Assalamualaikum!
Yes, this blog has been left to collect cyberdust for ages. My other blog was more active until I found Goodreads that helps me keep track of my progress and read other reviews (some of which are literary gems in their own right!). The only reason that I am blogging right now is to keep myself occupied while waiting for darling Abang Long @ Nuaim to finish his homework.
Kids grow up so fast. When I started this blog (it wasn't so long ago, was it?), Nuaim was hardly more than a baby. In a way, this platform has seen the growth and development of my children - it was my constant companion throughout my confinements, with detailed records of all the pantang-larang and special post-natal menu. Now here I am, keeping Abang Long company while he finishes his Std 3 homework. Standard 3! And younger Abang Ngah is in Standard One! Aiesyah is now in pre-school, and although Sofiyyah is still too young for kindy, she actually looks as big as a four year old and is as talkative as her older siblings.
I'll be leaving them for two nights to attend a meeting in KL. As compensation, I have a lasagna in the fridge ready to be popped into the oven tomorrow evening, just before I leave for the airport from home. I have not told my in-laws of my impending trip - they'll usually take it upon themselves to stay the night at my house when I'm not around, much to the changrin of my domestic helper who feels put upon by MIL's nitpicking. I was planning to do so tonight, but as usual Nu'man would use up my phone battery playing 'Angry Birds' while Nuaim is just being an angry bird himself with his constant excuses to delay doing his homework. Now he's complaining of tiredness: he says it's because he did not take his nap this afternoon. I tell him it's because he spent all his energy on a tantrum about missing playtime instead of doing his homework earlier.
Aiesyah and Nu'man are still wide awake chatting away in my room, whereas Sofiyyah again decides to sleep downstairs with Disney Junior on TV. I'm not sure the sleeping arrangements will be like tomorrow - it depends on whether or not I get to tell my inlaws I'll be away. They'll probably get really annoyed with me if I don't tell them.
Showing posts with label Family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Family. Show all posts
Sunday, 6 January 2013
Friday, 7 October 2011
Poor princess
Get well soon dearest.
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Monday, 7 February 2011
Butterfly butterfly, happy all day
Nuaim had a whole week off for Chinese New Year. We spent the first half of the break in Alor Setar - as I still had work at the office - then drove down to KL on Wednesday. I had promised Mak we would spend the first night at Putrajaya, so after a short two-hour stop at Damansara to offload and repack we arrived at dusk. My nieces and nephews were already there, they were spending the whole week 'balik kampung.'
The next day was a picnic brunch at Taman Putra Perdana. I made the mistake of skipping breakfast, so by the time we reached the picnic spot all I could think of was food. As a result of satisfying my hunger pangs, I missed out on all the fun of walking and running around the park with my kids. Must plan this again sometime.
That afternoon we were back at Damansara, where my sons would spend the next two days engrossed in PS2 whilst Aiesyah and I had girly lunch and coffee breaks. On Saturday we drove back to Sg Petani, only to find out Sunday was still a school holiday. I decided it should be a daytrip to Penang for the kids en route to sending off my brother at the airport. Having given Nuaim a choice of places to visit, he picked the Butterfly Farm and the Snake Temple. We could not make it in time to the Temple, so I will have to plan for another daytrip soon.
The next day was a picnic brunch at Taman Putra Perdana. I made the mistake of skipping breakfast, so by the time we reached the picnic spot all I could think of was food. As a result of satisfying my hunger pangs, I missed out on all the fun of walking and running around the park with my kids. Must plan this again sometime.
That afternoon we were back at Damansara, where my sons would spend the next two days engrossed in PS2 whilst Aiesyah and I had girly lunch and coffee breaks. On Saturday we drove back to Sg Petani, only to find out Sunday was still a school holiday. I decided it should be a daytrip to Penang for the kids en route to sending off my brother at the airport. Having given Nuaim a choice of places to visit, he picked the Butterfly Farm and the Snake Temple. We could not make it in time to the Temple, so I will have to plan for another daytrip soon.
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| One butterfly that managed to stay in place long enough for me to snap a picture. |
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| Beautiful specimens in the latest trendy colours. |
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| Aiesyah having fun with my mini-highlighters at Starbucks. |
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| Posing in front of Pavilion KL |
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| The clan at Taman Putra Perdana. Shirtless Ziad is pretending to be Rambo while Hanina is damsel in distress with a blistered toe. |
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| Sofiyyah among the cushions at Tarbush Restaurant, Batu Feringghi. |
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Monday, 27 December 2010
The week that was
This week back in KL has been a whirlwind of activities. My itinerary of social engagements began even before we reached home on Saturday, with Abg Ashraf's eldest son's birthday party in Shah Alam. Initially Nuaim was not keen, but when we arrived, albeit one hour after the party was supposed to be over, there were still many of my cousins and their offspring around. By dusk and it was time to leave, I had some difficulty prying my children off the various wheeled toys.
The party mood continued the next day with an outing at Taman Desa Water Park to celebrate Naufal's birthday. He is two months younger than Aiesyah but a couple of inches taller, and they got along like a house on fire. With his cousin around, Naufal appeared more gungho and less timid, and my daughter was literally leading him on in her usual flirtatious manner.
Monday till Thursday I had a packed training session. There was a large group of us, about 18 persons, and as the last two days involved individual practicals (it was a Training of Trainers course) we only finished at six in the evening.
I was looking forward to a relaxing Friday but my kids had other ideas. They were looking forward to the Dino's Alive! exhibition at the National Science Centre, so my brother and I took the three of them there on Friday afternoon. I had learnt not to expect much, so I did not end up disappointed. Apart from a large T-rex and Apatosaurus in the foyer and two replica fossils in a chamber just inside one of the exhibition halls, the rest of the 32 models were small and repetitive. There must have been at least six velociraptors in various poses, mostly based on their appearance in Jurassic Park. My kids and brother had more fun playing with the permanent science exhibits and demo equipment. Fortunately the science exhibit is free, so I will make it a point to take them there for another visit in future.
That night Ain and I had to attend a wedding on behalf of our parents. It was the son of a close family friend who happens to be distantly related to my parents, and the bride's reception was at PJ Hilton. We were a bit stumped when a member of the meet-n-greet committee asked if we were attending Anita's wedding - neither of us had bothered to check the invite, and we weren't too sure of the groom's real name either (he had always been Abg Wi to us). Fortunately there was only that one wedding there, and some recognisable faces had already arrived so we joined them at the family table.
Saturday morning was shopping time. I had to buy Nuaim his new school clothes, and to get him to agree I promised that he could go to Kidzport after that. And so three sets of school uniform, two sets of sports clothes, two pairs of shoes and a new set of briefs later, the trio were safely dispatched to the play area and Ummi was RM90 the poorer for it. That amount of money also bought me about two hours of solo shopping, which of course meant more money was spent. This was in addition to a significant amount I already spent on stationery the day before. Kudos to Jasema for being a Pilot G2 retailer in so many colours.
Dinner was a family outing of sorts - Abg Wi's parents threw a small alfresco party just for relatives at his aunt's business premise, and the whole household was invited. The kids had a fun time running around, obviously there was still some excess energy from the day's events. However they had a dear price to pay for all that exertion.
Nu'man woke up the next morning complaining of a fever. After a dose of Panadol, he seemed better, but by teatime his temperature was high again. Since it was Sunday, I had to take him to the hospital where they administered a suppository to bring the fever down. This morning, after another dose at bedtime, he appears on the road of recovery. Unfortunately his brother is now suffering and received the same treatment from a private clinic.
Right now we are on our way back to Alor Setar with my inlaws. I am praying that the girls are hale and hearty enough not to fall ill like their brothers, and that the rest of the year will be smooth sailing. This week has been memorable enough.
Nu'man feeling better on the journey to Alor Setar.
Nuaim and T-rex
Aiesyah and cousin Naufalsaurus.
The party mood continued the next day with an outing at Taman Desa Water Park to celebrate Naufal's birthday. He is two months younger than Aiesyah but a couple of inches taller, and they got along like a house on fire. With his cousin around, Naufal appeared more gungho and less timid, and my daughter was literally leading him on in her usual flirtatious manner.
Monday till Thursday I had a packed training session. There was a large group of us, about 18 persons, and as the last two days involved individual practicals (it was a Training of Trainers course) we only finished at six in the evening.
I was looking forward to a relaxing Friday but my kids had other ideas. They were looking forward to the Dino's Alive! exhibition at the National Science Centre, so my brother and I took the three of them there on Friday afternoon. I had learnt not to expect much, so I did not end up disappointed. Apart from a large T-rex and Apatosaurus in the foyer and two replica fossils in a chamber just inside one of the exhibition halls, the rest of the 32 models were small and repetitive. There must have been at least six velociraptors in various poses, mostly based on their appearance in Jurassic Park. My kids and brother had more fun playing with the permanent science exhibits and demo equipment. Fortunately the science exhibit is free, so I will make it a point to take them there for another visit in future.
That night Ain and I had to attend a wedding on behalf of our parents. It was the son of a close family friend who happens to be distantly related to my parents, and the bride's reception was at PJ Hilton. We were a bit stumped when a member of the meet-n-greet committee asked if we were attending Anita's wedding - neither of us had bothered to check the invite, and we weren't too sure of the groom's real name either (he had always been Abg Wi to us). Fortunately there was only that one wedding there, and some recognisable faces had already arrived so we joined them at the family table.
Saturday morning was shopping time. I had to buy Nuaim his new school clothes, and to get him to agree I promised that he could go to Kidzport after that. And so three sets of school uniform, two sets of sports clothes, two pairs of shoes and a new set of briefs later, the trio were safely dispatched to the play area and Ummi was RM90 the poorer for it. That amount of money also bought me about two hours of solo shopping, which of course meant more money was spent. This was in addition to a significant amount I already spent on stationery the day before. Kudos to Jasema for being a Pilot G2 retailer in so many colours.
Dinner was a family outing of sorts - Abg Wi's parents threw a small alfresco party just for relatives at his aunt's business premise, and the whole household was invited. The kids had a fun time running around, obviously there was still some excess energy from the day's events. However they had a dear price to pay for all that exertion.
Nu'man woke up the next morning complaining of a fever. After a dose of Panadol, he seemed better, but by teatime his temperature was high again. Since it was Sunday, I had to take him to the hospital where they administered a suppository to bring the fever down. This morning, after another dose at bedtime, he appears on the road of recovery. Unfortunately his brother is now suffering and received the same treatment from a private clinic.
Right now we are on our way back to Alor Setar with my inlaws. I am praying that the girls are hale and hearty enough not to fall ill like their brothers, and that the rest of the year will be smooth sailing. This week has been memorable enough.
Here's hoping for a vibrantly colourful new year! (One pen for each month)
Nu'man feeling better on the journey to Alor Setar.
Nuaim and T-rex
Aiesyah and cousin Naufalsaurus.Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.4
Tuesday, 12 October 2010
10.10gmt @10.10.10
Nuaim has school on Sundays, so I marked the auspicious moment by watching tv with Nu'man and Aiesyah. As the long hand of the clock moved to the mqgic number, Aiesyah started crying for her bottle of milk, while Nu'man had fallen asleep. There was nothing else to watch on TV but a Ben 10 movie on Cartoon Network.
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Saturday, 9 October 2010
Weight by arithmetic
Today Sofiyyah is five months old. A month ago, just before Aidil Fitri, she was 7.5kg. This morning, I stepped onto the weighing scale with her in my arms.
Weight with Sofiyyah = 58.7kg
Weight without Sofiyyah = 50.1kg.
?!?!?!?
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Saturday, 18 September 2010
Sofiyyah's Progress
At birth
Weight 3.3kg
Length 48 cm
4 months later
Weight 7.5 kg
Length 65 cm
She's already outgrown 6mth clothing. I had to buy 12-18mth sizes to fit her chest and thighs.
And I think she's teething. Breastfeeding is beginning to turn into a painful activity.
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Thursday, 10 June 2010
Balik Kay Ell
Alhamdulillah, we arrived at my mum's house in Damansara safe and sound around 5.30 p.m. Although there was a slight drizzle before we started on our journey, the weather was kind - no rain, a bit cloudy, a few sunny spots but not too hot - perfect for travelling with kids over a 444km distance.
Sofiyyah was an angel - she spent most of the trip sleeping. Even the few times she was awake there was hardly any sound from her, let alone a cry, but her eyes were open to take in the different scenery. Despite this being her first trip in the SUV, she settled into it very well - must be a familiar sensation from all my driving during pregnancy. Even Nu'man's horseplay didn't bother her.
My brother apparently has been really busy. He had installed a ceiling fan and new lights in the guest room where I usually stay, bought a new sofa bed for the kids' playroom, and a new HDTV. The existing TV set has been moved downstairs "so the boys can easily play video games" - which they are happily doing now.
As for me, it's back to the familiar Confinement regime - already agreed for Kak Yam to come in first thing Saturday morning for my massage. I've got a hot water bottle behind my back, and no more fried fish or chicken in my meals.
I'll be spending 2 weeks here, which means the boys get an extra week off school. I hope it doesn't mean they'll miss much from kindergarten - especially as they've got tests immediately after we arrive back in Alor Setar!
Tuesday, 1 June 2010
The Children's Progress
Sofiyyah is now 24 days old. It's been 17 days since she was G.I.-Janed, and her hair is now about 5 mm long. She has also developed a triple-chin, and her cheeks look like she is hiding two golfballs in her mouth. And all on breastmilk (except for the first 1 and a half days at hospital)!
Sofiyyah is also a very strong baby. She can already hold her head up, although not while lying on her tummy. Her legs are pretty mean, too. She usually uses them to signal that she wants to go for a walk, by pushing and kicking on the lap of whomever is holding her at the time. I'm pretty sure her aunts and uncle in Damansara will be surprised to see her in 9 days' time.
Nuaim, meanwhile, celebrated his sixth birthday at kindergarten yesterday. As requested, he had a square cake, with white icing and strawberries.
And for his birthday gift, he wants toy dinosaurs - and not just any old dinosaur either. He specifically asked for these:
Tyrannosaurus
Triceratops
Liopleurodon (I had to google to find the right spelling)
ApatosaurusThere were a few others that I cannot remember and can only imagine to spell. He listed out the ones he wanted - spelling them phonetically therefore less accurately - and gave the list to his maternal grandmother. My brother's got the list now, and he's doing some internet-based research to find out what they really look like so they can buy the correct ones. Only Allah knows what kind of tantrum Nuaim will throw if we get them wrong.
As for Nu'man and Aiesyah, they go through each day fighting like cats and dogs one minute then being the best of friends the next. Since they're closest by birth, being only 18 months apart, they share similar tastes and behavioural traits, especially at play. Aiesyah tends to copy her brother, and she's just as likely to play Racing Cars as Nu'man does. The boy, on the other hand, tends to have a go at every toy bought specifically for his sister - including dolls and tea party sets. Just in case anyone's worried, be rest assured that his mannerisms with these toys are definitely unfeminine.
Physically, though, they're as different as chalk and cheese. While Nu'man hardly seems to be growing despite all the food that he eats (he expends all the energy through highly intense physical activities), Aiesyah has visibly grown taller and her face is rounder. She's also very vain about her looks, and sulks very easily whenever she gets ignored or reprimanded. I suppose that goes with being the baby for a long time - in terms of age gap, Aiesyah-Sofiyyah's is the longest at 2 years 7 months. But Aiesyah is also the most helpful and obedient of them all, so far.
My only concern with Aiesyah is that she tends to pick up my Indonesian maid's pronunciation of certain words. First it was 'Cat' pronounced as 'Kek', which I've managed to correct. Right now I'm having some issues with her calling her baby sister Amirah SoPiyah instead of SoFiyyah.
Thursday, 27 May 2010
Introducing Amirah Sofiyyah
As promised, photos of the new Princess. This is she just after returning home from hospital. 
And this is Sofiyyah, 7 days later, sans hair. According to tradition, the whole head is shaved, the hair weighed against gold (or is it silver) and the equivalent value donated to the poor and needy.Wednesday, 12 May 2010
Numero Quattro
Baby number 4 arrived at 3.24 a.m. on 9th May, 2010. A perfect Mother's Day gift.
It's a girl. Her statistics:
Head: 33 cm.
Weight: 3.3 kg
Length: 48 cm.
That makes her the second largest of the brood at birth, after Nuaim, except that Aiesyah @ Kak Teh is more bigheaded. Heh heh :-)
Sorry, no name and pictures yet. Will get round to it in the next post, InsyaAllah.
It's a girl. Her statistics:
Head: 33 cm.
Weight: 3.3 kg
Length: 48 cm.
That makes her the second largest of the brood at birth, after Nuaim, except that Aiesyah @ Kak Teh is more bigheaded. Heh heh :-)
Sorry, no name and pictures yet. Will get round to it in the next post, InsyaAllah.
Friday, 7 May 2010
07.05.03 - 7 years on
Today is my wedding anniversary. We celebrated by spring cleaning our bedroom to await the arrival of the baby. Correction - Hubby spring cleaned the room while I spent time watching various cartoon shows and mediating fights among the kids. Since we've already had a fancy-ish dinner a few days ago (I was so sure the baby was going to come early!), tonight's anniversary dinner will be Hubby's own home-made roti canai. Sungguh romantik!
Despite my earlier prediction that Baby was going to arrive before the due date of 9th May, there's still no sign apart from the irregular contractions. My hospital bag is packed, I've been nesting like crazy (or maybe it's just a manifestation of my natural obsession with tidiness and order) and my legs are so tired I can hardly stand for more than 5 minutes - yet I'm still a good 60+ kg in weight and probably 60+ inches in girth.
Maybe my decision to take early leave, coupled with the intent to get Hubby to spoil me rotten to make up for all those months in Sudan has left me so complacent that Baby decided to do the same. Maybe it's because I was too relaxed during this pregnancy, compared to the previous ones (which always coincided with peak project periods). Or maybe Baby wants to present itself as a Mother's Day gift, which this year coincidentally falls on the same day as my EDD. Or I'll get my wish for a nice birthdate i.e. 10.05.10, to follow the pattern of Nu'man and Aiesyah's.
Whatever it is, I hope and pray for the best. And that Hubby will be around to accompany me in the labour room.
Despite my earlier prediction that Baby was going to arrive before the due date of 9th May, there's still no sign apart from the irregular contractions. My hospital bag is packed, I've been nesting like crazy (or maybe it's just a manifestation of my natural obsession with tidiness and order) and my legs are so tired I can hardly stand for more than 5 minutes - yet I'm still a good 60+ kg in weight and probably 60+ inches in girth.
Maybe my decision to take early leave, coupled with the intent to get Hubby to spoil me rotten to make up for all those months in Sudan has left me so complacent that Baby decided to do the same. Maybe it's because I was too relaxed during this pregnancy, compared to the previous ones (which always coincided with peak project periods). Or maybe Baby wants to present itself as a Mother's Day gift, which this year coincidentally falls on the same day as my EDD. Or I'll get my wish for a nice birthdate i.e. 10.05.10, to follow the pattern of Nu'man and Aiesyah's.
Whatever it is, I hope and pray for the best. And that Hubby will be around to accompany me in the labour room.
Saturday, 17 April 2010
22 days and counting...
I still don't know whether it'll be a girl or boy. Having another girl would be nice, although letting Aiesyah rule as sole princess would still be fun.
Either way, let's hope for a safe and sound delivery.
Either way, let's hope for a safe and sound delivery.
Saturday, 10 April 2010
Nu'man's birthday 06 April.
Nu'man celebrated his 4th birthday at the kindergarten. He had a fever the previous week, but recovered just in time.
He received a birthday gift from his teachers.
The teachers also arranged for the whole kindergarten to celebrate. Here he is waiting to cut the cake with big brother keeping watch while his classmates surround them.
Nuaim has decided to celebrate his birthday at kindy too, but he wants a square cake 'with strawberry icing instead of chocolate.' Very specific - so engineer-like.Saturday, 23 January 2010
New Year updates
New Year, new home, new kindergarten, new clothes, new shoes, new school bags, new car...
After almost 5 years, it's time to sing:
Bye, bye Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry.
Hope your next owner treats you better.
Monday, 28 September 2009
Not to Study
In relation to the previous post, my body has chosen to overrule my head and breed like a rabbit instead.
Baby number 4 has commenced its pre-natal journey.
I hope it's another girl.
Nuaim says he wants a baby brother. When I tell him he already has a brother, he answered that Nu'man is no longer a baby so he doesn't count.
Nu'man also wants a boy. "Sebab Nu'man boy."
Aiesyah, when asked whether she wants an adik, shakes her head and answers in her trademark bimboesque manner, "Tak nak".
Baby number 4 has commenced its pre-natal journey.
I hope it's another girl.
Nuaim says he wants a baby brother. When I tell him he already has a brother, he answered that Nu'man is no longer a baby so he doesn't count.
Nu'man also wants a boy. "Sebab Nu'man boy."
Aiesyah, when asked whether she wants an adik, shakes her head and answers in her trademark bimboesque manner, "Tak nak".
Sunday, 19 July 2009
Water Babies
Today has been a fun day for the kids. We arrived at Queensbay Mall in Penang in time for lunch, then after a couple of hours shopping for their winter clothing, Mama and Bapak decided to drop by at the Carnivall Water Theme Park in Sungai Petani. We didn't have our swimming costumes, so the little ones had to make do with their undies.
Aiesyah braving the water with her Tok Wan.
A rare photo of my eldest. Nuaim enjoyed it immensely.
My little princess making splashes of her own.
Aiesyah braving the water with her Tok Wan.
A rare photo of my eldest. Nuaim enjoyed it immensely.
My little princess making splashes of her own.
Saturday, 18 July 2009
Off Day
Hari ini saya tidak bekerja. Hari ini saya luangkan masa untuk keluarga dan anak2. Esok, lusa, tulat dan seterusnya lain cerita.
Lepas 13 haribulan boleh ambil cuti ganti ya, Bos?
Lepas 13 haribulan boleh ambil cuti ganti ya, Bos?
Sunday, 15 March 2009
Home Schooling
Nuaim throws tantrums when things don't go his way. And the only way to deal with it is to explain a complex situation with all the really minute details. Which he completely understands.
Episode 1:
Some time ago, his uncle bought him two Lego Creator sets from Sydney. He loves these Creators - Hubby had purchased three previously - as each set has an instruction booklet that shows you how to build three different items using the same pieces. The booklet from the Sydney pack also showed the other available Creator models, one of which Nuaim took a fancy to. He started asking why his uncle didn't buy him that particular set, so to cut it short I told him they had run out in Sydney. Being Nuaim, he wouldn't drop the subject, so he kept pestering me about it till I promised to buy it at Toys'R'Us. Alas, Malaysia does not seem to have a market for Lego Creator.
"Why don't they sell here?" he asked.
"No one wants to buy them." I answered.
"I do. Why don't other boys buy them?"
"Because other boys aren't clever enough." I was hoping this compliment would make him feel better. It backfired.
"No! I want other boys to be clever enough to build them!!"
"Well, they're too expensive to make in Malaysia."
"Why are they too expensive?"
"The factory is too expensive to build here."
"I want Lego to build a factory in Malaysia!"
"Nuaim, do you know what it takes to build a factory?"
"No. How do you build a factory?"
Then I launched into a full description of a Project implementation framework that would put SKG19 TP's to shame, complete with basic design, long lead item procurement, installation, pre-commissioning inspection, performance test runs and delayed start-ups.
By the end of it, Nuaim looked pensive.
"So you see why they can't build the factory here?"
"Yeah, it's really difficult."
Episode 2:
We were watching Animal Planet on ASTRO today. As usual, the signal started breaking up with the slightest sign of bad weather. Nuaim began asking me to clean the VCD, not realising that the two were totally unrelated.
"It's not from a VCD, Nuaim. ASTRO is from the sky."
"Why is it shaking?"
"The wind is making it shake."
"Turn off the fan!"
"No, dear. It's not the fan, it's the wind in the sky."
"Close the windows! Don't let the wind come in."
"No, no. It's shaky from outside, not inside the house."
Nuaim still didn't look convinced. So I had to go all technical again.
Armed with a piece of paper and a pen, I described how microwave signals travelled from the main ASTRO broadcasting station to our receiver dish on the roof, down a cable to the ASTRO decoder and finally into the TV set in the family hall. Professor Charles Turner would be so proud of me.
Nuaim really appreciated this piece of information, then looked at my sketch thoughtfully.
"Where's the staircase?"
ARRGHHH!!!
Episode 1:
Some time ago, his uncle bought him two Lego Creator sets from Sydney. He loves these Creators - Hubby had purchased three previously - as each set has an instruction booklet that shows you how to build three different items using the same pieces. The booklet from the Sydney pack also showed the other available Creator models, one of which Nuaim took a fancy to. He started asking why his uncle didn't buy him that particular set, so to cut it short I told him they had run out in Sydney. Being Nuaim, he wouldn't drop the subject, so he kept pestering me about it till I promised to buy it at Toys'R'Us. Alas, Malaysia does not seem to have a market for Lego Creator.
"Why don't they sell here?" he asked.
"No one wants to buy them." I answered.
"I do. Why don't other boys buy them?"
"Because other boys aren't clever enough." I was hoping this compliment would make him feel better. It backfired.
"No! I want other boys to be clever enough to build them!!"
"Well, they're too expensive to make in Malaysia."
"Why are they too expensive?"
"The factory is too expensive to build here."
"I want Lego to build a factory in Malaysia!"
"Nuaim, do you know what it takes to build a factory?"
"No. How do you build a factory?"
Then I launched into a full description of a Project implementation framework that would put SKG19 TP's to shame, complete with basic design, long lead item procurement, installation, pre-commissioning inspection, performance test runs and delayed start-ups.
By the end of it, Nuaim looked pensive.
"So you see why they can't build the factory here?"
"Yeah, it's really difficult."
Episode 2:
We were watching Animal Planet on ASTRO today. As usual, the signal started breaking up with the slightest sign of bad weather. Nuaim began asking me to clean the VCD, not realising that the two were totally unrelated.
"It's not from a VCD, Nuaim. ASTRO is from the sky."
"Why is it shaking?"
"The wind is making it shake."
"Turn off the fan!"
"No, dear. It's not the fan, it's the wind in the sky."
"Close the windows! Don't let the wind come in."
"No, no. It's shaky from outside, not inside the house."
Nuaim still didn't look convinced. So I had to go all technical again.
Armed with a piece of paper and a pen, I described how microwave signals travelled from the main ASTRO broadcasting station to our receiver dish on the roof, down a cable to the ASTRO decoder and finally into the TV set in the family hall. Professor Charles Turner would be so proud of me.
Nuaim really appreciated this piece of information, then looked at my sketch thoughtfully.
"Where's the staircase?"
ARRGHHH!!!
Tuesday, 16 December 2008
Princess Pictures
Somehow the pictures loaded in reverse chronological order. Never mind lah...
"I'm so excited. My very first car!!!" At Kak Iman's 3rd birthday party.
"I am a model, you know what I mean..." Doing the catwalk at Tok Su Ina's house in Bangi during Aidil Fitri.
Bollywood princess looking a bit glum. Hero has not turned up yet.
"Be off with ye, Cap'n Jack Sparrow!! I be the cap'n of this ship." Ummi's attempt at making Aiesyah look demure in a headscarf during Aidil Fitri backfired. Nu'man doesn't look too impressed either.
Someone's really happy to be sitting in her Ummi's lap. Again taken during Aidil Fitri. (She's got more teeth now).
Gettin' jiggy with it. Aiesyah learning to walk a week before Aidil Fitri.
"Alamak jatuh la pulak..."