Was on mc yesterday, suffering from cough and cold for about 4 days now... so the doctor suggested a bed rest for a day. Alhamdullillah, I still managed to fast. Breakfasting with nasi kerabu my sister in law made, managed to finish half a plate. Today... emm.. planning to break fast with abang at Phuket, with ikan bakar and tomyam campur.. yum yum.

Classes like usual, today marks the last day of our Executive Director stamping his punch card, he'll be transrefed to Putrajaya for a new post as Division Secretary for Administration and Finance in the Ministry of National Unity And Social Development. We had a farewell gathering and tomorrow will be a farewell iftar in one of the famous hotel here in Kuantan.

Che' Det retirement... I missed the ceremony. Do you think they'll hold delayed telecast? I don't think so.. have to watch the news tonight. For a person who has done a magnificent job for his country, he shall be remembered.... God bless. And good luck Pak Lah the new PM.

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Bubur Lambuk

Went to Bazaar Ramadhan in Cenderawasih, not too big nor too small, lots of stalls selling the same thing... eheh.. what do you expect? So bought myself bubur lambuk east coast style, sata and tamar. Bought some kuih for the family. Was breaking my fast when my sister called...

"Kak Lin, tengah buat apa?"
"Tengah buka puasa ler"
"Tak aci sungguh, orang tengah tunggu azan nih"
"meh ah datang sini, buka cepat sikit ehehehe"

Eating bubur lambuk... but thinking about the famous bubur lambuk Kampung Baru, thinking about bubur lambuk west coast style... I'm going back to me hometown next two weeks so...

"Ita, tolong amik bubur lambuk kampung baru, Kak Lin nak balik"
"Woi... takkan aku nak drive dari Klang ke KL semata2 nak amik bubur lambuk, aku amikkan yang kat Masjid India Klang jerlah"
"Bolehlah.. janji aku dapat makan, kesian kat aku"
"Ye ah.. dah azan dah.. aku nak buka.. babai Kak Lin, assalammualaikum"
"Babai, waalaikumsalam"

What to cook today... any suggestion?

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1st day of Ramadhan. Cooked singgang daging and daging goreng for sahur. I only managed to eat 2 slices of toasted bread with honey and a glass of milk, which I think is sufficient... I seldom bersahur before.

The enggagement ceremony went well. Mum arrived on Friday afternoon... tak berenggang langsunglah dengan dia. Asked mum to cook Rendang daging Palembang, I wanted to eat it actually but mum cook for the kenduri as well. My in laws family seemed to like it. So the wedding will be after Aidil Adha.. I wont be around to offer a helping hand.. Mum went back to Klang on Sunday, I was crying, suddenly I felt sad... hmmm... hormones were at work I guess.

On Sunday, Abang and I went to Sungai Pandan waterfall, just the two of us, lazying around. Tak mandi pun, just wanted to spent some time alone... We had a nice nasi dagang and keropok lekor...

Back to work...... have to comlpete the carry marks form before Wednesday to be summited to UTM. With 100 over students, it looks like a never ending work, but why whine since I opted for the job eheh...

On a lighter note, already 25 weeks and 15 in counting... yup, I feel blessed with his presence, I just hope and pray for the best, for both of us... :)

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It is a bit annoying when...

+ someone tries to show you how to do things you do best

+ someone you call friend talks about you behind your back

+ someone else anwers your call with a background voice saying " say I'm not here"

+ you have to keep your mouth shut over things you deem right

+ you watch someone gets the credit over your hardwork

+ you lend some money and the chance of getting it back is slim

+ you have to wait for your not-so-hard-to-cook dish at restaurant

+ you live with 9 others but all chores are yours to finish

+ you have to hear someone keeps bragging on and on, on how perfect his/her life is

+ I have to write all this, using the second person pronoun, to puke it all out from my system before it all explode to uncontrollable anger, which won't be good to others....

+ I cannot puke it out verbally because the 'goody' angah doesn't have the heart to hurt others' feeling....

But hey!!!!! they do thay all the time without thinking about my feeling!!

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Deepavalli just around the corner, so Happy Deepavalli to all my friends.. eheh.. sounds like a dedication on TV. I watched the new advertisement by Petronas, as usual.. a superb portrayal of Malaysian culture. I am still waiting for other advertisements by other big companies. They used to produce many good seasonal advertisements back then. Tak bawa untung kot.... but can't we like forget about profit once in a blue moon ?

Can't wait for my mum to come over to Kuantan ( yeah.. I keep repeating this over and over again) But I am sooooo excited. On Sunday, she'll be with my sister in Johor Baharu. I believe my sister has something to discuss with her.. I'll be getting a brother in law soon... I just hope mum will approve and I strongly believe she will...

Thanx Auntie Yan and Kak G for having the same opinion as I do. I agree being a mother is a bless, being a daughter to a very loveable mother is a bless... I won't forget that... lesson number one, be good to your mother and your children will be good to you too, Insyaallah. Looking forward for your advice auntie and kak G :)

Ramadhan is approaching.. I just pray I can perform the ibadah well... I hope I won't spend too much on food... I hope I can wake up at wee hours to prepare sahur, note for abang : please wake me up will you? and I surely hope I can spend more days in Klang eheh * background scene - memujuk husband*

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I bought mum a jubah like dress and a ring on my birthday. Yup, on my birthday. I always buy something for her on my birthdays. A small token of love from a daughter to her mother. A way for me to express my gratitude to her for giving me a birth, and most of all her unconditional love. I love you mum...

My sister in law is busy preparing for her engagement, me... I just help her decorating the hantaran boxes. I remember telling her early this year, jokingly ofcourse, that I might not be able to offer any help on her wedding day..."mana tau kak lin sarat masa tuh" I guess it is not a joke anymore eheh... Her wedding is scheduled sometime after Raya Haji... I'll be on my bed with junior. .

Workwise, will be busy for the next 2 weeks for oral test. Final exam is on the 3rd of November... marking and finalising students' result and finally peaceful Ramadhan... only 3 classes left until raya.

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Just wanna say....

+ A friend of mine has decided to live in a 'cave' all by himself. I respect his decision.

+ I almost cry....... of laughing after hearing one funny story from a friend.

+ A call from a friend really changed my mood. How strong a friend's influence can be....

+ I try to be nice to a friend but must it always be me?

+ I have a good friend, whom I never met, but I feel at ease talking to or chatting with her.

Friends in need are friends in deed.... I can relate to that... but I hate losing a friend for some reasons I detest. A friend of mine gave me this advise, that I dont have to feel down because, I'm not losing a friend, he/she lost me as his/her friend. But I strongly believe that being a friend is not only through talking, writing etc, it can be just the rememberance, knowing that he/she will always has a place in my heart, as a friend. How hard could it be?

There you go... I've said it!!!!

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME

gain another year of my life, alhamdulillah. This morning, as I sat on a prayer mat after subuh, I kept thinking about what I have achieved in years that I lived and what should I achieve in years to come. I feel blessed with the happines granted to me, and I realise that things which once, I thought were causing me sorrow and hurt, in fact are silent helpers... they teach me how to be strong, how to be bold, how to be patient and most importantly, they teach me how to think rationally.

Abang got me a little present. Thanx dear...


Little Reunion

Last night, I went dining with a friend of mine, Wie. She came down from KL on her way back to KB. We had a wonderful dinner at Phuket Restaurant, one of the best restaurant offering a variety of Malay cuisines. Lots of catching up. Since abang said "seganlah nak ikut, pergilah dengan diaorang" so Wie and another friend, Aniz had to fetch me... thanx for the ride dear. Splendid dinner, splendid moment. We invited our coursemate, but she had an errand to to last night. Takperlah kan.. lain kali ada peluang lain.


Puking my guts out

Things done cannot be undone.... understatement of the century !!! I really hate dealing with people with little or no sense of respect. But then.. I can't change what they already are.... so it is not an understatement at all *sigh*

Really depressing feeling, specially when the feeling comes today... on my birthday!!! But as usual, I think of it as 'another person passing by, accidently bumping on me, I'll feel a little bit depress but he'll be gone eventually' if anyone knows what I mean..... but what the heck.. I'll just smile and things will get better. I won't let little things ruin my day. That is the spirit Angah!!!

Happy birthday to me...

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Splendid wet weekend, can't even do the laundry. It can wait eheh.. Since it is a lobster season here, abang went for lobster hunting, he managed to catch some and sent it to a restaurant to be cooked. So we had fresh lobsters tomyam for dinner, heaven.

Watched Anugerah Era 2003 half way through... very boringlah. I still can't figure out the fanatics' function other than terkinja2 whenever a song being sung. But I didn't miss Jat (Black Dog Bone) sang the famous Gadis Ayu.. "gadis ayu, lesung pipit dipipi... ayu senyummu menawan" His voice is superb... I wish we have 1 or 2 singers with that kind of voice quality. A bit funny, at least for me to hear Ning's speech last night... yeah, her first award, it was her night after all *wink*

MUET is around the corner, I'll be a time keeper for oral test this time... easy job and easy money though boring it will be. I hope they'll try their best. The problem with our students is that they are quite good in writing, listening and reading but not in speaking. We've tried our best to help them, It's up to them now.

My mum is coming next week for my sister's in law engagement. Noni is very excited, not to see me but to mandi manda at the beach. I'd probably bring her to Teluk Chempedak or Balok. Just afraid bout the weather, might not be on our side. Promised mum to bring her to taste sata and otak2. Mesti best..

I might be driving to work for about 2 weeks, since abang will be busy with a new company's project he just got. I just hope I don't have to drive.. *crossing my fingers*

I'm off for classes.......... chow

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There are times when we need to be alone, just by ourselves, doing everything we like or nothing at all. But only some of us have the pleasure of doing that. It seems that we are losing our right as individuals these days. Being in a relationship doesn't mean that we have to sacrify our personal likings. People say, share your likings with your partner, that is one way of getting a chance of doing things you like, I admit that. But personally, I prefer doing one or two things I enjoy by myself. Keeps me in check with my sanity. Lucky me to have a husband who understands me, understands my need to be alone once in a while.

The little one has started practicing his/her full kicks and nudges, after finishing his/her fluttering movements. Last month only mama felt it, but now papa can feel it with his hand too. Nice feeling.

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Rain and more rain for the past 3 days. Not that I'm complaining. But imagine my situation... raining outside, and I'm sitting in the air conditioned room, I wish I were on my bed. Soooooo sleeepylah...

I remember, a long time ago, whenever it rain, me and my brother will dig out tapioca my mother planted. Rebus then makan ngan ikan kering... yeah, don't forget the coffee.. hmmmm heaven. I wonder do kids nowadays know the pleasure of eating boiled tapioca with salty fish and hot coffee during rain. Ubi rebus pun tak kenal agaknya.

I received a wonderful news today. A very good friend of mine will be someone's soul mate in a matter of months. I wish you all the best my friend. I know you'l be a good life partner. I'll be there on your big day insyaallah.

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A Picture worth thousand words

I was searching for some documents last night, when I found a picture of 19 years old me... I looked different. More 'excess baggage' eheh. Showed it to abang, he just smiled. Hmm... where was I when I was 19? I was in my second year in Matriculation Centre, enjoying life. Busy with co-curricular activities and on my way to maturity... erkk.. I guess.

I always take a picture on my birthdays, Started it 10 years ago, after seeing my uncle doing it. Hard evidence of ageing process... There are 'chubby angah' in her late teens, 'cengkung angah' on her 22nd birthday, 'boyish angah' during her involvement in sports etc 'tanned angah', 'fairer angah', the list goes on.

Each picture has its own story, its own memory. It's a long 1 year story of a person named angah. I'll do it again this year and years to come... I already prepare the name of this year picture, 'the ewoks like angah'...

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Reminiscence of Old Times

Second week of October. Lesser work as semester ends, alhamdulillah. Ramadhan is just around the corner, second year as wife, third year without my late father. Kinda miss him. I miss the sight of him sitting at the porch, with his ciggarette and a mug of coffee, watching us playing firecrackers, telling us to be carefull. I miss the aroma of cakes and cookies he bakes for raya. Most of all I miss the pat on the back he always gives whenever we speak. Yeah, we seldom talk when he was alive but we spent a quality time together though short it may be.

He passed away peacefully on my mother's lap on the 14th day of Syawal, 2 months before my engagement. Abang only met him twice. I know my mother still misses him, I can tell from the way she speaks, the way she keeps my father's belongings, the constant reminder for us to pray for him after our prayers, the tears she shed after every prayer. I know your feeling mum.... we love him too. We held kenduri tahlil last week for him and our late sister.

I remember, our little sister Noni... she used to ask us, Who will take care of him there since we are all here? We said, Kak Fatimah is there, she will take care of him for us. She looked satisfy with our answer. Mum just smiled, teary eyes... we'll take care of you mum as we always do...

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Last night was great. I spent some time at The Esplanade (a waterfront park in Kuantan) I'm not sure about the name though. We were on the way to Giant, when abang decided to try his luck, he got very excited to see ramai kaki pancing were already there. So we parked our car, me... armed with 2 slices of honeydew, a slice of papaya and 2 packets of mangga muda.. sat on one of the benches, watching him fishing, casting style. We got ourselves ikan siakap.. weighing about 1 to 2 kilo. So it will be ikan siakap masam manis treat tonight eheh.

Did some shoppings at Giant. Already 10pm when we reached there. Bought myself some blouses for work. Good bargain. Oh.. I received a parcel from Sony... yeahaa!! they sent me a walkman for being the first 300 members to answer a product evaluation last month.

My students are excited to see me in meternity dress. Started wearing it this week. Can't seem to fit in any of my baju kurung anymore.

I fail to understand why some people like to do things the hard way, complicating things which are actually simple, and can't accept people's idea... no matter how good it is.. hmmm.

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