Thursday, March 31, 2011

Snake in my kitchen..

Yesterday was a busy day for me as usual.. trying to finish some paper up in my room.. suddenly I heard screams from the kitchen below.. ok.. kids.. what's it this time??.. being me, as usual, I start throwing my voice, not wanting to move from my chair.. and my korean hero (my 3rd kid.. :P) come running..

'mama, there's snake in the kitchen!!!'
'stop playing jokes..'
'no! no! this is real!!'
ok.. 'kids, all stay upstair.. let me handle this..'

So this was what I found..



Small.. but big for me... eeewwww.. what to do?? to kill or to catch?? help!!

My daughter called her friend, and her mother told me to stay calm, she had the same experience.. nope, worst than this, as she had a cobra once and another 3 or 4 times encounter with pythons, and many of her cats 'shahid' due to those encounters. So if you are in this situation, what to do?

1. Don't panic.
2. Call 999, inform them the situation exactly. If you know what type of snake, it'll help.. I don't know..
3. Monitor the movement of the snake, so you know exactly where it goes.
4. Do not try to handle it by yourself.. I discovered this small snake can jump when provoked.. it jumped, I jumped as well... don't imagine unless you want to faint from laughing...

So.. less than half hr later, the fireman come.. they catch it and bring it away.. thank you :D..

phew.. even I dislikes having such reptile in my house, I glad they did not kill it.. bye bye.. please don't visit us again...




2 army on watch out duty... ('mama, the snake is not going to eat me, will it??'.. kesian my baby, she watch too much tv.. :P)

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Nail Curry..

Stir & stir... smell.. something not right..
run outside.. curry leaves... ok..
Stir & stir.. taste.. still missing..
cinnamon, cardamon, anise star & cloves...

'mama. what r u cooking?'.. 'Nail curry..'
'what??'... 'I told the story to u 1000 times...' sigh..


I remember sitting in between book racks in library when I was 6 or 7.. Reading was my pleasure.. the only place I would like to be locked was in the library.. hehehe.. imagine how shallow!! Few years later I change it, shopping mall would be a better place, food, bed, and everything I ever need is inside.. (Remember the movie about a woman hide & give birth inside walmart??)...

Anyway, I remember a story I read when I was then.. the story about nail soup.. here it is I took from the net :D (Lazy to write.. as usual.. :P )

Nail Soup: A Swedish Folk Tale

(Retold by Harve Zemach, Follett Publishing, Chicago, 1964)


Once upon a time a tramp was making his way through a forest. He had not seen a house for many an hour, and he wondered where he might find shelter for the night. He thought to himself how nice it would be to warm up in front of a fire, and to have some dinner. But the sun was sinking, and there wasn't a cottage in sight.

Just then he met an old woman out gathering branches and twigs for kindling. "Hello and good evening!" said the tramp, glad as he could be to see her.

"Good evening," said the woman. "Where are you from?"

"Here and there, far and near," said the tramp. "I've seen the world, and I'm on my way home."

Is that so?" said the woman. "And what is it you want hereabouts?"

"Well, I could use a place to stay for the night," he said.

"Just as I thought!" said the woman. "You had better keep on going, for my house is not an inn."

"My dear woman," said the tramp, "it is shameful to be so hardhearted and cross. We human beings are supposed to help each other when we can."

"Help each other? There's a good joke. Who do you suppose will help me? I haven't even got a scrap in the house! No, you'd better be on your way," she said.

But the tramp did not give up so easily. The old woman kept on complaining about her own troubles, and the tramp kept on urging and arguing, until at last she said all right, he could sleep on the floor if he wanted to.

He thanked her for her kindness. "Rather be warm on the hard floor, than shiver and freeze outside the door," said he. This tramp had a quick wit and was always ready with a rhyme.

As soon as he got inside the house, he could tell that the woman was not as poor as she pretended to be, only stingy and greedy.

So he asked her in his most polite and pleasant manner for something to eat.

"How do you think I can feed you when I haven't had a bit of food myself all day long?" said the woman.

But the tramp knew better. He said: "Nothing all day long? Poor old granny, you must be starving! Better lend me a pot, then, and I shall make dinner for both of us."

"You'll make dinner!" said the woman. "How will you make dinner if there isn't any food?"

"Leave it to me," said the tramp. "I've learned things on my travels that most people have never even heard of."

The old woman wondered what it was all about, so she let him have a pot.

He poured in some water, put it on the fire, and blew with all his might to get the flame going strong. Then he took from his pocket an ordinary nail, set it on the palm of his hand, turned it around three times, and dropped it into the pot.

The woman watched the nail sink down to the bottom. "What's this going to be?" she asked.

"Nail soup," said the tramp, and he began stirring the water with a stick.

"Nail soup?" asked the woman.

"That's right, nail soup," said the tramp.

The old woman thought she had seen and heard just about everything in her time, but making soup with a nail--well, that was something new!

"If you want to learn how to make it," said the tramp, "just watch me. Then you won't ever again have to go all day without a bite." He went on stirring the soup, and she watched as hard as she could.

"You know," he said, "I have been making soup with this same nail for over a week, so our soup may be rather thin. Of course, if one had a speck of flour or sifted oatmeal to add to it, then we could be sure of a good meal. But," he said, "we'll have to do without it, and not think twice about it." And he kept of stirring the soup.

"Wait, I might have some flour somewhere," said the old woman. She went to fetch it, and it was the finest sort.

The tramp sprinkled the flour into the soup and kept on stirring, while the woman stared first at him and then at the pot and then back at him again.

"It's coming along," he said. "It's almost good enough to serve for company. Add a few potatoes and a bit of salted beef, and it would be a dish fit for gentlefolks," he said. "But we'll have to do without it, and not think twice about it."

The old woman thought for a while, and then she remembered where she might find some potatoes, and even a bit of beef. She got them and gave them to the tramp, and he kept on stirring.

"This will be a grand soup," he said. "It's not everyone that gets to taste such a grand soup as this!"

"You don't say!" said the woman. "Is that so! And just imagine--all from a nail!"

"All it lacks now is a little barley and a drop of milk. Then we could invite the king to have some, if we wanted to." said the tramp. "This is what the king himself eats every evening--the king's cook told me so."

"Dear me! The king himself!" cried the woman, slapping her knees.

"But we'll have to do without it, and not think twice about it," said the tramp.

The woman went to look, and sure enough, she did have some barley; and there was also milk, as much as was needed. The tramp stirred and stirred and stirred. Then suddenly he stopped and fished out the nail from the steaming kettle.

"It is ready," he said. "Now we'll have a feast, just like the king and queen. Except, of course, when they eat this kind of soup, they always have a sandwich with it, and wine. And a tablecloth on the table. But we'll have to do without it, and not think twice about it."

Well, by this time the old woman was beginning to feel like quite a grand lady. She thought that if the king and queen had it that way, then she and the tramp might as well have it the same. She hurried to the cupboard and got out the wine bottle, glasses, cheese, butter, smoked beef and veal. The table could hardly hold it all.

Never in that old woman's life had she had such a good time, and never had she tasted such rich soup--and to think that it was all from a nail! They ate and they drank and they danced around the room, and then they ate and drank some more. And when they finally got sleepy, and the tramp was going to lie down on the floor, the old woman said: "No, no! Such a person must have a bed to lie in."

"It's just like the sweet Christmas," said the tramp. "In all my travels I have never met a nicer woman." And he lay down on the bed and fell fast asleep.

When he got up the next morning, the old woman gave him coffee and a bun. And before he said good-bye, she handed him a bright silver piece. "And thank you for teaching me how to make soup with a nail," she said, "because now that I know how, I shall always live in comfort."

"That's all right," said the tramp. "It's easy if you remember to add something good to it."

Then the tramp went on his way, and the old woman stood at the door, watching him go. "Such people don't grow on trees," she said.

***********************

So.. that's my formula for cooking.. start with something.. dumping... adding.. smelling.. tasting.. and today we have nail curry (without the nail in!!) for our lunch..

No complain please.. Alhamdulillah we still eat better than others in ____ (fill in the blank yrself kids..)..

The choosy one in the family...

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Update..

Looonnnng few days...

Saturday:
Hubby's birthday.. His application for grant approved.. my proposal for the same grant different team also approved.. good day for both of us..

Sunday:
Stay home.. lost in space...

Monday:
Driver duty start again.. finish another proposal for another grant..

Tuesday:
Lawyer office again.. this time I explode! Hey, do people have to treat others badly in order to get things right?? Why do people in charge like to tell things halfway, let you to come and see them again and again, give reasons like 'oh, you did not complete this requirement..' when they are the one who did not inform us properly even after we keep asking them is there anything else they need? and why do they keep lying straight to your face as if you are an idiot from the other planet that never work, or never know any single thing about agreement, financial management, accounting, or a simple clerk job that they are doing? OK.. we end up terminate their service...
Back home, my eldest son got runner up for his oratorical contest... Luqman?? Oratorical?? hey.. he does not speak too much at home.. even his father don't believe this.. but it still a pleasant surprise for us.. congratulation young man!
My asst chef having fever.. must be from nervous breakdown.. waiting for her result..

Today:
8A 1B 1C.. congratulation to my assistant chef :D.. I'm really proud of you.. Don't worry about not getting straight As.. this is just the beginning.. success is not measured only by the exam results.. it is all about who you are in the end.. ok.. so what's for dinner tonight??

Budak bertuah!!

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Brain Jammed!!

I have proposal to prepare.. I lost the interest to read.. instead of reading journal articles, I read blogs.. my English start to sound like Red Indian's.. my Malay start to be similar like Bangla's.. even the Bangla can speak better than me.. I'm in trouble!!

Friday, March 18, 2011

Question no 3..

He came from the land far far away..
He was my office mate..
He was not rich, that was for sure..
He was not handsome, at least not to my eyes..
He was fussy guy, and he still is..
I used to make jokes, saying 'who'll be the unlucky girl marrying him?'..
He was my good friend, now he's better partner..
He was my saviour, and he still is..

His eyes is the window of his heart..
It tell the truth about love and hate..
About sincere and pretence..
He is all what I am not..
He is my greatest competitor..
He is the one I fight and complain to..

So the answer for the 3rd question..
'Why you marry a foreigner?'
My answer is..
'I don't know..
Maybe due to the nature of me..
That many local man cannot stand to be with me..
Or ...
Maybe cause he is persistent and he's willing to do whatever for me..
Including taking my kids as his..
And it's proven that the kids loves him more than they loves me now…
Or...
It's just a simple fate..
Allah has arrange for him and me..
To end up as husband and wife..

We are different as different could be..
But due to that we are complete..

I am grateful for you being with me..
Happy 50th birthday my habibi..
O7ibbok aktar min ams; lakin layssa biqadr al-3
ad..



yup... he looks younger than his age.. I envy him...


Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Yes, I am...

I am a bit upset today... having teenager son is not easy.. am I the only one thinking like this or it is normal outside there?? Communication between me and my son is very limited.. I think he only open his mouth when he's hungry or he need to get something from me. My hubby thinks it's ok and he always says it's under control.. his control. Well, I got nothing much to say, they are both born in the same month and they have similar behaviour.. Both of them are stubborn and I 'makan ati'.. I got the feeling I will lose my son as my MIL loosing hers.

I keep wondering how the other moms outside there is dealing with their teenager sons.. sometimes I feel like I do not exist... hey, when he's small, it was mama here and there.. mama is everything for him, and out of the sudden he's someone else.. I loose track..

So today, I talk to my small one.. "Nib, will you forget me when you grow up?" and he reply, "No, I love you million million and I'll never leave you..".. I told myself.. yeah right... sigh..

I am one sad old lady sitting alone in my room now.. eating almost whole bar of the 200gm chocolate and telling myself, it's ok.... this is life...

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

My colorful family pt 2..

I really don't know what to write today.. have reports to finish.. so here's some photos of my colorful 'khazanah'.. :D



My youngest sister's youngest daughter.. 'anak cina original'




youngest son of my other sister.. anak kadazan dusun.. :D




my youngest two.. :D

Currently I have 22 'khazanah'.. very very colorful :D..

Monday, March 14, 2011

Lawyer office..

Ok, lawyer office again.. but today I did not try to be the lawyer.. he's not around, on leave for 1 week visiting his daughter in Australia.. nice to be a lawyer right?

So what is it about going to the lawyer office again and again (as my little hero mentioned it :P)? Well.., here's the story..

My sister bought an auctioned house, first time for her.. and first learning experience for me.. 1st, bidding.. 2nd, get the sales contract from the auction house.. 3rd, get a lawyer to do whatever you're not sure of doing... Arrrgghhh!! that's what I keep fighting in the lawyer office!! He's a lawyer, but we pay him to explain to us, right? He's not explaining properly & I'm not happy about it (why is it like I'm the one who's buying the house? I memang kepoh!).. Anyway, still a lot to do.. epf procedures, settlement, transfer.. etc.. I'll update again later.. :D

Princess Birthday..

The last four days my little princess was having fever.. Dear hubby keep guessing this and that.. we could not find anything wrong other than her temperature increase.. So paracetamol from the clinic.. and cool packs.. she is all fine today, alhamdullillah.. Happy birthday sweetheart.. She's four today :D

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Money Matters..

Hari ini saya ingin menulis dalam bahasa ibunda... Hari ini hari malas saya.. walaupun saya sibuk tengahari hingga ke petang tadi, pulang saja ke rumah 'mood' malas saya bersambung semula.. saya baca blog.. dan dalam banyak2 blog yg saya baca itu, terdapat beberapa komen berhubung duit.. Isu sensitif ni, tapi tak dapat nak dielakkan.. saya sering bergurau dlm serius dgn suami, kat Malaysia ni, bagi kaum perempuan, duit kita adalah duit kita, duit suami pun duit kita juga (org Johor ni terbiasa panggil kita = saya). Dia jeling jer... saya buat tak paham.. :P

Kita wanita muslim ini beruntung kan? Islam menggariskan hak kita dgn jelas. Harta kita adalah harta kita, suami, ayah atau saudara lelaki tidak berhak memaksa kita menyerahkan harta kita itu utk kegunaan mereka. Suami bertanggungjawab ke atas nafkah dan keperluan asas dalam sesuatu rumahtangga. Asas termasuklah makan pakai dan kediaman. Yang lebih dan bermewah-mewahan tu tak lah termasuk dalam kewajipan dia. Si isteri pulak, kalau terasa nak berkongsi beban, tidak la dilarang sama sekali. Suami sila ucapkan alhamdullillah yek.. Jangan ler nak demand pulak kan?

Saya melihat, merasa dan memikir (cam tak sedap jer bahasa saya ni.. harap maaf bm tak dpt A dulu..), zaman ni terlalu banyak kos kehidupan yg perlu kita tampung.. gaji 3, 4 hatta 5 angka pun mengadu tak cukup.. ramai wanita bukan lagi bekerja dgn rela, tetapi terpaksa demi menampung keperluan keluarga. Saya memang sangat2 sakit hati bila dengar ada yg mengadu terpaksa bekerja lebih masa sebab keperluan keluarga tak cukup, anak bertambah, tapi suami pulak buat2 cam dia pulak jadi isteri.. duit dia, duit dia, duit isteri pun dia sapu jugak... ada yg nak kena baling ni!! Saya dulu memang ganas, cadangan saya selalunya, "Sila ceraikan suami anda itu memandangkan anda boleh hidup tanpanya!!" (dan suami saya yg selalunya akan terdengar cadangan saya itu akan segera menjengkilkan matanya yg sedia besar itu mcm nak telan saya adanya..)....Tapi bila umur dah meningkat ini cadangan saya sudah berubah halus sedikit, saya akan mencadangkan kepada cik kak yg mengadu itu supaya tau hak anda, bijaksana mengurus perbelanjaan rumah, jgn ler tunjuk bahawa anda itu superwoman yg amat bahawa anda boleh mengurus semua perkara, sila campakkan masalah anda kepada suami keparat anda itu, dan sentiasa buat cc kepada pihak2 yg boleh mengambil tindakan sewajarnya kpd dia cthnya mak & pak mertua anda.. Apapun, sila buat simpanan sewajarnya supaya sekiranya terjadi sesuatu, anda adalah bersedia.. (Seriously woman! side saving is important! you'll never know what'll happen in the future!)..

Saya sudah menjadi makcik makcik hari ini..!

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

My Colorful Family..

I had a busy day today.. well, I like to to think I had.. Be a driver, for my kids then for my sister, spending time in lawyer office, try to be a lawyer myself.. hahaha.. Ok.. anyway, first I have to thank Dr Singa & Future Dr Lurpak for dropping by.. and second I have to clarify..., nope, I'm not that strong woman :D.. All my kids r with me, making noise from morning till night, and I am one very lucky mother, screaming my voice like Jane of the Jungle almost everywhere.. when I say everywhere it really means everywhere, even in shopping complexes!!..(exception : when my dear hubby around, I try to low down little bit as he really really really dislike having Jane as a wife :P).

People who got to know me during my study or work with me, always have few 'must ask' questions..
1st.. R u chinese?..
2nd..u got 6 kids? & u still studying??? :o then how do you manage???...
3rd.. well... I keep this one for later ;)

and my answers r..
1st.. I'm malaysian (hehehe...). Well, my maternal grandmother was one, married with riau malay, but my paternal side were malabar & pelikat.. and lately I heard somewhere in the line Portuguese was there.. this is punchline joke between me and my sisters.. Not meaning to jokes about our ancestors, but being colorful as our family, we can laugh at it due to our skin and features.. You can find all shades of color in our family, from yellowish, reddish, light brown, dark brown and 'pedo-pedo'-new version of color we call exist in our kids skin ;P. Our features range from original malay, chinese, indian, arab, 'orang asli', 'cina bukit', 'benggali roti',..... hehehe..

2nd.. yup! I like big family, just I have to stop becoz the last 3 enjoy sitting straight while inside me, so I end up suffering while the doctors putting them back in their supposed to be position.. and yup, as you see, studying... struggling, but still manageable.. lucky having grown up daughter and very understanding hubby.. :D

3rd.. in store ;)


The 3 guilty ones that make me scream the most..

Saturday, March 5, 2011

For those strong women..

I rarely read news.. sometimes I read article if it interest me.. this morning i come across this article.. this issues have always linger in my mind and sometime it does cause some hot discussion between my other half & me.. hot until smoke come out of our brain, seriously!

I have 6 kids.. they r my precious treasure.. no matter what, they r mine. That has been my principle and agreed from the beginning.. So when we discuss this matter, it is not about us, but for other women out there. I personally sees no wrong for a woman to leave her kids with her ex-husband and built her own life after a divorce. She have the right to take her kids with her, but if she chooses not to do so, it is not wrong either. Traditionally people, human, our species, will not agree and will label her with all sorts of negative insults... understood. But religiously, she is not wrong. The kids are left with their father.. not with a total stranger.. what's wrong with doing that???

How many women could afford to support themselves financially and mentally after a divorce? Many r not able, but they got no choice. Many suffers, their kids suffers.. and how many of us really care what they went through? Pity, yes... Help?......

It is not easy for a woman to leave her kids. No correct mind woman will want to do that unless she knows her kids r in a safe hand. I believe choosing to leave kids behind while pursuing life is the hardest decision a mother have to made. I do not deny, there are irresponsible ones out there, but for those strong women who got the choice, and choose to lead their life on their own, without total neglect of their kids, I cheer for them. If your kids r in a good hand, go ahead. Everybody deserve to be happy in their life. Achieve your dream, be a better person. You'll learn how to be an 'acceptable' mother along the way...



Mine :D

Friday, March 4, 2011

Luvy duvy...

Daughter of mine write this today.. Now, after reading that, how can I keep doing those little things without feeling awkward?!! haiyo!!

To think of it, yup..I am not a luvy duvy person.. I believe actions talk louder than words.. and at my age, love means happiness.. and happiness could only be achieve by understand and try to fulfill the needs of those you love.. needs, not wants.. well, sometimes when we could, fulfilling the wants is a bonus then :D..

So for those who with me, those special peoples, whoever you are... sometimes I maybe fierce, sometimes I maybe funny, sometimes I maybe annoying, sometimes I maybe whatever.. but the most important thing you need to know.. I do luv u (don't expect me to say it again anytime soon though.. :P)

nite nite..

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Start again..

Dunno why.. suddenly today I feel like want to blog again.. delete all the previous entries.. start anew since the previous ones basically done just to submit my assignments during master.. cracking my head doing PhD and trying to figure best way to earn and to be able to be acceptable mother and wife all at the same time.. acceptable.. not good nor perfect.. learned to accept things as I grew old.. no more 'miss craving for perfection'.. btw, why I still use miss??... young as a young could be ;)