Hanna & MRSM

I was cleaning my drawer last night when I saw 6 movie ticket stubs. We watched the movie last year at Sunway Pyramid and I still remember one incident while queuing up to get that tickets. I was waiting with my Hanna when she recognized this guy in the same queue.
She went “Ibu, itu Sam Bunkface!”
I asked her, “Are you sure?”
“Very sure lah Ibu!” came the answer.
So I went like “You really want to buy his CD, so why don’t I ask him?”
“Jangaaaan Ibu.... malu!”

Hahaha.. I was just bluffing and there Hanna was – trying to make herself invisible for having a daring mom like me! I saw her face reddened. My God, my 11+ yo daughter really thought I was gonna embarrass her!

Since Sam and his pretty girlfriend were like two feet away when the line went the corner, I sakat Hanna some more... I whispered “Let me take his picture with my phone. You definitely wanna post this in FB and Myspace”

“Jangaaaaaan IBUuuuuuu.. pleeeeeezz nooooo”, and she turned away.... Malu for sure.. so I said “Oklah”. But I did snap twice when they were waiting for their popcorns. I know Hanna would like to tayang to her two sisters – Hasya and Haifa later on.

Alahai... Teringat my Hanna... who is now away from me in a boarding school up north since end of March. Sigh. I miss you. Double sigh.

You see, when she took the UPSR exam last year, just to be ‘fair’ I told her that she’d only be applying for MRSM, and not other schools. So I didn’t get online to apply for SBP for her. When the UPSR results were out, I have to fulfill my promise, so with a heavy heart I filled out the MRSM form for her and send it to MARA (hoping that she wouldn’t get in!)

The MRSM results came out in February 2010 and she wasn’t selected. I was happy – Yay! I gotta keep my baby at home! Hanna was ok, since initially she didn’t give much thought about MRSM anyway. She was happy with her friends and the school that she went was just around the corner. Unlike some of my friends who appealed to MARA, we didn’t. I just told her, “It’s all fated that you didn’t get to go to MRSM. Remember Allah knows what’s best for you”.

It was a month later when Dear Hubby called me in the office telling me that somebody from MRSM called him and asked him to check MARA’s website regarding Hanna. I was surprised to see the online offer letter from MRSM and that she had to register at the MRSM in less than two weeks. She was included in the second intake for Form One students to be enrolled in one MRSM up north.

That was a tough decision to make. Should I let her go? How about the classes she’s been taking like swimming, taekwondo, piano, squash and the guitar lesson she’s just started? Would she be ok like me when I was 12+ ... finding my way in MRSM Kulim in 1979? Would she find great friends like I did? Would she learn the many tastes of life like I had?

My friends in FB gave their opinions... so did my parents and my siblings. There were pros and cons... but mostly pros. Most would say that it would be for her future. Her education. So that the path for her to go on will be there once she finishes high school. But I knew then that whatever it was, it would all be up to me to decide since Hanna herself couldn’t decide. The thing was, I’ve always told myself, ever since the kids were just babies.. that I would never let the children leave the house until they’re done with their SPM and further their studies elsewhere. Not in a million years would I send them to boarding schools!

It was a Yes and No decisions in the next 4 days... until one day, while on our way to Kluang to see my MIL, Dear Hubby and I discussed (again!) and he said something like “It’s kinda funny to me when you don’t want Hanna to go to MRSM and yet you were schooled there. You should know how great it was.”

Yes, I had been selfish. I wanted her with me.. just because. So what should I say to her now that she’s got the offer? What about “It’s all fated that you did get to go to MRSM. Remember Allah knows what’s best for you?”

So I decided to let her go. She’s now away from me in her MRSM. It’s tough you know, especially during birthdays when she wasn’t around to share the birthday cakes. Like going to the cinema to catch a good film. Or eating her favorite food and drinking her favorite drink. Or walking passed her favorite store in a mall. All would always come to “Hanna sure will love this”.

It’s been more than 3 months since, and I’m getting used to her not being around the house now. I can’t remember how many trips we’ve made up north to visit her or how many phone calls she made to me. She learns how to take care of her things now - washes her own clothes, gets up in the mornings on her own, tidies her own bed and locker, sweeps the floor, irons her clothes and manages her own time. These are all new to her since at home these are all done by the maid.

Everytime I see her, she looks more mature than my previous visit. But I guess she’s still pretty much smitten with Sam Bunkface..hahahaha...

** We love you Hanna! Take care of yourself, ok?

Hasya's Birthday Celebration

First of all, Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Adha to all Muslims. We didn’t balik kampong, so it was a quiet hari raya at home... cooking and spending quality time with the kids :)

Ok, what was I planning to write earlier? Oh, about last weekend... it was a blast! My children had fun, especially my Hasya who celebrated her 10th birthday on Saturday November 21st. She actually requested to have a mini birthday celebration at home – with her small group of school friends. So we just thought, why not, after all it was her birthday and the school break’s already here. She invited around ten of her girlfriends to come over, with Hanna and Haifa inviting a few of theirs too.

That morning, Dear Hubby took the girls and Haziq the to the community complex where Haziq & Husna’s School Sports event was held. I had to give it a miss since I haven’t finished cooking. The girls later came home and told me that the event was a fun one, and Dear Hubby said he was amazed that there were so many volunteers to help with the special kids. Alhamdulillah.

Hasya’s party started at 2pm. After having their lunch (Fettuchine Carbonara and Baked Tuna Pasta etc) the girls went to Hasya’s room and had their temporary tattoos. The butterflies were a hit among the girls.


Make-up time was next.... they started painting each other’s face with eyeshadows, lipsticks, blushers and compact powders I bought the day before at Elianto. Little did I know that they were not interested in painting pretty faces, only clown faces... Habis patah semua lipsticks! But it was worth it, especially when you could hear their laughters and gigglings. Girls!!

Then it was the event that they have been waiting for – the Water Balloon war! From using balloons, the girls then started using the pails and the water hose! Imagine the laughters and screamings the nearly 20 lil girls made... you'd think that someone has fallen off the garden swing! It was great fun watching them enjoying themselves :)





The girls later had their shower and tried the treadmill. It was pretty chaotic, with around ten girls using the treadmill at a time, LOL! Then it was the cake cutting ceremony. The cake done by Lea Oven was admired by all of the girls.

Cantik kan? Sedap pun sedap!



See Edward and Bella all ready to be consumed :)


Towards Maghrib time, the girls had their cupcake decorating session. They did all the mixing, coloring and decorating by themselves. Very creative girls, they were!

The last of the girls were sent home at 8pm. I was dead tired by then, but watching Hasya’s contented face, I knew she had a great time.

The next day, Hanna’s two friends came over for a sleepover. We brought all the girls out for a celebration dinner (Hasya’s Birthday and Hanna’s UPSR) at Sunway Pyramid TGI and later watched Disney’s A Christmas Carol. Didn’t like it that much, Dear Hubby actually slept halfway thru the movie!

So tonite we’re watching New Moon. The girls can’t wait to see Edward and Jacob. Hopefully their father won’t fall asleep again!

Congratulations Hanna!

I’ve neglected this blog for quite some time now. There were so many happenings that have been written unfinished and left in draft without being published. I just have to publish them one of these days.... will try to get them done....errr... before the end of the year!!

(A simple case of a true procrastinator procrastinates of procrastinating..LOL!)

Ok, to last week’s story – the UPSR result was out on the 19th, and Alhamdulillah my Hanna got 5As! It came as quite a surprise.... and we were very happy for her, that’s for sure. Dear Hubby who was on leave that day fetched both Hanna and Haifa from school, picked me up from my training class, and had a small lunch celebration at the Italliannies. We later watched 2012 at Sunway Pyramid – with Hanna and Haifa still in their school uniforms!

A note for Hanna :
Hanna,
Ibu and Ayah are so proud of you, sayang. Don’t forget to always do your best in all areas you’ve chosen. We’ll be there to support you come what may. And Hanna, remember that there are more mountains to be climbed later on in life... Climb each at your own pace, reach out for its peak, and expect the unexpected – bruises and skinned knees - along the way.

Congratulations Hanna! We love you!

My Ramblings on Shoes

I love buying shoes, ever since I was a student back in the States. But my hectic lifestyle as a student (and worker – in the University’s Bookstore) would prevent me from wearing anything else other than my Nike or Reebok most of the time. So, I’d only resort to only window-shop whenever I went to the malls. I was used to having to swallow my saliva in a style that only Pepsi drinkers would know – when the gulping sound could be heard from miles away! And I’d be drooling at the same time, while my hands in my jeans pocket trying to count the greens that I had. That happened only when I saw a pair of something that really caught my eyes – yes – SHOES!

That was why I loved summers in California. I got to wear my sandals to the beach. Or went shopping in them. But since I never skipped taking summer classes during my 4 years there, I’d still have to wear my University sweaters, shorts, my worn Reebok and the JanSport backpack to school.

It was when I graduated and started working in a mall that I began my new hobby – buying shoes! Getting my first paycheck in the real world (the University Bookstore job as the Price Changer wasn’t really considered as one, ok?), saw me spending my dough on two pair of sandals! At that time I still couldn’t afford to buy branded shoes, so I practically adopted Payless ShoeSource as my buddy-store. Since I worked in a mall, every lunch I’d walk around and never missed trying a few shoes (and most of the time, buying) at the store. That was my era in high-heels/stilettos!

I still remember those leather sandals from Brazil. Loved them. They were so comfortable and durable.

You see, the major difference between those people selling shoes in the States and Malaysia is the way they treat their customers. There, those Uncle Sam’s people would ask you to sit down on the stool, hold your feet and put the shoes on for you. Tak geli pun. Unlike here (oklah, maybe not all).

Imagine this – you’re a mom with 4 small kids in tow and one crying baby in your arms asked for a pair of shoes for your no4. The salesperson would come and open up the box and shove the shoes to you. You’d then have to squat down (with the crying baby still) and tried several times to put the shoes on the no4 who’d be running here and there. And you’d then scream your lungs out for her to come and stand still so that you could make her put them on. The baby in your arms would cry even harder.

And guess what the salesperson would be doing all the while? Taking the dirt out of her fingernails or staring into nothing while playing with her hair, or simply trying to pop her oozing pimples, pretending she didn’t hear a thing! And when you ask for her help, she’d say that it’s the right size and it fits your no4 like a glove. Seeshhhhh...

Ok, you don't have to imagine being that mother. She was me!

My patience was tested again recently. Since I'm currently into wedges, I saw one pair of Clarks in the Curve a few weeks back and had been trying to get my hands on them... but to no avail.

** This is Siver Ash in tan leather**

I went to a few Clarks store but couldn’t get what I wanted – it was either the size wasn’t available or the color I liked was out of stock. So one day I went to the Clarks section in OU Jusco. The Clarks salesgirl (or probably the supervisor lah judging from her ‘kerek’ness) was standing next to some boxes writing something (or pretending to). I politely asked her :
“Excuse me dik, do you have the new wedges?” (I realized that there were no new shoes on the rack.. tak stock-up ke?)
“Apa ada kat situ saja kak”, she said to me without even glancing my way.
“Apa yang latest kat sini ye dik?”, I asked again.
“Apa yang ada kat situ saja kak”, came the reply.

Hisshhh... Hangin aku satu badan! Macam nak baling kasut saja kat muka dia! But I didn’t know why I just left. I should’ve said something bitter to her.. but I guess I wasn’t in the mood for a fight.

I think there’s a blessing in all that. Last week, while in Sunway Pyramid to catch Harry Potter’s latest movie with Dear Hubby, kids and maid, I found what I was looking for! To my surprise, the Clarks store in Sunway had so many varieties to choose from. And I managed to score this one:

** This is Speed Boat in tan leather**

So practical and comfy. Love this wedges!

**Now I remember what I've forgotten to do yesterday - to sort out the 6 pairs of shoes I have in my car!

Spending Quality Time

The 2-week school holiday’s finally over. The first week was spent in the hospital and at home since my Haifa and my Hanis were still under quarantine. We had visitors - my parents, my sister and BIL who came to send my nephew off to UIA. The second week was indeed quality time spent with the children and Dear Hubby. We had a great and relaxing 3D2N at Palace of the Golden Horses Hotel. They were in the swimming pool until they changed colors!

Me? I didn’t set even one toe into the pool! And I didn’t even read a single line from the books I brought with me. I’d usually read at least one book every time we stayed at the hotel. But this time, I was just being plain lazy. I took hundreds of photos of my children in the pool and around the hotel when we had our evening walks. Most of the time I stayed on the balconies of our four units, facing the pool and watched my loved ones creating havoc with their antics :)

The kids in the pool with the maids
Watching them enjoying themselves made my heart went soft. And my whole being was blanketed with unagitated state and calmness that was very hard to explain. The breeze that played over my face carried the sound of their contagious laughters, and I sat there feeling such joy from all of that. That was a reflection of a contented life. Alhamdulillah.


My Haifa and my Hasya feeding the fish

The spots on Hasya, Haifa and Hanis’s hands, feet and mouths from Coxsackie were all gone. We brought the girls to see Night at the Museum 2 and Zac Efron’s 17 Again. Watching 17 Again really made me feel so old, and I thought – would I go back to 1983 - when I was 17 - if I were given the chance to do that? Would I make any changes in the past?

Maybe I’d appreciate my family, friends and teachers more, strategize any paths to be taken, look positively at all angles in life and... be more open by letting go of any bottled-up feelings that I had with certain people I knew then. And of course I'd study HARDER! Who knows I’d be multi-millionaire ka....hahaha!


My Hasya and my Hanis


Anyway, later in the week, we did some gardening together. Dear Hubby and I went to Sungai Buloh to get some new plants. Penuhla jugak satu kereta.

The girls helped, of course, especially my Haifa who planted weeds (read: not marijuana!), instead of getting rid of them, LOL!

... and now Back to Work

The one-week school break’s over. I was out of the office for nine days and I’d say that those nine days were quality time spent with Dear Hubby, my kids and my parents who came all the way from Alor Setar.

We went to A Famosa Resort, Melaka. Checked in on Monday and out on Thursday.

Monday night was Cowboy Town night. It was pretty much the same when we were here a few years ago. Was it worth the money spent on the tickets? Frankly I think it was way overpriced. But the children loved the parade show, and that was all that matters.


A Malaysian 'Cowboy' with an Albino snake?







Can't avoid having goosebumps looking at this pic - a Malaysian 'Red Indian' playing with fire. Hasya was the one who pointed this out to me. Click on the pic and look at the 'smoke' behind the man. Spooooky!

We played Tourists on Tuesday. Walked around Melaka town, in and out of the museums, tried the trishaws, and finished it off with a great meal - assam pedas with fried crabs. Yummy!





St Paul's Church












The A Famosa








Wednesday was Water Play day. At first I was a bit disappointed with the Water Park since there were only a few spots for the kids to play, but then Dear Hubby layan them for seven hours with repeated rides and water playing. Seven hours, and they continued playing for two more hours in the pool when we got back to the villa! Kids!

Their Ibu? Sunburned. A terrible one this time. Should’ve known better. Should’ve squeezed more sunblock from the tube. So now I’m suffering - this itchiness on the face.... urrgghhh!! But it’s oklah, I actually had a great time. Loved every minute of it. The kids also enjoyed their break. Also took them to watch Race to Witch Mountain. Great movie for the kids to watch.

I guess now I'll have to deal with my sunburned skin - it will take around two to three weeks for these spots to disappear. Hopefully.

And this morning I woke up with mixed feelings. Going to work today will be such a hard thing to do. Hanis has been clinging to me since last night and an hour ago she held both my hands – Jangan bangun Ibu, sleep dengan Hanis please.

Alahaaii... this is normal whenever I took a long leave. I know she'll cry again when I send her to her kindy afterwards.

Sigh.

Of this, that and Caterpillars

Selamat Hari Wilayah! Since I’m not working in KL, tomorrow I’ll be working. Dear Hubby will have one off day and hopefully he’ll manage to get thru the crowd in one Selangor bank to collect his new checkbook. And I leave the task of getting back the deposit we paid to Hanis’s previous kindergarten tomorrow to him.

And it’s not RM13XX as mentioned earlier in my posting. It’s RM1449!

You bet, we’ll be asking for all the school materials etc etc if they refused to give back at least half of the money.

Last night Dear Hubby and I watched Red Cliff 2 at Sunway Pyramid. We didn’t bring the girls along since we thought they’ve already had their dose of films for now – The Bedtime Stories, Inkheart, and those during the school holidays - Casino Royale, Madagascar 2, Cicakman 2 and some which I can’t recall.

To me, the film was good. It was much better than the first Red Cliff. John Woo did an excellent job with this one. Although we sat at the front row - and had to mendongak all the while - I managed to read the subtitles and watched the whole screen as well. Overall, it was an entertaining film.

How I wish the Gaza people could win the war like the Red Cliff folks did....

Anyway, just look who came back to town! These green things!

They were here a few months ago and now they’re back... Can you imagine these are found in the same plant? My Pokok Susun Kelapa.

What I wonder about them is – do these things fly? My girls, maids and I wondered about this since they appeared out of nowhere. For instance, we took out a whole bunch of them in the morning, but by evening, some more appeared!

Menggelikan, but these wiggly things look kinda cute, don’t you think so?

Unwinding in PD

We had a good 4D/3N time in PD. Although it was raining here in the Klang Valley, the weather in PD was great. Clear blue sky all the way except on Friday morning when it rained about 3 hours. It was such a relief that the kids, their cousin Hani and their Tok Mi and Tok Wan could enjoy the beach and the pool.

**1st pic: Hanis - the sand castle enthusiast!

It’s a good break for both Ayah and I actually. After what happened in my office the week before (I’ll write about this in my other posting), the sea breeze really put the sadness into coma. We got the time to unwind, loosen-up and relax.

Alhamdulillah.

**2nd pic: Hasya, Hanna, Haifa and their cousin Hani building the sand castles....

The only drawback was the 'not-so-clean' beaches along the Teluk Kemang area.

I wished they were cleaner... like Penang and Langkawi beaches....
or California.... (dream on!)

**3rd pic: Here's Haifa 'surfing'..hehehe...














**4th pic: Hanna, Hasya, cousin Hani, Haifa, Haziq, Husna and the maids in the pool




Luckily, the pool was okay.







**5th pic: Mak (Tok Mi) watching over her grandchildren...

Now we're back home. Mak, AYAH and Hani already went home yesterday.

Today was spent at the Sekolah Kebangsaan, Sekolah Agama, the Uniform shop, the Bookshop etc etc... and now everything has been bought and ready for the kids.

We made a stop at the Cineleisure and watched Cicakman2. Frankly, I was a bit disappointed...

Whatever it is, I'm all charged up and ready for work tomorrow.... One more thing though- to complete it up,... I think I'll go get myself a Chinese massage :)

High School Musical3

Haifa (my 6yo) called me up on Friday – Ibu please please Ibu, beli tiket untuk High School Musical. Haifa nak tengokla Ibu...

I can’t Haifa. It only starts today and I’m still in the office la. Weekend ni bolehla...

Puhleez Ibu puhleeeeeeez... (and she went on pleading...)

No Haifa. Weekend ni ok, but not today.... Bye!! I just had to put a stop to it, or Haifa would go on forever...

So, on Saturday, Ayah and I went to Cineleisure and reached there at 9:30am, but the ticket counters only opened at 10am. So we waited... demi anak-anaklah kan...

We bought 5 tickets (7:20pm) for Hanna, Hasya, Haifa, Hanis and their Ibu for HSM3 and 1 Bangkok Dangerous ticket (7:15pm) for the man-who-did-not-want-to look-sissy-watching-girls-movie.



After attending a birthday bash in Ampang, we went to The Curve and later watched the much awaited HSM3. The girls were all giddy with excitement.

And it was as expected – the girls said it was great. Even as a chaperone with an age double of Zac Efron’s, I’d still say that HSM3 was a good and sweet movie to watch. The girls loved it... and I’d say that I liked it as well.

And guess what, the man who watched Bangkok Dangerous said that the movie he watched was not up to his expectations.... Hah, tu lah... served him right...hehehe..

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Finally, we managed to watch Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull yesterday at Cineleisure. Harrison Ford looked so much older in the film but hey, he started off with Raiders of the Lost Ark back in 1981, when I was in Form 3! My God…that was like… what, 27 years ago?

It’s a wonderful movie to watch, especially to a diehard fan like me. I was happy to see Karen Allen back with Indy. She was featured in Raiders of the Lost Ark as Marion Ravenwood and now she was back, with Indy’s son…

If you love Indy or Harrison Ford, don’t miss this film!