Hari Raya Aidil Fitri 2010

How time flies . Its Aidil Fitri 1431H....a celebration for the muslims after fasting in the month of Ramadhan .. Upcoming festival is Deepavali in early November , followed by Christmas in December and Chinese New year in early February next year .

Six months of various festivals being celebrated . I hear ka....ching...the sound of the cash register at shopping malls as we Malaysians made ourselves busy preparing for the celebrations .

I was busy too getting things ready for our flight to Miri . Hauling out bags from the cupboard ....sorting out the necessary items to bring home . Home sweet home for Hari Raya Aidil Fitri .



I have never celebrated Hari Raya apart from my family . Now that I have my own family Hari Raya means celebrating this day in the kampong . Nothing beats home ...my children and I just love to be there because we don't know of any other place that means so much to us . Tiring it may be ...of packing heavy bags and unpacking again when we reached home ....it doesn't matter to us . We just want to be home .

Morning of Syawal is something that everybody looks forward to . Lots of photo takings too with family members . Ahhhhh.....that atmosphere of family togetherness ....nothing could beat that feeling of sheer happiness to see everyone making their way to my father's house . Whatever space there is in front of my father's yard is packed with cars . The doorway is littered with all kind of footwear , different sizes , colors and shapes . It doesn't matter ... as long as nobody trips over the shoes .

My brothers and their families plus my sis in law and her children and grandchildren came in droves . So much happiness early in the morning .and we were glad to see each other again ...happy that we had completed the one month of fasting too ...great to be able to spent time with each other again ..




Most of all we were happy to see our father's face when he was surrounded by his children , his grandchildren and his great grandchildren . I was happy to be with him too on syawal morning .



I just love to hug you again bapak ...




I just love to seek forgiveness from you again ....



I just love to be in your company again .....


I just love to say Selamat Hari Raya .....Maaf Dzahir Batin ....to you , Bapak .

My Headmaster ...My Teacher...

Teacher's Day ....this day did not exist at all back in 1968 ....that was the year I began to learn how to read , write and do arithmetic ...a term used then . Maybe there was such a day .....I just can't recall .

My old primary school is still there...at Jalan Merpati , Miri . Sayed Othman Primary School is the name ...one of the few primary schools in Miri Town .The headmaster then was Cikgu Wan Morshidi ...the grandson of the late Sayed Othman .Impressive ain't it ...to be able to head the school set up by your grandfather ,

What do I remember about Cikgu Wan Morshidi ? Well he had this habit of carrying a one and half foot long rattan in his hand though at times he would tucked it away under his armpit . I think most headmasters carried a rattan during those years . We scurried away like little mouse should we happened to meet him on his rounds . The rattan and him made a scary combination when you are just a little girl .

Generally a headmaster would always looked smart daily , 5 days a week . So it was with Cikgu Wan Morshidi .A short hair ...kind of like the way Barack Obama is sporting now , a short sleeve shirt and trousers and a pair of black or dark brown shoes . I think he used a tie too .He drove a car though I can't remember what the type was.......looked like a Batman's kind of car . ( Note : We were exposed to Batman and Robin's comics by our elder brothers in the early 1970s. )

School assemblies was once a week . All the pupils would stand in the school field , in rows according to the class they were in ...facing the school with the sun shining on our faces . It must be a straight line ...the teachers would ensure us that ...so we would put our hands on our friend's shoulder ...straighten our arms to make that arms length distance from your friend in front ....and nobody were to move .... stand at attention mode for all .

Cikgu Wan Morshidi would be in front observing us with keen eyes while the other teachers would be about 2 or 3 meters away from his side . The assembly began with all of us singing the country's anthem ' Negara Ku '. Then he would checked all the pupil's nails ...a short smack one would get on your knuckles if you were to show him your dirty or long nails . Now and then I would get a taste of that rattan medicine ....a pain in my memory of what that rattan can do to me .

That is why if I were to remember my teacher cum headmaster ..the picture that is etched in my memories would be Cikgu Wan Morshidi and his constant partner ' The Rattan '.

Whatever ....life at the primary school was full of memories . I didn't skipped school as I enjoyed going there . The rattan could be quite scary but I was brave enough to trudge along daily and happily because school was fun .

Oh ya ...Happy Teacher's Day to all . Cheers !

Treasures....

I will never forget the day I received this card . Thirty years ago we were roommates at campus .My first Mother's Day card I received from a friend . Sent all the way from USA and I have kept it ever since . Never felt so good before .



I was on the hospital bed , still feeling drowsy after my C-section when dear hubby came and passed a couple of letters to me . I recognized the handwriting on the mails . One was an invitation card for her wedding and a photo of her graduation . She looked good in that picture . Another was this Mother's Day card .



The year was 1994 . 25th May to be exact . The day I gave birth to my second son .



Wow.....receiving that card woke up all my drowsy cells in my body system . There was an immediate up surge in my adrenalin . Feelings of excitement , happiness and blessed too that a friend still had the time to say ' hi ' . That's what I call true friendship ...thousands of miles apart , separated by the vast oceans and yet I am still in her thoughts .

Thank you , Lek . May we be friends forever and ever .

I Have Kept This ....

1996 ....My eldest son gave me this Mother's Day card . I remembered he was all eager to try out the new printer dear hubby had bought . He had always been the curious kind of kid ; technical stuff just fascinates him .




Uzair was nine years old . He burst into my room and thrust the card into my hand . I didn't expect it to be a Mother's Day card . The words he used were just so raw and pure from his heart .



What can I say except that this is one card I will always treasure ....and I have kept it ever since .

P.S. ....Of course dear hubby was around to assist him .

Our Day ....

' Happy Mother's Day '....greetings from my daughter .

' Thank you ' .....I said .

" What do you want me to do for you ? '...she asked .

' Hmmmmm.....could you clean up your room and put away your folded clothes in the wardrobe ? '....I answered .

' Ok...' was her reply . Well she did the chores as requested .

Mother's Day ....very much a celebration all over the globe . It was not so in my younger days . Mother's Day was unheard of . The culture did not exist at all . After all in my community , a mother is to be honored at all times ...365 days a year .

Sure ....I read and heard about this day and while it is the ' in ' thing to celebrate it in the west on a specific date ...I couldn't care less about it. How could I go goo goo -ga ga over it when my own dear mother was unaware of the day's existence . It would be strange to simply celebrate the day as it was never part of her up bringing too . Its just an awkward celebration .

Time goes by . I have my own family and I am a mother . My husband and I never introduced Mother's Day as part of the family's celebration . My children were introduced to it at school. So I received hand made cards and cute little art and crafts from them on this day ....deeply appreciated of course .

Now that they are teenagers ...I no longer received any hand made cards . If they remember to wish me Happy Mother's Day ....that is great ... a hugh bonus . And if they forgot I don't make a fuss over it .

Whatever ....this Mother's Day celebration is catching on in my environment now . It is here to stay . I see families bringing their mothers out for dinners . I hear the sound of the cash register at shops going ' ka-ching' as loving children bought cards and presents for their mothers ....eating out at restaurants for brunch or trunch .

We opted to eat out that night ...just a family gathering and to celebrate our 24th wedding anniversary . Eldest son had just arrived home earlier in the day ; a month's break from campus . A lot of catching up to do ....the evening was just great .

Oh ya ....since early saturday and sunday ...my cell phone was busy ...receiving SMS wishes from friends . Ooooo...that was a nice feeling ; felt so good that we are in someone's thoughts . Thank you dear friends for the wishes .


Happy Mother's Day to all .

The School Break

The kids had a week break from school . We did not go anywhere . Staying home and relaxing and each doing our own things . None of us complained ; so being bored is out of the question .

We were just tired ; maybe its the weather ...too hot that it just drained your energy away . We stayed away from the highways ; away from the road that leads to school . And none needs that more than me .

A mum's day is never without tasks ....heaps and plenty to do .....plus unaccomplished projects too . I finally get to clean my kitchen windows .....which is not my cup of tea . Now these windows are ever so sparkling and clean and I feel good about it . I could have asked my children to help . But I didn't . My fault . They will be spoil rotten if this is kept up .


I managed to sew new cushion covers for the living room . I mended some T Shirts and pants too. Just when I'm so absorbed in sewing I ran out of thread and had to stop a while. This project was resumed a few days later .


And when dear hubby took a few days off ...he and me drove over to Penang . Had a splendid time window shopping in one of the malls .I ended buying myself a new pair of sandals ....



and this ..... .




Happy me!

And Mommies Are People Too....

" Dear Children ,

Its your school break ....meaning for the next few days I am not doing any sending and picking you up from school .

A break for you but for me , break or no break ....I still have to do the laundry , do the marketing , clean the house and cook too ....the most basic tasks in this household I am running .

You know ....your help is most appreciated during the next few days . Do anything that u think u could do as that will be a great help ....I need a break too because ....mommies are people too .

From your mommy dearest . "

I have been telling dear hubby abut buying a couple of new plants.. The best place to get these is at the Malaysian / Thailand Border ...at Padang Besar to be exact . So when son Amir said you gotta go ....you need to be away from us .....I jumped at the suggestion .


I dragged dear hubby out of the house . But he had other ideas . He did not want to go to Padang Besar as that would be a 2 hours drive . So we settled for Bukit Kayu Hitam another border town .


Its a one and a half hours drive . Passing hectares of padi fields . Most fields empty as the paddy had just been harvested .



With such super duper good highways driving was a brisk .

We reached the MAlaysian border , passed thru the Immigration Checkpoint .
We need not produce any documents but just indicate to the Immigration Officers that we are going to " the no mans land ".


Lots of vehicles ; it being the school break . Most came here to shop as it is relatively cheaper . There are other bazaars too ...mostly selling clothes .



There is a golf course too ...though the fields are not a pretty sight . Dry due to the prolonged dry season .




Nothing caught my fancy while here . A shock actually knowing my compulsive buying that caught my attention .

So we decided to head for home . Felt glad that the situation at the border is peaceful . Of course at this checkpoint I saw plenty of our armed forces loitering around ...making me feel so much safer . Felt so good to be welcomed home again .

Hot Days

Have you seen the rain lately ? Nope ......not a single drop for the past month . Temperatures been soaring like 36'C till 39'C. No breeze too...I wonder where does the wind go ?

Hot , hot , a hot day indeed .. I have been thinking I ought to get myself a pair of sunglasses when I dry out the laundry . A big hat as well . That will definitely make my neighbor's stop in their tracks when they see me .My eyes hurt too...." Ouch ! Too bright ...can't see " as my little niece used to say a long time ago .

I just got to control myself from being crabby ....though my son said I am all the time . Am I ?

A nice time to be out in the sun is from 0700 till 0845 . After that no venturing outside unless absolutely necessary . In this short time I am transformed into a supermom ...sending the children to school , putting up the laundry outside and sweeping the driveway / patio . I air dry the pillows and blankets too if space permits .

Oh ya . I did the marketing this morning . Good to see the familiar and friendly vendors who are forever cheery . Its been 2 weeks since I was there . One lady was wondering if I had gone back to my hometown . Nope ....no trips yet .

Its a good feeling on this hot sunny day when the newspaper vendor greeted me with a smile then said " Selamat Jalan " as I got into my car . That stopped me for a while there . I love and appreciates that someone bothers to tell me to " Have a safe journey home " .

So Unexpected .....

A Wow...Wednesday today.


I was struggling to finish altering and re - sewing Yasmin's pants . Wish she told me earlier that she need a new pair . A last minute of frantic buying . You will not find one that is of your size . And you need to use it the next day . And look good too . After all it is Sports Day at the school and you are one of the Girl Guides .


A size bigger ....too long and too big ....funny thing is the waist fits Yasmin . What choice do we have ? It was a whole night of altering . Then had to wait the next morning to see if it fits her . She was asleep by then . Yep ...still slightly too loose and frumpy looking . Out came the scissors ...snipped here and there ; sewed the seams and it was done ; by 1030am .

Then her call came . She said she will be bringing 2 of her friends home. Is it alright ? No ...its not alright because I have not done my cleaning and sweeping ....snippets of the trousers are still on the floor . The laundry is not done and I only have fish for lunch . But I didn't say this to her .


Amazing mum was super fast ...and by 1230 lunch was ready . Ya , she managed to sweep the staircase and cleaned the bathroom . Guests will be using this for goodness sake ....


Yasmin and her friends and who are my guests ....ate the simple ' Laksa Sarawak ' which was hastily prepared ; sweat and toiled in the kitchen ...that was me for the next hour and a half . Of course the girls were not to be seen ...for Yasmin had spirited them off to her room .


The one person I need to thank is son Amir ; he helped me clean the prawns and bean sprouts too . Last but not least dear hubby was there too to send them to school in the afternoon ...in time for the Sports Day . Whew !!

Yippie !

I'm all alone ; dear hubby is on the way to pick up Amir and Yasmin . Its not a whole afternoon ...just an hour to and fro trip to the school . Then the house is alive again . I tell you this house is exhausted and needs its me time too. We two are embracing each other now ...cuddling up and enjoying this short ' times out . '

I just want to sit down ...enjoy the quiet moments ...this mommy is allowed to do that , right ?

So how was my day ...as from 0530 till 1330 hours ? Imagine this ....a typical weekday consists of making breakfast ...then lunch ...then dinner . In between ..I sent the two teenagers to school ...pick them up . Did the daily laundry too , then folded the freshly dried clothes .

Getting mails in the letterbox is getting rare ; only the monthly bills thought they are worth dropping by and make their presence known . The mails I received are the e mails ; most are forwarded articles ...but I do appreciate friends who remembered to forward to me ....thanks guys . At least I know I am in your thoughts . Bless you !

Checked out the Facebook ...cyber drop on my friends and peep into their lives for a while . Some are close friends , some are childhood friends , some are those you know but never did get close enough to know and yet we give them a nod and smile when we crossed each others' path a long time ago . Now we are friends in cyberspace ....

Oh ya ! There's the ironing to do when I'm in the mood to pick up that dreadful tool . Hope you get the picture . I have not swept my house . I wish I have more me time ; for me to sew ....but now just want to let you know ...this is my actual me time .


Flowers to cheer me up !

Me Time

Saturday morning ; bright and sunny day . Its 1 pm ...my washings are still undone . Not my habit ...its usually out in the sun by 9am . Somehow today there are not as many clothes to be washed . So have to wait for everybody to wake up . Not worth to run the washing machine with a half load . Got to conserve water and electricity too .

Could not decide what's for lunch . Opened the fridge and saw the ' Laksa Sarawak ' paste . So I proceeded to make this for brunch . By 11am everybody had their tummies filled . Took another shower ....gosh ..the day's so hot . It doesn't help that a few hours in the kitchen is like in a hot oven .

I was thinking and asking myself ....should I do the ironing or should I sew ? Then I remembered that I have an unfinished task to do ...and its got to be done by today .Then daughter Yasmin said ....she wants her hair to be cut ...oh well , gotta bring her to the hair saloon then . All these will be about 3 to 4 hours away from the house .

Oh well there goes my Me Time .....whatever I get to get away from the house ....though I am leaving a mess there .

A Date With The Doctor

Abstain yourself from food as from midnight ...that was what Doc Kelvin said the last we met . I have to do some blood test on you ...he continued .

Not a welcoming news to be reminded of another medical check up . " Come and see me after your holidays " and I finally did ...3 months later . And that's because another issue cropped up that I just gotta meet him again .

I was early ..the 2nd patient of the morning .; so far so good ..my tummy was not doing its drum roll . And gosh ...my bladder was full . 20 minutes after I registered myself I was admitted to see Doc Kelvin . He was pleasant , he was courteous , he was super cool . As we exchanged bits and pieces of news he took my blood pressure ...." Super good " .." The best reading "....." Superb " ...as he praised and went goo goo ga ga over my BP . Well that was good news .

I proceeded to tell him of my latest development ...with Doc Kelvin U gotta tell all and be frank . A problem he gotta help me . I said '...Doc ....lately ...I bleed '......and so on ...( censored ).

Doc Kelvin : Red or dark brown ?

Me : What's the difference ? Red ...looks fresh .

Doc Kelvin : If its dark brown ...its the old mensus blood . If fresh red , we gotta check it out . I 'll scan u first ....a good time to check out as your bladder is still full "

Me : Yeah Doc , U better do before the dam broke .

The scan was fine , Doc Kelvin did not see any cyst which used to be hovering outside my uterus . The uterine wall lining is still slightly thick about 0.7mm ...not to his liking though . Next , I need not guide him see the place where the sun never shines on as he proceeded to do the pap smear ; took a long look at the tunnel and said ...yeah ..there is bleeding at the cervix .

Doc Kelvin : We treat this medically first . I'm going to give u a medication ; u follow the instructions . Do it once this week and another one next week . Not more then that . In the mean time we wait for the pap smear results . I will call u once I received it .

I nodded in agreement .

Doc Kelvin : After this u take your blood test . Please follow Nurse Jothi .

Yeah ...with the Doctors U just follow orders and I was marched off to the ' blood sucking ' unit . A Nurse Nair was there and made me feel comfortable as she proceeded to take my blood meant for 2 or 3 vials . The results would be ready in 2 hours ..she said .

With nothing else needed out of me I went home , went with dear hubby for a round of ' Tosei ' to break my fast at 11oo .


Flowers for me ...for a task done !

Me Day

Its March ?

Ok got to do one thing at a time ...first I want to declare the first day of each month as " Me Day " . So today being the 1st of March ...I told hubby dearest that I 'm going to go out ...pamper myself ....need to trim my hair . Its been out of shape for the past 2 weeks and I can't take it anymore .

So today I'm not going to do any cooking ...lunch that is for Amir and Yasmin ; not that I am reluctant to cook for them ...just that today time is not on my side ....I know they will groaned and hated take away food ...saying my cooking is much better . Yeah yeah....compliments for me ...but no thank you ...today is no slogging day too , away from my kitchen .

I will think about what is for lunch . Hubby dearest will only be home at 7pm after a round of golf ths evening . That suits me fine ...

I have finishd reading 2 sets of today's newspaper ..clap clap clap ! At least this mommy is updated on today's happenings . Next to do is drying out my laundry . Its still a hot , hot , hot shiny day ....too bright out there that my eyes hurt .



Happy Me Day to me .

Comics Anyone ?

In the 1970s I grew up reading comics . Among them were 'June and School Friend ' and' Judy '. Popular comics for us . The contents were harmless too ; a great source of entertainment for the children . Parents need not have to screen each piece before buying though I bet they do twitched a bit as hard earned money was spent buying comics each week .

I don't remember buying but these comics had always been there in the house . My source ? My elder sisters . By the time I was able to read they had move on to read other stuff . But of course these were still theirs !

These comics were kept in their cupboards ...never strewn around , possessively guarded ! So you have to borrow from them . Rules to be followed too and that is ' Handle with care ! ' . This so called slogan was always written on top of each comic ; in bold handwriting . We younger brothers and sisters just had to adhere to such rulings .




Beautifully illustrated and it was in black and white . Such great artists whoever drew these . And the story was written with simple and short sentences . Easy for me to understand and built up my imagination too . In a way I learned how to read from comics ...thus began my passion for reading. Of course there were certain words that I don't understand ...but its alright because I could always read and re- read the comics over and over again .

Oh ya ...as I grew up , I came across friends with such names as ' June ' and " Judy . ' Sweet names , ain't it ? ....