.

Keduanya, memang benar saya seorang peminat Sukan… segala jenis sukan tetapi Bolasepak agak tidak menarik perhatian saya. Secara jujur : “I only watch World Cup for football, not even EPL”, pergh… itulah kenyataan berlagak saya.
Oleh itu, saya kurang kenal dengan pemain-pemain bolasepak liga kebangsaan kecuali yang ada skandal atau gosip-gosip hangat dengan artis-artis tempatan dan cerita-ceritanya seringkali keluar di akhbar sisipan Mingguan Malaysia, Pancaindera. :P. Contohnya, yang kahwin lari di Siam.

Saya diyakinkan oleh ibu saudara, Cik Ra supaya tidak membawa Si Kecil Embun dengan kata-katanya – “Ish…. Tok soh laaaaah bawok Nada, awok tahula penyokong Kelate.. jenih palo anging-anging belako. Kalu jadi gapo-gapo gak mudoh sikik kito nok laghi ko… teghejung ko…” bermaksud – “Ish… jangan bawa Nada, awak tahukan (karakter) penyokong Kelatan, jenis kepala angin semuanya. Kalau terjadi sesuatu (yang tidak elok) mudah sikit, nak lari ke … terjun ke…”

Ia diputuskan – ya, saya tidak membawa Si Kecil Embun ke stadium. Jika diingatkan, saya memang jarang benar meninggalkan Si Kecil Embun jika hendak kemana-mana kecuali bekerja waima kepada neneknya sendiri. Saya fikir sehingga umurnya hampir dua tahun ini, tidak sampai kiraan jari yang sebelah tangan dia ditinggalkan. Saya tidak betah memikirkan orang lain akan terpaksa bersusah menjaga anak kesayangan ketika saya bersuka-ria kecuali orang tersebut dibayar atau dibalas secara berpada.

Perjalanan ke stadium sangat menyeronokkan apabila saya dan Harris memilih untuk menaiki sistem transit aliran ringan STAR. Sesampainya kami di stesen Ampang, kegembiraan mula dirasai dengan hanya melihat ramai yang memakai baju berwarna merah dan bercakap di dalam dialek yang begitu sedap di halwa telinga saya. “Gu gak naik gha, ‘jadi!”

Kami ketika menunggu tren, terpaksa beralah kerana sangat padat dengan sengaja membiarkan beberapa tren lebih awal berlalu pergi.

Apabila gerabak STAR yang menuju ke Sri Petaling tiba, sorakan WWWWOOOOO bergema seolah-olah ucap selamat di antara yang berada di dalam gerabak dan di atas platform kerana rata-ratanya berbaju merah menandakan “KITA DARI KAPAL YANG SAMA”.

Tren yang sesak seperti waktu puncak di hari-hari bekerja

Ya, saya memang suka diambil gambar... walaupun dalam tren yang bagaikan tin dipenuhi makerel.

Meriah suasana di stesen-stesen STAR sudah tentu tiada tandingan dengan suasana di sekitar stadium. Saya terpesona kerana dari dalam tren sudah kelihatan betapa ramainya “set-set” penyokong skuad Gomo Kelate Gomo yang kelihatan bagai semut merah menghurungi gula batu.

Saya tidak berbaju merah, begitu juga pasangan saya..........

Ulat-ulat yang menjual tiket secara “pasaran gelap” menyambut kedatangan kami. Tiket berharga RM 20 dijual RM 50 ~ 60, yang mana sejam sebelum perlawanan bermula dijual pada harga RM 5!
Dalam keghairahan yang hadir untuk menonton perlawanan bolasepak, saya kagum pada yang mengambil kesempatan untuk berniaga, seperti Bangla di belakang saya di dalam foto ini!

Harris berkeras untuk tidak membazirkan RM 1 duitnya, walaupun saya bersunguh-sungguh meminta dibelikan kain lilit kepala. Saya lagi-lagi lah tidak ingin membazirkan RM 1 duit saya sendiri. Betapa kedekutnya kami berdua! Walau demikian, kami tidak lupa membeli untuk Si Kecil Embun sehelai kemeja T putih dengan nombor 23 berharga RM 15 sebagai cenderahati walaupun ia sebenarnya adalah untuk merawat rasahati yang bersalah. :)

.........bersambung...

Something new

Oooo, I am so excited. Earlier today, I finally got hold of the good that I ordered through the internet. This is really my first time buying stuff online. Honestly, it is something rather unusual to me. Yes, I do source for information from the net but buying online ? I was skeptical about it. To top it up though I am an internet user, I wouldn’t categorize myself as an I.T savvy which can be judge by my attestation that I only familiarize myself with blogs & forum for about a year or so.

The purchase was done almost last two weeks and to my surprise the delivery was speedy fast which I was supposed to receive the next day. Unfortunately, we were not home that Saturday when the parcel arrived. So, I was only left with the notice by Pos Laju pasted to my house door. The same weekend, I went back home town until middle of the week and was not able to collect the parcel at collection centre. The working days later do not allow me enough time to make the tour to pickup the item either. Came last weekend, it was 1st Saturday of the month and Pos Laju collection centre was not in operation.

Today, by so having a meeting near to the collection centre made the parcel finally succeeded to be in my possession. I was surprised that it actually came in a nice flower prints paper box.

Another bonus, the purchased item inside was neatly folded and being wrapped with yellow butter paper. I imagined the sender took an extra mile to make the receiver happy by putting personal care for item delivered. Indeed, she made one mommy very happy tonite.

Little dew had the honor to unwrap the parcel. It was intended for her anyway….

I bought her a smocking dress from Little Girls' Closet which I found out from a friend of mine. Lovely, isn’t it?

She twirls.

Ahhhhh, how I ‘llllllloveee smocking details. This reminds me, I've yet posted any entry on smocks that I made for my girl. Hhhmmmmm.

Mommy is tired

I am tired.
Could somebody tell me how to get money flowing in without having to work my ass like a donkey or by just shaking legs?…. besides being married to a rich old man or to a rich old man’s son. Too bad, I have passed the period of courting!

I am so tired that I feel like taking an unpaid leave for a month and fly to Arctic to join the polar bears hibernating in the caves. It is so overwhelming to reach home after work even though the time shown is 9.00pm by having lil dew running towards me with her arms opened wide wanting me to pick her up.
But…. I felt so helpless that all I did was give her a big hug, lots of kiss and carry her for not more than 60 seconds because I was tired.

I am so tired, still I do not want to restrict my little darling having fun with her toys just because I would get scorching head to tidy up the mess she’d make. Dew’s favorite is ransacking my handbag looking for my purse and stationary case which if full of colored pens, pencils, markers, art liners, scale rulers, rubber erasers, cutter and little stapler – I am an Architect maaaaa….. YES, I carry all these in my bag. Upon finding the two, she’d take out everything inside on to the floor. She’ll be VERY happy exploring.
I am so tired, I wanted to shout at her – STOP! Mommy has no energy to pick up the mess…. But I didn’t because I am too guilty to stop her.

I am so tired, though I know my dearest other half loves real hot Darjeeling tea with slight lemon juice and slice to be accompanied with IKO biscuits for supper, I only served him 3 in 1 instant coffee mixed with semi-hot water which already been kept in the trusted thermos for more than 24 hours.
I am too tired to fill up the jug kettle to boil water, too tired to prepare the tea, too tired to cut the lemon and squeeze for it’s juice! I am so tired – I just did the extent that I could.

I am so tired, I dozed off on the sofa in front of tele while entertaining my love dancing knowing loads of chores to be done at the back of my head.

Nada dancing her part Sarawak Sumazau and part Maori Hakka dance………..

My sleep on the sofa hardly continue past midnight, I reflexively wake up after close to couple hours of nap nearing to 12 night not surprise with the house condition which is like a tongkang pecah or telah dilanggar garuda. Sigh! Leave that a side first. Turn on tele channel 702, ahah! Have a laugh with The Nanny & Friends, if it’s Thursday… 107 for Grey’s Anatomy re-run and make sure a box of tissue is by my side.

I am so tired, I have no choice but to resume with the mundane things though it’s 1am. I’d start with laundry if any of the two laundry bags (one for Harris and me, one for Dew) is shouting that it could no longer hold, washing Dew’s bottles and food thermos, sterilizing, preparation for breakfast, tidying up the messy house, vacuuming if need be (well, no neighbors yet complain) watering and talking to my cute little pot plants, hanging dry the laundry and thousand and one others to do until I decide it is enough for the day and to stop for hot shower.

All the necessities had been done.

I am so tired, sometimes I find myself crying on prayer mat.

Still I am so thankful that after a long tiring day, I took a peep to Dew’s room to find out that my dearest husband had done a good job by nicely tucked our baby girl for sleep. I kissed my girl and could smell the Pureen baby toothpaste. Harris abide my instruction – Make sure get lil dew to brush teeth before sleeping! I am happy and whisper to her ears “Ashhadu allailaha illallah, waashhadu anna Muhammadur rasullullah. Aku naik saksi tiada lain yang disembah melainkan Allah dan Aku naik saksi Muhammad (s.a.w) itu pesuruh Allah”.

Again, my tears flow…. how I regret the much that I let pass my darling day-by-day growing up. I know No numbers of videoes or pictures will be enough to capture her antics. But until I am senile, I would always trust myself that I have enough memory of my little girl to remind me that she has a vast space deep in my heart.

I decided to lay next to her, hold her close to me, smell her nice jasmine-like scent.

Mommy is just merely tired.

Weekend morning at a neighbourhood park

1st hair cut

Disregard the bold shaving for 7 times before her age is one, lil dew had her first proper hair cut or I would say hair trim on 04 October 2009. And this was how it went .....

BEFORE HAIR TRIM

The jaggy fringe

DURING HAIR TRIM

Keep still, keep still..... (x-cuse my husband's 'tone' arm, i've trimmed off his tummy from the pix, but you just got to bear with the arm!)

AFTER HAIR TRIM

Yeah!!! the helmet like hair-do. Uncle Brad Pitt said - she somehow looks 'rounder'

and, she's not NADA if she doesn't think she could it herself. To those whom are concern,... she's holding a blunt point scissors with cap by NUK German designed for child use. :)

Leave us alone

I bumped to a friend whom I’ve not met for more than a decade. It was long enough that I almost did not recognize her, definitely contributed by her being so well groomed. She was a tall, beautiful lass then and now she is even more than gorgeous and charming. I got to know her for a very brief period when we both attended an induction program, Petronas organized for their scholarship holders during my first year in uni. Even though we were from different courses, we got acquainted well at the time may be due to many interests that we shared. So I would say, she and I can’t be considered as best or close friends but fair enough to be able to sit down for more than 2 hours to just talk and talk despite not seeing each other for so long.

My friend is now married and not working as she follows her husband almost to every corner of planet Earth due to his nature of work. She wore Nicole Miller, Christian Lacroix, Jimmy Choo and a diamond beaded Rolex. Carried YSL tote. What she had on her when I met her sums to no lesser than 30 grant and with no shame, I told her I was jealous of her. I had on me not more than 3 grant, most I had on my watch only . :( So jet-set la her! PHD – perasaan hasad dengki!

I came to know she’s been married for five years, but yet with any child.

After quite long chit-chatting, she asked me how come I never asked her ‘when’ would she want to have a child. Hmmm? I asked her back – Would she want me to ask her the question? Answer was, not that she wants but at the norm event people would ask.

I am now blessed with a joyful daughter after close to four years the age of my marriage. Before the arrival, I vomited blood every time people asked me the question. And years before, I vomited blood mixed with phlegm every time people asked me – “When are you gonna get married ?”

Are you married ? and When are you gonna get married ? are the kind of questions that very vast different interpretation one could make when being asked in different circumstances.
If I want to know a friend’s status when I really do not know, I’ll ask are you married. When I know and very sure a friend is planning to get married, I’ll ask when are you gonna get married.

But if I already know a friend is NOT married, I won’t ask just for the sake of asking.
When I know or don’t know if a friend is not planning or planning to get married, I won’t ask when are you gonna get married either.

Same thing with having a child. If I know or don’t know a friend is not planning orplanning to get child, I won’t ask when are you gonna get a child.

What I mean here is, I won’t simply ask question in the situation that I am not certain of the other party’s circumstances. I guess, it really ties back to the intention of the people who is asking and the way one asks.

I have had enough of people asking me these unanswerable questions.
If only to me, getting married is as easy as finishing up two plates of Lamb Chop at Victoria Station or if only getting a child is as easy as buying Happy Meal over the Mc Donald’s drive thru counter, I would have answered many people.

Now that I no longer being asked these questions, I am now frequently being asked – Bila nak dapat baby lagi? I would like to say, Sudahlah… Leave us alone, go find something useful to read on.