20.08.2008

We celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary 3 days back on 20.08.2008. Nothing so fanciful, just a humble dinner at KRB, Ampang Waterfront! Harris had Sirloin Steak and I had Lamb Chop, meanwhile…. Nada in her ‘bucket’ seat… shouting for attention! Adussssssssssssss……………….

Still, this year’s anniversary was so much more meaningful.

.....................Being A Tailor.......................

My mami…. Gimme a call. Of course it was a ‘miss’ call and I have to call her back. It was a loooooooooooooooooooooooog chat. As usual, she’ll go round and round and round. But at the end, it’s gonna be the same stuffs that she always tells me about for as long as I can remember!

What is the stuff?

Well…. According to her…. As the case may be, she does a lot of sewing particularly clothing for her customers. Her customers can be close or immediate family members, semi-close family members, distant family members, friends, neighbors, so on and so forth.

Among all, sewing clothes to immediate family members is the most difficult to her. It’s because either the immediate family members pay her very late upon completion of their clothes or immediate family members just don’t pay her at all. It’s like the immediate family members expect her to sew for FREE because of the immediate family members relationship.
(Why do I use the phrase ‘immediate family members’ again and again? That is to emphasis the importance of it!)

And so I ask her…
Why don’t you just ask them? She’ll reply me…. It’s difficult!

I ask her again…
Can I ask them on your behalf? She’ll reply me….. No you shouldn’t. It won’t be nice!

It really annoys me !!

……………………. Dear Beloved immediate family members, just think! Sewing is my mami’s means of getting money. It’s her JOB! Her OCCUPATION! just like everybody else, for GOD sake! Those whom are working or being employed always expect to get paid by end of the month. You’ll get angry if your employer miss your end of the month pay. For at least you can expect to get paid by end of the month, but my mami…… she can’t expect that.
Because? Because of the ‘immediate family members’scenario.

So, I plead to everybody in the world. Please.. please honor or pay My Mami’s work accordingly and timely just like if the sewing is made by any other tailor. Again, just think.. the time she spent sewing clothes to those, whom pays her late or not paying her at all could have been spent sewing other peoples clothes that is assured to pay her timely, isn’t it?

I’m very sorry if I have offended people with this Blog, but I’ve made it clear in The First Blog, my intention of executing Blogs is not to show how happy I am (that is easy to do)… I want to speak my mind… be it Good or Bad!

Dilemma Part II

Like I say, I have never have the dilemma to go back to work after giving birth but My HUGE dilemma is how do I ensure that my daughter is in good hands while I’m at work?

Do I get a maid?
.... Nah! Not while I'm staying in this tiny 950 sqft, 3 bedroom apartment. It's just nice for the 3 of us at the moment. Should we have one, how's Harris gonna walk around in his shorts and shirtless!... whoops! And so, how do I?

Do I send her to stay with my mami?
.... I don't think I should. Then I'll be missing her, further more I don't want to burden my mami to look after another cucu.

Do I send her to nursery?
.... Well, I'm also like most people. So sceptical with nursery... Ramai... mudah sakit.... bla.. bla.. bla...

Do I send her to a nanny?
.... Listening to news, it really gives u nightmares that nannies are always the ones who abuses kids and babies.

So what good choice do I have? None. I don't have any choice. I just got to brace myself, tawakkal and pick one of the above. For now, I picked the last one.

However... I do have a preferred way. I want someone whom is good with babies, willing to listen to me that she can come over to my house in the morning and leave by day end. She doesn't need to do any house chores like a maid. Just take care of Nada. I am more willing to pay a maid's salary to her by just doing that.

Dilemma

An alma matter friend of mine is so determine to write a book…. She in fact has already have a title for it. ‘Dilemma of a Working MOM’. Hmm…. I’ll be interested to read of what she’s gonna say about it.

For myself, I have never have the dilemma to go back to work. Neither before the birth nor after the birth of my daughter. I always know that I’ll be a working MOM. Why ?

1. It’s for the MONEY! of course. I can’t be asking my husband for my expenses all the time. Even if I do…. Not that he has much to spare for me. I’m not marrying a Donald Trump, not an Ananda Krishnan nor …. a Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhari (why do I mention his name? … HE’S GOOD LOOKING, what!)
Beside the commitments that I have to meet up every month. I also need to waste the money at times. Well, not so much on jewelery kind of stuffs but things like my Burberry working bag, Prada sun glasses, Nike jogging shoes that I hardly wear now…. and Zara long coat that I have been spying on for almost 4 months but yet to buy. Hey! I am WISE money spender, ok.

2. I LOVE of what I’m doing and I’m VERY GOOD at it. Being unsure of the situation after the birth of my daughter, I asked for a month extension to the confinement period. During the so period… ya, I really enjoyed being with the baby….. but it also gimme a lot of stress being cut-off from my ever tight working schedule. Getting phone calls from fellow consultants asking stupid questions which they should know the answer, shouting at contractors… (Alo! Si kong, apa pasat sini tile tadak level? Lu panggil lu punya tiler sekarang…), getting questions from the assistants and a lot more. Having been doing it ….. I felt restless for not doing. So during the confinement, by day end when Harris came back from work and started nagging me about his work… I did feel some sort of a relief for at least listening to him. (Good thing we are in the same line.)

To some or may be most, may think I’m such a wacko. Well, every body deserve to have opinions of their own.
I also want to make it clear….. Despite the love for my career and for the remuneration that I obtain, it is certain I can get bored with it.
But being around with lovely Nada …. It is and always be a wonderful, joyous thing to do.

And for that.......................... no joy in working or any sum can be trade with….


.................................. to be continued.......................................

NADA FIRAS @ 6 MONTHS

Nada and her orange ball

Pejam-celik.... pejam-celik... It's already been half a year upon the birth of my current one and only baby girl. Nada Firas 'celebrated' her 6th month birthday, 2 days back.

She's now.. I guess about 68cm long and weighs about 7++ kg.

Skill wise, she can roll onto her tummy and of course roll-back on her back.
Other than that, i always say it's nada's helicopter blade turn. Laying on her back, with a leg wiggling and pushing to the side she makes 360 degrees turn and with that we must make way for her. She's taking the whole bed!

Among all, i love most when she giggles.

Those days during childhood, my cousin, Feby and I used to play "Cat Eats Fish" with my mami. Both of us were the Fish and mami was the Cat. Mami would 'scare' us as if she's gonna eat us... giving that 'fierce' cat looking. We then ran all over the place for her to catch us... It was damn fun and we love it. At least for me.

So, with Nada... I play it too, but this time is "BITE YOUR FEET" game. She can't run of course... so every time I approached her acting to bite, with big giggle and squeaking sound, it's her feet that she'll try to protect first.

Time flies in just a glimpse of our eyes. How recent that we brought her back home from hospital after being admitted to nursery ward because of jaundice, she's now 6 months old. Soon... she'll walk her very own first step.

How I wish this first year can be a longer one ......................................................